Visits...

We've been having a lot of visitors here, the last week.  As you know, the deer are frequent visitors....read, DAILY.  These babies are getting bigger.  They're in the back yard every day. 

As you see, they're not afraid of humans.  They came up to see what I was doing.  I'd stepped into the Tree Bed, to take a picture of the agave.

They hang out here a lot.  There is always seed on the ground under the feeders. 

This guy showed up on the front walk yesterday.

Not sure why he came to visit.  He didn't stay long.

This guy showed up in the evening, on the covered porch.  He's a Walking Stick.  According to my Texas Bug Book, he eats plants, but they don't do much damage...unless there are a lot of them.  We'll keep a look out.  For now, he can stay.

Driftwood Estate Winery at sunset.

Our favorite visit, hands down, was our friend Jann, from Georgia.  She was in Austin, for her granddaughter's high school graduation, and stayed with us for a few days, afterward.

It's been a fun week.  Hope your week, was just as much fun.

A Friend Request…

Well…..Maybe.

Have a great weekend.

~~Linda…

A New Crop

If you’ve visited here before, you know we live in Deer Country. LOTS-of-deer Country.

And, here we are at the time of year, when the deer population increases.

The little ones are cute. The big ones are cute. They’re all merrily munching on the wild things, in the Deer Grove and Elli’s Meadow.

The new ‘crop’ arrives in ones, and twos and sometimes threes.

I think there is at least one, in this doe’s future.

And, this one, too.

Meanwhile, the guys just hang out in the Deer Grove…..keeping an eye on things.

All this means more mouths to feed, around here. So, OK…..where is that deer repellant spray????

Happy Gardening…

~~Linda…

Plan B…

Remember, when I posted an update on the bed in front of the house? I showed my new pot, crammed full of ‘deer resistant’ plants.

Lots of variegated plants, with strong fragrance, or poisonous qualities. Oregano, plectanthus, helichrysum, and that lovely ‘diamond frost euphorbia.

Well….this is what it looked like, after a nighttime raid by a deer. The oregano is GONE…..the plectanthus is chomped off….the euphorbia, with that sticky ‘dangerous’ latex sap, is chomped right down to the nub. The helichrysum was not chomped…just pulled up, and left to die a slow death.

So much for ‘Deer Resistant’.

So, here is Plan B. From experience, I know the deer pretty much leave these alone……Dusty Miller and Periwinkle. I’m not sure why. The Periwinkle does have a strong odor, but so does oregano. The Dusty Miller has fuzzy leaves, but that doesn’t always stop them.

I don’t like it as much, but maybe, just maybe they’ll leave it alone. I put wire down, so maybe that will make them harder to pull up.

This gardening with deer, is the Never Ending Story.

On a happier note…..Our neighbor, Elli, is having some work done in her yard. They cleaned up the bed by her mail box. She called and asked if I’d like some agaves. Free Plants!? Of course!!! I rushed right over.

So, now I have ‘some’ agaves. These are a. lophantha. What you see here, is not all that was removed. The landscaper took some, and another neighbor took some. And, they returned three or four to the bed. And, it does look a lot better.

I’m told, all that came from one small plant…like the one, above, in the remodeled front bed.

Now this one will have company. Some will go in the Rock Bed. Some will go in a side bed. Some will go to our daughter-in-law. And, since these agaves are so prolific….I’ll be cleaning out in a few years.

Don’t you just love it, when a gardening friend cleans out a bed, and wants to share the bounty?

Happy Gardening…

~~Linda…