Gardening in Central Texas

GARDENING IN CENTRAL TEXAS IS MOVING

2011-06-10T10:18:00.001-05:00

Dear fellow garden bloggers,

This Blog has moved to www.centraltexasgardening.wordpress.com and all future posts will be made to that new Blog address. All posts and comments on this Blog have been imported on the new Blog site.
It's just like nothing has happened other than a change of address. This Blog site will remain up and open for a while longer but not contain any new postings beyond June.

Please rebookmark Gardening in Central Texas (Renamed Central Texas Gardening) to the new address:
www.centraltexasgardening.wordpress.com

Thanks

Bob Beyer

WHAT GETS CREATED MUST BE MAINTAINED

2011-06-02T09:42:00.002-05:00

Here’s a fact and reality check: There is no such thing as a maintenance free plant or garden. For every garden bed that is prepared and every plant that is planted, there is a continuing burden (or joyful tasks if you are a real gardener), to maintain that which has been created. These maintenance chores (or delightful opportunities to get outdoors if you are a real gardener) are year round, and exist as long as your garden exists. It all depends on how much you take pride in the appearance of your garden (which you do if you are a real gardener). A few common sense strategies include:

1. Not creating garden beds that you know you won’t have time or ability to properly maintain. An uncared for garden often looks worse than no garden at all. This is the biggest mistake many gardeners make - biting off more than they can chew. We all long to maximize and expand our beautiful gardens and landscapes but must consider the “hereafter” maintenance factor.

2. Careful choice of plants that will minimize maintenance problems and requirements. There are so many choices available beginning with native and adaptive plants that will grow well with minimal intervention. Understand a plant’s growth habit and what will be required to keep it in scale with your other plantings. Plant according to a plant’s ultimate size, not for a “here and now” instant effect. There are dwarf and slower growing varieties of many of our favorite plants which reduce maintenance.

3. Garden area design that facilitates necessary maintenance tasks - e.g. can you mow and edge easily around plants and beds, access bed areas easily for weeding and trimming, and did you place plants with similar growth and maintenance requirements together?

4. Use preventative maintenance strategies that will minimize care requirement for plants and garden beds such as mulch in spring to preserve ground moisture and/or provide weed infestation barriers, use compost to build up soil health and nutrients so supplemental fertilization won’t be needed, and don’t put off any maintenance task to the point it becomes a major project. Pulling a weed one at a time as they pop up is better than re-cultivating an entire bed that has become infested with weeds. This approach also helps to preserve and not disturb the soil's fragile ecosystem.

The best way to approach garden maintenance is to take a garden walk daily or several times a week to closely observe and note what is happening. A lot can change in the course of a day. An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure if any problems are spotted early and treated before they become serious. As a fringe benefit, you get to enjoy seeing your garden in it’s fullest more often. Take a camera with you and look for that photo op. An ornamental garden is meant to be enjoyed, stimulate your senses, offer tranquility and a sense of wonder about nature’s living plants and organisms, not become a laborious part of life that is dreaded. It’s better to grow fewer things well, than try to grow many things poorly. Know your own physical and time limitations and respect them in our gardening practices, making sure that the ability to properly maintain the beautiful gardens we’ve created is a priority. Otherwise, why garden at all?

Gardening with Bambi

2011-04-15T12:15:00.012-05:00

Gardening with deer is a love/hate relationship. We love living among and seeing wildlife, BUT, “stay out of my garden”. Why are deer such a problem to gardeners? Destruction of their natural habitat has led to their adaptation to our suburban environment. Vehicles do more to control deer population than natural predators. Overpopulation results. Deer will eat anything when hungry enough. Male deer’s antler rubbing damages and can kill young trees.

Understanding deer is part of the resolution to this problem. Their primary food is tender broadleaf plant leaves, twigs, and branches, but not grasses. They are territorial and have habitual traffic patterns that they follow within their area. The hungrier a deer gets, the more difficult they are to control. Summer,and early fall tend to be a period of food shortages. Deer are naturally curious to sample new plantings.

Some other things for the gardener to consider is that ornamental plants may lose their deer resistance characteristics thru plant breeding. For example the Lantana you buy at a nursery may be hybridized and not as resistant to deer as the native Lantana. New growth may be nipped but the rest of the plant untouched since they favor tender new growth. Deer population pressure creates a source of/demand for food which makes deer more eager to eat almost anything. Their exposure to human presence and their comfort level with being around humans makes it more difficult to ward them off. Never feed deer. Unestablished plants with tender growth pull up easily if nipped so may need temporary protection until the roots “dig in”. And did you know that deer are State of TX property (TPWD)? As such, it is illegal to kill, trap and relocate or injure these animals without express permit from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.

All this begs the question, “How do we manage deer”? There are four methods.

1. Use of non-preferred landscape plants - the least expensive, most effective way.

2. 8 ft tall physical barriers & fencing - the most expensive but an effective method.

3. Scare devices - motion generated. These are good investments and fairly effective.

4. Scent-based repellants - the most expensive and least effective way since they require continuous reapplication.

Let’s focus on non-preferred plants. They have five characteristics, strong, unpleasant odors; bitter, disagreeable taste; prickly &/or stiff textured foliage, fuzzy foliage (pubescent), or contain a milky sap which is caustic &/or sticky. Some examples follow but remember that this is just a very small sampling of deer resistant plants.

Plants with unpleasant scented resistance include: Rosemary, Mexican Oregano, Copper Canyon Daisy, Mexican Mint Marigold, Sanolina, Lantana, Wax Myrtle, Sumac, or any strong scented herbs.

Plants with unpleasant taste include: TX Mountain Laurel, Flame Acanthus, Thryallis, Blackfoot Daisy, Esperanza, Plumbago, Shrimp Plant, Texas Betony, Desert Willow, Rock Rose, Skullcap, Columbine, Coreopsis, Eleagnus, Mock Orange, Sages, Flowering and Senna

Plants with prickly or tough foliage include: Agarita, Basket Grass, Fragrant Mimosa, Fan Palms, Cacti, Yucca, Pomegranite, Hollies, Agaves, and Sago palms (really a cycad).

Plants with fuzzy foliage include: Artemesia, Black-eyed Susan, Lamb’s Ear, Coneflower, Wooly Butterfly Bush, Wooly Stemodia, Texas Sage, and Germander

Plants with sticky, caustic sap include: Oleander, Confederate Jasmine, Euphorbia family, and Arizona Cypress

When looking at deer resistant plant lists, there are no guarantees that they are deer proof - remember deer will eat anything if hungry enough. You should place wire fencing up to 8’ to protect young trees until at least 6” diameter or barriers around new plantings until established. Consider cost vs benefit in choice of method you use. It all depends on your individual circumstances. Learn to live with and enjoy wildlife. The goal is to minimize damage, not eliminate it. Become familiar with deer population habits. Assess needs for plant protection - have a plan.

Some good resources to help you garden with deer include:

1. City of Austin “Grow Green” book, 52 pgs, free at garden centers within Austin.

2. Grow Green Program: Deer Resistant Design Phamplet - free

3. Website: City of Austin Grow Green Program - www.ci.austin.tx.us/growgreen

4. Texas Cooperative Extension Article “Gardening in Deer Country ..........

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/docs/gardening_in_deer_country.pdf

Enjoy our native wildlife and a beautiful garden at the same time. It is possible!

THE PROBLEM WITH MANY PLANT NURSERIES

2011-03-01T15:00:00.010-06:00

“Let the buyer beware” is often appropriate to describe the marketing of plants at your local nursery and garden center. Overall, plants are purchased based on consumer impulse and visual appeal rather than real knowledge of their characteristics, growing requirements, and potential. This article was inspired by a recent visit to one of my favorite nurseries that has been noted for carrying native and adaptive plants recommended and proven to grow well and be environmentally friendly in central Texas. I was shocked to see Rhododendron (yes the kind that thrives in the wet, cool, northern parts of the country which needs highly acidic, organic soils), Red-stem Dogwood and Lilacs which require significant winter freezing and acidic soil as part of their growth requirements, along with several other plants that absolutely won’t make it here. Plants like these are “dead upon arrival” in central Texas gardens! The uninformed gardener may buy this based on seeing pretty pictures of them in bloom in magazines or books not appropriate for our region, or remembering them from a past experience, but are unaware of how they are wasting their time and money to even attempt to grow them in central TX.

I offer these tips to avoid these pitfalls when plant shopping:

Know about the plants you are considering before buying. There is an abundance of region specific educational resources to help you either on the internet or through local garden organizations.
Go plant shopping with a specific list or plants in mind that have been researched for suitability in central Texas, and don’t impullse buy when there. Write down the name of the plant you might see and like and research it first before buying.
If you see “inappropriate” plants being offered for sale, don’t be tempted to try them and let the management know about it. This is an indication that the buyer for that nursery is either unqualified or uneducated in the horticultural business.
Many plants marketed in nurseries (if labeled at all) are incorrectly labeled. I have noticed a beautiful selection of succulents at a local nursery with labels that merely said "cactus". They were not cacti to begin with and knowing the correct identity will help you know how to best grow it. Similarly, Bromeliads are often marketed with labels that merely say "Bromeliad". I will not buy a plant unless I know it's real identity.

Nurseries and plant centers stocking “dead on planting” selections need to be reported to the “Bad Business Bureau”. They obviously don’t know what they are selling or if they do, they don’t care so long as a sale is made. Perhaps the fault lies in the wholesaler and growers who convince local nurseries to buy inappropriate plant materials. How can a grower in California, or Florida, or Minnesota know more about which plants will do well and please the gardener in central Texas. We are blessed in the Austin area to have outstanding sources of information to help you select the right plants, save money by not having to replace them or use expensive and valuable water to keep them alive. The Austin Grow Green program is a good place to start looking. The City of Austin Grow Green book free at any nursery or garden center is a must for every gardener in the Austin area.

There are plants being marketed inappropriately that can’t make it through the hard freezes or extremely hot and dry summers or intense light levels we often encounter in central Texas. Some plants actually require a certain amount of freezing conditions and colder winters to grow well in addition to some that can’t withstand temperatures below or above a certain level. Some can’t tolerate the combination of wet and cold, and some can’t tolerate the intense summer sunlight in central Texas. Plants grown in another region of the country are acclimated to light conditions there and are listed as “full sun” plants there whereas our light intensity in central Texas is too intense for them so they prefer and grow better in light shade. So you can't always believe the information that is on the labels. Bottom line is to know and learn about the plants in or contemplated for your landscape before venturing out to restock your garden.

I have noticed the retail prices of nursery plants have gone up significantly in 2011, probably due to increased fuel and transportation costs. At the same time, most average consumers in difficult economic times are having to make their dollars stretch further. This is all the more reason you may want to become better informed about smart plant selections beforehand so what you purchase will be a lasting, endurable, and environmentally wise investment rather than a waste of time and money.

Another warning about Nursery and Garden Center products. They market products that are harmful to your plants, your health, and the environment. The # 1 product to avoid is "Weed and Feed" as they may contains a toxic herbicide called atrazine which if used around your shrubs and trees will kill them! It should not be used on residential property at all because, he roots of trees cover the entire property of most lots. Atrazine is also poisoning our clean water sources which directly affects human health. Furthermore, the two ingredients in these products aren't suitable to be applied at the same time. The pre-emergent herbicide part of the products needs to be applied about 2 months earlier than the soluble fertilizer part of the products. Some of the specific products that you should avoid are Scotts Bonus S, Vigero, or any labeled Weed and Feed and/or contain atrozine.

And as if that isn't bad enough, let's add the marketing of introduced, invasive plants like Ligustrum/Privet, and berry producing Nandina when it is known that these plants are proliferating, threatening and overtaking our native plants. Our natural environment is fragile and can easily be irreparably damaged by using invasive plants in the landscpe.,

So, shame, shame, on any local nursery or garden center who make bad choices and try to pass them on to the unwary consumers. When you find a reliable, reputable, and knowledgeable nursery, reward them with your business. The nursery business is a tough one, but also needs to be ethical. Seems like it's all about the dollar and making sales regardless of the consequences. Plants are more than just an item of merchandise, they are living things that you want to keep alive and cherish. If the consumer won't bother to educate themselves before plant shopping, then the nursery business should have an ethical responsibility to sell appropriate plant materials.

A PLANT'S LIFE - INDOORS!

2011-02-18T19:20:00.002-06:00

Indoor plants (or house plants as they are more commonly called) consists of any plant that will grow well in household conditions. These conditions are generally low to medium humidity, reduced or low light, minimally varying temperatures, container growing, with human intervention such as manual watering.

The main purpose of growing plants indoors is to provide a sense of nature within the home or space. Green plants also absorb CO2 and release oxygen for a mutually healthier environment. Plants add a calming and natural decor to indoor space as well.

Most indoor plants are of tropical or subtropical origin. These are plants that would not survive most outdoor environments unless related to their native growing conditions. They range from very large (such as palms) to very small (such as african violets), most of which grow in their natural environments as understory plants to the taller canopy of the tropical forest regions. These conditions are somewhat similar to most household or indoor environments.

Some good indoor plants - referenced in this article

Watering and fertilizing should be proportional to light levels. Plants growing in very low light require less frequent watering and nutrient supplement because their growth is inhibited by lower light. Fertilizer stimulates new growth but without proper levels of light, to aid in photosynthesis, can become toxic to an indoor plant.

Overwatering is the number one cause of death to indoor plants. As container grown plants in low evaporative conditions, moisture is retained longer and overwatering causes root rot and soil borne diseases.

Many tropical/indoor plants are sensitive to specific or levels of certain chemicals in our city water systems and will react by showing necrosis along edges of the foliage. Examples include Chlorophytum (spider plant), Rhaphs palm, Dracaena, Spathephyllum and most plants in the Araceae family. It is always best to use collected rain water or distilled water for indoor plants.

An organically rich, well draining soil is preferred by most house plants A loose organic soil allows more aeration for the confined roots and stimulates healthy root growth. Cacti and succulents prefer a mineral based very well drained soil.

Being isolated from natural predators, indoor plants can become a target for small pests such as spider mites, aphids, white fly, scale, and other sucking type of insects. Also the lack of drying from natural sunlight and wind can cause fungi and mildews to infest indoor plants, so water indoor plants from the base. Most insect and disease problems can be solved without use of harmful chemicals. It is very important to remove all dying and dead leaves and portions of a plant to prevent spread of disease.

Know the plants you are growing around children and pets. Dieffenbachia, pothos, philodendron, and Euphorbias are examples of frequently used indoor plants that are harmful if chewed on.

During summer, most house plants enjoy being outdoors in shade and higher humidity and will respond with healthier and fuller growth. However, NEVER take a plant that has been grown in low light and place it in a much brighter light and vice versa, All plants require a period of gradual acclimation to light changes, perhaps up to a month or more of “light adjustment therapy”.

Examples of plants that do well indoors are Agloenema (Chinese Evergreen), Draceana, Dieffenbachia, Philodendron and their Araceae plant family relatives, Sansevieria and other shade tolerant succulents,, Rhapis palm, Chamaedora (parlor) palms, Scindapsis (pothos), Gesneriads and the ZZ plant (Zamicaulus zamiafolia). The horticultural trade had developed, with the exception of palms and ZZ, so many attractive and different cultivars of these plants to add variety in appearance and color. These sports or mutations are propagated/cloned asexually.

Many tropical plants are never meant nor will adapt to being indoors. Examples are the colorful Crotons, Poinsettias at Christmas, Ficus, and most flowering tropicals. They require and demand higher light and/or humidity levels. The finicky Ficus will drop it’s leaves when moved to even slightly changed light levels. So, be aware that plants sold as indoor plants may not be meant to be grown indoors and choose only those proven to adapt to indoor conditions well.

I’m Dreaming of a Green Winter

2011-02-10T15:42:00.027-06:00

The inspiration for this article came to me as I saw a mockingbird just outside my window in the weeping Yaupon holly feasting on the abundant red berries. It made me forget about the bitter and damaging cold conditions of the winter of 2011 and all the work it will take to restore my ornamental gardens this spring. It also made me think how beautiful that shiny green holly plant looked with ornamental red berries during the gloom of winter. So, I began to think about other plants that brighten up the dull winter landscape as evergreens while most other plants are dormant and unattractive.

My top ten list follows. Criteria is that these plants retain their foliage and ornamental aspects throughout the winter down to 15 degrees in Zone 8b without noticeable damage.

1. Ilex vomitoria (Yaupon Holly): This small leafed holly, native to TX and the south can be as small as 2’x2’ (dwarf form), as straight as a telephone pole (upright form), or as intriguing in the weeping form, or grown into a small tree form. The important thing to know is that yaupons, like most hollies bloom on the female plant as long as male plants are nearby for pollination. As with most hollies, they prefer a neutral to acidic soil, otherwise might turn chlorotic. This is a tough plant, drought tolerant and very cold hardy.

