Tag: fall

Fall: Think There’s Nothing Outside? Think Again.

Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Donna Lewis

Fall has finally arrived, or so say the weather people. Seems a little warm for fall, but I don’t mind because I do not like to be cold.

Most people think all the plants are gone, all the butterflies are gone, and so on.

BUT, take another look!  There’s life out there in abundance.

Some plants don’t show themselves until October and November. I actually have Pipe-vine caterpillars on my pipe-vine plants now.

One special tiny plant is seldom seen. It’s a lady tresses orchid.  There are several varieties of this pretty little plant. Do you have them on your property? One of them, the Navasota lady tresses, is a Federal and State protected plant.

Here are just a few photos I took on October 25 on our property in Milam County, Texas.

Who are YOU gardening for?

Summer’s End

Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall1 Comment

by Donna Lewis

I took a walk in the garden and just outside to look at the new emergence that the rain we had a week or so ago had brought.  Many things I thought were dead came back to life, maybe just for a short time, but it shows us nature trying to repair herself.

Toad is happy to have some water.

Fall is here, and things will change as they are supposed to do.

Hawk on the lookout for tasty morsels.

The land will rest for a while.  We will wait for spring again.

Fire wheel
Turk’s cap
Coral vine
Passion vine
Milkweed
Indian blanket

As the saying goes…a picture is worth a thousand words.

Hey there, readers. This is Sue Ann. Our frequent blogger, Donna, has been in a lot of pain this summer, and has hurt her back again. Please send all your good thoughts her way, so that she can heal and get back to taking care of the life in her garden.

Donna, we appreciate you so much!

Keep Those Leaves!

Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Donna Lewis

Fall is slowly arriving, and the leaves are starting to fall into our gardens.

Some of you are thinking, “How messy! I’ll need to rake or mow them up.”

I used to think like that, too, especially when I lived in the city. Now that I live in the country, I have learned better. My bad back has also learned to take it easier.

Mother Nature also has made those leaves fall for a purpose, to protect the new plants that will emerge in the spring and to protect little critters that live and sleep away the winter among the fallen leaves. Those are two good reasons to just let them lie.

Today (October 24, 2021), I walked through my garden to catch one of the last monarchs heading south, lovely and gentle as she had a little sip from a milkweed in my garden.

After I left the garden, I went over to the Celeste fig tree that has frozen back every winter, and has just put out the first edible figs ever!  I was so happy.  A little snack for me.

Remember, leaves are the baby blankets for next year’s new plants. So leave them….