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Nature’s Way Resources owner John Ferguson, “The Lazy Gardener” Brenda Beust Smith and Pablo Hernandez welcome your feedback and are so grateful to the many horticulturists who contribute their expertise

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CAMELLIA ‘YUME’ blooming now in the Asian Section of Houston Botanic  Garden’s Global  Collection Garden and Woodland Glade. 

WITH WINTER COMES

DIFFERENT (NEW?)

GARDEN OUTLOOKS!

BY BRENDA BEUST SMITH 

OUR PAST FEW WINTERS have everyone looking for more cold hardy plants. Nowhere is there a better resource for our home gardens than our two major botanical gardens:

• Houston Botanic Garden, south of downtown Houston
• Mercer Botanic Garden to the north

Not many cities can boast two such internationally-recognized horticultural gardens! If you haven’t visited both, now — with all the lights & decorations — is a perfect season for the whole family. Even non-gardening members will be awed by displays, while gardeners surely want to know what’s in bloom, especially mature plants that obviously can withstand our recent cold winters, blasting hot summers, prolonged droughts and infuriating floods!

 In the meantime, click both websites for maps, seasonal delights and activity calendars. Both are great places to see winter bloomers and LOTS more!

NEXT WEEK, we’ll spotlight Mercer’s now-in-bloom plants. This week — in Spotlight Article below, COLIN A. LYMAN, Houston Botanic Garden’s Associate Director of Horticulture, advises on great gingers for us. While not in full bloom now, this gives you time before spring to decide which ones to plant where and to see how HBG positions them while enjoying HBG’s incredible holiday lights show “RADIANT NATURE“!

CONGRATULATIONS, URBAN HARVEST! This unique horticultural (mostly) volunteer group is celebrating 30 years of educating Houstonians about organic gardening and more. Urban Harvest serves 45,000+ Farmers Market patrons with fresh, local produce; providing nearly 4,500 students/teachers in socially-vulnerable areas with hands-on education; helped 3,823 community gardeners preserve 34+ acres of urban green space, promoting sustainability, access to healthy food and provided 2,000+ customers with affordable, healthy, local food. You can help! urbanharvest.org/support/

• ATTN. GARDEN/PLANT GROUPS — In wake of Hurricane Beryl, Nature’s Way Resources offers free guided tours of NWR’s extensive nursery/soil/mulch facilities for garden clubs, plant societies and other plant-oriented, organized groups. As usual, NWR’s now-expanded meeting site is free to above groups. Reservations a must for both.

“LAZY GARDENER’S GUIDE” (PDF format) is emaild free.  Request: lazygardenbrenda@gmail.comBrenda Beust Smith’s column is based on her 40+ years as the Houston Chronicle’s “Lazy Gardener” column — lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com Brenda’s column focuses ONLY on the Greater Houston Area

Spotlighting…

HOUSTON BOTANIC GARDEN

GREAT GINGERS FOR HOUSTON: Globba schomburgkii, Curcuma caesia, Hedychium coccineum ‘Disney’ and Hellenia speciosa

DESPITE CHALLENGES, GINGERS REALLY DO LIKE HOUSTON AREA!

By COLIN A. LYMAN

Houston Botanic Garden

Associate Director of Horticulture

Since Houston, over the last few years, has experienced more consistent freezes, we try to find plants to add to our collection that can withstand the heat and humidity of the summer, and the short freezes we get in the winter.

This is sometimes a challenge when temperatures can change drastically. A good amount of plant species can withstand cold and heat, but if there isn’t a period of transition, or consistent drop in temperature over a longer period of time, the plants struggle to adapt to dramatic shifts in temperature, much like we do.

Despite this challenge there are a lot of cultivars and species of ginger that grow well in the Houston climate. In the event of a freeze the plants foliage dies back, but the underground rhizomes send up new growth in the spring as the weather warms up.

Some gingers however don’t withstand the freezes, sudden drops in temperature, or cold weather and are not as consistent in sending up new growth after a freeze. This inconsistency makes them more difficult to grow in our region, so we try to lean in to the species that can bounce back after cold temperatures.

The species below are the ones we recently planted in our tropical garden that from experience of staff, we think will bounce back consistently after freeze events. We plan to monitor their success over the next few years to withstand freezes.

• Globba schomburgkii
• Globba grandis
• Curcuma caesia
• Curcuma ‘Great Reign’
• Costus phyllocephalus
• Costus varzerum
• Hedychium ‘Palani’
• Hedychium coccineum ‘Disney’
• Hellenia speciosa

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you’ve never attended Houston Botanic Garden’s annual Christmas season “RADIANT NATURE” celebration, be sure to check this link above for parking and entrance directions. Tickets must be purchased in advance to park at the garden. (Presented by Reliant)

John’s Corner

NEWS FROM THE WONDERFUL WORLD

OF SOIL AND PLANTS # 311

Subject: Mulch

 I have been asked several times recently, “What is the best time to mulch and what is the best type of mulch?”

Fall is the best time to mulch as one of the principles of successful gardening is to copy nature. However, anytime is better than not at all. Nature hates bare ground and if there is not any mulch nature will cover it with plants often referred to as weeds.

This brings us to the second question, “What is the best type of mulch?” Texas does not have labeling laws hence the price point that it sells for is a good indicator. As in all things, higher quality generally costs more.

Mulch can be broken into three basic types based on its quality and usage. These types are Biological, Commercial, and Industrial.

Biological – This is the highest quality mulch and therefore the most beneficial in improving soils, preventing disease, protecting plants, etc. It has a low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, so it does not steal nitrogen from the soil and weaken or stress plants. It has been composted to kill weed seeds and pathogens. Composted “native mulch” and “coarse screened compost” are examples of this class of mulch. Aged Native Mulch, if made correctly, is the very best mulch for our flower beds. The bag will have holes in it so that air can enter allowing the beneficial microbes to breathe and be kept alive. This mulch will typically sell retail for $8-12 per bag (2 cubic feet).

Commercial – This is a middle grade of mulch made from tree barks (pine, hardwood, etc.) and is the most common. It will be in a sealed bag and may have a sour, stale or strong odor. It has a high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and robs soil of nitrogen and other nutrients. Tends to float off in heavy rain or develops unsightly molds and fungal mats and may attract fire ants or termites. Often becomes hydrophobic and will repel water and is often flammable. This mulch will typically sell retail for $4-6 per bag (2 cubic feet).

Industrial – This is the lowest grade of products called mulch. It is made from industrial waste like old pallets, construction wood, etc. It is often chemically burned black with industrial waste like coal ash, it will sometimes rub off in your hand, and it is often dyed various colors. It may contain arsenic from CCA treated waste wood. It has a very high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and robs nitrogen and other nutrients from the soil for a long time. It may be extremely alkaline and high in toxic salts.  It is often harmful to plants and soil and creates many problems. It is also very flammable. This product will typically sell retail for $3-4 per bag (2 cubic feet).

The picture below courtesy of the late Randy Lemon illustrates a dyed mulch killing plants. 

As in all things, one gets what they pay for or as the old adage states, “Buyer Beware”.

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