2. Saphora secundifolia (Texas Mountain Laurel): This large shrub or small tree likes it dry and is tolerant of alkaline soils. The grape fragrance of their spring bloom along with glossy green foliage year round makes this native plant a standard for central TX gardens. It will eventually and slowly grow into a small tree form.

3. Eleagnus pungens (variegated cvs only): The foliage on this evergreen plant has a silverly underside and a very flexible branching that can actually be tied into a knot without breaking. Insignificant blooms in spring are fragrant. Due to it’s rapid rate of growth, I recommend only growing the variegated cultivars which are much slower growing and require considerably less maintenance. They add much color to your landscape.

4. Acca sellowiana (Pineapple Guava): The dull green foliage with pubescent silvery underside makes this plant a year-round attraction in the garden. Unusual shaving brush like red and white blooms in spring are followed by edible fruit in fall. The bark is exfoliant, reddish and ornamental as well.

5. Podocarpus microphylla (Japanese Yew): This plant, native to Japan, is a conifer with elongated leaves, not needlelike which provide an attractive texture. It comes in columnar, conical, or dwarf growth forms . I believe this plant is underutilized and more deserving in home landscapes. It prefers neutral to slightly acidic soils. Closely relatated plants include Cephelotaxus harringtonia which comes in upright and prostrate growth forms. Cephalotaxus looks more like the English Yew grown further north.

6, Raphidophyllum histrix (Needle Palm): The hardiest of all palm trees. it will survive to below zero temperatures. This short palmate leafed palm has a bundle of black upright needles eminating from the base, representative of it’s name. It has a nice rosette and formal looking shape and grows to 3-4’ tall. There are many other cold hardy palms to consider as well (Brahia, Serenoa, Nannorhops, and Trachycarpos).

7. Tjuga occidentalis (Arborvitae): A flat leaved conifer that does offer a winter tinting to its bright green foliage, very compact and full. Similar conifers such as Chamaecyparis do not grow well in central TX due to the hot summers, but Arborvitae endure both heat and cold extremes well. Arborvitae comes in conical, dwarf, globular, and threadlike forms as well as golden colored foliage cultivars.

8. Leucophyllum fruiticens “silverado” (dwarf TX sage): The variety recommended stays compact and small for easier maintenance. This silver leafed native plant loves dry, alkaline soils, full sun and withstands our climatic extremes. The lavender blooms of late spring, early summer add to it’s beauty. Green forms are also available.

9. Hesperaloe parviflora (Red Yucca): The straplike leaves eminating from the base of this plant offer a nice flowing texture with threadlike filaments along the edges of each blade. In summer, large, long lasting spikes of tubular flowers add to it’s beauty. A yellow flowering variety has been introduced also.

10. Sotol wheeleri (Wheeler’s Sotol): A nice rosette shape, long thin blades with spined edges give this exotic looking succulent plant it’s appeal. The silvery foliage of this species add another color dimension. The native Sotol texana has solid green foliage.

Also consider these plants which meet the same criteria.

1. Sanolina spp. (green and silver varieties): Not getting taller than 12” x18” wide, the ftagrant foliage of this densely compact plant are adorned by small yellow composite flowers in spring. This plant lures you into feeling and smelling it by it’s fine texture and aroma.

2. Penstemon baccharifolius, (Rock Penstemon): This small woody shrub stays 12” tall and wide, with spikes of red tubular flowers in summer. The foliage shows a maroonish winter tinting and is very winter hardy.

3. Yucca spp (palida, gloriosa, recurvifolia, etc.): Our experience during the most severe winter in Austin is that must yuccas are resistant to winter extremes, unlike most Agaves. Variegated forms are a little less tough than non-variegated.

4. Teucrium fruiticens (Bush Germander): This compact silvery or green form shrub actually likes to bloom in colder months with small lavender, salvia-like blooms.

5. Abelia grandiflora: A nice small leafed evergreen shrub which comes in a variety of sizes, growth forms, and variegations. Blooming in early summer adds to it’s charm.

6. Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary): This fragrant compact shrub is so aromatic, and has a beautiful texture of deep green foliage resembling short pine needles. Bloom occurs in spring. It comes in bush and weeping forms. It can be used for cooking year round as well.

Do keep in mind that many of the recommended plants come in various cultivars which offer variety for your garden. Also remember that variegated plants are more susceptible to winter damage than all green in most but not all cases. Some evergreens offer a special winter tint or color change (rust or maroon shades) during cold conditions. Blended well with dormant or deciduous plants, they keep your interest going during the off season. When most lawns have turned brown, the addition of garden greenery is a welcome sight. We are not without many beautiful choices for adding color to our winter landscapes. I have included the botanical names for the plants recommended above to make it easier to research them further on Google.Although not evergreen, but a winter winner, is the Possomhaw Holly (Ilex decidua) for winter ornamental value plus provision of food for birds . Like the Yaupon, they will attract feeders and retain their beautiful berries along naked branches in lieu of greenery all winter.

So don’t wait until fall to finally decide to add greenery to your landscape for winter. A well balanced garden will include plants of interest for all seasons. Then you can dream about a white Christmas along with a green winter.

A dwarf Podocarpus - a much overlooked hardy evergreen

Winter Plant Damage - A Gardener’s Woe

2011-02-07T19:49:00.009-06:00

In February 2011, Austin and central Texas experienced rare winter conditions that even put native plants to the stress test. With a week that saw low temperature of mid teens to near 20 degrees for a prolonged period of over 72 hours where temperatures never got above freezing, this was just too much for some plants to bear. On top of that, the deep freeze followed a healthy rainfall just ahead of plunging temperatures which dropped 60 degrees within 48 hours. During this period, an inch of powdery fine snow fell. Winter temperatures have been periodically running 20 degrees below normals.

With the exception of an approximately 20 mile radius of central Austin in hardiness zone 9a, central Texas lies primarily in Zone 8b. This means that the lowest winter temperature that can be expected based on records is between 15 and 20 degrees, so weather of this kind should not come as a surprise, Even native plants like the Anacacho Orchid (Bauhinia lunariodes) can be damaged below 25 and killed at temps below 20 unless in a protected location. These conditions are even more critical for non-natives in our gardens, where we as gardeners love to push the envelope, take chances, and believe we can adequately protect our plants should hard freezes occur.

OK, let’s look at a few considerations.

Covering non-native or adaptive plants to protect them in a deep freeze condition still isn’t enough to prevent damage. To minimize damage, covers must be thick, non-plastic, and tied down to the ground to isolate the cold completely. It is better to have a damaged plant rather than a dead plant and such coverings may prevent the latter.

Plants like cacti, succulents, agaves, depending on species, can survive mid teens in dry conditions only. The addition of moisture to soil or air, and wet coverings is a sure way to kill or severely damage these types of plants. This is why a rainfall before a deep freeze, which we encounter frequently, can be particularly damaging and why soils for these plants must be very well drained.

Agave "Arizona Gold" showing freeze damage even when covered (left), and recovery mode (right)

The core of this plant was undamaged allowing for recovery. Freeze damaged portions were cut off.

Micro-conditions may exist that determine the fate of a plant in a deep freeze such as protected locations, heavy mulching to prevent root freeze, snow and ice covering which will actually provide insulation to stems and foliage, exposure to wind, etc.

Knowing and learning about the plants in your garden through research, trials, and documenting outcomes of plant reaction to certain conditions will help the gardener succeed in getting though the harshness of future winter conditions with minimal impact.

Have an emergency hard freeze plant protection plan in place which will allow you to respond quickly and effectively should weather conditions change for the worse rapidly or unexpectedly. This involves an assessment of each plant and it’s ability to survive and/or what level of protection it will require to survive the predicted condition.

Well, once the damage is done and assessed, there are recovery strategies for your ornamental garden. Having to buy new plants every year is expensive and not the best solution for most gardeners. Here are a few tips and suggestions.

Plant damage sometimes shows immediately effects but often it is never known until a month or more later - a delayed decline and death, In the case of some perennials that have turned to mush, there is the dilemma of whether to cut off the dead portion of the plant which could act as an insulator during future freezes or conversely could possibly create a haven for disease organisms which could hurt the plant further. I suggest that as long as we are subject to hard freezes (and that is guesswork), that the insulation barrier be left there as disease organisms won’t be a problem at those temperatures, but removed when temperature rise permanently above 40 degrees.

Don’t be in a rush to trim back damaged plants. If they are unacceptably unsightly, trim back to a point where at least 1” of dead branch is left intact, otherwise, living tissue will be exposed and further damaged, or budding will be stimulated only to be killed at the next freeze. Look for cracking bark, or other telltale signs of die back, or use the fingernail test, nicking the bark to expose cambium at intervals, looking for live tissue, to determine how far back damage has occurred. Often a plant which looks dead, isn’t and that won’t be known until spring initiates new growth.

In certain plants, if the core hasn’t been frozen, the plant will recover, such as with palms, cycads, agaves, whose growth is one dimensional or from a single source. Many plants will regenerate from root buds, such as Yuccas, and many perennials. If after a month of warm spring weather, a plant doesn’t emerge, you can dig and examine the health of the roots - whether they are alive or gone. In that case, trim off the dead roots or portion of the base and replant. Many plants are late to rise in spring such as Hamelia patens, so be patient.

If you are fortunate enough to have a greenhouse, cuttings of plants that can be potentially lost during a harsh winter period can be propagated in advance of winter, kept in the greenhouse and planted as replacement plants in spring. This is a particularly good strategy for hard to find plants which would be difficult to replace.

In the case of Agaves that may have turned to mush, examine closely the base and core of the plant and if still firm and alive, the plant will regenerate it’s form quickly in spring. So called “hardy” citrus may lose all their leaves but will regenerate them in spring. Oleander, Pomegranite, and other semi-evergreen plants will likewise respond after spring pruning.

Remember to bring all container plants into a garage or similar protected place. Container plants’ roots are exposed to rapid freezing more so than those in the ground where soil absorbs and retains some heat. Only true Zone 8 hardy plants should be planted in containers which can’t be moved.

The worst hit garden in my yard this winter has been the cacti, agaves, and related plants. Accordingly, I have changed my gardening goals for the coming year. I am challenging myself to develop a cacti and succulent garden that will truly withstand mid-teens and Austin winter conditions without protection. That doesn’t mean I get rid of all those plants that were damaged this winter. They will be nurtured back to health and grown in containers so, in the future, they can be removed from the damaging elements as necessary. Slowly but surely, year by year, my garden is transitioning to a sustainable ornamental garden that will survive central Texas extremes naturally.

This is central Texas where environmental and climate extremes are commonplace. The argument for growing native and adaptive plants is based on this fact as these are proven survivors in this challenging environment. Consider transforming your garden more in this direction to avoid the agonies of plant damage and loss each winter. But most of all, don’t despair if your garden suffered considerable damage this winter. Everyone else is in the same boat as the winter of 2011 has been an out of the ordinary season. Life in the garden will return in miraculous ways - it always does.

A great article on the subject of Freezes and Frosts written by Skip Richter, Travis County AgriLife Program Director also is very helpful in understanding the intricacies of winter damage to plants. Check it out.

The Winter Garden Needn't be Boring

2010-12-23T10:28:00.003-06:00

The lawn has turned brown, the perennials are sleeping underground, trees have lost their leaves, nothing is blooming, and garden activity has come to a winter halt. What could be more depressing to a gardener! Well, that’s one way of looking at it, but let me offer another perspective. Winter has it’s own unique show and advantages. You just need to stroll the yard and take a closer look.

Those features that come into prominence during winter include the predominance of evergreen plants, exfoliating bark, contorted twigs and branching structure, visually interesting bark, special winter colorations, persistent berries and seed pods, ornamental grass plumage, and prominent buds. In fact, these features are not seen in the warmer weather prime time garden, are actually photogenic, and can keep the excitement of gardening going all year round.

Winter Garden Surprises (referenced in this article)

Evergreen plants such as hollies, hardy palms and cycads, conifers, loropetatum, TX Mountain Laurel, hardy agaves and yuccas, viburnum, abelia, eleagnus,, hardy citrus, just to name a few, add color to the winter garden, especially if variegated. Some plants are semi-evergreen depending on how low temperatures fall, such as roses, dwarf pomegranite, barbados cherry. Green is a color to be enjoyed during the winter months.

Exfoliating bark can be very intriguing such as that seen on varieties of Crepe Myrtles, Chinese Elm, and Sycamore as good examples. Exfoliating means a peeling away of a layer of smooth bark to reveal a deeper color beneath.

Contorted twigs and unusual branching structures are eye catching in winter and not well seen during growth season when leaves hide these features. Examples are the contorted varieties of Mulberry, Hazelnut and Willow.

In central Texas, you need not go far to see unusual bark. Just look at our native and local Bur Oak with it’s rugged and craggy bark. It looks unsightly to some but is strikingly eye catching. Branching patterns on "naked" trees can very artistic ranging from the rigid, rough look of the Bur Oak to the fibrous, full, smooth look of the Mexican Plum. Some trees and shrubs have winged bark. Bark on a tree is definitely an ornamental feature not to be overlooked.

Special winter colorations can be seen on many yuccas, junipers, arborvitae, and other conifers. This is usually a bronze, pinkish, or reddening coloration brought about by cold temperatures, which, in effect, reduces photosynthesis during this dormant period of the year.

Persistent berries and seed pods are common among many central Texas plants. The Yaupon Holly, although evergreen also, holds it’s bright red berries throughout the winter to provide food for many of our local birds, and the deciduous Possomhaw holly does the same - red berries lining bare branches throughout the winter. The Crepe Myrtles cling to their seed pods throughout the winter, even after the open and disperse the seed. Roses going dormant display colorful seed pods known as hips.

Grass plumage can be very beautiful adding a unique texture to the winter garden, so don’t be to quick to prune back those dead clumps of grass. That can be done in early spring. Enjoy the seed plumage while it lasts. Muhlenbergias and Miscanthus are particularly beautiful and maintain their plumage well into winter.

Prominent pubescent buds can be seen on deciduous Magnolias during winter. They form during fall, persist during winter and remind us that spring won’t be far away. The plants in the Magnolia family, whether evergreen or deciduous display this feature well.

Winter sometimes produces unusual happenings in the garden. Often a bulbous plant will get confused by changing weather patterns and pop up unexpectedly or a flower bud will open in warm weather thinking it is spring already. A walk through the yard and garden in winter can be interesting. Like any other time of the year, there can always be unexpected surprises.

If you plan your garden and landscape to provide for seasonal variations and ensure that there will be plantings to inspire you regardless of the season, your gardening joy will be never ending. Every season has it’s rewards including the dormant season of winter.

ORNAMENTAL PLANTS TO AVOID IN YOUR CENTRAL TEXAS GARDEN

2010-10-04T14:24:00.005-05:00

Fall is here and it is the best time of year to plant trees and shrubs for next year’s garden enjoyment. We see many articles and resources about best and recommended plants to grow in our region, with emphasis on native and adaptive plants well suited to our climate and environment. However, there is a flip side to that coin - plants to avoid for various and very good reasons.

First of all, we should avoid the spreading of non-native invasive plants that overwhelm and threaten our local native plants. A list of these is found in the City of Austin’s “Grow Green” book - free at any nursery or plant center in Austin. But in addition to those recommendations of plants to avoid, I see many other plants sold at local nurseries that can create major problems in your gardens and should be avoided. Here’s my top 12 “no grows”.

Photinia fraseri - The "Red Tip Photinia does produce dramatic color on new growth but has many reasons not to use it. It grows rapidly and ultimately into a small tree, yet is planted like a shrub. As a member of the rose family it is subject to a fungal disease (black spot) and requires considerable pruning maintenance. Most often, they are planted too close to foundations and to each other for hedge effect. This inexpensive and a widely overused plant comes with many potential problems for the homeowner.

Artemesia vulgaris - This species of Artemesia spreads rampantly throughout your garden from roots which can spread 5 - 10’ underground and send up new plantlets everywhere! If even a tiny piece of root is left in the ground, a new plant will emerge. It is extremely rampant, yet a variegated variety (Oriental Limelight) is pending a patent and it is being widely sold at nurseries. That would be like buying variegated nutgrass for your garden! Container grow only.

