It's Alive! Bwhahahaha.

The Saijo Persimmon, which I obtained at last January's Urban Harvest fruit tree sale, and planted a mere two days after (if I recall correctly--it's been so long!) has finally begun to sprout what may soon become....drumroll please...

leaves!


It's about time. Since I planted it, it has pretty much been looking like a big stick standing in a pile of dirt. Maybe soon it will look like a tree. All of the other plants I purchased there began sprouting leaves some time ago, so I was a little worried. However, my mother, who is also a plant lover and much more experienced with fruit trees than I, looked it over on a recent visit and told me not to give up yet. She was right. :)


Pictures will be forthcoming, as soon as new developments become big enough to show up on film, and I have the time to get said film developed. The trusty digital camera seems to be developing issues. I have, of course, suggested that it should talk to someone, but it never listens to me.

Fungus, bacteria, and how to tell the difference.

"Herself" gives us another useful post on fungal and bacterial plant diseases, as well as other problems that may look like diseases.

When will your garden be perfect?

Hmm.

"By the time one is eighty, it is said, there is no longer a tug of war in the garden with the May flowers hauling like mad against the claims of the other months. All is at last in balance and all is serene. The gardener is usually dead, of course."

~Henry Mitchell, The Essential Earthman, 1981


For more gardening-related quotations, see The Quote Garden.

Tea Scale

I never heard of this type of fungus before I read this post over at Herself's Houston Garden. One more thing for me to file away for future reference. :) With the humidity going back up, it is good to keep one's eye out for fungus.

What's this?

Whatever it is, its days are numbered.


I still have no idea what this is. I'm praying it's not poison ivy, which is entirely possible given the huge specimen growing down the street. :(

I zapped it with the Roundup today, just in case. It is sprouting up all over one of my flowerbeds.

Anybody out there have any clues as to what this might be?

Happy Easter!

Ok, they're not Easter Lilies, but by golly, they're pretty!

Photo by Aaron

Search: Viewing Bluebonnets in California

I posted before on bluebonnets growing in California. I got another Google-related hit, this time from someone in Texas, wanting to know where to go in California to see the lupines there.

Bluebonnets are commonly called Lupines in California, so if you are visiting from out of state, it is handy to know both names.

They grow prolifically in many open fields along the Central Coast, where I was raised. If you have never been there yourself, you may have seen portions of the region in films like The Ten Commandments (1923), The Rocketeer (1991), Of Mice and Men (1992), or Sideways (2004).

These flowers are also quite common in most other regions of the state.

There are also multiple varieties of lupines to see. The USDA plants database lists 165 species of Lupinus growing in North America. California is home to roughly 97 of these, so I will not be listing them all here. Have a look at the many listed species at the USDA Plants Database. Many of the species listed grow in California. You can click on the smaller maps for profiles of individual species, and each profile contains links to maps which highlight the counties in which each species grows.

The ones that I remember, which look the most like the bluebonnets of Texas can be found growing in many open fields in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, as well as in other coastal counties in the state of California. I suggest the areas around Nipomo, San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, Arroyo Grande, Santa Ynez, and Lompoc.

I have also seen a paler variety growing in the sand dunes around Oso Flaco, a state park along the coast with gorgeous sand dunes, lakes, and nature walks. It is worth the visit, even without the lupines.

Lupines occur all over the state of California, so one need not confine herself to the central coast. However, as I have not spent as much time in the Northern regions or int he central valley, I cannot suggest specific areas. However, in any part of California the best way to see them is to hop in a car, and go for a pleasant drive in the country. When in doubt, ask the locals!

Incidentally, the Central Coast is also a great place for wine tasting!

Sophora Secundiflora (Texas Mountain Laurel)

Right around the first of March, I saw these on my Sophora secundiflora (a.k.a. Texas Mountain Laurel or Mescal Bean):


I had been somewhat concerned, since this plant has done nothing since I planted it last June. I was hoping that I had been able to keep the soil alkaline enough for it when I added amendments. (This species, being native to Texas, actually likes alkaline soils.) Somebody I met recently said that her landscapers made the mistake of planting hers in soil that was too acid, and the plant refused to grow until this was rectified.

Above is a later shot, taken some days later when the flowers opened more.



The photos below were taken toward the end of last week





Already, as of last Saturday, the flowers began to wilt, and seed pods are forming in their place.

