San Antonio Botanical Gardens...

Seems we've been spending a lot of time in San Antonio this year.

This time, it was the San Antonio Botanical Gardens.

We got there at mid-day.  And, as you know, that's not the best time for taking photos.

We did enjoy seeing the many demonstration gardens.  

They have plants for many different planting situations.

We picked a rather warm....hot?...day for this.  

I think I might enjoy it more, on a cooler, less humid day.

There were some interesting plants, I'd never seen before.

Like this Narrow Leaved Bottlebrush tree, from Austalia.

Copper plant, lantana, ruby chrystal grass, thryallis

And, gardens with plants I could easily identify.

A lot of plants had identification plaques...like this Salvia madrensis.

And, others did not.

Anyone know what this is?

Or this small tree?

I know I've seen this before, but can't place it.

This, I think, is Moy Grande hibiscus.

I recognized it from Diana's at Sharing Nature's Garden.

On the Native Texas Trail, there are three different Texas areas exhibited.

South Texas is above, with adobe buildings and cactus, mesquite and grasses that populate that area.

The East Texas Pineywoods was nice and cool, with a small lake and lots of shade.

This old log cabin, made of Post Oak logs, was built in 1850 and moved here.

On the Hill Country Trail, the Schumacher House was built in 1849, near Fredericksburg.
You can see the German influence, with the half-timbered construction.

Local limestone was used.  And, is that a Fredericksburg peach tree, in the back yard?

The Auld House is an 1880s cabin, built near Leakey.  It's used as a meeting facility now.

Notice the grasses and native plants in front.

The Hill Country 'meadow' in this area, was full of blooming sunflowers, eight feet tall.

There was also a demonstration of an Acequia..or aqueduct...like the one I showed you in the
San Antonion Missions posts.

There is a Japanese Garden.

Pretty and relaxing.

*******

More plants...

Brugmansia...I think

Coral Bean...

Crinum Lily...

One I'm not familiar with...False Dragonhead...Physostegia correllii.
Pretty...

And, a WHITE Turk's Cap.  Gotta find one of these.

One of our favorites was the Rose Garden.  Very formal and full of blooms.

I didn't get the names of any of them.

two colors, on this peppermint looking one.

Pretty...

And, on this single rose.

I love yellow and white roses.  The heat had made them a little bruised looking.

And, my favorite...this beautiful coral color.

I lucked out with that photo.  I'd like to say it was my 'skill'...but, it just happened.

That's how it works, in gardens.

Have a Great Weekend...
~~Linda~~

A Day in the Life....

...of a Daylily.

This is Chicago Star.  Last year it didn't bloom at all. 

I moved as many daylilies as I could, to sunnier spots.

It must have worked.  

She is looking quite healthy.

Look at that large, pretty face.  A full seven inches across.

But, her beauty is fleeting.  It only lasts one day.

Enjoy it while you can.

Happy Gardening...

~~Linda~~

May~~Revisited....

Just a little recap of a busy month of 

May...

And, it really was a busy month...from start to finish.

**We started the month with a brand new bed, on the back of the house.

**Finished up the mulching.

**Told you about the San Antonio Mission Trail.

**Had some blooms and foliage to show you.

**Greeted a new crop of deer. 


**Took you along on the annual 'girls' trip.

One thing I didn't post about, but it was a very important event.
See those two beautiful young people, in the lower right of the collage above?


*****

Just in case you can't see them very well...

 They're our twin, oldest grandchildren.

And now, they are both college graduates.

I can't tell you how very proud we are of them.

May was a very good month.

Now, on to June....

Have a Great Weekend...

~~Linda~~

Down on the River...

slipper socks crocheted by one of our group

Last time we met, I told you it was that time again....time to meet with our group of ladies, for our annual get together.

This time was in the house of one of our member's niece, on the Guadalupe River.

It's a comfortable place, right above the river.

We spent a lot of time here on the screened porch.  We played games and visited.

We caught up with everybody's lives.

The river is just below.  Quite a steep walk.

I went down, though...

...and, got a few pictures of the river here.

While we're together here...does anyone know what this is?

UPDATE:  Several people have said this is St. John's Wort.  Maybe, Hypericum 'Hidcote'.
Thanks for the ID.

It was at the house next door.  A shrub sized plant.  

I think I want one.

One morning, I got up before the rest and took a walk.  

There were lots of these little birds.  I think it's a Black Phoebe.

A park for residents was quite inviting.  I liked this little pavilion.

And, the cute weather vane on top.

None of us went in the river.  And, along here, there weren't any tubers, yet.

Although, up at the 'Horseshoe', not far away, there were plenty of tubers already.

Rivers always seem to have a rope for the swing-out-jump.

Years ago...like maybe 35 years...we floated this part of the river.  Our children were small then.

I remember getting a bit nervous when we saw this sign.

I remember the falls being higher.  There have been a few floods since then.  I'm thinking those changed the river a bit.

Today, the river has been diverted to one side.

Because we're still feeling the drought, the river is really low.

Back all those years ago, I don't remember many houses along here.

Now, it's very built up.  A few bad actors have caused trouble for home owners.

Those who have little respect, sometimes ruin things for those who do.

Here's another plant I couldn't identify.  Wild in the meadow of the park.

I brought the group up to Patchwork Garden, for happy hour on the porch.

Mr. P had things all set up for us.

We had a great time together again.

Can't wait 'til next year.

Yep...we get looks with this.  :)

Hope you were having a good time, too.

~~Linda~~