Work In Progress at the ranch

Well, ya'll know I've been on a quest to obtain butterfly friendly seeds and larval host seeds so decided to show what I'm up to.

For all my gardening buddies who have helped with their knowledge, ideas and sending seeds...this is a work in progress.

There was a time when everything was green and wildflowers were abundant but seems we've been in a drought for years now. We've got an uphill battle on our hands...native grasses and weeds have choked the life out of the few patches of wildflowers that once were.

We are concentrating on the pond and the immediate surrounding area. The windmill working again and so long as the wind blows it will be able to eventually fill up the pond.

Will have to figure out how to water whatever seeds I decide to sow though

~ Cat

Brother aka Farmer Brown working on digging out the pond

This message was edited Jan 27, 2008 10:10 PM

Part of the perimeter of the back forty - you can see the windmill in the background

I want to plow up the sides of the road and plant flower seeds on both sides.

~ Cat

The pond...with the first signs of water now that the windmill is working again. Hopefully it will eventually fill up if the weather cooperates and there's a good breeze.

~ Cat

A few uncles came to help work on the windmill.

~ Cat

Brother clearing out the land around the windmill. I bought a chain saw two years ago...just to trim the two oaks in my yard. It really got a work out at the ranch!

~ Cat

East side of the pasture that surround the windmill area.

~ Cat

ps...yes, that's a feeder for deer and feral hogs :o)

West side of the pasture that surrounds the windmill area. This part is really overgrown. I've been able to sneak up on deer on this road when I'm puttering around on the golf cart.

~ Cat

I like to put out oranges and butterfly bait in this corner as it is a crosswalk of sorts between four pastures.

~ Cat

This is the back field right behind the ranch house. You have to travel about a mile to reach the area where the windmill is. I don't plan to do anything to this area as Dad has goats fenced off here.

~ Cat

...of which...here are two additions from this month - playing on some old rail road ties. These buggers were barely a week old and they were climbing all over the rail road ties.

They are Chewy and Loretta. Don't ask...my sister-in-law named them!

~ Cat

This is the are in front or to the north of the pond - I want to fill this area with butterfly friendly flowers. This area was covered in pepper weed and cudweed in February and March of last year. I was able to raise Checkered Whites and American Ladies from caterpillars I found. I hope we get some rain - I'd like to see the native plants bring butterflies in again for this coming Spring.

You can see part of the pond berm in the lower right corner.

~ Cat

This message was edited Jan 27, 2008 10:18 PM

Farmer Brown heading back to the ranch house. He's still got another half mile to go before he can have a drink of water! You can see how dry the area is by all the dust in his wake.

We have an old industrial tractor that Dad used to work the land with but it's got a flat and a leak in of the lines...nobody wants to work on it when this little orange tonka toy is handy.

~ Cat

By the way...I remember we had several communal roosts of Pipevine Swallowtails in February and March of last year. Am hoping to see more of them this year and I do have several varieties of aristolochia seeds I plan to sow. There is a native aristolochia erecta that grows out there but it is so hard to spot...obviously the Pipevine Swallowtails don't have a problem finding it when I look back on these two links from last year !!!

~ Cat

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/695817/

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/693972/

This message was edited Jan 27, 2008 10:46 PM

Cat, what a fantastic start! I love to see the chronicle of a project, especially such a wonderfully-intentioned project! It's great that your family is so helpful, I bet they've learned a lot from you. The area there is very beautiful, and the native wildflowers will be a wonderful addition.
Chewy and Loretta are adorable, and surely a handful!
I hope you'll give us progress updates, we'll be here cheering you on!
Cathy

Hope to get down your way for the bf festival later this year. I retire in May and plan on traveling around TX to see all the things I want to see and do for the first year.
Sheila_FW

Congrats on your upcoming retirement Sheila!!! You lucky dawg!!! I still another ten years or so to go...where's a winning lotto ticket when I want one? :o)

Hope you have the greatest time traveling and doing all the things you want to!!!

~ Cat