I'm in zone 8a. Should I wait till spring to plant Asiatic Jasmine?

Asiatic jasmine in 2-1/2 inch and 3-1/2 inch pots

Q. I'm in zone 8a. Should I wait till spring to plant Asiatic Jasmine?

A. Good question. Here in zone 8b, I prefer to plant in fall because roots continue to develop in winter even when above-ground parts are often dormant.

Asiatic jasmine is plenty cold-hardy in your climate zone. You needn't wait until spring to plant. The temps don't drop enough long enough to be a problem. Furthermore, once planted and irrigated deeply, newly planted plants don't require as much irrigation during our cool seasons.

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Can I compost egg shells?

Compost Still-Life with Egg Shells

Can I compost egg shells? I'm including a picture.

Yes, you can compost egg shells, but you should be breaking them up first. Egg shells are mostly calcium carbonate, like the powdered lime you buy at your local garden center for adding to your garden soil. Since calcium carbonate is a mineral, it doesn't decompose like vegetable matter. Egg shells need to be broken down into itty-bitty pieces for full incorporation into your compost. From here on out, let the shells dry after you've cracked the eggs, then pulverize them before dumping into the compost bin.

Don't worry that the shells already in the compost bin haven't been pulverized. They'll be broken down eventually as you turn your compost pile or begin working the finished compost into your soil.

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Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden, Houston, TX

Gate, Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens

After having visited Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Houston - or is it in Humble or Spring, Texas - once in mid-July, I've tried to imagine the hardships Thelma and Charles Mercer endured turning 14.5 acres of trees and brush into their garden paradise. Houston is miserably hot and humid that time of year. Who were these people who braved drought, floods, insects and Houston's climate to create such a place?

Like many of us, Thelma Mercer hardly knew one plant from another when they began, but her love of beautiful places and personal vision motivated her to learn. She became an accomplished, amateur horticulturist. Her husband, Charles, a retired communications engineer with the military, shared her vision and, of course, loved to please her.

After retiring, they decided to move to the Rio Grande Valley. Not wanting their former home and gardens to be bulldozed by real estate developers, they sold the property below market value to Harris County provided that the government establish it as a botanical garden and education facility.

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden is divided by Aldine Westfield Road. The East Side includes botanic gardens and the visitor center while the West Side features walking trails through the arboretum. Cypress Creek forms the northern boundary.

Hopefully the following photographic images will entice you to visit Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden.

 

Blue Butterfly Clerodendrum (Rotheca myricoides)

Red Bird-of-Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)

Koi pond

Nile Lily (Agapanthus africanus)

Rock Garden

Prehistoric Garden

Botanical imprints in pavement

Renaissance Garden

Color Garden

Aloe cooperi

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Garden is a few minutes from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

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FAQ: What is this? It's a dahlia.

A new homeowner in Maine asks questions about plants he finds growing in his landscape. "What is this?"

That's a dahlia. Dahlias are tuberous-rooted plants that are grown from seed, cuttings or tubers.  Most gardeners start with tubers because they are easily obtained and predictable. I don't know which one judging from the picture, but it could be 'Babylon Red'.

Dahlias require exposure to full sun for at least 6 hours per day, and well-drained sandy loam with pH between 6.0 and 7.5.  Their cold-hardiness varies. In USDA climate zones 6 or 7 they can be left in the ground over winter, but you live in zone 5.

After the first hard frost, cut off the plant stalks close to the ground.  After a couple of weeks, the tuberous clumps can be dug and stored over winter.  Store them in a very cool and dark place.  Care must be taken to prevent them from freezing and drying.  Baskets make excellent storage containers because they allow ventilation along the sides.  Without adequate ventilation the tubers will rot.  Sprinkle with water every week or so to replace lost moisture.

Try inter-planting your bulbs with summer blooming perennials.

Daffodils in the landscape. Photo by Irina Iriser from Pexels

Q. I would like to plant a large area with bulbs for spring bloom. The problem is the bulb foliage looks terrible after they finish blooming. I know I'm not supposed to mow the leaves until they dry up on their own, or else I won't have any blooms the following spring. Do you have any suggestions?

A. Try inter-planting your bulbs with summer blooming perennials. Dormant perennials will produce foliage to hide the spent bulb leaves. The perennial flowers will hide them even more. Not only will your mixed bulb and perennial garden provide a longer bloom season, the bulb leaves won't need mowing. They'll just dry up and become mulch. You didn't mention whether you want to plant in sun or shade. Suitable perennials might include Astilbe, Hostas, Bearded Iris, Daylilies (Hemerocallis), Yarrow (Achillea spp.), Coneflower (Echinacea), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) and tall ferns.

