After reading about the vine and taking its picture, I discovered it featured in Jan Wrede's Trees, Shrubs and Vines of the Texas Hill Country. Then, as if it were a recently discovered friend, I began to see it as I walked the streets of my neighborhood. It's mostly on fences and in sections of yards that have been left to nature. A brief description on the Dirt Doctor site notes that the plant is nice-looking but can be invasive and advises not to get it started in the first place. << MORE >>

The first rainfall prompted me to break out the beneficial nematodes, bought last May and kept in the refrigerator. They control numerous bugs, from borers and beetles to maggots and weevils, but I wanted them for fire ant control. The directions said to apply them to wet grass after sundown (they are apparently related to vampires since sunlight kills them), and then to water them in. Since we were getting showers regularly, I soaked them for a half hour as the directions said and applied two boxes on different nights. << MORE >>

Since I have not seen toads in ever so long, I went hunting for frog information. That's when I found compelling facts about how to catch one if you are inclined to do so. According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department's "rules of frogging," you should hold them by the top of the legs. That's where the leg meets the body. << MORE >>

What makes me think of biting things is the less-lethal grasshopper that bit me yesterday at work. I can hear you now. "A biting grasshopper? Really?" << MORE >>

Almost seven months into my stint as a butterfly garden attendant, I have gone from loving the job to liking it. Two reasons for that: 1. The relentless Texas heat. 2. Visitors who forget or ignore the rules, and (ok, 2.5 reasons) 2B: children who compete to see who can "catch" the most butterflies. << MORE >>

This do-not-despair, grass-will-come-back message comes from personal experience. << MORE >>

News reports a few weeks back noted that South Texas gardeners, perhaps responding to the drought, were not planting as much as usual. Perhaps that's true. But my first thought was "Don't count us out yet." Because it's also likely that South Texas gardeners were responding to the heat. << MORE >>

A garden art story in today's newspaper prompts humorous memories of a plastic snake and a big gorilla. The snake has gone to plastic heaven but the gorilla, as far as I know, still graces the front yard of a graceful home. << MORE >>

Imagine the delight at our house when our newly adapted rain catchment "system" (a 55-gallon barrel) actually filled up this morning. It caught roof runoff from the 3 inches of rain we received in the wee hours, and began running out the pipe we installed as an overflow valve. << MORE >>

After several days working away from home, I devoted this morning to dogs and watering. My pace slowed. Perhaps that's why this Texas Star Hibiscus, Hibiscus coccineus, decided to bloom—but I like to think I would have seen it anyway since it's a show-stopper. << MORE >>