Artemesia vulgaris 'Oriental Limelight" - Beautiful but a menace in the garden

Euonymus japonica - This plant has bold variegated color to offer along with Euonymus scale and other pests, frequent reversion to solid green, and short life. It is an inexpensive plant that is overused in landscapes. However, E. fortunei does not have the same problems as E. japonica .
Wax Leaf Ligustrum (Ligustrum japonica) - The green or wax leafed ligustrum is a rapid grower, has a pungent smelling white bloom in spring, and ultimately grows to small tree proportion but is planted as a shrub. It is one of the most overused and inexpensive shrubs used in initlal landscapes and if often planted too close to foundations and to each other. Watch out for wax scale also.
Variegated Chinese Privet (Ligustrum sinense) - This colorful small leafed shrub is overused and inexpensive but generally looks very nice in landscapes until it begins to revert to solid green! This is a problem! It spreads rampantly by seed endangering our native plants.
Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo) - The red berries are beautiful but all one needs to do is take a walk in an urban or rural nature area and see this plant coming up everywhere from bird spread seed. It is very invasive and endangers our local native plants. Only non-berry producing varieties should be used. Nandina can’t take our intense bright sunlight and heat of summer well either.
Indian Hawthorne (Raphiolepis indica) - Although popular for it's spring bloom, this plant is very often infected with scale, a sooty mold and other diseases. This plant tend to be overused in southern landscapes, contributing to the spread of these undesirable infestations. It favors acidic, organic soil so is not suited well to TX hill country.
Chinese Wisteria (Wisteria sinsensis) - Spring blooms are beautiful and fragrant but this vine can grow almost 12" per day and strangle anything nearby. It is especially invasive and hard to control - almost like Kudsu.
Pampas Grass (Cortaderia selloana) - People who plant this regret it! Clumps get extremely large and thick, blades contain sharp cutting edges, and it takes a stick of dynamite to remove!
Running bamboos - Bamboos are a fascinating plant, but can run rampant among your garden area unless container grown. They are very difficult to remove, once spread out, so avoid running varieties unless you have acreage to spare. Clumping bamboos, also spread but from the base, not runners, and can be controlled with periodic basal trimming.
Clerodendrum bungii (Cashmere Bouquet) - This beautiful root hardy sub-tropical plant is enjoyed for it’s fragrant large cluster of bloom, large foliage, and tropical look, but spreads rampantly from underground roots, plus wind and bird dispersed seed and can create it’s own jungle in short order. Unless contained, avoid it in the garden.
Pittosporum tobira - The Pittosporum also gets large, requires much pruning to maintain, and is subject to being damaged at below freezing temperatures and wax scale infestation.

This of course is not a complete list so do your homework before going plant shopping. I recommend going go a nursery or garden center with a specific list of researched plant selections in mind, and if not available look elsewhere. I let my fingers do the walking (telephoning local sources) when looking for a specific plant. Before deciding on an alternative plant, I once again do my homework first. So, Fall; is a good time to be thinking about next year’s ornamental garden and getting new permanent plantings in place so they can become well established by spring. This is especially true of deciduous and spring flowering trees and shrubs. Knowing which plants to avoid is as important as those best suited for your garden.

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROMELIADS

2010-09-25T12:49:00.031-05:00

Bromeliads are one of the best kept secrets in the plant world. My goal is to introduce you to the wonderful world of bromeliads and try to let you know what you are missing if they are not part of your plant collection.

They are diverse, fascinating, and relatively easy to grow. There are 54 genera and 3,168 species of identified bromeliads throughout the world. They have been hybridized extensively and many new striking plants have resulted with both bloom and foliage that offer more color than any other plant I am aware of. Because bromeliads are "different" looking than traditional plants and most people consider them exotic, therefore perceived as hard to grow, bromeliads have not caught on among plant enthusiasts nearly as much as they deserve to. Newly discovered or hybridized plants often sell to collectors for big bucks, but in a matter of years become affordable to most people as they are reproduced asexually by dividing "pups" from the developed plants. Most plant nurseries don't offer bromeliads in wide varieties so the really nice and choice plants most likely will need to be purchased from specialty growers.

Bromeliads in their native habitats (unique to the Americas with one exception in western Africa) grow in such diverse places as 13,000 ft elevations to sea level, rain forests to deserts among cacti and succulents, and even as far north as the Virginia coast and as far south as southern Argentina.. In nature, epiphytic bromeliads provide habitat for frogs, aquatic insects, and lizards as part of the tropical and subtropical ecosystem. Some are true "air plants" like Spanish or ball moss (Tillandsia) while others are terrestrial like those sweet pineapples we enjoy as a popular fruit. . Most are epiphytic deriving their nutrients from their cupped shape. The optimum temperatures for bromeliads range from 70 to 90 in daytime to 45 - 60 at night F. Most bromeliads like good air circulation and 50 - 75% humidity. There is no general guidelines for growing bromeliads in general as they are so diverse. You need to know about the specific genera and species and what it takes to grow it well - but with that knowledge, you will find them relatively easy to grow and enjoy.

INFLORESENCES can be cupped, bracted, branched, single spiked, or insignificant. FOLIAGE can be smooth edged (Tillandsias), spined, or succulent. BLOOM PERIODS range from less than one week (Billbergias) to greater than a month (Vrieseas). RELATIVE SIZES can range from less than one inch to greater than three feet wide and tall. These variances can occur within the same genera of bromeliads depending on the particular species.

Tips on Growing and Enjoying Bromeliads

For epiphytic (non-terrestrial) varieties, we grow bromeliads in small pine bark as a soil base. This provides excellent aeration and circulation for the roots that form, and provides sufficient support for the plant. For terrestrials, use a loose and light organic soil mixture. For small epiphytic tillandsias, mounting them on driftwood or cork is an excellent and healthy way to display them.
• Location is everything! Since different bromeliads prefer different levels of light, they will let you know how to please them. If the foliage becomes bleached or burned, reduce the light. If the plant isn't producing the color you know it should have, increase the light. Finding the right level of light makes all the difference in bringing out the colorful qualities of these plants. Good air circulation is a common and vital need to all genera of bromeliads.
• Bromeliads should not be fertilized regularly unless you are trying to increase pup production. There are some exceptions. Tillandsias and Cryptanthus respond well to regular fertilization. Fertilization will reduce the coloration in most bromeliad hybrids that are noted for their color., e.g. Neoregelias and Billbergias. When fertilizing, use a liquid soluble 20/20/20 fertilizer at half the recommended strength. Never use urea based nitrogen fertilizer. Avoid mineral salts of any kind. Most city water supplies are fine for bromeliads. Never mount bromeliads on chemically treated lumber. Water with pH of 5.5-6.5 is preferred (avoid alkaline water).
• How to display bromeliads is always a good question. Some suggestions follow. They can be grown in large hanging baskets with three plants average per basket. We group the plants by commonality, e.g. Neoregelias in one basket, Aechmeas in another, or mixed genera that share the same light requirements. Other ways are to display them on single poles with pot loops in spiral form. Yet another way would be to incorporate them into a ground level display by digging out a hole, placing a one gallon nursery container in the hole, and inserting an 8" plastic pot into the nursery container with the plant potted in small pine bark. This gives the appearance they are terrestrial without them ever touching the soil. As long as the basic cultural requirements are met, bromeliads can be displayed in a number of other imaginative ways. They can also be attached to trees to resemble their natural habitat. However, collector or rare plants might best be grown as individual plants for greenhouse or other special display.

After the plant flowers, it will produce "pups" or young plants then die. The young pups will take over the next generation. Pups should not be removed until visible root structures can be seen at their base or they are at least 1/3 to 1/2 the size of the mother plant. Make sure the pups are cut off with a solid base. Some bromeliads reproduce so abundantly, you'll be sharing them with friends. Dead flower stalks can be cut off if unattractive until the mother plant dies. All bromeliads require winter protection in central Texas, except the ball moss (Tillandsia rotunda), seen in our native oak trees, but most can adapt as house plants during winter months. Exceptions might be Tillandsias (air plants) which require good air circulation and high humidity.

For more information about growing bromeliads, go to www.centraltexasgardening.info/bromeliads.htm . There you will find more resources for learning about these fascinating and easy to grow plants.

A patio display of colorful bromeliads

TROPICAL PLANTS AND CENTRAL TEXAS

2010-08-17T11:25:00.012-05:00

On a recent 12 day eco-tour of Costa Rica, I was astounded by the lush, fast growing, beautiful plants, flowers, and the wildlife they attract. In fact, Costa Rica has created a healthy eco-tourism economy by deciding to leave significant portion ot their natural environment alone. This was accomplished by placing 26.6% of their land into national parks plus other preserves totaling 31%. This fact drew us to see for ourselves a pristine and healthy rain forest ecosystem that thrives from sea level all the way to volcanic mountain ranges above 6,000 ft.

A tropical but ground hardy Butterfly (Hedychium) Ginger blooming in our Austin garden

There is a combination of native and introduced plants from similar tropical regions around the world, but all share one thing in common – they not only survive, but thrive in their chosen adaptive environment. How I wished I could have dug up every different plant I saw and put it in my central Texas garden – wishful dreaming!! In fact, when living along the Gulf coast in SE Houston, I tried growing every exotic plant I thought I could get through the winter months. But on our trip through Costa Rica, I came to a clear understanding of why growing native and adaptive plants is important in any region of the world. Never can we duplicate the rain forest's tropical environment of Central America and never can Costa Rica duplicate the unique beauty of the dry climate plants that grow in Texas. I also observed the very important relationship and interdependence between the plants and wildlife that occurs in a specific ecosystem.

That little Ficus plant bought in Austin grows to over 100’ tall and wide with aerial roots in it’s native environment producing fruit eaten by monkeys, birds, lizards, and other wildlife. The philodendron and other tropical foliage plants grow leaves over 2’ wide as they meander up huge kapok trees up to 20’ diameter. The Episcas and gesneriads we grow as indoor potted plants are used as a year round ground cover. This is not to say we shouldn’t grow these plants as house plants or seasonal outdoor plants, but to really appreciate a plant’s potential, it must be seen growing in its ideal, natural habitat. So, the tropics beckon and amaze those who can travel there to see firsthand, the glory of the tropical rain forests that are being destroyed at an alarming rate during our lifetime.

OK, so we can’t grow many of the tropical beauties well or at all in Austin, such as Heliconias, many gingers, tropical Hibiscus, various tropical fruiting plants, Crotons, ti plants, orchids, bromeliads, ferns, etc, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be fascinated enough to want to learn about them. I find this to be as stimulating as actually trying to grow the plant. At least it will live in my mind, and not dead in my garden. I do grow some tropical plants for seasonal color in my garden, either as an annual, or by greenhouse overwintering, but never expect them to come close to achieving what they can when grown in their native environments. That's OK.

So, if you want to have a “Tropical Look” garden, that is possible. Some plants associated with the tropics can be surprisingly adaptive to even our Austin environment, if you are not too choosy. There are many cold hardy palms, cycads, and citrus that can provide a year round tropical look. Knowing which ones is the trick. Plants that grow in the tropics but could survive as root hardy in Austin in a protected, shaded area include large leafed philodendron, Clerodendron, Duranta, Plumbago, Pride of Barbados, Cannas, Hedychium and a few species of Gingers. Other hardy native and adaptive plants that possess a tropical look include the Mexican Bird of Paradise, Rose of Sharon (in place of the Hibiscus rosa-sinensis), Crinums, hardy Manihot, Oleander, and Esperanza. Many tropical plants look very much like temperate zone plants, but are genetically tropical. Texas and Costa Rica do have some plant types in common . For example, agaves and yuccas are found frequently in the tropics, albeit different species, but they still add to the diversity of the tropical ecosystem. Climate wise, it is much cooler in central America than central Texas in summer. Average temperatures range from 70 – 85 degrees year round and this stability in temperature allows such a diversity of plant life to thrive whereas we are limited by extremes in environmental and climatic conditions.

Also, in the tropics, rainfall is greater than 100 inches per year so plants recommended for a tropical look in central Texas are those that can adapt to our 30 inches per year in central Texas but still provide a tropical feel. I always recommend that any gardener study the native region that a plant comes from in order to understand how to grow it best. By simulating it as much as possible, the more successful we will be in growing plants not native to our area. But bottom line is that we shouldn’t push past rationality which will only lead to gardener’s frustration. I have accepted the fact that there are just some plants I can’t grow well or at all, so why create unneeded stress when gardening is supposed to be therapeutic and relaxing. Go with the flow and grow what grows best in our unique ecosystem instead of dreaming of all the plants you wished you could have in your garden from elsewhere. We all long to grow what we want rather than what we can.

That’s what vacations and travel are for – to explore the wonderful world of plants and wildlife in different ecosystems around the world where they live if possible. Put Costa Rica on your wish list!!

Tropical Garden - Costa Rica

Tropical Garden - Austin TX

GOING GREEN THROUGH GARDENING

2010-06-25T15:16:00.009-05:00

Since receiving Award Winning Green Garden recognition from the City of Austin, several people have asked us what that means. First of all, it means being good environmental stewards of the land, air and water we all share. The City of Austin’s Grow Green program is a leader among cities in this country in encouraging us to join that bandwagon. We were honored to be one of approximately 60 locations in Austin to receive such recognition, were given our own web page showing and describing our yard, proudly displaying an Award Winning Green Garden sign for all to note, and of course, receiving the obligatory T-shirt given to anyone who wins anything! You can learn more about this program at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/greengarden , how to qualify, view examples of green gardens around Austin, plus see our yard at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/greengarden/award_whistlingstraits.htm .

The main recommendations for Green Gardening as provided by this program are as follows. I couldn’t do a better job of expressing these, so I’ll primarily quote them for your benefit.

CONSERVING WATER:

Mulch: Mulch helps prevent water from evaporating, ensuring more water remains in the soil for your plants. It also smothers our many weeds before they gain a foothold.

Watering: In the summer, half of our water goes into our landscapes. It takes five days for the waterin your soil to evaporate, so there’s no reason to water more than every five days. Green gardens require less water and help ensure there’s enough water for everyone.

Rain barrels: Rain water reduces the demand on Austin’s water supply; it’s better for your plants than treated water, and it’s free!

Pathways: Using products like decomposed granite, mulch, or stepping stones for paths helps prevent runoff. Your soil will be able to absorb more water when it rains, to the benefit of your plants.

Rain garden: Create a drainage pattern to collect rainwater in a certain area to prevent eroding runoff and plant appropriate plants that can endure both wet and dry conditions.

HEALTHY SOIL FOR HEALTHY PLANTS:

Grass Clippings: Grass clippings will return nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to your lawn. They may completely eliminate the need to fertilize.

Compost: Compost improves the soil, reducing the need for fertilizers weed killers and extra watering.

Organic Fertilizers: Organic and labeled natural fertilizers out-performed synthetic fertilizers in recent studies by the City of Austin and Texas A&M.

When to Fertilize: You should apply at most ½ lb of nitrogen per 1000 sq. ft. each year. Over fertilizing plants weakens their roots and makes them more vulnerable to drought. Never fertilize before a rain. The rain will wash freshly applied fertilizer in to creeks.

Backyard Composting: You can easily make your own compost with leaves, green yard wastes and some food scraps. By providing your green clippings and leaves for City trash pickup in approved yard bags, the City will do the composting and make it available as Dillo Dirt for soil enhancement.

THE RIGHT PLANT FOR THE RIGHT PLACE

Native and Adapted Plants: Give your garden a unique, Austin look by choosing plants that will naturally do well in our hot, dry climate and alkaline soils

Less grass: Grass needs to be babied. It requires more water, fertilizer, pesticides, and care than most other ground cover plants.

Attracting wildlife: As our city grows, many birds, butterflies, and other wildlife are losing habitat. You can help these species survive by choosing plants that provide food and shelter for them.

Create shade: Shade trees help cool your house, reducing your electric bill, and a shady yard may need less water in the summer.

MAINTAINING A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

Weeds and bugs: Pesticides not only harm the unwanted pests, they can also poison many beneficial bugs and aquatic life. There are many effective and less toxic alternatives. Try them first and use pesticides only as a last resort.

So, if you want to create and sustain a GREEN GARDEN, ask yourself the following questions. See how you rate by simply divided the yes responses by the total.

1. Is my landscape aesthetically pleasing?
2. Do I use mulch to conserve water and discourage weeds?
3. Do I obey the City’s mandatory water restrictions and schedule?
4. Do I collect rainwater for use on my plants?
5. Do I compost to improve my soil or recycle compost-able materials for production of compost?
6. Do I leave grass clippings on the lawn?
7. Do I use fertilizer sparingly if at all and never fertilize before a rail?
8. Do I use fertilizers that are organic or labeled natural?
9. Do I compost some of my yard trimmings and vegetable scraps?
10. Do I have trees shading my house and garden?
11. Do I plant mostly native or adaptive species?
12. Is less than half of my front yard grass?
13. Do I plant species that will provide food and shelter for birds, butterflies or other wildlife?
14. Do I not use pesticides/herbicides or use them ONLY as a last resort?
15. Are my pathways made from permeable materials?
16. Do I have a rain garden?
17. Can I identify other measures have I taken to help protect our environmental resources?

