Now given that 2011 is the worst one year drought in Texas history, most of us are dealing with challenges we’ve never experienced before. As Kathy Huber says in a recent chron.com article:

Forget the picture-perfect lawn. With drought and water restrictions, a more realistic goal is to keep grass alive.

When I took the Harris County Master Gardener training program a few years ago, we learned that deep and less frequent watering was the key to a healthy lawn. The reasoning is simple. Roots tend to follow the water. By watering your lawn frequently, you’ve conditioned the roots to cluster near the surface of the soil. With those 109 degree temperatures we had in August, those shallow, weak roots were baked. Lack of organic matter in your soil and the use of synthethic fertilizers and pesticides only make the problems worse.

So given where we are now, what do we do for rest of this year?

1Reduce or eliminate fertilizing until our normal rainfall resumes. This only encourages growth which requires even more water. Avoid synthetic fertilizers. Instead apply finely screened compost to areas of the lawn that have turned brown or died. Rake out the dead thatch first before sprinkling the compost. A healthy, porous soil that is not compacted is the best way to encourage your lawn to fill in those dead spots.

Photo courtesy of Hunter Industries

2 Most lawns need about 1 inch of water per week. During the drought they can get by with 1/2 inch and still survive. Find our how much water your sprinkler or irrigation system in putting out per hour by placing several empty tuna or coffee cans in each watering zone of your lawn. Run the sprinkler and check the cans after 15 minutes. Measure the amount of water in each can and then average them. If the average is 1/4 inch then you’ll need to water for one hour (1/4 x 4) to apply 1 inch of water. Stop watering if you see run-off down the sidewalks or into the street. Wait for the lawn to absorb the water you’ve applied first, then continue again until you’ve applied 1/2 to one inch of water.

3Keep the grass tall! St. Augustine does better with a height of 2-3 inches. It shades the root system, stores carbohydrates and maximizes photosynthesis. Cut the lawn when the height reaches 3 inches or more. Do not cut more than 1/3 of the height at a time. Cutting more will add stress and weaken the lawn as it spends a lot of energy to rejuvenate. Keep your mower blades sharp. Dull blades tear the grass, creating a brownish cast at the tips and lengthen healing time.

4Recycle clippings into the lawn. Clippings do not add thatch to your lawn, but do return nutrients and moisture. Use a good mulching mower that finely chops clippings and forces them deep inside to the soil surface (avoid cutting too much at one time as mentioned above).

5COMPOST! Treat spot areas with a finely screened layer of compost. It will help to loosen compacted soil, increase microbial activity and help it to hold moisture – which is good for the health of your lawn.

6Cinch bugs, other pests or fungal problems? These will be more challenging than most years. For cinch bugs, try Ecosmart Granular Organic Insect Killer. Fungal problems? Try Serenade for Brown patch control. Remember that following the other steps above is your best long term defense against pests and disease.

Need help with your lawn? Come in and speak with us. We’ve got the right advice and products for getting through this difficult drought.

Spiky plants attached to a Pyramid Trellis

While some varieties are both terrestrial and epiphytic, soil is not necessary to grow these plants. Their leaves have specialized cells that absorb water and nutrients. Their roots and spiky leaves make it easy for them to attach to a host. They’re not parasitic – they just need a place to anchor where they receive light and moisture.

Like other bromeliads, their life cycle ends after blooming once at maturity. New plantlets or pups form around the base or the stem of the mother plant. They eventually complete the same cycle in 1-3 years depending on environmental conditions. The blooms on many of these plants are vibrant, colorful and exotic looking.

Caring for Tillandsias varies somewhat based on their color and texture. Generally, varieties with stiff, gray or faded leaves require more light and less watering. Varieties with softer, lush green leaves require less light and frequent watering.

Here are a few easy care tips:

1 Avoid direct sunlight – they do best with strong indirect light (especially for varieties requiring more light). Indoors – near a window or under a fluorescent light – but avoid direct sunlight on a windowsill as it may burn your plants. For outdoors in our Houston summers, morning sun sparingly. Shady areas are best, remember these typically grow under the canopy of forest trees. Dappled sunlight, without sunburn.

2 Do not let them dry out. They enjoy frequent misting, especially the green, softer ones. Humidity alone is not enough. The leaves need to come into contact with water. In their natural habitat, this occurs through rain, dew, dense fog, etc. A good drenching or rinsing until dripping wet is recommended. Try rinsing them in the kitchen sink with your spray nozzle. Do not use distilled water as it absorbs nutrients from the plant. Water plants growing indoors – 2-3 times a week and outdoors – 3-4 times per week. This is a general rule of thumb. You want them to dry out between watering, especially the base – so if you remove them from their containers, do not put them back until the base is dry. Simply misting your plants occasionally is not enough, they need a good soaking on a regular basis.

3 Do not expose them to freezing temperatures. Keep them above 40 degrees. Most thrive in greenhouses so they can take the heat, provided you water more frequently. They do well indoors, but varieties requiring more moisture will need frequent watering. Plants can be attached using fishing line or floral wire (non-copper).

4 Fertilizing is usually not needed. They are susceptible to over-fertilization and it can kill them. If you do fertlizer, use 1/4 strength. It cans speed growth, which in turn produces better flowers and more pups. Avoid any fertilizers with urea, copper, boron or zinc. Copper kills Tillandsias.

