Herself’s Houston Garden

Someone mentioned Earth Kind roses in a comment a few months back. I had meant to talk about the Earth Kind program sooner but so many topics, so few posts. Many of you are familiar with the Earth Kind roses but there is more to Earth Kind than just roses. Its main purpose it to promote environmental awareness. It is the belief of Earth Kind that “A healthy environment starts in your own backyard.”

Earth Kind uses research-proven techniques to provide maximum gardening and landscape enjoyment while preserving and protecting our environment.

The objective of Earth Kind is to combine the best of organic and traditional gardening and landscaping principles to create a horticultural system based on real world effectiveness and environmental responsibility.

The EarthKind program is a program brought to us by TAMU and Texas AgriLife Extension. On their website you’ll find information about urban gardening that is kind to the environment.

Everyone I know who has Earth Kind roses raves about them. They grow and thrive will very little care. If you love roses but are having trouble growing them in Texas be sure to look for Earth Kind roses at your local nursery.

There is also a Plant selector. You enter your zip code and you can get a list of all recommended plants in your area, or just certain ones.

Earth Kind also has several publications on environmentally friendly gardening in Texas.

There is also an Earth Kind Master Gardener Online Training Course for those of you who don’t have the time for the traditional Master Gardener course.

Did you know the average Texas household uses 6,000 gallons of water in January and 16,000 gallons in August? Those extra 10,000 gallons of water per month per household are for watering lawns and gardens. A little bit of conservation ( mulch, use waterwise plants, plant water loving plants in wet areas of your gardens, and dry loving plants in dry areas ) would go a very long way to conserving our water. Don’t just turn on the sprinkler. Stick your finger in the ground and see if the garden actually needs water.

Do you know you need to add organic matter every year to your garden? If you add it as mulch, that will help conserve water. Organic material does not last long in hot, humid climates. House plants that have been mulched use 25% less water. Outside the conservation is even greater.

If you use native plants they will need less water, less chemicals and less care from you. Earth Kind plants are all developed to do as well as our native species.

This climate leaves little organics or nutrients in the soil. But don’t just dump out fertilizer. Have a soil test done, or do your own and use only what you need. Nitrogen washed into the gulf kills.

To learn more about environmentally friendly urban gardening visit the many resources Earth Kind has made available and look for the Earth Kind label when you purchase plants.

See also:
The Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone
Soil Testing

I attended a talk given by Greg Grant of the Piney Woods Nursery. This is a summery of what I heard. If it catches your imagination you should let him know and find out more about what he is hoping to do.

Texas is a unique state in that its size gives it a multitude of micro climates. Rainfall across the state ranges from 6″/year to 60″/year. We have desert, tropical, forests and bayous that all come together to form a unique patchwork not found anywhere else.

Over time we have paved and polluted this unique area driving many of the local critters and plants to extinction. Much of the extinction is due to lost habitats like those of the once common bald cypress swamps.

As gardeners we listen to the news about flora and fauna losses and wonder if we, as individuals, can do much of anything that will make a difference. Gardeners in particular are accustomed to shaping our yard to the garden of our choice. But when we choose plants and the design of our gardens we need to consider the larger picture.

Most of the plants of choice now are plants from Asia, not Texas, or they are the weeds ( annuals ) our ancestors brought over from Europe. Our gardens have become a hodge podge of plant materials from around the world and not part of a larger plan.

If we, as gardeners were to all choose plants native to our areas ( pre colonialist ) then we could create a patchwork of native plant habitats that would grow over time. These habitats would provide food and shelter for native species to grow and thrive.

Unfortunately some have taken gardening with native plants as an excuse to let the yard grow wild with weeds. This have given native plants a bad name and created the stereotype of native plant people to be a bit daffy. Native plant gardens need to follow the same basic design principles that our more common gardens follow. They can and should be just as pretty to look at as what we now plant.

Get familiar with invasive species. Remove them from your gardens, enlighten your neighbors and any stores you find selling invasives to an unwitting public. Limit the amount of lawn. Ditch those plastic and silk flowers made from petrochemicals. They are an abomination.

Remember that when you spray an insecticide something, perhaps a young bird, will come and eat those insects you poisoned.

Do the research. Find out what plants are native to your area. Plant them and the native species will grow. Use local materials for your hardscape. The place will look more natural. Anything that comes local takes a lot less gasoline to get to you.

Put up bird boxes. Put out water for the birds.

Use rain water collection systems and don’t let our water go to waste.

Grow more of your own food.

Recycle.

Most importantly relax and enjoy your garden. Leave some dead trees for the woodpeckers. We have lost most of our cavity dwelling birds because the woodpeckers who create the homes for them have no material to work with.

Send your children outside to play. The world is a wonderful place.

Remember that most butterflies, moths and insects have a specific host plant. Lose the plant and you lose the butterfly.

And that is how you, as a local small gardener can make a difference.

While his philosophy is not my own, it was an inspiring talk. I left fully intending to rip out my gardens and plant all natives. Then I realized my garden is more than half natives so I didn’t feel so bad.

If you are even a little bit inspired or interested be sure to check out The Stephen F Austin State University SFA Mast Arboretum and the Piney Woods Native Plant Center. They would love to hear from you and tell you more about what they are doing.

If you build it they will come.

See also:
Texas Invasives

I first ran across Jerry’s Jungle online before I moved to Houston and thought it was wonderful. I’ve been here two and a half years and just recently had a chance to visit. Jerry’s Jungle is only open to the public a few times a year. This is not a garden that will endear you to your neighbors or the HOA, but gardeners will be enchanted.

Jerry’s garden is full of wonderful plants, most are tropical and many collected from around the world on Jerry’s and his wife’s travels.

They have plant sales a few times a year, in April, July and October. I scored a ton of cool loot. My favorites are the sugar cane and castor plants. If you are putting together a tropical garden or looking for unusual plants attend one of Jerry’s sales. You won’t find better prices anywhere.

In March each year the Mercer Botanical Gardens holds a plant sale. I missed last years and was looking forward to checking it out this year.

The sale is crowded. I ended up parking a mile or two away. They run shuttle buses constantly bringing people to and from parking to the sale area.

I was told by previous attendants to bring a wagon. I didn’t listen and was sorry for that. The plant sale covers a very large area. Bring something to carry your plants, a wagon, or a husband perhaps? I saw women using the plastic snow sleds to carry plants as well.

I intended to take pictures but was too busy juggling plants to do so.

The plant selection is huge. Everything is in separate sections; herbs, vegetable plants, ferns, gingers, etc. The selection is larger than any 4 nurseries I’ve seen down here combined.

I’ll be sure not to miss the sale next year, and to bring something to carry plants as well. If you have not gone, mark your calendars to check the Mercer web site early next March for sale dates and information.