The more “Yes” responses, the more “GREEN” your garden and yard is. We rated 15 out of 17 or 88%. The Green Garden program guidelines say you only need 11 or 65% to qualify for their award and recognition.

Not there yet? What are you waiting for? The hardest part is retraining our minds to think “Green” in not only our gardening practices, but in our overall lifestyles. Setting a good example will encourage others to follow. That’s what the Green Garden Program is out to do – show by example how each resident can make a difference. Join the new revolution to improve our only sustainable environment.

ADD FUN TO YOUR GARDEN - aka "WHIMSY"

2010-06-08T17:00:00.011-05:00

A garden should be more than just a cultivated area with plants in it. It should show creativity, have something to draw the eye to it, and I submit, should be FUN for all. To add that last element, try a little “whimsy”. This adds real character and individual art, or your own creativity. A warning here, however. You can easily get carried away and detract from the beauty of your plantings by overindulging in whimsy or getting too tacky, but here are a few items I have seen in other gardens that have made me smile and enjoy the garden they adorned more than I otherwise would have. Some of those whimsical ideas include:

• A real metal post bed - “A garden bed” – Get it!

• Broken pots with a sign “Rest in Pieces”

• An entire flower pot cemetery with grave sites and humorous signage for each, e.g."Died Broke” or “Busted”, or “Cracked Up”.

• Flower pot statues, often adorned as characters
• Scrap metal welded animals (given a humorous name like a dog named “Rusty”)

• Old watering cans, old tools, and garden instruments hanging on a fence
• A steer skull hanging on a wall (lit at night for additional effect)
• Old wagon wheels, plows, milk cans, and items of a bygone era
• Humorous signage, e.g. “This yard protected by fire ants!” or “Beware of Geckos” or "We're so excited about gardening, we wet our plants"!
• Artificial fruit hanging from a tree in which they obviously don’t belong
• An old bathtub or water trough used as a planter
• Cute statuary pieces , and humorous yard art pieces
• A phony water faucet with a crystal bead for a water droplet coming from it
• An old bicycle or other unusual object against a fence with vines crawling over it
• A colored glass bottle tree
• Animal skulls or bones laying in a cactus bed
• A yellow brick road for a garden path or dry river bed with fish painted stepping stones in it
• Unusual containers, e.g. a ceramic boot with succulents, or galvanized pails for flower pots
• Stumps with tractor seats on top for garden chairs
• Anything else that will add levity to your garden. The depths of your imagination are the limit. I’ve even seen an old chandelier hanging in an old oak tree above a garden or mirrors along fences to make the garden look larger.

When it comes to garden whimsy and decor, anything goes (as long as you yourself can live with it)! I have visited many other gardens full of whimsy and artistic touches and left with the thought that I loved seeing it, but – IN SOMEONE ELSES YARD! So your own yard has to reflect your personal tastes and that’s what makes gardening so diverse and interesting – no two resemble each other but reflect the personality of each and every gardener. Going on garden tours offers the opportunity to see what creative touches others have given to their garden spaces from which we get many ideas that will work in our own space. So, the next time you visit another garden, do admire the plant selection, placement and garden design, different textures and colors, etc, but also keep an eye out for a little whimsy thrown in – sometimes very subtle, sometimes glaring, but always eye catching and interesting. A little laughter with the lavender is OK!

RESOURCES TO HELP AUSTIN GARDENERS

2010-05-06T11:31:00.005-05:00

One of the delights of being a gardener in Austin promoting environmentally friendly gardening practices and choices of native and adaptive plants is all the FREE help that is available to us, thanks to the City of Austin Grow Green program. Austin is truly unique in this regard, a leader and prime example of how cities around the country can help educate gardeners in making the right choices.

The absolute coup-d'etat of resources available to us is the 52 page “Native and Adaptive Landscape Plants – an earthwise guide for Central Texas”, fondly known to us in the gardening world as the “Grow Green Book or the Austin Gardening Bible”. A new 2010 edition was released in February which is more comprehensive than prior versions. This is FREE at any nursery within the City of Austin. I would gladly pay $10 to have this in my repertoire of gardening references. We have used this to guide us into greater use of xeriphytic, care free, plants to use in our landscape and ornamental gardens. It tells you everything you need to know about 225 perfect plant selections for our area with full color pictures of each for visual identification by categories of trees, small trees/large shrubs, shrubs, yuccas/agaves/succulents, perennials, ornamental grasses, vines, ground covers, and even includes specialty lists of good plants for rain gardens, bulbs, water plants and turf grasses. Furthermore, it includes a list of plants to avoid due to their invasiveness and harm to our native environment. The index is also outstanding.

Information on each of the 225+ plants listed includes common and botanical name, texas native by location, height, spread, light requirements, evergreen/deciduous, seasonal interest, color feature, water needs, availability, maintenance, wildlife attraction, deer resistance, and other valuable comments. What a litany of valuable information this is in selecting the right plant for any location. We recently did a curbside xeriscape and used this valuable resource to do just that. Every plant selected has thrived without any supplemental watering or care. Every homeowner who enjoys their landscapes and gardens should have a copy of this book! The price is right, the information is invaluable.

If that weren’t enough, the Grow Green program also introduces 8 new full color pamphlets showing actual landscape designs of public gardens in Austin using environmentally friendly plants and practices, plant selections for them including full color pictures of each plant, and the location of each so you can go by and see for yourself a demonstration garden in each category. The pamphlets include the following designs: Classic, Child Friendly, Pool Friendly, Drainage Solutions, Low Maintenance Shade, Sun and Color, Contemporary, and deer resistant. Locations for these demonstration gardens include Austin City Hall, Zilker Botanical Garden, One Texas Center, and Howson Library .

And if that weren’t enough, the City’s Grow Green program also produces informational "earth-wise guides" on over 40 gardening topics covering outdoor garden pests, diseases, lawn problems, how to diagnose problems, weeds, and miscellaneous topics.

The Grow Green website also has these on line at www.growgreen.org . It is a wealth of information that any gardener can use whether a novice or experienced. So you too can be an environmentally friendly gardener with a little help from our environmentally conscience City government. Isn’t living and gardening in Austin great!

NATURES GARDEN – BETTER THAN OUR BEST EFFORTS

2010-04-16T09:59:00.004-05:00

This spring in Texas has been one of the most outstanding years ever witnessed for wildflower bloom. The size and density of the blooms were literally jaw dropping to anyone who had the privilege of seeing nature’s garden at its finest in central Texas.

What led to this dazzling display were hard freezes this winter where temperatures dipped below 20 degrees followed and accompanied by above average rainfalls which made up the drought deficits accumulated during the summer of 2009. It was the perfect combination of climatic and environmental ingredients to produce the ideal recipe for wildflowers at their finest. We especially enjoyed a tour of Washington County and Brenham area but have noted that wildflowers in metro Austin and all surrounding roads and counties have had a proliferation of wildflower bloom like never seen in the past. In addition to Bluebonnet , Indian Paintbrush, and Indian Blanket/Firewheel, complimented by Phlox, Coreopsis, India Mustard beautiful but an introduced invasive non-native), Verbena, Winecups, Primrose, and a host of other native wildflowers were at their prime. It makes you proud to be in Texas!

Although we as ornamental gardeners are concentrated on our mini-spaces and choices of native, adaptive, and seasonal plants to create a beautiful palate of garden textures, colors, and designs, we must get out of that rut and admire what nature itself provides and take home lessons from what we see. Although the variety may not be as great as in our cultivated gardens, the indiscriminate blending of color, textures, and forms created by random dispersal of seed over vast areas can be just what a gardener needs. I learned this spring that our tendency to get too formal and perfect in our gardening designs and plantings deprives us of another dimension that is awesome – mass plantings. This can be done even in limited space. Also tolerance for native wildflowers that germinate in our yards and lawns would add to the gardening experience by allowing nature to have a say in what is planted. Our yard was filled with flowering blue-eyed grass and pink primroses which I allowed to flourish and enjoy rather than mow them down or kill them with a broad leafed herbicide. Other native wildflowers that infiltrate our lawns and gardens that have merit include wild anemone, wild garlic, verbena, and wood sorrel. We certainly can tolerate their presence during spring blooming period before they go to seed for the rest of the year.

Invasive plants in the composite family tend to be our biggest weed problem (e.g. dandelion, sow thistle). Although we don’t want a wildscape in our limited residential yard areas, we have an inner need to get away to see what nature has planted on the acreage of the countryside . Take a day off each spring to clear your mind of gardening as we know it, travel some lonely road in Texas and take in the beauty of natures garden filled with wildflowers when in season. You might even spot a genetic variation such a yellow Indian Paintbrush, or an all white Bluebonnet - something only nature's garden can create.

TEN SPRING GARDENING TIPS FOR CENTRAL TEXAS GARDENERS

2010-04-05T20:33:00.003-05:00

Thinking spring? Here's a few related thoughts for preparing for the spring garden.

1. Planning, planning, planning: Develop a garden plan for the coming season, both short, and longer term. Know what it is you want to do before digging - what goes where and why.

2. Select your plants for the coming season carefully. Research them on the internet or check with a non-commercial reliable sources for advice as to adaptability and growing features of plants that you are considering for your garden. Remember, there is the right plant for the every place depending on the micro-environment of the growing location. Impulse buying at a plant center can be wasteful.

3. Prune back any dead wood or expired vegetation to allow new growth the opportunity to take over in spring. It is usually best to wait until new growth actively occurs before pruning.

4. Cultivate bed areas to aerate and refresh them. Add new organic materials and compost to encourage microbiotic activity. The health of your soil will direcly affect your gardening success.

5. Don't be too eager to begin planting tender plant materials as we are always subject to late freezes or wintry blasts. In central Texas, April 1st should be a safe date for planting anything tender.

6. If moving plants from indoors or low light areas where they were protected over winter, re-acclimate and re-climatize them to the higher light intensity levels in slow gradual phases.

7. Most nurseries carry fresh stock in spring through summer but phase out stock in fall and winter, so your healthiest plants will be those purchased as early as they become available. Many nursuries have difficulty taking good care of container stock.during off seasons so buying prior year stock can be risky.

8. When planting new shrubs or perennials, cut through tightly wound root balls and spread roots outward before covering with soil. This allows new feeder roots to spread and the plant to establish itself faster. The consequence of not doing that might be "girdling" or the plant strangling itself over time.

9. If you have yard maintence service, tell them not to pile mulch around tree trunks, not to prune back plants more than 1/3rd their size (esp. Crepe Myrtle), or use their string trimmers within striking distance of any plant trunk or base. These are common problems with such services.

10. Learn about the plants you grow. The more you learn, the more economical and enjoyable gardening will become. Consider taking the Master Gardener class in your county. You should learn about which plants do well in your specifc environment and climate zone and not try to "push the limit" of plant tolerances. A good place for further helpful information is "Central Texas Gardening", at http://www.centraltexasgardening.info/

COST SAVING STRATEGIES FOR GARDENERS

2010-03-23T21:16:00.012-05:00

Gardening can be very expensive – or not. For those who have limited budgets, there are some ways to save costs by thinking “out of the box”. Here are a few ideas that I have discovered.

Tired of replacing clay pots that crack and plastic pots that break when weathered, try using simple galvanized buckets, spray paint the exterior sides, drill holes in the bottom, and you have a virtually indestructible 5 gal pot. This works for water gardens also, using a wash tub but with no drainage holes. With the cost of decorative looking plant containers being what they are, this is a much cheaper, yet still attractive way to display your potted plants. There is a rustic appeal to it as well.

Can’t remember plant names. Tired of plastic name plant tags breaking or names fading, try using old aluminum blinds – merely cut them into strips and label with a #2 pencil. They are weatherproof and the name will not wash off. It’s a good way to recycle as well. Another helpful way to remember plant names is to create a plant data base that you can refer to as necessary – no labels needed.

You can spend a small fortune on brand name potting soils, but I find the best way is to buy the cheaper soil ingredients at a local garden center and blend your own potting soil. I often use a 40 lb bag of compost and an equal amount of top soil. Do check the relative quality of each of these ingredients before buying. Once blended, if you can hold a handful, squeeze and it doesn’t compact, it will drain well, yet retain moisture, and grow most any plant well in a container.

Nursery plant prices have been increasing to where it costs a lot more to replace plants. Look into propagating some of your own plants, trading or swapping plants with other gardeners (e.g. at a Plant Swap or through garden clubs or with other garden acquaintances). We all end up with surplus plants that we can divide or otherwise share with others. Don’t overbuy for instant effect when buying a perennial that can be divided into multiple plants after one growing season. Often, commercial growers propagate and pot two rooted plants per container to ensure at least one survives. When buying a potted plant at a retail outlet, look for multiples that can be divided into two or more separate plants.

Organic gardeners save a lot of money by not purchasing and using toxic chemicals and fertilizers, but by focusing on composting and enriching garden soil naturally and dealing with insect and pesky weeds using many of the environmentally friendly methods. Texas AgriLife Extension calls it Integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Recycle pots: Reuse your pots until they can no longer be used. Nursery containers are not currently accepted for plastic recycling so offer them to a nursery – most of which will gladly accept them as it saves them money. Vice versa, if you need pots, ask your local nursery if they have a surplus of used pots they would like to get rid of. I did this for potting plants I propagated for a charitable plant sale. Wash out all used pots to reduce risk of transmitting disease organisms. Recycle your old potted plant soil back into your yard and garden .

Hand water everything. This way you can concentrate your watering to the root system and zone of each plant without wasting water. Automated systems are wasteful and wasted water is costly both environmentally and pocket book wise. Another cost saving, water wise thing to do is mulch your garden beds each spring with a fresh layer of ground hardwood mulch. Native plants may not require mulching as they are already adaptive to our climatic conditions.

Don’t buy or grow tender plants or non-adaptive plants unless you have a means to protect and grow them successfully year round. This requires researching and learning about plants before buying, rather than impulse buying at a local garden place. As a plant buyer, you must be knowledgeable of what you are getting as many sellers aren’t that knowledgeable about what they are selling. Know what a plant requires to grow well before purchasing it. Use of native plants always saves you money as they are durable and rarely need to be replaced.

Buy or grow perennials for seasonal color rather than annuals. Annuals are indeed beautiful but are less adaptive to our climate extremes, and are costly to buy and replace every season. Many plants sold at Nurseries are perennials in certain areas of the country but can only be grown as annuals in central Texas.

For garden décor, nothing looks more natural than native stone or artistic pieces of dead cedar wood. Without violating private property, there are many opportunities to gather these natural accents for your garden at no cost.

Try growing clusters of plants in a single container. A good example might be a small cactus garden in a shallow and wide container where many different and compatible plants are used and displayed artistically. Another method is to make colorful arrangements of thrillers, fillers, and spillers. This technique used one upright "showoff" plant surrounded by smaller fill-in plants and bordered with cascading plants. This saves money on pots and soil.

About now, you are probably thinking I’m out to put every horticultural enterprise out of business. Not at all! I shop for and buy new plants and supplies regularly, but I am merely pointing out some common sense ideas that can save the average gardener with limited resources, time and money as well as help our environment . I know there are many unique ideas that other gardeners have implemented that haven’t crossed my mind. As gardeners, we might want to look for new and innovative cost and labor saving ideas which require unconventional thinking.

WEEDS - A DREADED PART OF GARDENING

2010-03-13T19:12:00.024-06:00

"People garden in order to make something grow; to interact with nature; to share, to find sanctuary, to heal, to honor the earth, to leave a mark. Through gardening, we feel whole as we create our personal work of art upon our land – BUT nothing compares to what the Creator has already given us in nature." (author unknown)

UNFORTUNATELY – THAT INCLUDES WEEDS!

The old saying that nothing is certain except “death and taxes” should add “weeds” to the list! So what is the difference between a native plant and a weed? Actually none, except the definition we give it which has everything to do with the location and proliferation and little to do with the actual plant. The difference is sometimes in the eyes of the beholder. In England, Dandelion greens are savored in salads and the Dandelion was declared an endangered wildflower! Here, we would gladly export every one we have to England.

A weed by our definition is a plant that grows where it is not wanted. Furthermore, it reproduces and spreads, competes with other plants for light, nutrition, and space;, can harbor pests and diseases, and detracts from the desired aesthetic of the landscape. Actually, all of the above characteristics apply to native plants as well.

