April 26 , 2012
Superstar plants
I love it when nebulous day in spring fool the fall asters ( and many fall perennials ) to bloom along with the larkspurs .
Even though we got a pause this winter with rain and mild temperature , the insects got a break too . They ’re just as thrilled as we are ! Really , every year in Texas is tough . If drought does n’t get us , it ’s too much rain , too much cold , or too many pest . That ’s why I trust on my personal superstars to hang with me no matter what .
In the cat cove : Winecups on rainwater sex hormone climbed up to join the aboriginal Pavonia / rock rose ( Pavonia lasiopetala ) and larkspur .
Coneflowers in the crape seam stretch up to nestle against tough - as - nail Knock Out rose .
Red Admiral butterfly fuel up for another meddlesome day .
I call up they wear out going between the coneflowers and the Rusty blackhaw genus Viburnum ( Viburnum rufidulum ) .
take note : this aboriginal shrub thickets like ball !
MyAngelica pachycarpahangs out with me every wintertime until June or so . Now it ’s sending up flowers before it crashes in a few weeks .
Underneath , I ’ve planted White venose Dutchman ’s pipe ( Aristolochia fimbriata ) to cover the outer space when it run sleeping . Since pipevine swallow-tailed coat butterflies are nectaring all over the garden , I suspect they ’ll be set eggs presently .
But did you know that there are officialTexas Superstar plants , thanks to research at Texas A&M University?This workweek on CTG , Tom meets with A&M professor H. Brent Pemberton , Texas AgriLife Research , to commend a few that you could receive in baby’s room right now .
One is the Cora and Nirvana Vinca ( periwinkle ) series . These summer annuals are resistive to the aerialPhytophthorafungus that devastated our periwinkle prospect in the past . They are resistant of hotness and humidity and DEER ! In this photograph , they ’re in the foreground of other Superstar works , like Esperanza .
Brent explain how Texas AgriLife Research run plant under grueling Texas conditions to make certain they ’re baffling enough for your garden ! Watch for this Grandma ’s Yellow Rose rose , here with Burgundy Sun SuperSun Coleus and Tidal Wave ™ genus Petunia .
One I discovered last class in a garden isAngelonia angustifoliaSerena ™ series .
It ’s a summer annual , but if you care that snapdragon / larkspur feeling in summertime , it takes the rut , sunlight and drouth ! Just nabbed a few myself !
Here ’s brant ’s CTG list . Plus , check out all theTexas Superstars . One to check for is cenizo ( Leucophyllum langmaniae‘Lyaa ’s Legacy ’ ) that can blossom more often in summer than other selections . But since all assortment of cenizo / Texas sage are superstars , it’sDaphne ’s Pick of the Week !
But why do they fail for some of us?Daphne explain why . One is pitiful drainage , too much pee , and not enough sun . Even a gutter that gushes into the sphere can be disastrous . The exposure above comprise a fatality in my garden when trees grew up and it did n’t get the hot eruption of Lord’s Day it really want .
The second grounds is prune it too much . Cenizo really does n’t require to be hedge to perfection . Just lightly shape it to encourage more growth .
On tour , meet some virtuoso butterflies and birds at the Bulverde / Spring Branch Library . Thanks to the Comal County Master Gardeners and Friends of the Library , a rocky slope at the conclusion of the parking lot is now an instructional templet to gardening and wildlife , plus an outdoor haven to read a Holy Scripture !
Daphne ’s question of the week come from Nettie Birnbaum:“Do we call for to make clean or sterilize our pots or dark plastic 6 - mob before replant or seeding ? ”
Yes ! Daphne recommends cleaning with soap and water and then a 10 % bleach result . Rinse well and dry .
Since many of our container plant life need to be fraction this clock time of year , Trisha explain how to do that . She also shows how to separate new nursery works , like basil that are overcrowded . Get her tips on amend / sterilizing old potting grime , how to keep ants out of your can , and how she lead off summer harvest in containers until winter plant wind up for the year .
This Sunday , link the CTG teamand theTravis Master Gardenersat KLRU ’s 50th anniversary natal day party ! We ’ll be urinate “ rust a rainbow ” watchband for kid ( veggie ! ) . Plus there are long ton of activities , PBS character , and the Biscuit Brothers for this family fun day ! It ’s noon – 4 p.m. on 2nd street in Austin . See you there !
Thank you for your financial support of CTG as we manoeuvre into KLRU ’s 51st class ! See you next week , Linda
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