WHAT WE NEED ARE MORE PLANTS THAT LIKE
END-OF-WINTER WEATHER!
“May we raise children / who love the unloved things – the dandilion the / worms and spiderlings,
Children who sense / the rose needs the thorn.
“MAY WE RAISE CHILDREN” by NICOLETTE SOWDER, Wilder Child and Wildschooling
by Brenda Beust Smith
This is a trying time for gardeners. So much is still winter-dormant (aka maybe dead) and we have had freezes as late as early March. BUT! Smart gardeners have at least one or two oh-so-welcome, still-cold-weather-turning-warm stalwarts supplying delightful color.
Would love to share any full-in-bloom color and/or leaf-eye-interest now in your
yard that has NOT been given any kind of artificial cold protection: aka greenhouse, frost covers, or other unnatural weather barriers.
“Au natural” (leaves/pine needles) don’t count. They’re Mother Nature’s coverings that some of us choose to emulate.
If you have some not-new, now-wonderful-winter-surviving bloomers, do share! To get you started, pictured above are four such brave souls proving yards do not have to look desolate in the waning of our winter: Left to right . . .
CAROLINA JESSAMINE. (mine). This vigorous yellow blooming vine is great for fences or trellises. More about this plant. I have two, this one’s covered with flowers, the other’s just starting to produce buds.
WEEPING YAUPON (mine). I have been in love withIlex vomitoria
‘Pendula’ ever since I saw it fronting Mercer Botanic Garden’s Visitor Center back in the ’70s-’80s. Mercer’s-no-longer-there weeper towered above the one- story roof. Its masses of red berries truly delighted me, as well as birds and other wildlife! Ilex vomitoria f. pendula stalks shoot straight upward, sending out down-fountaining stalks that fill with red-turning berries.
‘JANE’ JAPANESE (PINK) MAGNOLIA — CONNIE KIRKPATRICK CASE.
Connie’s 3-year-old ‘Jane’ Japanese (pink or saucer) magnolia is already covered with lots of upward growth that will continue produce even more of the saucer-size blooms of Magnolia x soulangiana.
JAPANESE BOXWOOD — RON MEGOW. Retired Mercer (Gardens) Botanical Collections Curator Suzzanne Chapman officially identified these as evergreen Japanese boxwood (Buxus microphylla). Upper layers of cold-damaged leaves turn either an eye-catching white or, on others, a bronze color. Suzzanne kept her Japanese boxwoods small and elegant with formal clipping twice a year.
IF you have any colorful (or just interesting-looking) winter plants right now that have NOT been given any kind of artificial cold protection: aka greenhouse, frost covers, or other unnatural weather barriers, do share: lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com
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THE TIMES ARE A’CHANGIN’ . . .
PLANT EXCHANGES & SWAPS (no sales) used to be very common when I started the ‘lazy” Chronicle column in the ’70s &’80s but eventually faded in popularity. So glad to see them thriving again. These events are not only excellent places to find/swap plants, but those hosting are usually fully of happy-to-share growing tips.
Even before Mike gave the Texas Rose Rustlers a home base (and retail outlet) for their wonderful own-root rose discoveries in abandoned cemeteries and other sites, Mike was bringing into the spotlight and into trade many Texas native wildflowers we now take for granted. Mike has been a true gift to gardeners, and deserves warm praises for broadening our perspectives on these gorgeous plants. Hope you have many more wonderful years, Mike!
Brenda Beust Smith’s column in the LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS HOUSTON GARDEN NEWSLETTER is based on her 40+ years as Houston Chronicle’s Lazy Gardener
Email: lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com
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Above, succulents sure to delight at HCSS’s Wed., Feb. 22 Exchange, l to r,
: Pedilanthus macrocarpus, Euphorbia hedyotoides , Euphorbia schimperi, Pseudobombax ellipticum and Dorstenia foetida
For example, the succulents picture above are sure to be sought by experts at WED.,FEB 22: HOUSTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY. VALENTINE’S WHITE ELEPHANT UNIQUE CACTUS & SUCCULENTS EXCHANGE, 7pm, Metropolitan Multi-
Service Center, 1475 West Gray. hcsstex.org
(Exchange only; no sale plants. However, Houston Cactus & Succulent Society’s Spring Sale is May 12-13, Metropolitan MultiService Center on West Gray.)
