Our second Saturday of Nature Days on November 12 was cold and windy. Super Troopers Scott, Linda, Kim, Gene, Cindy, Patricia, and Rosie arrived bundled up for work. New friends Kenny and Donna attended and harvested plants.
Guests drove in from distances, including Salado, Taylor, Buda, and Driftwood. We shared nature stories and how all were committed to benefiting natural resources and areas.
One family brought their own picnic to the garden- what a surprise! Children hid in the garden, picked flowers, and enjoyed the fairy garden.
Join us this Saturday to “Discover the Wonder,” as our friend, Greg Hensley, says.
The weather was great for the first Saturday of Nature Days. Visiting under the oaks surrounded by wildlife was fun.
Rio Grande turkeys and mason bee houses
Thank you to Carolyn, Donna, Scott, Suna, Debra, Gene, Cindy, Patricia, and Linda for making it a success. Linda was a real trooper for walking the entire garden with me. Also, thank you to Alan for bringing cypress trees and to Mike for the bee houses.
Our group and visitors in action
The best part of my day was meeting the couple who drove up from San Antonio and left with many native plants, including one of Debra Sorenson’s Turk’s Cap.
Visitors and their haul!
“Help ‘root’ people where they live so they can create their own connections and join others to care for natural resources”.
Craig Hensley
Join us this Saturday at Bird and Bee Farm (1369 County Road 334, Rockdale, TX) from 9am – noon.
From Sue Ann
I enjoyed the chance to talk to members of our Chapter as well as visitors. I also took lots of photos of the plants and animals I saw, which I hope you will enjoy.
The highlight of the day for me was showing some visiting children the mason bee houses we have to give away and explaining to them how they worked. The young people got so excited about the idea of taking one home to welcome some busy pollinators.
Donna Lewis tries to give Scruffy a treat. Apparently, she was plumb full.
I took home two cypress trees, too, and am looking forward to planting them by one of our ponds!
Where? Milam Wildscape Project – Bird and Bee Farm – 1369 County Road 334, Milano, Texas.
What? Nature Days
Come see blooming tall purple asters, red and pink Turk’s cap, white fragrant mist flower, Mexican bush sage, Mexican honeysuckle, forsythia sage, Gulf muhly, and more.
View this video for a sample of the thousands of pollinators. We will be giving away free native plants, goody bags for all, bee houses, plus refreshments.
Come tour the garden and share YOUR nature stories with us.
Our garden is never finished, beautiful, and always WILD.
Progress is being made in the Milam Wildscape in preparation for Nature Days, which will be held every Saturday in November from 9:00-12 noon. Enjoy visiting Master Naturalists and visitors in a beautiful Autumn setting.
Chapter members work on the garden
There will be refreshments, gifts, and native plants. If you participate as a Master Naturalist, hours are available.
Abundant flowers attracting many pollinators leave one in awe at the El Camino Real Texas Master Naturalist Wildscape out at the Bird and Bee Farm. I read Catherine Johnson’s blog and noticed the severely overgrown Malabar Spinach awning that is being overtaken by Cypress Vines. I went out to try to tame it.
Before
It took electric pruners to get it under control. It draped over the entrances and spread out to the picket fence and flower bed behind it. And the Cypress vine had overgrown it and was attaching itself to cannas and other bushes nearby. I have made the awning walkthrough accessible. If you want to grow either of those at your place, it’s prime time to take cuttings or pick the berries. Or take some to eat – the Malabar. I don’t know that the Cypress vine is edible by humans, but hummingbirds were sure enjoying the nectar in the flowers.
After
It was hard to stay focused on the vines while several species of butterflies and bees were all over the wildscape. Many Gulf Fritillaries, Common Buckeyes, Grey Hairstreaks and Pipevine Swallowtails were there. The Zinnias and Turk’s Caps were the favorite food of the butterflies. Carpenter bees and honeybees were also abundant. Cindy Rek said she has seen a few Monarchs and they laid eggs which have developed into caterpillars already. She has photos to prove it.
Gray HairstreakPipevine SwallowtailGulf Fritillary, worse for wearCarpenter beeCommon BuckeyeMorning gloryPassionflower
If you are participating in the the iNaturalist Pollinators BioBlitz beginning Oct. 7, the wildscape has plenty to photograph. If you don’t do bioblitzes, you can just sit among the many blooming flowers and all the pollinators buzzing around them. Pull a weed or two while you’re there.
Nature Along the El Camino Real 