Tag: butterfly garden

Nature Will Find a Way

Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Catherine Johnson

While others are away in the cool mountains,* a group of us decided to check on the condition of the El Camino Real Master Naturalist Butterfly Garden in Milano, which we started a number of years ago. 

The Butterfly Garden

It is  in complete disarray but still with butterflies and other insects trying to hold on to smothered natives.  A memorial on the site is also in complete disarray. We are considering possible solutions to make the area respectful.

Sulphur butterfly.

Eric Neubauer and Linda Jo Conn did some BioBlitzing, and Eric was later given a tour of  the Milam Wildscape, which he hadn’t visited before.

iNaturalist volunteers at work.

Unexpected Adventure

As we worked on the Butterfly Garden, I gained Master Naturalist volunteer hours for Nature Improvement in Public Areas, learned what false garlic and Carolina Snail vine look like, learned what a pipevine swallowtail butterfly looks like, and got to know new member Eric.

Carolina snail vine (the seeds look just like a snail!)

While in Milano I also got to hear lots of trains and watch the lowering of the flag at the post office. It was a balmy day balmy day and a good one for exercise! 

Oh, and we found odd gourds near the train tracks. That was unexpected.

*She is referring to the Chapter President, Suna, who has escaped to Utah. She will post!

Log Cabin Garden in Lexington Update

Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

We’ve received a report from Sharon Sweet, sharing the work she and her husband Wesley have been doing on the beautiful butterfly garden they have been building and maintaining in Lexington. It’s at the log cabin area near the Lexington Senior Center. (See their initial post from April 2019 for more.)

How to Find the Garden

Maybe you’d like to check out the gardens in person! Sheri sends these directions:

The Lexington Log Cabin Garden is located on 4th Street, 1/2 block west of Rockdale Street (Loop 123).  It is directly north across 4th Street from the town square.  There is a large sign titling the Log Cabins in front of the garden.  I’m hoping to get this sign moved elsewhere so the garden is more visible.

The Lexington Senior Center Garden is located across from  the south-west corner of the town square on Main Street.  It is right around the corner of the Lexington Senior Citizens Center.

This gallery of photos will take you through their work over 2019. Be sure to click on the photos to see them full size. It’s really beautiful.

  • Starting the digging
  • Marking the site with a box blade
  • Breaking ground
  • Initial planting
  • Watering everything in
  • Planting petunias so Wes can see some color!
  • Planting Louisiana swamp iris and peach day lilies
  • Installing the protective arbor
  • Wes was sidetracked by some knee surgery!
  • This huge downed tree required help from their son
  • Growing in
  • Already showing lots of color
  • Growing more as they waited for Wes to heal up
  • Concrete edging that fits together nicely
  • Sharon was able to transplant these Indian blanket flowers from her garden!
  • Another view of the edging
  • Flowers and the drip irrigation system
  • More of the edging and flowers
  • Hyacinth vines growing up the gazebo
  • Striking blossom
  • Zinnias
  • Butterflies love the zinnias
  • Painted lady on a zinnia – these are Sharon’s favorites
  • Skipper on a zinnia
  • Hyacinth bean vine in full glory!
  • Lantana not doing too well due to over-watering
Amazing progress on the log cabins butterfly gardens.

Lexington Senior Butterfly Garden Update

Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall2 Comments

photos by Sharon Sweet

Today, Sharon Sweet shares some photos of the butterfly garden project she and Wesley created five or six years ago at the senior center in Lexington, along with a bonus bluebonnet photo, because, well, who can resist those? We hope you enjoy this photo essay.

It has really grown in nicely.
The flowers really add a lot to the formerly bare wall.

This log is on the Willow City loop, outside of Fredericksburg.

Bluebonnets growing out of a log.