Prime's Clippings May 2018

Oenothera speciosa Evening Primrose One of our beautiful local wildflowers

Not many shower, but plenty of May flowers Despite a few heavy rains, April was below average for rainfall across most of the Metroplex, but our roadside wildflowers have still put on a pretty good show. It seems every year a different plant may dominate. This year I noticed some incredible displays of Blue eyed grass and Texas blue star.Blue bonnets and paintbrushes will transition to Indian blankets, verbena, bee balm, and other warm weather flowers in our fields and roadsides. May is a great time for road trips to take in our beautiful wildflower shows.May is historically our rainiest month, but can also be our stormiest with hail and tornados. Lets hope for more rain and less storms. Leave sprinklers off until rains disappear for a week or more, but keep an eye on any new plants. We will be jumping 90 degree afternoons soon, and we have been in a windy pattern that can wilt newly planted flowers in just a day or so.Cool nights and frequent rains can bring on fungal problems like leaf spot on hawthorns and photinias but we should celebrate rain and all the cool weather we can get before summer sets in. May is the month for yard work May may be the busiest month for yard work. As the weather warms and rain normally abounds, lawns finally kick into high gear. Along with weeds, new growth on shrubs and trees, insects, pollen in the air, lions and tigers and bears—Oh My! It can be hard to keep up. Here is a list of some of the chores to get to in the next 30 days: Fertilize lawns now and treat any remaining broadleaf weeds. Mow weekly. Letting grass get too tall between cuttings is hard on the grass and your equipment.  Fertilize spring flowering shrubs after they finish blooming. Watch for fungal leaf spot and treat as needed. Trim shrubs, each according to it’s needs. Remove rosette infected rose bushes. Apply baits or season-long controls like Top Choice for fire ants. Trim limbs that have suddenly become too low due to the heavy flush of new growth. Plant summer flowers like pentas, zinnias, etc. It is a little early for periwinkles but we are planting if requested. Cool wet weather can cause fungal problems. Poison Ivy and Other Spring Surprises Poison ivy is abundant in our area, and most folks already know if they are allergic to it. Yes, that is correct. Not everyone reacts to exposure. I personally can rub it on my face with no ill effects, but some folks have to get cortisone shots or may even get a serious skin infection from scratching when they are covered with pustules. If you are not sure of your sensitivity, the best thing to do is avoid it. Poison ivy is a woody vine that may climb trees, fences, or any vertical structure. A mature vine may be several inches thick and can be confused for a small tree. The easiest identifier is the 3 leaves with lobed margins. Poison ivy produces white berries in late season and may turn a vivid red in the fall. Blackberry vines are also similar, but of course have thorns. Pretty well unmistakable. Blackberries may also have 4 and 5 leaves. There are several copycats that are harmless and easy to differentiate with just a little practice. The first and most often mistaken is Virginia creeper. Grows in the same places and with the same habit with one BIG exception—5 leaves! A real trickster is the boxelder tree. Young boxelder seedlings look just like poison ivy except for the green stem and fact that they will grow into trees. Cow itch vine is another to avoid. Just like poison ivy it may cause severe itching but does not affect everyone. It is actually in the grape family whereas poison ivy is in the Sumac family. Notice the three leaves? Much more deeply lobed, but still 3 leaves. This vine has an unpleasant odor when crushed, one more sign telling you to steer clear. Bull nettle may be found in numerous places and you may encounter on a hike or nature walk, but occasionally a bird might plant a seed in your garden. This is a vicious plant which creates a burning inflammation. Like a thistle, you can pretty well determine by appearance that it is not to be messed with. Interestingly though, it produces a tasty nut if you are brave enough to harvest it.  My dad used to take me in the woods with thick leather gloves to pick and clean the nuts. I haven’t eaten one in a long time. There are certainly easier nuts to pick! Now for plants that are commonly planted in the home garden. There is no reason to fear toxic plants, but it is always good to have some knowledge of them. It is rare for a dog or child to consume a poisonous plant but it can happen. Carolina jessamine is a beautiful yellow spring blooming vine, but all parts are poisonous and some folks even have a skin reaction to the sap if they get it on them when trimming. Common shrubs that are poisonous include hydrangeas, with their huge blooms, oleanders, yews, and even our azaleas. Narcissus, daffodil, and hyacinth are all poisonous. Ironically, tulip bulbs are not poisonous and have been eaten during hard times by many different peoples. You should not eat elephant ears or caladiums either, but then surely you have better things to do. Knowledge is power. So before you start thinking about yanking plants you have had for years because you just found out they are poisonous, remember that even the mighty oak and it’s acorns are toxic. Now you can process acorns to make them edible, but again, surely you have better things to do! May Chores Mow weekly Finish planting spring flowers Mulch beds Treat for fireants Our goal is to fulfill the needs of the customer by providing timely, quality services and products. Thanks for your business!