OK, enough doodling with definitions. There are plants out there that we just don’t want in our gardens or lawns. They produce seed which may lie dormant until soil is disturbed, are exposed to light, or await the correct temperature or moisture to germinate. They are windblown, spread by birds, or introduced by imported soil. The survival mechanisms of plants we call weeds are pretty impressive and nature has given them the means to survive even our greatest assault upon them. So, realistically, we can’t win – it’s a losing battle if your goal is to eradicate every weed in your garden or yard. We can only minimize the impact and continually do battle with these unwanted garden pests.

The goal of any gardener should be to disrupt the life cycle of weed plants without damaging the environment. That last part is very important. It means, no use of chemicals that are harmful to other living things (plant and animal) or can be absorbed into our water resources and food supplies. Weed and Feed products are a commercial deception and should be taken off the market because the best time to treat weeds is not the best time to fertilize. Spreading weed killer over an entire lawn is overkill and increases the chance of dangerous toxic substance runoff. An example of this danger is the fact that the week killer Atrazine has been detected in 70% of Austin’s springs. Let’s focus on non-toxic and environmentally friendly ways to deal with weeds.

First, you must accept the fact that weeds are a fact of life and not get so upset every time you see one. After all, having a few weeds among grass is better than grass with bare spots as any plant with a root system helps prevent erosion by their very presence, and any bare spot will only provide fertile ground for more weeds to germinate. On a purely cost/benefit basis, the expenditure you would make on chemical weed killers and fertilizers to get a perfect looking lawn far exceeds the non-financial benefit you get from it, so why waste your money? Here in Central Texas, we have a lawn turf problem as there is no ideal grass suited for our particular environment. They all allow for weed intrusion. In fact, one of the turf grasses commonly used, Bermuda, is an intruder and becomes a weed when it invades our garden beds. But there is one way to minimize and combat lawn weeds. I begin mowing my lawn at a low setting as soon as spring weeds and grass begin to grow in March. This prevents the weed plants from reaching seeding maturity until the warm weather turf grass begins actively growing. Once that occurs, the turf grass will normally choke out weeds naturally so at that time, I raise the mower to the prescribed height for the type of grass (e.g. 3” for St. Augustine) plus fertilize ONLY with an organic fertilizer to encourage the conquering turf grass to smother the weeds. It really works!

Another way is the physical removal of weeds from the lawn as they appear – hand pulling weeds regularly to keep them from getting out of control. It is best to do this following a rain or when the ground is soft. Some weeds have shallow fibrous roots and are easily pulled by hand, while others form tap roots (e.g. dandelion), for which the entire root must be removed, otherwise it will regenerate from the remaining root. I dispose all weeds that have flower heads or that have gone to seed and underground structures that could regenerate, placing them in the trash and avoid putting them in compost piles. It is OK to place them in lawn clipping bags for recycling into Dillo Dirt. Of course, another environmentally friendly method of reducing weed control maintenance is to reduce your lawn area and replace it with xeriphytic landscaping.

Now for the garden beds. The best method to control weeds is a good cover to prevent their growth such as a layer of hardwood mulch, decomposed granite or other inorganic ground covers, or use ground cover plants that will smother them out. Regular tilling of your soil disrupts weed growth cycles and helps reduce weed infestation when mulching is not possible. Anything that is created must be maintained which means any landscaped or garden beds need periodic weeding. Taking care to keep landscape plants healthy also helps them compete better against weeds. So, every time you go out to stroll through and admire your garden, be prepared to pull a weed or as many as you see along the way. Actually, it takes a village to fight weed infestation. If you keep your area relatively weed free and your neighbors don't, they will be back in your turf soon. Vice versa, by contrilling weeds, you are helping your neighbors as well.

The City of Austin and Texas AgriLife Extension have produced an excellent brochure with much more detailed information about common weeds found in Central Texas entitled, “Grow Green Earth Wise Guide to Weeds”. It can’t cover every kind of weed we find in our yards so further identification can be made by contacting the local AgriLife Extension office in your county. Knowing what the weed is and it's characteristics helps in combatting them. Quite frankly, I find weeds fascinating. They are as tenacious at surviving as desert plants clinging to life in the dry, hot hostile regions of our country.

See a presentation on weeds at www.centraltexasgardening.info/austinweeds.pdf

A RARE SNOW GARDEN IN AUSTIN, TX

2010-02-26T13:33:00.002-06:00

OK, You folks further north can chuckle and say "that's not snow!". But in Austin, we rarely see the white stuff, let alone, have it stick, even for one day. Our gardens take on an entirely new perspective. The way I look at it, if it's going to get cold, might as well snow and add some winter beauty to our bleak winter landscape. Well, we got our wish!! One to two inches of snow fell in NW Austin on February 23rd, just 60 days too late for a white Christmas. As a gardener, sick of one of the colder than normal winters we have had in some time, I didn't worry about the health of the plants that were being draped in the white royal decor from the sky, as snow actually makes a good insulator and protects plants from a night of freezing temperatures that followed. I just went from window to window with camera in hand trying to capture this moment for posterity as we probably won't see anything like it again for quite a while. This first picture shows the huge, wet flakes falling on our cacti and succulent garden.

Taking a closer look, the agaves and barrel cactus seem enjoy their new adornment.

Looking even closer, the head of the barrel cactus seems to be showing it's age - with a crown of white hair!

The hardy palms seem to catch their share of the snowflakes

The silver Texas Sage takes on a new white appearance along with the Yuccas

The Cycad in front (Ceratozamia hildae) loves the cold into the teens, so a little snow doesn't phase it.

The palm near the deck is Rhiphytophyllum histrix (Needle Palm) - the most cold hardy of all palms.

But the details are most impressive - yaupon holly berries peeping through the crystalized snowflakes

The Germander remained unphased during below 20 degree temps and flowered, so why should a little show bother it. This is a great evergreen shrub for winter in central Texas

But the biggest surprise is the Gerbera Daisy - blooming while snow covered.

This plant is much tougher than given credit for.

So there, even a winter garden in central Texas can be beautiful, especially when adorned with a blanket of white.

GEOPHYTES IN YOUR GARDEN - OH MY!!!

2010-02-15T15:34:00.013-06:00

Bulbous type plants are one of the most overlooked options for the garden. I confess, this is one area of gardening in which I don’t practice what I preach. Changes are on the way! How well we, who have lived in colder climates, remember the gorgeous daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, crocus, snowdrops, etc that were harbingers of spring, but don’t think of using bulbs in our central Texas garden albeit different choices.

The truth of it is that we can have bulbous plant blooms that cover the entire garden season, from early spring until late fall. I look at bulbous plants as finishing touches to our ornamental gardens in central Texas, whereby the garden is not dependent on them for color or texture, but when they bloom, add an exciting accent to the palette. For those open areas between other garden plants, or to provide temporary color to an area of dormant perennials – however bulbous plants may be used as garden accents, there are choices ranging from a few inches to 3+ feet in height, sun or shade, and durable within the extremes of heat and cold, wet and dry periods we endure in central Texas. Once established, little to no further care is required!

Although I don't intend to provide a glossary of horticultural terminology, one area of confusion is the definitions of various specialized underground roots containing food storage systems to sustain them through dormancy periods also known as “geophytes”. These include many common garden perennials that we grow. Let's become botanically correct by differentiating these types of plants.

BULBS: A bulb is like a seed inasmuch as a new plant generates from the embryo contained within (all the plant structures and nutrient for growth waiting to emerge when conditions are right). Most bulbs are round, contain a thin scaly covering. A pointed end should always be pointing upward for stems to emerge and the other end develops new roots for the maturing plant. (Examples: Amaryllis, Crinum, Lilies, Narcissus, Oxalis, Dutch Iris, and Onions)

CORMS: These are flattened swollen underground stems, the tops of which are generally flat. Corms have scale-like leaves that protect the dormant plant but do not store food. (Examples: Gladiolus, Freesias, and Crocosmia)

RHIZOMES: These are swollen horizontal underground stems with roots. They can be most any shape, slender or thick, all of which have buds on the growing end. (Examples: Canna, Calla, Iris, and carrots!)

TUBERS: Thick, often lumpy structures that are fatter and shorter than rhizomes and contain growing buds on the on the surface in non-specific locations. (Examples: Caladium, cyclamen, dahlia, and yes, potatoes!)

TUBEROUS ROOTS: Thick root sections sometimes held in clusters from which new plants can generate from a single root structure. (Examples: Agapanthus, Daylily, Tuberous Begonias)

There are many lists of suggested plants in these categories from many excellent sources so I won’t attempt to recreate another, but offer some suggestions for easy to grow choices for those beginning to use bulbous plants as part of their year-round garden.

Early spring( plant in fall): Paper-white Narcissus. These are clusters of small daffodil shaped blooms on a single terminal stalk. Daffodils are truly a species of Narcissus but most require cold treatment to initiate bloom which we don’t have in central Texas, however the Paper-white Narcissus seem to bloom regularly and reliably in our warmer region without special treatment. These will be the first to announce spring is coming.

Spring (plant in fall or very early spring): Iris (most varieties), Gingers (when warm enough)

Early Summer (plant in fall or very early spring): Daylilies rule! Iris, Lilies, Canna, Crinum and Gladiolus byzantium (hardy gladiolus).

Summer (plant in early spring): Caladiums for colorful foliage (require winter digging), Agapanthus (dwarf and tall), Cannas, Crinum spp, Calla, Bletilla (Ground Orchid), Dietes (African Iris). Amaryllis (Johnsonii – the hardy Amaryllis, and other South African hybrid varieties), Hymenocallis (Spider Lily)

Early Fall (plant in spring): Rhodophiala bifida (Oxblood Lil), Lycoris radiata (aka naked ladies)

Fall (plant in late summer): Cyclamen will bloom into late fall, however they must be protected from the summer heat (dug and stored over summer)
.
Spring through Fall (plant fall through spring): Zephyranthes and Habranthus hybrids (Rain Lilies), Society Garlic. The exact time any bulbous plant will bloom is dependent on climate and environmental conditions.

Bulbs not recommended include Tulips, Daffodils, Snowdrops, Hyacinths, Crocus, or others requiring a freeze period. Oh, they can be chilled, planted, and bloomed as annuals by taking up space in your freezer to duplicate the chilling requirement, but it’s a lot of work for a short period of bloom in spring.

Bulbous plants should be divided every two to three years when the plant goes dormant. The nice thing about bulbous plants is that they are easily shared with fellow gardeners as they multiply. When investing in new bulbous plants, take time to research their climate tolerance, adaptability, soil type/water and drainage needs, light requirements, and period of bloom. Also, after blooming, the foliage should be left alone - not trimmed off - to allow the plant to produce food needed for storage during natural dormancy and for production of new flower buds for the next growing season. Only trim off foliage when it has died.

Some bulbous plants that are purely tropical but add a lot of color to your warm season garden include the ever popular Caladium (shade only), Dahlias, and Montbretia/Crocosmia, and tropical gingers to mention just a few.

Bottom line is that you can have pleasant surprises pop up in your garden at different times of the year to add to the variety, but not take away from the evergreen and more permanent plantings that show year round. Working bulbs and bulbous plants into the garden palette offers yet another way to creatively create a year round garden of interest and beauty. See what I mean – examples below!

A representative collage of different geophytic plants for central Texas

RECOVERING FROM A HARD FREEZE – BOTH GARDENER AND PLANTS

2010-01-20T17:22:00.022-06:00

Damage to Calamondin Orange and Variegated Oleander from 20 degrees in Austin.

Leaves will drop and plants will be pruned back to live wood for spring recovery.

To us gardeners in central Texas, despair generally follows a hard freeze when the first effects on our beloved plants are noted, but deeper despair follows a week or two later when the real damage is finally revealed. Some effects may take a month or more to become noticeable. Before despair leads to depression, let’s look at the bright side.

Those dead looking plants most likely aren’t really dead – they’re just playing “possum” and waiting for spring conditions to revive. It’s their natural defense mechanism to shut down under such conditions.

With shrubs, use the fingernail test – scratch progressively downward until dead brown tissue becomes green live tissue. Then they can be pruned back to just above that point for regeneration. Although we are advised not to prune back more than one third of a shrub at any time, hard pruning beyond that level may be required to remove dead wood. With perennials, cutting back an inch or two from ground level will help regenerate them in spring. Root freezing is their worst fate, not death of foliage. In the case of Yuccas, Agaves, they most likely will send up pups in spring from the surviving base if top foliage dies, unless the entire plant froze, roots and all from soil being too moist.

The deep freeze kills many of the harmful insects that invade and harm our gardens so it’s natures way of keeping everything in balance. Dead growth should be removed however to prevent the introduction of disease organisms in decaying matter.

The occasional loss of some of our plants provides the opportunity to rethink our garden design and content. It is good to try different plants in different growing seasons. The garden becomes a research laboratory of sorts. Perhaps the loss of some plants has provided some additional space to do just that. Perhaps there are lessons learned from which we benefit. For example, my large 18”x24”ceramic pot that contained hardy water lilies didn’t survive whereas the lilies did! I forgot about the expansion of water as it becomes ice – duh! So, my lesson learned is to use a galvanized metal container for this water lily garden in the future.

It also pays to keep records of plant performance under different stressful conditions, a journal or sort to refer to if those conditions occur again. Note micro-environments that provided just enough protection to help a plant survive beyond it’s normal expectation. Also note those plants that were totally unaffected by the sub-20 degree cold and use these as base plants (the bones) for your garden.

Often, conditions other than the cold cause death to plants. I had a native Claret Cup Cactus croak (say that fast 10 times) that is supposed to be hardy to 20 but cacti can only handle lower temps when the ground is dry – so I knew what did it in and will try to provide a dryer growing condition for similar plants. Let’s face it. We don’t get a lot of rain per year in our area, but when it rains, it rains, and often at the worst possible time – just before a freeze which can be a much deadlier combination that just the freezing temperature.

The most agonizing thing for a gardener is the long wait to see if a plant that has died back to the ground will emerge as a healthy plant in spring. This doesn’t always happen. Often disease organisms attack a weakened plant when in dormancy. If a plant doesn’t emerge at an expected time in spring, it is best to dig and examine roots for any signs of life, buds, live roots, etc. Any dead portions should be trimmed off before replanting. Do not fertilize any plants in spring until healthy shoots emerge and begin to mature, as without leaves for photosynthesis, chemical fertilizers can become toxic to the plant. If shrubs are just tip burned from a freeze, don’t trim back until spring as that would just encourage new vulnerable growth to emerge prematurely.

Rather than seeing the damage a hard freeze brings to your ornamental garden, look at the bright side. If nothing else, you can look forward to seeing the resurrection of life anew in spring as you stroll through your yard. Also see the opportunity to improve your garden from the previous year based on what you have learned from this winter. Don’t jump the gun though but wait for the right time to begin that renewal. You can cultivate soil, build up and enrich your beds, do any additional hardscaping you want to do to your garden infrastructure, research new planting possibilities for the coming year while waiting for any danger of frost and freeze to pass, generally around April 1st in central Texas. This way, you will be raring and prepared to jump into another wonderful year of gardening pleasure.

So don't despair. It is psychologically tough for us as gardeners to see what old man winter does to our gardens, but it could be worse - you could be the poor plant out there trying to survive it!

FROM SCORCHING HEAT TO DEEP FREEZE

2010-01-08T10:11:00.011-06:00

From a record setting, hottest summer in recorded history, drought, and now to the coldest December and winter to date in central Texas – what conditions could better test the endurance, hardiness, and tolerance of plants to extremes than this? The garden this past year has been somewhat of a laboratory, teaching gardeners some important lessons about plant choices and the benefit of using native and adaptive plants and also how to deal with extreme climate contingencies.

So, let’s address the deep freeze aspect. Most gardeners like to push the limits of plant tolerances in order to grow a wider variety of plants. I am definitely in that category. If this is you too, you need to develop a strategy for dealing with extreme contingencies in our climate. Here are some suggestions - learned through actual experience and from others.

1. Know your plants!! This is vital information that will help you get them through tough times. Studying about each plant in your garden through books, articles, and from trusted sources on the internet will give you the knowledge to know how and when to protect your plants from harmful conditions such as below freezing air and ground temperatures, frost and icing.

2. Don’t grow more plants requiring special care and protection than you can reasonably accommodate. That will only result in discouraging plant losses each year.

3. Plants placed in garages during freezes will be subjected to very low lighting (if any at all), and the possibility of subfreezing temperatures even when not outside. Never water plants under such conditions as the lower the light levels, the lower the water requirements, and certainly, you don’t want roots to freeze in containers . This could also lead to disease problems. Use lamps that generate heat to provide a micro-warm environment around plants in your garage.

