Creatures of the Night

I live in a suburb south of Austin, Texas.  I used to think I lived in the country, but with all the people moving into this area it is becoming less country and more urban.  However, the creatures wandering in and out of my yard haven't been told about this new development. 

I was noticing flowerpots being turned over on my deck and talked to a few people about it trying to figure out what was going on.  My supervisor said he had a couple of wildlife cameras I could borrow so I could see what was happening at night.  I had no idea there were nightly parties going on in my backyard while I was sleeping.

I have seen deer, skunk, raccoon, armadillo, opossum, and fox.  Luckily I haven't seen a coyote or a mountain lion, but have heard they are lurking around a little further out from my subdivision. 

Since initially borrowing my supervisor's cameras, I bought one for myself and am obsessed with seeing the nightly antics.  The camera will take pictures or video, both are fun but I particularly enjoy watching the videos and hope you enjoy some of my favorites.

Bee Balm

Another stunning beauty in my yard this spring is Bee Balm (Monarda). 


I believe I inherited this pass along plant from Linda who blogs at Patchwork Garden http://patchworkgarden.blogspot.com/  When she gave me the plant in October, it had no bloom and was just a spindly little thing.  I had no idea it would grow to almost five feet tall and have the most beautiful pinkish purplish color.  I don't even know what color this is.  Fuchsia?


If I were to name this plant, I might call it Bee, Butterfly, and Hummingbird Balm because it has so many other visitors besides just bees.  And, the deer don't bother it.  I definitely need more of this gem!

Basket Flower

Finally, I have figured out what this tall, beautiful, and intriguing flower is!  It's Basket Flower (Centaurea Americana). 


I'm sure I planted it from seed along with hundreds of other wildflower seeds that I threw out this past fall.  I have all sorts of things popping up, not knowing if they are going to turn into flowers or a weed that will become invasive.  So, I decided to let ride...leaving it to grow larger, and larger to almost five feet tall.  Thank goodness it turned out to be this stunning beauty!


I hope the rest of the unknown plants I am letting grow turn out this well.

Hello Daffodil

It's been a very mild winter in the Austin, Texas area and I suppose that is why my daffodils have made an appearance in February.  I didn't expect to see my newly planted daffodils until March, but here they are!  I planted these bulbs in mid December and they are already showing their bright, sunny faces in the backyard. 

I received these bulbs from Colorblends as they were a sponsor of the Minnesota Garden Bloggers Fling I attended last summer.  The bulbs I received are a blend of up to 10 different varieties of daffodils called the Gritty Southern Blend.  This beautiful girl is an early riser, so I am anxious to see the other nine varieties that will be joining them. 

Here's a link to the Colorblends web site and this specific blend: http://www.colorblends.com/Wholesale-Flowerbulbs/Daffodil-Bulbs/Daffodil-Blends/Gritty-Southern-Daff-Blend#.WJ4ERWuQypo

Thanks, Colorblends!

Peacefulness in Minneapolis

In July 2016, I attended my second Garden Blogger's Fling in the Minneapolis, Minnesota area.  The first stop on the whirlwind trip of looking at gorgeous gardens and fabulous flora was the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden and Bird Sanctuary.  This 15 acre plot was the perfect location to begin the tour and ease us Flingers into the next few days.

The garden, although close to downtown Minneapolis, feels as though you have been transported into a land far, far away with its wooden pathways that lead through tall trees, peaceful sanctuaries, and a field of cattails.

Butterflies and Bees

This fall has seen an abundance of butterflies and bees in the yard.  This was the first year I had Gregg's Mistflower blooming and the monarch butterflies seemed to set up camp there.  They also fancied the Mexican Bush Sage, as did the bees. I had many different colors of butterflies from yellow, orange, black, white and grey, but these are only ones that would pose for me.

Favorite Things

I love the color purple in the garden. It's warm and inviting and playful and peppy at the same time. There are many plants that you can use in the garden to capture the power of purple, but one of my favorite plants is the Mexican Bush Sage (Salvia Leucantha). This beauty has long, soft, velvety flower spikes that butterflies and hummingbird birds are drawn to.  

This particular plant was given to me as a pass along plant less than a year ago and it is a show stopper. I also love to use it in cut flower arrangements.

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day

This is my first Garden Blogger's Bloom Day post.  The 15th of the month is the date for garden bloggers to display what is blooming that day.  I finally remembered to put it on my calendar so I could post some of the wonderful things going on in the garden.

Many things were blooming today, but I am limiting the post to my favorite photos.

Enjoy!

Wisconsin Ditch Lily

Greg's Mistflower

Blackfoot Daisy

Indian Blanket

Plumbago

Four O'Clocks

Yarrow

Yucca

Esperanza

Begonia

Columbine

Daisies

Lemon Bee Balm

Indian Blanket

Indian Blanket from the cutting garden.

Simple Bouquet

Peggy Martin rose and Spiderwort. I'm going to take it to work to bring some happiness to my day.

Iceland Poppy

I bought four Iceland Poppies, two yellow and two orange, at Lowe's from the clearance section. I have never grown poppies before, and I have no idea why. These are stunning!  I wish I had bought more.

Bouquet of the Day

Daily Walkabout

One of the things I enjoy the most after coming home from a long work day is doing my daily walkabout in the backyard to see what's blooming, what's about to bloom, and what needs a little attention.

Today was an exceptional day for the walkabout.  The passionflower was blooming, my new red proud land rose bush had a gorgeous bloom, the pink knockout rose was blooming, and the poppies greeted me with their spectacular vibrance.

Appreciating Yellow in the Garden

I have never really cared much for the color yellow. Yellow clothes don't look good on me, the color makes my skin look jaundiced.  I never understood people that painted their walls in their home yellow, it's too bright a color for walls. However, when I get home from a long day of work and battling the Austin traffic to find my yellow beauties greeting me, I appreciate the yellow and the sunny disposition.

Iceland Poppy

 Copper Canyon Daisy

 Lady Banks Rose

 Italian Jasmine

 Marigold (I know, it's really more orange than yellow)

 Marigolds brightening up the garden.

Cestrum