DOUBLE CELEBRATION . . . COUNTING MONARCHS HEADING TO MEXICO . . . NO MONEY PLANT SWAPS

BY BRENDA BEUST SMITH

Happy Fall Equinox! Wednesday, Sept. 23, is officially the day our nights and days are the exact same length (equinox is from Latin for "equal night"). Ancients celebrated the abundance of a harvest, believed it was a good time to hold protection rituals, to visit and decorate graves, to give thanks for abundant sunlight and prepare oneself for the coming darkness as days get shorter and nights longer.

We can double our celebration fun - the Fall Equinox also marks the season when monarch butterflies begin their up-to-3,000-mile trek to Michoacan where they roost (photo at left above) in ancient trees for the winter. Thanks to the Cockrell Butterfly Center, I got to see this incredible site, where tree limbs literally break under the weight of these incredible jewels of nature.

The main migration route is through the center of Texas and usually peaks in late October and early November. We're on the eastern edge of this "path" and do get our share of these winged jewels of nature.

I remember decades ago passing the Crystal Motel on Bolivar Peninsula. Such a cloud of "something" hovered over the field ferry-side of the motel, I thought it was on fire. Turned out it was billions and billions of monarchs. The field was covered with blooming passionvine. I've never seen anything like it since.

The beautiful photos below were taken by Don Dubois, a nature renaissance man if ever there were one, in his backyard. The good news is that MonarchWatch is predicting a better-than-last-year migration this year (thanks to the weather). This will translate into a larger than usual population wintering over in Mexico,  

 

Left to right, monarch tagging, roosting and enjoying Chromolaena odorata (mistflower). Don Dubois photos

Keeping track of monarchs, even on our eastern edge, is important, especially in light of the recent noticeable population declines. Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas (BEST) conduct regular "counts" and more volunteers are always needed. It's a fun outing with great people, good exercise and a perfect family project.

Five butterfly counts are coming up Sat., Oct. 3: Baytown; Sun., Oct. 4: Brazos Bend; Sat., Oct. 10: Katy Prairie; Sun., Oct. 18: Trinity, and Sun., Oct. 25: Magnolia. If you're interested in any of these, click on the BEST link above. Hopefully our wildflowers will again reach the magnitude that a count will be scheduled on Bolivar again.You can hear Joe Blanton speak at BEST's Oct. 6 meeting, 7pm, Cockrell Butterfly Center's lower floor, Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS), 5555 Hermann Park Dr.

For great habitat-building advice and the best butterfly-attracting plants for this area, especially natives, drop by the Cockrell's fall plant sale, Sat., Sept. 26, 9am-noon on HMNS' 7th floor. Parking is free with $30 purchase. www.hmns.org/butterflycenter

Before we move on to another great idea . . .

TIP O' THE TROWEL TO THE WILDSCAPES WORKSHOP folks who, this past weekend, put on one of the most ecology-encouraging programs I've attended in decades. Environmental attorney/educator/author Jim Blackburn and Jaime González of Katy Prairie Conservancy incorporated local and statewide ecology-oriented efforts to a global view and, even better, put an understandable perspective on the now-profitable aspects that are a must if threats to natural resources can be brought under control. Jim comes as close to a modern Will Rogers as I've ever personally seen. Thank heavens he's a friend of Nature. Also sharing the podium and their expertise were Joe Blanton, Valerie Bugh and Don DuBois.

 

Among buzzwords that eventually will impact us all (but most especially our children and grandchildren include LEED certification , Sustainable Sites Initiative, and Living Building Challenge. The future will see all of us forced to fit more into Nature, rather than always re-fitting Nature to our needs. Might as well start kiddos on the right mindset now.

 

Have you started a habitat garden - or just planting for butterflies, hummingbirds and other birds? Certifications will help spread the word to neighbors: Monarch Way Station, Certified Butterfly Garden, Texas Wildscapes,   and Certified Wildlife Habitat, to name just a few.You may already qualify for more than you realize, and what a mark of distinction for your children to show off at school! 

 

So, my kudos to the Native Plant Society of Texas/Houston Chapter, Texas Parks & Wildlife and the Houston Zoo for an incredibly fun, educational day.

NO-MONEY WAY TO EXPAND/CONTROL GARDEN WITH SUPER-HARDY PLANTS

Last week the League City Garden Club gave some great tips on planning a neighborhood garden tour - a great way to learn more about plants that do extremely well in your area.

Another option to pullulate your Gulf Coast-hardy landscape choices is a Plant Swap. No money changes hands - just a lot of wonderful flowers with very personal growing advice. You know the plants do well in your area. Otherwise your neighbors wouldn't have so many to share.

And they know YOU know where to find them if they try to share plants that can cause problems!

On Sat., Oct. 10, the Greater Houston/Gulf Coast Area Plant Swap (aka Plantmeet) will be held at Mercer Botanic Garden, 22306 Aldine-Westfield. I'm giving you lots of advance notice in case you'd like to:
     1. participate
     2. plan your own neighborhood  Swap. It's not too early to start planning. October is a perfect month.