4. Outdoor plants that are subject to freeze damage should be covered with thick blankets or coverings, never plastic touching the foliage. Coverings that are subject to rain prior to freezing are also not recommended. You can put plastic over blankets in such conditions. Always weigh coverings down so they won’t blow off during a freeze period. If you can’t cover the whole plant, protect the core area. Damaged foliage can always be trimmed off and regenerated.

5. Don’t water in-situ plants subject to freeze damage prior to arrival of a freeze condition. If the ground freezes the moist soil, it could kill your roots and plant entirely. If a plant absorbs water prior to freeze, the water expands within the plant and plant cells literally explode. Most hardy plants that don't die back have hardwood and bark as thermal protection.

6. Never prune plants during periods subject to freezing. That will encourage new growth which will lead to further dieback when the next freeze hits.

7. Try using large 10 gal or larger nursery containers turned upside down as covers for smaller plants or for larger plants pruned back to 12” or less. Also mulch heavily around the base of plants that dieback to protect the ground from freezing around the roots. For example, I know my Duranta shrubs will die back in winter so I cut them back in early winter to 12” and use this technique to protect the base of the plant which will grow back in spring if roots are prevented from freezing.

8. Freeze damage often not noticed immediately and often takes a week or so to become evident. Monitor your garden daily during stressful conditions.

9. When pruning damaged or dead branches, never cut back to live tissue but cut to just above the live area. This seals the plant from further dieback or exposure. To find where live tissue begins, just use your fingernail to scrape the bark and you can find where the live green and dead brown tissue meet.

10. Consider the presence of micro-climate conditions. For example, ground under the heavy canopy of a live oak tree would be much less likely to freeze. Any area with a canopy or near a building which absorbs heat during the day, or is protected from northerly wind exposure can be a few degrees warmer during a freeze.

11. Remember that outdoor potted plants are at much higher risk of being killed in sub-freezing conditions due to above ground exposure of soil and roots to freezing temperatures. Pots with wet or moist soil can crack easily during hard freezes due to the expansion of water as it freezes, so protect your clay and ceramic pots as well as plants.

12. If you can divide or take an offshoot of a plant that may not make it through winter on it's own, and keep the smaller piece protected in case you lose it outdoors, this is a form of plant insurance to make sure you don't totally lose a favorite plant that might be hard to replace.

Finally, Never anticipate what weather conditions will be in the future, but monitor forecasts throughout the winter period. Weather is very unpredictable beyond a week in advance, so you must be prepared to deal with any climate conditions on short notice that could kill or damage your plants. “Be Prepared" as the Boy Scouts would say.

I am fortunate to have a hobby greenhouse, be it small, to provide protection for tropical and plants that are tender to freeze and frost. If you are really into gardening and find it affordable, there is no better tool for dealing with extreme conditions and providing good growing conditions for plants during the 3 months of winter we experience in central Texas than to have a greenhouse. Ours is only about 80 sq. ft. and can be heated with one space heater, a second one on standby for extremes, to maintain 50 degrees or higher. The purpose is to not get plants through winter as though nothing has affected them, but to just get them through alive and healthy so they can regain their vigor in spring.

Most important, keep your spirits up, don’t let winter damage to your plants discourage or dishearten you but just accept that as a gardening reality that can’t be avoided. Spring is coming – things go uphill from the depths of winter - ever so slowly but in the right direction as we look forward to our spring garden and plan for another successful gardening year. This is a great time for the gardener to be learning, studying, planning, and DREAMING!

CURBSIDE LANDSCAPING

2009-12-31T11:10:00.013-06:00

This article refers to the narrow strip of lawn area about 4’ wide that runs between the sidewalk and curbside in many neighborhoods. First of all, this is public easement territory, but homeowners are expected to maintain it. To try to keep St. Augustine, or other problematic turf grasses green and looking well along this public walkway requires watering and fertilizing. There is no watering system (automated or manual) that can water this narrow strip without wasteful runoff into the gutter and eventually into our creeks and lakes. Add to this pesticides and chemical fertilizers applied to maintain a good looking lawn area in this narrow strip which runs off along with the wasted water and pollutes our natural waterways.

A good example of the problem is depicted in the following picture which shows an automatic sprinkler system in the sidewalk strip, but note the waste in water through runoff. The owner was compliant with water restriction rules, watering on the correct days at the correct times, but the impact is obvious.

There is an easy solution to this that provides attractive curb appeal and avoids environmental contamination and waste of limited water resources. It’s xeriscaping the nuisance strip, tearing out the turf grass and replacing it with 100 percent self sufficient plantings which can sustain themselves in any weather condition without supplemental watering, pesticides, or fertilizers. In place of lawn, packed decomposed granite, gravel, or hardwood mulch can keep weeds at bay. What a win-win situation!

If your homeowners association or authority doesn’t allow this, it’s time to hammer hard for change. Avery Ranch in NW Austin recently did just this – adopted a set of guidelines which permit approval of xeriscaping not only the nuisance strip area but for front yards as well. This doesn’t mean you can plant a “wildscape” or anything , anywhere, but is team effort between homeowners and the homeowners association to help keep Austin green and continue to get more environmentally friendly. The benefits to the homeowner is significant in cost savings, less maintenance, and living within the constraints of and respecting our central Texas environment.

Common sense should prevail when designing a curbside (often referred to as “nuisance strip”) landscape. Avoid dangerous plants with thorns, spines, or toxicity, choose only plants that are 2 feet or less for visual safety, only use hardscape elements (e.g. rocks, driftwood or other decor), that are less than 1ft tall, use only plants that are native or adaptive to the local environment, and avoid sprawling or rapidly growing plants to reduce maintenance. Choose plants that will provide year-round curb appeal (e.g. mix evergreen with perennials that go dormant in winter). Know your soil conditions (drainage and composition) along the strip as well and choose plants that are adaptable to them. Your “strip” landscaping should be compatible with your front yard landscape as well. Remember, what you create, you must maintain. Also there are City of Austin regulations to ensure public safety that need to be complied with regarding public access areas such as sidewalks.

Some suggested plants to consider which are evergreen, full sun, low water requirements, deer resistant, include: Sanolina (green and silver varieties), Pink skullcap, Hesperaloe (red yucca), Mexican feather grass, Bulbine, Blackfoot daisy, Calylophus, Creeping Rosemary, Bush or Creeping Germander, Rock Penstemon, and evergreen sages (e.g. cherry sage). Certain soft leafed Yuccas may be used as well such as Yucca filamentosa. You start with evergreens and winter condition appeal, then expand into perennials which dieback or are dormant in winter but can be planted among evergreens to add to summer color. Be imaginative and seek out additional plants that meet the requirements. For example, you can use a super dwarf crepe myrtle “ that never gets more than 2’ tall) as a foundation plant. It is deciduous so a supporting cast of evergreen plants are needed for winter appeal. There are many dwarf varieties of plants being introduced every year that might be suitable for this specific area of landscaping.

Beautifying the strip between the sidewalk and curbside benefits both the homeowner and your neighbors who will stroll down the sidewalk and have something much more beautiful than a carpet of grass and weeds to look at – in addition to setting an example of how we can be more environmentally responsible for the little pieces of turf we control.

Who knows what the initial designers of our neighborhoods with thinking when creating these nuisance strips, but we need to rethink and consider correcting that lack of environmental forsight. We all can so something to our own piece of turf to make it environmentally better. If you agree, it's time to get digging!

MY MOST DREADED GARDEN PEST

2009-12-01T10:42:00.003-06:00

Help! Some of my Agaves and Yuccas have rotted at the base and collapsed, only to find a mushy and decayed mess. What is causing this?

It's an attack by the Agave Snout Weevil (Scyphophorus acupunctatus). The picture above shows the adult and the grubs which were embedded in a Yucca aloifolia plant and the damage they cause.

This is a nasty little creature, ½ to 1” long, black, wingless, with a typical weevil snout that bores holes into the base of more mature agave, yucca and other related plants with a base diameter of 2” or more.. Then, it introduces a bacteria which is necessary to cause rapid tissue decay in the plant to feed its white legless grub larvae at the same time it lays its eggs. Once hatched, the larvae feed on the rotting and bacterial rich inside tissue of the agave plant causing it to eventually collapse. It then pupates from larva to adult in the surrounding soil. If this pest is not discovered early on, there is little one can do to save the plant.

OK, now what you may need to do to prevent this nasty creature from destroying your Agave and Yucca plants is apply a systemic insecticide (liquid or granular form) that is effective on grubs. Bayer Advanced Tree & Shrub Insect Control, with the active ingredient imidacloprid (under the trademarked name Merit) has been used effectively. Recommended treatments should be in spring and once absorbed into the plant, should protect your plant for up to a year. Treating the surrounding is also necessary. Other systemic insecticides can be used if they are recommended for treating grubs. Always follow the directions on the product labels. As much as I hate to use any chemical product, this unfortunately is the only effective way to combat the Agave Snout Weevil once discovered. Observation and immediate removal of infected plants and soil around them is also effective in combating this pest. Agaves grown in containers with sterile soil are much less susceptible as the weevil is soil borne during it’s development. This weevil is doing much damage to commercial Agave crops in Mexico (Tequila, Sisal), therefore is having an economic impact as well. Ironically, it is this grub that is often placed in the bottom of a bottle of Tequila.

Next time you enjoy a Margarita raise your glass and say "Curses to the Agave Weevil"

THE "DOWN TIME" GARDEN

2009-11-20T10:02:00.013-06:00

Is the winter period the "ho hum" time of year for your garden? Does your garden lack the interest that draws you to it during this time? Well, let's change that image!

Plan for “all season” color, not just “seasonal”.
So much emphasis and effort is placed on our spring to fall garden. The winter garden gets overlooked and is usually unattractive. All season plants that are permanent, preplanned, and integrated into the overall garden design can change that. Seasonal plants are temporary, and meant only for specific periodic plantings. The winter season in Austin generally runs from December 1 thru March 31. We reside primarily in cold hardiness zone 8b (minimum coldest temperature ranging between 15 and 20, but a small area around Austin itself is in zone 9a (20-25 degrees). Although we rarely see temperatures that low, we must be prepared for that possibility. Plants must deal with subfreezing temps, ice, sleet,rapid temperature change and wet and cold combinations.

The Challenge

Central Texas native and adaptive plants are mostly deciduous/perennial Evergreens are a garden treasure in Central Texas, but limited. Winter color plants can be seasonal, or all season – cold hardy. Landscape areas should blend both evergreen with seasonal plants. Winter color can be from foliage or flowers –don’t overlook foliage. Foliage can be variegated white/yellow, green, blue/silver, & purple. Marginally hardy or semi-evergreens need protected micro-environments. Cool weather seasonal plants offer more color variety and bloom. Use colorful, eye catching hardscaping to add interest to winter garden Avoid container plantings except in very protected areas as roots freeze much faster than terrestrial plantings. Now let’s look at some plant choices…..

Good plants for off-season temporary garden color in FALL:

Sumac, Bradford Pear, Red Maple, and Crepe Myrtles -for foliage color.

Mums, Copper Canyon Daisy, Fall Aster, Mexican Mint Marigold, Philippine Violet - for flowering

Good plants for off-season temporary garden color in WINTER:

Cyclamen, Pansies, Snapdragons, Dianthus-for winter flowering

Flowering cabbages, kale, or colorful swiss chard for cool weather colorful foliage

Permanent Evergreens to Use
Colorful variegated cultivars of well known Evergreen plants, e.g.

Eleagnus pungens, cvs Maculata, Gilt Edge, Hosobo Fukurin

Abelia grandiflora cv. White Marvel or other variegated cultivars

Yucca filamentosa cvs Golden Sword, Variegata, Gilt Edge, Color Spot

Daniella tasmanica cv. Variegata

Viburnum tinus, cv. Bewleys Variegated

Myrtus communis cv. Variegata

Trachyspermum jasminoides cv. Variegata

Yucca rotundifolia cv. Margaritaville

Tulbaghia violaceae cv Variegata (Society Garlic)

Ophiopogon (Monkey Grass) –variegated, black, dwarf, etc.

Ligularia species and variegated cultivars

Colorful evergreen shrubs and cultivars (other than green)

Silver colored foliage, e.g.

Leucophyllum fruitecens 'silverado‘ (Texas Sage)

Teucrium fruiticans (Bush Germander)

Saphora secundifolia 'silver peso‘ (TX Mt. Laurel)

Yucca pallida (paleleaf yucca)

Dasyliron wheeleri -Wheeler’s Sotol

Silver leafed fan palms, e.g. Brahea armata, Serenoa repens (silver leaf form)

Purple colored foliage, e.g.

Loropetalum chinensis 'plum delight‘ –Chinese Fringe Flower

Deciduous winter color from berries/bark, e.g.

Ilex decidua (Possomhaw Holly) –persistent red berries

Lagestroemia indica cvs (esp. Natchez) –brown exfoliating bark

Green is a color too!!

Evergreen shrubs to consider:

Acca sellowiana (Pineapple Guava)

Michelia figo (Banana Shrub)

Fatsia japonica (for a tropical look)

Roses (earthkind varieties and minis)

Ilex vomitoria (Yaupon Holly) –weeping, upright, dwarf forms

Thuja occidentalis (Arborvitae) –one of few suitable conifers

Podocarpus microphylla (Japanese Yew) -comes in dwarf forms

Cold hardy small palms and cycads

Rosmarinus officinalis (Rosemary) –fragrance, texture, etc.

Punica granatus cv nana (Dwarf Pomegranite) –semi-evergreen

Nandina domestica (only dwarf non-berry cultivars, e.g. San Gabriel)

Malpighia glabra (Barbados Cherry) –semi evergreen

Opuntia cactus –thornless

Saphora secundifolia –TX Mountain Laurel
Sanolina (comes in both green and silver varieties)

There are no winter flowering hardy evergreen shrubs/plants for our area that I’m aware of.

Hardscaping to add winter garden interest. e.g.

Natural materials, e.g Limestone Rocks and boulders, Cedar driftwood

Nostalgia items, e.g. old wagon wheel, garden tools, etc

Décor items, e.g. signs, art work, water features

Why let winter be your garden’s “down time” when it can be nearly as vibrant and enjoyable as the prime spring to fall gardening “prime time”. We are fortunate to not have severe winter conditions in Austin, but with some limitations, can enjoy year round color and visual interest in our gardens. See our presentation (with plant pictures) on Winter Gardening at www.centraltexasgardening.info/wintercolor.pdf

GOTTA MAKE MORE PLANTS

2009-10-28T16:09:00.009-05:00

Why propagate plants at home from cuttings?

- Saves money, especially for seasonal perennials or tender accent plants (e.g. over winter one parent plant and propagate many more from it next growing season) Examples are Impatiens, Coleus, Begonias, Acalypha, any tropical or tender herbaceous plants.

- Personal challenge and satisfaction of starting a new plant from scratch.

- Self insurance policy - to have a backup plant for a rare selection or plant that would be difficult to replace.

- Save space for over wintering - keep only a small rooted cutting rather than a large plant for next year.

- Have extra plants of unusual varieties for trading with others, e.g. at plant swaps.

- Plant sales - a good way to make some extra money to support the purchase of new plants to try.

- It's the only way to get a desired plant when not available from local commercial sources.

- Plant cultivars can only be reproduced identically by this method. It's cloning!

BUT…..the main reason to me is that it is just plain fun and so easy to do!!

Each growing season, I feel compelled to do a batch of cuttings from plants that I love to share with others. I even went back to the simplest, cheapest, and easiest method and had better results than ever. It’s simple. I bought a large opaque/clear storage box at Walmart for $10, drilled half inch holes in the top for air ventilation and bottom for drainage, placed 6 inches of paver/course sand, moistened the sand, put the lid on and created the ideal environment for rooting cuttings – moist but well drained and vent ilated! The “propagation box” was kept in a shaded but bright area to eliminate heat and light stress.

Cuttings should be 4 – 6 inches, cut below a node, stripped of half to 2/3rd of foliage, dipped in rooting hormone according to strength needed. Herbaceous or soft cuttings generally require no rooting hormone assistance. Semi-hardwood cuttings (that snap cleanly when broken) generally use a #1 (.1% active ingredient) or #2 (.3%) rooting hormone. Hardwood and difficult to root cuttings are generally allowed to callous overwinter when dormant and use a #3 (.8%) strength hormone. Cuttings should be dipped in the hormone, shake off excess, stuck in the sand and checked every week after two weeks have passed. They need to be placed firmly in the medium to ensure good contact with it. Cuttings require relatively warm conditions for root development.  Do not pot cuttings until a thick cluster of roots have formed and offer the new plant protection from stress until roots develop further. The length of time required to root any plant varies depending on the specific plant. Some are unbelievably easy rooting in a weeks time, while others take up to 6 months or longer.

