Thanks again. We love it too.
J- Do you know much about Texas Primrose? I got some seeds from a swap last fall. I planted some yesterday, and have some in baggies too, but didn't find much on propogation. They sound like a lovely plant. Do they direct sow well? I am new at seeds, but am having a great time with the baggies and mini greenhouse from Dollar General!
mel
Gardening with Native plants and Wild flowers of Texas.
Hello Mel, I saw your new pictures and they are really lovely. I can't wait to be able to see your yard, of course, now is not the time since most things are dormant, but I am looking forward to it. I hope you got all the information about Wildscapes. You will have a lot of fun preparing your application, although it will take some work, but it looks like you already have all the necessary features in your yard, such as, food, water and shelter for birds and small mammals. When we recieved our certificate and plaque in 1998, it was a real thrill to have earned the privilege, we are #1227. If you need some seeds please let me know, I do have some to share,
Josephine.
Mel, yes you can plant Primroses out in the open. I started with two packets and now have lots of them in with my wildflowers. They are really lovely in the spring, and i hate to see them go in hiding during the summer, but sometimes they return in the fall if the weather is right.
They are not picky at all, and they come back every year. Since the seed is so small, just sprinkle it on the soil and pat it down. Water very gently so as not to disturb it. Good luck.
Josephine.
Look at us... I am excited to see your garden, and you to see mine! I always love seeing someone elses garden, as well as giving tours of ours!
Every day there is something new budding out, but yes, May is a much better time to tour! It gets better everyday!
mel
Hello, I thought that I might upload a picture of our patio from last year, the flowers are Prairie Phlox with Crepe Mirtle in the back ground.
This one is Texas Star hibiscus with Ironweed and Purple Coneflower, on my wild flower slope facing the street.
Josephine, you DO have some big pictures. LOL Beautiful!
Mel, I LOVE the area around your Koi pond! WOW!!!! That's so lovely! I also have to ask about a particular plant. In Pic#7 there are three main plants. One has rather large leaves and white flowers (on the right side of the pic). What is it?
-Julie
Thank you! I had to go back and check on pix #7! That plant is Comfry. It's an old medicinal plant used by indians. It does bloom each year, takes no care, and we do use the plant for cuts, bites and burns. It's great for those Fire Ant and mosquito stings!
We have cut the plant back severely this year, so we will see how it behaves.
mel
Hello Every one, this is blooming now in our yard. Saucer magnolia, not a native, but beautiful.
Another view of Saucer magnolia.
Snow drops in the corner bed. Non native.
The wild flower slope on February 15th 2005.
Things are greening up. The vines on the fence are Crossvine and Carolina Jasmine, both native.
Also Japanese Honeysuckle, non native but heavenly fragrance, the Passion flower vines are not up yet. I will update the wildflower slope monthly to show the progress of the different plants.
frostweed,
Love the Magnolia - very pretty. I have a couple Japanese Magnolias that thoughd be blooming soon.
Hello Every one, Here is a picture of Frostweed emerging now, a very pretty plant. This is great for sun or shade and it is perennial.
Here is Frostweed in full bloom, from last year's pictures. Lovely long lasting flowers, and the butterflies love them.
Frostweed,
Since this is just now emerging, that means it grows quite a bit in just one season, is that correct? About how much space do you need to allow for it?
Hello Maggie, I would say that if you allow 2 feet that would be sufficient. I like a full look, they usually get from 3 to 6 feet tall with an average of 4 feet.
By the way, I forgot to post the picture from which it gets its name, the exploded stem and the ice that forms after a freeze. So here it is.
Oh my goodness! Quite impressive, no wonder they named it like that!
I'm confused. What is this plant in the db?
John
Hello John, the plant is Frostweed, Verbesina Virginica, I loaded three pictures, the plant emerging, the plant in bloom, and the plant doing the thing for which it is named.
I hope that clears things up. Nice to hear from you.
Josephine.
Thanks so much for those pics of the Frostweed! I had no idea that's how it's name came about.
I just discovered this thread.
