|
|
|
|
|
Dear Friends,
Here is the 160th issue of our weekly gardening newsletter for Houston, the Gulf Coast and beyond. We really appreciate all of our readers hanging in there with us, sharing stories and inspiring us in so many ways.
Thanks so much!
This newsletter is a project of The Lazy Gardener, Brenda Beust Smith, John Ferguson and Mark Bowen (John and Mark are with Nature's Way Resources). We also have a great supporting cast of contributing writers and technical specialists who will chime in and tweak away regularly. We would love to keep receiving your input on this newsletter . . . . comments . . . . suggestions . . . . questions. . . .Email your thoughts to: lazygardenerandfriends@gmail.com. Thanks so much for your interest.
Please or sign yourself up to receive this newsletter by clicking the "Join Our Mailing List" link just below. We will never sell or share our mailing list to protect the privacy of our subscribers.
Enjoy!
|
|
CELEBRATE GARDENING EXERCISE DAY! . . . MY FLOWERS . . .
A FUN "HISTORICAL" DISCOVERY . . . TREASURES FROM MERCER
BY BRENDA BEUST SMITH
No one seems exactly sure why June 6 is Gardening Exercise Day." One credit goes to "gardening clubs and other gardening organizations" as originally coming up with the idea. Whatever.
This may not be quite the "celebration" they had in mind, but thanks to reader Debbie, I did get some exercise in the garden. Debbie emailed:
"You're always telling us what others plant. I'd like to know what flowers are blooming in your garden right now, and how much work are they?"
The second part is easy. Virtually no work at all. If they were, they wouldn't be here. I don't fertilize, very seldom water and the only "work" happens if they grow out of bounds and hit me when I pass nearby on the riding lawnmower. In that case, I whack away with the shears. Whacking plants is a great stress reliever.
L to r: shell ginger, thryallis and vitex
SO I CELEBRATED EXERCISE DAY a little early by walking around the yard, pencil & pad in hand. Here's what's blooming as of that writing:
Althaea, aloe vera, cannas, coneflowers, coral vine, crepes, daylilies, duranta, four o'clocks*, mallow hibiscus, shell & red pine cone gingers, indigo, Mexican orchid tree, oxalis (common & clumping pinks, white & purple-leaved), Peruvian lily*, blue & white plumbago, 'Martha Gonzales' & another antique rose, red ruellia*, two rusellias (coral fountain plant & 'Red Rocket'), shrimp plants, thryallis, vitex and my 'Colorado' water lily.
(* Note: four o'clocks, Peruvian lilies and red ruellia are considered invasive by most gardeners. Lazy gardeners aren't "most gardeners." These are not invasive in my yard. Maybe it's the total neglect. On the other hand, the blue-purple, pink & white ruellia are the absolute bane of all gardeners. Avoid at all costs!)
Also, have to add one caveat to above list.
Please do NOT visualize masses of color. When I say blooming, I mean at least one flower. Some, like plumbagos and vitex are covered with blooms. But most have "some" flowers -- well, ok, maybe only one. Like my mallow hibiscus (H. syriacus).
I do not believe in planting masses of anyone plant. With a few exceptions, the plants listed above were planted as single specimens. Some may have multiplied.
Planting masses of any one species can be beautiful. But this is also an open invitation for insect/disease infestations. Nature likes variety, and variety attracts a wide spectrum of insects, which help keep harmful invaders under control.
One interesting point about the shell gingers (pictured above), especially in light of the note below. I dug those shell gingers at least 15-20 years ago out of my grandfather, Henry Gracida's yard at 801 - 10th Ave. in Texas City. They multiplied like crazy but never bloomed . . . until right now!
My grandfather designed many of the older Spanish-influence cottage-style homes around Texas City. And, speaking of Gracidas, isn't it wonderful when one discovers unknown links to the past?
