I just came in from a walk around my yard. The varied bird song provided music to my ears, and I relished the signs of spring in flower, leaf and insect. My favorite part may have been a big, buzzing bumblebee after the nectar in my prairie verbena. I have added many native species to my yard and scattered seeds in my meadow plot. But I have also let some things just “be,” waiting to see what desired to grow in a particular area.
The beautiful purple prairie verbena (glandularia bipinnatifida) is one that just shows up. I don’t think I could begin to count the number of verbena plants I have this year. They are abundant — and what a wonderful pollinator plant they are. As a plus for Wimberley yards, they are highly deer-resistant.
Another more subtle beauty that appears for me most years is false dayflower (tinantia anomala) — also called widow’s tears. The pale green, grasslike foliage emerges in late fall and surprises observers with two lavender- blue petals and one small white petal in mid-spring. Dayflower attracts bumblebees and makes a nice ground cover for shady areas.
I could tell you more about what I discover in the areas of my yard that I don’t regularly mow. There are the wild petunias and soft-leaved mallow. A particular delight is the diminutive native skull cap that I find hiding among my seeded wildflowers. So, whether it’s a small corner or half of your lot, consider letting a spot on your property feel safe from the lawn mower. Then, either toss out seeds or just wait to see what grows. In 1903, when President Teddy Roosevelt first saw the Grand Canyon, which was being considered for development into a reservoir, his comment was, “Let this great wonder of nature remain as it now is.” My hope is that we will increasingly learn to do that with our beautiful Texas Hill Country.
Keep Wimberly Beautiful is working with the Constable’s Office (Precinct 3) to bring you Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 200 Stillwater Road. Residents may dispose of expired or unused medications safely and confidentially for proper disposal.
