Home-grown Strawberries

In her Arkansas garden, my grandmother never was without several rows of strawberries. In the summer, Sunday dinner usually was topped off with strawberries and cream (her poor-man's version was cold Pet milk and sugar whipped together). I still can taste those plump, ripe berries, best when still warm from the sun.

My little pot of strawberries is coming along nicely. I took this shot yesterday of the first ripe berry. I've been looking at it each day, waiting until it's perfectly ripe to pick. This morning, I went outside. salivating at the thought of that perfect berry - only to discover that a #%^@ 'possum or raccoon beat me to it! I'm thinking it probably was the 'possum I saw having a good time in the back yard and on the back porch yesterday. I am not happy. I'm not sure where I can put it that a critter can't get to, since I've seen them scale metal table legs to reach the tabletop.

Maybe a net is in order.

Pecan trees budding out

OK - it's official. Spring truly is here - the pecan trees are budding.

Pecans are the prudent sisters of the tree family. They don't want to take any chances in being trapped by a frost. If they are leafing out, they are pretty confident that no more cold (not cool - cold) snaps are coming.

The pecan orchard across the highway from us is coming to life and our two old pecans are following suit, as this photo shows.

Now I'm hungry for pecan pies!

Dill is easy to grow - right?

Dill is easy to grow. Even new gardeners know that. Look it up and you'll learn that all it needs is full sun and well drained soil and watering when dry.

So why do I have so much trouble with it?

I'm on my third attempt to grow dill. The first time around, it grew, but did not thrive. The second time, it turned brown and died. This time, as you can see by the photo, it's turning brown around the edges. Again.

I've read that dill does not like to be transplanted. Maybe that's it. I don't see any signs of pests.

Is there something I'm missing?

Tulips in bloom!

Although this isn't a good photo, you can at least see that the tulips I planted now are starting to bloom. I scattered them around the annual bed, so it's hard to get a photo showing more than one. Next time, I will plant them in mass for more impact. Yes, there will be a next time. I've decided the payoff is worth the investment.

When I first saw the tulips fully open, I thought, boy, that was short-lived, That afternoon, the petals folded up and the next morning, they opened again. I'm anxious to see how long the blooms last before finally fading.

Ah...the joys of gardening. Each day is a new discovery.

Carnations (Dianthus Caryophyllus)

These are the pink carnations I picked up last week. They are companions to the pot of African daisies and the pair bring a nice spot of color to the gray of the weathered deck and the blue/gray siding of our house. I've never grown carnations before and thought I'd try them in a pot and see if they appeal to me the way other dianthus do. They are not florists carnations. These small carnations as the wild ancestor of the garden carnation. They are herbaceous perennials that produce sweet-scented blooms. Give your carnations at least 6 hours of full sun. Deadhead to produce more blooms.

An interesting note: One Christian legend says carnations first appeared when the Virgin Mary shed tears as she watched Jesus carry the cross to his crucifixion. The carnation has come to symbolize a mother's love, helped along when Anna Jarvis chose it as the official flower of Mother's Day.

African daisies

I found these pretty African Daisies at Home Depot this week and thought the shades of violet/pink would make a nice contrast to a yellow pot that needed a new plant. As a companion, I bought pink carnations (coreopsis) for the second pot. They add color to the gray deck near the side door.

If you Google African daisies you'll find lots of references to the annual Dimorphotheca. These African Daisies I bought are osteospermum. According to Osteospermums.com, the name comes from the Greek osteon (= bone) and Latin spermum (= seed). This member of the daisy family sometimes is called South African Daisy, Cape Daisy or Blue-eyed Daisy. The label on the plant might say annual, but they are half-hardy perennials, which means they won't survive multiple frosts but will survive if protected.

Give your African Daisies plenty of sun, water frequently and feed weekly with a general fertilizer of your choice. Be sure to deadhead to prolong flowering. If you need to prune for tidiness, go ahead. They will send up new shoots.

Tulips from Amsterdam

These are the tulips Stephanie brought back from Amsterdam. She also brought back a box of pink ones for herself. She waited a week or so before planting hers, so we are anxiously awaiting their appearance. They should be lovely.

If you plant tulips in Southeast Texas, understand that they are annuals here, even though they are bulbs. Instead of digging them up, storing and replanting next year, as you can in cold climates, you might as well toss them after blooming.

Tulips are classified by their bloom time: early spring, early to mid-spring, mid-spring and late spring. The ones Stephanie brought back are late-blooming, since in Southeast Texas, the usual time to plant tulips is late December or early January. By mixing bulbs of different bloom times, you can enjoy the beautiful blooms longer.

