Hello Everybody, I just had to show you my Carolina Phlox, it is at its peak right now.
The back bed;
Gardening with Texas Native Plants & Wildflowers, part 15.
And a closer view.
That is lovely, Josephine. Every day on my way to work I drive by a house in Garland that has this in a flowerbed in their front yard. Now I know what it is! :-)
Carla
After a three year long fight... for the first time this year I had some pholx bloom - so I hope in years to come there will be more and more blooms out there with it.
Congratulations Mitch, isn't it funny how some plants work great for some people and refuse to work for others?
But your persistence has paid off, I hope it will increase for you.
Josephine.
I know right? My Cherry Laurel is still less then 6 in tall... but on the other hand my Ox eye daisy is well over 10 foot wide patch, black foot daisy blooms like crazy, Horse herb at tall, Indianblankets have taken a almost 20 foot area over . . . some natives love one yard more then others even close by.
beautiful photo, Josephine! Such a lovely yard.... :)
Melanie
Thank you Melanie, it feels very peaceful there.
Melanie - Josephine's yard always looks peaceful - even in the dead of winter. It is still my dream to one day have my gardens so stunning like hers.
Thank you Mitch, your garden is a different style but very pretty too, but it is a lot younger, so give it time.
I know .. when the trees get to a size you can see them it will be better - got to keep tending the flowers.
I know what you mean, Mitch.... We had our home built...and had an absolutely CLEAN slate to start with....just a square front and backyard in a huge subdivision. It has been a little over 2 years now...and the yards are still developing...but honestly, I think I've done pretty well, if I don't mind myself, lol. A few setbacks and losses...such as my poor Senna tree......and NOW the Pride of Barbados beside it....but what a wonderful and ongoing project it has become. And one that will grow into itself after a while. :)
You can really see the love that Josephine puts into her yards.... :)
Melanie
Very Very nice Melanie, your gardens are great. Trees are the hardest thing to wait to grow right? All of mine here have been from seed or small cuttings so the fact they are 3-4 foot tall in 3 years is great but I keep dreaming of the day they get really big in the 10 foot area... One of these days.
lol....I know..I know..... Josephine gave me a little Pecan seedling, and tho its growing quite a bit, dang, I'll have to wait a looong time for a dadburn pecan, lol I've got a tiny Burr Oak that was given to me...as well as a tiny Live Oak from GD_Rankin..... patience, I tell myself!
Melanie
Yes, patience is the key, and before you know it, things will have grown and changed and you will have beautiful trees and plants.
All of mine started small too and look at them now.
Melanie, your yard looks great, you have done a wonderful job.
Did you say the Pride of Barbados is going too?
Oh dear, I am so sorry, you might want to keep those two potted to be safer.
I left one Pride of Barbados outside last winter and it died, I am keeping my next one potted and bring it inside if frost threatens. Of course I hate taking plants in and out, but sometimes that is what you have to do if you want certain plants.
Last winter was just too unusually cold and then all these rain it is all very different.
I guess we just have to adjust, right?
I know.. I have so many plants rotting at the base. I am saving all the seeds that I can - most of them are the easy to grow things - Black eyed susans and the like - but it still hurts to lose any of the "family"
Josephine, your garden and yard have always amaze me. Being the detailed (anal) person that I am I am always pleased at your St. Augustine. It's so clean and manicured. Jealousy slaps me in the face whenever I see your yard. I'm now having to buy something that I have always said that I'd never get...a self propelled lawn mower. With my neck not getting any better, I just can't push it any more. Always pushed for the upper body exercise. DANG !
Kip, I am sorry that your neck is not improving. Frank does keep the grass neatly mowed and trimmed but we don't do much to it otherwise, we were commenting yesterday how peaceful and serene it looks out there.
I have a lot of trimming to do on the wildflower area, with all this rain it is getting out of control.
Josephine.
I hear that and my sunflowers are falling over all over the place. The Queens Annes lace is trying to take over... the monardas are all looking great, but the Indian blankets are getting HUGE...
I am still looking for information on Water Oak more then I got here. I have heard that this oak in North Texas will drop big branches for no reason. IS this true or is this more of a local rummor?
Mitch here is a link http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/quercusnigra.htm
it says that when it grows in or close to water it can have weak branches, but not when grown on dry land. Also not being a red oak it won't be prone to the red oak wilt that is killing so many red oaks.
That might be why I am getting the information I am getting on this one. This will be in a dry area so it might be a good choice for one or two areas.
I am trying to find seedlings that would be good for the school garden, local park, and for the three huge trees I had to cut down here. For the needs they have to support wildlife, be native, and tall shade trees.... any ideas on your favorites that would fit the bill? Better yet anyone know where to find seeds for these suggestions? Cost wise I am just not going to be able to buy them with the budget they gave me so seed will have to work and they will grow from there.
Mitch, don't forget about, Pecan, Ash, Cedar Elm, Willow, Cottonwood, Sassafras, Plum , Cherry, Mulberry, Soapberry, Redbud, all these are native and larval hosts to many butterflies and moths, they will complete your butterfly garden host plants, plus give shade and fruit.
