Kim and I worked at the Wildscape early one morning, but it was not early enough. When we left at 9:30 it was oppressive. We aim to work from 7:00 until 8:30 next time. The humidity is what makes you feel ill.
Texas Kidneywood
Many native wildflowers are in bloom. There are native seeds and plants to give away.
Mexican Hat and Elbow wood
At some point, one of our native plant experts is going to verify which of the Native plants in the Wildscape are native to Milam County. We will try to get some endemic plants in the garden as well.
Mexican Honeysuckle
Pictured are Texas Kidneywood, Mexican Hat and Elbow bush, Mexican Honeysuckle, Wild Bee Balm, Englemann Daisy, Milkweed, and Black Eyed Susan, among others.
The El Camino Real Texas Master Naturalist Wildscape is awash in purple blooms on flowers, bushes and trees. And all types of bees are all over them. Honeybees, Mason bees and Carpenter bees covered most of the blooms.
The favorite for the bees was Wild Bergamot growing in cultivation in the Wildscape.
Wild Bergamot
Its sister plant the Lemon Bee Balm growing in the wild in the surrounding pasture was a very close second.
Lemon Bee Balm
Gene Rek, owner of Bird and Bee Farm where the wildscape is located, said the wild Lemon Bee Balm provided the most nectar for his bee farm. They had found the Wild Bergamot, too.
Huge Wild Bergamot
Close in line was a Lilac Chaste Tree, Mealy Blue Sage and Purple Passionflower. Plenty of other plants also are in bloom. Many of those are new to the Wildscape.
Lilac chaste tree
The Mason Bees were also filling up the new bee houses put up by some Eagle Scouts.
Mason bee house
If you’d like to grow native Texas plants, this is an excellent place to see many of them in bloom. Members of the El Camino Real chapter Texas Master Naturalist will be there on June 17, from 10 to 12. Catherine Johnson, member in charge of the Wildscape, always gives away free starters to anyone interested. It’s located on Fm 334.
Mealy blue sagePurple passionflowerCaterpillar feeding on wilting Lemon Bee Balm, working to produce a Salt Marsh MothMore purple flowers and their friends.
Every inch of the Wildscape was explored recently at a Mason Bee program for Milam Home School Co-op. Forty-one people attended, which included twenty-six children and seven Master Naturalists. After the bee houses were assembled, everyone took off to all parts of the garden observing butterflies, hummingbirds, and spiders. The children enjoyed refreshments, hide and seek, and receiving goody bags and nature books.
The parents were interested in building their own Wildscapes and want to return for free native plants. We enjoyed ages from baby to teens and hope to spend more time with them at the Wildscape.
While we were hiking Mother Neff State Park, Patricia Coombs was coordinating chores at the Wildscape for the monthly workday.
The day became warm and bending over to plant resulted in Patricia becoming ill. Dorothy Mayer and her daughter, Traci, were there working as well. Dorothy poured water over Patricia’s head and cared for Traci after she was stung by something.
Dorothy Mayer taking charge
Much pruning was done and two flats of Mexican Hat and Black-eyed Susan were planted, plus a bed prepared for Texas wildflowers. Dorothy brought the workday to a successful end.
Traci survived the sting.
Note that we have a bunch of blogs to upload, because our blogging team (of one person) has been having computer issues then had the nerve to go camping. At least she did a lot of iNaturalist observations while she was there.Apologies that our blog entries weren’t entered in a timely manner.
Nature Along the El Camino Real 