Yay! Now it really does seem like fall is on the horizon. Although I guess we should really call it "late summer." I have noticed lately how lovely the summer tropicals are, now that the nights are cooling down a bit. The esperanza (Yellow Bells) and bougainvillea are outstanding this time of year, and the Mexican Firespike and coral honeysuckles are loaded down with hummingbirds. I always laugh a little bit when I go to the grocery store or the farmer's market and see the watermelons side by side with the pumpkins!
Have you ever been to the "Open Days" of a private garden? It can be a real treat! Jerry's Jungle Garden, a beautiful tropical garden on the north side of Houston, will be open to the public on Friday and Saturday, October 18 and 19. Jerry's Jungle is the private garden of Jerry Seymore, who with his wife Fern created this tropical paradise over a period of more than 20 years. Many of the plants in the garden were collected or propagated by Jerry himself and surplus plants are sometimes available for sale during the open days. Here's a link to Jerry's Jungle Garden, where you'll find more information about the open days as well as some really outstanding plant photography.
 | | Photo: Jerry Seymore, jerrysjungle.com |
More great garden events: the Garden Club of Houston's annual Fall Bulb and Plant Mart is the weekend of October 4 and 5, on Holly Hall at Fannin (across from Reliant Stadium).
October 12 is the Fall Native Plant Sale at the Houston Arboretum, from 9:00am until 4:00pm. If you missed the sale at the Native Plant Society of Texas (Houston Chapter), check this one out!
Also on October 12, as well as October 19 The Museum of Fine Arts hosts Photography in the Gardens at Bayou Bend. $5 admission fee includes entry to the gardens only. More information on their website here.
The AIA is a home tour focused on architecture on October 26 and 27, from noon to 6:00pm each day. This tour is $25 per person or $10 for a single house. Here's a link to their event page with more information.
So much to do! I am hoping to get back in my own garden, but I'm working on a new project. If you missed me at the Sugar Land Garden Club's Plant Sale, look for me at the Peddler Show in Rosenberg! I'll have a booth on October 25 through 26. Watch the Facebook page for sneak previews as we get closer to the date. Looking forward to seeing you!
Thanks again and garden on! |
More Fall Bulbs!
Plus a few spring ones. In the last newsletter, I wrote about what I consider the "tried and true" bulbs for our Houston-area gardens. Now it's time to branch out. Here are a few more bulbs that you will love and perhaps have not tried yet. These bulbs might not be available at your local garden centers but they are available at the Garden Club of Houston's Fall Bulb and Plant Mart.  | | Photo: By JJ Harrison (jjharrison89@facebook.com) (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons |
More information about fall bulbs in the link below! Fall Bulbs 2: A Little Something New |
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Plant The Perfect Tree
Planting a tree can be tricky. Often you don't realize you've selected the wrong tree until is way too late: when you're covered up in deep dark shade or when you have trees struggling with each other for a limited water supply. It's critical for you to know the mature size of your tree and how that compares to your lot size. This is where I think master planned communities are making such a big mistake. I'll just go ahead and say it: hardly any of you have room in your front yards for two live oak trees! Here's an article about selecting the right tree according to the size of your front yard, along with three of my very favorites. |
Plant Wildflowers Now!
Along with all the other seeds you can plant now, almost all wildflowers should be planted from seed in the fall. Only the very tenderest plants can't survive our mild winter and our favorites tend to be rugged enough to appreciate the longer growing season. Wildflowers planted now tend to germinate quickly (as long as the soil is above 65° or so) and then stay low, focusing their growth on the root zone. Then, when spring arrives, they are ready to burst forth into flower.
 | | Texas Paintbrush |
Here's an article about planting wildflowers from seeds, along with pictures of some really great ones!
Read more on the website:
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Thanks for reading,
Elizabeth Barrow
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