In last week's column, I acknowledged the help my cousin Joaquin Gracida gave me in helping to translate the Cole Porter lyrics used at the beginning. Joaquin and I met for the first time this past spring in San Diego. After his help with "Panama Hattie," Joaquin gave me some fascinating personal history. He wrote:
"From your research I can see that some of the Gracida traits live on. One of our (mutual) ancestors was Manuel Martinez Gracida, the Mexican historian who wrote 20 books documenting some of the native tribes of Oaxaca. When I was about 8 years old, my dad gave me one of the books . . . "Ita Andehui" . . . published . . . in 1906. It is a Mixtec legend and the title is the name of the beautiful young maiden . . . her name means "Flor del Cielo" (Flower from the Sky).
You being into gardening may know if any such flower exists or is known in our times. Throughout the story he uses old Indian words and explains their meaning. That is one of the reasons his books were used by old culture scholars. Manuel preserved the native tongue of several of the lesser known tribes for posterity. In the town of Ejutla, Oaxaca, they have a full life size statue of Manuel. Just like you, he was a writer."
I looked up Flor del Cielo and what a surprise! We call that plant duranta or golden dewberry and I have a white one blooming in my yard.
Wish I had the more popular purple one. It's much prettier than my white one, I think (now that I've got one so well established). It's a cascading shrub, or thick stemmed vine, and I'm training mine on a fence. * * * SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST . . . .Gulf Coast-hardy flowers at Mercer Botanic Gardens' June 18 Summer Color Sale will include: Above - for shade - Justicia carnea, Farfugium japonicum (formerly ligularia; leopard plant) and a variety of begonias. Below - for sun - Hibiscus coccineus (Texas Star hibiscus), Salvia guaranitica (Purple Majesty) and Hibiscus syriacus
. . . MERCER TO THE RESCUE!
After all these rains, we sure can use some cheery flowers in the garden. Mercer Botanic Gardens' annual Summer Color Sale is Sat., June 18. You know if Mercer's selling them, the flowers will be well adapted, and extremely hardy, in this area.
Even if you're not in the market for more plants, flowers at this free North Harris County botanical site, 22308 Aldine-Westfield, are now eye-popping. Go see them!
The sale runs 9am-3pm. Also on the agenda are two special workshops ($10 each; preregister at 713-274-4166):
- 10:30am - "All About Begonias Indoors & Out"
- Noon - "Easy Care of Orchids"
If I may add one personal note, Mercer's gardens have suffered a LOT during the recent rains and bayou flooding. Volunteers have helped a great deal and more will be needed. If you'd like to help, contact The Mercer Society, themercersociety.org. On second thought, even if you don't, or can't, volunteer, join The Mercer Society! This garden is a free, living library that benefits all of us -- log on to see the widespread influence. It deserves our support.
Email questions & comments to Brenda at lazygardener@sbcglobal.net.
Brenda's column in the LG&F Newsletter is based on her 45+ years as the Houston Chronicle's Lazy Gardener.
|
JOHN'S CORNER
News from the wonderful world of soil and plants
Most gardeners feel better after digging in the dirt. One not only feels satisfaction from creating a beautiful garden but a general improvement their mood. New research that started at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London has found that a bacterium Mycobacterim vaccae found in the soil triggers the release of serotonin, which elevates mood and reduces anxiety. It also improves our cognitive function and they found reduced cancer symptoms. Gardeners inhale these bacteria while digging in the soil. Other research building on the initial findings have found that children that grow up on farms are 30-50% less likely to develop asthma (New England Journal of Medicine). In other words, it is good for children's health for them to play in the dirt and get dirty. For more information see the Cosmos Magazine article, "How gardening could cure depression." Other research is studying this microbe as a treatment for cancer, Crohn's disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. See a readable summary of this research in the Economist, "Bad is Good."
We have known for years that plants (flowers) produce electrical signals to communicate with pollinators. Most insects have antennas that help receive these signals. A study published in the international journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS, 2016) has found the hairs on a bee also respond to these signals. They found that these hairs dance in response to electric fields. God's creation is amazing!
