Tips from the Garden
Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace. ~May Sarton~
One or two more weeks of unseasonably warm weather makes this a good time to get a head start on preparing outside areas for future planting. Mulch all garden beds and remove dead plants; plan to correct drainage issues; prune plants as necessary. Be aware, however, that the cold will come, not necessarily gradually, but more likely in a forceful rush. Then it will be time to gather up the seed catalogues, relax in an easy chair, and plan the beautiful things that will be sprouting and blooming in our spring and summer gardens.
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Bulletin Board
- The Spring Gardening Seminar 2025 will be help March 4, 2025 at the New Braunfels Civic Center. Click HERE for more information and registration.
Tips from the Garden
Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind, to cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas. ~Calvin Coolidge~
We can bring the magic of seasonal cheer into our homes with flowers from our gardens, the garden center or the supermarket, and greenery from outdoors to decorate tables and mantles. Add lighted candles and colorful ribbon to brighten our homes, and hearts will be bright as well.
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Focus on a Native - Rain Lily
Rain Lily, Cooperia drummondii, is a perennial wildflower that grows throughout the Texas Hill Country. Its native range extends from Louisiana to southwest Texas and south to Tamaulipas, Mexico. It is also known as the Hill Country Rain Lily, Prairie Lily and Flor de Mayo. The white flowers pop up seemingly from nowhere two or three days after it rains in April – November. Cooperia pendunculata is another variety of Rain Lily that is similar to drummondii except that it is larger in all aspects.
The blooms open slowly around dusk and continue to unfurl during the night. By morning, the white, trumpet-shaped flowers are fully opened. The six petals are about two inches across and grow atop a single, unbranched 12” stem. They only last a day or two and turn to light pink as they mature. Flowers that are pollinated produce a seed pod at the end of the stem. The 6-12” rain lily leaves are a blueish green and grow from the base. Although their main bloom period is spring, additional blooming is often observed after a significant rain throughout the summer. An autumn rain also often produces a large bloom. For more information click here.
Focus on a Native - Possumhaw Holly
Adorned in bright red berries in winter, Possumhaw Holly, Ilex decidua, is the widest-ranging holly that is native to Texas. It grows from Maryland and the Florida panhandle to the western edges of Texas. Its favored habitats include swampy lowlands, river bottoms and coastal plains in clay, loam or caliche soils. These are small trees, seldom growing to more than 30’ but more frequently appearing as a large shrub with several stems. Some other names by which this tree is known are Deciduous Holly, Meadow Holly, Prairie Holly, Swamp Holly, Welk Holly, Bearberry and Winterberry.
The leaves are dull green, deciduous, smooth, round at the tip and 1½ – 3” long with round teeth along the edges. The leaves remain green throughout autumn. Small white flowers bloom in March-May, have four petals on thin stalks at the end of small twigs. Male and female plants are separate, and the male trees do not have berries. The bark is brown, thin and smooth but becomes rougher as the tree ages.For more information click here.
Veggies, Q&As, and Native Plants
Happenings and Harvests in the Veggie Garden
A weekly log of veggie garden activities
Native Plant Gallery
Visit our gallery of native plants--and Go Native!