CELEBRATING & IDENTIFYING ROSES & OTHER SURVIVORS
BY Brenda Beust Smith
TEMPERATURES are predicted (hopefully) to eventually move into what — in normal years — is one of our most beautiful seasons, especially for roses. Time will tell how Fall 2023 will stack up. Coming out of this summer’s challenges, no wonder readers worry. Eg, BECKY described her roses as “stick plants” with “dinky little blooms.”
To see what GAYE HAMMOND, Past President, Houston Rose Society (nation’s largest chapter)
advises Becky to do, see Spotlight Article below. First, however, here’s how to see how your Fall 2023 roses match up to pros’ blooms at the 2023 American Rose Society’s South Central District’s Fall Rose Show and Convention
Non-HRS members who register for the Rose Society convention can enter roses in open categories (only), including one for the general public called “What’s My Name?” Members will try to identify your rose.
(Scroll down for Gaye’s sick rose diagnosis & prognosis for Becky)
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TOUGH PLANTS FOR TOUGH SPOTS. Two possible choices (above) rarely bothered by heat, drought, excessive shade and/or poor drainage — common landscaping headaches across Greater Houston area — will be available at San Jacinto County Master Gardener’s Sat., Oct. 7 Plant Sale in Shepherd.
Left, American Beauty Berry (Callicarpa americana) has moved from forest edge to semi-shady garden spots. Beautiful purple berries follow small whitish- pink flowers (favorites of blue jays, mockingbirds, and young raccoons).
Right, Button Bush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Pollinators love the pin cushion-like flowers followed by honey balls. Also good for wet, low-lying areas where the extensive root system slows erosion along ponds and bulkheads.
Wading birds and ducks love the fall seeds.
Both these plants and other great choices will be available at the . . .
San Jacinto County Master Gardener’s Sat., Oct. 7 Plant Sale 9am-1pm, Shepherd Community Center, 10251 TX-150, Shepherd https://txmg.org/sjmg/projects/plant-sale-10-7-23/
Above,HOUSTON BONSAI SOCIETY‘s PAUL CESAK has moved his beautiful collection from it’s shade-protected summer outdoor site back into sunshine. Bonsai is, after all, the ancient art of growing certain trees and shrubs in small shallow containers and — through careful and precise training and pruning — creating the appearance of an older, mature tree.
Not a task to be taken lightly or without incredible patience. So when Paul decrees it’s time to return his treasures to their “au natural” outdoor situation, it’s a MAJOR decision. As you see, the sun is shining on them again!
Interested? Drop by the SAT., OCT. 7: HOUSTON BONSAI SOCIETY FALL SHOW, 9am-4pm, Mercer Botanic Garden, 22306 Aldine-Westfield. Free.
Already into bonsai but not a member? Register/membership info:
Below, ROSE WHISPERER GAYE HAMMOND’s diagnosis of Becky’s post- summer-rose symptoms and more great fall advice!
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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.
* BRENDA’S “LAZY GARDENER GUIDE” is no longer sold. H owever, free pdf copies aupon request at lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com
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ROSES MAY BE TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING — LISTEN! by GAYE HAMMOND
HOUSTON ROSE SOCIETY
Past President
(pictured — Gaye’s rose garden )
Tons of crunchy brown leaves in trees but none on roses? You’re are doing a good job battling brutal weather conditions! At 95 degrees, roses shut themselves down to preserve whatever moisture / food stores they have. This is why:
You don’t see a lot of new growth
Some flowers on some roses get dinky or go from having 50 petals to 5 Some varieties even have flowers that change color in really hot weather Some leaves show some spotty sunburn but given it has been up to 110 that is not surprising. Leave these leaves on the plant as it is the leaves that make the food for the plant. Eventually, they will fall off when new leaves are ready to take their place.
In addition, when nighttime temperatures are 80 or above, the bushes do not get the ability to recover from day-time heat stress – which can be a double whammy.
As temperatures come down, roses will gradually get back to normal. To prepare for a fall flush of blooms, we do not “prune” like one would do in February. Fall is the time to “groom” bushes – remove dead wood and any spindly growth that is not big enough to hold up a flower. Now would also be the time to fertilize or add nutrient-rich soil amendments,
EDITOR’S NOTE: Lots of experts to have more questions answered!
