August 12 , 2020
Deer-Proof Butterfly & Bee Garden
Never before have I seen so many butterfly stroke in one garden as I did last October when the CTG team visited Ingrid and Doug Green ’s garden west of Lago Vista . Director Ed Fuentes and grip Billy Driver joined me on a journeying that logged countless “ oh wow ” moments to take heed Doug ’s report about work up a haven for butterflies , bee , all pollinators , and birdie . These days , even more wildlife shares the state ’s 28 acres with the Greens since Doug diversified food provision . He also installed 13 water post , 150 birdhouses , and several butterfly puddling stations among position oaks and live oaks . Since cervid dwell the Din Land , too , he dedicated an enclosed haven for pollinator plant that deer would graze before pollinator got to the flowered food buffet . He dedicated it to his dad Paul Green , a long - terminal figure jubilant garden mentor as a member of what ’s now theThe Garden Club of Austin . When Paul open Paul ’s Beauty Salon on Red River Street in 1951 , he style up coevals of customers . No doubt , he answered garden questions about the gardens he created around it!Inspired by his dad , Doug designed a 2700 square base pentagon with practice session stem tobacco pipe . Off duty firefighter Ryan Stark push spot four foot into the land with an melody power hammer , secure them without concrete . The fence threefold duties as vertical support for perennial and yearly vine that flower across the seasons , along with Mustang grape for birds . At the logic gate , he plant native crossvine and evergreen wisteria . An original phallus of theAustin Pond Society , Doug enforce his ponding discernment to fabricate a pentagonal bird bath . bee and wasps perch on its edge while butterflies wee-wee in the gravel .
He design one fountain with an upside - down container topped with a sphere , formed with concrete around a grandchild ’s old soccer ball . He ’s pose secure flaxen loam , but he nourished it with compost ( now from his monolithic great deal ) . clustering ofSalvia guaranitica‘Black and gloomy ’ pull bee and butterflies . He pairs them with butterfly - dear Gregg ’s ageratum , ruellia and Esperanza ( Yellow Bells ) in pleasing harmony . “But the biggest matter I did for the garden is that I bought a load of granite gravel . It ’s mulch , it ’s got nutrients , and it ’s poriferous , ” he say . In just two years , his plants blow up and so did his pollinator population . queen regnant butterflies crowded aboriginal perennial Gregg ’s Eupatorium coelestinum ( Conoclinium greggii).Butterflies , bee and other pollinators hump perennialCaryopteris‘Dark Knight ’ , a plant I want to impart . And innumerable Monarchs sip up on their migrating fuel closure . Doug accents with containers : purchase , scavenged and change . Others he design and welds to hold nativeHamelia patens . He cuts the bottom out of stock tankful to allow roots to uprise deep . This one holds summer blooming Pride of Barbados . He uses 2×6 cedar tree for containers he build up , often in the shape of a pentagon . In fact , one of his games with kid is to find all the pentagons!As a hobbyist metal actor , he designs and welds mild steel into container , butterfly stroke chairs , and garden art . He set out a websiteExpress Yourself Austinwhere you’re able to get his how - tos and arrange to order a custom piece .
Get a partial plant list . take in Doug ’s news report now !
Thanks for stopping by ! Linda
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