Welcome!

Welcome to austinagrodolce … My family and I garden with more intention and enthusiasm than allocated budget or overall design plan. It shows. Wildlife populations don't seem to notice our lack of cohesive design, they just like the native plants here. It seems by growing local we've thrown out a welcome mat. Occasionally, we're surprised at who (and what) shows up.



Saturday, May 10, 2014

Happy National Wildflower Week!

I don't have much to add that hasn't already been said about the wisdom of using blooming native plants in your garden spaces.  To my mind, choosing wildflowers is its own reward.
Pink Evening Primrose and Winecup
Pink Evening Primrose seed pods
Purple Prairie Verbena and Pink Evening Primrose
The flowers make everybody happy, bees and birds and butterflies included.

Lemon Bee Balm
Native flowers push up and carry on through drought, and most of them laugh away deer.
Mexican Hat
There's one to survive in just about any microclimate you have on offer.
Yellow Coneflower 
Bluebonnets
Bluebonnet seed pods
As if that weren't enough, many natives either set easily gathered seed or multiply happily in place, creating an opportunity to share passalong plants with your family, friends and neighbors.
Hill Country Rain Lily
Rain Lily seed pods 
The next time you are considering adding a plant to your mix?  Do us all a favor.  Go wild!
Pokeweed
Happy National Wildflower Week everyone!  And Happy Mother's Day!  When you garden, it is no exaggeration to say you are mother to millions.  Here's hoping you will be feted and celebrated as you so richly deserve.

4 comments:

Debra said...

Happy Wildflower Week & Mother's Day!

TexasDeb said...

Thanks, Debra. Your ongoing support in these spaces is deeply appreciated.

Tina said...

Thank you for posting about National Wildflower Week. I meant to and never got around to it. Not only are your flower photos nice, but the seed pods--so pretty and they get short shrift. I so love the shot of little Ms. Bee and her pollen pantaloon as she goes about her business. Happy Mother's Day to you!

TexasDeb said...

Tina: Well thank you right back! And Happy Mother's Day to you too, Bee Mommy. It struck me - I rarely got a shot of the bluebonnets without a bee included. I didn't have to "try" to catch one - they were happily and busily all over those blooms, proving the point that using natives brings all sorts of benefits well beyond appreciating their beauty.