Captured Moments – Texas Thistle

October 7, 2017 / coffeeandcapturedmoments / Leave a comment

We have several varieties of thistle growing in our area. The main one is Texas Thistle Cirsium texanum (of course 😉 )

The Texas thistle grows 2-5 feet tall, without branches, or sparingly branched near the top. The numerous leaves are alternate, 4-9 inches long, smaller on the upper third of the stem. Leaves are green above and white below, with a woolly texture on the underside. The irregular lobes have spines at the tip but few elsewhere on the leaf. There is 1 flower head to a stem, with no ray flowers but numerous disk flowers, which are deep rose-lavendert.

Bumblebees work the flowers when they mature.

Thistle seed

Captured moments – Travel – Blanco Gardens

August 11, 2017August 26, 2017 / coffeeandcapturedmoments / 4 Comments

I love visiting Blanco, Texas. It started out as being a halfway mark for my best friend and I to meet for lunch and spend the day together. We have an early lunch, then walk over to one of our favorite places, Blanco Gardens.

Blanco Gardens

It is a short walk from the cafe, and we always end up bringing back trays of plants on the walk back.

Amelia Lintner, the owner, is wonderful. Friendly, knowledgeable and fun. Her gardens are colorful and invite you to explore. She carries trees, shrubs, herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables. She also has a wonderful selection of succulents, which I love! You will also find a nice assortment of planters, garden soils and amendments too, as well as a lovely gift shop inside. It is a wonderful place to relax and browse. The zinnias and succulents I bought from her this year have been outstanding.

zinnias

Looking at the store from Highway 29

The porch on her shop is a cool, shady place to relax while contemplating your purchases. 😉

Inside the shop

Amelia has a beautiful selection of planters and slag glass in the shop as well as seeds and other gardening supplies.

Amelia trying to escape my camera. ❤

This is an amazing selection of lavender. To the left is a room with some of the succulents.

One of her succulent arrangements. I love this ice plant.

Recycled tires. How cool is that?!

Love this bat!

Slag glass in a fun display.

That’s a big boot!

A fun area with various decorative items.

If you are out and about in the Hill Country of central Texas, stop by and say hello to Amelia, take a stroll through her gardens, relax on the porch and take home a plant or two.

Blanco Gardens

Address: 500 Main St, Blanco, TX 78606

Hours:

Saturday	10AM–4PM
Sunday	10AM–4PM
Monday	9AM–5PM
Tuesday	9AM–5PM
Wednesday	Closed
Thursday	9AM–5PM
Friday	9AM–5PM

Phone: (830) 833-2433

Colors of Spring

April 7, 2015August 26, 2017 / coffeeandcapturedmoments / 2 Comments

The rain this winter has made everything happy this spring. All around us the trees are green, the flowers are bright and colorful and we are seeing more birds visiting the feeders than last year.

Bluebonnets

Lithospermum incisum, known as Fringed Puccoon.

Wild Onion

Erodium texanum, also known as Texas Filaree, Texas Stork’s Bill, or Heronbill (Front)

purple prairie verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida) (back left)

Dewberry

Wild Honeysuckle (Growing high up in an Oak tree)

Prunus serotina (Black Cherry)

I had not noticed this tree until we did some clearing this past summer. After reading about it, I am glad we left it.

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PRSE2

Cardinal

Spring color and relaxing walks

March 28, 2015August 26, 2017 / coffeeandcapturedmoments / Leave a comment

The nights are still cool but the days are getting warmer. Flowers are starting to bloom in earnest and with the wonderful rain we have had in recent months, the Redbud trees are looking especially cheerful this year. Below are some photos from walks around the area this week.

Redbud Blossoms