Outdoor Enclosure in June

[Edna]

We haven't had a frost here in the last 6 weeks and the plants have really been growing. It hasn't been warm enough for the torts to be out very much, but yesterday was nice and I got some photos.

Enclosures with lilacs in bloom.

Molly eating the Irish moss.

Maggie just leaving the warm water.

Maggie feasting on little chicory and red clover plants.

Young grape vine.

Calibrachoa.

Pansy, lost in the grass and ground cover.

Pansy, strawberry, and lilac.

Ice plant.

Cement tort with dichondra. The deer keep the top leaves eaten off.

The torts like it out there. The leopards hide in deep grass, up against the shrubs. In their area, the Hermanns hide under a tile, in soft dirt, or deep in the base of a shrub. It can be a challenge in the evening to find them all, but they tend to use the same spots so I'm not really searching the whole area.
Thanks for looking!!

 

[Tom]

Looks like tortoise paradise to me. Wow, you've got gardening skills. Very nice pics Edna, thanks for sharing them.

 

[DixieParadise]

Those are great shots. Thanks for sharing. I love all the color that you have. It always amazes me, since I am Texas, of the other growing periods of other areas. We have had blooms since March and several triple digit temp days everything is just about brown. We finally got some rain last night. First time in 2 months. So, everything is watered and happy.

 

[Missy]

Love your tortoise garden

 

[Edna]

Thanks, guys. It felt like I was creating a secret garden just for torts The wall is low, the the yard is about 4 feet above street level; it really is a secret garden. I planted with an eye toward preserving the plants that were already present. That meant planting flowers right in the middle of grass and ground cover, never done that before.

 

[SnakeyeZ]

Nice! I love your tortoise enclosures alot.

I thought I read somewhere on this forum that the leaves from lilac are toxic to tortoises. Is this true... or do yours just not mess with them?

 

[Edna]

Nice! I love your tortoise enclosures alot.

I thought I read somewhere on this forum that the leaves from lilac are toxic to tortoises. Is this true... or do yours just not mess with them?

The deer eat the lilac leaves, especially those on new growth. My torts haven't eaten lilac leaves. Googling now!
I found lilac on safe plant lists more often than on toxic plant lists. Seems inconclusive, so I'm going to err on the side of not removing lovely established plants.

 

[dmarcus]

Everything looks so nice looks like the place to be..

 

[Geochelone_Carbonaria]

Really nice !!!

 

[Torty Mom]

Beautiful outdoor enclosures!!!! They must love it out there!!

 

[Neal]

Good pictures and torti.

 

[Laura]

wow HUGE Lilacs!

 

[SnakeyeZ]

Nice! I love your tortoise enclosures alot.

I thought I read somewhere on this forum that the leaves from lilac are toxic to tortoises. Is this true... or do yours just not mess with them?

The deer eat the lilac leaves, especially those on new growth. My torts haven't eaten lilac leaves. Googling now!
I found lilac on safe plant lists more often than on toxic plant lists. Seems inconclusive, so I'm going to err on the side of not removing lovely established plants.

Ah okay! Only reason I thought this is because I wanted to add some to my tortoises diet but got discouraged because of this thread.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Lilacs?highlight=lilac#axzz1QGKyajec

And this post...

Hi Countrymouse (Did we ever learn your name or where you are?):


Lilac flowers are edible, but the leaves are toxic.

weigela leaves are safe.

 

[Edna]

According to The Tortoise Table, lilacs are OK to feed in moderation, no evidence of toxicity.

http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/site/plants_19.asp?catID=221

 

[DesertGrandma]

I love your yard and your tortoises are beautiful. How old are they? They have such beautiful marbleing.

 

[Edna]

Thanks, Joy. My leopards will be one year old at the end of August. They are sister-cousins to Tom's bunch and I got them from him.