Other simple propagation methods that are easy and any gardener can do include division and ground layering. Division is simply dividing a clumped plant into several sections, each having the necessary roots attached and able to sustain the divided plant.. Bulbs can be divided by sectioning - another form of division.  Ground layering involves the wounding of a branch still attached to a parent plant and bending it into the ground, only separating it from the parent when roots have developed.  It is important to have the wounded area not exposed to light so the wounded meristem cells differentiate into roots and not branches.

This just is the tip of the iceberg in regard to the many and varied methods for propagating new plants.   You can learn more about propagating your own plants at http://www.centraltexasgardening.info/propag.htm   Another good reference site for how to propagate specific plants is the University of Florida's "Landscape Plant Propagation Information" at http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/lppi/

So, having had the fun of propagating new plants creates another dilemma, what to do with them! That’s how you make new plant friends – share with others. Who knows - a valued shared plant may come back to you for re-propagation if you lose it in your garden..

PALMS FOR AUSTIN? WHY NOT!

2009-09-21T14:06:00.004-05:00

Here in Austin, we live in a stressful gardening environment which tends to limit our plant selection to those which are very drought tolerant, can endure temperature extremes, low humidity, and our alkaline soils. Although non-native, there are several plants that one wouldn’t think belongs in Austin or is adaptable to our environment, but think again - it’s PALMS. They are not only for tropical regions of the world or Zone 9 and higher. In fact, there are many genera and species that are native to desert regions, and others which are very cold hardy.

Most of the palms that fall into this category are fan leafed , shrubby , not tall, and many come in colorful silver/blue hues. Since palms are slow growing and are propagated from seed only, they will be on the expensive side to purchase, but a good landscaping investment. Let’s explore a few.

The most cold hardy palm in the world is the Needle Palm (Rhyphidophyllum histrix). It matures at about 4 – 6 ft, develops a short trunk only with age, but is gets it’s name from the 6” black spiny needles that project from the leaf petiole at the base of the plant. This palm is hardy to below zero in winter. A mature Needle palm survived -27 degrees in Knoxville, TN. The foliage is a rich deep green, palmate and fan shaped. A slow grower, it is virtually maintenance free and will endure sun and shade.

Another excellent choice is Nannorrhops ritchiana , a cold hardy palm from Afghanistan. This palm comes in both a green or a silver/blue leafed form and grows shrub—like with multiple trunks. Give this one a little bit of spreading space. It loves full sun and dry conditions and is impervious to our temperature extremes.

Serenoa repens is considered a natural weed in Florida – seen overtaking pastureland and dominant in the natural landscape in Florida, but it’s rare to find this plant in Texas. Although it comes in green and silver leafed forms, the latter is definitely most desirable for it’s silvery/blue foliage. Like Nannorrhops, this plant grows shrubby with no trunk developing and spreads by side shooting from the base. It is hardy down to around 15 degrees, loves full sun or shade (although the silver form will color better in sun). This plant won’t grow taller than 6’ at full maturity.

Native to the SW U. S. and northern Mexico in dry, caliche desert regions is Brahea armata. This naturally silver leafed beauty is very slow growing, and prefers dry climate conditions with poorer soils. It’s beautiful silvery leaf color begs to be in full sun, silver being a protective reflective adaptation for it. Brahea will eventually develop a small trunk but never exceed about 8’ over a lengthy time. This is one of the best palms for our hill country climate and environment.

Another cold hardy palm (to 20 degrees) that develops a trunk and gets rather sizable in spread is Butia capitata. This palm is not in the fan palm category. Getting ultimately to 15’ tall and as wide in spread, this palm has a unique bluish tint to the foliage that makes it stand out and easy to identify. The fruiting clusters are also very colorful and good food for wildlife.

The Mediterranean Fan Palm (Trachycarpos fortunei) is another cold hardy palm, but it doesn’t like our high light intensity so should be grown as an understory tree or in a shaded location where it can be protected from the bright afternoon sun. This palm forms trunks up to 10’ with many years of age and has a looser palmate leaf arrangement. It is drought tolerant but prefers moderate watering.

Having a similar name, but being a completely different plant is the Blue Mediterranean Fan Palm (Chamaerops humilis var. cerifera ) which is native to Morocco. Right there is a clue that it is drought tolerant and can take desert temperature extremes, from triple digit to low 20’s. The foliage is a natural bluish/silver tint which is also reflective of the high light adaptation of desert plants. Give this one full sun. This has been recently introduced into the nursery trade and become popular as a landscaping palm.

Trithrinax compestris, also known as the Blue Needle Palm is yet another of the lovely bluish tinted palms worth trying. Hard to find, this trunked palm can get tall in it’s native environment in Argentina and Brazil, but would be much slower growing in central TX. It’s hardiness is thought to be 20-25 degrees so a slightly protected spot might be advisable. It likes full sun and is water friendly.

A perfect palm for a shady deck or patio would be the Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) which can get over 8’ tall unless you get a dwarf variety such as ‘Koban’. This split stiff leaved palm is hardy down to 25 degrees and survives winter in Austin in a protected place, but does need shade. It is clumping and fills out a décor planter very nicely.

Palms in general are shallow rooted with tight clumps of fibrous roots which makes them relatively easy to plant . As the foliage of fan palms is rather different from our local and native plants, they look best when planted as a specimen plant so that they are the featured attraction. Palms make excellent container plants as well. Do beware as there are some palms sold at local garden centers that won’t make it through the winter in central TX, such as Pigmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii). If you invest in a quality palm, you certainly don’t want to risk losing it, so stay with tried and tested varieties.

Try these recommended durable and adaptable palms in your landscape and you will be very pleased. Finding them may be a challenge but the reward is great. I suggest searching Google using the botanical name for best results.

Palms are one of Austin’s most underutilized plants. See what you are missing out on!

Global Warming and Gardening

2009-08-22T13:18:00.009-05:00

Here in Austin, the past two summers have been brutal but this year tops them all. It has already been declared the hottest summer in history with over 70 days of 100+ highs expected , 32 inch shortfall on rain over the past two years, causing extreme drought conditions, lake impoundment levels over 45 ft below capacity and mature trees are dying. What is a gardener to do?

Rethink, redesign, and redo your garden, Leaning heavily toward xeriscape plantings is the direction I am going. I have finally resigned myself to the fact that this challenge is not a problem but an opportunity to learn about and create a more sustainable garden under the increasingly stressful climate conditions that have become more common place.

So, out with growing Cannas, Gingers, non-earthkind roses and any tropical or non-tropical plant that can’t make it through this trial- by- fire year in good shape. With all the indoor time we have this summer due to the heat, it is a good time to reassess all your garden plantings and develop a tougher, more endurable plan tor redesigning your garden when the heat and drought finally relent in fall.

Global warming trends are real, well documented, and are predicted to continue in the future. Water supplies are becoming threatened (Austin is on water restrictions). It’s time to bring out the tough guns for the garden, Agaves, Yuccas, native grasses and perennials, hardy succulents, cacti, and dry climate proven trees and shrubs. I see my gardens as test beds and don’t hesitate to remove under-achieving or stressed plants as appropriate to make space to new trial plants. Eventually, I will get it right and end up with a year round sustainable, attractive garden and landscape that laughs at the climate extremes.. There is no substitute for successful experience in gardening.

Some good places to see xeriscaping in action are the LBJ Wildflower Center, Zilker Botanical Garden (Grow Green demo area), San Antonio Botanical Gardens, and garden tours that feature xeriscaping .

Use this down time in summer to plan your garden or landscape for next year making the necessary adjustments to cope with changing climate and conditions. Embrace a new garden or landscaping plan that will save you money, time, and effort and allow more time for pure garden enjoyment.

You can see a presentation I do on Xeriscaping

Keep cool, calm, and collected. This extreme summer will end

Gardening in the Heat of Summer – NOT!

2009-06-28T11:37:00.005-05:00

Here in Central Texas, summers are our most stressful season of the year unlike our northern neighbors who declare winter to be their season of distress for gardeners. Temperatures from June through October can easily exceed 100 for long durations which added to the strong sunlight intensity can make gardening activities stressful not only to the gardener, but to the plants in the garden. Here are some survival tips:

1. STOP FERTILIZING: With the exception of potted plant which lose nutrients every time they are watered (which is frequently in summer), most garden plants go into protective dormancy to survive the heat and drought of summer conditions in Central Texas. Oh yes, there are some that thrive on the high heat, but they are in the minority. Fertilizing during these stressful conditions encourages new growth which is the opposite of what the plant is trying to do during dormant periods. Most plants produce new growth in spring when temperatures are more moderate. If you have an organically enriched soil, there is sufficient nutrient to sustain all garden plants through summer.

2. STOP PRUNING: Like fertilizing, pruning encourages new growth when plants are struggling to grow. New growth wilts easily and draws energy away from root development. Fungus grow during hot and humid conditions and pruning opens wounds for them to enter. Prune spring flowering shrubs after blooming in late spring and summer flowering shrubs in fall.

3. STOP PLANTING: Oh, the garden looks so nice during spring thru fall, the temptation is always there to add new plants during summer. But, the reality is that the survival rate of new plantings drops significantly in high heat. The additional transpiration that occurs in heat adds stress to the plants and if roots are not watered more frequently, insufficient water is available for transpiration – bottom line, stresses on the plant that make it susceptible to disease and fungus. Plantings should be done in spring for evergreen and fall for deciduous plants when temperatures are moderate and there is sufficient rainfall to help a new plant get established. Any new planting requires almost a year to become fully established so you want to give them a good head start by planting during non-stressful periods.

4. STOP OVERWATERING: Yes, this sounds odd. One would think you could never provide enough water to outdoor plants during high heat summer periods. You can easily overwater plants in summer creating waterlogged soil that will squeeze out available oxygen in the soil and cause immediate harm to your plants. It depends on your soils composition. You need to water but in average organic well drained soils,frequency is more important than quantity and in xeriscape environments, a deep watering focused in the immediate area of the plants roots less frequently works best. If some plants are persistently wilting , try pinching off some of the foliage to reduce transpiration stress. This is a good argument for use of xeriphytic native plants as garden choices.

5. CUT BACK ON MOWING: If you are struggling to maintain a lawn in hot dry conditions, cut back on mowing allowing your grass to remain taller than might be aesthetically pleasing. Raise cutting height to 3” or more. This protects roots from drying and conserves water.

6. CUT BACK ON GARDENING CHORES: This suggestion is to help save the gardener as well as the plants. Have your garden construction work done before the heat hits, mulch heavily to prevent weed infestation, and follow the previous advice so that as plants go dormant during extremely hot summers, the gardener can go dormant as well. Oh yes, there are always a few things to do – weeds somehow find a way to defy all attempts to discourage them, etc, but good planning can minimize your need to stress yourself during summer.

In Central Texas, we really have two dormant periods in the garden, winter and summer, the latter being the most extreme. Even in shady areas, plants feel the stress of heat and take protective measures to survive. The gardener needs to do the same. Protect your health as well as your plants. Drink plenty of water, take frequent breaks when working outdoors, then hibernate indoors after 10AM to Noon depending on weather conditions.

Survival of the Fittest

2009-06-12T10:42:00.007-05:00

It’s tough gardening in Central Texas, between severe drought, extreme heat, low humidity, shallow soils with alkaline limestone substructure not conducive to moisture retention, weed seed proliferation, did I mention hail and severe storms, etc, etc. I’m sure that newcomers to Austin trade one set of gardening problems for another but Central Texas requires plants that can endure all of the above.

Using native and adaptive plants, going to more xeriphytic landscapes are two widely mentioned and smart approaches, but there is nothing like trial and error to find out which specific plants are tough enough to meet the gardening challenges Central Texas provides.

I have begun a program to eliminate plants that can’t handle it in our gardens, taking into account microclimate areas that might allow a particular plant to grow well in one specific location.

Being a plant collector by nature, I need to be careful to separate desire for an attractive plant from the reality of being able to grow it well in our challenging environment. If I feel it stands a chance based on research, I will give it a test run and if it doesn’t do well after two years, it’s outta here!

My best advice to fellow gardeners in Central Texas is to plant an “intentional” garden, knowing in advance based on research and local experience and advice of other gardeners, which plants you will place in your garden, then seek them out specifically by botanical name to make sure you have the right plant. Too many people go to a nursery and let their eyes and emotions govern what they buy, only to be disappointed. Impulse buying can waste money and disappoint the gardener. Unfortunately, too many nurseries stock according to the consumers visual reaction to a plant, not what is best for local gardens. So, buyer beware!

Remember on these hot, dry days, the plants in your garden can’t sit in air conditioned comfort like you but must endure the extremes of the Central Texas environment. Plant well and sit back in your air conditioned home and enjoy seeing a garden that takes care of itself, endures, needs little attention from you to grow well and look good even in the toughest of conditions.

Tips for Mailing Plants

2009-05-01T20:30:00.003-05:00

If you trade or sell plants that require shipment, the following tips should be useful to you.

Do not mail plants to California or Hawaii because of strictly enforced state laws prohibiting importation of plant materials into these states. Most countries restrict or prohibit importation of plants from other countries as well. Check postal regulations for further information before mailing.

Mail plants bare root if possible to minimize spread of soil born diseases. Make sure plants being mailed are healthy, free of insect or disease problems.

Package plants firmly to avoid damage from crushing enroute. Chosing the right sized and shaped box is important.

Use lightweight packing materials, e.g. newspaper,. noodles, bubble wrap, plastic grocery bags, to lighten shipping weight.but secure contents.

Mail plants by the fastest economical means available such as USPS priority mail (2-3 day delivery), or UPS ground if delivery can be guaranteed in 3 days or less. The point of shipping and destination will affect delivery times. The quicker the trip, the better condition upon arrival.

How to pack plants depends on their type: See suggestions below.

Cacti and Succulents: bare root, wrapped in newspaper

Herbaceous rooted plants non-dormant perennials and ferns: wrap roots with minimal amount of dampened sterile soil or sphagnum moss with clear wrap and tie around stem with twisty. Insert entire plant into plastic zip lock bag with dampened paper towel to maintain moisture around foliage

Woody rooted plants: Same method as herbaceous but not necessary to place in moistened plastic bag. After securing roots and sterile soil in clear wrap, wrap the entire plant in newspaper.

Bromeliads and Orchids: bare root enclosed in moistened zip lock bag.

Bulbs: bare root wrapped in newspaper

Dormant perennials: wrap roots in minimal amount of sterile soil or sphagnum moss and place in zip lock plastic bag.

Cuttings: Soak cuttings in water until turgid, then wrap cuttings in dampened paper towels and place in zip lock bag.

Aquatic and bog plants: Wrap in damp to wet paper towel, insert in zip lock bag.

Seed: Place seed in dry zip lock bag. If seed is crushable, place bubble wrap around it.

I trade and occasionally sell plants that I have shipped via USPS Priority Mail and have had almost perfect success using the techniques mentioned above.

How to Enjoy More Plants with Limited Space

2009-05-01T19:19:00.007-05:00

Click on image for enlargement.

If you are a lover of all types of plants like I am, but only have a postage stamp sized yard, there are ways!
Strategies that I use are:

• Grow miniature or dwarf varieties of a particular favorite plant when available. Commonly grown plants available in dwarf forms include roses, plumeria, daylilies, hummingbird bush, oleander, ornamental grasses, crepe myrtle, pomegranate, Barbados cherry, eleagnus, sages, various tropical such as canna, bananas,just to name a few.
• Grow plants with upright growth forms or train shrubbery to grow in tree form when possible, which free up ground space for more plants below. This is a form of layering plants to allow more texture and color contrast to be displayed in limited ground space.
• Grow plants in unconventional places or use plant containers for hardscape areas. I mount bromeliads on dead cedar, hang staghorn ferns, plant sedums in limestone rock niches – these being a few examples.
• Each growing season, change out your garden plantings so you gain experience in growing more types and specific plants. In my limited native plant area, I switch out a couple each year to try to learn about growing a wider variety of native and adaptive plants over time than my limited space will permit. In addition, the variety and change from year to year is refreshing.
• Often a different species of a plant, or different cultivars (e.g. variegated plants which grow at a much slower rate), are smaller, more compact and take less garden space. These are not dwarf forms, but take up less garden space.
• Downsize plants periodically. An example would be that some Agaves grow to a very large size, but when they outgrow the garden space, you can harvesti pups, digging up the large parent plant and replanting it with the pup. This way, you can enjoy the beauty of larger plants in smaller sizes and spaces.
. Consolidate like plants into a single container, e.g. a miniature cacti dish, or multiple varieties of the same plant that are compatible in a single container. Hanging baskets are good for this and can be hung from tree branches or other supports.

