“Be like the bluebird who never is blue For he knows from his upbringing what singing can do.”
Cole Porter (1891-1964) American composer and songwriter
EVIDENCE IS BUILDING — We ARE ‘NATURE’S BEST HOPE’ BUT WE NEED EXPERT HELP
BY BRENDA BEUST SMITH
“Naturalized, variant, interspecies hybrids, foragers . . ” — garden nomenclature is expanding almost as fast as the spreading awareness that Doug Tallamy is right.
Our gardens are part of our total environment, what we do as gardeners affects all of nature around us. We are, in Doug’s words: “Nature’s Best Hope.” Doug’s concept of a Homegrown National Park (aka our gardens, parks, prairies, etc!) is catching on. Click link to join.
Does this mean yards with ONLY native plants? Certainly not! Although it is true landscape-friendly natives (not all are) — once gardeners realize the lower care, etc. — are growing in appeal for a huge variety of reasons. One thing’s for certain, with this growth comes a need for more professional input on how to make good choices.
THREE NOTES FROM EXPERTS came across this desk recently, informally confirmed by readers’ comments.
WHAT ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE? An American Scientist article noted that only recently has attention been paid to how climate changes affect leafing out and/or leaf-dropping. Even in these early days, it’s becoming obvious that “… non-native shrub species hold their leaves longer in the autumn than native shrub species; thus, invasive shrubs may gain a competitive advantage in both spring and autumn.” It’s now established that invasive nonnatives are gradually eliminating many native species. You may be amazed at how many you may recognize on this site: 2013_Invasives_guide_small.pdf
IN OUR SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE BELOW, MATT WARNOCK TURNER,
gives a quick preview of some of the should-be-used-more-often natives focus of his upcoming April 8 presentation SAT., APR. 8: TEXAS NATIVE PLANTS AND INDIGENOUS USES, 9:30-10:30 am. Museum of
Natural Science, 555 Hermann Park Dr.. $18. urbanharvest.org/stec
Matt’s program (and book) “Remarkable Plants of Texas: Uncommon Accounts of Our Common Natives,” explores the little-known facts behind our everyday botanical landscape. Matt shares his expertise regularly in his American nature writing lectures as part of the University of Texas Honors Program and in his PBS documentary, “Wildflowers: Seeds of History.” His Houston lecture is a joint project of Urban Harvest, Native Plant Society of Texas-Houston and Houston Museum of Natural Science
The more we know about natives we use in our landscapes, the closer we grow to our own natural world and their importance in the grand scheme of things. That’s the focus Matt will give to many of our landscape-friendly natives that have become readily available to home gardeners. A preview below.
* * *
PLANTING FOR BLUEBIRDS. Two retired Aldine teachers queried recently about bluebirds — GLENDA LANEY about her lack of them in her yard this year (compared to previous years), and BETSY RUCKMAN’s curiosity about why her tiny bluebirds repeatedly are climbing the window screen above her dwarf cleyera japonica and then appear to be “falling” down (perhaps to feed?). Sure are fun to watch!
Eastern bluebirds are the most common ones seen here. As usual with wildlife, their presence hinges on food-availablity. Birdseed often won’t cut it!
Nature writer Gary Clark, who has seen some bluebird eggs in nests,
responded to Glenda’s “where are they?” query with:
“Hard to say what’s going on with the absence of songbirds in our yards . . . This is an odd time of the year when birds that wintered here are heading back north and when resident birds are shifting around and staking out breeding territories.
“I think we’re seeing a temporary period of transition. Also, climate change has altered the timing of spring vegetation—maybe not noticeable to us, but definitely noticeable to birds whose lives depend on the timing of vegetation.”
Bird feeders usually don’t tempt bluebirds — unless you takeextra measures.
Betsy’s bluebirds probably feed on her Cleyera japonica, berries which are not as noticeable to humans, but obviously delighted her little bluebirds.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATURALISTS!
Hard to believe the Texas Master Naturalist Program is now 25 years old. (Like the new logo!) Just as amazing: our Master Gardeners Program is 45 years old! Both are so worth joining. Just click on linked names to find a chapter near you.
* * *
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
Please note: Personal reports must be accompanied by your area. My column focuses on gardening advice for this area only.
* * *
Urban Harvest, Native Plant Society of Texas-Houston and Houston Museum of Natural Science
Little-known facts behind our everyday botanical landscape …
By MATT WARNOCK TURNER, Ph.D,
Naturalist, Author, Teacher University of Texas
drmattturner.com / Photos by Matt Warnock Turner
EDITOR’S NOTE: Matt Warnock Turner contact: drmattturner.com
For the “rest of the story…”
SAT., APR. 8: TEXAS NATIVE PLANTS AND INDIGENOUS USES
by MATT WARNOCK TURNER, 9:30-10:30 am.
Museum of Natural Science, 555 Hermann Park Dr..
Urban Harvest, Native Plant Society of Texas-Houston and HMNS. $18. urbanharvest.org/stec
NEWS FROM THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SOIL AND PLANTS # 231
A study from Germany found that 70% of all plant species are continuing to decline. They found over one third are threatened and 76 species are now extinct as natural habitats are destroyed. Nature Sustainability, 2022.
