Yard Pics...before I knew about butterflies and after...

Okay...decided to go through my yard pics. Bought this house mid-year 2002...it had a huge pencil cactus that hung over the front walkway that rubbed against the eaves and dropped that white sappy gook all over. That stuff would irritate my skin and ruin my clothes - UGH! I had it removed...along with the other cactus, yuccas and whatnot like two 30+ feet washingtonian palms and a china berry.

You can still see that horrible pencil cactus in this photo. I couldn't convince the guy that dug out the palms to remove it. Guess he knew better than touch it. I finally talked one of the men that cruise neighborhoods to mow lawns...to remove it. Mind you, he took a chain saw to it! I warned him about the dangers of that sap...but he wouldn't listen. He had that gunk all over his arms, face, hair and clothing. Not to mention gumming up the chain saw. Am sure he was cursing my name right after he left!!!

I planted a hedge of firebush (hamelia patens) a few months before this photo was taken.

~ Cat

Front driveway...after. I prune down the firebush hedges to about 16" each winter. It's growing on both sides of my driveway.

~ Cat

front walkway...in between the transition

front walkway...getting there

This was taken a year ago - the dirt in the foreground is from where I had the sago palms dug out :o)

front walk way last month....this passiflora gets stripped each year by the Gulf Frits - but that's what I planted it for. Just gotta remember not to brush up against it or I'll end up with cats in my hair and on my shirt. Have driven off to work and found I had stowaways. Had to drive back to drop them off!!!

This is a view from the front door looking out - the passiflora has latched onto the hanging baskets of ferns...and it on it's way to covering up that side piece of livestock fence panel that's bare in the first front walkway photo.

front west side...quite bare when I moved in.

same area...should've gotten a photo of the mexican flame vine in full bloom...alas...now you can just see the spent blossoms. Which reminds me...I really must cut all that old flowers off so it can continue to bloom.

Also have an aristolochia elegans growing on the fence behind the aircon unit.

Old photo of driveway where the sago palms were growing at each end. That pencil cactus is still in this photo...UGH! The sagos were way overgrown so I cleaned them up a bit.

Hmmm...decided I didn't like the sagos and they served no useful purpose to me or the butterflies. I had them removed. Actually had some man drive all the way from Bastrop to come dig out west side one. It was about six feet tall. Huge bugger. I think he had visions of making some big bucks on selling it. I didn't care...I just wanted it out without having to pay someone to remove it. He dug it up for free and hauled it away. The deal was he had to dig out the other one but he weaseled out. Had to get my brother to bring his tractor over to dig it out.

As you can see in this photo...I know have cannas growing at the end of each side of the driveway - they multiply quickly! Am seriously thinking of removing them and planting duranta, lantana or perhaps blue mistflower bushes...but alas, the Brazilian Skippers just love to munch the canna leaves to shreds :o)


This message was edited Apr 11, 2007 2:05 AM

northeast front side before - the previous owner had some ratty rose bushes and a clump of crinum.

okay, I went overboard and planted passion flower, giant snail vine, black eye susan vines and sweet potato vine for ground cover. Also have a couple of brugmansias in there...as you can see in the photo after this one.

another north east side view...the brugs are small in this photo.

Okay...so I have since changed my mind...I removed the black eyed susan vines, giant snail vine, sweet potato vine and rosebushes. (although they were pretty - they were useless - butterflies sometimes roosted in them but never used them for nectar)

Here's a photo of one of the brugs...this has really taken off.

okay...now for the back yard. north east before... previous owner had a clump of banana trees, a philodendron and some kalanchoe.

uhm...the bananas are growing like crazy. The previous owner was a bit of tightwad...never wanted to use the sprinkler system. Anyway, I planted some yellow morning glory vines to grow on the security bars of the dining room window, added a yellow datura, hanging basket of bouganvilla, also bought a magnolia and pomegranate. Looks like a jungle!!!

Ended up giving my brother the magnolia and pomegranate last year...and have since cut down the yellow datura. Have planted a eupatorium odoratum - and a giant sunflower :o)

...oh and had the banana trees removed last month. A costly venture. The young kid I hired hit the sprinkler lines. My fault...I forgot to tell him they ran through there. Cost me @#$%!!! to fix...including what I paid the young man to remove the banana trees and load them in the truck. I took the naner pups and stumps to the ranch and planted them around the pond in the back forty and the pond out by the bunkhouse.

