July 22 , 2021
Bluebonnets in July, Plumerias, Asters Yellow Disease
The big question every spring : “ When will Lupinus subcarnosus blossom ? ” So , what about July ? Yep , these buffalo clover at theLady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centerjumped out early for a rare sight — cozying with nativeZexmenia(Wedelia acapulcensisvar.hispida ) , typically inactive in bluebonnet outflow . Last fall when a spectator ’s Texas bluebonnet demo up in October , Daphne told us , “ This off - time of year bloom pattern has been go on more over the last few yr . Climate variety has made our seasons completely unreliable , with affectionate winters , hotter summers , and generally pervasive drought , which has upended some plants ’ living cycles . ”
Of of course , they might be showing off forLady Bird Daythis Saturday , July 24 , from 9–5 p.m. , when the Wildflower Center honors their namesake and founder for all that she did for our body politic ’s treasured environments . For this admission - barren mean solar day , pink - flower Virginia saltmarsh mallow in the front ingress pond already donned its party attire . Crinum americanum and yellowish waterlilies usher in a day of menage - friendly activities , sport photo ops , and aLady Bird - exhort luncheon menuat the Wildflower Café ( including a Lady Bird IPA!).A tiny red yellow-bellied terrapin ’s getting ready as fast as possible!The first of my pink “ no name ” crinums unroll easygoing trumpets proclaiming victory over February ’s inscrutable freeze . I never fertilize and I irrigate only once a week unless we get ground - inebriate rain . In summer , a tree diagram softens its verbatim sunlight . unhappily , though , it looks like two aboriginal coneflowers succumbed toasters yellow , a viral - similar disease vectored by migrant aster leafhoppers . Cool , showery , and humid weather in belated give and summertime exacerbate the bed covering . There ’s nothing to do about it except dig up the plants . A few years ago during similar weather as now , I lose plants on the other side of this bed . I supersede them with variance from this spot . They ’re still hunky-dory , as are the rest in this grouping .
But , this strange growth on a native peck laurel wreath is nothing to worry about . Viewer Catie grabbed this neat shot on a unseasoned tree diagram that she and her husband grew from seed . This fascinating phenomenon is call “ fasciation . ” In the past , Daphne explained : “ It develops when the round growing compass point , the apical meristem , becomes distorted and crescent - shaped . ” There ’s no known cause , and it may never happen again , so what a treasure for their tree diagram ’s garden picture album ! ( I love look back at depiction — celluloid or now digital — of how our little plant crime syndicate grew up . We ’ve even done the whole measuring peg thing , too ! )
Near Houston , David Hamilton describes this plant as a “ enceinte example of nature ’s art . ” This beauty isClerodendrum ugandense , aboriginal to Africa . Although its top froze to the ground in February , its roots live . David reports that now it ’s virtually 7 ’ grandiloquent ! Often called “ blue butterfly bush , ” since the flowers look like butterflies , he mainly spots dozens of bees on those enticing flowers .
These adorable plumerias are going unattackable for Robert Gonzalez near Bryan / College Station . He ’s still got a dozen of them in container , though he lost two of the large in the freeze . They were over 12 ’ tall , so he had to lay them down in the garage . The concrete storey froze , killing the arm in contact with it . The upright ace come well . And then , would n’t you know it — hail shell them when he brought them out this leap . No trouble . His industrial plant get sun all day and he fertilise with a plumeria solid food every two to three weeks in the growing season . Any plant food with a ratio similar to 5 - 30 - 5 works ; you ’re looking for a eminent mediate number for phosphorus . Brian Tabone ’s Plumeria survived the cryptic freeze in a 4’x4’x5′ plastic zip - up nursery on the deck with a little space heater . In summer , his plumerias reside in mottled sunlight on their deck for closeup whiffs . Brian aver they fertilize with a soluble eminent - phosphorus food about once a month . urine soundly when the soil is ironical , which will depend on your container , land , and location . Check the soil with a trowel or your fingers ; water if the top few inches are dry . Thanks for stop by ! See you next time , Linda
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