April 21 , 2011
Joys and Perils of Zone-Pushing
As gardeners , we lean to do a little zone - tug , from ornamentals to vegetable ( like playact weather Russian Roulette with former tomato planting ) . But no matter what comes our way , my evergreen , no - name day lily from a little nursery days ago do n’t get frightened off .
On daylily , go before and make a note right now for theAustin Daylily Societyshow & cut-rate sale on May 21 from 1 to 5 p.m. atZilker Botanical Garden .
Here are some of their looker ! This luscious one is “ Scarlet Pansy . ”
Freeze , drought , deluge : my gold Spuria irises always flower in April after diligently pushing up foliage all wintertime .
My Peggy Martin climber is a dependable subsister , not just in my garden , but as one of two plants still alive in Mrs. Martin ’s Louisiana garden after Hurricane Katrina .
Dr. William Welch took cuttings from his own rosesto bring into propagation , and with each sales event , to help fix ruin Gulf Coast gardens and work Peggy Martin to garden like mine .
Next room access to her domicile my diligent Maggie , another Bill Welch Louisiana discovery .
By the room , with the hot - off - the - crush new edition of hisHeirloom Gardening in the South(A&M Press ) , Dr. Welch joins us on CTG this summer with some of his top survivor .
Since zone - pushing is especially on our creative thinker these sidereal day , this week on CTG , Tom meets with Bill Scheick who came up with this calendar week ’s theme : TheJoys and Perils of Zone - Pushing . Perhaps you ’ve run into his passionate and informative garden articles as contribute editor in chief ofTexas Gardener magazine , his on-line Scripture reviews for TG , and stories he ’s shared with the Austin - American Statesman and others . Now , you may meet his wit and hands - on knowledge “ in person ! ”
He explains how our zone are changing phone number per theArbor Day Foundation ’s latest map . Bill also explains how he pushes zones in his garden and how to do it . Get his leaning of geographical zone - pushers and bakshis for plantslike Golden thryallis ( Galphemia gracilis ) .
Another Bill mentions is Pink jasmine ( Jasminum polyanthum ) , a fresh Zone 9 favorite . Some people fall back those this year in our strange coldness , but others carry on .
As he tells us , even a minor microclimate can make a difference . Zone - push let in location , establish roots , and mulch .
My Star or Confederate jasmine ( Trachelospermum jasminoides ) is not a true jasmine , but scents the patio for months every spring . It got burn for the first time last winter and again this year , but after clipping its casualties , it barely delayed its dependable flowers . By happenstance , mine is rail like a shrub , but it ’s known as an fantabulous evergreen plant cover vine , even in part sun .
Here it is with fragrant Marie Pavie rose in the background .
My ‘ Mr. Mac ’ Satsuma wo n’t be feeding me this year , thanks to the moth-eaten , but it fed a sister shuttle whose parent nabbed this swallow-tailed coat larva , despite its camouflage . Fortunately , another child caterpillar or two is “ on the mode . ” Swallowtails were all over the larkspur last dark so permit ’s hope that after dinner they put a few more eggs .
Since insect are on the breeding violent disorder right now , Trisha cautions us to recognize good onesbefore we go on orange oil colour alert . Our featured guest on this section is a ladybug larva scarf up aphids . Trisha ’s got peak for moving caterpillars around , immobilise crops for stink hemipteron , and mere organic fast one to dispense with worthful crops .
I recollect viewer Philip for his pic to help us place the houri and adult stagecoach of the very beneficial assassin bug . With all those cherry-red nymphs running around flop now , take a 2nd look to recognize this free “ pesticide ” in your garden , and make them receive . Here ’s Philip ’s houri assassin bug .
Here ’s the grownup .
Thanks toWizzie Brown , entomologist for Texas AgriLife Extension , for more informationabout this beneficial insect .
Whew ! This is n’t the hot April I ’ve ever have it off , but it ’s pretty miserable . This calendar week , Daphne answers Nancy Garrett’sgreat question on how to take care of our young tomato transplants with such bombardment . Get Daphne ’s tips to nullify blossom - end putrefaction , too , a common office this meter of year .
Her featured flora is one that you might still be seeing along the wayside and field , despite the lack of rain for wildflowers : Prairie verbena ( Glandularia bipinnatifida ) .
When I was grow up , this was view a detest weed in lawn . Lots more than conditions changes have happened since then ! Respect and promote this tough subsister that feed beneficial pollinator .
On duty tour , we repeatMaster Gardener Randy Case ’s garden . Even if zone - pushing changed his plant palette a bit , his all important pattern is what ’s pregnant . Once we have our enduring patterns in place , we can set the flora as nature or our whimsy remove us .
Until next week , Linda
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