Playin' Outside

  If you attended Festival of Flowers in San Antonio this year (2026), I promised access to the slides in my presentation.  They, along with bonus slides at the end, are posted here if you follow this link . Thanks to the San Antonio Water System for its sponsorship and engagement, and thank YOU for participating!  Special thanks to Wizzie Brown, AgriLife Extension Service Program Specialist - IPM.  She inspires and educates in equal measure.    

  For lack of a better way to reach everyone in person and online who attended my presentation to Williamson County Master Gardeners on 08 May 2023, I'm posting a handout here.  These are only the slides that were particularly info dense, so forgive the lack of context if you weren't an attendee.  Note that the list in the handout is only suggested for Travis and Williamson Counties - the Wildflower Center will have suggestions tailored to your specific location, and NOT just in Texas! These are live links to some of the items shown:  The Wildflower Center , The Jha Bee Lab , NPSOT's plant lists by Texas region , NPSOT Wilco ,  and finally, Lynne & Jim Weber (their books are available at your local bookstore & on Amazon.) T here's a world of other resources, too!  Check out Sam Drogge's incredible photography at the USGS Bee Inventory , follow Heather Holm on Facebook and read her books, follow Carol Clark on her blog "Carol's World" .  Seri...

This past weekend I got to enjoy being with a room full of folks who completely understand the value of native plants to native wildlife.  They "get" the concept of co-evolution, the way that native pollinators and native plants have evolved to be mutually dependent.  And, of course, the popular issue of supporting Monarchs eventually came up because we all now know these beautiful icons are also dependent on a specific host plant.  But when the topic of planting milkweed for Monarchs came up, our discussion underscored something I find myself repeating over and over, and repeated yet again to this experienced group.  When several of them were surprised, I decided to repeat it here as well.  Remember, if you hear or see something repeated three times, it's going to be a test question. As central Texans who find ourselves smack dab in the squeeze point through which all Monarchs east of the Rockies travel during their migration, we really need to focus o...

Thanks to Monarch Watch.org for their beautiful graphic.  Check out their website for information on creating your own "Monarch Waystation." Just a quick note to say that Monarchs are now being sighted in my Austin area garden.  Kidneywood ( Eysenhardtia texana ) and various Asclepias  seemed to be their favorites this morning, but they also flitted without landing among the Gregg's mistflower ( Conoclinium greggii ) during the time I stood transfixed and delighted. Please comment with your location if you're also seeing my favorite little southbound fall transients in your garden.

Winter 2013 has been so mild, most of the plants we moved into the new greenhouse probably could have stayed where they were.  However, their tiny hitchikers have provided a reason to learn a new word - "chrysalides".  It's the preferred plural form of chrysalis, and I looked it up today after finding 6 Monarch chrysalides in all their celadon and gold beaded glory in the greenhouse, along with a newly emerged adult. Thinking it would give the (outside) butterflies an early start, I was overwintering several tropical milkweed plants in the greenhouse as well.  Four are blooming and had provided a temporary nectar source, but unfortunately not enough to sustain the adult..  As the day warmed, I gently showed him the door.  Another reason to be grateful for our mild winter and all of the other plants that have started blooming early.  Can you find three chrysalides hidden in the ponytail palm foliage? This guy was a little easier to spot. ...