Garden Treasures: Our Backyard Sightings in Houston

Backyard Discoveries

Each and every day, as we gaze outside at our garden, we are filled with wonderment and awe at the beauty of nature. Some of these garden treasures and sightings are enjoyable on a daily basis. At other times, depending upon the season or happenstance, photos can capture an occasion or life cycle and freeze it in a digital format to be enjoyed for time immemorial.

Come with me and see what recently caught my eye in our backyard. Always at the ready is my digital Panasonic camera. Seldom do I fool with the settings and ordinarily leave it on the "intelligent" setting. Generally, that works out well for people like me who have no particular expertise in photography except for lots of practice.

Birdhouse

The lady who owned this house ahead of us left behind several birdhouses when she moved to the Texas Hill Country. Perhaps she did not wish to uproot these bird families that had come to call these birdhouse lodgings their own "home sweet home."

It gives us great pleasure to watch the activity that ensues each and every day as family after family of birds bear their young and start over again, raising the next brood.

As this particular birdhouse is under the eaves of our roof and within easy viewing of our kitchen and everyday dining area, with our birdbath a little further out in our small backyard, our attention is often fastened upon the backyard to see the comings and goings of our feathered friends.

Basil Plants

Each year, we replant our sweet basil plants. It is an herb we often utilize in cooking or fresh in salads. It is an annual plant and re-seeds easily if the ground is undisturbed.

We purchase a few basil plants each Spring to get a head start on being able to harvest the fragrant and delicious sweet basil leaves for culinary purposes. Others erupt from the seeds that have fallen to the ground to generate a new crop.

This year, instead of leaving it to chance, I think that I will harvest some of the seeds and keep them in an envelope in a dry and dark spot and actually scratch these tiny germs of life into the ground next Spring in areas that I wish for more basil to grow.

There are many basil plant types, even ornamental ones, but sweet basil is my husband's and my favorite.

Mediterranean House Geckos

In the South, there are all kinds of little critters that frequent the yards and gardens. Where I grew up in Wisconsin, I never remember seeing little lizards like these Mediterranean house geckos scurrying after insects.

They are nocturnal. We see them every evening clinging to the brick exterior of our home near some spotlights that come on in the evening and overnight. Often, they congregate, and with the light attracting moths and other flying insects, they effortlessly get their daily nutrients.

Occasionally, when one gets into the house, I try to throw a dish towel over them and return them to the outside prior to one of our cats finding them and playing with them as a toy until their demise.

I took this photo in the evening with the light illuminating the brick and their tiny bodies.

Encore Azaleas

We inherited several azaleas already in the landscaping at our home. When we did some relandscaping, we began to add encore azaleas.

We particularly enjoy their blooming periods several times throughout the year instead of merely one Springtime show.

If you wish to have more color in your garden, consider planting these showy plants.

Hanging Baskets

There are numerous hooks under the eaves of our house in the backyard where the former owner had her many birdhouses and hanging baskets of plants.

We have utilized these hooks at various times for different purposes, but one of my favorite spots to have a hanging basket is on a stub of a branch on our redbud tree in our backyard. It is easily viewed from our house and brightens the spot with greenery or color, depending upon the type of plant I have hanging there.

Lately, I have hung a hanging basket of Boston ferns. I also have some growing in the ground under the ginger plants and banana trees.

Wasp Nest

One of my backyard discoveries one day was a sizable wasp nest discovered on the ground attached to a small oak tree branch with some leaves. There were no young inside the papery nest nor adult wasps lingering nearby, so I picked it up and took photos.

It is not unusual to find red wasps and mud dabber wasps hanging around this area, and we try to keep any nest-building activities to a minimum to avoid being stung. I must admit that it has never yet happened, I am glad to say.

Years ago, while up on a ladder painting the outside of our Wisconsin Rapids home, I will never forget being stung, over and over again, by a wasp that had gotten inside of my shirt. Screeching with pain and quickly climbing down the ladder, I probably was quite a sight as I tried to tear off my shirt so the wasp could escape and leave me alone to tend my wounds!

Wasp nests are one of nature's works of art. If you wish to see nests of every type, size, and coloration, watch the YouTube video below.

Even though our backyard is relatively small, there are many garden treasures to see if a person takes the time to notice. Hopefully, you have enjoyed this glimpse into some of our daily pleasures with these photos, and you will notice some of your own surroundings that can gladden your heart and soul.

More From Our Backyard and Garden

• The Fall Season in My Houston Backyard
• The Dragonfly That Came for a Visit
• Beautiful Flowering Ornamental Redbud Tree
• Pros and Cons of Planting Foxtail Ferns