XEROPHILES PICKED RIGHT PLANTS THIS SUMMER!
“A cactus doesn’t live in the desert because it likes the desert; it lives there because the desert hasn’t killed it yet.”
— Hope Jahren (1969-) Fulbright Award-winning American geochemist and geobiologist
By Brenda Beust Smith
XEROPHILES* RULE! If ever there were a plant that has “2023!” plastered across its “forehead,” it has to be the cactus and fellow members in the succulent world!
Houston Cactus & Succulent Society (HCSS)’s JIAHUI (ECHO) PANG delights in encouraging others to try these heat-defying bloomers, including the ones pictured, all available at the FRI-SAT, SEPT. 22-23 HCSS Cactus & Succulent Society Sale.
*(XEROPHILES: Greek, ‘xeros’ meaning ‘dry’ & ‘philos’ meaning ‘loving’)
Speaking generally and based on her Houston-area cacti-growing experience, Echo suggests you might . . .
“…consider these as replacements
for your now-shriveled-up-weather-wimps!”
These Genus of cactus, Echo adds, “love heat and don’t need too much water
— Astrophytum, Ariocarpus, Obregonia, … basically slow growing species with taproots.”
Other groups that bloom in heat and drought include Coryphantha, Lophophora and Matucana. A big flush of summer blossom of these in the wild usually happens after a good rain in summer monsoon season. Others, Echo adds, that perform better with more water are the Genus Gymnocalycium and Echinopsis.
When it comes to succulents which do need extra water in summer, Echo lists Euphorbia (E. milii, E. francoisii), Jatropha and Adeniums. But, she cautions, all summer growers (bloomers) will appreciate a little more water in summer compare to other season. Click link for details:
SAT., SEPT. 22-23: HOUSTON CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY
FALL SHOW & SALE. Friday 9-5 pm, Sat. 9-3 pm.
Metropolitan Multi-Service Center, 1475 West Gray. hcsstex.org
THIS JUST IN. . .The above HCSS sale will also include plants from the extensive collection of the late, well-known collector GRANT WELLS. Mr. Wells, a former HCSS president and Judge passed away this past summer. Mr. Wells’ collection includes choice Euphorbias, Dyckias, Aloes, among other plants.
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LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! This column is usually aimed at already-experienced Greater Houston gardeners, primarily interested now in expanding their horizons. Hopefully newcomers are learning in the process.
This particular section, however, is aimed at newcomers to our area — or to gardening here in general — with hopes you experienced gardening readers will chime in with mistakes and or misconceptions you’ve encountered.
IF you’ve moved here from afar, you may think planting advice for “Houston” applies throughout. Some does. Much does not. Within the City of Houston’s 640+ square miles, various areas have different soils, some gumbo clay, some more sandy, etc. Look beyond your own backyard and find out these things!
“Greater Houston Area” now officially covers over 10,000+/- square-miles , encompassing 9 Texas counties and 3 planting zones (8, 9 & 10). When it comes to specific plants (including natives), Montgomery County advice may differ greatly from Galveston and Brazoria Counties. Austin County (does NOT include City of Austin) and Waller County may have different gardening needs than Liberty and Chambers.
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TELL FOLKS YOU’RE BUYING/ASKING ADVICE FROM EXACTLY WHERE
YOU LIVE! Just saying Houston might get you less than helpful advice. That’s why I always ask readers to include their general “location.” This also goes for getting/giving advice on the very-good Houston Gardening Facebook page.
Experimenting with new plants is fun and generally not THAT expensive. Weather makes guessers of us all. With large investments, however, trust your source (like your neighborhood independent nurseryman who knows your area and NEEDS your repeat business)! And, of course, our calendar below is full of reliable group plant sales that will be staffed with folks-in-the-know. Just don’t tell them “I live in Houston, etc ” Be specific!
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Lest you think we were dedicated chiropterologists, we were actually watching Bill throw rocks up in the air, not “at” bats but to watch them zoom down following the rocks and making time-defying U-turns seconds before crashing into pavement. Never once did we see a bat hit bottom.
Thanks to Houston Arboretum for these wonderful memories! Bat guano is excellent garden fertilizer, which I’m sure will be among the bat tidbits shared at Houston Arboretum & Nature Center’s BAT FEST Fri.,-Sat., Sept 22-23. I’m also sure they’ll tell you, but if don’t, ask if it’s true tequila production is in peril because bats are the agave plant’s only pollinator and stems that produce pollen needed by bats are being cut off prematurely by tequila brewers? More
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Planting, of course, had to wait until after the love of her life — theGarden Club of Houston’s Bulb and Plant Mart (this year Oct. 12-14. See Calendar below.) Email lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com for a pdf copy of Sally’s flyer.
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Brenda Beust Smith’s column is based on her 40+ years
as Houston Chronicle’s Lazy Gardener Email: lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com
— Note: This column’s gardening advice focuses ONLY on
the Greater Houston area. Personal reports MUST include your area.
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* BRENDA’S “LAZY GARDENER GUIDE” is no longer sold. However, free pdf copies available upon request at lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com
NOTE: When sending pictures for potential use in column, please make sure they are jpegs no larger than 10″ wide AND each is identified by its NAME.
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SPONSORSHIP
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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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