The garden reader:

Houseplants galore

By William Scheick

Book Reviewer

Steve Asbell. Plant by Numbers: 50 Houseplant Combinations to Decorate Your Space. Cool Springs Press, 2014. 176 pp. $21.99.

Tovah Martin. The Unexpected Houseplant: 220 Extraordinary Choices for Every Spot in Your Home. Timber Press, 2012. 326 pp. $22.95.

I admit that, except for a few almost accidental pairings, my houseplants tend to be stand-alones. The only reason I haven't combined more of them is, simply, I haven't thought much about doing so.

So, for me, Steve Asbell's Plant by Numbers amounted to a wakeup call. His book makes a smart case for fashioning "living art" in the form of knockout indoor container combinations.

Relying on a "cookbook approach," Asbell provides step-by-step plant "recipes." These models detail the "ingredient" plants that combine well together based on their shared response to light level, moisture and humidity.

Each profile provides a how-to guide on the left-hand page followed by a brilliant photo of the grouping on the right-hand page. Each also has a letter-coded diagram (akin to painting by numbers) showing exactly where every specific plant goes in the arrangement.

Lone Star gardeners have plenty of sunny settings and also benefit from plants with low-moisture needs. So it is likely that they will especially appreciate Asbell's "Lavender Lullaby" combination (Aeonium, Tradescantia, Graptosedum and Kalanchoe) and his "Coral Seafoam" grouping (Senecio, Graptoveria, Sedum, Crassula, Anacampseros and Echeveria).

Also beautifully illustrated, The Unexpected Houseplant highlights an impressively wide sample of specific plants. Each profile includes Tovah Martin's up-close, engaging, information-rich and (often) personal observations.

There's a surprising chapter near the end of this beautiful book. Entitled "Love Thwarted," this chapter "outs" troublesome plants that generally "won't work on your windowsill."

Some will see this chapter as wisely cautionary, while others might regard its obdurate plants (Abutilon, Bougainvillea, Heliotrope and Hibiscus) as personal challenges. Gardeners tend to be eccentric that way, just as Martin's intense aversion to spider plant - "bring it straight to the dumpster!" - strikes me as peculiar.

Both of these good books are well designed to overcome whatever inhibitions might prevent someone from cultivating indoor plants. Even so, both make an assumption that deserves more thought: they approach windowsill plants as if the glass in our contemporary home windows is the same as the glass panes of homes in the past.

Today's energy-conserving tinted windows are not the same as the panes of yesteryear. This change has an impact on growing indoor plants - how much impact depends on film, tint, coating or between-panes gas.

Apparently in Texas gray is the most common window-tint for reducing the penetration of outside light and heat. Such a substantial reduction of light - up to about 70 percent - poses challenges for the houseplant grower, who now needs to consider the use of fluorescent or high-intensity discharge (not incandescent) bulbs.

It would be a great service if future books about houseplants were to offer a hefty chapter on the plant-impact of the various types of windows being installed in today's homes. Nostalgic references to windowsills are comforting but unfortunately not enough any more.

The Hill Country Gardener

Birds and Wildlife

To attract butterflies, plant coral vine, blue plumbago, butterfly weed, lantana, purple coneflower and yarrow. Yes, the critters will eat the plants, but the plants will come right back.

Color

If you're looking for color for the hot part of the summer, consider periwinkles, esperanza, firebush, zinnias, poinciana, portulaca, purslane, or lantana.

Plant vincas in full sun.

Shade plants include coleus, caladiums, firespike and begonias.

Moss rose and purslane are showy all month long in full sun.

Keep up the fertilizer on the roses.

Fruits and Nuts

Peaches, apples, plums and blackberries with developing fruit must receive regular moisture.

Figs are especially sensitive to dry soil.

Prune out old blackberry canes (the ones that bore fruit this year) to make way for the new canes.

Shade Trees and Shrubs

Newly planted trees need deep watering by hand when the soil dries to one inch.

Remember to mulch 2-3 inches deep around new trees so that they don't have to compete with grass. Leave 6" clearance around the trunks.