Jennifer Wolford of the Plant Swap at Mercer explains her group came together through various internet plant exchanges. They meet at Mercer Pavilion every spring and fall, swap plants and seeds and have a great time. Nothing is sold.

But they do ask that you stop by their website www.plantmeet.com and register so you can RSVP, check out the food list, door prize and pre-trade lists. They can also be found on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/groups/275739659105952/ .

If you've never been to a plant swap, Jennifer offers some tips to help you make the most of their plant swap if this will be your first experience:

* When you first arrive, look for hosts who will give you an overview and will let you park close by to unload your plants. (Mercer's tables fill up quickly; good idea to bring your own and a chair!)

* Check in at the Sign Up Table.  This group gives away prizes and participants are encouraged to donate items as well. A potluck table holds donated food and drinks. Be sure you grab a name tag.

* Walk around, Jennifer advises, meet people, check out everyone else's plants and and then start trading! Too shy? Hang around your table, people will stop and visit. Tell them it's your first swap and they will probably take you right under their wing.

The PlantMeet folks have learned from a lot of experience how to make things go smoothly.  If you're trying to start a Plant Swap for the very first time, here are a few more tips from a variety of interviews I've done over the years:

* Start small. Specific swaps among gardeners who share a focused interest, like pond plants, or local neighborhood swaps are sometimes easier than broader-based swaps.

* Or, limit your first attempts to a single neighborhood, school, church or organization. You can always branch out as you become more experienced.

* Give yourself plenty of time to plan the swap. The better you plan every aspect, the fewer headaches you'll have on Swap Day. One idea: set up a Plant Swap on a Neighbors' Night Out.

* Visit other swaps. Check www.gardenweb.com to see what plant swaps are already scheduled in your area. (Click on Garden Exchange, then on Texas Garden Exchange.) In particular, ask the planners what kind of unexpected problems developed, and how did they deal with them?

* Look for a free site. Most parks are free and have picnic tables. Church yards and gardening-related businesses' parking lots are other options.

* A plant swap is only as good as its publicity. Make fliers to distribute at nurseries and local garden clubs. (Be sure to send to me at lazygardener@sbcglobal.net for our calendar below)

Don't overlook neighborhood newspapers and gardening radio shows. Unless you like to spend hours on the phone, use an e-mail address, not a phone number, in your publicity.

* Decide if you want to allow/invite non-swappers to stop by and look. They may end up taking home leftover plants that haven't been exchanged. But after that, they're expected to bring something to swap.

* One route is to limit the first couple of hours to those who register early. Then open it up to the public. But make sure you emphasize that no money will change hands.

* Just be sure that all your publicity flyers, if you use these, very clearly specify all the rules and times. But try hard to keep the rules as simple as possible.

* Inviting a Master Gardener or other plant expert to answer questions and help identify unknown plants is one way to draw in more swappers.

* Ask swapping participants to bring their own chairs, tables, notepads or sticky notes, pencils, tape and wagons (for scouting other tables). Swaps are for sharing information as well as plants.

* If possible, display flowers from swap plants in a vase.

* Name tags are nice but not essential. At some swaps, organizers post sign-up sheets for future notifications or plant requests.

* Urge participants to identify plants if possible. Put seeds in labeled envelopes. Stress cleanliness is important.

* Water potted plants ahead of time so there's no mess (and they're lighter to haul).

* Wrap cuttings, with at least two nodes, in moist (not wet) paper towels; seal in zippered plastic bags.

* Clean (as much as possible) and dry bulbs, corms and rhizomes and put in labeled plastic bags.

* Some swaps post etiquette rules at the entry to avoid touchy situations. For example, only plants atop a table may be for trade; those under the table are off limits.

* Some groups allow garden-related items, sculptures, crafts or books to swap - but selling is strictly prohibited. Some groups also discouraged from bringing pets or small children. Some of the plants might be poisonous.

* Post signs that say "Ask before taking any plants off tables." This  suggestion will help with the biggest problem first-time swappers usually have: visitors who really don't understand swaps. They think they can just walk up to a table and take whatever they want.

* More experienced swappers often have a big poster board at the entry clearly stating all the rules, with "PLEASE READ BEFORE ENTERING" on the top. Make it clear that some gardeners will be willing to give away plants with nothing swapped in exchange, but they must ASK FIRST.

* Or, a special table could be set up on the side with a big sign that says: FREE PLANTS, HELP YOURSELF.

What kinds of problems have you encountered at Plant Swaps and how did you solve them? Do share at lazygardener@sbcglobal.net

 

Please help me honor the MOTHER OF TEXAS by sharing this information on your Facebook, etc., page! The 6th Annual Jane Long Festival, will be Sat., Oct. 10, at historic Fort Travis on Bolivar Peninsula, Jane Long Highway (87) near the Bolivar Ferry Landing. Free - 10am-4pm. Want to know more about Jane? www.janelongfestival.org or www.facebook.com/janelongfestival. Or, for a complete Jane Long Festival kit, email: lazy gardener@sbcglobal.net