In the Garden ~ Gardening in the Texas Heat

Summer is rapidly approaching and you want to make a garden that your neighbors will be envious of and that is low maintenance.  Which can mean many different things in Texas but the main one is going to be something that can survive the Texas heat!  We all know how hot it can get in Texas, with very little to no rain, during those late summer months.  Here are our top five suggestions to keep your garden in color, and not break the bank on watering.

One of our favorite plants is Lantana.  We happen to have five planted right in front of the breakfast room window, which is perfect for early morning bird watching during the season.  Hummingbirds, butterflies and all sorts of pollinators love this bunch of flowers, and can be seen gathering pollen from the plants, once flowers start to bloom until the first freeze.  Our secret, we do not water these beauties at all.  They keep growing and supplying lovely color, from April until about December, when we cut them back to rest until next year.  Nature keeps our lantana in water when it rains, and they seem to be thriving.

Second on our list is Salvia.  We typically have the blue variety planted in our garden and this year we added a red and dark purple.  This native plant thrives in the Texas heat and can grow to be fairly substantial if given the space to spread it’s foliage.  The beautiful blooms give color the whole season, and come back year after year.  Of course it attracts pollinators of all kinds.  The bees really love the flowers and return every year.

Third, is the Red Yucca.  While we just added our first one to our garden this year. This popular plant can be seen along road sides, in multiple businesses around town and even along the freeway in larger cities.  Native to West Texas, the Red Yucca thrives in rocky soil and tends to be a little drier.   If you are trying to get away from having a yard full of grass and want to add a little xeriscaping, this should be your top pick.

Fourth, is Texas Sage.  The silvery foliage gives color and interest all year round and has a profusion of purple blooms during the rainy season.  Be sure to have enough space for this beauty to spread out, it can grow up to 6 feet if that is your desire.  A great benefit besides being good for those hot Texas summer days, if you have deer, this plant is deer resistant.  Add them along the edge of your beds to form a wall of sorts to protect your garden while adding interest and color throughout the year.

Fifth but definitely not the end, Rudbeckia, loves the sun and Texas heat.  You can find these flowers blooming in hay fields, along roadsides, and in many gardens.  The seeds spread with the wind, so if you only want them in certain locations be sure to move them early before blooming.  If you like a little chaos in your garden then let the seeds fall where they may and see just how far mother nature's hand will go.   These lovely yellow flowers add great color to any garden and of course the pollinators love them.  Be sure to add some to your garden for added color and interest.

While these are some of our favorite plants and flowers to have on hand to combat the Texas heat, there are many more you can find that you might enjoy more.  After all your garden is what you make of it and can be as full or as sporadic as  you like.  We prefer to have our’s be a little chaotic and colorful, with the least amount of maintenance possible.  Stop by anytime to explore our garden or ask questions to discover how easy it is to grow heat and sun tolerant plants. 

In the Garden ~ Perennials

    

     Color in the garden begins with perennials.  Yes, I know you can always add annual flowers for color, although you may have to possibly purchase and replant new annual flowers.  The initial time and effort expended in planting perennials, pays off in the long term, and sometimes creates more plants for you to share or move around in your garden. Therefore, one of the great aspects of perennial plants is the fact that they come back year after year.

    Some of our favorites are Irises.  They have lovely blooms in a variety of colors.  Most often people see purples and whites, though there are so many more choices.  Typically, they only bloom once per year, typically, they can cycle through blooms over the course of a month.  This year’s Iris blooms were not the best. I think partly due to the freeze we had in January.  No matter where we are, we will always have Iris in our garden. We are hoping to add to our Iris collect this year with some new varieties and colors, and are always willing to share from our plants as well.  

    Another crowd favorite are gladiolus.  The long, spear like stem blooms slowly flowering from the bottom to the top creating a riot of color late in the spring to early summer.  These flowers are wonderful to watch bloom and attract pollinators of all kinds.  The challenge is to make sure they do not get too too heavy and fall over as the blooms open.  So many color options are available in these flowers that you can match your garden to any color scheme.  