For her birthday each February 10, I gave Stephanie a vase of purple irises and yellow tulips for several years. They make a striking combination, with the yellow tulips bringing out the yellow in the irises' throats. If you're looking for an elegant arrangement, try it I like them simple, with no added greenery, in a tall, cobalt blue vase. The tulips droop gently, creating a wreath around the tall iris stems.

Planting tulips

I've always loved tulips but never planted any. Why? I'm not sure. I guess it's because they are a one-shot thing. You plant them, they come up, then die and never are heard from again. Also, they are kind of expensive when compared to annuals.

When my daughter, Stephanie, came back from a business trip to Amsterdam, she brought me a box of tulip bulbs. It wasn't easy, since she had to get tulips certified to be disease and pest free and had to get them stamped, so I was doubly grateful for the gift.

They already had been pre-chilled and needed to go in the ground right away, so I got busy and added them to my annual bed. Within a week or so, the first tiny green tips poked through the soil and now, they show promise of being nice-sized tulips. I'm really excited to see them in bloom.

Gloxinia Revenge

If you ever doubt the inexplicable ways of plants, consider this.

After I blogged about a gloxinia having one beautiful bloom season and being too difficult to get to bloom again, I went to water my gloxinia and found an ENTIRE new set of leaves coming from beneath all the droopy, damaged and dying leaves and brown buds

Sure, it said. Diss me and I'll show you!

Time will tell if that new growth will sustain blooms. Until I find out, I'm treating it with the respect it evidently demands.

The Shamrock

Happy St. Pat's Day! Did you know that the shamrock - an Irish Christian symbol of the Holy Trinity and the registered trademark of the Government of Ireland - is the old, three-leaved white clover? Yes, indeed - and that means I have little patches of my ancestral home in my back yard! Legend says the shamrock was a sacred plant to the Druids of Ireland because it has three leaves - and three is a mystical number in the Celtic religion. If you want the true Irish shamrock, the botanical name is Trifolium repens, a bulb that can bloom (white flowers) around St. Patrick's Day. Keep your shamrock plant healthy by cutting it back a couple of times a year and storing it in a cool, dark place to allow it to reset. Shamrocks are dormant in Ireland during the winter.

Loropetalum 'Burgundy'

Joel and I bought this Loropetalum (chinese var. rubrum 'Burgundy') a number of years back from a clearance sale at the garden shop Rhette Browning used to have on Calder in Old Town. It was on clearance because it was root bound and leggy.
We planted it in one of the first beds we built in an "L" alcove of the house. I didn't prune it much because I liked the tree shape, rather than the squat form. It obviously loves the spot, since it's now 10 feet tall or more. I prune it only when two branches rub or it encroaches too far into the yard to make mowing easy.

It rewards us with the most amazing, neon fuschia blooms, like these. Click on the photo and look at the dark branch at the lower left. It's the true color. As long as our tree is happy, I'm letting it have its way.

Old chinaberry tree finds new life

The really old chinaberry tree on the south side of our house has taken some serious hits in the last 25 years. It went from a sturdy trunk with a wide, airy canopy to a storm-damaged stick of a tree. As it aged, it began rotting on the inside, yet the outer ring of wood continued to send up new limbs each year that provided dappled shade for the bed beneath. When it became too unsteady, I finally agreed with my husband that it should come down. Oh, I hated that. I always loved the fringed leaves, pretty lilac blooms that covered the yard like elegant confetti each spring - and didn't even mind the berries. When we chopped it down, I dug into the center cavity and found decomposing organic matter. Joel and I both had the same idea: why not turn it into a planter? I mixed some potting soil and expanded shale to help retain moisture and filled the cavity with Louisiana blue phlox and a lovely purple verbena. The stump is now a bright spot in a bed that was turned ugly by the freeze this winter and has become a focal point for what will be coming up around it.

Photos, photos, photos

My camera is back! They shipped it to my husband's office since we have a P.O. Box so I won't have it until late this afternoon, but the moment is back in my hands, I'll be outside taking lots of photos of the latest changes in the garden. The past week has been a whirlwind of activity around here. We pulled out an old chain link fence that was an eyesore (and full of mature poison ivy vines), finally got the iron wall of ginger dug up (it took a chain hooked up to a truck to dislodge it, despite all the recent rain!), trimmed back the climbing rose over the arbor, made a small bed for roses now that the area is clear, and planted lots of herbs.