In past issues, I have talked about the dangers of glyphosate and the health problems it causes. I mentioned this report last week. Testing at the University of California (sponsored by the Organic Consumers Association) has found that 93% of Americans tested had glyphosate in their urine with children having the highest levels (The full study will be released later in 2016). This is over 3 times higher than has been found in Europe. It is believed that at these levels it acts as a hormone disruptor. This is another reason to avoid GMO foods, which have much higher levels of glyphosate on them.
Speaking of hormone disruptors, a study by the U.S. Geological survey published in the Journal of the American Society of Agronomy, 2016; 45 (3) has found the anti bacterial chemical triclosan in 58% of America's freshwater streams. Triclosan kills both good and bad bacteria and contributes to antibiotics becoming less effective. It is also toxic to algae, which are the base of many ecological food systems. Research at Texas A&M (Journal of Environmental Quality, 2016; 45 (3)) has found it in all edible portions of tomato and onion plants. Soils with diverse bacteria populations are healthier and better for plants. Triclosan disrupts these systems.
An article in Acres, USA mentioned research where a dye was put into a tree and by the end of the day, it showed up at the other end of the forest. Scientist has also found a single fungi as big as the state of Rhode Island. Everything in nature is connected!
A new book for gardeners by Jeff Lowenfels whom authored the books "Teaming With Microbes" and "Teaming With Nutrients" is scheduled for release. His third book "Teaming with Fungi: the Organic Growers Guide to Mycorrhizae" will be available in January 2017.
A paper in the journal AOB Plants (Oxford, May 2015) has found that fungi mycorrhizal networks between plants of the same or different species influence the survival, growth, physiology, health, competitive ability and behavior of the plants and fungi linked in the network. These fungal networks help plant collect nutrients from areas where they are plentiful and transfer them to plants in areas where nutrients are not plentiful. These networks will tell neighboring plans if an insect or microbial pathogen is attacking one member so the other plants can ramp up their immune systems. In drought, these networks can also transfer water from areas where moisture is plentiful to areas where it is scarce. They also found that plants can transfer defense chemicals through the network to other plants. It was also found that plants growing in areas deficient in sunlight will receive photosynthate chemicals from plants with good sunlight. This research supports the concept of "Guild Systems" where multiple plants that are linked together by the fungal network for mutual aid. When one uses a fungicide or artificial fertilizer, these networks are destroyed and the plants loose all these benefits.
|
* * *
WEEKLY GARDENING EVENTS &
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALENDAR
TO SUBMIT AN EVENT FOR THIS CALENDAR, PLEASE NOTE.
Events NOT submitted in the EXACT written format below may take two weeks or longer
to be reformatted/retyped. After that point, if your event does not appear, please email us.
Submit to: lazygardener@sbcglobal.net
If we inspire you to attend any of these events, please let them know you heard about it in
THE LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS HOUSTON GARDEN NEWSLETTER
SAT., JUNE 4: BUTTERFLY GARDEN WORKSHOP FOR KIDS, 10-11am, Buchanan's Native Plants, 611 E 11th. Free. 713-861-5702; buchanansplants.com/events
SAT., JUNE 4: WATER-WISE GARDENING, 9:30-11:30am, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Moran Hall, 5555 Hermann Park Dr., $45. Urban Harvest event. 713-880-5540; www.urbanharvest.org
SAT., JUNE 4: PECKERWOOD INSIDER'S Tour, 10am, 20559 FM 359 Road, Hempstead. Garden Conservancy event. $10. Register: peckerwoodgarden.org, 979-826-3232; info@peckerwoodgarden.org
MON., JUNE 6: HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT 2 OPEN GARDEN DAY & VEGETABLE, HERB & PERENNIAL PLANT SALE, 8:30-11am, Genoa Friendship Garden,1202 Genoa Red Bluff Rd. Free. hcmga.tamu.edu
TUES., JUNE 7: DRIP IRRIGATION, by Galveston County Master Gardener SUSAN ROTH, 6:30-8:00 pm; Galveston County AgriLife Extension, Carbide Park, 4102-B Main St. (Hwy 519), La Marque. Free, but registration required: galv3@wt.net; http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/
WED., JUNE 8: WATER-WISE GARDENING, 10am-noon, Houston Museum of Natural Science, Moran Hall, 5555 Hermann Park Dr. $45. Urban Harvest event. 713-880-5540; www.urbanharvest.org
WED., JUNE 8: ULTIMATE MOSQUITO PREDATORS: DAMSELFLIES & DRAGONFLIES, noon-2pm, Mercer Botanic Gardens, 22308 Aldine-Westfield. Free but register: 713-274-4160.