5 Think vertical as well as horizontal. There are many creative ways to display these plants. You can hot glue them to driftwood, wreaths, sea shells, or place them inside terrariums, on a windowsill or mount them to plant trellis or wire obelisks. The second video below (Bok Tower Gardens) demonstrates a beautiful vertical display using fishing line to suspend the plants.

Have a look at these two short videos for ideas about displaying them.

Here are a few display photographs taken from Buchanan’s Greenhouse

Want to learn more? Come in to Buchanan’s and see our displays in the greenhouse. We’ve got a large selection of plants to choose from.

Reference used and helpful site about Tillandsia:
Air Plants – Tillandsia

Water Lilies - These mysterious blooms are easy to grow

Water gardening isn’t complicated. It may seem mysterious at first, but it’s actually very easy and quite enjoyable. Our climate here in Houston is perfect for water gardening.

From kettle gardens (low bowl filled with aquatic plants) to fountains, the hypnotic sound of moving water adds another dimension to your garden. It is important to note the difference between water gardening and a water feature. Water gardening involves aquatic plants, while a water feature typically doesn’t but does involves moving water in some fashion.

Disappearing Fountain

A disappearing fountain is one of the most dramatic water features you can add to you garden. It occupies a small amount of space and uses a hidden reservoir beneath to recirculate the water. Buchanan’s has kits that make this entire process easy to install and maintain.

Whether you prefer modern, eclectic or traditional – there is one to suit your style.

Water gardening can be a simple as a kettle garden to a large pond complete with a bog, waterfall, water lilies and fish. Water lilies are the gems of these gardens. Beautiful flowering aquatic plants available in tropical and hardy varieties. There are even night blooming tropicals. In Houston, we can grow them all.

Tropical and Hardy Water Lilies

Tropical water lilies prefer warmer climates and push their flower stem vertically out of the water. Their leaves are oval with serrated edges. Hardy water lilies can tolerate colder climates. Their blooms rest on the surface of the water and their leaves are round with a smooth edge. Water lilies are planted in a pot of heavy clay topsoil without any drainage holes. A layer of sand or pea gravel covers the topsoil (similar to how you would add a layer of mulch to a regular potted plant). This helps to keep the topsoil from mixing with the pond water.

Goldfish, Koi, Dragonflies and Mosquitos

If you decide to add fish, I would avoid mixing koi with water lilies. They tend to dig up aquatic plants. Goldfish are fine, but make sure you treat the water to remove chlorine and chloramines (disinfectants used to treat drinking water) before adding fish. Untreated tap water kills fish. I have Gambusia (a relative to the common guppy that eats mosquito larvae) in my pond. It is a 6 foot galvanized stock tank (from Tractor Supply) which is perfect for my water lilies. This look may not be for everyone, but I like being able to walk around it and reach in easily.

6 foot stock tank (from Tractor Supply)

One nice surprise about having a water garden is you’ll start to see dragonflies hovering nearby. They are beautiful creatures and love to eat mosquitos too! Funny how Mother Nature has a way of keeping things in balance. They like to perch so be sure to leave something for them to rest on. I usually leave a few bamboo stakes in potted plants nearby for them.

Dragonflies love to eat mosquitos

Here are some tips for successful water gardening:

1 Select an area that receives full sun or near full sun. If you want to grow water lilies, you’ll need full sun. As the water lilies grow (from March to October), their leaves will shade the water surface to help prevent aglae (water turning green). Ideally about 60% of your water surface should be covered.

2 Add some hornwort (Ceratophylum demersum – free flowing plant that adds oxygen) and some bog plants (sweetflag, pickerel rush, pitcher plants, etc.). These generally help purify the water. Use caution when planting Papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus) as it can be invasive if it escapes the bounds of it’s container. You can also add a bio-filter which circulates the water through a medium where beneficial bacteria remove waste from the water. There are some nice compact units that incorporate the filter along with a fountain.

Hornwort

Pickerel Rush

Pitcher Plant

Bog plants in pea gravel

Here (photo on right) water is purified by passing it through bog plants anchored in a loose medium (pea gravel). The plants draw their nutrients from the water as it passes through back into the pond. A recirculating pump keeps the water flowing. The slower the water passes through the better (more time for the plants to absorb nutrients).

3 Fertilize your water lilies monthly from March through September. You’ll find they will bloom a lot more if you do. The easiest way is to use Pondtabbs.

Simply push the tablet into the soil with your finger a few inches deep. It is not necessary to fertilize your bog plants since they are getting nutrients from the water.

4 For a small pond and kettle garden, choose a water lily suited for small spaces. A Colorado water lily does very well in containers. Most tropical water lilies need a little more space.

Tropical water lily

Colorado Water Lily (Hardy)

5Prune spent leaves on your water lilies. The plants will bloom more frequently with proper care and you’ll avoid the addition of decomposing leaves – keeping water clear. Try to keep leaves and debris out of the pond during fall and winter. Cover it if needed when your trees are shedding leaves. If you keep the pond free of debris, you won’t have to clean it as often. Typically you’ll need to empty it yearly and clean the bottom.

Water lily in vase

6

You can pick tropical water lilies on the first day they bloom and bring them inside. Their long stems make them a great choice for inserting into arrangements.