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The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, Baltimore, MD

Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, Baltimore, MD

The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens, located at the western edge of Baltimore's historic Druid Hill Park, is the second oldest surviving glass conservatory in America. Originally known as the Baltimore or Druid Hill Conservatory, it opened to the public in 1888. America's oldest glass conservatory is San Francisco's Conservatory of Flowers, opened in 1879.

Before exploring the conservatory, it would be helpful to know a little about its historical context. Let's begin with the land and the Susquehannocks. The Historical Society of Baltimore has published an excellent article - The Susquehannocks' Prosperity and Early European Contact by Adam Youssi - that you should read.

According to Youssi, a very large area that included Druid Hill Park was once claimed by the Susquehannocks and surely contested by others. The Susquehannocks had reputedly mastered the art of trade. A Susquehannock party claiming to have authority ceded the land (maybe belonging to other people), to one William Claiborne. Many arguments ensued. Typical of dominant governments, England settled the matter in 1638 by putting its foot down and forfeiting the land to its own George Calvert (1605-1675), Second Lord Baltimore.

"Lord Baltimore assigned the land to George Buchanan, one of several original commissioners responsible for the establishment of Baltimore City. The Buchanan-Rogers family then cultivated the area as a country estate and plantation."

Eventually, England lost the property in what was to be known as the American War for Independence, confirmed by the War of 1812 and celebrated on Maryland DMV license plates remembering when Maryland aspired to be a freer state.

The land for Druid Hill Park was purchased around 1860 when the nation's city dwellers were passionate about developing large, landscaped urban parks for their enjoyment. Before that, garden cemeteries such as Mount Hope Cemetery, Bangor, ME were popular urban resorts.

America's interest in picturesque gardens was informed by European Romantic ideals as expressed in Edmund Burke's Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and the Beautiful, William Gilpin's Observations on the River Wye..., Paris' Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne, and London's Hyde Park. New York's Central Park is a notable American example of those influences.

Rowhouses on Auchentoroly Terrace

In 1888, the newly completed Baltimore Conservatory was within sight of some of the city's finest homes in what is now the Parkview/Woodbrook neighborhood. Mansions built by John Morris Orem, a Baltimore dry goods magnate, were constructed (c.1860-1876) facing Auchentoroly Terrace. Magnificent rowhouses with diverse, intricate architectural features faced the park. Most of them still survive, but age and abuse have taken their toll. Along with Baltimore City, the Baltimore Conservatory suffered financial setbacks during years of decline.

Around the turn of the 21st century, the conservatory was scheduled for renovation. Money became available. The Baltimore Conservatory was renamed in honor of Delegate Howard Peters Rawlings (1937-2003). Rawlings was the first African-American to chair the powerful Appropriations Committee of the Maryland House of Delegates. Read more about "Pete" Rawlings at Wikipedia.

The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory consists of five "houses": the original Palm House, the Orchid Room, Tropical House, Mediterranean House and Desert House.

The original Palm House is the most imposing structure. Though relatively small in comparison to some conservatories, it has contained a fine collection including the Bismarck palm (Bismarkia nobilis), European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), cat palm (Chamaedorea cataractarum), Christmas palm (Adonidia merrillii), dwarf coconut palm (Cocos nucifera var. ), metallic palm (Chamaedorea metallica), lady palm (Rhapis excelsa), Fiji fan palm (Pritchardia pacifica), Chinese fan palm (Livistona chinensis), bottle palm (Hyophorbe lagenicaulis), and foxtail palm (Wodyetia bifurcata).

The modest Orchid Room exhibits a changing exhibit of flowering epiphytes. Orchid enthusiasts will find plenty in bloom.

Visitors to the Tropical House will be acquainted with a diverse collection of species both familiar and unfamiliar. (Follow links for pictures.) The ginger family (Zingiberaceae) is very well represented with Red Tower ginger (Costus comosus),Costus curvibracteatus 'Green Mountain', Variegated Spiral ginger (Costus amazonicus variegata), Torch ginger (Etlingera elatior 'Thompsonae') and Butterfly ginger (Hedychium coronarium). Two species, Creeping fig (Ficus pumila) and Spikemoss (Selaginella kraussiana) are at their best as ground covers. Other favorite tropicals include:

Blushing Bromeliad (Neoregelia carolinae 'Tricolor')

Firecracker shrub (Hamelia patens)

Philodendron 'Prince of Orange'

Plumeria

Red Passionflower (Passiflora coccinea)

Bird-of-Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)

Chenille Plant (Acalypha hispida)

Bananas! (Musa spp.)

