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My Field Trip!

Since it's springtime on the prairie, I thought some of you might be
interested in my "field trip" on Wednesday. A friend and I, also new to
Texas, went to the National Wildflower Research Center here in Austin,
Texas, with the goal in mind of identifying all those beautiful flowers on
the side of the road at this time of year.

It was great fun! The Center is absolutely beautiful, in native limestone,
and with a fascinating irrigation system that involves collecting and
storing rainwater.

The plantings were beautiful and very informative. Since Austin is located
at the intersection of a number of different geographic areas, the variety
of plants around here is very large--and they had lots of examples. You all
would be interested in the prairie planting. Plants bordering the paths had
labels, so we learned a lot about the grasses, flowers, etc. There was also
a woodland garden, so I can more accurately spot the native trees, too. For
the birders, I also saw three beautiful scrub jays.

They had educational gardens too, such as all mints, comparison of three
types of buffalo grass, butterfly garden, hummingbird garden, etc. The BEST
and most informative I think were the three landscaping demos. One was
xeriscaping in a real natural way, with all drought-resistant native
plants. Another was a very formal design, but all with native plants. The
third was the standard water-intensive, imported plant garden. It was in
pretty sad shape since it was watered no more than the native gardens. As
the future owner of a home in the area, I learned my lesson and know what
plants *I'm* putting in!!!!

I was happy to learn there are volunteer opportunities at this place! If
any of you ever get here, it is a MUST SEE. The little glimpse of what
Texas used to look like before cultivation and introduced plants showed up
was very sobering. So lovely and so hard to find any more.

However, I can't miss the breathtaking bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush,
little anenomes, and something very lemony yellow (oops!) on the roadsides
right now--I hope you all enjoy the blooming period where you live as much
as I am enjoying myfirst Texas spring!

I did get a good book, too: "Texas Wildgflowers: a Field Guide" by Campbell
and Lynn Loughmiller. (U of Texas Press). The authors took most of the
photos and tell you exactly where the flowers were growing. There are
excellent botanical descriptions of the plants plus editorial comments that
make the book a most enjoyable handbook!

OK enough from me. Apologies for lack of Latin in my flower names--I'm just
a flower lover, not a pro!

Sue Ann Kendall
sak@lalecheleague.org
Austin, Texas



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