Treat them like a cut flower and place them in water immediately. They should last about 3 days.

The bloom will close in the evening.

Most tropical water lilies have a delicate sweet fragrance, which is an added benefit when picking them to bring indoors.

Try mixing some water lily blooms with more traditional arrangement elements and fillers for a unique display.

If you are interested in learning more about water gardening or adding a water feature to your garden, Buchanan’s can help. Browse our collection of fountains, aquatic plants and containers suitable for water gardens. Have questions? Come in and see us.

Easy Tips for a Successful Fall Vegetable Garden

1Location is key. Choose an area that receives a minimum of 6-8 hours of direct sunlight. The more the better. Vegetables grow best in full sun. Plan your location to receive as much light as possible from a southern exposure. The angle of the sun in winter limits the amount of light available. Areas close to the north side of your home may receive no sunlight in winter. Take the height of your vegetables into consideration. Taller ones behind the shorter ones, so each will receive as much light as possible. Leafy greens and root crops can tolerate a little more shade.

2 Use raised beds. Dr. Bob Randall who was the founding executive director of Urban Harvest, has been gardening in Houston for 30 years. He says raised beds are definitely the way to go. Whether you choose containers, or build a frame box from wood or stone, elevating the growing area gives you control over drainage and soil composition.

3Good soil. In an urban setting, your existing soil may be contaminated with toxic substances used years before. In my own garden, I built raised beds for growing food because my soil has poor drainage (gumbo clay soil) and the home is 40 years old. Who knows what is lurking in the soil from the 70′s? Start with good soil. The ideal soil is an organic sandy loam with a pH of about 6.5. If you are using containers, choose a well draining organic potting mix. For raised beds, buy a good garden mix amended with compost and organic fertilizer. Top off with a good quality native mulch, compost or alfalfa hay. Avoid mulches that contain mostly wood and bark. A good native mulch is made from small tree branches, leaves and buds. That is where most of the nutrients are stored. The longer the mulch has been aged (composted), the better.

4 Plant at the right time. Horticulturist and Permaculture designer, Diana Liga, says “the most important thing for a successful fall vegetable garden is timing. The key to success is planting recommended varieties at the appropriate time.” The best reference available is Dr. Bob Randall’s book, Year Round Vegetables, Fruits and Flowers for Metro Houston. You’ll find it a handy reference on what varieties do best here and when to plant them. You can pick up a copy of Dr. Randall’s book inside the Bungalow at Buchanan’s.

5 Prep your beds. Each season you’ll need to replenish nutrients in your soil. As plants grow, they break down and use the organic matter from the soil. It is important to remember to feed the microbes in your soil by adding compost. A healthy soil will in turn feed your plants. Since most vegetables are heavy feeders, adding a top dressing of organic fertilizer is recommended. I’ve had excellent results with MicroLife™ 6-2-4. It doesn’t burn your seedlings and it is easy to apply.

6 Keep soils hydrated even between plantings. Diana Liga points out, “Dry soils lead to poor microbial activity. Since we want to encourage beneficial microbes in organic gardening we need to work on revitalizing our soils a few weeks before planting time. Watering the beds regularly until planting will also make a significant difference with germination.”

7 Rotation. Avoid planting the same family of vegetables in the same spot over and over. Each year move them around to promote a healthy soil and outsmart pests and nematodes. It is best to have at least three or four raised beds or containers and to rotate plant families each season such as Legumes, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Squash, Onions, etc. Dr. Randall’s book has plan for both four and eight bed rotations.

What to Plant for Fall?

What you plant in your fall vegetable garden depends on several factors. For metro Houston, fall tomatoes should be planted between July 15-31 and provided with shade from the afternoon sun until established. Choose fall vegetables that prefer cooler temperatures and shorter days like broccoli, cauliflower, peas, beets, kale, onions, garlic, lettuce, spinach, peppers, collards, Swiss chard, etc. Be sure to plant these at the correct times. Fall planting begins in July with tomatoes but many other vegetables must wait for cooler weather to arrive. Check the Monthly Vegetable Planting Calender in Dr. Randall’s book.

Need help with your vegetable garden? Come in and talk with our knowledgeable staff about it. Buchanan’s has everything you need to create a successful fall garden. Bon Appetit!

Hummingbird on Salvia greggii

National Pollinator’s Week is this week (June 20-26). Where would we be without pollinators? It’s important to recognize the vital role they play in our ecosystem. Pollinators are the birds, bees, insects, and animals that move pollen from flower to flower and that’s how plants produce fruit and seeds.

Facts About Pollinators

There are about 200,000 species of pollinators and surprisingly about 1,000 of them are animals such as birds, bats and small mammals. Most pollinators are beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies, flies, beetles, wasps, ants, and moths.

• About 75% of all flowering plant species need pollinators for fertilization.
• Pollinators are the linchpin of our ecosystem.
• Without them our food supply would end.
• Nearly 1/3 of all food and beverages is a result of pollination.
• Pollination accounts for nearly $20 billion in products in the USA alone.

Honey Bees – Important Food Pollinator

About one in every three bites of food we eat come as result of honey bee pollination. Honey bees are not native to North America. They were introduced in the 1600′s from Europe for honey production. Today they are widely used to pollinate agricultural food crops. They are vital to our current production methods and are in danger. A mysterious phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) is killing large numbers of honey bees.