While the Tropical House is literally dripping with humidity, the sound of fountains in the Mediterranean House provides sensible refreshment in its semi-arid environment. The good collection of suitable trees, shrubs and herbs include:

Shoestring Acacia (Acacia stenophylla)

Olive (Olea europaea)

Variegated Oleander (Nerium oleander 'Variegata')

Germander (Teucrium chamaedrys)

Deserts are among the harshest places on earth, yet they are habitable sometimes by creatures with the most bizarre appearances. You'll discover lots of them in the Desert House, such as:

Tortoise plant (Dioscoria macrostachya)

Hedgehog Agave (Agave stricta)

African Ocotillo (Alluaudia procera)

Euphorbia baioensis

Brain Cactus (Mammilaria elongata 'Cristata')

Feather Cactus (Mamillaria plumosa)

Panda plant (Kalanchoe tomentosa)

Galapagos Prickly Pear (Opuntia galapageia)

Bunny Ears Cactus (Opuntia macrodasys)

Old Man Cactus (Oreocereus spp.)

Madagascar Palm (Pachypodium lameri)

 

The botanical garden adjoining the Baltimore Conservatory is quite small, but good displays of some new plants will interest any gardener.

Surrounding the conservatory, Druid Hill Park offers other cultural and recreational opportunities including the developing East Coast Greenway. which passes by the conservatory's front door. Avid bicyclists and serious pedestrians take note!

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What should I use to treat mites on my citrus?

Orange tree with fruit

Q. I've discovered spider mites on my satsuma orange tree. What do you recommend I treat it with? The tree is growing in a pot on my porch so I can take it indoors in winter. I don't want to use a pesticide that will ruin the fruit.

A. Spider mites like dry conditions. Since the satsuma is growing in a pot on your porch, it's probably not exposed to rainfall. When you water, you add water to the pot. Right? So, the leaves are seldom exposed to water. As a preventative measure in the future, spray the leaves above and beneath when you water your orange to discourage the mites.

Spraying the leaves with water, especially the undersides, may be enough to get rid of them. If not, there are two pesticides on the market that might do the trick. One is Monterey Bug Buster. The active ingredient is esfenvalerate - a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide. The other pesticide is Trounce by Safer, the makers of insecticidal soap. Trounce contains insecticidal soap and pyrethroids.

As with all pesticides, follow label instructions.

Must-Have Plants: Dianthus 'Fire Witch'

Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Fire Witch'

Must-have plants are among the best plants for appropriate garden situations. When you need great garden plants for ground cover, naturalizing, wildflower gardens, perennial borders, butterfly gardens, hummingbird gardens, herb gardens, heritage gardens, cutting gardens, woodland gardens, shade gardens, bulb gardens, container gardens, bog gardens, water gardens, rain gardens or xeriscaping, look for the best among our must-have plants.

Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Fire Witch', a lovely clump forming plant, produces lots of showy magenta, carnation-like blooms spring through summer. Evergreen, blue-green linear foliage is attractive when the plant is not in bloom. Mature height is 7 inches, and grows 14 inches across.

Name(s): Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Fire Witch', 'Feuerhexe', Firewitch', Cheddar Pink, Border Pink

Flower Color: Magenta.

Bloom Time: Spring through summer

Foliage: Evergreen, blue-green, linear.

Height/Spread: 7 inches x 14 inches.

Climate Zones: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Sun Exposure: Full sun.

Soil Condition: Average, well-drained to dry, pH 6.6 to 8.5

Features: Drought tolerant, salt tolerant, heat tolerant, cold tolerant, deer resistant, low maintenance, fragrant.

Uses: Xeriscaping, massed planting, ground cover, coastal gardens, butterfly gardens, fragrance gardens, perennial borders.

Comments: Dianthus prefers well-drained soil. Do not over-water. Dianthus is heat resistant and cold tolerant, deer resistant, drought tolerant, salt tolerant, and attracts butterflies.

Dianthus is recommended for for USDA climate zones 3 to 9. Space 14 inches to 16 inches apart.

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The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center

Houston Arboretum and Nature Center

We were visiting the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center. Behind a man at the front of the line of two - who wouldn't stop yammering to the desk attendant about Gov. Perry's policies, disparaging the South, how she could live a happier life if only she would move to the suburbs of Washington, DC and get a federal government job, thanking her for their - mostly his - conversation - I cleared my throat, stepped up to the desk, paid $3 dollars for a trail map, and asked the lady with the few words I could fit in edge-wise. "Ma’am, if we only have an hour or so to explore, what would you recommend?" She seemed relieved that I’d asked.

She also gave me a free handout, “A Brief History of the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center." It's well worth getting a copy. Contact the arboretum.

The attendant said "This is a true nature center." Were truer words ever spoken? She instructed that from the Nature Center, we should follow the Inner Loop clockwise to the North Meadow Trail, follow it to the Outer Loop, go north past the Willow Oak Pond, and turn west on the Willow Oak Trail to return to the Nature Center. Her recommendation was spot-on.

