I have not posted much here lately because it takes too much time. A few people suggested I try Instagram and I finally gave it a try a few weeks ago. Instagram has its pros and cons. On the p...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2020/06/follow-plano-prairie-garden-on-instagram.html
It is a strange time. A pandemic is sweeping the planet. Governmental authorities are ordering us to stay home, except for essential activities. We are required to stay at least six feet away fr...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2020/04/social-distancing-in-garden_6.html
In the last post, we covered the Frankford Prairie. Click here to jump to that post. Today, we will look around and inside the historic Frankford Church. The photos in this post were taken...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2019/04/frankford-church-on-prairie.html
Last year, I became aware of the Frankford Prairie and the old Frankford Church. Although it looks like it might be somewhere away from the big city, it is tucked in the middle of a neighborhood...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2019/04/the-frankford-prairie.html
It has been over a year and a half since I did this blogging thing. I think I forgot how, but I am remembering how much time it takes. This is a practice run because I have another post or two I...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2019/04/bluebonnet-season.html
Perhaps, I should ask if anybody is looking?
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2017/09/what-are-you-looking-at.html
Gayfeather and Pine Muhly dominate the front garden right now. Have a look around. A few monarch and queen butterflies have arrived to feast on the nectar rich flowers. I hope to see more soon....
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/09/gayfeather-and-pine-muhly.html
The rain and break in 100 degree temperatures made August much less miserable than usual. It was enough to bring the garden out of its summer dormancy. As I surveyed the garden on a recent eveni...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/09/white-flowers-at-dusk.html
I saw something in the vegetable garden that I have not seen before. At first, I thought it was a bee and then I noticed that it was another insect eating a bee. It did not take much inter...
I collected and scattered a few Texas Thistle, Cirsium texanum, seeds in my front garden last year. Since Texas Thistle is a biennial, the seeds sprouted and grew into small plants last yea...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/06/texas-thistle-and-american-basketflower.html
The hail from this past March left lasting marks on the paddles of my spineless prickly pear cactus. It also seems that it may have affected the growth of this year's new paddles that had yet to...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/06/hearts-from-hail.html
I mentioned my mystery Hesperaloe a few times in the past. It was sold only as "Giant". I could tell that was a Hesperaloe, but what kind? I knew it was not the common Red Yucca, Yucca parv...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/05/still-mystery.html
World Naked Gardening Day (slight caution with the link) is the first Saturday in May and is a time to garden as nature intended. So, I will be out in the garden today wearing my gloves and doin...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/05/celebrating-world-naked-gardening-day.html
Since we had so much rain over the last couple of weeks, I thought this would be a good time to post about my rain gardens. A rain garden is simply a planted depression that collects rainwater ru...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/04/rain-gardens-at-work.html
It has been two weeks since the hail storm. To the casual observer, everything looks pretty good. But if you look a little closer, you can see some of the damage on the north side of this c...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/04/a-garden-in-recovery.html
I have been thinking about the future of my prairie garden for a while and now on April 1 , I have finally made the difficult decision that it is time to abandon this foolishness and declare my f...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-end-of-my-foolish-prairie-garden.html
This morning was beautiful. The sky was blue and the sun shined brightly through the trees. The sun was able to shine through the trees because most of the leaves were on the ground after...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/03/it-will-grow-back.html
My spring flower show is over. I was just pounded by quarter to golf ball sized hail. I was going to post pictures of bluebonnets this week. I have a feeling that the garden will look no...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/03/sigh-goodbye-spring-flowers.html
I began transitioning my garden from winter to spring over the last couple of weekends. This is when I cut back all of last year's growth (mostly dead) from the grasses and perennials and remove...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/03/from-winter-to-spring.html
Hello! I am still alive. I have not been around the blog much lately because I have been busy with work and other things. Maybe things will settle down soon and I will have the time to post some ...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/02/water-conservation-symposium.html
The buffalo currant is welcoming the new year with a few out of season flowers. The flowers are most likely due to the crazy weather in 2015. We had a wet spring that filled the near empty l...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2016/01/and-happy-new-year.html
A suburban residential landscape featuring Texas native plants. Welcome to gardening, Texas style!
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2015/12/merry-christmas-to-all.html
Precipitation-wise, 2015 was an unusual year. Even though most of the year was dry, this year will be one of the top precipitation years on record in the Dallas area. Not because it rained throug...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2015/11/2015-fall-season-finale.html
All year long, I readied a buffet of nectar rich flowers for the monarchs to feast upon as they make their journey south to Mexico. And what happened? My gayfeather, Liatris, nectar feast wa...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2015/10/snubbed-by-monarchs.html
The the late summer/fall flowers have started to bloom in the garden. The flowers are showing a little more restraint in their blooming than they would if we had received a nice soaking rain sin...
https://planobluestem.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-buffet-is-set.html