tel: 512-280-1192 July 29, 2011
Nursery Notes: It's thyme to plant peppers and tomatoes! We have
a great selection of fall varieties ready now. Help your struggling plants
through the hot days with extra compost and mulch. All bagged mulch
and compost $1.00 off per bag. All metal art including arches, trellises,
animals and planters - 20% off! All pottery (excluding talavera) - 20% off.
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With all this heat, how about a nice tall glass of Lemongrass Iced Tea?
Twelve lemongrass stalks, sugar and water is all it takes.
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We were saddened to learn that Terry Foster passed away unexpectedly
on Wednesday. He was 62 years old. Terry worked with Chris first at
Marbridge for 13 years, and a further 7 years at the nursery. Terry was
an excellent staff carpenter, knowledgeable about plants and always
eager to help customers.Terry will be missed. Our sincere condolences
to his family and friends.
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On Central Texas Gardener (KLRU) this week, a visit to the splendid
cactus gardens of Jeff Pavlat, and learn all about the dreaded agave
snout weevils and yucca plant bugs from Wizzie Brown Sat. noon and
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'Grumpy Gardener' brings McMansion garden to life! Humorist Steve
Bender (Grumpy) uses liriope, agapanthus, verbena, and ruellia to create a
The Kings & Queens of Crape Myrtles
by Chris Winslow
As we toil through our summer days in lands declared by the U.S. Depart-
ment of Agriculture as ‘primary natural disaster areas,’ sometimes it’s hard
to be cheerful.
But there are plenty of plants on hand to help to lift our spirits – especially
the ones that seem to flourish in the heat of this summer. Of these, a favorite
is the crape myrtle. So fond am I of these truly amazing crapes that, in my
official role as nurseryman/columnist I hereby declare them our 2011 Plant
of the Summer!
They bloom for months on end, and they come in any size you could imagine.
Once established they can hold up with our native tree species during even
the most prolonged droughts. Vibrant color and water conservation rolled
together into one beautiful tree.
But let’s be more specific, and choose some monarchs.
I hereby nominate, as ‘King of the Crapes’… Muskogee. This stately specimen
grows to a height of 25 to 30 feet, and blooms for four months. This is a record-
setting bloom time!
Muskogee is a light-lavender with strong resistance to powdery mildew. Its
fall leaf color is red and yellow and in winter its bark is grey and pinkish-brown..
As ‘Queen of the Crapes,’ I nominate Natchez. This white flowering beauty
grows from 25 to 30 feet and has the second longest bloom period of 110 days.
Her fall leaf color is red-orange and her winter bark color is cream-cinnamon
brown. Natchez is resistant to diseases, and is considered the benchmark that
all other varieties are compared to.
Besides this king and queen, there are dozens of other top performers to
choose from. For a dwarf tree, one of the best is Victor. This dark red variety
grows to 4 to 5 feet and blooms for 85 days.
For mid-size trees, those growing from 8 to 12 feet there is Siren Red, Pink
Velour, Catawba (purple), and Acoma (weeping white).
For trees between 15 and 20 feet there is Dynamite ( deep red), Red Rocket
( red), and Tuscarora ( coral red to dark pink). And for truly shade size trees,
25 feet and up, along with Muskogee, Natchez – there’s Basham’s Party Pink.
As these official ‘2011 Plants of the Summer’ go through their amazing bloom
cycle, we should all give thanks for the bright colors they bring to our landscapes
during these harsh summer months.
Happy gardening everyone!
(We have 15 gallon Muskogees for $124.99 and 30 gallons for $250 Also we
have a 15 gallon Natchez for $124.99)
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Visit the website at www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the
