Hartman Prehistoric Garden

Copyright © 2007-2008. Suburban Wildlife Garden. All Rights Reserved.

After finding out from the orthopedic surgeon that my son will need spinal surgery this summer, we decided to take a break from our worries and visit the Hartman Prehistoric Garden within the Zilker Botanical Garden.



In 1992 dinosaur tracks were found on this site. They were mapped and preserved. Plants were chosen for the garden that would have been there at the time of the dinosaurs like this Desert Fan Palm (Washingtonia filifera)...


What a wonderous waterfall...


My son was excited to find some ammonites...


And we could see something staring at us from across the water as well...



Hard to believe anything could eat these various types of Sagos (Cycas), but we're told some dinosaurs found them quite yummy.

We finally found something blooming as we walked by this Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum)




Uh oh! Cool footprints!


My son went to investigate...

"Do you see anything?"

"What's that you say, dear? It's an Ornithomimus?"
Okay, so he's all about reading the plaque. I'm just glad the creature wasn't alive.
Ornithomimus was 12 foot long and 7 foot high. That's one big turkey. Yikes!

Where's Jeff Goldblum when you need him?




Back to reality...

The winding stream was singing beneath these green branches.

The petrified forest was awesome.

Up close we could still make out the bark of the trees.



The birds and spider webs in this iron gate are amazing.



A purple water lily peeked out of the reflecting pool.



While these annuals popped with color, reminding me that it's time to plant some of my own.


"All my hurts my garden spade can heal."-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Well, almost...

Copyright © 2007-2008. Suburban Wildlife Garden. All Rights Reserved.

A Beautiful Day in My Neighborhood

Copyright © 2007-2009. Suburban Wildlife Garden. All Rights Reserved.

As a recent transplant to Austin I'm on a huge learning curve when it comes to gardening here. I found a terrific resource book at Half-Priced Books entitled "Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife", by Noreen Damude and Kelly Conrad Bender.



According to the book my neighborhood is on the edge of a geological region known as the Edwards Plateau. My limited understanding is that this section of Austin has a somewhat different climate than Central Austin. We have only a few inches of soil over solid limestone in our garden. Yet, what may seem like a deficit to some can be a real blessing. The limestone outcropping in the garden below makes a very dramatic statement.



It's a far cry from Florida's sandy soil, yet some of my Northwest Austin neighbors have proven that a beautiful garden can still be realized in this area. The curbside garden below is particularly lovely. Even the fire hydrant looks good.



It's fun to enjoy the wild and cultivated plants on morning walks in my neighborhood. This morning I discovered some lavender-colored wildflowers. They seem to be everywhere. I wasn't sure what they were. Annie from The Transplantable Rose says it is Allium drummondii and I do believe she's right. Thanks Annie!

I appreciate the beautiful trees that shade the sidewalks here as well.

I love the way the branches seem to dance against the sky.

In news closer to home, I am happy to report that more of my goldfish survived the cold last weekend than I had feared. Seems they were only suffering from stage fright and are experts at hiding.

A problem our local squirrels do not share. This little fellow let me get within 6 feet of him to take this photo. As long as the whole wheat crackers kept coming he was happy.

Just want to add that the highlight of my week was when I was invited to join the Austin Garden Bloggers on their annual garden tour. I'm so excited and cannot wait to meet all of you. Many thanks to you ladies!

And if that doesn't convince you that Austin is a great place to live, perhaps this video of Zilker Park will. Enjoy!

Copyright © 2007-2009. Suburban Wildlife Garden. All Rights Reserved.