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A neighborhood unites for wildlife

Well, wasn’t that rain just lovely? Honestly, I thought I’d missed out on spider lily (Lycoris radiata) this year. In just 24 hours, it zoomed up.

Fall perennial spider lily Lycoris radiata Austin Garden

And I’ve got at least three kinds of mushrooms benefiting my soil and plants with mycoorhizal fungi. They’re the best thing that can happen to your garden, so don’ t scruff them out.

Garden mushroom to benefit soil Austin Texas

My two-year-old passalong Mexican beautyberry (Callicarpa acuminata) couldn’t wait to show off its deep burgundy berries.

Mexican beautyberry Callicarpa acuminata Austin Texas

On a stroll around the neighborhood, I’m pleased to see gardeners venturing into wildlife habitat, like front yard Hamelia patens for hummingbirds.

Firebush Hamelia patens hummingbird plant austin texas

A few streets over, these gardeners dumped lawn to attract anyone that wings by.

No lawn garden for wildlife austin texas

Really, this is the best thing to happen to my neighborhood.  Sure, each of us makes a difference. United, we make a whopping impact!

Too bad I don’t have enough sun for these cheerful cosmos. They’re such easy summer annuals for bees and butterflies.

pink cosmos butterfly and bee summer annual central texas gardener

Nearby, a no-lawn garden favors wildlife with blackfoot daisy and lantana. Mexican feather grass, Yucca rostrata (spring flowers beneficial) and a young agave excite the dimension. The new sidewalk adds warmth, too, far more pleasing than the former concrete.

no-lawn wildlife garden yucca rostrada blackfoot daisy silver ponyfoot

I call this one “the white garden.” Silver ponyfoot (Dichondra argentea) and blackfoot daisy mound underneath shrubby almond verbena. Its aromatic white flowers smell like cookies. Hummingbirds, bees and butterflies find their own “cookies.”

no lawn garden silver ponyfoot, yucca, almond verbena central texas gardener

Now, here’s a clever idea for a big tree stump! That ice plant (Aptenia) will soon rock those rocks.

rocks garden on top of tree trunk central texas gardener

In my garden, when an elderly Bradford pear died, the guy who cut it down left a stump “in case” I wanted to put a pot on it. Actually, I did not. Instead, I topped it with a  limestone slab. In seconds, elderly Spencer claimed it for his meditation cat perch.

limestone slab on tree stump cat perch

Eventually, the wood rotted away. Rather than hunt up another discarded tree stump, I decided to fancy it up with an inverted pot for Sam Jr.

limestone slab on inverted pot for plant stand or cat nap

In my slap dash garden, I was really proud of myself for this little brainstorm. I adore it, though now there are no cats to perch on it.

limestone slab on inverted pot for plant stand or cat nap

A few years ago, neighbors exchanged lawn for depth with this raised bed.

raised concrete bed to lose lawn central texas gardener

On my walks, I always stop to admire this nicho. I don’t know these folks but I like them very much.

front yard nicho austin garden central texas gardener

These bougainvilleas encourage me to try one in the ground next year. Butterflies love them.

bougainvillea on fence austin texas central texas gardener

Finally, let’s give a drum roll to Butthole Surfer drummer Jeffrey (King) Coffey, who gets applause as the neighborhood Yard of the Month!

butthole surfer native plant garden for wildlife central texas gardener

The best thing? Everyone stamps their unique style onto their pursuits. Wildlife don’t care about our “tastes,” as long as it tastes good.

Thanks for stopping by! Linda

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