The climate of Houston, TX is very much like south Georgia, my home – sweltering and oppressive in summer. The heat and humidity motivated us to cut our visit short and get out of there as soon as possible. But walking fast generated more sweat. So we moseyed, more or less, as we generally do down South.

Houston Arboretum’s flora is also familiar. Most are native species. Except for some brush clearing, they grow in wild abandon. Perhaps this is what the attendant implied by “a true nature center.” I could say the same about a walk through the woods behind my house.

The Houston Arboretum boasts a few improvements which my woods can’t: a nature center with classrooms and displays, well-marked trails, broad paths, comfortable benches, easy access, and boardwalks over seasonally wet areas. It’s also encompasses more acreage.

Along the way from the Outer Loop to the Willow Oak Pond, I spied what appeared from a distance to be a flowering Crinum americanum, also known American crinum lily, Seven sisters, Swamp lily, Southern swamp lily, String lily. I wanted to get a closer look, but didn’t. It appeared one or two persons had ventured out to do so. I could see their trail, but I wasn’t going. The weeds were high and I was wearing shorts.

Other noted species along the way included Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata), American basket-flower (Centaurea americana), Trumpet creeper (Campsis radicans), Whitemouth dayflower (Commelina erecta), Turk's cap (Malvaviscus arboreus), Pink Texas sage and Red Texas sage (Salvia greggii), Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccafolium), and Blue passionflower (Passiflora caerulea).

Meadow, Houston Arboretum

We did not explore all the trails in the Houston Arboretum, but were pleased with the beautiful meadow and Meadow Pond along the trail. They were certainly the highlights of our morning walk.

Meadow Pond with Centaurea americana and Eryngium yuccafolium

The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center presents many seasonal events for adults and children. Children's classes were being held in the visitor center the day we visited. They seemed well-attended. Houston residents should check them out. It's also a great place for walks, nature photography and bird watching.

There is no admission charge, but donations are encouraged. The Houston Arboretum is located at 4501 Woodway Drive.

Diggin' In: Landscapes Need Renovating Just Like Homes, By Kathy Van Mullekom

"Your landscape is very much like your home’s interior décor.

"It grows old, sometimes tattered and torn, and needs updating from time to time. Sometimes, plantings need to be completely torn out and totally replaced. Sometimes, old porches, patios and decks just don’t work any longer.

"Landscape design classes typically teach that a landscape lasts for 10-15 years before it needs at least a partial redo. Sometimes, it’s best to just start over from scratch and get the look you’ve always wanted and never achieved because there was never enough advance planning and an overall plan." Read more from RISMEDIA

Is "pot liquor" good for plants?

Vegetables for cooking in water

Q. I read at an organic gardening web site that vegetable water is really good for plants. Is that true?

A. This strikes me funny because vegetable water is often known as "pot liquor" or "pot likker." But I'll comment on that later.

Well, it appears the advisor is talking about water left over from boiling or steaming vegetables. If the water has cooled, it should be good. Don't pour hot water on your desirable plants. But why don't you use the vegetable water for yourself?

• You can drink it when it has cooled enough;
• You can mix it in your Bloody Veggie;
• You can add it to smoothies;
• You can use it as vegetable broth.

Where I come from, people who actually drink the vegetable water are considered desperate, and derisively called "pot lickers" or "pot likkers." But most everyone does it nowadays. Not just here.

If you have anything left after the smoothies and broths, give the rest to your plants. They should respond well.

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A large oak tree has to go.

Large oak tree - Photo by FOX from Pexels

Q. "There is a large oak tree growing in our yard. ...We want to add a room to our house. IMO the tree has to go. But my wife loves the tree."

A. This reminds me of a few discussions I had with a customer a long time ago. For the sake of anonymity, I'll call him Pete. Pete, a lawyer, spent his professional career in a large city. He hired me to maintain his retirement property.

Pete had several undesirable trees around his estate, mostly misshapen black cherries (Prunus serotina) and water oaks (Quercus nigra) in various stages of decline. Those not decrepit were growing in the wrong places. But Pete insisted they were "magnificent." "Magnificent weeds," I replied. But he wouldn't allow me to remove them.

Perhaps Pete suffered from what I call the Kilmer Complex (after Joyce Kilmer). These folks think they "shall never see a poem lovely as a tree." Trees are bigger than themselves, and perhaps older, so are impressive even if diseased or growing in inconvenient places. They have no problem, however, destroying smaller undesirables. It's a matter of perspective, and an odd one at that.

What is a weed but an undesirable plant, or a plant growing in an undesirable place? It doesn't matter, really, how great or small. If it can't be transplanted elsewhere, get rid of it.

I wrote all that to say I understand your predicament. Try reasoning gently with her using my argument. If she remains rooted in her opinion, there's not much you can do about it. I guess it depends on whether she wants the additional room more than the tree, or whether you desire her more than the additional room.

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