As these native species decline so do the butterflies and birds that depend on them and eventually mankind.
As a society we have millions of private gardens and landscapes, balconies and green roofs, parks, right of ways, bayou and stream easements, electric easement, railroad easements, etc. These areas are a potential way for gardeners to help address this issue by planting native species.
Garden Clubs and other gardening groups (Master Gardeners, Master Naturalists, Native plant Society, and others) need to get involved and educate our bureaucrats and politicians on the importance of this issue. Restoring natural systems provide a wide range of benefits that all members of our society.
There are several great books that will help one understand the importance of using native plants and modern organic methods.
“Bringing Nature Home – How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants” by Douglass W. Tallamy, Timber Press, 2014, Edith Printing,
ISBN-13: 978-0-88192-992-8
This book is for anyone whom has a yard or garden and loves nature and is one of the most interesting books I have read in a long time. Linking everything from bird watching and small animals to how and why energy from the sun flows through a eco-system like a yard or garden to the decline of butterfly and moth species.
“Nature’s Best Hope- A New Approach to Conservation That Starts In your Yard” by Douglass W. Tallamy, Timber Press, 2019, ISBN-13: 978-1-60469-900-5
This book picks up where Doug’s book “Bringing Nature Home” leaves off, which is a must read for all serious gardeners and nature lovers. This book is more of a “How To” book on using our yards as part of our ecological solution to many of society’s problems today. Not only does these techniques mentioned bring back life in our yards from bees and butterflies to birds, it saves money and resources.
“The Nature of Oaks – The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees”
by Douglas Tallamy, 2021, Timber Press, ISBN: 978-1-64326-044-0
I am a big fan of Dr. Tallamy and his insight into the natural world that God has given us. However, this insight has cost me a lot of money.
After reading his first book (“Bringing Nature Home – How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants”), I was so inspired that my wife and I accelerated our plans to buy some land in the country for our retirement home. Over the last eight years since then, I have planted over 2,400 trees and shrubs (169 species) as part of a habitat restoration on the property. This does not include the hundreds of species already growing on the property. It has been very rewarding to watch the land heal and wildlife return.
Dr. Tallamy has also established an organization called “Home Grown National Park” where one can register their home or farm as a restored property. By linking millions of properties, we can make a huge difference.
For those whom want more and to go a little deeper, the book below does a good job of tying many of these environmental issues together and how it affects our health and society. As the old proverb states, “It all starts with the soil!”
“THE SOIL–HUMAN HEALTH NEXUS” edited by Rattan Lal, PhD, CRC Press, 2021, ISBN: 978-0-367-42214-1
This book ties together many of the issues facing society today and is part of a series of books titled Advances in Soil Science. This book compiles the studies of over 25 scientists and hundreds of papers from around the world.
The focus is on what has become known as “One Health” from multiple disciplines from all over the world to obtain optimal health for people, animals, plants, and our environment. The concept of One health has a strong history in the Bible as far back as Moses.
See what the land is like and whether the people that live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor?
Are there trees on it or not? Do your best to bring back some fruit of the land. Numbers 13:18-20
The term “soil health” refers to the functionality of a soil as a living ecosystem capable of sustaining plants, animals, and humans while also improving the environment. In addition to soil health, the environment also comprises the quality of air, water, vegetation, and biota. The health of soil, plants, animals, people, and the environment is an indivisible continuum.
“Soils can beneficially or adversely affect human health, and likewise human activity can improve or destroy soil health. In the new anthropogenic era, it is worth examining the soil health-human health nexus. To do this, the author evaluates soil from the perspective of what infects us, what heals us, what contaminates us, what nourishes us, and what we breathe. Likewise, the author examines the impact of humans on soil using a similar matrix and suggests strategies to improve human health by maintaining or improving soil health.”
“One of the notable ramifications of the Anthropocene is the growing risks of decline in soil health by anthropogenic activities. Important among these activities are deforestation, biomass burning, excessive soil tillage, indiscriminate use of agrochemicals, excessive irrigation by flooding or inundation, and extractive farming practices. Soil pollution, by industrial effluents and urban waste adversely impacts human health. Degradation of soil health impacts nutritional quality of food, such as the uptake of heavy metals or deficit of essential micro-nutrients, and contamination by pests and pathogens. Indirectly, soil health may impact human health through contamination of water and pollution of air. This book aims to: Present relationships of soil health to human health and soil health to human nutrition. Discuss the nexus between soil degradation and malnourishment as well as the important links between soil, plant, animal, and human health.”
This book is a great way for one to learn about these relationships and how they can be applied in one’s own garden and has a tremendous amount of information for the serious gardener or naturalist.
* * *
If we inspire you to attend any of these, please let them know you heard about it in . . . THE LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS NEWSLETTER! & please patronize our Newsletter & Calendar sponsors below!
SPONSORSHIP
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact us at 936-273-1200 or send an e-mail to: lazygardenerandfriends@gmail.com
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.
Download the Newsletter with Our Events Calendar Below!
