Enough Already Of The Rain, Our Plants Need A Break
Perhaps we just need to cry "uncle" in order to stop the rain. The ground is completely soaked with standing water.
I have been thinking that hydroponic gardening with water as the medium might just be the solution at this time. Many plants are looking a little anemic, with light green becoming a more dominant color in the landscape than I would like.
Those chartreuse Ipomoeas, that we have been admiring for their nice contrast, don't look so unusual now. Leggie plants and fewer flowers are the result of all this cloudiness and water. We thought we would never be tired of rain, but, it is beginning to drown out our gardens, and that is a problem.
Not that there is any thing that can be done about it, so, as we go with the flow, literally, we make as many adjustments as we can to save our dry-weather-loving plants. If we are lucky, we have them in pots, which can be moved under a sheltering structure when it rains.
But in order to do well, they need direct sun, so they would have to be moved back after rain. The best solution would be pots with wheels. That's it, a mobile garden; push it to the right place as the day goes by. Oh well, perhaps not.
I was driving on Copeland Road several years ago, near Bergfeld Center, when an exotic and beautiful flower caught my eye. I looked today, but didn't find it. Too bad, because it was really a show-stopping plant, when it is in full bloom.
I have been thinking that hydroponic gardening with water as the medium might just be the solution at this time. Many plants are looking a little anemic, with light green becoming a more dominant color in the landscape than I would like.
Those chartreuse Ipomoeas, that we have been admiring for their nice contrast, don't look so unusual now. Leggie plants and fewer flowers are the result of all this cloudiness and water. We thought we would never be tired of rain, but, it is beginning to drown out our gardens, and that is a problem.
Not that there is any thing that can be done about it, so, as we go with the flow, literally, we make as many adjustments as we can to save our dry-weather-loving plants. If we are lucky, we have them in pots, which can be moved under a sheltering structure when it rains.
But in order to do well, they need direct sun, so they would have to be moved back after rain. The best solution would be pots with wheels. That's it, a mobile garden; push it to the right place as the day goes by. Oh well, perhaps not.
I was driving on Copeland Road several years ago, near Bergfeld Center, when an exotic and beautiful flower caught my eye. I looked today, but didn't find it. Too bad, because it was really a show-stopping plant, when it is in full bloom.
Bird Of Paradise
Caesalpinia Poinciana Mexican Bird of Paradise (pronounced "ses al PIN ee uh poin SEE anna'') is the plant. Caesalpinia japonica has been cultivated since 1887. It was named in honor of an Italian botanist of the 16th century - Andreas Caesalpini.
My great-grandmother, Clara Easton, grew Poincianas in her Fort Worth garden at the turn of the last century. She loved roses from Tyler, which my grandparents took her, and she loved her Bird of Paradise. Since she had moved to Fort Worth from Kentucky, she felt like she was living in the tropics in an exotic garden, and she looked forward to her "little birds" arriving each summer.
The large yellow flowers have numerous, long red stamens which give the blossom its light and airy look. Butterflies love them. The leaves are small and fern-like in their appearance. Poinciana can handle a variety of soils, that are well-drained, (good luck right now) and like lots of sun.
It is a tropical plant, and as we get warmer in our climate, it should live year round outside with a winter-protected location. Just to be on the safe-side, I think I will plant mine in a nice big pot, with wheels.
"What's Blooming In Our Garden'' is a regular feature of the Tyler Morning Telegraph Garden Page. It is written by Mary Claire Rowe, a Master Gardener with the Texas Cooperative Extension, and focuses on flowers and plant life around East Texas. To share your comments on gardening, write her in care of the Morning Telegraph.
My great-grandmother, Clara Easton, grew Poincianas in her Fort Worth garden at the turn of the last century. She loved roses from Tyler, which my grandparents took her, and she loved her Bird of Paradise. Since she had moved to Fort Worth from Kentucky, she felt like she was living in the tropics in an exotic garden, and she looked forward to her "little birds" arriving each summer.
The large yellow flowers have numerous, long red stamens which give the blossom its light and airy look. Butterflies love them. The leaves are small and fern-like in their appearance. Poinciana can handle a variety of soils, that are well-drained, (good luck right now) and like lots of sun.
It is a tropical plant, and as we get warmer in our climate, it should live year round outside with a winter-protected location. Just to be on the safe-side, I think I will plant mine in a nice big pot, with wheels.
"What's Blooming In Our Garden'' is a regular feature of the Tyler Morning Telegraph Garden Page. It is written by Mary Claire Rowe, a Master Gardener with the Texas Cooperative Extension, and focuses on flowers and plant life around East Texas. To share your comments on gardening, write her in care of the Morning Telegraph.
FAQ
Search Forums
Log in
Register
