Kim and I were at the Wildscape from 7:0O PM- 8:00 PM to water plants and tidy up for the upcoming full moon event, Monday, August 19, at 6:30 PM.
Sideoats Grama, the State Grass of Texas.
For the most part Texas natives have held up amazingly well with minimal attention. In cooler weather, the garden will be groomed and new plantings put in. We noticed it felt cooler with a breeze blowing and decided to do no more weeding until the Dog Days of Summer are over.
Blackfoot Daisy
Pictured are some of the toughest Texas Natives – Sideoats Grama, Blackfoot Daisy, Gaillardia, Salvia, Kidneywood, and the garden mascots.
We acquired several benches and chairs from Marketplace for the Wildscape and delivered them at noon, which is not as hot as later in the day. Many pollinators were flying around, including hummers.
Kim Summers and I went back late evening to water and stayed until 8:00 pm, resting by the big fountain in the shade, while Cindy Rek told us about the Rio Grande Turkeys being delivered to Bird and Bee Farm, where our projects are located.
Pictured are the new pathways in the birding station that Gene Rek has been working on. We also placed 100-year-old furniture in the Bird Station, which Ann Collins chose.
Pictures also show new beds, which will allow native birds to enjoy plants that are watered by a drip system.
We are excited to be viewing all at our full moon Wildscape Celebration later this month: Monday, August 19, 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm. Guests are welcome.
There’s going to be a big visitor event at the Wildscape our chapter sponsors, and it’s coming up fast, so the garden needed a lot of pruning, weeding, and encouraging. Members got out early this morning and got to work pulling up what shouldn’t be there (overly enthusiastic grasses for the most part) and directing what should be there to their proper spots. A lot of the roses needed encouraging!
This smells so good.
There were enough people to help out that only a little dizziness or other heat issues developed, and as always there was plenty of camaraderie.
Kim, Carolyn, Ellen, and Scott take a breakNeil and Catherne share a laughSandra enjoyed the beautiful morningAnn made her first appearance since she broke her arm in May (her first broken bone ever, by the way)Allan ponders his next weeding moveDixie watched the chickens and stayed out of the heat
I admit that I may have spent more time taking pictures of bees, butterflies, and other insects than pulling weeds, but I did contribute! Besides, everyone likes pictures of flowers and pollinators, right?
Variegated fritillary on Brazilian vervainBlue waterleafBird grasshopper of some kindHappy hibiscusGulf fritillary on verbenaSunflowers in sunshineBumblebee on button bushFind the honeybee on the passion flowerDirt dauber enjoying a water dishSpearleaf Swamp mallowCowpen daisyAcmaeodera mixta on upright prairie coneflowerHalloween PennantCarpenter beeCarpenter bee on pickerel weedClouded skipperHibiscus with pollenDetail of a hibiscus blossomCloudless sulphur on flame acanthusThe ubiquitous yellow garden spider
After we were finished, we headed to Rockdale for lunch, where we ran into Linda Jo Conn and her family. The people in the restaurant must have thought it very weird that everyone in both large groups seemed to know each other. Volunteering can be fun.
The fairy garden is being reconstructed, so here’s a totally fake one you can imagine replacing the one at the Wildscape.
The best time to work in the Milam Wildscape is after 7:00 p.m. at this time. Everyone was ready to leave on a recent Saturday at 11:00 a.m. However, Phyllis, Patricia, Dorothy, Carolyn, Kim, Jackie, and Catherine accomplished some specific tasks of pruning, eliminating aggressive vines and harvesting excess plants.
Gene showed us the new major Bird Station in progress which will have water and native grasses and berries. Ann Collins is the coordinator and looks forward to future educational programs.
The Wildscape had a major facelift thanks to the Reks and employee Brandon.
Upcoming events include a full moon gathering to observe moths and nature at night. The improved space will be easier for people to walk thru each month learning about the Master Naturalist program.
Birds have built nests in the mailboxes and the Mason bees are active.
The pictures include our State grass, Sideoats Grama. It is a short clump grass that provides nutrition for wildlife and erosion control. It is drought tolerant, with oat-like seeds and orange and purple flowers.
Honeysucklesideoats gramaGray hairstreakThere are lots of chickens at this chicken farm!
Nature Along the El Camino Real 