This thread is continuation of parts 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
To reach the other theads click on this link http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/534284/
Hello Everyone,
The people on this thread are interested in discussion, seed and plant trading, and learning in general about native plants and wildflowers.
We are dedicated to plant conservation and love to demomstrate what can be done with the native plants that have been ignored by the nurseries in favor of the exotics. Many of the plants in our yards are native and we are always looking to improve. We are sure there are others out there doing the same thing and loving it as much as we do. Please let us talk about what you are doing and what you have accomplished.
We hope to hear from all you dedicated gardeners. Let us have some fun.
Sincerely, Josephine.
This message was edited Sep 20, 2005 2:42 PM
Gardening with Texas Native Plants & Wildflowers Part 9
We went to the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens last Sunday and found this very interesting cactus, a Texas Horse Crippler and a bunch of others with no names so I am trying to get them identified.
Here is the Horse Crippler, Homalocephala texensis.
Here is another lovely we found at the Gardens
Wild Blue Salvia, Salvia azurea, a Texas native so sweet and innocent looking.
Please excuse this short aside, but as trois is a regular here, I just wanted you all to know that he and Barbara and his son's family are all going to Austin to get out of Rita's way.
I am glad they are getting out of the area - I hope all our members will find a safe place to stay. I really feel bad to the guy who just lived through the last one and now this. Would be hard to deal with....
I am glad they are leaving too, and I hope that their home and gardens will not sustain any damage. It sure has been a hard time for many people.
Josephine.
Josephine my giant goldenrod in blooming! Wow it was well worth keeping! Will post a pic when I see it during the day light hours - Mitch
I hope they find a sturdy hotel to stay in. If the forecast is correct, the eye may pass over La Grange. Austin would get between 60 - 70 mile an hour winds. No mention of rain totals has been mentioned. There are pros and cons with this hurricane. We need rain so badly. We haven't had any rain in weeks. The pasture grass is brown and the stock tanks need water. On the other hand, the wind can do so much damage. I don't want to lose any more cattle. this year, to freakish accidents.
Hello Veronica, you surely have been through a lot this year, and I hope and pray that you won't have any more damage.
Are you still bottle feeding feeding the calf?
Josephine.
Yes, I am. Café is a growing girl. It's been a challenge because we still have Sapphire, the calf I hand raised last year, here in the heifer pasture. Sapphire wants attention and some of the starter food we are feeding Café. She's a big girl, but is still too young to get pregnant so has to remain in this pasture for another 3 months.
We're prepared for Rita. Because we are 17 miles from the nearest grocery store, I always keep a well stocked larder. According to the weather forecasters in Austin, our county will likely get hurricane strength winds. This area has a history of hurricane damage in the past. I worry about our cattle because the main herd head for the wooded area in high winds. Most of our wooded area is in our creek's flood plain possibly trapping the cattle if they take refuge in the woods. If the creek overflows, we are trapped behind a low water crossing. Even if it is temporary, t's still scary not being able to get out.
Veronica, what pretty names you have given them, Cafe and Saphire I bet you are really attached to them. You live an interesting life and I bet you never get bored.
We will be thinking about you during this time of crisis.
Love, Josephine.
Do you know me?
Bought on the side of the road - a tree said to be a Texas native now in bloom... any ideas?
Whole tree
And here is my giant native goldenrod in full bloom - there are 6 little foot tall ones around the base of it I had not noticed!
Oh side note that Goldenrod is taller then me... so it cleared over 6 foot and most likly near to 7 foot!
Mitch,
Your white-flowered tress is Texas Kidneywood. See
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/58705/index.html
Here's UT website with more photos and infor.
http://www.sbs.utexas.edu/mbierner/bio406d/images/pics/fab/eysenhardtia_texana.htm
Six of the red yucca seeds you sent me have germinated. I hope they survive to adulthood. Thanks.
Great! Thanks betty - now to see if it will live here! I hope so stunning plant!
Glad to hear they came up - none of mine did (not that I need more but got to try right!) Mitch
Editied to add it says zone 8b so should do ok here I hope! I just love how many blooms and it just keeps blooming! Great to I only paid three dollars for it and it is alredy three foot tall!
This message was edited Sep 24, 2005 4:09 PM
Mitch, it is official: we have to teach you how to rotate your pics. :-)
People have tried and failed before - I need to figure it out. Any one know how to rotate in Star programing? (school laptop and all it gets is Star... ) Mitch
Mitch that Goldenrod is really big and early too. Mine are just starting to show color.
I love them, they really brighten up the Fall season.
Josephine.
Very early - I wonder if that is due to the fact it is in a raised bed? And huge - I never dreamed it would be that big, the Ironweed is around in the same area so together they should look great - I hope (I know diffrent bloom times but leaves look good together this year! )
Waaa! My copper canyon daisy was getting so big and bushy, but the high winds have broken two of the main branches/stems (which accounts for about half the plant), and the rest is blown all to one side in a heap. The larger of my two turks caps had a large branch fall on it, broke a major branch about 4" from the ground. Several of my salvias were knocked over and uprooted, others were blown almost completely over, don't know if they'll stand upright again this year. About one thrid of the autumn aster I got at the RU in April broke off and blew several feet away, wedged among some daylilies.
