April 18, 2023
One thing Outdated, One thing New
Once I planted a narrowleaf globemallow (Sphaeralcea angustifolia) final November, it was a new-to-me that I needed to attempt after I noticed it on the Wildflower Middle’s plant sale. Huge promoting level: It accepts my clay soil and half shade.
Now topping 2’, I began with a small plant that danced by way of freeze and ice on this half shade/late afternoon solar island mattress. Little did I do know that Gulf penstemon’s tubular lavender flowers would bloom in tandem with narrowleaf’s pale pink cupped blossoms to go well with any bee’s fancy. (By the way in which, make your reservation now for the Wildflower’s Spring Plant Sale which fits by way of Could 7.)
Just a few months in the past, I added a borage transplant since I’ve had no luck with seeds (thanks, squirrels, climate, and operator error!). Native zexmenia flanks it, quickly to be coated in golden yellow flowers. Outdated-timer bearded irises body one aspect, handed alongside from generations of gardeners earlier than somebody handed me a bag of rhizomes.
I haven’t harvested borage flowers for salads but, or invested in its numerous healthful properties, aside from one which’s particularly helpful to me: fascination and awe for its intricate magnificence. The bees aren’t that sentimental—they only race to the flowers to chow down. Works for me.
For weeks now, the spuria iris crew throws a each day buffet for enthusiastic wasps, flies, and different pollinators. An acrobatic fly seems to have pollen on one foot!
These statuesque pass-alongs thrive in my clay soil in numerous daylight circumstances: morning or night mild or a bit of each, however they do want some solar for finest flowering. Their leaves will brown up in a couple of months after I’ll chop them to the bottom. They’ll pop up once more in late fall/early winter. There are various colours, largely sourced on-line.
Vivid magenta pops in to claim its towers of flowers on Byzantine gladiolus. One other old-timer pass-along, I’ve divided its corms from a sunny spot within the island mattress to border an arbor close to the spuria. Sunny-yellow Jerusalem sage blooms past.
One among my first pass-alongs was a Louisiana iris from Don Freeman, a mentor to so many by way of Zilker Botanical Backyard. Demure lavender and yellow go well with this serene, shady/some solar nook the place native coralberry colonizes past and purple coronary heart (Tradescantia pallida) weaves alongside its toes. Salvia ‘Indigo Spires’ peeks in on the proper.
Now, how about groundcovers? Texas frogfruit (Phyla nodiflora) stands as much as solar, half shade, every kind of soil, and sure—mild foot visitors. Tidy and tiny, clip its rambling stems to realize this flagstone attraction in a backyard we visited not too long ago. Butterflies head to its teensy white flowers from spring to fall.
With out a query, evergreen native snake herb is my all-time favourite to cowl the bottom and not using a fuss in solar, shade, drought, flood, and freeze. Certain, intense freezes take it to the bottom, but it surely rallies quick, attending to about 8-12″ tall in some areas, shorter in others. You may trim it in the event you like, however I don’t. This week it favored small pollinators with virtually secretive little lavender flowers, however you’ll be able to guess they discover them. No, it doesn’t entice snakes!
If the frequent title worries you, wrap your tongue round its botanical one: Dyschoriste linearis! Yowsers; I’ll go together with snake herb.
CTG’s on the highway fairly a bit lately and new tales are developing quickly! Strolling into Austin PBS at some point, rejoicing within the drizzle, I ended to admire this drought powerful ensemble: winter-colored muhly grass, evergreen sedges, and past, native four-nerve daisy blooming to feed pollinators. Low upkeep and year-round attraction.
Nice occasions developing!
April 22: 1-4 p.m.
Central Texas Plant Folks Plant Swap at Tillery Road Plant Firm
Could 6: 10 – 4 p.m.
American Botanical Council
Herb talks, excursions, plant sale
Thanks for stopping by! Linda