Discover in detail about the Dallas Plant Zones that will give you an idea about which plants to grow in which area.
24.07.2023 - 12:35 / hgic.clemson.edu
My daily commute to Sumter is a joy. Although I’m wary of logging trucks during the daytime and deer and wild hogs at dusk, mostly I am free to enjoy the fields and woodlands I pass. Calhoun County, my home, has rich farm lands that produce beautiful fields of cotton; so much that farmers are often still picking in December. As those fields lose their bounty, another plant that appears to be covered with cotton stands ready to become the showiest feature in the landscape.
Baccharis halimifolia, with common names including salt bush, groundsel tree, or sea myrtle, is a woody shrub, semi-evergreen in its southern range, and native to all states bordering the Atlantic as far west as Texas and into some of the interior neighboring states as well. Originally believed to have been confined to coastal areas, it has moved inland as it easily takes advantage of disturbed sites. Railroad tracks, roadsides, and now retention ponds all offer its main requirement – sunlight. As for soils, almost any will do except deep clays. Remarkable salt spray tolerant, it is recommended for areas needed reclamation that are subject to that environmental factor or for landscaping at beach properties.
B. halimifolia is a dioecious plant with male and female flowers produced on separate individuals. Females have the striking cottony appearance due to the ripening fruits, held at the ends of twigs in small bundles topped with ¾ inch long, silvery-white, thread-like structures which catch the wind and move the attached seeds when they are released. Dr. John Nelson of the AC Moore Herbarium recently told me that male plants are seldom seen and have a yellowish cast in stark contrast to the showier females.
The leaves from a distance resemble those of wax
Discover in detail about the Dallas Plant Zones that will give you an idea about which plants to grow in which area.
Think before you allow poppies to proliferate. Poppies rob a lot of goodness from your soil.
Are you looking at plants in your garden and wondering why they aren’t flowering?
Lovers of succulents and oddball plants in general grow bowiea with most of its showy, round green bulbs above the soil surface, and with its twining filigree of stem-like foliage trained up onto some kind of support. That’s how the plant in my dining room (shown) is growing right now. Probably neither is what happens in the wild, but no matter; let the foliage climb up something or let it dangle; bury the bulbs a lot or hardly at all.Order a baby at Logee’s, or better yet order three and cluster them in one pot for company. Each bulb can reach 8 inches in diameter over time, and as for the foliage—there seem to be no end to it (until it simply stops).What matters is that you give it bright light and gritty soil and respect bowiea’s desire to sleep all winter. Stop watering it when the tendrils start to turn yellow and dry up in fall, then water not at all or very rarely when it is sleeping. I usually give it a little drink perhaps once a month in winter out
Our “gardens” couldn’t be more different: Master gardener Dave Whitinger gardens and farms a 90-acre site near Tyler, Texas, with livestock and all, where summer drought is no stranger and the prime growing months are when my garden is dormant or heading in that direction. It’s like we garden in different worlds, but you know how it is with gardeners, no matter their Zone or plant palette: They’re more alike than different.On the important things about cultivating plants (including our beloved Kubota tractors–and yes, his is bigger than mine!) we’re kindred spirits–our list of favorite sources even matched up almost exactly. Dave has a strong commitment to land stewardship and soil care, as I do, though he sometimes thinks bigger (read: something called hugelkultur, oh my). He isn’t afraid of botanical Latin (me, neither–remember my Taxonomy Lite?) and loathes made-up genus names like “Superbena” and “Potunia” and such. Me, too!
My longtime friend and fellow garden writer Ken of Ken Druse dot com is author of many books including “The New Shade Garden,” and “Making More Plants,” and “Natural Companions.” We tackled subjects ranging from propagating coleus from cuttings, to repotting a jade plant—and repotting in general—and even why a jade might be blooming now, after many years of ownership with no blooms. Ken shared ideas about some of his favorite unusual houseplants, too (that’s one of his Thai hybrid euphorbias, above), including several that bloom in the offseason.Read along as you listen to the Dec. 17, 2018 edition of my public-radio show and podcast using the player below. You can subscribe to all future editions on iTunes or Stitcher (and browse my archive of podcasts here).year-end q&a with ken druse
Marc Hachadourian, Director of Glasshouse Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden and I answer “yes” to both of the above. And he joined me to talk houseplants, and which ones make the best longtime companions to grow and even share—and how to match them to your site and meet their needs. Spoiler alert: He wants us all to start growing African violets again, and some of their other Gesneriad cousins.Marc is also Senior Curator of Orchids at the New York Botanical Garden’s 55,000-square-foot Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, and author of the recent book “Orchid Modern,” so no surprise that some of his suggestions today are easy to grow orchids because, after all, he’s @orch
Long before central North America was settled and developed, large swathes of verdant prairies teeming with diverse flora and fauna thrived there. Expansive grasslands existed from Canada south to Texas, and from Indiana west to Colorado. Though few original prairies still exist, gardeners across America have begun to take action to restore prairie plantings right in their own backyards.Why grow prairie plants?Prairie gardens, especially more expansive and interconnected ones, offer habitat, food and refuge for vital pollinator and wildlife populations. Also, compared to turf grass, mature prairi
These Interior Decor Ideas with Colorful Houseplants will surely give your rooms a vibrant twist while keeping the essence of nature!
Keeping your room fresh with natural elements elevates mood and senses. Here are the best Houseplants that are Literally Fragrant Air Fresheners that will help to keep your home naturally perfumed all the time!
Crassula Ovata, which is commonly known as the jade plant, also goes by other names such as Money Plant, Dollar Plant, Lucky Plant, and Friendship tree. Thanks to its immense popularity as a houseplant, surely you must have one in your home. And, if you’re not growing it indoors yet, you’ll be, after reading these Jade Plant benefits in this article!
Have a growing house plant collection and not sure about their care when you take off for vacation? The best way is to have a family or friend come over to help, but sometimes this may not be possible. Many indoor plants can survive a week without their parents' care, but you’ll want to consider some factors, such as lighting, and giving them a thorough watering before you leave. There are several tips and tricks to ensure your plants manage without you. We asked Southern horticulturists for their best plant care tips while you’re away