Honey Bees spreading pollen

The current theories as to the cause of this disorder center around three areas; pesticides, pathogens, and environmental stresses. The exact cause is not yet known and could be the result of several factors. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the use and treatment of honey bees by the industry as mentioned in this article.

4 Easy Ways to Help Pollinators

1Create pollinator-friendly habitat with native flowering plants that supply pollinators with nectar, pollen, and homes. An environment that attracts hummingbirds, butterflies and bees is a sign of a healthy garden. Buchanan’s has a wide selection of flowering natives and adapted plants to choose from and the knowledgeable staff to select the right ones for your project. You can also refer to our recent post about creating a butterfly habitat garden.

Pentas are butterfly magnets!

Design your garden so there are blooms throughout the seasons from spring through fall. Use native or well adapted cultivars for our area. Choose old fashioned varieties over ones hybridized for blooms at the expense of fragrance, nectar and pollen. Go a step further and gradually replace lawn grass with flower beds.

2Build and hang a bee box. Most bees do not sting! If left alone, they go about their business of pollinating. There are commercial nest boxes available for mason bees but you can construct a simple one using something like small tubes of bamboo.  These bees will utilize almost any kind of tube in which to lay their eggs. Bees play a very important role in pollination.

Assassin bug captures fly

3 Avoid pesticides!
Even natural ones such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) can be harmful. If you must use them, choose the most selective and least toxic. Apply them in the evenings when most pollinators are not active. Remember, if you refrain from using pesticides, your garden will become a home for beneficial insects. Nature will achieve a natural balance in your garden. This approach is more practical, economical and environmentally friendly.

4Share this information with friends, family and co-workers. Educate your neighbors, schools, and community groups about the importance of pollinators. Volunteer to create and maintain habitats in your community. Learn more at http://www.pollinator.org/.

Resources:

Containers grouped for effect - Blue Plumbago, Gerbera Daisy and Rubeckia

Container gardening has been around for thousands of years. Legend says… in 600 BC, the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II constructed the Hanging Gardens of Babylon for his wife, Amytis of Media.

Red Glazed Pot

An elaborate series of private terraced gardens made for his homesick queen, who missed the trees and fragrant plants of her homeland. These examples of ancient gardens are the foundation of what we refer to as container gardening.

Today’s Container Gardens

Just like King Nebuchadnezzar II, gardeners today have the freedom to create a garden wherever we want. Containers bring the garden closer to us – on a patio, porch, driveway, or even a windowsill. Whether you choose massive planters or simple hanging baskets, containers provide instant gratification. And sometimes the containers add more visual interest than the plants.

A brightly colored pot is sure to dress up an everyday houseplant or perhaps an unusual planter like this one below.

Unusual and dramatic

Container gardening serves many purposes:

• Soften a hardscape with color and texture
• Provide culinary herbs nearby for snipping
• Flowering shrubs, patio trees, fruit trees
• Growing vegetables
• Indoor houseplants
• Plants that need protection in winter, such as tropicals
• Easy to move around seasonally
• Adds instant color and refresher for tired summer gardens

Pottery in lots of shapes, color and sizes

Tips for Container Gardening in Houston:

1. Provide adequate space for plants to grow.
2. Group plants with similar light and water requirements together.
3. Experiment with color. Use a color wheel (see below) as a guide to creating pleasing arrangements.
4. Remember to use the design techniques discussed in our recent post on Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers.
5. Mixing flowers, vegetables and herbs is perfectly fine. Try adding mint and basil mixed in with flowers. Mint is a great spiller plant, and basil could be used as a thriller or filler. Keep it near the door for easy snipping.
6. Replant several times a year! Containers are meant to be replanted. In our Houston climate, containers offer us the ability to refresh color with new plantings year round.
7. You’ll find using larger containers more practical during our Houston summers.
8. Don’t fill containers to the top of the pot with soil! Yes, there will be some settling of the soil over time, but you need space to fill when you water, especially with newly planted containers. Leave two inches at least. When you water, fill the pot to the rim with water and let it soak in. Train the roots to move down the pot for water instead of sitting at the surface.
9. Ceramic glaze containers offer a visual punch of color, while reducing evaporation. Some plants prefer a porous container like terracotta for improved air flow and faster drainage. Be sure to ask about the specific needs of the plants you select.
10. Avoid afternoon sun if possible during the summer. It adds unnecessary stress on most plants – especially when first planted.
11. Fertilize! Plants in containers can quickly use up the nutrients in their container. There are several good fertilizer choices for containers. Try ColorStar for flowering containers. It works fast. For herbs and veggies, try Microlife and a top dressing of good compost. (These are available at Buchanan’s) – Remember strong, healthy plants are naturally resistant to pests and disease.

Update on Container Planted Last Month

Recommended Container Planting Mix

For most container gardens you’ll want a light, well draining potting mix. This spring I tried Vortex Potting Soil from Lady Bug. Made right here in Texas. A blend of five beneficial composts, mineral sand, expanded shale and perlite along with Biozome to increase microbial activity (a good thing). An excellent all around potting soil.