Use a weekly spray program to protect your roses from insects and black spot. Keep fruit trees well watered if they're still producing.

Prune hedges on an as-needed basis, but avoid severe pruning.

Turf Grass

June's warm soils make this an ideal time to establish or renovate the home lawn. Bermudagrass for all sun/no shade, St. Augustine for all sun/partial shade and zoysia for all sun/partial shade.

Irrigate the lawn grass only if it hasn't rained in the last two weeks.

Raise the blade on the mower to 3.5 inches or more if you have St. Augustine. Continue to mow the Bermuda at 1-1.5 inch.

Vegetables

Vegetables to plant now will include black-eyed peas, okra, sweet corn, cucumbers, peppers, New Zealand "spinach" and squash.

You can still plant eggplant and okra for mid-summer vegetables.

Use Bt or Spinosad to control hornworms, fruit-eating pinworms, and other caterpillars.

Pull non-producing plants - especially tomatoes - before diseases and spider mites move in.

Powdery mildew will probably take the vine plants this month. Pull them out and wait for fall.

Glen Rose: Paul Dowlearn, author of The Lazy Man's Garden: Maximum Return, Minimum Input, Owner of Wichita Valley Nursery, Wichita Falls, and member of Red River Chapter, NPSOT, will be the speaker at the June 6 meeting of the Prairie Rose Chapter of NPSOT. As his book and career in landscaping emphasize, Dowlearn will talk on xeriscaping and adjusting attitudes to practical gardening. The 6:30 p.m. meeting will be held at the Somervell County Citizen Center, 205 SW Barnard, Glen Rose.

Austin: The Garden Club of Austin's annual show & plant sale will be held June 7 and 8 at Zilker Park Botanical Gardens, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin. The juried plant, vegetable & flower show is open to all amateur gardeners. Show contest plants will be accepted Friday, June 5, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, June 7, from 8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. Plant sale hours will be Saturday from 9 until 5 and Sunday from 10 until 5. Enter your favorite plant or vegetable or buy some beautiful, very well priced items at the plant sale. More information is available at www.thegardenclubofaustin.org. Click on events and scroll down to the garden show. 

Austin: The Austin Pond Society will host its 20th Annual Pond Tour in June and will feature ponds and gardens at more than 20 locations in North, Central and South Austin. Ponds of every size and description are included in the tour, along with waterfalls, streams, and fountains. Some gardens are Certified Wildlife Habitats, and most have native plants.Tour Dates and Times: Saturday, June 7 - South and Central Austin (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Saturday Night - Night pond locations (8 p.m. to 10 p.m.) Sunday, June 8 - North Austin (9 .am. to 5 p.m.) Wristbands for the three events are $15 in advance and can be purchased using PayPal at austinpondsociety.org; at Emerald Garden, Hill Country Water Gardens, McIntire's Garden Center, Shoal Creek Nursery, and The Great Outdoors. Wristbands can be purchased at each site during the event for $20. Wristbands for children 12 and under are free with a paid adult. Volunteers who work a four-hour shift on either day of the tour will receive entry to all of the tour sites, a tour T-shirt, and an invitation to the SPLASH! Party on May 31. Sign up at volunteers@austinpondsociety.org. For more information visit austinpondsociety.org.

Bastrop: The third annual Heart of Texas Green Expo is slated for June 7, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, 1408 Chestnut Street, Bastrop. Attendees will enjoy music, food and fun children's activities while learning how to go green and help the environment at this premier educational forum for recycling and sustainable living in Central Texas. Admission is free for all ages. Informative presentations, demonstrations and 60+ exhibits will cover a wide range of topics, including alternative energy, recycling, green building, water conservation, organic gardening, sustainable farming and eco-friendly ranching. Exhibitor Air Wind & Solar will give away a turnkey home solar power system installation valued at $8,000 to one lucky attendee of this year's Heart of Texas Green Expo. The 2014 Green Expo will feature expert speakers to provide information on organic gardening, water conservation and environmental education. This year's keynote speaker is Central Texas gardening expert John Dromgoole, owner of The Natural Gardener in Austin and founder of Lady Bug Natural Brand soils, compost and other gardening products. He is also the well-known host of the long-running weekly radio call-in show "Gardening Naturally" online and on KLBJ-AM 590 radio in Austin. Other speakers include Texas State Representative Bill Callegari and environmental educator Gina LaMotte. LaMotte is founder and executive director of EcoRise Youth Innovations, an organization developing school-based teaching curricula to introduce students in grades K-12 to sustainability, design innovation and social entrepreneurship. For more information, visit www.heartoftexasgreenexpo.org .  

