Sunday Nature Photos

I have this neighbor up the street with a yard xeroscaped with Texas natives. The yard is really cool and I've been meaning to introduce myself as I walk Marge by there a few times a week. I finally had the chance and met this nice lady who belongs to the Texas Native Plant Society and invited me to check out her greenhouse in the back. She uses almost no water save to get things established. Eventually, I would like to have such a yard and I'll probably join the society. Anyway, here is a photo I took the other day of a really cool legume, Scarlet Pea (Indigofera miniata var. leptosepala (Nutt. ex. Torr. & A. Gray) B. Turner).

We have a lot of southern magnolias (Magnolia grandiflora) planted in yards as ornamentals around these parts. Here is a newly opened inflorescence.

I found this crazy looking insect living (or at least hanging out) inside the above flower. I have absolutely no idea what it is, but think it is really cool.