Is the budget for the school garden smaller than you expected?
No the school garden budget is good.. just we are going to have to pay for an exploration of the land and that is going to take a huge hunk out of the tree and plant budget...
So here goes -
Pecan, - We have several of these little babies, and a few more coming. These will not work for the public garden area but the school we have 10 of these little babies growing.
Ash, - Alright what types of Ash are there that are native and who knows a seed source?
Cedar Elm, - I have seen one of these but never any babies or seed - is there a trick?
Willow, - I have two black willow trees ready, any other good of willow good for our area?
Cottonwood, - have two of these ready too... not wanting too many of these seeing the short life.
Sassafras, - any good leads on this one?
Plum , have 5 of these ready to go to one of the three places, still looking for one of the thicket forming types.
Cherry, - what types are native here? When I called TAMU extention office they said they knew of no cherrys in the area.
Mulberry, - I have several if they root from the cuttings... several are leafing out but nothing really great yet in the size area yet.
Soapberry, - What do I need to know and any leads on babies or seeds?
Redbud - I have my little tree here and I am trying to grow the seeds.
O.K. here it goes, Texas Ash, or Green Ash
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/fraxinuspennsylvanica.htm
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/fraxinustexensis.htm
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/fraxinusvelutina.htm
I can get you seedlings of Cedar Elm.
Sassafras
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/sassafrasalbidum.htm
Cherry
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/prunusserotinavareximia.htm
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=PRSE2
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/prunusserotinavarrufula.htm
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/prunusvirginia.htm
Soapberry;
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/sapindusdrummondii.htm
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SASA4
I may be able to help you with the Ash and the Soapberry, I will check around avout the Cherry and the Sassafras.
Josephine.
I have loads of different oak seedlings just growning everywhere. All I have to do is dig them up.
I also have a willow but it hasn't made any babies.
The only trick to getting Cedar Elm to come up is to throw some seeds on the ground. I found that out when I put Cedar Elm leaves into the compost! Seems there were hundreds of seeds with the leaves. And I could always dig up another one of my Escarpment Black Cherry babies.
Oh, that would be great Linda, Please don't forget that i need a cherry too. I think I can find some Cedar Elms at the wildscape
Josephine.
Thanks Josephine - I have a lot more reading to do, and lots more hunting to do too.
renatelynne - thank you - I am working on Oak,,, trying to work with the Oak Wilt I ahve read so much about.
LindaTX8 - Yes please Linda - thank you!
oak wilt is only bothering live oak here. I have other oaks besides live oak on my property.
My Praire Flame Sumac is a nice little tree....and FAST growing! It doesn't seem to be too concerned with whatever killed my Senna tree and Pride of Barbados. Oh, and my Big Red Sage is blooming quite nicely.......are they pretty easy to grow from seed?
Melanie
So how is everyones natives doing in this rain? I lost most of my sunflowers when they felll over due to standing water - there are still what I need to have more next year but wow rook out 15 or so already. Anyone else have some of their natives not loving this weather?
It was probably a water born fungus that killed my tree but other then that....I haven't seen a lot of damage, except by the creepy crawlies brought on from the rain. All of my natives seem quite happy with all of the rain...like my Pink Skullcap....Anise Hyssop...Big Red Sage, etc. Plus, my Purple Prickly Pear is putting out new pads like crazy, lol...
Melanie
I lost one sunflower, but still have quite a few, the phlox has mildew, and a lot of the plants are getting too tall growing too fast and flopping over.
But all in all O.K.
Josephine.
Everything is getting very tall - all this rain makes me wonder about the plants that like it on the dry side... like cactus and such, how much rain will they take before they are mush or do they roll with the punches?
I think that most cacti will do okay in wet weather if planted in an area that normally drains good and in soil that is well-draining. And there are some kinds of cacti I've seen growing up right along the creeks that are flowing from time to time. I've noticed that some of my plants flowered early and went to seed early. Others seem to be waiting for the "real summer" to bloom. But my Big Red Sages have also begun blooming this past week. I've had to prune more than usual...it's a jungle out there, I tell you! I Sometimes I feel like I should whip out a machete just to get across the yard. I was trying a new kind of sunflowers this year that looked really good early on...but then got sickly-looking and had to be removed. My Lacey Oak was attacked by something that ate most of the leaves. The Mexican Plum got aphids real bad and had those deformed shape of curled-up leaves. But I think the biggest casualty is me! When I try to stay outside and do things I end up with a lot of skeeter and chigger bites. I'm a stinging insect magnet.Oh, one plant I know can't tolerate too much water is the Black Dalea. I had several until that Hill Country flood of the summer of 2002. Then they all died. Maybe someday I'll grow some again.
I guess that I will have to show my gardening techniques at the next Round-Up. ;o)
Very cute Kip, I like that technique!!!
lol - too cute :-)
Hello guys, look what I found at the Wilscape the other day;
Clammyweed, Polanisia dodecandra, I think it is so pretty.