Okay, enough self-pity. My family is safe and sound, and my home isn't under water.
I know how you feel maggiemoo, but remember, the plants can always grow back but houses don't grow back. ;o(
I had wondered how the plants had made it for you guys down there, thank God no damage to your homes, that is great news.
Josephine.
Htop, I had promised to post my Esparanza, but just now took the picture.... Here she is! at just over 5 ft tall!
My only serious damage was to my Banana. All 4 stalks of fruit are down. We never made it out as traffic didn't allow any choice.. We enjoyed a front row seat from my son's front porch watching the trees 50 feet away bend to the ground while we stayed cool and dry, just a little splatter and a gentle breeze. The Hummers paid no attention to the storm, as when the worst of it was going on, they came to the feeders like always.
trois
Mel! that is a beautiful Esperanza bush you have there, I planted one last year but it hasn't done well, I will try again, I love then so bright and cheerful, and native too.
Josephine.
Trois, I am so glad you guys are all fine. I did worry about you so close to Galveston and not being able to leave, thank God you were spared without major damage.
Sorry about your Banana trees, how did the Pride of Barbados do, was it damaged?
Josephine.
Oh trois, we hate to see any damage to plants, and looks terrible, but I'm so thankful that it was the only damage you had (nothing to your noggin, etc, lol)
frostweed, I had been checking to see if the schoolhouse lillies had come up and discovered a couple of small plants blooming where I had planted them. The plants are blooming pink and are 8 inches tall at the most. Upon closer examination, the blooms look just like the red blooming larger schoolhouse lillies except very small. I thought something was wrong with the bulbs I had planted. But, they are Pink Oxblood Lily Rhodophiala bifida var. spathacea which is a dwarf type and supposedly rare. One nusery is selling one 1 inch plus bulb for $28.00. I think I paid 2.99 for smaller bulbs. They are beautiful, but not what I had envisioned growing where I had planted them. I would love to have some of the red schoolhouse lily bulbs when you divide yours if the offer still stands. Here is a quick photo right as the blooms are opening. The foliage around the plant is bulbine, not the liliy.
This message was edited Sep 30, 2005 4:37 PM
Hazel, those are adorable too, but my goodness, $ 28.00 for one bulb is a lot of money. I will be sure to save you some of the red ones. My are done blooming now, but they sure were pretty.
Josephine.
Wow, Hazel, those are so pretty! I rather like that they are smaller.
frostweed, I was amazed at the price for one bulb also. I guess I should be really happy that the bulbs must have been misidentified when I bought them. :o) Thanks for offering to save me some bulbs. After these start to multiple in the coming years, I will be able to share them.
maggie, the only problem is that I planted them in an area where I needed tall plants with larger blooms. The blooms are only about 2 inches wide when fully open. They are hidden behind other plants so they are not easily seen. I have read that they do not like to be moved. I just went to see if they were open more and they have wilted in the extreme heat.
trois,
I'm sorry to hear about your plants, but thank God your family is fine.
I bought some baby hardy amarylis bulbs at $5.00 each compared to blooming sized ones selling for over $25.00 each. They won't bloom for several years, but that's OK.
Hazel, naked ladies don't like to be moved either. They refuse to bloom for several years afterwards. I found if I transplanted them while they were dormant, they didn't seem to mind being moved.
Josephine, all but three of my tickweed plants have been mowed. Do you think they will return next year? I had marked an area with plastic whirl-a-gigs and asked my husband not to mow the area inside. He's mowed everything but the area around each whirl-a-gig — twice.
Veronica, that was a good price on the hardy amaryllis bulbs even if the are small. I bought a huge Belladonna lily last year and it didn't bloom. I thought that I might have planted it too late. It went through all of its stages this year, but has not bloomed yet ... maybe next year. Thanks for the information. I will try to move the pink schoolhouse lillies when they are dormant. I am sorry about
your tickweed. Mowing it down twice sounds like something my husband would have done.
Hello Veronica, when you said Tickweed, were you referring to Frostweed or Coreopsis?
Frostweed is a perennial so even if it doesn't get to set seed, it should come back next year.
With Coreopsis there are both perennial and annual so it would depend on which one it is.
Or may be it was a totally different plant you were reffering to, common names can be misleading. I hope I helped.
Josephine.
Josephine,
It's the Coreopsis lanceolata. I should have said Tickseed. It's a perennial, but this was its first year. I'm not sure how much energy the roots have been able to store up for next year.
You are right Veronica, in my experience Coreopsis laceolata are not very strong plants, so they may not come back, but, let us hope for the best.
Josephine.
Mel, is this the Tecoma Stans that you were reffering to with the orange blush?
I saw this one at the Fort Worth Botanic gardens, it is called Sunrise, isin't it beautiful?
Ohh, I want one of those! I've never seen them before. Mel, is it time to take our trip this year? ;) lol