tel. 512 280 1192 June 7, 2018
Nursery notes: we have a new shipment of Dutchman's pipe vine
for $36, and our hanging baskets of purslane and bougainvillea are
all looking good. Purple vitex is in bloom, and we have plentiful
amounts of blooming perennials, including esperanza, Pride of Bar-
bados and lantanas. Please drop by for a visit ; - ) ❦
A New Chapter
by David Sargert
My family and I are very pleased to announce that we will be con-
tinuing the legacy of Diane and Chris Winslow and It's About Thyme
with our own new garden center: Grandpa's Gardens ATX.
I have had the time of my life learning from everyone at It's About
Thyme, and YOU have fanned a fire in me that is burning hot! We
will be located 500 feet east of the corner of Carpenter Lane on
Bliss Spiller Road - exactly 2 miles from Thyme's sales shed to my
new nursery.
As most of you know I had another life as a sustainable design/build
professional for several decades and the financing for this new ven-
ture will be derived by something we like to call 'me fund me.' God
gave me gifts and I want to use them to their fullest. New design/
build projects will fund this venture to get it going , then it will
sustain itself.
From 5 star hotels to designing your organic gardens, just call me.
We are SO excited to get this off the ground and I am ready and
available immediately to help you with your dream projects.
Contact David: 713-264-1883 GrandpasGardensATX@gmail.com
____________________________________________________
The Empress of Dirt: from totems to watering can art, this fun
gardening blog offers zillions of ideas for entertaining weekend
garden projects. Dirt ❦
____________________________________________________
Central Texas Gardener: studio guest Michelle Pfluger offers
tips on houseplant and patio container designs, and on tour, a visit
with designer Leah Churn, who charms up a small balcony. Satur-
day 4 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m. KLRU ❦
Beautiful Blooms for Summer Heat
by Amanda Moon
As the annual summer roasting of central Texas begins, this seems
like a good time to ask which plants can take the heat and brighten
up our landscapes at this time of year. There are plenty actually!
Driving around town in the midsummer months, it’s hard to miss
the bright yellow blooms of the Esperanza (aka Yellow Bells, also
in orange) and the en masse red and orange colors of the Pride of
Barbados. These large growing perennials are always the first go-
to for summer color, and they rarely disappoint.
But they’re not the only options out there. From trees to ground
covers, many of our drought-tolerant stars are still blooming late
into the summer, and some are just getting going for the season.
Crape Myrtles are wonderful additions to any landscape that needs
a little summer pick-me-up. They’re fast growers, good for creating
privacy in a garden, and are quite drought-tolerant once established.
Crapes come in a wide selection of colors and sizes, from the white
blooming larger tree Natchez, to the smaller Red Rocket and Dy-
namite. Let them grow naturally and they won’t let you down.
Cenizo Sage (aka Purple or Texas Sage) will burst into bloom
any time it rains, covering itself in purple flowers. That means any
summer rain will send these shrubs into their full display no matter
the temperatures. I like to have these large beauties as specimens,
letting them grow into their natural form.
Some of my top color choices for smaller beds and lower plantings
include Plumbago, Calylophus, Bat-faced Cuphea, 4-Nerve Daisy
and Lantana.
Plumbago can’t be beat for its sky blue flowers. It’s not a tall perenn-
ial, topping out at about 2 ½ feet, but can spread twice as wide if all-
owed. They bloom from spring to frost.
Bat-faced Cuphea (pictured above) will also grow to roughly the
same dimensions as Plumbago, but instead of bright blue flowers
this unique plant offers deep red and purple flowers shaped like little
bats. This little beauty also blooms all season long.
Calylophus and 4-Nerve Daisy are perfect for tight sunny spots.
These yellow blooming wildflowers are evergreen, low-growing
and bloom most of the growing season. They can handle the heat
and drought, and deer won’t touch them.
Lantana is another fabulous summer blooming perennial. There
are several cultivars out now that don’t get quite as large as the
traditional varieties (New Gold, Dallas Red, Irene etc.), and new
introductions come out every spring. When planted in full sun,
most lantanas will bloom spring to frost with little outside inter-
vention.
Just getting started for the season, Mexican Mint Marigold and its
relative Copper Canyon Daisy are great additions to any landscape.
Their golden daisy flowers can be seen from a distance and both
are quite deer-resistant.
