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Nature’s Way Resources honors the contributions of our late owner, John Ferguson. “The Lazy Gardener” Brenda Beust Smith and Shelby Cassano welcome your feedback and remain grateful to the many horticulturists who share their expertise.

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by Brenda Beust Smith | The Lazy Gardener

No doubt now, fall weather is here, and we’re in luck. Take this transition time to think more about what pleases you best in your garden. Then figure out ways to not only improve on that enjoyment, but to enhance the overall look as well.

First, reader LYNN SMITH’s love of white flowers has triggered a clever way to utilize different color additions to make the white even more striking. Then LINDA WHIPKEY gets us back into practical mode with tips on helping bromeliads.

Lynn wrote: “BY LYNN SMITH

I am really partial to white flowers, have had all white flowers for many years but lately have gone with colorful blooms in between. This year I planted zinnia seeds and coreopsis seeds and a few came up so a little color now.

My yard is 95% perennials and in spring it is amaryllis–many colors–

and oxblood lily(s). Then, when they are going out, it all turns white again, (making a far more striking impression). L-R: Front walkway perennial beds. Color from March thru October. Beginning with 200 red & white amaryllis, spider lily, oxblood lily, tuberose, naturalized chives, white Siam lily, white ruellia, white rain lily. Center: 1st bushy plant next to brick wall: Nuccio’s Gem Camellia. Beautiful glossy green leaves, naturally rounded shape bush.

Flowers profusely in Dec & Jan. No bugs, struggles in summer heat but always recovers once cooler days arrive. Survived Uri with some extra attention. I do not cover in cold weather, has to survive as-is. Right: Big pots with ivy, white begonia, Siam lily. The Siam lily is a profuse bloomer in summer heat. Loves heat, only blooms once days are at least 85+. Well drained soil, needs water but tolerates dry spells. Hard to kill, you can ignore it if planted in the ground.

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YOUR BROMELIADS NEED YOU — NOW!!!

by LINDA WHIPKEY

BROMELIAD SOCIETY/HOUSTON

Mid-October is time to get ready to protect your bromeliads from coming cold, damp winter we get in Houston.

Consider November as a transition month when the average high temperature at beginning of month is usually in the mid-70s. As time goes on, temperatures fall to high 60s.  With lows approaching the 40s, if you haven’t taken precautions, your bromeliads are in danger.

Precautions include:

• Sheltering plants – Most important measure to protect from colder temperatures.  Many people bring bromeliads into the house or garage.  Due to their primarily tropical nature, almost all bromeliads will need to be brought inside. 
• Inside micro-climates differ greatly from what they are accustomed to outside in the summer. 
• Check for pests anytime you bring a plant inside from outside, especially on undersides and at axils where leaves meet the stem. 
• Keep brought-indoor plants separate from usual house plants for a few weeks. Remove pests such as scale or mealy bugs by swabbing them with rubbing alcohol. Rinse the plant with water and allow it to dry.
• Clean pots. Wash each pot with soap and water, rinse with a diluted bleach solution, let dry completely, and then rinse again with water.
• Cut back watering. In the house, the warmth can stress the plant.  Furnaces and heaters rob the air of water vapor.  This doesn’t mean that you water more often.  It means plants will go through a period of very slow or absent growth.  Thus, watering can be cut back. When you do water, soak the container thoroughly and allow excess water to run out. You do not want potting soil to remain soggy, or the plant could suffer from root rot. Broms can act like succulents, and some are.
• Increase humidity. Use a humidifier or group plants together in pebble trays to create the surroundings with higher humidity.
• Light. In the house, chances are they still are getting some light. In the garage, plants have to adapt to the amount of light they get.  Ensure they receive bright, indirect light, adjusting the plant’s location as the angle of the sun changes. Open the garage door on warm days to get light in.

If you can’t bring in plants — too big or inground — cover with frost cloth or blankets during cold nights – in the 30s and low 40s. Unfortunately, we as plant growers cannot do anything about the weather.

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Sometimes mushrooms are hard for even experts to identify. Cory thinks these might be green-spored parasol mushrooms. Houston Botanic Garden photo

Don’t miss FUNGI FEST!

by CORY SAUL & JASON LACEY

HOUSTON BOTANIC GARDEN

Mushrooms, like plants, are extremely diverse in our region. Some are more common than others, like Green-spored Parasol (Chlorophyllum molybdites), but from the gardener’s perspective, it’s often enough to simply learn why mushrooms show up, and what they indicate. It turns out, they have a lot to tell us.

Mushrooms are always a sign of decay, but, at least when they are emerging from the ground, they are rarely a sign of parasitism or poor garden health. They aren’t the bad guys! In fact, mushrooms (or the fungi they are a part of) are doing their part to recycle organic material. 

When we see ground mushrooms at Houston Botanic Garden, we typically glean two things right off the bat: Organic matter is high. The substrate is wet and staying wet 

For example, if Flowerpot Parasol (Leucocoprinus birnbaumii) is showing up in our Cactus Garden, the nutrient level might be too high for arid plants, and the soil might not be draining as well as it should.

At the Garden, we typically let mushrooms lie. They are fun-looking, show off Houston’s biodiversity, and they do not stick around for long. If anything, instead of addressing the mushrooms, we’ll adjust the space in which they appear, so it drains better and participates more effectively in the nutrient cycle. 

For those concerned about mushroom toxicity, the immediate solution is always to remove the mushrooms as they appear. It’s important to remember that many fungicides are non-selective, so when you’re killing the bad, you’re also killing the good.

Don’t miss FUNGI FEST (https://hbg.org/event/fungi-fest/ )

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Subject: Soil Science for Regenerative Agriculture and The Regenerative Agricultural Solution

Please enjoy this column from October 2024. 

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