A Visit to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

I've been trying to get to Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, when I'm near

Austin,  but never quite made it. I decided to go while I was visiting my daughter.  I choose to go on a cloudy day since I thought the flowers would photograph better.  

Lady Bird Johnson's mission statement at the entrance

The entrance goes down all the columns which carry rainwater from the roofs to a tank - an great horned owl makes its nest at the upper right corner each year.  The guy is trying to get a picture of the last owl to fledge of the pair hatched

Antelope milkweed was blooming

The gardens between the cafe and office building

Volunteers were everywhere, weeding and planting

 I was particularly interested in seeing the new family garden.  I was very impressed with it.  It has lots of fun things for children to do, even lots of little stumps, twigs, and little logs to build with.  And they could climb and walk on big fallen trees and on platforms screened with woven twigs.

Lovely bench and view in the family garden

New structures in the family garden

A waterfall with a tunnel behind it

Faux cave paintings in another tunnel

One of the platforms had these objects

The center always has had demonstration gardens showing how to use native plants in any setting.  This is one of two cedar trees in the formal garden. I think it is the most amazing plant in the center. But I would not want to keep it sheared.

Sheared cedar tree

Cecropia caterpillar in the butterfly house

I love their rustic benches/trellises

A little cross vine was blooming

Coral honeysuckle was blooming

Wafer ash was making it's lovely little wafer seeds - beer makers can use the flowers as hop substitutes - and butterflies love it

On the personal front I'll be starting my own migration to Montana about the time this blog publishes.  I'm in the midst of trying to dig all my stuff out of various corners and getting it packed compactly enough to get it all to fit back in the Honda. I got to do a last Texas paddle today (May 3). I have visits scheduled with physical therapy, my hairdresser, and optician.  After two day of intensive driving, I'll have a few days to spend at Island in the Sky, a place I missed getting to see last year.  Hope you come along on my summer adventures.