Texas Dawn

In the heat and drought of this summer in Texas, Cindy and I traveled to San Angelo for my eldest sons wedding. As you can see from the image below it was so hot and dry the prickly pear cacti were even shriveling from the lack of aqua.

Some of you have seen the images I photographed in the serene setting of Cristoval Vineyards and Winery.  But, when I was there I also visited the International Waterlily Collection on my way home, almost as an afterthought. Cindy asked me where I was going after we left the hotel, probably wondering what wild gardening goose chase are we on now! "Do you know we have 500 miles to drive?" In other words I got the look. "Well, honey I want to visit the world famous International Water Lily Collection" I replied matter of factually.

  I got the look again 

Well after we finally got there, we both enjoyed it immensely. (At least I think I/we did? Didn't you honey?)  Seriously it was a pleasant surprise.

I'm sure many of the Texas bloggers have given previous posts about this little gem of a public park so I won't go into a full blown description. Below is a link to a pdf file describing the exhibition.

History of the International Water Lily Collection, San Angelo, Texas. 

 This blog post title was derived from a video about the 'Texas Dawn' water lilly created at the San Angelo park which in April 2011 was selected as the official waterlily plant of Texas. Interesting video.

Since this visit was in early October the lily's were in  full bloom. I won't show all the photos but a few of the high points.

Tropical lily pads.

immutabulus

 Rhonda Kay

St.Louis Marmorata

Texas shell pink? I think

Blue Cloud

Awesome flowers! Some of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

Well, I'm getting the look, time to wander back home.

100 Day War

Back in the day. No this isn't one those stories your dad told you about when you were young. You know, walked 3 miles to school every day and mostly in a blazing snow blizzard with holes in your boots. And you've got it so easy compared to what I had. Right story? I'm sure I am guilty also. Remember party lines? Anyways I digress.

Back in the day, some twenty years ago my profession was a golf course superintendent. I worked for a municipal golf course in a town of 50,000 in Oklahoma. I did what some people said was the thing to do. Make you hobby your job.  I loved to play golf, so being on a golf course every day sounded great! It was by far the most difficult and consuming job I every had. Talk about multitasking. These are the hats you had to wear. Human resources (hiring), accounting (budget), agronomy (soil science-native soils and putting green soils), entomologist (insect ID and controls), turf grass pathologist (disease ID and controls), environmentalist (native wildlife protection), irrigation specialist (design systems and repair diagnostics), administrator, knowledge of golf rules, politician (city government), husband father (balance personal life),  meteorologist (track storms for irrigation controls-not to over-water or underwater), mechanic ( very specialized equipment), equipment operator, spray technician ( pesticide knowledge and calibration), lawyer ( need to know federal and state statutes), engineer (construction design and implementation), landscape contractor (seeding, sodding, and landscape construction), hazardous material administrator and manager, and overall good ole boy to the golfers who love to  pat you on the back (yeah right).
Anyways I digress. (see a pattern here?)

San Antonio Botanical Gardens

 The 100 day war. During the dog days of summer the golf course staff and I would develop a war plan for 100 days. That is, our plan was to survive until Labor Day weekend. Normally that weekend would signal the end to heat and the arrival of a cold front. Growing bent grass greens in hot Oklahoma meant you had to have a plan to help the greens survive until Labor Day, and usually the heat and humidity would be stifling for 100 days.
Today I was reminded of how much effort and worry it takes to make it. And today the temperature is one oh fregeeden six with 40% humidity. Yikes. Enough already. Pay the fiddler. I can't imagine what these golf course guys are going through. It must be a 200 day war this year.

All you people in Oklahoma and Texas take heart, it's almost Labor Day. Hopefully your war plan has worked!

San Antonio Botanical Gardens

Brown State of Mind (Texas Version)

 Its been one whole week since we came back from our visit to our son in San Antonio. Texas is in such a brown state of mind. That is: it's smokin! As in DRY and BROWN. Feel sorry for the Texas gardeners. It is the worst I've ever seen it, and I lived there during the last long drought in the late 90's. (that sounds weird, 90's). Of course you know what follows a drought-a flood.

 The dove didn't seem to mind the heat.

This is the newest irrigation technology developed by Texas A&M: the hose goes to a porta-johnny. I heard it will save thousands of gallons of water.

My next post will expound on my visit to the San Antonio Botanical Gardens.