THURS., JUNE 9: ARE YOU USING THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT FOR THE JOB? 7:30pm, Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion, 1500 Hermann Dr. Free. Houston Rose Society event. houstonrose.org
THURS., JUNE 9: WILDLIFE IN OUR AREA by MTT STRUSSER, 10am, Clear Lake Meeting Room, 5001 Nasa Parkway. Free. Harris County Master Gardeners at Precinct 2 event. hcmga.tamu.eduSAT., JUNE 11: PLUMERIA SOCIETY OF AMERICA SHOW & SALE, 9:30am-3pm, Bay Area Community Center 5002 Nasa Road One Seabrook. Free. theplumeriasociety.org
SAT., JUNE 11: EDIBLE LANDSCAPING WITH DANY MILIKIN OF EDIBLE EARTH RESOURCES, 10-11am, Buchanan's Native Plants, 611 E 11th. Free. 713-861-5702; buchanansplants.com/events
SAT., JUNE 11: T-BUD GRAFTING OF CITRUS AND FRUIT TREES (presentation & hands-on workshop), by Galveston County Master Gardener SUE JEFFCO, 9:00-11:30 am, Galveston County AgriLife Extension, Carbide Park, 4102-B Main St. (Hwy 519), La Marque. Free, class size limited; pre-registration required: galv3@wt.net; http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/
SAT., JUNE 11: PLANNING FOR YOUR SUCCESSFUL FRUIT TREE ORCHARD, by HERMANN AUER, 1 & 3pm, Galveston County AgriLife Extension, Carbide Park, 4102-B Main St. (Hwy 519), La Marque. Free, but register at galv3@wt.net; http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/
SAT., JUNE 11: COMPOSTING & SOIL PREPARATION FOR GARDENING, 9-11am, Montgomery County AgriLife Extension Office, 9020 Airport Rd., Conroe. $5. Master Gardener class. mcmga.com, 936-539-7824
TUES.-SUN., JUNE 14-19: WORLD BROMELIAD CONFERENCE XXII, Show and Plant Sale 9am-5pm Fri. & 9am-4pm Sat., 4th Floor, Westin Galleria Hotel, 5060 W. Alabama. Bromeliad Society/Houston, Inc. & Bromeliad Society International event. bsi.org
THUR. JUNE 16: TOXIC HORTICULTURE CHEMICALS AND YOUR HEALTH by John Ferguson, 10am, Bay Area Welcome Neighbors Club, Bay Oaks Country Club, Clear Lake, Bay Oaks Dr. 713-823-6980SAT., JUNE 18: DESIGN PRINCIPLES FOR LANDSCAPES, by Galveston County Master Gardener KAREN LEHR, 9:00-11:00 am, Galveston County AgriLife Extension, Carbide Park, 4102-B Main St. (Hwy 519), La Marque. Free, but registration required: galv3@wt.net; http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/
SAT., JUNE 18: FAMILY/KIDS DAY IN THE GARDENS, 9-11am, Montgomery County AgriLife Extension Office, 9020 Airport Rd., Conroe. $5/family. Master Gardener event. mcmga.com; 936-539-7824
SAT., JUNE 18: SUMMER COLOR SALE, 9am-3pm (free), ALL ABOUT BEGONIAS INDOORS & OUT WORKSHOP, 10:30am ($10), & EASY CARE OF ORCHIDS WORKSHOP, noon ($10). Mercer Botanic Gardens, 22308 Aldine-Westfield. Workshops register: 713-274-4166.