THURS., OCT 12: THE ANNE BELOVICH COLLECTION – THE SKY’S THE LIMIT! by ANITA CLEVENGER & CLAUDE GRAVES, Virtual. 7-9pm, Houston
Rose Society/Houston event. Free. https://meet.goto.com/479378477
FRI.-SAT., OCT. 27-28: 2023 AMERICANN ROSE SOCIETY SOUTH CENTRAL DISTRICT FALL ROSE SHOW AND CONVENTION, Bellaire Civic Center, 7008 S.
Rice Ave., Bellaire, houstonrose.org/scd23ind.htm
NEWS FROM THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SOIL AND PLANTS # 257
Subject: microbes and minerals rare earth elements scandium V-D yttrium
Every day we are learning more and more about the importance of microbes in our soil to enable us to have healthy plants. For example, many soils have limited iron (Fe) availability which then limits plants growth. Sometimes this occurs due to low levels of iron in the soil or sometimes the iron is locked up chemically in mineral forms the plant cannot absorb, hence it is unavailable.
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research have discovered that plants release signaling chemicals from their roots that direct certain species of bacteria to mobilize iron so the plants can absorb it. The bacteria break apart the chemical bonds releasing the iron. Cell Host & Microbe, 2020
We regularly hear about the benefits of re-mineralizing our soils. For example, there is a group of elements known as REE (Rare Earth Elements). These are a set of 17 elements (15 of which are lanthanides plus scandium and yttrium). A series of studies from China have shown that these elements when present in the soil, accelerated plant cell growth and enhanced production of plant secondary metabolites (often these secondary metabolites are the anti-cancer compounds) as well flavonoids and phenols that are used to counter some diseases and oxidative stress in humans.
Other studies have shown that cerium (Ce), lanthanum (La) and praseodymium (Pr) showed positive effects on plant growth and stimulated the production of secondary plant metabolites. Other studies have shown that REE’s increased root production even at low concentrations. HortScience (2020)
We never see scandium listed on a bag of fertilizer. However, from our study of the elements a couple years ago, this element is essential for good human health as scandium occurs at higher concentrations in our heart and bones.
Scandium has been found in association with the amino acid proline.
It is well known that Vitamin-D is essential for good health and helping our immune system fight diseases like covid. However, other studies have shown that the vitamin-D molecule has to have scandium to work effectively. If one does not have scandium, then V-D cannot function effectively. Other work has discovered that the human body needs adequate boron to utilize scandium.
Scandium has been found in 3% of the plants tested, with vegetables having 5 ppb (parts per billion) and grasses 70 ppb while “tea” leaves can have 140 ppb.
Scandium is used as a seed germinating agent when applied as scandium sulfate (Sc2(SO4)3) in a dilute solution to corn, peas, wheat, and other plants. It increases the number of seeds successfully germinating.
Scandium content is higher in old leaves and roots as compared to younger leaves and some herbs have scandium at levels up to 2 ppm.
The article on REE above also mention Yttrium (Y). This element also enhances normal cell growth and doubles the lifespan of laboratory animals. In rodent studies, 14% of the ingested Yttrium can be detected in the newborn mice. Yttrium has been detected in nucleic acids, and even human breast milk contains 4 ppm of Yttrium.
A deficiency of yttrium has been linked to several metabolic diseases like
Lou Gehrig’s, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and Parkinson’s diseases. In the absence of certain required trace elements, DNA will make use of substitutes. One doctor has found that if there is an Yttrium deficiency, which is used at junction of a gene and DNA molecule, without Yttrium, the body uses aluminum which is a different size atom that results in misalignment of the gene and a genetic mutation due to nutrition occurs.
Most plants have about 0.6 ppm of yttrium. However, manyedible plants may have 20-100 ppm with cabbage at the higher end of the range.
The seeds of woody plants can have 700 ppm of yttrium. Nuts are seeds, and are some of the healthiest foods we can eat. Is this a coincidence, or did God know what he was doing.
As you can see from the above it is important to Re-mineralize our soils if we want healthy, plants, pets, and people.
This is an example of why I always recommend a quality organic fertilizer like MicrolifeTM along with Re-mineralizer to provide additional trace and micronutrients.
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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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