May 3 , 2012
Going a little wild
Here ’s a beneficial understanding to plant aboriginal plants ! This Monarch showed up for dinner on the coneflower . If it find a date , maybe we ’ll get ball on our new Sonchus oleraceus .
In the back “ prairie ” of my garden , I ’m so thrilled that my Native American cover ( Gaillardia pulchella ) cum made it . I think I ’ve at last found the sunny , well - run out topographic point to seed more next fall to up the ante from what they inseminate themselves .
In the “ prairie , ” butterflies are all over Gregg ’s mist flower ( Conoclinium greggii)–formerlyEupatorium – though escape me at the moment .
When I dug up a farsighted stretch of grass along the back fencing years ago , my works budget was smaller than my ambition . I planted just a few blue mist flowers to occupy in fast .
Since then , I ’ve been radiate that infinite a few plants at a clock time . I ’ve had to wrangle the overweening mist blossom , since they do take over ! But they ’re easy divided to move around or deal . I permit them pass a bit , though , since the butterfly love them so much .
In front , the butterflies give thanks my friend Holly for sharing a sectionalization of herCoreopsis lanceolata . In my mulched soil , it ’s only seed a moment , but I receive each one .
In our latest lawn simplification project , I planted a few ( on a budget ) Texas frogfruit ( Phyla nodiflora ) . They ’re already going mad . Winecups are heading for the granite , too !
By fall , they ’ll cover our granite with flowers to attract butterflies and other nectaring insects . Their leaves are larval food for the Phaon Crescentspot , Buckeye , and White Peacock butterflies .
Here ’s a stab from Austin City Hall ’s raised bed on the plaza ; a testament to their endurance in live spots . At my neighborhood ’s former swimming pool , they covered the “ grassy ” dapple , oblivious to full Dominicus , rut , no water , and people camped out on their sun - bathing towels .
I love this Star thistle / American basketful - peak ( Centaurea Americana ) from an Austin garden .
Not so long ago , the approximation of actually using native plants in our gardens was woefully rare . For one thing , it was hard to come up them in nurseries . Thanks to theLady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center , we commence asking for aboriginal plants and the growers responded . These days you’re able to find groundcovers like Silver ponyfoot ( Dichondra argentea ) and Texas betony ( Stachys coccinea ) , one that ’s on hummingbird radars .
The Wildflower Center ’s annual Gardens on Tour puts us one - on - one with native works in garden setting . To spark off your own designs , this calendar week on CTG , Tom meets with Andrea DeLong - Amaya , Director of Horticulture at the Wildflower Center topreview this year ’s May 12 tour .
Here ’s just a sampling of what you ’ll see .
Tour admission include The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center , too , for mythical new designs like this .
The Wildflower Center is also host volume signings and bang-up activities for the kids ! So , mark your calendar for May 12 . admittance is $ 25 for all or $ 6 per garden . Find out more .
On CTG ’s tour this week , here ’s a stalker preview of one you could visit in somebody . We tap in December to illustrate the beauty of a native garden even in winter . On May 12 , see it in outflow glory and meet the gardeners , Lynne and Jim Weber , authors ofNature Watch Austin .
Although aboriginal plant life do n’t suffer from many ailments , now and then something gets them . This calendar week , Daphne explainswhat happen to Joy Vera ’s aboriginal winecups ( and later , at theAustin TexasAgriLife post ! ) and what to do about it .
We thank Joy for sharing this with us , and we thank Dr. Ong , Extension Plant Pathologist from theTexas Plant Disease Diagnostic Labfor his psychoanalysis that support it is rust .
Shredded Sir Henry Wood mulch is n’t the best thing for some plants , like winecups . So , this week , John Dromgoole compares a few mulch optionsfor you .
This summertime , go a little raving mad with whacker stopple Celosia ! Thanks toPhilip Leveridge from East Side PatchforDaphne ’s Pick of the Weekwith his pictures and crest on his magic patch ofCelosia spictata‘Flamingo Feather ’ .
Here ’s another show stopper event!The Austin Area Garden Railroaders are hosting “ Spring Bloom 2012 Garden Railroads Tour ” on Saturday , May 5th , from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. This liberal event features five railroad garden . This is a total kick!Find out more .
See you next week ! Linda
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