MON., JUNE 20: CELEBRATE POLLINATORS GARDEN TOURS, 9:15am & 10:45am, Mercer Botanic Gardens, 22308 Aldine-Westfield. Free but register: 713-274-4160.
TUE., JUNE 21: GROWING CUCURBITS by HERMANN AUER, 6:30 & 8:30pm, Galveston County AgriLife Extension, Carbide Park, 4102-B Main St. (Hwy 519), La Marque. Free, but register: galv3@wt.net; aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston
WED., JULY 6: EDIBLE LANDSCAPE by RON RICHTER, 10:30am, Glazier Senior Education Center, 16600 Pine Forest Lane. Free. www.pct3.com/senior-centers/glazier-senior-center SAT., JULY 9: FLORAL GARDENING IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY. 9-11am, AgriLife Extension Office, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. Master Gardener event. $5. 936-539-7824 or http://www.mcmga.com/ TUES., JULY 19: A HOMEGROWER'S GUIDE TO WEED CONTROL by JON JOHNS, 6:30-8:30 pm. Galveston County AgriLife Extension Building, Carbide Park, 4102-B Main St. (Hwy 519), La Marque. Master Gardeners event. Free, but register: galv3@wt.net; http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/SAT., JULY 23: PLUMERIA SOCIETY OF AMERICA SHOW & SALE, 9:30am-3pm, Fort Bend Country Fairgrounds 4310 Texas Highway 36, Rosenberg. theplumeriasociety.org
SAT., AUG. 6 : PECKERWOOD INSIDER'S Tour, 10am, 20559 FM 359 Road, Hempstead. Garden Conservancy event. $10. Register: peckerwoodgarden.org, 979-826-3232; info@peckerwoodgarden.org
MON. AUGUST 22, ORGANIC METHODS IN GARDENING- THE SOIL FOOD WEB, by John Ferguson, South Montgomery County Friends of The Library (SMCFOL), 2 PM, Mitchell Library, 8125 Ashland Way, The Woodlands, Sari Harris, 281-681-0470
SAT, SEPT 24: FALL SALE (LANDSCAPE PLANTS, PERENNIALS & FALL VEGETABLES). OVERVIEW AT 8 am; SALE FROM 9 am- 1 pm. BRING YOUR WAGON AND COME EARLY FOR THE BEST SELECTION. 3033 Bear Creek Drive. Free. Details: http://hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/pubSales.aspx 281-855-5600
SAT, SEPT 24: HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS FALL LANDSCAPE PLANTS, PERENNIALS & VEGETABLES SALE. Overview 8am; sale: 9am-1pm. 3033 Bear Creek Drive. Free. hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/pubSales.aspx; 281-855-5600 TUES., OCT. 11: GROWING PLUMERIAS, 7:30pm, Cherie Flores Garden Pavillion, Hermann Park Conservancy, 1500 Hermann Dr. Free. Plumeria Society of America event. theplumeriasociety.org
OCT. 21-23: AMERICAN ROSE SOCIETY SOUTH CENTRAL DISTRICT CONVENTION. houstonrose.org.
If we inspire you to attend any of these events,
please let them knowyou heard about it in
THE LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS NEWSLETTER!
TO SUBMIT AN EVENT FOR THIS CALENDAR, PLEASE NOTE.
Events NOT submitted in the EXACT written format below may take two weeks or longer
to be reformatted/retyped. After that point, if your event does not appear, please email us.
