GARDENING IN CENTRAL TEXAS IS MOVING

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

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

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.  

THE PROBLEM WITH MANY PLANT NURSERIES

“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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3.   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.  
4. 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.  

A PLANT'S LIFE - INDOORS!

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

I’m Dreaming of a Green Winter

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. 

Winter Plant Damage - A Gardener’s Woe

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.  

The Winter Garden Needn't be Boring

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)

ORNAMENTAL PLANTS TO AVOID IN YOUR CENTRAL TEXAS GARDEN

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”.  

THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF BROMELIADS

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.

TROPICAL PLANTS AND CENTRAL TEXAS

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

GOING GREEN THROUGH GARDENING

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.

ADD FUN TO YOUR GARDEN - aka "WHIMSY"

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:

RESOURCES TO HELP AUSTIN GARDENERS

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.

NATURES GARDEN – BETTER THAN OUR BEST EFFORTS

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!

TEN SPRING GARDENING TIPS FOR CENTRAL TEXAS GARDENERS

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.

COST SAVING STRATEGIES FOR GARDENERS

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.

WEEDS - A DREADED PART OF GARDENING

"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.

A RARE SNOW GARDEN IN AUSTIN, TX

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.

GEOPHYTES IN YOUR GARDEN - OH MY!!!

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!

RECOVERING FROM A HARD FREEZE – BOTH GARDENER AND PLANTS

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.

FROM SCORCHING HEAT TO DEEP FREEZE

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.

CURBSIDE LANDSCAPING

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!

MY MOST DREADED GARDEN PEST

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.

THE "DOWN TIME" GARDEN

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!

GOTTA MAKE MORE PLANTS

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!
 

PALMS FOR AUSTIN? WHY NOT!

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.

Global Warming and Gardening

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.

Gardening in the Heat of Summer – NOT!

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:

Survival of the Fittest

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.