I hope these suggestions allow you to experiment with a wider variety of plants even when limited in actual square footage of garden space. The more types of plants you grow, the more diversity in color, texture, and form you can create in your garden.

Look for Us on Central Texas Gardener

2009-03-24T22:03:00.004-05:00

We are privileged to have had the opportunity to appear on Austin PBS, Station KLRU's show "Central Texas Gardener" The show can be seen on Youtube.com. The first segment of the show called "On Tour" features our garden and the next segment is an On-Set interview with host Tom Spencer talking about Variegated Plants for Austin Gardens.

Xeriphytic Landscaping in Central Texas

2009-03-24T21:48:00.009-05:00

Xeriscaping means using native and adaptive plants that can grow and sustain themselves with low water requirements and tolerate heat and drought conditions.
This does not translate into cacti and thorny succulents found in arid environments, but to ANY plant that meets that criteria including soft ornamental grasses and flowering perennials. You can have a xeriscape without sacrificing color, texture or structure - the normal elements of any landscape.

The advantages of Xeriscaping include:
- Substantial cost savings on water bills
- Conservation of diminishing water resources during drought periods
- Prevention of pollution of surface and ground water, from environmentally harmful runoff.
- Reduced yard maintenance requirements.
- Pride in knowing you are doing something substantial to protect our fragile environment.

Non-turf areas can contain a decomposed granite, ground hardwood mulch, crushed limestone, flagstone, or loose stone material for a ground cover that is maintained to prevent weed growth without using toxic or environmentally harmful chemicals. Concrete surfaces should be limited to driveways and sidewalks only. Use plants adapted to the the pH created by your choice of inorganic ground cover - e.g. don't use a plant requiring acidic soil with an alkaline ground limestone surface.

Hardscapes can include large boulders, dry river rock beds, or other natural materials that are used as part of xeriscape landscaping design. Water features, Urns, ornamental plant containers, and other man-made ornamentation can add variety. For public safety, no boulders or large rocks exceeding 12” should be used on strips between public sidewalks and the street curb. Also for public safety, no plant with thorns, spines, or sharp edges should be used within 6’ of the public sidewalks.
Perennials which die back during winter should be cut back to remove dead materials during winter. This includes ornamental grasses and other flowering perennials. Any xeriscape should include a blend of evergreen plants along with deciduous.

If you have narrow strips of turf between sidewalk and street, you should seriously consider converting those from turf grasses to xeriphitic areas as these areas are difficult to water without significant street runoff.

There are no turf grasses ideally suited for Central Texas. St. Augustine, a warm weather grass requires moderate amounts of regular watering, is disease prone,but it does choke out weeds when actively growing. Bermuda is drought tolerant but a rampant and invasive grower invading your bedding areas. Zoysia is another warm weather grass that is high maintenance and doesn't compete well with weeds. The most drought tolerant is Buffalo grass, but that turns brown in winter and doesn't compete well with weeds. So, with that in mind, doesn't xeriscaping make good sense!

For information and recommendations on plants to use, pick up a copy of the new 2009 edition of the City of Austin’s free 52 page booklet Native and Adaptive Landscape Plants, an Earth Wise Guide for Central Texas, commonly known as the “Grow Green” book. These are free at any garden center or plant nursery. This booklet contains photos and a wealth of information about plants from Trees to Turf that are recommended for our area in order to have “water wise” landscaping.

As global warming appears to be the future trend and vital water supplies become threatened, we as gardeners can help tremendously by going xeriphytic.

Sharing Plants and Garden Ideas

2009-03-07T14:48:00.005-06:00

Gardening is a social activity. Gardeners are about the friendliest people you will ever meet. They enjoy sharing. Here are some ideas to extend your gardening pleasure beyond your own back yard and to get out to meet other gardeners. I share these ideas based on personal experience in being actively involved in each of them.

1. Organize a neighborhood Garden Tour. All it takes is someone willing to coordinate, organize, and publicize it, and recruit garden hosts. Don't make it a competition. The purpose is to get to know your neighborhood gardeners, share landscaping ideas and gardening experiences with each other as well as get to see the unique gardens created by others. This activity costs nothing other than a little time and willingness to organize it and/or open your garden to others and be present to talk about your gardening ideas on Tour Day. You can spice it up by inviting some horticultural experts to be present to talk about topics of interest (e.g. Master Gardeners), have a drawing for some door prizes (e.g. some plants), etc. Best time to have a Garden Tour is late spring, thru early fall..

2. Organize or participate in a plant swap. This is a periodic gathering of gardeners who bring their surplus plants to a designated location for swapping with others. The more informal it is, the more fun it is. It's a great way to share and eliminate your surplus plants and/or get some new plants to try in your garden. Some plant swaps have a covered dish lunch and door prizes. A coordinator is necessary who arranges for the site, sends out notices to all who wish to be notified of when and where the next swap will be and any other details. Good times to have them are spring and fall.

Unless you are participating in an already organized event, it may take a few years for each of these to really catch on beyond the first year, but once the word gets out and gardeners know about them as recurring events, it becomes part of their gardening experience. Give it a try.

Variegated Plants for Central Texas

2009-03-05T22:30:00.007-06:00

A variegated plant is any plant that displays two or more distinctively different foliage colors which are variant from a parent plant source.

Variegations are derived from sports or mutations that naturally occur, random seedlings with generic variations, or a harmless virus which causes variation.

Variegated forms can be marginal, centered, striated, blotched, speckled, veined, patterned, or randomly variable.

Recommended Variegated Plants to try in Austin Gardens:

Agaves and Yuccas (Hardy)
Agave americana ‘albo medio-picta, ‘aureo striata’ & ‘aureo marginata’
Agave sisalana ‘medio-picta’
Agave x ‘Cornelius’
Agave meridensis ‘Joe Hoak’ & ‘ aureo marginata’
Agave lopantha ‘variegata’ syn. A. univittata variegata
Yucca rotundifolia ‘margaritaville’
Yucca filamentosa ‘color guard’, ‘bright edge’, ‘golden sword’ & ‘old gold’
Yucca elephantipes ‘silver star’
Yucca gloriosa ‘variegata’
Yucca aloifolia ‘variegata’

Hardy Shrubs – Evergreen
Viburnum tinus ‘Bewley’s variegated’
Abelia grandiflora ‘white marvel’ (other variegated varieties also available)
Eleagnus pungens cvs. Hosoba fukurin, gilt edge, and maculata
Citrofortunella mitis ‘variegata’
Buxus sempervirens arborescens variegata, aka American Boxwood
Myrtus communis variegata
Ilex cornuta ‘O. Spring’ (may need to mail order - difficult to find)

Nerium oleander ‘Mrs. Runge”

Hardy Shrubs – Deciduous
Hibiscus syriacus “variegata’, aka Rose of Sharon
Malvaviscus penduliflora ‘variegata’& M. aboreum ‘variegata’, aka Turks Cap
Buddleja davidii ‘harlequin’ or ‘strawberry lemonade’ aka Butterfly Bush
Weigela florida ‘variegata’
Duranta spp. – three variegated varieties

Hardy Ornamental Grasses and Related Plants
Miscanthus sinensis ‘cabaret’ 'gold bar' & ‘variegata’
Tulbaghia violaceae ‘variegata’, aka Society Garlic
Hibanobambusa tranquillans 'Shiroshima’ + other variegated bamboo
Ophiopogon japonicus nana variegata,
Phalaris arundinancea ‘variegata’
Loriope muscari ‘aztec’

Vines, Ferns, and Roses
Trachelospermum jasminoides ‘variegata’, aka Confederate Jasmine
Lonicera japonica ‘aureo reticulata’, aka Japanese Honeysuckle
Athyrium niponicum 'pictum' , aka Japanese Painted Fern (shade only)
Rosa verschuren - a naturally variegated rose

Hardy Perennials
Barleria cristata, aureo and albo variegata – aka Philippine Violet
Dianella tasmanica variegata
Thryctis, cvs ‘lightning strike’ & ‘gilt edge' and other variegated cvs’ – aka Toad Lily (shade)
Pentas lanceolata ‘variegata’
Crinum asiaticum ‘variegata’
Canna cvs ‘nirvana’ & ‘tropicanna’
Aspidistra eliator ‘variegata’ – aka Cast Iron Plant (shade only)
Farfugium japonicum 'argentea‘ & ‘aureo maculata’ (shade only)
Hedychium x ‘Dr. Moy’ gingers (afternoon shade)
Alpinia zerumbet ‘variegata’ (afternoon shade)

Tropical Plants for Seasonal Color (non-hardy)
Monstera deliciosa cvs ‘alba, aureo, & maculata’ (shade only)
Acalypha wilksiana – aka Copper Leaf Plant
Codaeium variegatum cvs. - aka Crotons
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis cvs. ‘Gen. Corteges’, ‘variegata’, & ‘Heat Wave’
Fucrea gigentea ‘variegata
Pereskia aculeata ‘godseffiana variegata’
Carissa macrophylla ‘variegata’
Bromeliads, esp. variegated cvs of Neoregelias
Bougainvillea, cvs Raspberry Ice, Mardi Gras, Vickie, & White Stripe

Other Variegated Succulents to Consider (hardy and non-hardy)
Sedum erythrostictum ‘mediovariegata’ and ‘frosty morn’
Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi 'marginata'
Opuntia vulgaris ‘variegata’

A variegated plant to avoid: Artemesia vulgaris ‘oriental limelight’

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS………….

NOW YOU ARE NO LONGER DEPENDENT ON FLOWERS ALONE FOR YEAR ROUND SEASONAL COLOR IN YOUR GARDEN.

BLEND VARIEGATED PLANTS WITH OTHER PLANTS TO CREATE A PLEASANT PALETTE AND VARIATION OF COLOR AND TEXTURES.

TOO MANY VARIEGATED PLANTS CAN BE AS BORING AS SOLID GREEN FOLIAGE ALONE.

ALWAYS CONSIDER MICRO-ENVIRONMENTS FOR SPECIFIC PLANTS.

FOR MORE GARDENING INFORMATION GO TO OUR WEBSITE
“CENTRAL T TEXAS GARDENING” at http://www.centraltexasgardening.info/

My Favorite Five Plants for Austin

2009-01-21T13:16:00.010-06:00

I was asked to present my favorite five garden plants to the Garden Club of Austin. It was extremely difficult to narrow the selection down to five but the following prevailed.

1. Cycas panzhihuaensis (Cycadaceae family) - a cycad

Certainly one of the most cold-tolerant of all the cycads, and one of the fastest-growing this not so common cycad is ideal for Austin. Grow it on in a pot until considered large enough, then plant it out in a sunny, south-facing corner. Fertilize heavily and you will be amazed at the speed it grows. In its native China, it withstands severe freezes, often at the same time damp. New foliage is blue tinted. It is fast becoming a demanded plant for landscapes due to its hardiness, attractiveness and growth rate. This plant may be hard to find but a treasure once you have it.

2. Murreya paniculata (Rutaceae family) - related to citrus

Murraya paniculata is also known as mock orange, orange jessamine or Chinese box. This shrub or small tree can reach up to 20, but is generally smaller, being about 6-10 ft tall. It belongs to the Rutaceae familly (just like the Citrus) and is native to Southeastern Asia, including China and Malaya. It has an evergreen foliage, sweetly scented flowers and bears small red fruits. Murraya paniculata has pinnate leaves. These generally have 3 to 9 leaflets. Leaves are small and the foliage is fairly dense, and this plant is often grown as a bonsaï tree. Flowers are white (they turn white-cream with age) and are sweetly scented, reminding of orange perfume. They are grouped in terminal panicles and generally have 5 petals. Fruits are small, being about half an inch long. They are orange-red when ripe and are not edible. The Chinese box is a very interesting plant, with ornamental foliage, flowers and fruits – the total package. It can withstand cold temperatures down to about 28°F, and thus can be grown in most sheltered parts of USDA zones 9 and warmer. This plant likes fertile, well-drained soils that remain moist during the growing season.

3. Eleagnus pungens - variegated cultivars only (Eleagnaceae family)

There is no plant more colorful and intriguing than any of the variegated cultivars of Eleagnus. These include “Hosobo fukurin”, “Gilt Edge”, and “Maculata”. The first is a dwarf plant staying within 4’. Eleagnus normally is a maintenance problem due to rapid growth, but variegated varieties grow at a much slower rate making this plant highly desirable for a year round colorful shrub. The blooms are insignificant but fragrant and the branches are so flexible, they can be tied in a knot. The underside of the leaves has a silvery appearance. It takes our drought, heat, cold, and poor soils without any adverse effect. It is native to China and Japan and hardy from Zone 7 to 9.

4. Citrofortunella mitis variegata (Rutaceae family) - a citrus

The calamondin orange is hardier to cold than any other true citrus specie and only the trifoliate orange and the kumquat are more tolerant to low temperatures. It can be successfully grown outside throughout California, Florida, and the gulf coast and is native to China and the Philippines. It is moderately drought-tolerant. It makes an excellent container plant in colder areas. The fruit is very acidic (like limes and lemons), and can be used to flavor iced tea and other drinks. The variegated cultivar is highly ornamental, boldly colored with variegated fruits. It blooms and produces fruit year round when temperatures are warm. The blooms are highly fragrant. I have had minimal freeze damage on a small tree in NW Austin down to 25 degrees.

5. Trachelospermum jasminoides variegata (Apacynaceae family ) - a vine

Despite the common name, Confederate jasmine is not native to the American south - it comes from China but has been a popular garden plant in Europe and the U.S. for centuries. Not particular as to soil but prefers well drained situations with some organic matter, bright sun to part shade, average water, and can tolerate drought once established. It is hardy in Zones 8 - 10. Confederate jasmine is pest-free, easy to maintain, drought resistant and heavenly fragrant, this is probably the south's favorite flowering vine. The glossy evergreen foliage is a delight to see when not in bloom. This is why I prefer the vividly variegated cultivar. As for growth rate, once established, it is vigorous but can be easily controlled. It is not as rampant as many other vine choices.

Summary: You can see that these plants have a lot in common.

- all are evergreen
- 4 of 5 are variegated and colorful
- all are climate durable
- 4 of 5 have fragrant blooms
- All are easy to grow and maintain

For more information, put the botanical name into a Google search to find more information and pictures of these plants.

Beyond the Digging

2009-01-10T10:18:00.010-06:00

There’s More Gardening Enjoyment than Growing

You are going to think I am either crazy or weird but I propose to you that your enjoyment of growing plants can go much deeper than the actual growing process. Broaden your gardening experience in the following ways.

Getting to know your plants in a more intimate way can be a fascinating thing. If you have and use a computer, I am talking about keeping a real time data base on the plants you grow and study about them from reading and internet research. I can go through my collection of over 400 different plants and tell a story about each one based on not only experience growing them but information I discovered by researching them on the internet. Every time a plant is eliminated or added, the data base is adjusted accordingly. Any new plant acquired is immediately researched to learn more about it. I recommend using the botanical name for internet research for best results. Learning is FUN!

My plant data base uses MS Excel (a standard software on MS Office) which I can sort by botanical name, plant family, plant category and other self defined features. Instead of using plant labels to remember their names, I use a booklet containing this data base information. I can associate names with a plant when I can’t remember the name itself. In the case of plants such as orchids, where so many hybrids have been created over time, you can trace the plant’s ancestry and derivation using a plant data base. The information you keep is up to you. My own plant data base can be seen at the following address: www.centraltexasgardening.info/plantlist.pdf Trying to remember the botanical names and other information about a plant is a daunting task, made easy by having this resource. Also, having such an up to date list helps facilitate plant trading with others.

The satisfaction and enjoyment of knowing not only a plant name, but other information about it is hard to describe. If you know a plant is from a particular part of the world and know from that it’s natural growing environment, that alone helps you to create a similar growing environment that will help that plant thrive in your garden or greenhouse. Starting a data base may be time consuming but once done, maintaining it is so easy.

Another enjoyment to growing that is equally fascinating is photographing your garden and individual plants, from a broad garden bed perspective showing the blend of texture, color, and form to detailed close up pictures of the individual bloom details or leaf patterns. Nature begs to have it’s picture taken. This is another way of sharing your garden and growing experience with others while enhancing your personal enjoyment of the plants you grow. The camera often catches things the eye doesn’t see. SEE THE GARDEN CLOSEUPS I HAVE POSTED SEPARATELY. You can keep a photo log of your plants to go along with your plant data base.

I hope these suggestions help you to enjoy your gardening and growing experiences more than ever before. They have certainly done it for me. I have learned so much in the process, that my gardening friends think I’m an expert. Have I ever got them fooled!

You never know enough about the plants you grow or about the many plants you haven’t tried yet. Make your growing experience a learning experience as well.