Submit to: lazygardener@sbcglobal.net
|
|
Green Job Opportunities at Nature's Way Resources
Inside Sales: duties include providing customer service, gardening advice and sales assistance. This is a part time position.
For more information please email jobs@natureswayresources.com.
| |
THIS NEWSLETTER IS MADE
POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS |
|
ABOUT US
BRENDA BEUST SMITH
WE KNOW HER BEST AS THE LAZY GARDENER . . .
. . . but Brenda Beust Smith is also:
* a national award-winning writer & editor
* a nationally-published writer & photographer
* a national horticultural speaker
* a former Houston Chronicle reporter
When the Chronicle discontinued Brenda's 45-year-old Lazy Gardener" print column a couple of years ago, it ranked as the longest-running, continuously-published local newspaper column in the Greater Houston area.
Brenda's gradual sideways step from Chronicle reporter into gardening writing led first to an 18-year series of when-to-do-what Lazy Gardener Calendars, then to her Lazy Gardener's Guide book and now to her Lazy Gardener's Guide on CD (which retails for $20. However, $5 of every sale is returned to the sponsoring group at her speaking engagements).
A Harris County Master Gardener, Brenda has served on the boards of many Greater Houston area horticulture organizations and has hosted local radio and TV shows, most notably a 10+-year Lazy Gardener run on HoustonPBS (Ch. 8) and her call-in "EcoGardening" show on KPFT-FM.
Brenda recently ended her decades-long stint as Production Manager of the Garden Club of America's BULLETIN magazine. Although still an active horticulture lecturer and broad-based freelance writer, Brenda's main focus now is THE LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS HOUSTON GARDEN NEWSLETTER with John Ferguson and Mark Bowen of Nature's Way Resources.
A native of New Orleans and graduate of St. Agnes Academy and the University of Houston, Brenda lives in Aldine and is married to the now retired Aldine High School Coach Bill Smith. They have one son, Blake.
Regarding this newsletter, Brenda is the lead writer, originator of it and the daily inspiration for it. We so appreciate the way she has made gardening such a fun way to celebrate life together for such a long time.
JOHN FERGUSON
John is a native Houstonian and has over 27 years of business experience. He owns Nature's Way Resources, a composting company that specializes in high quality compost, mulch, and soil mixes. He holds a MS degree in Physics and Geology and is a licensed Soil Scientist in Texas.
John has won many awards in horticulture and environmental issues. He represents the composting industry on the Houston-Galveston Area Council for solid waste. His personal garden has been featured in several horticultural books and "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine. His business has been recognized in the Wall Street Journal for the quality and value of their products. He is a member of the Physics Honor Society and many other professional societies. John is is the co-author of the book Organic Management for the Professional.
For this newsletter, John contributes articles regularly and is responsible for publishing it.
MARK BOWEN
Mark is a native Houstonian, a horticulturist, certified permaculturist and organic specialist with a background in garden design, land restoration and organic project management. He is currently the general manager of Nature's Way Resources. Mark is also the co-author of the book Habitat Gardening for Houston and Southeast Texas, the author of the book Naturalistic Landscaping for the Gulf Coast, co-author of theBayou Planting Guide and contributing landscape designer for the book Landscaping Homes: Texas.
With respect to this newsletter, Mark serves as a co-editor and periodic article contributor.
Pablo Hernandez is the special projects coordinator for Nature's Way Resources. His realm of responsibilities include: serving as a webmaster, IT support, technical problem solving/troubleshooting, metrics management, quality control, and he is a certified compost facility operator.
Pablo helps this newsletter happen from a technical support standpoint.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| COUPON: Nature's Way Resources. 50% off pomegranates, apples, asian pears and selected antique roses.
(Offer good for retail purchases of this product (101 Sherbrook Circle, Conroe TX). Expires 06/15/16.
|
I
|
|
|
|
|