There is also new growth on this plant. I will post pictures of this later.


I saw several larger specimens of Texas Mountain Laurel during a recent trip to San Antonio. They appear to be quite common over there. Some were trained as trees, and others were left to grow as large shrubs. Either way, there is nothing quite like being downwind from a large one of these when it is in full bloom. The fragrance is incredible! Some say resembles grape kool-aid, but I'd say I like it even better.


I believe I read someplace (I can't remember where now) that, as a legume, S. secundiflora fixes nitrogen, making them good neighbors for nitrogen-loving plants.

Incidentally, the seeds and pods from this plant are very poisonous and should not be ingested.

Easy(er) Orchids for Houston

There is a good post over at The Lazy Gardener on this subject.

Winter color still performing

I really like the way the ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea) looks alongside the pansies here.


Here is a close-up of the kale. Is this stuff really edible? That has to look stunning on a plate.


I will have to find more wasy to use foliage for color.

These are all growing near my little Texas Mountain Laurel, which I planted last year. It is now putting out its first flowers, making this little corner of my garden quite purple.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. :)

I haven't done anything to these plants since they became established. I think the leaf mold compost that I added to the flowerbed might have a little something to do with their happiness in this location, as they have been growing (and blooming, in the case of the pansies) very steadily.

Why I read gardening blogs

I never know when I will learn something.

For instance, self-styled "Lazy Gardener" Brenda Beust Smith posted last week about ball moss, which I have in abundance on my trees. Before I read her post, I had some preconceived notions about this plant. Because it has some features in common with Spanish Moss, I assumed it was just another variety, and since of the two this was the only one that produced visible flowers, I guessed maybe there was a male/female thing going on there.



Hey, I'm sort of new around here.

New or not, I was still mistaken. :)

While both plants are in the same genus of the Bromeliad family, Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides) is harmless to trees, and the thickness of its growth can even help to indicate air quality (Smith). According to the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers, Spanish Moss does not qualify as a parasite because it uses photosynthesis to make its own food.

By contrast, Ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata), while also not a parasite, can damage trees by strangling the branches that it grows in with the tendrils it uses to maintain its grip.

Unfortunately, my trees are full of the stuff.


Brenda Beust Smith suggests hitting the ball moss with a baking soda solution (see her post for more specifics, and her recent update on this issue in another post.) either after a rain or after watering the ball moss yourself.

The trouble for me is, my trees are pretty tall, and I am fairly certain my hose will not spray that high. Time to contact the county extension office!


For more pictures and details on this plant:
University of Texas, Austin
Texas A&M

Eugenia Aggregata seeds

Here is what they looked like prior to soaking and planting:


Some of you may recall that these were sent to me late last June, before I learned that they can take up to a year to sprout. It seems to be more time efficient to just get one at a plant sale, or by mail order.

Tiddlywinks!

It's not just a game anymore. I don't have any recollection of when I first heard this word, but I do remember being fascinated by the mere sound of it as a small child. For more on the game, you can visit the website for the North American Tiddlywinks Association (Tiddlywinks.org). It seems there is a website for everything these days.

The game of Tiddlywinks reminds me of "POGs" which were popular back in the 90's. (Does anybody else remember those?)

Tiddlywinks is also the name for a miniature rose that I fell in love with this week at the nursery (pictured above). I couldn't stop staring at it, which of course meant it had to come home with me! Hmm. I wonder what a "pog" rose would look like.

According to the label, this one is grown on its own roots. I just hope they are resistant to blackspot.

WeeksRoses, which grows these, gives the following factoids about this plant on their website:

* Height / Habit: 12 to 18 inches/Bushy & round
* Bloom / Size: Medium-large, semi-double
* Petal Count: 15 to 20
* Fragrance: Slight
* Parentage: (Golden Holstein X Livin’ Easy) X Neon Cowboy
* Hybridizer: Carruth - 2008
* Comments: Deeper colors in cooler conditions.

The Cardinals have Returned!

I saw the first cardinals I have seen yet this year yesterday morning. They were chasing each other through the air above my garden and perching in the trees, singing their lungs out.

I never heard cardinals before I moved to Texas, and I think their song is among my favorites now.

I am also seeing what looks like woodpeckers.

Spring must be coming!