Vortex Potting Soil - Recommended

Drainage. The practice of filling the bottom of your containers with broken pottery shards, pea gravel or rocks actually impedes drainage and adds extra weight. This is no longer recommended. For very large containers, try these lightweight packing pearls. They raise the bottom of the container, and reduce the amount of soil you need. (Available at Buchanan’s)

Lightweight Packing Pearls Saves Soil and Lightens Container

Tip for smaller containers: To prevent soil from washing out the bottom of the container, try laying a coffee filter over the hole before adding your potting mix. Water will still drain, but the soil won’t wash out.

Be Creative

Don’t be afraid to experiment. It is okay to change out your plants when it strikes your fancy. Containers are a playground for gardeners. Have some fun and mix it up.

Old Wheelbarrow now a planter

Repurposed items can make excellent containers

Green beans growing in large planter

Need help choosing the right container and plants? Buchanan’s can help. Come in to the nursery and browse for inspiration. You’ll find lots of pottery to choose from and a wide variety of seasonal color selected for our area.

Learn more about color in the garden

Learn about color and how to use it in your garden. There really is no right or wrong color combinations in nature, but understanding how color works in the garden, can help you create a polished look.

If you are not familiar with using the color wheel in your garden, you can learn more about it here.

Share your favorite container photo on our Facebook page!

Head over to our Facebook page and share your favorite container photo from your garden. If you have any suggestions, tips or questions, share them below in the comments. We’d love to hear from you!

1Eastern Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) – Drought tolerant native that is a butterfly magnet. Profuse blooms spring through summer. Elongated stems with soft lavender petals attached to an iridescent cone. It prefers full sun to partial shade in well draining fertile soils. 2-5 feet tall. Perfect for cut flowers, lasting about a week. NATIVE. Outstanding performer in the garden.

Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflower

2Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida ‘Goldsturm’) This perennial coneflower has cheerful golden yellow flowers with black centers that offer long-lasting continual blooms. A drought tolerant perennial with large blooms up to 5 inches across that make great cut flowers. A sure winner for a Houston garden. NATIVE.

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia Goldstrum

3Inland Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium) – Native to the US. This is a shade loving perennial grass with oak-like flower spikelets and a clumping habit. Low maintenance and known for it’s large graceful seed heads and blue-green bamboo-like leaves. Soft brown color during most of winter, by February you can cut it down at the base and it will grow again in spring. Good for controlling soil erosion. NATIVE. 2-4 ft tall.

Inland Sea Oats

Inland Sea Oats Spikelets

4Southern Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera can also be referred to as Morella cerifera) This multi-trunked, evergreen shrub can reach 20 ft. in height. Light olive green foliage with a spicy fragrance. Female plants produce pale blue berries in the winter. There are separate male and female plants so if you want berries, you’ll need to have a male plant nearby. In colonial times, the fruit’s waxy covering was used to make fragrant candles. Makes an excellent screen plant for shielding areas from view. Prefers moist soil and full sun to part shade. Attractive gray bark. NATIVE.

Southern Wax Myrtle

5Pride of Houston Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) Nice upright single or multi-trunk small tree. Small dark green leaves with a pale gray bark with white blotches. Female plants have attractive red berries in winter that are good for wildlife. They also make lovely holiday displays. You’ll need to have a male plant nearby for the female to produce berries. Drought tolerant. Takes full sun to shade, but produces fruit best in sun. Pride of Houston is an improved variety of the NATIVE YAUPON. 12-25 ft tall.

Yaupon Holly Pride of Houston

Yaupon Holly with immature berries

Yaupon Holly Pride of Houston - Female plant (Courtesy of Elizabeth Barrow)

6 Texas Lantana (Lantana horrida also referred to as Lantana urticoides) – A native to Texas, this variety of Lantana has yellow to orange flowers that is attractive to butterflies. Very drought tolerant as well as salt tolerant. Deer resistant. Hardy in our zone 9 (may need some protection in severe winters) Prefers well draining soil. Full to part sun. Spreading shrub 3-6 ft. Blooms all summer long. NATIVE.

Texas Lantana

7 Red Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. Drummondii) – A native shrub of Texas and Mexico, it is also known as Drummond wax-mallow. This spreading 2-3 ft tall shrub prefers shade to part shade. Bright red hibiscus like flowers with overlapping petals that never fully opens to form a column for the stamen to protrude. Flower resembles a Turkish turban hence the name Turk’s cap. Very useful for shady spots.

Red Turk's Cap

8Texas Olive (Cordia boissieri) Wonderful fast growing native tree with ever-blooming large white flowers. You can see these in person at Buchanan’s. There are two large ones planted on the west side of the parking lot. They are blooming now. Drought tolerant once established. Produces purple fruit edible for wildlife. Grows about 15 ft tall and has about the same size spread. NATIVE.

Mature Texas Olive

Texas Olive

9Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii) This traditional cottage garden plant flowers constantly from late spring until hard frost. Drought tolerant tough perennial that prefers full to part sun. Grows about 3 ft tall and as wide. Red flowers with a pale green small leaves. A good food source for hummingbirds!

Autumn Sage

10Gulf Coast Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) Tough native perennial grass with a large, airy seed head that grows about half as tall as the entire plant. The spikelets are purple and in fall the plant takes on a feathery, deep pink hue. Perfect for mixed perennial beds, specimen plant or in a meadow. When planted en masse – it adds graceful soft movement in the garden. NATIVE. Full to part sun. Clumping habit 2-3 ft. tall.

