Herself’s Houston Garden

I received an email a week or so back asking about good locations to find plants in Houston. Here are where almost all of my plants have come from:

Fountains and Ponds and Supplies ( * worth the trip, amazing stuff here )
Nelson Water Gardens

Unusual Plants, Yard Art, and Classes ( * a well known favorite among the locals )
The Arbor Gate

Roses
The Antique Rose Emporium

Native Plants
Buchanan’s Native Plants

Good Stuff Cheap
Houston Garden Centers

Really Good Stuff (only a two day sale each year, but most of my plants come from here )
Mercer Society March Mart

Plants for Butterflies ( twice a year sale )
Houston Museum of Natural Science

Master Gardener Sales ( great places to find unusual and native plants, see schedules for sale dates )
Montgomery Master Gardeners
Harris County Master Gardeners

Bulbs ( once a year only )
The Garden Club of Houston Annual Bulb and Plant Mart

Now that summer might be winding down it’s time to take stock of which plants survived almost 3 months of 100′F plus heat and no rain and strict watering restrictions.

What can you do during an extreme summer of heat and drought for your plants?
- Don’t fertilize
- Water very deeply when allowed, poke holes in ground if needed to help water get down deep into the soil
- Add soil conditioners that hold water, there are several on the market, I use moss
- Mulch thickly
- Trim plants or remove some leaves from plants that are in trouble, most of the water they lose is through the leaves

Survivors of the great drought and heat wave of 2011

Trees
Bay leaf tree
Meyer lemon tree
Southern Magnolia
River birch
Japanese yew
Crape Myrtle
Little gem magnolia
Yaupon holly

Shrubs
Citrosa Geranium
Flaming torch
Oregon grapeholly
Coral bean
Red fairy duster
Lion’s ear
Tea roses
Shrimp plant
Lantana
American Beautyberry
Texas firecracker
Turk’s Cap
Cigar plant
Chinese indigo
Gardenia
Sago palm
Tree philodendron
Camellia

Perennials
Mother fern
Japanese holly fern
Cameo Quince
Thryalis Galphimia
Nun’s orchid
African blood lily
Ground orchid
Violet squill
Society garlic
Amaryllis
Cardboard palm
Toad lily
Purslane
Liriope muscari
Horsetail rush
Asparagus fern
Aztec grass
Coral vine
Yellow water flag iris
Jasmine vine
Sparkler grass

Cactus
Agave
Soapweed yucca

Bamboo
Emerald Bamboo
Golden Hawaiian Bamboo

Tropicals
Root beer plant
Bird of Paradise
Jewel Pagoda ginger
Butterfly ginger
Peacock ginger
Variegated shell ginger
Curcuma gingers
Pine cone ginger
Philodendron Xanadu Cutleaf
Synandrospadix vermitoxicus
Alocasia plumbea metallica
Leopard plant
Bear’s breech
Castor bean
Giant Crinum lily
Pineapple lily
Canna
White veined Dutchman’s pipe
Windmill palm

The NYTimes is reporting that several tree deaths are being linked to the use of the new herbicide Imprelis.

Imprelis uses pyrimidine carboxylic acid (trade name Aptexor )

A recently approved herbicide called
Imprelis, widely used by landscapers because it was thought to be environmentally friendly, has emerged as the leading suspect in the deaths of thousands of Norway spruce, eastern white pine and other trees on lawns and golf courses across the country.

Manufactured by DuPont and approved for sale last October by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Imprelis is used for killing broadleaf weeds like dandelion and clover and is sold to lawn care professionals only. Reports of dying trees started surfacing around Memorial Day, prompting an inquiry by DuPont scientists.

Read more at the NYTimes Story on Imprelis

There have been several reports from both outside and within the state of Michigan of herbicide injury on Norway spruce and white pine following application of the turfgrass herbicide Imprelis (a.i. aminocyclopyrachlor). Damaged trees have symptoms consistent with growth regulator type herbicides. Injury includes curling and twisting of new growth. Pictures and comments of damage observed in Indiana can be viewed at Purdue Extension’s Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory website.
Read more at the Michigan State Extension Office

WSU has photos of the damage to conifers Wilting and browning leaves at the end of branches is the most obvious symptom.

DuPont is looking into this and recommends that you do not use Imprelis near spruces or white pines for now.