The grass is not always greener over the septic field.
A few prickly pear cactus have made their home here.
During the terrible drought of the 50s the ranchers burned the spines of the prickly pear cactus to provide food for their cattle, and fires raged across our land. There are still numerous burnt tree stumps here, to attest to that event.
But even if their pads are shriveled they are bend on producing flowers and their flowers are a thing of beauty. So many insects visit the flowers, including this bee. There is only one word for bee antics in the flower. Wallowing. They behave exactly the same way in the pink poppies, rolling around until the stamens are completely naked of their pollen.
A few bluebonnets survived to produce seed, but it looks as thought the cotton rats have been busy eating their seeds. There are little piles of seed casings under every plant.
Even the caterpillars are waiting for the opportunity to slip inside. Can you blame him.
Horror of horrors-we have rabbit in the garden. Who can blame them. There is plenty to eat inside the walls. Well, one should expect bunny at Easter.
We have so much rain right now. The garden is saturated and then some. But I know it could change in a minute and the rains leave us for months, like last summer, so I won't complain.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing so desperate, it seems, as a gardener in a drought!
(Cute bunny... how did it get inside the walls to the garden!?)
Gorgeous cactus blooms!!! And hello sweet little bunbun!!!
ReplyDeleteP.S. Absolutely LOVE the sux on the fireplace!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with Carol -- we've gotten so much rain the past week or more in St. Louis, and I wish it would spread out and give the parts of the country under drought some relief!
ReplyDeleteNot thinking of moving back, are you? ;-)
Carol- There are at least two in here and they must have come through the wrought iron gate. I was only thinking deer when we did the gates. He is here to stay because there is no way I can find them among all these flowers.
ReplyDeleteJulie- Did I say I was cutting back on succulents! No way.
Alan- I feel for you all in the St Louis area. When we lived there our house was struck by lightening. It hit a 3 flue brick chimney that ran through the center of the house. The whole lot came down and did massive damage. The bad thing was, I was there and was lucky not to have lost my hearing. The explosion was like a bomb going off. I can only say that it has left me terrified of lightening and I was never more glad than when we left the area. No, I would never move back there.
Yes, we are so very dry. The droughts of the 50s are why there are so many man-made lakes in Texas. But, they need rain to keep them full. Hope we get some soon...without the big storms, lightning and hail.
ReplyDeleteDespite all the fields and the well maintained golf course here, I've yet to see a rabbit. We had them all the time in the old garden, in the middle of a pretty urban area. With the deer eating everything in sight, I guess I should count my blessings.
The prickly pear here are blooming for the first time since we've been here. Love them....
The scenes outside your walls look like normal for here, just denser junipers...except, we are supposed to be a desert. Not you! I hope you get some surprise, soaking rains soon, to relieve some of that early summer heat.
ReplyDeleteWe have had a lot of rain in the mid-atlantic, but we always have a period of drought in the summer that seems to last forever. I always find it frustrating. I love your succulents by the fireplace. They are so beautiful.
ReplyDelete"Gardening on the edge of Mordor" -- I love it. Humor is all we have, sometimes, to keep us going when summer heat and terrible drought conspire against our gardening efforts.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that there will be a "SHHH, We're hunting wasically wabbits" post at some point in the future...
ReplyDeleteI think all of us in Texas are praying for rain. Let's hope we get some soon. I love the prickly pear blooms.
ReplyDeleteI too hope you get some rain soon. The weather has been strange all over the country lately. It is amazing that the prickly pears can thrive and even bloom even without water for long periods of time. I like Julie loveeee your succulents! Have a great week!
ReplyDeletethat bunny has to feel like a kid in the candy store... I hope you managed to scoot him out!
ReplyDeleteI'm in North Texas. We just had 2 days of good rain - but we are still in a drought. Very interesting about the 50's drought. Love the bee photo.
ReplyDeletenice weblog
ReplyDeleteim from iran
Wish I could take credit for 'Gardening on the edge of Mordor', Jenny - but it was the poetic Gardener of Good and Evil who came up with that analogy!
ReplyDeleteThe moisture pattern was alternating drought/flood in northern Illinois too, but the swings seem more violent here in Austin. Thinking about the drought in the 1950's is very scary and your experience with the lightning strike in St Louis sounds terrifying.
Hope we get something "normal" one of these days!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Annie- Now why did I think it was you. Did you write about it in a blog or were you with her on the day. So sorry GofG&E. I'll mention it when I see her.
ReplyDeleteAfter googling around I found the conversation, Jenny - we were all commenting on Good&Evil's blog back in 2008. Here's the post. Once Lori said it, we all knew her words said what we felt!
ReplyDeleteAnnie
I am so sorry about the drought. Thanks for the information about the 1950s. We probably had drought here then too. Until last week, we were without any rain for months and months. Now, we've had rain two weeks in a row. I will pray for rain for my Texas friends.~~Dee
ReplyDeleteBeing in West Texas I always think of central and south Texas as being more green, hilly and wet. This year's weather pattern has not been good for most of Texas it seems. I sure hope we all get rain [sans Tornados and hail!] soon.
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