Many gardeners neglect planting grasses in their beds in an effort to focus only on flowering plants. Most of the gardens I’ve seen that are truly breath-taking incorporate grasses into the design. They’re a place for your eye to rest in the landscape and help your flowering perennials stand out.

Gulf Coast Mulhy Grass

This list is some of our favorite native plants, and there’s lots more that are suitable for Houston area gardens. Want to learn more about native plants? Come to Buchanan’s.

If you want a low maintenance, beautiful garden – start with natives. It’s not too late to plant. Visit Buchanan’s Native Plants today and our native plant experts will help you pick out the right plants for your garden.

Here are a few helpful links about native plants for Texas:

Native Plant Society of Texas
Explore plants at the Wildflower Center

Common Fungal Problems

Black Spot, Powdery Mildew, Brown Patch and Take-All Patch are some of the fungal problems we deal with here. The most important things you can do to prevent fungal problems is to avoid overwatering and excessive fertilizing and keep your garden free of debris. Mulch well and avoid watering the foliage or splashing soil borne particles on the leaves. The take away message for this post is prevention is key to controlling these outbreaks.

Brown Patch

Brown Patch is caused by the soil borne fungus (Rhizoctonia solani) which thrives in unhealthy soil.

Brown Patch (Courtesy of Nature's Way Resources)

Brown Patch is a fungal disease that shows up as circular (usually), brown patches in the lawn. It is sometimes confused with chinch bug damage which shows up in hot spots such as the edges of the lawn near driveways and walkways. Brown patch creates circular to irregular patches of light-brown or yellowish thinned grass. The patches may become several yards in diameter. You may see a grayish “smoke ring” of wilted grass at the edges. As the disease spreads, new green leaves may emerge in the center of the patches.

Underlying causes for this disease include soil compaction, poor drainage, overwatering and lack of beneficial soil organisms. However, the most common cause of Brown Patch in Houston is excessive nitrogen from over fertilization with chemical fertilizers.

The Brown Patch fungus grows best when temperatures are between 65 and 85 degrees – in the spring or fall.

Prevention

The best prevention for this disease is to maintain a healthy turf based on healthy soil. This is achieved with good cultural practices such as:

• Use good organic fertilizers – MicroLife™ makes a special Brown Patch fertilizer.
• Water deeply and only when the top inch of soil is dry.
• Apply a good compost at least once a year. (I’ve had good success with the 2 Year Old Leaf Mold Compost that Randy Lemmon mentions from Nature’s Way Resources)

Control

• DO NOT try to fertilize or water away the problem. Brown Patch loves fertilizer and water.
• Water only when the top inch of soil is dry.
• Rake up all the dead and diseased grass.

Treat the patch area and a 4 foot perimeter around it. Good products include Serenade, Actino-Iron and Actinovate. If you prefer a chemical solution, Infuse is a good product. ALWAYS follow label directions carefully.

Apply 1/4 to 1/2 inch of a high quality compost to the area.

Take-All Patch

Take-All Patch is caused by the fungus (Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis) which thrives in unhealthy soil.

Courtesy of Nature’s Way Resources:

Take-All Patch often starts in Spring and survives best in turf with excessive thatch (healthy soils do not have thatch). Take-All Patch develops and grows best in cool wet weather; however the symptoms often show up much later in hot dry weather. Take-All Patch will grow better or even prefers alkaline conditions while Brown Patch prefers or grows better in acidic conditions. Frequent shallow watering causes the most problems. Much of our area water comes from wells that tend to be alkaline (lots of dissolved carbonates of calcium and magnesium), hence watering tends to create the alkaline conditions the disease favors. When we water the dissolved carbonates (limestone) will precipitate out of the water and cement the soil particles creating hardpan and raise the pH causing alkaline conditions.

Good, well-aged compost has been found by many researchers to be the single best method of stopping soil diseases and correcting soil problems. Compost is high in humus compounds, full of beneficial microbes that prevent disease and build healthy soil.

Some differences between Take-All Patch and Brown Patch: With Take-All Patch, the roots rot; with Brown Patch, the blades of the grass rot. For the most part, Brown Patch is has a circular shape and Take-All Patch is more irregular. You’ll find Brown Patch more active when temperatures are cooler and Take-All Patch more active during warmer weather.

Powdery Mildew

A fungal disease that’s particularly active in the spring and fall when days are warm and nights are cool. A white or grayish powdery/moldy growth forms on the foliage and new shoots. The leaves look deformed.

Powdery Mildew on Crape Myrtle

The photo above was taken on suckers growing at the base of a neighborhood crape myrtle growing in shade.

Serenade Disease Control

It typically infects weak, unhealthy or stressed plants. Provide good air circulation, proper fertilization and care.

Treatment

First, remove affected areas immediately. The leaves are not going to return to a normal appearance, so removing them will help to stop the spreading of fungal spores.

Try one these options:

• Treat with Serenade (organic product)
• Spray with a good compost tea
• Try spraying with Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will also kill powdery mildew. Note: The sodium in the baking soda will combine with chlorine to form table salt (sodium chloride). A better choice is potassium bicarbonate where the potassium becomes a plant nutrient.

