July 30 , 2009
From Linda: 8 February 2025
I ’ve sound wild ! Okay , it ’s not like the days when I keep out down the Continental Club . This time , I went wild to analyze my garden and post in my app , pictures , and sketches to qualify as aBest of Texas Backyard Habitats . This joint certification program immix the home ground programs of theNational Wildlife FederationandTexas Parks and Wildlife Department , and takes them to a gamy level .
These days , the best music to my pinna is the hummingbirds ’ treble against the toads ’ bass , the butterflies on wing percussion , and the backing vocalists – the birds – featuring premier performances by their richly - pitched nipper . Oh yeah , and squirrel rap .
For years , I ’ve practiced all the habitat conception : food in all season , shelter , body of water , mulch , no chemical , ( except for the recent Spinosad effect to deal with flack emmet ) , and esteem for insect , including destructive I ( except for fire ants ) . What last motivated me to hold was Austin ’s certificate as a Community Wildlife Habitat . I want to make certain that my vicinity counts on the ringlet call !
When the city - wide proposal was on the drawing board a few year ago , as part of their presentation , NWFasked me to put together a videodisk of the various backyard habitat I ’d taped for CTG .
I did n’t apply then , because I thought my garden was n’t fancy enough . But that is not what it ’s all about ! You do n’t need a fancy garden . All you need are basic principles that I wager you ’re doing already .
This spring , when Austin ’s credentials was okay , I want to jump in and send my app program . But with CTG ’s narrow-minded window for exploit gardens in spring , I ’ve got just a few hours to lean to my own home ground , outdoors and in ! So , lots of affair get mix to July ( by the way , I did clean the oven ) .
Now , it ’s too blistering to knead outside . And it ’s too hot to videotape on location , though today , Ed , Steve , and our intern Austin got up bright and early to tape John Dromgoole atThe Natural Gardeneron square foot garden . I edit them this good afternoon for two September programs we videotape next week .
Anyway , last weekend , I filled out theNWF coating , and took my camera card toPrecision Camerato print the pictures . While there , I also dropped off some old slides to copy to candela for Dad and me . ( I ’ve only been carry them around for month . Hey , July is for catching up on the to - do list ! ) .
The hard part for me was the vignette , since spacial concepts defy me , and I ca n’t use a drawing tool to save my life . Still , this was really gravid matter to do ! draw it out gave me a new perspective . Thanks to April for turning it into a jpeg for the web log !
Of course , you could hand - draw sketch , but I ’m even worse at that . Really , a rough sketch is all right , so do n’t be scared off by that part . Again , this is really helpful to analyse your garden and where you want to go next .
Actually , the hardest matter was n’t making the cartoon . The hard thing was figuring out what to plant in the first place ! Believe me , that did n’t take a weekend . It ’s been a process over class , and has n’t stopped yet .
In the beginning , I wanted a “ pretty yard . ” At that time , it was n’t . We had mystifying fracture in the Henry Clay , huge fire ant hummock , and a few scraggly plant , including crab grass for lawn . Our Irish setter at the clock time be intimate more about gardening than I did .
Last weekend , when I made my four - Thomas Nelson Page list of plants for the software , I saw how far I ’d make out from my first little adventure into making thing “ pretty . ” Along the way , I realized that I ’d found a new significance for the garden : getting close to and parent the wildlife that weigh on us to give back what driveways have involve away . And even with over 40 days of 100º , it ’s still a whole lot prettier than when I started .
Sure as heck , you do n’t require this many plants at all . Still , this is a great way to armory what you have . You ’ll believably find that you have way more material than you thought . So , if you ’ve procrastinated as I have , institutionalise in your program . It ’s not about competitor , but if you do n’t , my ‘ bonnet is blend to beat the trouser off yours !
After that , check out ourevents calendarfor gobs of great workshops and lectures for garden ideas and maintenance tips .
For those of you who require early shopping for succulents , admit aloes , and cacti , Bob Barth , one of the founding members of theAustin Cactus & Succulent Society , is hold an open menage sales event on August 8 & 9 , from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. His house is at 602 Terrace Mountain Drive in Austin .
Many PBS stations are put forward funds in August to bear for the programs you love well . Check your local itemization to get up on CTG programs you ’ve lack , or watch many of them online atwww.klru.tv .
Until next calendar week , Linda
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