Nature Along the El Camino Real

A Non-native Vine Beloved by Bees: Sweet Autumn Clematis

September 8, 2022 Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall3 Comments

by Donna Lewis

Today it is cloudy and looks like rain. But in the secret garden there is a vine that is beautiful and blooming like crazy. When I get close to it, I can hear and almost feel the honeybees doing their thing on it. It’s a beautiful vine.

I cannot remember how I came to have it, because it is not a Texas native vine.

I try to buy native as much as I can. I also try to plant things for the pollinators. This plant is common in India and other Asian countries. So, I guess you could call it naturalized because it does great here.

I have seen it in many magazines covering arbors and fences. It is lovely and the tiny white flowers blend well with any other colors. It climbs well.

It blooms at the end of the summer when normally you don’t have much going on. That is refreshing.

It can get invasive, but the little beginner plants are easily removed.

I have this vine in a half-shaded area. When wet, the birds love to wiggle around in it getting a bath. The tree frogs also like it because it is moist. The garden’s inhabitants really like it.

As you can see, it really has some good qualities, and it is very pretty. No thorns. I like that.

You will have to decide for yourself if it’s for you.

As I always say…who are you gardening for?

Storks Visit Milam County

August 30, 2022 Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall2 Comments

by Sue Ann Kendall

This morning there’s thunder everywhere, which means more welcome rain is on the way, so I went out early to feed the chickens. I’m glad I did, because when I looked into the pond (tank in Texan) behind the house, I saw something in addition to the usual great egret (Ardea alba) and great blue heron (Ardea Herodias): wood storks!

They used to visit for a while periodically, back when the pond had a large dead tree they liked to hang out in, but lately they just drop by and move on. I’m so glad I got to catch them before they left. They are such gorgeous birds, with white bodies, black (actually dark gray) heads and black wing tips that make them easy to spot when they are flying.

You know they are big when you compare them to the resident great blue heron, who is HUGE thanks to all those catfish and minnows it ate while the ponds were drying up.

Wood storks (Mycteria americana) are the only American stork, and they move around with the seasons. They used to be known as wood ibises because their bills look like those of ibises. Interestingly, they must have shallow water to feed in because they feed by touch. You can see that in many of the photos. That’s why they breed when water levels are falling (in South America). They are predominantly subtropical birds, which is why they hang around here only when it’s warmer. They are listed as a threatened species in the Western hemisphere, because of predation (bad ole crested caracaras) and believe it or not, ecotourism disturbing their nesting colonies. (Source: Wikipedia via iNaturalist)

I’m extra happy to have gotten some videos. The one of them flying away is so lovely. I hope they visit again soon!

Quick one, but good image of wings.

Goodbye, friends! Come back some day!

PS: Yes, we had a good amount of rain yesterday, and it’s raining again now. Happy news for all the plants around here!

The Guardian

August 29, 2022 Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall2 Comments

by Donna Lewis

Hummingbirds do not like to share their nectar flowers or the feeders they claim for their own. Right now, I have about four to five Ruby throated hummers hanging around. They are most likely heading back south of the border. The plant they like the most in my garden is the coral honeysuckle.

But when it comes to the feeder, one little guy will not let anyone else have a sip. He sits on top of the L bracket that holds the feeder on our front porch. He sits there all day until dusk. I’m sure he spends more calories protecting the feeder than he would if he would just share. Somebody’s mother needs to have a talk with him.

I tried to get a good photo, but I am shooting through the glass window, so it’s not the best photo.

The butterflies in my garden also protect their flowers from the hummers. They try to run the hummers off. And they do a pretty good job of it.

What happened to, “We are family, I got all my sisters with me?”

So funny. Who are we gardening for?

What a Difference Some Rain Makes

August 28, 2022 Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Donna Lewis

I thought most of my pollinator garden was done for. I could not afford to continue watering every day just to keep the plants alive. And yes, most of the plants are Texas natives. Still, the 100-plus degree temperatures were too much stress for the plants to bear.

I also put out sprinklers every evening around 6:00 pm for the tons of birds that came to cool off. It was so nice to see them bathing and just having a happy get together with their friends. But a very high electric bill was putting a dent in our budget. The plant watering would have to be limited, but the birds would still get their sprinkler party in the evening.

The watering caused our electricity to go up because the pump on our well is electric. I wish I had an old windmill to do the job, but they need maintenance also. In my younger days I could have climbed up on an old wooden windmill. If I were to fall off now, it would be bad. While I used to bounce, now I break.

Anyway, after about three inches of much needed rain last week, so much stuff popped up again that I thought was gone. YAY! Now for a few days all I have to do is clean and fill the bird baths.

We still need to keep thinking about and observing what plants did make it through the extreme weather, because this heat with no water may become the norm. What and how we garden must change. Just keep looking and learning.