I was reminded of the importance of taking photos of your garden as I looked back through old ones that showed how different our yard is now. I have photos of the big bed in front of the game room when we first built it. It was a neat bed with a few small plants and a small water garden. The water garden now is gone, the small African irises now are huge stands and we have a narrow walkway of flagstone that leads to the fountain we put in a couple of years ago. It's so nice to have all the changes documented. This photo is an old one of the climbing rose in overblown glory. Later, fellow gardeners...

Gloxinias - one time glory

I believe that part of being a gardener is knowing which plants to give up on - and when. For me, an obvious example is the gloxinia. It's such a beautiful plant, but trying to keep one alive and getting it to bloom again once it's lost its florist glow is futile - for me, at least. I recently spoke to a group about my book, "Grace, Gratitude & Generosity" and as a thank you, they gave me a beautiful gloxinia in full bloom with lots of buds. It touched me because the gloxinia was one of my grandmother's favorite flowers, but she never had one. Now I know why. They are next to impossible for all but the most dedicated gloxinia fans to propagate, grow and get to re-bloom. I wanted to make mine last, so I researched what it takes. The answer? More than I'm willing to do. Time is a gardener's best friend - and enemy. As with most things in life, you have to choose were to place your priorities. If you have so many hours a day to garden, which would you rather do - spend lots of hours on one or two plants that likely won't survive, or spend those hours on plants you also love and know will produce with much less care. Obviously, there are exceptions. Many people prefer to specialize in tough, demanding plants. They are successful in their pursuit and enjoy the challenge. But for the average novice gardener, coaxing a lovely bed of blooms is reward enough. What do you think?

March birth flower - the Daffodil

March is a wonderful month for gardeners, and special to me for several reasons. In March, the first bulbs already have made an appearance in Southeast Texas. The paperwhite narcissus have bloomed and gone, but the March Birth Flower is bringing vivid color to yards and pastures. The cheery yellow trumpet and petals of the daffodil announce that spring truly is here. Daffodils symbolize hope, modesty and faithfulness. At least six of my family members have birthdays in March, beginning with my sister Billie, then my sister Anita, followed by my nieces Lisa, Tracy and Katie, then my mother. My grandmother always had daffodils in her yard, and they still faithfully return each year to my dad's homestead, despite his absence.

Cameras in the garden

If you've noticed a slowdown in posts with photos, there's a reason. My camera has been acting up for a while. I did some online searching and found it was a known flaw in a component that should be able to be replaced. So I shipped it off and have been camera-less since. It's been miserable. Here we are when buds are forming, cold-hardy annuals are re-blooming and everywhere I look I see potential shots. I am anxiously awaiting news of my camera's return. Until then, I'm inviting any gardeners who have photos to share to post them or email them to me with a brief description, your first name and city. Photos are an integral part of this blog and I like to use original photos. Send yours in. Even when I get my camera back, I'd still love to see your photos.

Beekeeping Seminar in Orange

This is the flyer for the Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center beekeeping semiar on March 9. For more details, visit www.shangrilagardens.org

Have a Gardening Question?

If you've got gardening questions, Master Gardeners have the answers. Master Gardener interns take an intensive course on everything from integrated pest management to lawn care and landscape design. After a year of volunteering in the community, they earn their Master Gardener Certification. Since the main focus of the MG program is education for the community through volunteers who assist county AgriLife agents, what better way than to answer questions from area gardeners? While a Master Gardener might not have the answer, he or she knows where to find it, with extensive training and research materials.

You can ask a Master Gardener your question every Sunday through March 21 from 2-4 p.m. at Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Orange. Certified Master Gardeners, Interns or Trainees from around the State of Texas will be available. The event is free to the public (does not include garden tour). Tours are available for regular fees. If the Master Gardeners don’t have an answer readily available, you can fill out a question card and they'll get back to you with the answer. Shangri La is at 2111 West Park Avenue in Orange and is open Tuesday through Sunday. For more information call 409.670.9113 or visit shangrilagardens.org.

Pheonix tomato

Southeast Texas vegetable gardeners have a passion - bordering on obsession for some - for home-grown tomatoes. They eagerly watch for news of new varieties that show promise that they can add to their tried-and-true favorites. Here's such news.One of the top varieties of tomatoes tested in field trials in spring, 2007 and spring 2008 by A&M for Texas gardeners is the Phoenix. It's a hot-set tomato that performed July through November. The Phoenix is a "medium-maturing variety that produces good yields of large and extra-large fruit. The fruit was firm, had no cracks and had a good-to-fair taste. The fruit shape and color were good. The plants were medium to large in size and had good to very good foliage," the Aggies say.