Oh well, was tired of the banana trees. They did put out fruit but they multiplied quickly. I think he dug out at least 50!!! This is the bare corner now. Am holding off planting there - as bananas continue to sprout! Guess he didn't get all the roots out. I think he was traumatized by breaking the sprinkler lines. That area got flooded before I figured out where the cut off valve was :o)

Ground is clay...haven't figure out what to plant there yet. Am thinking perhaps blue porterweed I have in pots :o) or privet I bought on the way home from dinner. Also bought several bags of soil additives...gypsum too...I need to break up that clay based soil!



This message was edited Apr 11, 2007 2:14 AM

Back yard east side...nothing much when I moved in. A ponytail palm and citrus trees (tangerine, orange and ruby red grapefruit).

Uhm...I planted a yellow morning glory vine and chalice vine on the side...there are a couple of tropical hibiscus plants and milkweed - long since covered by the yellow morning glory vine.

An aristolochia elegans in the corner...awaiting the visit of Polydamas butterflies.

Those large leaves against the fence are part of the yellow morning glory vine...it has worked its way along the fence!!! I keep cutting it back...but not fast enough :o)

There is a volunteer milkweed in front...so I put a cage around it. There are also Mexican Bird of Paradise (Pride of Barbados) trees on each side of the arch...I cut them back after the cold snap last month zapped the leaves. They have already sprouted new growth. The Giant Swallowtails really like nectaring on the blossoms...wish it would hurry up and bloom again.

Yeah, I took this pic when I got home - was going to mow the lawn but a friend called to go out for dinner!!! :o) Promise I will mow it tomorrow.

backyard - west side - just the fruit trees...when I moved in.

Great pics! Thanks for sharing! I especially love the passionflowers :)

Added duranta and orange cape honeysuckle to the back west side.

more of the duranta...have gobs of pots around the bottom. I pruned them back last month. You can see how big and overgrown they were by the bare spot of grass around them. :o) Have pots of Strawberry guavas, green violet, rue, figs and mulberries around it for now. Will move them later. Had put them out in the yard when it rained so they could get a good dose of oxygenated rainwater :o)

the southwest corner. Have a Mexican Flame vine and Yellow Butterfly Vine growing on an arch. Have gobs of pots of stuff I move under them for shade. Stuff I am starting from cuttings. Big pot of False Nettle in the middle. I hope that attacts Question Marks!

yeah yeah, I need to cut the spent blooms on the Mexican Flame Vine...this is what it looked like in the middle of March.

This is what the Yellow Butterfly Vine looks like when it blooms. Pretty yellow flowers and lovely butterfly-like seed pods. They turn brown when they dry. They haven't attracted any butterflies that I've noticed. Bees seem to like them though.

another photo of the back west side. You can see the orange cape honeysuckle and duranta and part of the grapefruit tree...as well as the rain gutter pipes and how badly my yard needs mowing. Hey, it rained all last week and I was working until 8pm. Promise to do it this week...uhuh...sure :o)

almost done...a few pics of the back porch...before...nice and semi-clean

back porch...before...still nice and semi-clean

YIKES!!! After....this was taken this week.

Pots of rue, fennel, maypop passion vine, more rue, the back of a small greenhouse, blue porterweed (yeehaw), scarlet runner bean, celosia, snapdragons, more blue porterweed behind the snapdragons.

Hanging baskets of Japanese Morning Glory Raikou, a couple of hoyas and nasturtiums.

Had gobs of hummie feeders, windchimes and suncatchers hanging from he back porch eaves. Had the roof eaves repaired and had to take them down.

Photo from January...duranta blooming and grapefruit in the background (neighbor's banana plants seen over the fence)

oops...front walkway from this week...passion vine arch, firebush hedge in the foreground...chalice vine and orange trumpet something or other in the front flowerbed...which is now overgrown with ruellia. I planted moonflowers in the hanging basket on my security door...hope they grow well there. So far so good.

Hummie love the cape orange honeysuckle...here's two being territorial

Had about a dozen of these jar feeders hanging from the back porch eave. Had to remove them when I had the eaves worked on. Have since hung crystals from the eaves...but will put the feeders back up soon. There are five hummies in this old photo. I no longer use hummie nectar that has red dye in it. Don't want to risk harming them so I make my own using 1 part sugar to 4 parts water.

..and the hummies love the duranta too.

Hummie at duranta...sorry, took this with an old camera. Have been too busy photographing butterflies that I forget to get new pics of hummies.

Cat - Your yard is amazing!!! I LOVE it!! Looks like a lush tropical haven for butterflies and hummers! I love the Yellow Butterfly Vine!!! I have never seen that plant before!! Gorgeous!!!

I like the fact that you aren't afraid to rip plants out if you don't like them or they serve a purpose in your yard. I need to be BRAVE like you!!!! Love the transformation of your yard over the years!!! Really lovely, Cat!!!! Thanks for sharing the photos. It's inspiring!!!