Dallas: City of Dallas Water Utilities, City of Dallas Stormwater Management, City of Dallas Park & Recreation, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, and Dallas County Master Gardeners are teaming up to demonstrate the beauty of Water-Wise and EarthKind gardening with the 20th annual Water-Wise Landscape Tour. Dallas County Master Gardeners will be conducting free 30-minute talks on Water-Wise gardening every hour on the hour at each of the tour headquarters. Dallas County Master Gardener volunteers will also be assisting homeowners and helping answer questions about the plants and landscapes on the tour. The first 100 visitors at each of the three tour headquarters, June 7, will receive a free hose spray nozzle. For more information, visit SaveDallasWater.com or call the Water Conservation Hotline at 214-670-3155 Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Maps for the self-driving tour are available at SaveDallasWater.com and at all tour headquarters. Tour Headquarters: Central: White Rock Pump Station - 2900 White Rock Rd., Dallas; North: Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center - 17360 Coit Rd., Dallas; South: Lake Cliff Park - E. Colorado Blvd. at N. Zang Blvd., Dallas.  

Rosenberg: Fort Bend Master Gardeners will present "Native Plants" at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 7, at Agriculture Center, 1402 Band Road, Rosenberg. The presentation will increase understanding of the appeal and value of plants native to Texas. Texas Native Garden and other demonstration gardens open for tours and Master Gardeners available for tips and advice from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Call 281-341-7068 or visit  http://www.fbmg.com/ for more information. 

San Antonio:  Home gardeners may enter the Top Tomato & Salad Bowl Contest on Saturday, June 7. The contest is held at Milberger's Landscape Nursery, 3920 N. Loop 1604 West at Bulverde Rd., San Antonio. Entries accepted between 10:30 a.m.-noon. Judging begins at 12:15 p.m. Prizes for top tomatoes and bowls of other spring/summer vegetables, excluding tomatoes. For entry guidelines, go to www.GardeningVolunteers.org or call 210-251-8101.  

Marion: Matt Turner, author of "Remarkable Plants of Texas," will introduce some of Texas's most amazing plants, their little-known histories, and their medicinal, cultural and culinary uses during his presentation at 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 10, at St John's Lutheran Church, FM 465, Marion. Meetings are open to the public. Visitors are welcome. There is a plant/seed exchange and greeting at 6:30 p.m. followed by the program. For more information, directions to St John's Lutheran Church, or membership applications, visit http://npsot.org/wp/guadalupe/.

Seabrook: "Herbs - Garden to Table" will be presented at 6:30 p.m., June 10, at Clear Lake Park Meeting Room, 5001 Nasa Parkway, Seabrook. For additional information, visit https://hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/pubp2.aspx.

Humble: Mark Klym, Texas Parks & Wildlife program coordinator, will present "Hummingbirds - Myth, Magic, and Mystery" noon-2 p.m., Wednesday, June 11, at Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens, 22306 Aldine Westefield Road, Humble. For additional information, call 281-443-8731 or visit www.hcp4.net/mercer.

Nacogdoches: SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. Former president of The Native Plant Society of Texas, Peter Loos, will present "Native Plants That Work for You."Loos has a degree in horticulture from SFA and is a resident of Chireno. He owns Ecovirons which specializes in hard to find native plants, plant growing services, biological and botanical services, native plant seeds, landscape design, wetland construction and maintenance services, and land management services. The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month at the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture's SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves lecture series fund always are appreciated. Parking is available at the nearby Raguet Elementary School, 2428 Raguet St., with continual shuttle service to the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building. For more information, call 936-468-1832 or email grantdamon@sfasu.edu.  

