June 04, 2022
When Jennifer Jewell of Cultivating Place got here to Austin a month in the past, we visited the Girl Hen Johnson Wildflower Middle collectively. I get pleasure from exhibiting guests round our state botanical backyard, planted completely with native Texas vegetation. In early Might, the late-spring wildflowers had been in get together mode.
Wildflowers within the Theme Backyard
A number of plots within the Theme Backyard had been blazing with firewheel and salvia. I wasn’t the one photographer snapping pics of the vivid show.
Bees had been going after these salvia blossoms too.
A flower tipper
So fuzzy and cute
A black swallowtail butterfly discovered the flowers interesting too.
Daylight beaming via a stone window festooned with Virginia creeper
The fuzzy yellow flowers of goldenball leadtree (Leucaena retusa)
Household Backyard
Within the Household Backyard, behind the rock outcropping with waterfall and caves, this stunning scene caught my eye: purple yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora) in bloom with waving Mexican feathergrass (Nassella tenuissima) in entrance. Easy but beautiful. On the prime of the rocky hill, a cholla spangled with pink flowers provides extra shade.
A better have a look at that fabulous cholla, with purple yucca bloom spikes within the foreground
The cholla towards a blown-out sky
Heading across the rocky hill, I admired the waterfall, and we peeked within the caves.
The stream was as inviting as ever, although youngsters had been scarce today.
Large agave survivors of Snowpocalypse color-coordinate with ‘Blue Ice’ Arizona cypress behind them. Crimson yucca blooms in entrance.
Texas yellow star (Lindheimera texana), a new-to-me wildflower and one of many many, many yellows
Datura, considered one of my summer season faves
Nectar Backyard
Heading again to the primary buildings, we handed via the Nectar Backyard and noticed a monarch in search of lunch.
Antelope horns milkweed (Asclepias asperula) makes a preferred eating spot, with a grey hairstreak butterfly, a honeybee, and some bugs gathered across the desk.
A better look reveals milkweed bugs, the red-and-black characters on the left. They don’t sip nectar however as an alternative pierce and suck plant juices. You probably have them, Missouri Botanical Backyard advises tolerating the harm, which they are saying is usually short-lived. No matter you do, don’t deal with your milkweed or different pollinator vegetation with pesticides, since that will even kill off pollinating bees and butterflies and different helpful bugs.
Extra salvias — a pollinator feast
And extra
Lengthy flower spikes of purple yucca name out to hummingbirds.
Savanna Meadow
The massive meadow lacks wildflower shade this 12 months as a result of it’s been so dry since final fall. However even its subtler hues are pretty.
Commentary Tower
The cistern tower is a must-see with guests. We climbed to the highest and took within the 360-degree views.
Seed Silo Backyard
In the primary backyard, a wire trellis curving across the seed silo helps big coneflowers developing.
Grassy goodness
And extra big coneflowers. I like the glaucous leaves nearly as a lot because the giraffe-like flowers.
Hill Nation Meadow Backyard
The meadow backyard was sprinkled with hot-pink purple coneflowers and hanging-on winecups, plus extra salvia.
And a pleasant stand of…yellow one thing. Sorry, there are simply too many yellow wildflowers to maintain all of them straight.
Courtyard Backyard
Alongside the entry stroll we gushed over a Dr. Seussian stand of manfreda (Manfreda maculosa) flowers. These seafoam-green stems! These bottlebrush-like flowers! The way in which they bounce within the breeze. Plus they’ve purple-spotted, fleshy leaves, which you’ll be able to’t actually see on this picture. It’s all so good.
A mass planting is the way in which to go. And perhaps construct a rusty-maroon stone wall to indicate them off towards, for good measure.
One other cool sighting: an enormous outdated centipede. A large redheaded centipede, to be actual. They’ve a venomous chunk, so no touching. I’d by no means gotten a photograph of 1, and I used to be excited to see it up shut.
Reward retailer
Jennifer and I checked out the present store earlier than we left, and we instantly noticed considered one of her books prominently displayed — yay! Not mine, alas.
Books on Girl Hen Johnson, the visionary founding father of the Wildflower Middle
Backyard Spark speak with Jennifer
That night, Jennifer was my featured Backyard Spark speaker at Barton Springs Nursery. Andrea DeLong-Amaya, director of horticulture on the Wildflower Middle, attended the speak, and I used to be honored to get a photograph with two such inspirational girls on this planet of vegetation.
Jennifer held a ebook signing earlier than her speak. If you happen to don’t already find out about her books, The Earth in Her Arms and Below Western Skies, I like to recommend you examine them out. I’ve reviewed each, and you’ll learn these critiques right here and right here.
Jennifer then gave an completely inspiring speak in regards to the energy of gardening, and the way every of us could make a distinction, via the vital work of gardening, in our quickly altering world. If you happen to missed her speak, you missed one! You should definitely be part of Backyard Spark’s e mail checklist to be notified when Season 6 kicks off this fall. Merely click on this hyperlink and ask to be added. I’m lining up an amazing roster of audio system and may’t wait to share them with you.
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Digging Deeper
Be part of the mailing checklist for Backyard Spark! Hungry to find out about backyard design from the consultants? I’m internet hosting a collection of talks by inspiring designers, panorama architects, and authors a number of occasions a 12 months in Austin. These are limited-attendance occasions that promote out shortly, so be part of the Backyard Spark e mail checklist to be notified prematurely. Merely click on this hyperlink and ask to be added. The sixth season kicks off in fall 2022.
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