May 30th, 2009
This gets me. Dallas (and North Texas generally) are the very worst in the state as far as water use. Water goes for landscaping, keeping Dallas looking lush and green (which it does). At what cost, though? Here’s a link to an older story about the dam Dallas wants to build — nowhere near Dallas — that will allow it to continue to waste water. Why doesn’t it encourage planting of native plants? It does, to some degree; most city-planted sites use natives.
But most individuals don’t plant natives. And while the city will claim it encourages them to do so, it doesn’t spend much time on it that I’ve seen (and I live here).
The city also claims to have an extensive conservation program in place. And while it does ban sprinklers from mid-morning to evening, that’s about all it does. No teeth, unless your neighbor turns you in. People still water during the day, either blithely unaware of the ban or not caring.
So the city needs more water — because it can’t or won’t make people stop watering their golf-course lawns. And it wants to take the water from East Texas.
I hope the city loses — because waste is the problem here, despite what the city may say. We are wasteful, selfish water pigs. And we don’t deserve to take others’ beautiful places because we are pigs and can’t control ourselves.
Posted in Uncategorized | 2478 Comments »
May 20th, 2009
Okra makes me gag, but it’s pretty good fried. Here’s how to grow it:
The rest of my family will plant okra in hopes of frying up its pods; I’ll stick a few seeds in the ground just to enjoy the pretty, papery flowers. Okra, a relative of hibiscus, shows off large, pale-yellow flowers that resemble hollyhocks or hibiscus. Consider planting it along the border of your garden.
The value of native plants is that when the water crisis comes, you’ll be in better shape than your neighbors:
People called it “the ugly house on the corner.” … But where others saw ugly, Randy and Carla Cochran saw possibility. …
The Cochrans knew what they wanted for their multiple terraces — a colorful perennial garden — but they didn’t know much about plants. And they also knew that they had a lot of ground to cover, so to speak. The terraces, almost all in full sun, added to a lot of challenging planting space. Three years ago, Carla decided they needed an expert.
“She called out of the blue,” says Steve Huddleston, who owns Blooming Concepts, a landscape consultation, design and installation company. “She said, ‘I need some help with perennials.’ It was this cry of desperation.” …
Huddleston likes low-maintenance gardens with lots of perennials for color, and he relies on heat-tolerant native and adapted plants.
That is all. Resume your regularly scheduled activities. — Tex
Posted in Uncategorized, how-to gardening, Garden articles of interest, native Texas plants | 237 Comments »
April 2nd, 2009
Here is our semiweekly roundup of garden articles you may have missed because you were out gardening:
Q: In a recent column, a reader asked about 50-year-old azaleas dying, as well as their replacements. One common cause of the symptoms described is the presence of parasitic nematodes. Do you think the reader should have the soil and roots tested for nematodes?
For the answer, go here:
Q: I tried to force an amaryllis for Christmas. It grew tall but didn’t flower. Can I plant it outside, or should I cut it back and let it rest until next winter?
Find out that answer, and the answer to many other questions, here:
Q: What herbs, vegetables or flowering perennials do you recommend for shade?
A very good question. The answer:
And, finally: Don’t you want to know how to plan a veggie garden? I do! Well, here’s one person’s guide:
That is all; you may return to your regularly scheduled gardening.
Posted in Uncategorized, how-to gardening, Garden articles of interest | 2215 Comments »
March 24th, 2009
Writer Mariana Greene asks a good question:
Is planting azaleas in Dallas now politically incorrect? The favorite flowering shrub of Turtle Creek and Highland Park vistas will not tolerate our native clay soil. They need water to get them through a Dallas summer, even when the region is not suffering a drought.
Read the rest here:
Posted in Uncategorized, Garden articles of interest | 780 Comments »
March 3rd, 2009
“One way to rein in plant purchases this spring without putting a damper on your dream garden is to use annuals, especially those that can be started from seeds sown directly into the garden. For $15 to $25, you can buy a fistful of seed packets that will produce hundreds of plants.”
Read the whole thing here:
By the way, because I sell plants, I think this is a lousy idea. However, because I sell native plants –NOT usually sold as seeds, go ahead and try it. By the way, I grew some seeds from children’s book illustrator Tasha Tudor’s garden (she’s famous — really!). Anyway, the Sweet Rocket and Lettuce Poppies did great; Foxgloves haven’t come around yet.
Another item: Veggie gardeners: Get that Swiss chard and other greens in the ground (or the pot) NOW:
Posted in Uncategorized, how-to gardening, Garden articles of interest | 65 Comments »
February 16th, 2009
Here’s my weekly roundup of gardening articles you may have missed while you were out gardening instead of reading, which is what you should have done, anyway:
Like your satsuma easy to peel? Sure you do! Want to know what a satsuma is? Sorry!
