Thirsty Critters!

With the current drought situation in the Texas Hill Country, we have a variety of animals and fowl getting daily drinks out of our pool.

Walking the Garden Paths!

When we moved in three and a half years ago and began landscaping our 3.5 acres, I pretty much ruined every pair of outdoor shoes I owned when walking anywhere on our property. Hence the garden paths were among the first projects. With over three acres, that’s a lot of walkways. We have tried to keep things looking natural and rustic and have used different materials for separate trails. To the garden and greenhouse we selected crushed granite; to the garden shed, we chose cedar slabs; to the rock garden we selected flagstone; and to the arched area leading to the wildflower meadow (not a pretty as it sounds) we placed native stone. My family calls the stone path the ankle bender and most everyone walks beside this path to avoid serious injury.

Birdhouse Condo

We are so fortunate to have some amazing birds fly around. I think the close proximity to the Guadalupe River as an easily accessible water source helps. I have many birdhouses scattered about and several are inhabited. We even had a little finch nest in a cow's skull hanging on my garden fence. Yesterday we saw an American Gold Finch. We have yet to spot a Blue Bird, but my neighbors have seen them. My favorites are the Painted Buntings which return every year. They are said to be the most colorful birds in North America, and I believe it.

Deer Resistant Plants

Out of the 140 deer resistant plants on the Wildseed Farm list (www.wildseedsfarm.com), I’ve tried about 50. Of those, the deer have only left about 12 completely untouched. See the sidebar for those plants. Things they have nibbled on but not completely devoured include: Bougainvillea, Agave, and Lantana. When hungry, they seem to always go for the plant just as it begins to bloom making it doubly frustrating. I may have nursed the plant along for weeks and right when it becomes the most beautiful, it’s devoured. If I had the expertise, I would include a pictorial slide show of all the surviving plants. Maybe soon – if I can get my son-in-law’s help!

Garden Before/After

We began our garden in 2006. What a difference three years' make.

Rain Catchment System

We recently improved our garden area by adding a rain harvest barrel which catches the rainwater off the adjacent greenhouse. We purchased the 65 gallon barrel from a local vinyard and installed the gutters. We inserted a spout at the bottom which I can attach a hose to or open to fill my watering can. Fortunately we had a couple of recent showers and the barrel is full. Our area has been under extreme drought conditions, so it is a relief not to feel guilty about watering the garden.

First Bouquet of the Season

This is the first bouquet of the season using flowers entirely from my yard. Contents include: roses, columbine, zinnas, leucanthis, snap dragons, society garlic, bulbine, dusty miller and dill.

Happy Easter!