The Phoenix is the 2010 "Rodeo Tomato."

Lady Bird Royal Blue Bluebonnet

Every time I see a field of bluebonnets, Indian Paintbrush and other wildflowers, I think of Lady Bird Johnson. Her passion for wildflowers and for her home state created a legacy that will be enjoyed for generations to come. How fitting that a new variety of bluebonnet has been named after her - and was chosen as the "Rodeo Flower" for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The Lady Bird Royal Blue bluebonnet is a spectacular shade of blue.

Dr, Jerry Parsons of A&M and Micah Meyer, Jefferson County AgriLife specialist, have written a guide for successfully cultivating bluebonnets. Some of the tips are: Choose the right location. It must be sunny - at least 8-10 hours a day. If not, don't expect a good show. Bluebonnets will thrive in any soil or potting mix as long as it is well drained. Keep the potting mix or soil slightly moist - not overly wet. Once plants become established (two or three weeks after planting), they are relatively drought tolerant and one of Texas' toughest natives. Bluebonnets form ground-hugging rosettes, only several inches tall, but with a spread up to dinner-plate size. The plant will not grow rapidly (no matter how much you water or fertilize) until warm spring temperatures prompt flower stalks. Beneath the rosette of leaves, a large mass of roots has the ability to form nitrogen-fixing nodules called Rhizobium which are filled with beneficial bacteria that can take nitrogen from the atmosphere and feed the plant. Fertilize sparingly unless plants are pale green/yellowish. Use a water soluble fertilizer (like MiracleGro) when watering. Be careful not to place transplants too deep. The crown should not be buried; the plant will rot.

Photo credit: Dr. Jerry Parsons

Vegetable Seminar this Saturday in Beaumont

The Texas AgriLife folks are presenting a gardening seminar this Saturday that you won't want to miss if you love tomatoes, wildflowers or both. Dr. Jerry Parsons, whom I've heard is a great speaker, will present the program. Parsons is a vegetable specialist from Texas A&M, and you can be sure the seminar will be applicable to Southeast Texas gardeners. Among his topics will be two new selections available to gardeners: the Lady Bird Royal Blue bluebonnet and the Phoenix tomato. I will blog on those individually the next two days.

The seminar will be 9 a.m. - noon (Feb. 27) at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service Auditorium, 1225 Pearl Street, Suite 200, in downtown Beaumont, across from the courthouse. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The cost is a very reasonable $10 per person. Insider info: a few of the new bluebonnet and the new tomato will be available for purchase. The program is conducted by Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas. Persons with disabilities who want to attend and need auxiliary aids or services can call Cary Erickson, Jefferson County Human Resources Director at (409) 839-2391 five working days prior to the meeting so appropriate arrangements can be made. To pre-register or for more information,call 409-835-8461 or e-mail: jefferson-tx@tamu.eduAs usual, there will door prizes.

First iris of the season

Spring is soooo close.

Here's the first iris to bloom so far.

Lots more to come, I hope...

Master Gardeners radio spots

Here's a shot I took a couple of days ago when the Master Gardeners went down to KVLU at Lamar University to record some public service spots in conjunction with the Texas AgriLife folks. That's Master Gardener Intern Kathy Attaway on the left and Master Gardener (and past president) Micah Shanks on the right. Intern Cecil Hightower didn't make it into the shot. Sorry, Cecil - I'll catch you later, maybe in your fabulous garden.

The spots air during the early morning on KVLU National Public Radio, 91.3.

New local water garden blog

John Cooper sent an email asking if I would pass along information on his new blog, Southeast Texas Ponders, which is geared toward water gardens. Here's the message:

Hello, I live in Beaumont, Tx and have started a forum for Water gardening and Koi/Goldfish Ponds. I'm trying to create a place for people of setx to share pics of their ponds, water gardens, container gardens and to ask for help, share ideas and trade/sell plants. Free-to-join url is http://www.setxponder.com/

Nice name for the blog, John

How to Grow Plumeria

To become a full-fledged Master Gardener, we intern newbies are required to volunteer a certain number of hours to the community. As part of my volunteer hours, I, along with others, write and record "Out in the Yard with the Master Gardeners," brief radio spots broadcast on KVLU Public Radio. When I do those spots, I share them with you on the blog. Here's one on plumerias.

If you are charmed by the lovely flowers and heady fragrance of plumerias, spring is a good time to try your hand at growing this beauty. Plumerias are perhaps most closely identified as the flowers used in Hawaiian leis, although they are native to Mexico and Central America. As a tropical plant, it will require protection from frost or freeze in winter.

