June 7 , 2012
Creating Tomorrow’s Garden Today!
Things have exchange a caboodle since I was a youngster and had the line to rake leaves from under shrubs to tidy up . As an grownup , I ’ve watched gardening ism among the backyard populace — mine included — gradually head back to the sustainable practices followed by our forebear .
Since I planted my first tree , a crepe myrtle barely bigger than a twig , its ever - increasing island bed and girth reflects my own development : to aboriginal plants , home ground invitations , and lawn diminution ( still in progress ! ) . And yes , I leave my leaves that help turn Lucius DuBignon Clay dirt clods into fat soil .
Many of us no longer chase away louse with pesticides . Instead , we encourage them with solid food in all forms , whoop it up in discoveries that put off us in homogenous landscapes stink of chemicals .
In fact , these day , we engraft milkweeds ( Asclepiasspp . ) just to get eaten by caterpillar ! Their flowers draw many butterflies to nectar , but their most significant role is in the leave . Migratory Monarch butterflies only lie their eggs on Asclepias exit . hatch caterpillars chomp aside . The industrial plant will recover to contribute to a novel generation of butterfly stroke !
And yes indeed , milkweeds attract Oleander aphids . But these yellow Guy are just as selective , and wo n’t trouble oneself your other flora ( other than oleanders ) . They are important , too . For one affair , they draw in parasitic wasps that apply them as a nursery to lie their eggs . For another : the ladybug cleaning crew will derive right over and puzzle around to ensure every plant is thoroughly vacuumed .
My native pigeonberry ( Rivina humilis ) , a drouth - tough low grower for dry shade , support all form of wildlife with flowers and fruit .
Butterflies , moths , various louse and hummingbird love my Turk ’s ceiling ( Malvaviscus arboreusvar.drummondii ) flowers . bird and nocturnal mammals snag the fruits .
Robin Howard Moore , Colorado - possessor of Howard ’s Nursery until it closed a few years ago , really see the swinging from one-year bedding plants to perennial , especially indigene . In her home garden , she liberally plants coneflower in sunny spots to draw in butterflies , bees , and hummingbirds .
Instead of planting bulb for just one spring time of year , we go for naturalize I , including bulbs for fall and summertime , too . I have good deal of rainfall lily , includingHabranthus robustus , beloved by bee . Its neighbour , untried Agastache ‘ Tutti - Frutti ’ , will draw hummingbird to set up our den window .
Stephen Orrchronicles this change of philosophy throughout the country in his powerful narrative and photo inTomorrow ’s Garden : Design and Inspiration for a New Age of Sustainable Gardening .
This workweek on CTG , we are thrilled to see him in person for his very insightful floor and perceptions !
Stephen features several Austin garden inTomorrow ’s Garden . But his account book journeys far beyond originative pattern from around the commonwealth . Through attentive story and picture taking , he illustrate how America is gardening today : on rooftop , along curbside in troubled neighborhoods , in veggie gardens , and with chickens ! He includes helpful plant inclination , how - to command , and eye - unfold facts on sustainable materials .
Here ’s a front M garden I drive by every good morning . I just had to stop over when the Cynara scolymus start up flower .
Recently , CTG visited Ellie Hanlon ’s young garden , where she frames pabulum with ornamental to attract pollinators , and piss to attract everybody !
These days , she does n’t interplant edibles and ornamentals . With Austin ’s water restrictions , she got an prescribed variation for her vegetable garden ( though she ’s very thrifty , and pee from her rain barrel when there ’s rain ! ) . She set up disjoined valves on her drip scheme to accommodate everyone once a calendar week and a just - edibles mid - week dose when irrigation is need .
InTomorrow ’s Garden , Stephen includes many beautiful examples of front thousand gardens that replaced green goddess . Here ’s my sojourn to Master Gardeners Robin & Ann Matthews ’ recent makeover to lose the lawn .
And in Kyle , Ida Bujan replace grass on an sticky front chiliad gradient with butterfly nectar and larval plants : groundcover frogfruit ( Phyla nodiflora ) and upright Zexmenia ( Wedelia texana ) .
On tour , CTG heads to San Antonio’shistoric King William district . When Gary Woods planned his green - built home around courtyards , landscape painting designerElizabeth McGreevyunited indoor and out-of-door spaces with an equally sustainable garden . Except for marque new plant , Gary did n’t use one drop of water in horrific 2011 !
One of their selections is Barbados cherry ( Malpighia glabra),Daphne ’s Pick of the Week . This native shrub / little tree diagram go in every waterwise garden today ! Here ’s one of mine against a bay Stan Laurel .
The little yield ( comestible for us ) greatly serve athirst birds and mammalian in summer and fall . This incredible specimen belong to to Ida Bujan .
Another matter that ’s changed is how we fertilize . This week at Lake Austin Spa Resort , Trisha shew how to make compost tea . And check out her great trick to disperse it or organic chondritic fertilizers with recessed baby’s room jackpot between plants .
Last , but certainly not least , is sentience of our territory . Daphne excuse how to get the dirt on your soil with theUSDA ’s web soil sight .
Have fun in your garden today until I see you next week ! Linda
tags :
