January / February 2006

Books for Texas Got Spring? Plant Bulbs Plant Fruit Plant Wildflowers What To Do With Borage Plant Choices Local Garden Clubs Opportunities Catalogues Herbs Cookbooks Resources Bits & Pieces Editor's Gleanings Gardening with Kids Herb of the Year Notes from the Brazos Beck on Nature (greyed articles available in printed version - subscribe now!)

Plant Wildflowers Look at the drawing on the next page and you’ll be reminded of all the wonderful wildflowers that appear in Texas fields in the springtime. While not all fields are quite as floriferous as this one, even the smallest garden has a spot for one or two wildflowers. The delicate pink evening primrose is a great home garden plant. It blooms early, is cheerful and completely carefree. You can plant seeds anytime from fall to spring. Although most experts recommend planting wildflowers in the fall, you can often find bedding plants in the spring. Bluebonnets, verbena, poppy, bluebells and many others are now being offered by nurseries and you can pop them right into your garden bed and enjoy an early burst of Texas spring. Remember to let your wildflowers go to seed before you pull them up or cut them back so that you’ll have another crop next year. Do try to control the weeds that grow in your wildflower patch. Weeds and wildflowers are not the same! Most wildflowers require little fertilization, water or other attention. That’s what makes them wild! Texas wildflowers are our reward for putting up with the summers here!