Black Spot

Black Spot on Roses (Courtesy of Dee Nash)

Black Spot on Knock Out Rose

Rose black spot is caused by fungus. Dark spots develop on the upper leaves, then eventually become yellow and drop. Black spot leaf disease has fringed edges and thrives in warm, humid conditions.

Prevention

Keep a clean garden. Remove diseased leaves that fall on the ground. Throw them away – do not compost them to avoid spreading the disease. Make sure your plants are adequately spaced to promote good air circulation. Keep the leaves dry. When watering, avoid splashing water on the leaves – water only the soil. Prune affected areas quickly and dispose of them. Select rose varieties that are resistant to blackspot.

Treatment

• Remove affected leaves
• Clean up debris and prune for good air circulation
• Apply fresh mulch
• Treat with Serenade (organic product)

Need help? Buchanan’s has a knowledgable staff and products to help you prevent and solve your fungal problems in the garden. Have a specific problem? Bring a sample of it with you when you come to the nursery.

Want to learn more?

Here is a helpful PDF file you can download by clicking Earthwise Guide to Lawn Problems from www.growgreen.org – (Grow Green is a partnership between the City of Austin Watershed Protection Department and Texas AgriLife Extension Service).

Resources for this Post

John Gardener (Buchanan’s), Steve Goeggelman (Buchanan’s), Nature’s Way Resources (John Ferguson and Linda Robbins) and Kathy Huber (Houston Chronicle), and GrowGreen.org

Plant herbs. Most herbs require little care, while providing enormous benefits. These culinary delights are drought tolerant, fragrant and flavorful. They are essential ingredients in creating delicious meals that stretch your grocery budget.

Herbs in the landscape look beautiful when grouped together and provide a place for your eyes to rest among bloomers. They enhance the visual punch of your flowers in the garden.

Added Benefits of Herbs in the Garden

Why buy fresh cut herbs at the grocery store and pay over and over for them? Growing them is easy. They’re rich in antioxidants, have loads of health benefits and are a great substitute for salt. More flavor, less sodium is always good.

Grouping herbs based on water requirements

Growing herbs in Houston’s nutrient rich clay soil can be tricky if the soil holds water. (I know what you’re thinking… why worry about drainage when we haven’t had rain). Rain will come and most likely it will be a deludge when it gets here. Herbs thrive in well draining soil. Our heavy clay soil holds water and can quickly drown the roots of plants that prefer their feet dry. Herbs are the perfect companion in a drought tolerant perennial garden (see our display this week of Drought Tolerant Perennials at the nursery).

Herbs in the Garden Beds

Unless you are using large containers, planting herbs in raised garden beds of well drained soil is best. So if you have raised beds, or have garden beds that have been amended to drain well, you’re in luck. Mint can grow aggressively by sending out runners, so I recommend this one remain potted, else you’ll find it popping up everywhere in the garden.

Make sure your soil is well draining. Adding organic matter (compost) will improve fertility, soil biology, and drainage. Herbs prefer a neutral pH of 6.5-7.0. If you suspect your soil pH is off, have it tested. One benefit of raised beds is you control the mixture of soil that goes in it, including the pH.

Herbs in Containers

Using large clay pots with drought tolerant herbs is a good strategy if you are trying to save on watering. Those herbs do better with the aeration clay pots provide. I would also suggest morning sun, and avoid placing the containers where they will receive afternoon sun. By grouping plants based on their watering needs you can be more efficient in how you use water. This way no plant gets too much or too little water. Deep watering is best and will encourage roots to move down into the soil to find water. In doing so, they will be more drought tolerant. Containers will need more water than those planted in your garden beds. Avoid small containers – it is better to use one large container and plant a collection of herbs together.

Drought Tolerant Herbs for the South

Thyme, rosemary, lavender, sage, oregano, curry and marjoram do well with little water once established. Lavender and thyme do not like our humidity here in Houston, so it is very important that the soil be extremely well draining. Try mulching with pea gravel and small stones to help dry the air surrounding these plants.

Typically the herbs that have grayish leaves and/or woody stems will require less water. These are considered Mediterranean herbs and are suited for dryer climates.

Curry

I’ve had good luck with this Goodwin Creek Lavender in a large clay pot using pea gravel for mulch. I planted it last year and it is blooming right now in the garden. I also amended the potting soil by adding a little sand to it.

Goodwin Creek Lavender in Clay Pot

Basil is a summer favorite and loves the heat, but it does require a little more water, so I suggest you plant these types of herbs together in another container. Basil, mint, lemon balm, and parsley need a little more moisture and can also tolerate a little more shade too. Keep pinching the flower heads off your basil so it remains compact and bushy – it will also taste better as the plant will be focused on leaf production versus flower production.

Cilantro is difficult to grow here in the summer, so I would suggest planting in early spring or fall. If you do plant it now, harvest some of the leaves and freeze them for use later in the summer. I am going to try growing cilantro in a shady, cooler spot this summer to see how it does.

Sweet Basil

Mint

Harvest parsley leaves (I prefer the Italian Flat Leaf Parsley variety) from the outside in. New growth comes from the center of the plant. To keep the parsley from flowering, cut the stem in the center when it bolts (sends up a taller flower stalk).

Flat Italian Leaf Parsley

Keep parsley out of afternoon sun, and it may make it through the entire summer.