Prime's Clippings April 2018

Enjoying a Great Spring 

April began with a beautiful spring morning followed by a cold front that dropped us into the low 40s Monday morning. For folks like me that planted tomatoes and peppers this weekend I hope you remembered to cover them!

The heavy rains have got us off to a good start on watering in new plants but that also means the weeds are happy. Remember that most of the weeds you see now will burn out as it warms up, and broadleaf weed killers will control a lot of our problems. But most weed controls do not work overnight as advertisers like to claim. Weed management depends on many factors—temperature, growth stage of plant, etc, and is an on-going process.

Trees are budding and some are making messes dropping their leaves (live oaks), seeds or tassels, spring flowering shrubs are in bloom, and bugs of every denomination are starting to bug everyone. No complaints here though, this is a magical time of year in north Texas.

April is absolutely the busiest month of the year for gardening, so please be patient with us if we can’t always get right to you. We promise to do our best!

Shades of Purple 

You can’t help but notice some of the beautiful lavenders and blues that make their appearance in the spring. Here are a few of my favorites.

Texas Mountain Laurel Sophora secundiflora 

Native to the hill country, this small tree will grow here if planted with good drainage and a little northern protection. The blooms are sweetly fragrant.

Purple oxalis Oxalis triangularis 

This purple shamrock is a wonderful border for shade gardens.

Chinese wisteria 

If you have the right space and time for an aggressive vine, the reward is a beautiful show in spring.

Iris

So many varieties, so little time to identify each one that a friend has given you. Better to just enjoy. 

Time for Summer Color 

Start making plans now for your summer color. The petunias we recently planted will make a for a big show through May. If you are a petunia person you will need to swap them out for hot weather plants like lantana or periwinkles in early June. But if you just have pansies or nothing at all in your beds then you can start planting many summer flowers now.

So many choices, but low maintenance plants that are not finicky are a big factor for most of us. Few people have the time or inclination to constantly check and treat for insects or diseases, and we need plants that can outlast a long summer season with extreme temperatures. So with this demanding criteria, here are some proven winners.

Full sun or afternoon sun areas: 

Lantana is hands-down the toughest choice for high heat, and the absolute best choice for dryer beds. Some folks think lantana can get a little unruly, but there are new compact dwarf varieties that really perform and grow only to about 12 inches.

For big accents use purple fountain grass, esperanza, sun coleus, or tropical hibiscus.

Scaevola is a great trailing plant in lavender or white, and Blackfoot daisy is a fragrant mounding/trailing plant—both great for rock walls, containers or borders.

Pentas are another heat lover with few problems

Periwinkles love the heat but cannot be planted here until about mid-may due to pythium and rhizoctonia root rot when nights are cool or it is too wet. Dwarf zinnias can have similar issues if planted too early.

Sweet potato vines are another great accent as long as you have the space for them or the time to periodically cut them back, and artemesias such as Dusty Miller or Powis Castle provide silvery foliage. Sunpatiens are a sun tolerant variety of impatiens and perform well with adequate water, but are usually quite a bit pricier.

Other choices for sun include Angelonia, Torenia, Salvia—both perennial and annual types, Blue Daze, Moss Rose, and Purslane. Bronze begonias tolerate sun or shade so are great for those places that go in and out of the sun, but they struggle with uneven moisture, and with twice a week water restrictions it can be hard to keep them looking good in July-August.

Shade areas: 

In the shade, caladiums and begonias are king with impatiens close behind.

Impatiens need a little light to look good all summer. In heavy shade they tend to get leggy in July-August.

Caladiums also need consistent water. You can also use foliage plants like shade coleus, Japanese painted fern, alternanthera, or lamium.

And Dragon wing begonias rule!