Xeriscape - Drought-Adaptive Horticulture
The Gone Native Drought Adaptive Garden
Scenes from Early February, 2006
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Gone Native is a registered Texas Wildscapes garden. Texas Parks and Wildlife promote this horticultural program focused on providing food and cover for insects, birds, and other animals.
Plants tell stories, and ornamentation to a garden tell even more stories - or give a person a chance to make up their own stories. A metal silhouette of a longhorn pays homage to the rich history of the cattle history in West Texas.
The 2 acres of plantings are surrounded by reclaimed prairie. The south gate is a symbolic entrance to the garden - where the warm south winds enter.
The south pond is surrounded by Chinese Pistache trees, and the edge is bordered by Coyote Willow. A row of Nolina microcarpa slows the southwest wind. In the summer the pond is continually visited by wildlife. Sometimes 200 doves spend the hot afternoon lazing in the trees.
The pond is filled by the windmill. It was purchased in 1944 by Frances and Harold Williams and utilized at their Neely Street house (where Unitarian and Lutheran churches are now located) and moved to the Gone Native location in 1981.
The Gone Native garden is within a grove of trees, surrounded by 7 acres of prairie, which is in turn surrounded by another 7+ acres of mesquite brushland. On the Llano Estacado groves of trees grow in the draws (shallow dry watercourses). In the growing season the houses are hidden by foliage.
Benches are scattered throughout the plantings. The garden is "used" the most in the activity of wildlife watching - and after a few minutes of motionless quietude, an observer is rewarded.
Ornamentation in the garden reflects many of the world's cultures.
Why did two Mexican Redbud leaves hang on the tree all winter? One of the joys of a garden is to take walks several times a week to just experience the subtle daily changes and look for small mysteries!
The juxtaposition of textures gives an observer "eye candy" - here, Chinaberries and Afghan Pines.
Chinese Pistache, yucca campestris, and Arizona Cypress provide another study of texture and "atmosphere" - a quality given to a place by the arrangement and species of the plants - and for Burr this scene brings back memories of the Chiricahua Mountains of Southeastern Arizona - even though the Cypress is the only plant native to that place.
The unique seedpods of Necklace Bead Sophora against the green needles of Afghan Pine - a simple study of shapes.
Golden Rain Tree against a thicket of Jujube, and backed by Afghan Pines - three drought adaptive plants from Asia.
The empty acorn cups of Quercus texana (Texas red oak) adorn the tree during the winter - but why did the small group of leaves never fall? In the background are the golden berries of Chinaberries.