Plumerias will need at least 4 hours or sun to flower well. Although they can be grown in the ground in a sunny, sheltered spot with an overhang, planting them in a pot allows you to take them inside a garage or other sheltered spot when the temperature drops below 40 degrees.
Plumerias spend almost half a year in a dormant state, so don’t be surprised when they begin to drop leaves and turn into bare sticks. Water your plumeria to duplicate what it would experience in its native lands: a wet season followed by a dry season. During the growing season water frequently, especially during the heat of summer, but don’t let the soil stay soggy. Let it dry slightly between watering. When it starts to drop leaves in the fall, stop watering.

Plumeria seedling take 3 to 4 years to bloom, so unless you are patient, buy an established plant. Feed every other week with a fertilizer high in phosphorus, but stop feeding in September to allow the new growth to harden off before winter. Plumerias root easily; take cuttings sometime between February and May. Allow the new cutting to callous about 10 days before potting. Dip the cut end in a rooting hormone, place in potting soil and keep moist. Too much water can cause the cutting to rot, so pay attention to the moisture level.

Free Pancakes

Want to support a good cause and enjoy some tasty pancakes?

Feb 23 is National Pancake Day and IHOP restaurants are serving free short stacks of pancakes (7-10 a.m.) to help raise awareness (and money) for Shriners Hospitals for Children. IHOP has set as their goal donations of $1.75 million. They've already raised $3.25 million over the past 5 years through the National Pancake Day fundraiser. When guests are given their pancakes, they are asked if they would like to donate to Shriners Hospitals for Children (22 pediatric hospitals that provides all services free).

Shriners does great work, helping children get top-notch medical care when they otherwise might not be able to afford it. So go enjoy some pancakes and make a donation for the kids.

Trade leaves for trees

Shangri La Botanical Gardens in Orange continues to have innovative and relevant events for Southeast Texans. This Saturday, they will offer a double chance to help the environment; get rid of leaves that would go to a landfill and get a free tree. Here's the announcement, taken from their website:

On Feb.13, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center will swap trees for leaves. Participants may bring one or more bags of leaves to Gate 4 at Shangri La and receive a tree. Gate 4 is located approximately one block west of the entrance of Shangri La on Park Avenue in Orange. The address for this entrance is 2140 Park Avenue. Signs will show the entrance. Trees will be swapped for leaves between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and Noon. Anyone who would like to receive a tree to plant on their property can bring one or more bags of leaves to swap for a native tree in a one-gallon pot. Bags should contain only leaves, no trash, sticks or limbs. Most of the trees available are a variety of oak and only the first 200 participants will receive a tree. Please, only one tree per participant. If participants would simply like to donate their leaves, they are not required to take a tree.

Leaves from this project will be composted and used in Shangri La gardens. Workers will be available to unload leaves and load trees. This is an excellent way to help save landfill space and provide needed composted materials for Shangri La. For additional information, please phone (409) 670-9113.

Weed - or wildflower?

The sticky weed that clings to clothes, skin, fur, or anything else that brushes against it is cleaver (also known as stickyweed or gooseweed). Cleavers (Galium aparine) are wildlfowers that are reported to have some medicinal uses as a tea or poultice.

What is this weed?

This weed can take over quickly if not contained persistently before it makes seeds. It starts with a base of broad leaves, then sends up tough stems with little yellow flower clusters at the base of the leaves. Those flowers turn into sticky balls that cling like Velcro to everything, spreading voraciously. The stems aren't strong enough to support the leaves and seeds, so they cling to other plants, fences, or any other vertical surface.

What is this plant, photographed in my annual bed, which is reported to have medicinal purposes? I'll post the answer tonight.

How to prune roses

Rose fanciers traditionally prune roses on Valentine's Day, so if you need help knowing how to properly prune your roses, now is the time to learn. Fortunately, each year the Golden Triangle Rose Society performs the honors for the beautiful rose gardens at the historic McFaddin-Ward House in Beaumont - and they invite the public out for a free demonstration. This year, the event is Saturday, Feb. 6, from 10 -11 a.m. Members of the rose society will be glad to answer questions. If you'd like, you can take home some clippings and try your hand and propagating a new bush.

Meet at the back gate of the house on North Street between Third and Fourth Streets.
Bring good thorn-proof gloves and newspapers for your cuttings. The McFaddin-Ward carriage house also will be open (free) to go on a self-guided tour between 10a.m. - closes at 4 p.m. Tours of the main house are $3. Call 409-832-2134 for a reservation. For more information, call (409) 832-1906