Mother Nature Decorates The Bayou

    Mother Nature is putting on a show for us here on the Bayou.  While I pretty much allow her decorate with wild abandon, I have to admit that most of the time, she is spot on with her decor choices.  It is my nature to allow brush and bramble to overrule the need for a prim and proper lawn.  Lawns need mowing and trimming and do nothing in return for me.  Letting Mother Nature have her way with the bulk of the property has proved beneficial in so many ways.  Near the creek, there is a spot that has wild water hyssop growing.  Down near the pier, there is a palmetto that produces mass amounts of dates.  Beyond the old oak trees and near the marsh edge, a grove of wild persimmon trees brighten my day with their easy snack of tiny fruit.  Wild blackberries, dewberries, huckleberries abound in the woods beyond the canebrake. 

 With all of this natural goodness, there are a few things that perhaps are better left to fill the bellies of the critters.  One of the most beautiful shrubs that grows wild here is the yaupon holly.  It has some of the brightest red berries ever to be on display by a plant.  The berries are not only candy-apple red, they have a translucent quality that almost makes them glow!  When the sunlight hits them just so, the berries have the appearance of tiny red lights.  While these berries are not actually toxic enough to kill you, they can make you get a really BAD tummy ache.  Their name Ilex Vomitoria should be warning enough!  However, birds adore them!  Each year, I enjoy the berries during the Christmas Season but then the Cedar Waxwings fly in to make short work of our berries.

  The yaupon, being a native plant, is a great shrub to add to the yard if you do not already have one. Kept trimmed, the bush makes a showy addition to the landscaping if that is your thing.  Personally, (like I said earlier), I leave mine to grow with wild abandon.  The long willow-like branches are perfect to twine into garlands and wreathes. Tomorrow, such a garland will be created and added to the decorations on the Little Bayou House.  A simple grapevine wreath or garland with a few twigs of yaupon will add a festive touch to the place....and the birds will love me!