By Pauline Tom
On the other side of closed gates in a Northern Hays County community, RonTom and I recently saw gorgeous xeriscaping with rocks and drought-tolerant plants.
On the other side of the fence in some Mountain City backyards, you can find more Mountain City xeriscaping than meets the eye with a drive through.
The Garraways on Maple xeriscaped a chunk of their backyard last year. Some of the big rocks Kevin laboriously lugged in from his deer camp. He also toted home a unique cedar stump and created a peanut butter suet feeder by drilling indentations with a small hole saw. Some items were purchased at the local hardware store. He and Daniel invested mega hours into the project. This year, they are reaping the dividends of the investment as the site attracts various birds. And, no longer is that space watered and mowed.
I can vouch to the beauty of cacti in the Garraway’s backyard and our front yard.
Xeriscaping in Central Texas makes sense and dollars. It rocks.
Sometimes I see three and four male Painted Buntings at a time on my fountain of boulders. Priceless.
And, our 420-gallon rain barrel took in 100 gallons with one of last week’s rains.
Jeff Radke researched to find a zoyzia turfgrass that will withstand shade when he worked on the rainwater drainage plan for Holly and Val Cass. Zorro Zoyzia came out on top. Zoyzia is not a native and it creates a monoculture that’s not wildlife friendly (just like St. Augustine and Bermuda). But, Zorra Zoyzia does cover the soil with a grass that requires little water to stay alive once it’s established. And, it seldom needs mowing.
We added small patches of short Zorro Zoyzia for our short-legged weenie dogs, BoD and KissMe.
KissMe, our explorer never-ceasing, has cornered quite a few Texas spiny lizards and 7-striped racing lizards in recent weeks. He held two scorpions at bay until Ron trapped them using a pill bottle and stiff piece of paper.
Often, KissMe incessantly barks at night at Texas house geckos. If you’re listening nearby, you’ll hear me say, “Quiet, KissMe. Geckos are our friends.”
He barked last week with a different tone. Out in the garage we found a little Screech Owl perched high on a shelf. “Quiet, KissMe. Screech Owls are our friends.”
Last week, a reader nearby wrote that once his Owl Shack attracted Screech Owls, he no longer sees snakes and rodents. Several Mountain City residents play host to Screech Owl families each summer. Cliff Shackelford sells a nestbox for Screech Owls through OwlShack.com We moved one of our Owl Shacks across to the The Burich’s front yard when they inadvertently took down a dead snag with an owl nest a few years back. The owl took up nesting in the OwlShack, and it seems to be a “happily ever after” story.
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Congratulations to The Burich’s and to The Garraway’s on the graduation of their daughters, Julia Smith and Melissa Garraway, last week from Texas State.
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What’s up over on your turf? Please send tidbits of any sort related to Mountain City in any whichaway. ptom5678@gmail.com or 512 268 5678. Thanks! Love, PaulineBy Pauline Tom