CARBON CAPTURE — A CONCEPT GARDENERS MIGHT WANT TO
LEARN — Get used to this term which eventually may be incorporated into our local landscaping-speak to help highly developed coastal lands (US!) become as flood-tolerant as undeveloped prairies and other lands are further inland. Is paying more attention to our soil — including that on which your house and gardens sit — one route to reducing our potential future flood damage. Learn more at:
TUES., FEB. 14: BCARBON’S NATURE BASED CREDIT PROGRAM: AN EARTH BASED, EARTH CHANGING CONCEPT
by JIM BLACKBURN, Rice University Professor,
1-2pm, United Way of Greater Houston50 Waugh Dr. Free. Crestwood Garden Club event. territhomas@comcast.net
IS YOUR ROSE CARE KEEPING UP WITH THE TIMES?Our climate’s
definitely changing, and smart gardeners are adjusting. In our Spotlight Article below, Houston Rose Society’s KAREN GERLACH shares how changes may affect traditional Valentine’s Day (or thereabouts) care techniques on roses that traditionally need pruning. For more help:
Houston Rose Society’s free annual Pruning Demonstration Sat., Feb. 11, 2pm. Free. St. Andrew’s Church Courtyard 1819 Heights Blvd. www.houstonrose.org.
SPEAKING OF DATES: Several readers have written for this one:
MERCER BOTANIC GARDEN MARCH MART,, FRI., SAT., MAR; 24-
25, 10am-4pm Friday, 8am-4pm. or sellout Saturday, 22306 Aldine- Westfield, Humble. Free. 713-274-4160; FriendsofMercer.com
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Brenda Beust Smith’s column in the LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS HOUSTON GARDEN NEWSLETTER is based on her 40+ years as Houston Chronicle’s Lazy Gar,dener
Email: lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com
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Read instructions on Calendar below to avoid publication delay.
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CARE OF ROSES CHANGING WITH CLIMATE!
By KAREN GERLACH
HOUSTON ROSE SOCIETY
Weather extremes have been challenging for gardeners. This is how we cope with these challenges in our landscape.
Post Freeze Care
Avoid pruning until the risk of a late freeze has passed. Remove it if it is “mushy”.
Valentine’s Day is the traditional start of rose pruning in the Gulf Coast. Pruning removes old diseased growth and stimulates new spring growth! Pruning practices for climbing roses differs a bit.
Plant selection
Be open to new, plant selection/varieties. Consider heat/bolt resistant vegetable varieties.
Successive planting can help mitigate crop loss due to a freeze.
Review The American Rose Society “American Rose Society’s Handbook for Selecting Plants”.
Ask your Consulting Rosarians at the Rose Meetings!
Review the Texas A&M Agrilife extension Texas Superstar and Earthkind sites.
Planting a variety of flowering perennials to ensure something is always in bloom for our pollinators. Consider herbs such as rue, fennel, and dill as food sources for some caterpillars.
Planting Practices
Build up your soil’s organic composition to increase the soil’s water holding capacity. Consider composting and organic matter like shredded leaves, fallen branches and logs to enrich your soil.
Consider no-till techniques to reduce CO2 emissions. It also protects the delicate, beneficial microbial ecosystem in the soil.
Water less frequently but deeply for deeper root systems to withstand heat extremes.
Walk through your garden to spot insect activity before it becomes a bigger issue. Increased temperatures may increase the number of insect life cycles!
Plant trees to beautify, cool, and convert carbon dioxide.
Water conservation
Rainwater harvesting is a great way to keep your plants and wallet happy. A great guide is https://rainwaterharvesting.tamu.edu/
Plan for extreme events
Avoid last minute panic shopping. Purchase your supplies early. We purchase frost cloth in August and shade cloth in December! They are easily stored in metal, lidded garbage pails to prevent nesting critters,
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EDITOR’S NOTE: Houston Rose Society’s free annual Pruning demonstration will be Sat., Feb. 11, 2pm. Free.St. Andrew’s Church Courtyard,1819 Heights Blvd. www.houstonrose.org.
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BOOK REVIEW
As gardeners, we continue to learn about the importance of fungi in our soil and in our lives. I recently finished another very fun and informative book about fungi.
The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi – Exploring the Microscopic World in Our Forests, Homes, and Bodies by Dr. Keith Seifert, Greystone Books, 2022, ISBN: 978-1-77100-662-8
The following introduction to a section in the book rang a bell with me:
“With endophytes running through the branches and leaf tissue, epiphytes covering foliage, rhizosphere fungi surrounding roots, mycorrhizal connecting the tree to tree in the soil, and saprobes processing the fallen debris on the ground, a healthy forest is a busy place.”
A healthy landscape is a busy place, from the plants to the birds and wildlife
to the insects (pollinators and butterflies) to microbes and earthworms and everything in between. However, fungi and bacteria in the soil is where it all starts.
Dr. Seifert states there are ten times as many types of fungi than there are mammals, birds, and plants combined. Fungi are the connective tissue of life. When we use toxic chemicals (fungicide etc.) we destroy this marvelous web of life that God gave us to have beautiful gardens, forests and prairies.