The Mint Marigold (or Texas Tarragon) works well in medium beds
and herb gardens and is a nice substitution for French Tarragon,
which struggles in our heat and humidity. Copper Canyon is only
about 3’ high, but can spread out wide so give it lots of leg room.
The mistflowers are also just getting started as the hottest part of
the summer hits. My two favorites are Gregg’s and White Mist-
flowers. Both are an integral part of any butterfly garden and will
grow in full to morning sun. Gregg’s is a shorter, traveling plant
with purple flowers atop spikes of foliage.
It can be invasive but the butterflies love it, so plant accordingly.
White Mistflower, on the other hand, is a large full shrub 4’ tall
and 6’-8’ wide. It will cover itself in white flowers from late
summer into fall and attract every butterfly from miles around.
Though our heat can be oppressive this time of year, there are still
some wonderful landscape plants that can bring summer joy even
on the hottest, driest days. Even if you only have room for one or
two, those small changes can brighten up an otherwise bloomless
summer landscape. Happy gardening everyone!
like a good time to ask which plants can take the heat and brighten
up our landscapes at this time of year. There are plenty actually!
Driving around town in the midsummer months, it’s hard to miss
the bright yellow blooms of the Esperanza (aka Yellow Bells, also
in orange) and the en masse red and orange colors of the Pride of
Barbados. These large growing perennials are always the first go-
to for summer color, and they rarely disappoint.
But they’re not the only options out there. From trees to ground
covers, many of our drought-tolerant stars are still blooming late
into the summer, and some are just getting going for the season.
Crape Myrtles are wonderful additions to any landscape that needs
a little summer pick-me-up. They’re fast growers, good for creating
privacy in a garden, and are quite drought-tolerant once established.
Crapes come in a wide selection of colors and sizes, from the white
blooming larger tree Natchez, to the smaller Red Rocket and Dy-
namite. Let them grow naturally and they won’t let you down.
Cenizo Sage (aka Purple or Texas Sage) will burst into bloom
any time it rains, covering itself in purple flowers. That means any
summer rain will send these shrubs into their full display no matter
the temperatures. I like to have these large beauties as specimens,
letting them grow into their natural form.
Some of my top color choices for smaller beds and lower plantings
include Plumbago, Calylophus, Bat-faced Cuphea, 4-Nerve Daisy
and Lantana.
Plumbago can’t be beat for its sky blue flowers. It’s not a tall perenn-
ial, topping out at about 2 ½ feet, but can spread twice as wide if all-
owed. They bloom from spring to frost.
Bat-faced Cuphea (pictured above) will also grow to roughly the
same dimensions as Plumbago, but instead of bright blue flowers
this unique plant offers deep red and purple flowers shaped like little
bats. This little beauty also blooms all season long.
Calylophus and 4-Nerve Daisy are perfect for tight sunny spots.
These yellow blooming wildflowers are evergreen, low-growing
and bloom most of the growing season. They can handle the heat
and drought, and deer won’t touch them.
Lantana is another fabulous summer blooming perennial. There
are several cultivars out now that don’t get quite as large as the
traditional varieties (New Gold, Dallas Red, Irene etc.), and new
introductions come out every spring. When planted in full sun,
most lantanas will bloom spring to frost with little outside inter-
vention.
Just getting started for the season, Mexican Mint Marigold and its
relative Copper Canyon Daisy are great additions to any landscape.
Their golden daisy flowers can be seen from a distance and both
are quite deer-resistant.
The Mint Marigold (or Texas Tarragon) works well in medium beds
and herb gardens and is a nice substitution for French Tarragon,
which struggles in our heat and humidity. Copper Canyon is only
about 3’ high, but can spread out wide so give it lots of leg room.
The mistflowers are also just getting started as the hottest part of
the summer hits. My two favorites are Gregg’s and White Mist-
flowers. Both are an integral part of any butterfly garden and will
grow in full to morning sun. Gregg’s is a shorter, traveling plant
with purple flowers atop spikes of foliage.
It can be invasive but the butterflies love it, so plant accordingly.
White Mistflower, on the other hand, is a large full shrub 4’ tall
and 6’-8’ wide. It will cover itself in white flowers from late
summer into fall and attract every butterfly from miles around.
Though our heat can be oppressive this time of year, there are still
some wonderful landscape plants that can bring summer joy even
on the hottest, driest days. Even if you only have room for one or
two, those small changes can brighten up an otherwise bloomless
summer landscape. Happy gardening everyone!
