New friend

In March 2021, I bought two goldfish for our stock tank pond. I thought the bad Uri storm the prior February had killed our gambusia. (Some did survive!) My two goldfish from Ace Hardware thrived and grew bigger. Then one day last year, I leaned down and peered into the water. Only one goldfish appeared. Where was the other one? Sadly, I found it on the ground by the tank, gray and lifeless. I'll never know what happened. 

 

Yesterday, I finally bought a new friend for Goldie (as call her/him now) at Red Crest Pet Shop in Boerne. However, I nearly killed the poor fish (a Shubunkin variety), trying to get it out of the bag. But I'm happy to report that I did see it swimming around last night. So it survived! And I'm pretty sure Goldie's happy to have a friend again. That is, if goldfish feel happy. LOL!

RIP crabapple and possumhaw

The waiting game is over. Last Thursday, biologist Robert Edmonson looked at our Blanco crabapple and possumhaw, then said they both were likely dead. The crabapple might come back from the roots, he added.

 

Two days ago, I heard the chain saw. It was the easiest way to cut them down. (He suffered many scratches from the thorned crabapple).

 

Yes, I'm sad. We bought the crabapple tree in March 2013 from Natives of Texas for my birthday. And in September 2015, we bought the possumhaw from Medina Friendly Natives.  They were both well established. But then, we had several years of drought and other rough weather. On a happier note, our Texas madrone is doing well!

 

How do they do that?

In May 2018, we bought several plants from the Medina Garden Nursery. One was a compass plant (Silphium albiflorum). If I recall, the plant lived a couple of years, then disappeared. I concluded that the neighboring ironweed had crowded it out. Well, guess what? Look what showed up across from where we planted the original compass plant! Another one! How do they do that?

 

Extractigator testimony

A hackberry with a long root recently removed using our Extractigator.

A new flower bed

James had been had been after me in the very nicest way about putting in a new front-yard bed. He even had rocks ready that he'd gathered from our rural land. When he started unloading them from his car a few days ago, Waylon, our Blanco "grandson," showed up just in time to help. He had fun throwing rocks! A new bed was definitely in our future now!

For awhile, we contemplated a shape. After we agreed on one, the project got underway and done in less than two hours.

 

First, several loads of mulch from our pile.

Then we planted zexmenia that I dug up from the back yard. It's a Blanco County native that's hardy and drought tolerant. I've been keeping water on the plants until they stop drooping and can standon their own. We have deer in the neighborhood, but they should leave these alone. Time will tell.

Telling a story on myself

Before last Thursday's Texas Master Naturalist tour, I  invited biologist Robert Edmonson to stop by our gardens. Robert has been with the Texas A&M Forest Service for more than 30 years and offices in Johnson City. I had some tree questions for him, like were our Blanco crabapple and possumhaw trees dead? (Yes, likely so.) 

 

While we were strolling the paths in our back yard, he stopped by a small tree and touched the leaves.

 

"This a Carolina buckthorn," he said.

 

I glanced down, then politely protested. After all, my SIGN said Mexican silktassel.

 

"Look at the leaves," Robert pointed out. "They're alternate. Silktassels are opposite. This is a buckthorn."

 

At that precise moment, a light bulb exploded in my head. 

 

"OH, I think I know what the problem is," I said. Then I led him across the yard and stopped in front of our Carolina buckthorn. 

 

Which, in that moment, magically transformed into a Mexican silktassel.

 

Robert laughed, then told a similar story on himself. But we'll keep that one between ourselves.  

P.S. James and I bought the two species at the same time in Boerne in 2019. That's how I got them mixed up. I'm so glad Robert caught my mistake!

 

Mexican silktassel

Carolina buckthorn

 

Training class and the mayor

Last Thursday, the 2024 Texas Master Naturalist training class with our Highland Lakes chapter had lunch in our native plants garden. Then everyone had a look around. I always enjoy hosting them in our yard. That morning, I gave my "Spiders of Central Texas" to them. That's fun, too!

Later in the afternoon, Blanco mayor Mike Arnold – at our invitation – visited and toured our Wildscape. For a long time, I've been wanting "City Hall" to see what we've been doing here for the past many years. Thank you for coming, Mike!