I moved to Texas from California over 25 years ago and agree it is different gardening in Texas. I think the main difference is the drastic change of temperatures here. High of 78 one day and the next the high is 45. That has to have an affect on plants.
I have purchased wildflower seeds from http://www.wildseedfarms.com/ and hope someday to visit there.
Lovely pond and gardens Mel! ;-)
Sunshine,
I finally visited Wildseed Farms last Oct after yrs of yearning to do so. Don't wait (especially since you're so close)! It was wonderful, and that was at a time when it wasn't even in it's prime! I'm going again in April.
I have one bed in my backyard that I'm keeping pretty much just wildflowers, have used seed from Wildseed Farms. I'm also starting to sew wildflower seeds in the easement between my back fence and a street, but it doesn't drain well, so we'll see how it goes.
Okay now I really have the itch to go visit them. I would love to have a field of wildflowers. Texas has more wildflowers and all year long than I have ever seen anywhere.
I think my friends get tired of me interrupting them and saying “Oh look at those” while we are driving in the car. I don't think a lot of people even notice them.
Thanks maggiemoo, sounds like it will be a wonderful trip.
After a while your friends will appreciate it, though. I have friends who tell me now that they never noticed the many different greens (especially in Spring), and the different wildflowers throughout the yr, and the... and on and on, until I started "pestering" them with exclamations about it all.
Hello Everyone, this is so exciting! It warms my heart to see so many people interested in native plants and wildflowers. I'm like a kid in a candy store. By the way, we have never been to Wildseed Farms, but that is one of the places on my list, I bet it is really amazing.
We do make a yearly pilgrimage to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center usually in April and may be this year we will make the Wildseed farm too.
Here is a picture of an emerging( Brazos) or Gulf Coast Penstemon plant. This is a very pretty and reliable perennial that comes back faithfully. No need to baby this one.
Here is Penstemon Tenuis, Brazos Penstemon, in bloom, is it gorgeous?
And here is a close up of the flower, it seems to glow.
I did get to stop by Wildseed Farms last year on the way to SeaWorld. We went to the Butterfly House and browsed around. I didn't get to look at the wildflowers growing much tho because it was so hot. I had on sandals and I swear that there were sand fleas because something was biting my legs. I am planning on going to Lady Bird's Wildflower Center this spring too! I've only been in the late fall when I had to use my imagination.
I love that Penstemon. Now I have to add that to my list! Oh, I love Natives!
mel
I visited last year for the second time. The first was almost three years ago. I noticed that they have expanded their nursery. I came home with a carload of plants Last year, we were there in mid-May and many of the spring blooming flowers were on the decline. Others were still going strong. I've never been to Lady Bird's Wildflower Center. Does anyone have any recommendations on when to visit?
BettyDee
BettyDee,
I would recommend going the end of March or 1st week of April. They have a website, let me look it up http://www.wildflower.org/
Here are some other Texas native sites:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/galleryindex3.htm
http://www.raingardens.com/gardenclub/index.html
What a beautiful Penstemon frostweed.
Omg, I must have clicked "unwatch thread!" What a dummy. Glad to see this thread is alive and well!!! Yep, frostweed, the scientific name clears it up!
John
Here is another lovely Texas native, it needs no care and comes back every Spring to cheer up the country side. Together with Bluebonnet and Indian Paintbrush it makes a beautiful sight, making Texas highways amazing to see in the Spring.
Prairie Primrose or Pink Evening Primrose, Oenothera speciosa. Emerging plants.
A beautiful patch of Prairie Primrose.
Close up of Prairie Primrose, Oenothera speciosa, such a lovely flower!
Here is a picture of Tall Goldenrod,( Solidago canadensis) just getting started. This plant voluntiered at our yard about 6 years ago and has been very beautiful. I needs no care, it is very vigorous and it blooms in the fall, making a lovely combination with the purple Mexican Petunia and Purple Asters. I usually have to thin them out, but I don't mind, because I enjoy them so much.
A close up of Tall Goldenrod, usually about 4 feet tall, although it can get taller.
A close up of Goldenrod with Mexican Petunia, I love the color combination.