The Aggies and their AgriLife offices have listed satsumas for years as citrus you can grow in Texas. But what the heck is a satsuma? I don’t see them in grocery stores. Am I just not looking very carefully? (Could be.) Anyway, here’s another other interesting fact: Clementines grow in Texas!! Who knew?!?
Well, Kathy Huber doesn’t have time for all the interesting background and speculation. Here’s her list, with a lot of help from the Aggies, I bet, of top 10 citrus, at least for Houston:
A good piece from a good writer in Texas Gardener about something that only makes sense under a full moon:
Aggies’ guide to veggie varieties, updated probably a couple of years ago, if we’re lucky:
Prune your trees — quick:
Good — and green — gardening products, from Organic Gardening mag:
Posted in Garden articles of interest, native Texas plants | 2091 Comments »
February 7th, 2009
Here’s my weekly (natch) Saturday roundup of garden articles of interest:
1. You can’t take the ’70s college student out of the middle-aged boomer.
Before the words recycle and repurpose came into use, when macramé was prominent, it was commonplace to furnish first apartments with discards and inexpensive foliage plants.
Carl Youngberg and David McNair haven’t been able to shake their youthful habits. They head out for their morning walk and are likely to return lugging a discarded door or a declining plant picked up curbside. Their shared prowess at salvaging has transformed a respectably landscaped back yard into lush but quirky outdoor rooms where, from spring through fall, they linger over morning coffee, entertain friends and wind down evenings relaxing in the pool.
Read more here:
2. A national poll conducted in January for Scotts Miracle-Gro suggests there will be a 20 percent increase in vegetable gardening over last year.
Retailers scrambled to keep up with demand in 2008, but this year they’re prepared. Local retailers have expanded their inventory of vegetable transplants, and North Haven Gardens, for example, has built several new display gardens to show customers how to plant and what to grow in their own personal versions of a Victory Garden — both in large containers and in raised beds.
In North Texas, early spring is prime time to get nutritious vegetables going before the heat and humidity can take their toll on tender young plants. You can plant onions, potatoes, lettuces, spinach, peas and root crops like carrots, beets and radishes this month.
Get your veggie fix here:
3. Gardeners demand a lot from plants: good looks, low maintenance, and flowers and fruit to attract wildlife. Natives can live up to those expectations.
When we asked Linda Knowles her 10 favorite natives, she quickly shared the list below. A Texas Master Naturalist and president of the Houston Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas, she’s especially drawn to this group.
In fact, she says, “This list of 10 great natives could easily be expanded to a list of hundreds; there are so many other great native plants that could be grown. Texas has more than 5,000 native plants, second only to California in the number of native plants.”
What are those great natives (at least for Houston)? Check it out here:
Posted in how-to gardening, Garden articles of interest, native Texas plants | 63 Comments »
February 3rd, 2009
Isn’t this the truth:
Do not let any gardener tell you he or she loves spring, because for gardeners, spring means anxiety, pressure, backaches, leg cramps, fears of needing hip replacements. It means cleaning up the winter detritus and planning ahead and wondering if it is the right time to plant the zinnia seeds.
For gardeners, spring is a race against time. Those who beat the relentless deadlines stand a chance of having a great garden. Those who don’t have a long wait until next year.
Good essay about us crazy gardeners. Read the rest here:
Posted in Uncategorized, Garden articles of interest | 2162 Comments »
January 22nd, 2009
Imagine: a non-native Texas plant that’s good for something:
Winter and butterflies don’t normally go hand in hand in most people’s minds. However, thanks to the prolific use of an exotic plant in our landscapes, one butterfly’s behavior has been altered, allowing it to be on the wing in North Texas throughout the year.
Read the rest of the article, by the acknowledged butterfly expert in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, here:
Posted in Garden articles of interest, Butterfly gardening | 1327 Comments »
January 8th, 2009
Here’s an interesting take on whether President-Elect Obama should dig up a patch of White House grounds to plant a veggie garden. (Maybe he should make George do it; wouldn’t hurt him to do some good.)
The home vegetable garden, a thing of much toil and simple pleasure, has taken on enormous political and environmental symbolism. Voices in the local-food movement have formed a chorus urging the Obamas to dig up a good chunk of the South Lawn for a garden to feed the first family and local food banks.
It would only be symbolism, of course. But it would be powerful symbolism. Just another small piece of taking control of your life back from the agribusinesses that control what we eat.
And, no, I don’t have a veggie garden that could feed anyone for more than a day. I grow lettuces, onions, garlic and herbs. But to feed my family, I would have to grow veggies on more land than I have. Perhaps: Start a community garden! Not a bad idea.
Anyone had success growing veggies on small patches of land? Or how to start a community garden? I am itching to get my fingers into some dirt, but I need guidance (and I’m sure others do, too).
Posted in Garden articles of interest, National garden | 86 Comments »