From the publisher:
The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi traces the intricate connections between fungi and all life on Earth to show how these remarkable microbes enrich our lives: from releasing the carbon in plants for the benefit of all organisms to transmitting information between trees, to producing life-changing medicine, to adding umami flavor and B vitamins to our food.
Even though we can’t always see them, fungi exist all around us. From forests and farms to food and medicine—and even our homes and bodies
—fungal connections shape how we live. In this illuminating book, readers will “discover how these marvels of nature enrich (and sometimes threaten) our lives.” (Peter Wohlleben, New York Times-bestselling author of The Hidden Life of Trees).
Esteemed career mycologist Keith Seifert reveals the important role that microscopic fungi, including yeasts, molds, and slimes, play in our lives, all while remaining invisible to the naked eye. Divided into sections, each one exploring a different environment where fungi thrive, The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi introduces readers to the fascinating world of mycology, with information on:
How fungi are at the heart of life-changing medical breakthroughs, including the development of antibiotics such as penicillin and organ transplant drugs.
Where fungi live in our homes and how they influence our health, from our gut to our scalps.
How fungi add important vitamins to our diet and make our favorite foods and drinks possible, including wine, cheese, chocolate, and beer.
The essential role fungi are playing in innovative technologies, such as creating alternative energy sources, reducing plastic pollution, cleaning up toxins from oil spills, and even building architecture for a Mars colony.
Despite their many benefits, we hold a precarious relationship with fungi: fungal diseases lead to over 1 million deaths each year, and they have played a destructive role in disasters ranging from the Irish Potato Famine to possibly even the extinction of the dinosaurs. The Hidden Kingdom of Fungi urges us to better understand our relationship with fungi—and to plan our future with them in mind—while revealing their world in all its beautiful complexity.
Dr. Keith Seifert spent more than 40 years studying fungi on five continents. At Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, he did research on microscopic fungi from farms, forests, food, and the built environment, to reduce toxins and diseases affecting plants and animals. He was president of the International Mycological Association, an executive editor of Mycologia, and associate editor of several other scientific journals. He lives near Ottawa, Canada.
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ABOUT US
BRENDA BEUST SMITH WE KNOW HER BEST AS THE LAZY GARDENER . . . but Brenda Beust Smith is also:
- a national award-winning writer & editor
- a nationally-published writer & photographer
- a national horticultural speaker
- a former Houston Chronicle reporter
When the Chronicle discontinued Brenda’s 45-year-old Lazy Gardener” print column — started in the early ’70s as a fun side-project to reporting, it then ranked as the longestrunning, continuously-published local newspaper column in the Greater Houston area. The name, she says, is not just fun, it’s true. Brenda’s gradual sideways step from reporter into gardening writing led first to an 18-year series of when-to-do-what Lazy Gardener Calendars, then to her Lazy Gardener’s Guide book which morphed into her Lazy Gardener’s Guide on CD, which she now emails free upon request. Brenda became a Harris County Master Gardener and, over the years, served on theboards of many Greater Houston area horticulture organizations. She hosted local radio and TV shows, most notably a 10+-year Lazy Gardener specialty shows on HoustonPBS (Ch. 8) and her call-in “EcoGardening” show on KPFT-FM. For over three decades, Brenda served as Assistant Production Manager of the GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA’S “BULLETIN” magazine. Although still an active broad-based freelance writer, Brenda’s main focus now is THE LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS HOUSTON GARDEN NEWSLETTER with John Ferguson and Pablo Hernandez of Nature’s Way Resources. A native of New Orleans and graduate of St. Agnes Academy and the University of Houston, Brenda lives in Humble, TX, and is married to the retired Aldine High School Coach Bill Smith. They have one son, Blake. Regarding this newsletter, Brenda is the lead writer, originator of it and the daily inspiration for it. We so appreciate the way she has made gardening such a fun way to celebrate life together for such a long time.
JOHN FERGUSON John is a native Houstonian and has over 27 years of business experience. He owns Nature’s Way Resources, a composting company that specializes in high quality compost, mulch, and soil mixes. He holds a MS degree in Physics and Geology and is a licensed Soil Scientist in Texas. John has won many awards in horticulture and environmental issues. He represents the composting industry on the Houston-Galveston Area Council for solid waste. His personal garden has been featured in several horticultural books and “Better Homes and Gardens” magazine. His business has been recognized in the Wall Street Journal for the quality and value of their products. He is a member of the Physics Honor Society and many other professional societies. John is is the co-author of the book Organic Management for the Professional. For this newsletter, John contributes articles regularly and is responsible for publishing it.
PABLO HERNANDEZ Pablo Hernandez is the special projects coordinator for Nature’s Way Resources. His realm of responsibilities include: serving as a webmaster, IT support, technical problem solving/troubleshooting, metrics management and quality control. Pablo helps this newsletter happen from a technical support standpoint.
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