San Antonio: Christine Arredondo, owner and manager of San Antonio Gourmet Olive Oils, will speak at the San Antonio Herb Society's meeting June 12. The meeting, running 6:30-8:30 p.m., will be held at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels, San Antonio. For additional information, visit www.sanantonioherbs.org.  

Seabrook: Judy Jones, part-owner of Enchanted Gardens, will present "Fairy Gardens and Terrariums" at 10 a.m., June 18, at Clear Lake Park Meeting Room, 5001 Nasa Parkway, Seabrook. For additional information, visit https://hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/pubp2.aspx.

Cleburne: Junior Master Gardener Wildlife Gardener Certification Summer Camp will be held Monday June 23 though Friday June 27, 9 a.m.- noon, and the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, 101 Chisholm Trail Dr, Cleburne. Learn backyard habitat gardening basics by exploring, Birds, Amphibians/Snakes, Mammals/Bats & Insects/Monarchs. Classes will be made up of hands-on projects, class discussion & take home crafts. Friday the class will put everything they have learned about gardening for wildlife into practice by creating and planting a butterfly garden on site. Those who attend all 5 classes will receive JMG Wildlife Gardener Certification. Classes are geared for kids 7-11 and space is limited, If space is available, children under 7 may attend with an adult & those older than 11 but younger than 15 may attend with approval. Take all 5 classes and receive a JMG Wildlife Gardener Certification for $45.00 or take individual classes for $10.00 per class. For more information contact Pat Kriener, 817-793-4625 or wildwoodc@yahoo.com. 

Humble: Children entering the 4th and 5th grades can jump into the fascinating world of plants during summer camp at Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens. Participants may choose from two week-long sessions: Monday, June 23 through Friday, June 27 or Monday, July 21 through Friday, July 25 from 9 a.m. to noon each day. Registration is now open, but seating is limited! Call 281-443-8731 or visit Mercer to register and find out more. An $80 enrollment fee is due at the time of registration. Plant hunters will learn about the diverse plants of the world and the ecosystems in which they are found as they engage in a variety of outdoor activities to learn about the natural world. Discover the amazing abilities of plants that allow them to thrive in virtually every habitat on earth, including grasslands, wetlands, the tropics, temperate forests, and the human environment. Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens is located one mile north of FM 1960 at 22306 Aldine Westfield Road, Humble. For additional information, contact Mercer at 281-443-8731 or online at www.hcp4.net/mercer.

• Many, many practical and timely garden tips that are for Texas - not Maine or California!
• Organic, earth friendly tips to make your garden grow and prosper
• Lots of space to record your own activities for future reference
• Planting dates and tips for vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruit and lawns

The Vegetable Book

By Dr. Sam Cotner

Finally, back by popular demand and in its fourth printing, the most informative and comprehensive "how-to" book on vegetable gardening in Texas (also, suitable for most other areas of the South) written by the late, great Dr. Sam Cotner, former head of horticulture at Texas A&M University and lifelong gardener. This interesting read has over 370 pages of detailed information on every crop, from Asparagus to Watermelon including problem/solving sections for each vegetable. If you want to maximize your enjoyment and success growing vegetables in Texas, this book is a "must have," whether you are a beginner or a seasoned gardener. Price $34.02

By William D. Adams

The best thing for tomato enthusiasts since the tomato itself! Adams draws on more than thirty years of experience to provide a complete, step-by-step guide to success in the tomato patch. Learn everything from soil preparation, planting, feeding, caging and watering. Liberally sprinkled with the author's easy humor and illustrated with his own excellent photographs, this must-have book has everything you'll need to assure a bumper crop! 189 pages. Lots of color photographs! Price: $31.94

($15.82 if ordered separately)

Remit payment to:

TG Books * PO Box 9005 * Waco, TX 76714

or call Toll-Free 1-800-727-9020

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