THIS WEEK: Exciting offerings at Mercer's March Mart - the brand new Daytona series of dwarf vitex shrubs or small trees, left, and Kaempferia 'Red Leaf' -a collector's ginger. Right, an Epidendrum and other orchids started gardener Tim Fleck on his greenhouse journey.

MARCH MART TIME! . . . AND A GARDENER'S JOURNEY

BY BRENDA BEUST SMITH

One of the Texas Gulf Coast's largest horticultural events is coming up March 20-21. 

March Mart is a project of The Mercer Society, a volunteer group that not only helps fund activities at Mercer Botanic Gardens, 22306 Aldine-Westfield, it is an extraordinary cheerleading squad-plus for the now 325 acre-living plant library open free to the public almost year-round in North Harris County.

March Mart, at Mercer Botanic Gardens, offers over 2000 varieties of plants, many unavailable at local nurseries, many raised right on-site, and all recommended specifically for our growing environment. 

Wagons will be available but, to be on the safe side, take your own. It's also a good time to have plant problems diagnosed, or to pick up recommendations on special problem spots you need to landscape. I'll have more on special events at the sale next week. In the meantime, here are a few of the plant offerings. Get there early. Supplies of rare things may be limited. Details: http://www.hcp4.net/Community/Parks/Mercer/MarchMart

Mercer's "Annuals & Perennials" offerings will include, left to right, new varieties like Echinacea 'Milkshake,' Echinacea 'Marmalade,' and old favorites like Pentas lanceolata 'Starburst' and Petunia 'Laura Bush'

SHADE LOVERS - Left to rigth: Acanthus 'Whitewater' - Variegated Bear's Breeches (limited supply!), Alternanthera ficoidea "Party Time" and Alternanthera ficoidea "Snow Queen." Alternanthera's also known as Joseph's Coat.

Mercer's interesting selections of deciduous magnolias (large shrubs to small trees) 

 include, left to right, Magnolia x 'Sunset Swirl', M. 'Blushing Belle,' M. sprengeri 'Eric Savill' 

 and M. stellata 'Pink Stardust.'

By the way, members of The Mercer Society (themercersociety.org) get first grab at plants, so you might want to look into joining!

 

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√ GREAT RESOURCES - Gaye Hammond, a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Public Education Committee wants to share word of the free Green Trends e-letter (http://tinyurl.com/po76zrb).  Altho it's published by Harris County AgriLife, anyone can receive this e-letter to learn about new gardening/horticulture trends on the horizon, such as the "Top Performers in the 2014 Harris County Flower Trials" and other study/trials results. She also recommends their blog: http://agrilife.org/harrishort/

 

 

So I don't leave you hanging - the 2014 Trials winner included coleus varieties 'Redhead,' 'Coleosaurus,' 'Kong Lime Sprite' and 'Dipt in Wine'; lantana varieties 'Bandito Orange Sunrise,' 'Little Lucky Lemon Cream,' 'Bandana Red' and 'Lucky Sunrise Rose,' and 'Zahara Yellow Improved' and 'Raspberry' zinnias.   

 

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Kathy Huber was the official ribbon-cutter, kicking off the 2015 80th Annual Azalea Trail, the longest 

continuously-held azalea trail in the nation. The Trail continues Sat.-Sun., March 7-8, with tickets 

available at all homes, gardens and other sites. Details: www.riveroaksgardenclub.org.

√ Kathy Huber Update - It was so neat to receive all those OH NO! email responses to the note last week about Kathy Huber's retirement as Houston Chronicle Garden Editor. Although no word has been issued about a replacement (and rumor is there will not be one), here are two good news items:

    1.The Chronicle Garden Calendar will continue to be published.

    2. Kathy has agreed to do a once-a-month column. YEH! The first one will be in print Saturday. (Or, you can read "Small blue bulbs are star flowers" online). 

    

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√ Tool Drive for Community Gardens - If you have unused gardening tools just hanging around taking up space, many a community garden in the area could probably use them. Urban Harvest will be accepting donated tools at the Sat., Mar. 14, 8am-noon, Eastside Farmers Market, 3000 Richmond, at the Information Booth. Contact Urban Harvest's Community Gardens Coordinator if you have questions.

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√ Love having articles by writers whose whose way with words I truly respect. One is below. Tim Fleck of Houston Chronicle and Houston Press fame, has - in his mature years - turned to gardening, even going so far as to entering the world of greenhouses - much to the amazement of many longtime friends.

I'm thinking about Tim's final paragraph below as I look out on my yard while writing this column. So many plants that normally die completely back are still full of healthy leaves: firespikes, thryallis, shrimps, even my beloved Brazilian red cloak still has a little green foliage. 

Actually, I wish the coral vine had died back, it's entirely too rambunctious and will probably become a major problem now. 

Nature always bats last!

Left to right, firespike, thryallis, shrimp plants, Brazilian red cloak and coral vine.

* Brenda's GROUP LECTURES include: "How to Reduce the Size of Your Front Lawn to Save Water Without Infuriating Your Neighbors," "Landscaping for Security," "10 Commandments of Lazy Gardening," and "What's Blooming in the Lazy Gardener's Garden." Details: lazygardener@sbcglobal.net. 


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Maybe greenhouses (and orchids!) should come with a caution label: 

"WARNING! Might become addictive!"

A GARDENER'S EVOLUTION

BY TIM FLECK
Timwfleck@yahoo.com

For me, the hardest part of anything is figuring out what you need, and that's particularly true of gardening - an open-ended process starting with puttering around with one or two orchids. As you get proficient at keeping them alive, multiplying quickly explodes to dozens of plants. In this climate, you don't need an outdoor greenhouse for a handful of tropicals. A sunlit breakfast room will do for the four months of the year where temperatures are too cool for their comfort.

In my intermediate stage, I hauled plants in and out of the house throughout winter, after weatherizing a front porch with plastic sheeting, space heater, and humidifier. The house looked like an indoor jungle during cold spells. I lost plants when I didn't have time to bring them in or a freeze snuck up on me. When I sold my Heights place and moved to Lindale Park, I faced it: I needed an outdoor greenhouse.

I started with a Palram "Flower House," a 6 x 8-foot tall, 6.5 foot wide Chinese-made glorified tent with clear plastic and vinyl walls and spring-up carbon support rods, purchased at a local nursery for about $140. It worked fine for a winter with a space heater but the door flap zippers and ventilation window soon corroded. It was cramped. I needed more space.

An internet search found a Palram prefab greenhouse with aluminum frame and clear double insulated carbonate panels. Price: $450. A bear to assemble, even with two people, it is attractive with a peaked roof and spacious interior - tall enough to stand or walk around in, or to sit in to read or admire your collection. Equipped with a space heater and extension cord, it's a cozy little meditation room as well as plant refuge.

If you love tropicals, having year-round blooms and a place to garden on even the dreariest winter days, soon it becomes indispensable. I'm even considering buying a second greenhouse and attaching the two, something like a habitation module for living on Mars. Doesn't need to be airtight on Earth,

Rarely does a project exceed my expectations, but this one certainly has. Just another step in a gardener's evolution.

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Tim added this PS in an email: "The sunshine did arrive and the tomato seedlings and potted young plants are soaking it up! " He reported that even tho we've had a few light freezes, this has been the least extreme winter in Houston in at least five years, by his figuring." (His tomato seedings? Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and Black Krim.)