Sex in the Garden With Tex

Some gardening book suggestions, courtesy of The Washington Post, via another newspaper. One book is by Texans.

The Houston Chronicle’s ‘Lazy Gardener’ columnist has a list of reader suggestions for best plants of 2008. Many native Texas plants on the list, including one of my faves: Salvia macrophylla ‘Hot Lips’, or ‘Hot Lips’ Sage. Beautiful little sagey flowers, long-lasting, trouble-free plant, perennial, of course. Here’s the complete list: 

Interesting look at Dallas native plant enthusiast Peter Schaar, who likes to cook what he grows. Those of us in the native Texas plant movement have known about Peter’s cooking expertise for a long time.

It amazes me quite often what fear has led to.

McALLEN, Texas — The Department of Homeland Security has sued The Nature Conservancy to condemn land in a South Texas nature preserve for the border fence.

The conservancy’s Lennox Foundation Southmost Preserve, which includes more than 1,000 acres along the Rio Grande near Brownsville, is home to a rare grove of native sabal palms, a South Texas native plant nursery for reforestation projects and habitat for the endangered ocelot and jaguarundi.

The government offered the conservancy $114,000 for a strip of land that would leave three-quarters of the preserve, including the property manager’s home, in the no-man’s land between the fence and Mexico, according to court records filed earlier this month.

And this case follows others, such as this, based on this:

We have a president (or vice-president) who thinks anything he does is OK, because we’re fighting a Global War on Terror ™, and a Congress that is cowardly enough to let him get away with it.

On a semi-related note, I hope Obama changes the name of Homeland Security. ‘Homeland” is a term straight out of Nazi Germany.

– Tex, feeling fenced in

Here’s a story in my hometown newspaper about that peculiar plant frostweed. Turns out beside being showy in winter, it’s a butterfly magnet in summer and fall:

“There’s one Texas wildflower that’s at its showiest after a hard freeze. When the mercury dips into the upper 20s, frostweed (Verbesina virginica) earns its name, as the sap within its stalks bursts forth to form icy formations along its lower stems. These crystalline structures can reach up to 2 feet tall, occurring during the first two or three hard freezes of winter.” 

Here’s the rest:            

This is a post I am repeating, because the spammers attacked the previous one. It’s from about a month ago, but the thought is still worthwhile:

Quite the heated back-and-forth on the Yahoo Groups discussion board (the NPSOT-NPAT group). Seems the Aggies have a list of plants for Texas that includes a bunch of exotic invasives, posing a conflict with the folks who keep track of invasive plants.

The Aggies duly note (after folks brought this to their attention) that their list isn’t a list of recommendations. Prob w/that: It is a list of EarthKind plants, and it functions as a de facto list of recommended plants. So, the little disclaimer won’t wash, in my humble opinion.

The NPSOT (that’s Native Plant Society of Texas) folks are debating among themselves what to do about this. I’m with what seems the majority, which is that A&M should not be listing invasive plants in its list of plants suitable for Texas. But, what to do?
We haven’t heard the last of this, I’m sure,  and I’ll be writing more about it later.

In the meantime, check out the NPSOT-NPAT Group on Yahoo. It’s easy enough to join. Lots of smart plant people in on that discussion.

– Tex

The Oak Cliff section of Dallas is probably the most naturally gifted but also downtrodden in parts. Here’s an article from The Dallas Morning News about how some residents are bringing back the faded beauty of its parks:

David Klempin’s voice breaks as he delves deeper into the motivation behind the volunteer project that has absorbed his energy, his spare time, his intellect and more for the past six years. To a 9-year-old boy in the mid-’60s, the chance discovery of the Kiest Memorial Garden inside Oak Cliff’s vast Kiest Park was a moment of wonder. He was with his dad when he saw it for the first time after a riding lesson on his new bicycle with the banana seat.

“It was so beautiful to me, as a child,” recalls Mr. Klempin. “It’s like a secret garden. Almost nobody knows it’s there, still.”

Now it’s a powerful lifelong memory that drives his devotion to a self-imposed cause.

 Here’s the rest:

An owner of a very good nursery, Blue Moon Gardens, near Tyler, Texas, recommends the cigar plant (Cuphea micropetala). Why?

This no-hassle perennial is drought-tolerant and has fabulous flowers in the fall that are magnets for hummingbirds.

This stalwart, handsome plant demands a large garden with plenty of room. Its tall, upright posture creates a strong background for shorter structural plants. The flashy blooms in fall seem out of character, adding a touch of flamboyance to its usual sturdy demeanor.

 Find the rest here:

Houston garden writer Kathy Huber recycles tips for freeze abatement: “Our winters may be so mild there’s little or no frost, and when this happens, even tender plants such as impatiens and crotons may pull through. But gardeners should keep an eye on forecasts to be prepared for a freeze.

“Follow these steps to help your plants survive freezing temperatures and rain:”