TIP: I’ve moved many of my containers that were in full sun to shadier areas of the garden. Avoid afternoon sun which drys out your containers quickly. Many garden books offer advice for gardeners in northern climates – where full sun is less intense. In Houston, I’ve found most plants (other than succulents, cacti, etc.) in containers will do better with afternoon shade.

Herbs in Stock!

Buchanan’s has herbs in stock and ready for planting. Why not add some herbs to your garden this week and enjoy the benefits while saving water too?

Want to learn more about gardening here in Houston?

Stop by The Bungalow – you’ll find gardening books suited for our area.

Freezing Herbs for Later Use

Here is a helpful video from Fine Gardening Magazine on freezing herbs for use in the winter. For our area, try freezing basil, mint and cilantro for later use.

Additional information about herbs:

The Herb Association of Texas

Container Gardens on the Front Porch

Before You Start

First decide where you are going to place the container in the garden. Will it be in full sun, part-sun, or in shade? That will determine what type of plants you want to use. I’ve seen a lot of containers placed inside garden beds as a focal point. If you are planning to do this you’ll find a round concrete stepping stone makes a nice flat surface to place your pot on inside the bed. A pedestal works nicely too and provides added height so your container gets noticed.

Saucers are okay for tall planters where the roots will not get down that far, but use caution with smaller ones. You don’t want the roots to drown in standing water, especially deep saucers.

Bigger is Better

Choose a container that is larger that you think you’ll need. I say this because our summers are brutal here in Houston and yes, you will get tired of watering a container 2 or more times a day.

Choose the right container

The water needs of the plants you select will help determine what kind of pot you need. Terra-cotta clay pots are natural and pretty, but they are porous and tend to dry out faster than ceramic glazed pots. Drought tolerant plants such as succulents do well in clay pots. Glazed pots offer a good balance of aesthetics and functionality. Plastic ones are another option, but it is best to avoid placing them in full sun as they tend to fade and breakdown quickly.

Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers Explained

As a general rule, place taller plants in the center of the pot and smaller ones around the sides. Try this simple and easy to remember technique of using thrillers, fillers and spillers. Thrillers are your focal point and usually the tallest plant. They’re bold, dramatic and an attention getter. Fillers are used around the base with color or texture. Spillers flow over the edge of the pot and cascade down. This softens the edge of the pot and creates a more graceful and natural look.

Soil Considerations

Use the right potting mix for your plant selection. If you are planting succulents, you’ll need sandy well draining mix whereas plants that love moisture will be quite happy in a rich medium of compost and humus. Fertilize as needed with a slow release organic fertilizer. Granules are easy to use and can be sprinkled around the soil if they need a mid-summer boost. Slow release is the key here. Remember, feed the soil not the plants!

Choose the right plants

RULE # 1 – Choose plants that have similar water, soil and light requirements. Avoid grouping plants that need full sun with shade loving plants.

RULE # 2 – Remember texture and leaf shapes can be just as important as color, especially when annuals fizzle out in the summer heat. Avoid using too many types of plants. Stick with no more than 3 to 4 as a general rule.

Get creative!

For my container garden, I needed plants that would do well in shade. I found two containers that were similar in size. I tried a few combinations until I found one that I liked. Any of these combinations would work just fine.

One Option

I decided to use the cream colored clay pot to give the arrangement a nice “pop”.

Low and wide Azalea style pot

First start with the thrillers

A few plants that would make good thrillers in shade are cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior), Dracaena, tall spiky ferns, or caladiums. I selected several different varieties of coleus (Solenostemon spp.) as my filler plants. For my thriller I combined two plants, a small white caladium (Caladium spp.) and a taro (Colocasia spp.). While the taro may get too tall, the shade should keep it relatively compact. (We’ll see how it looks by August).

Next add fillers

Grape ivy (Cissus rhombifolia) was selected for my spiller. I divided the ivy up so I would have enough to plant in several locations around the rim of the pot. I gently removed the plant from the pot and separated the plant into four sections, then gently pulled them apart in clumps. I tried to avoid damaging the root area around the stems as much as possible.

Dividing the Grape Ivy for Spillers

Added Grape Ivy around the rim to flow over the edge

A handful of organic fertilizer

Water well

In a few weeks this will fill in nicely

Avoid Container Clutter

A common mistake is planting too many containers the same size or using containers that are too small in scale. Grouping containers of various sizes in groups of three or five can produce a lovely vignette. Remember that your are decorating your outdoor rooms in a similar way to your indoor rooms. Sometimes too much is exactly that, too much. Fewer, larger containers are best.

Example of tiered planters well placed

River Oaks Garden Club

Here is another example of using thrillers, fillers and spillers I saw at the River Oaks Garden Club.

Example of too many pots! Looks messy. - Yes they're mine.

Here is an example of what NOT to do. Yes this is my driveway collection. While I have the tiered effect, I have too many containers. Nothing stands out. It looks messy. SO! I plan to follow my own advice this weekend and make some needed changes.

Simple Collection of Three Tier Pots

This arrangement of containers looks much better. Container gardening makes a landscape pop and creates a warm and inviting space. It brings your landscape garden closer to your home and ties everything together.

Need help? Buchanan’s has all the fixings for fabulous containers!

Get your creative juices flowing and let us help you put together the perfect container garden.