    Let’s not forget a series of blooming herbs.  Lavender, sage, rosemary, comfrey,  and oregano make up some of the beautiful and simple edible plants that grow in our garden.  Small purple or white flowers bloom on these plants, typically in the spring.  Besides being fragrant they can help keep pests away, and can be dried to use in cooking and for making teas.  

    A large portion of our perennial garden is made up of varieties of lilies.  We have a variety of colors and various bloom sizes in our lily collection, which adds color and dimension to the garden.  One great thing about lilies and Irises they like to spread their wings and are easy to split and move around your garden from plants you already own.  

    Most of our perennial plants are in full sun.  We are slowly adding plants that require more shady areas.  Hostas, cannas, elephant ears and certain ground covers prefer a more shady environment.  I always think it’s fun to see the hostas reemerge in the spring from under the cover of winter.  Deep down you know you are gardening right, when your plants return each year to shower your yard in a wash of colors.  

    Perennial gardens might seem like a lot of work to start but if you have the patience to wait and watch your garden grow, the rewards in the long run will be great.  The return of your plants every year is worth the time and effort to me, instead of having to buy new each year. 

Around Town ~ All Mixed Up

 

Change can be a catalyst to recovery and can lead you into a direction that has been traveled before. Our friends at All Mixed Up recently made a move back to Quitman to open up, a fresh retail space. Their new space is located at 108 East Goode Street in Quitman. Located right downtown just off the square, with easy walking distance to the rest of downtown Quitman. Their hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday hours the same, possibly closing a little earlier, based on business.  You can always find out new information and get product updates on Facebook.

 

If you have ordered flowers from them before you can still do so. Their flower shop is still full service, with cute grab and go options in the shop. Lead time on flowers for a specific variety is 24 to 48 hours, but with designer choice flower arrangements have no lead time. You can still pick up your orders in Yantis, and they still have the same delivery area. You just have more options of items to purchase within a larger retail spot.

 

Mel has been arranging flowers for over twenty-five years, as well as plant and garden shop experience for over thirty years. She truly enjoys helping others in their time of need by adding comfort during a tragedy. Her goal is to make it easier for those who are experiencing hard times or tragedy.  Valentine’s Day is also a favorite.  It’s a day that is a lot of work but a lot of fun as well.

 

The new store front offers a variety of products. Graphic tees featuring musical groups, home decor, fresh flower arrangements, teas, candles and more. You can order company gift baskets for employees, good for holidays or celebrating birthdays. By far the favorite product she offers is Anna Candle. Homemade custom candles created in remembrance of her daughter.

 

When you come in your items can be gift wrapped for any occasion. Right now, Christmas is the most popular, but birthdays, valentines, and just because are always an option. Custom gift wrapping of your purchases adds that touch of class we all look forward to from a beautifully designed and curated boutique shop.

 

The next time you head down to Quitman, be sure to stop in at All Mixed Up. Do not forget you can also find them in Canton on First Monday’s.

In the Garden ~ Iris Dividing

 

We have been at the Oaks Bed and Breakfast for just over seven years and our garden has evolved over that time as well. One of the first items we planted were irises. Which happens to be my favorite flower, so you can see why they ended up on the short list for planting.

 

In that time, we have added irises all over the yard. We keep trying different locations to see which ones do the best and where. We have multiple varieties of blooms that come up each year and every new bloom is just as beautiful as the last one. Now it’s time to split our plants and move or combine them with others. It might be a little late in the year to split but I feel like they should still thrive after replanting. Since the end of our summer is still so hot and the ground is still pretty warm, I think any splitting done now should still create new plants wherever planted.

 

Iris should be split every three to five years for optimal growth. Some of ours are on year six and some are at around four. I would say it’s time. I used a pitchfork to stir up my rhizomes for ease of splitting. You just have to be careful not to pierce or split them too early. It’s best to split with your hand instead of a tool.

 

Once your clump of rhizomes is out, it’s time to separate into individual plants. I also trimmed the leaves at this time to help with replanting. I plan to share or replant my unearthed rhizomes with others and will probably keep the ones that other experts say to toss in the compost, such as those without any leave growth. Why not try them all to see what does the best. Be sure to check for rot once removed from the ground. You do not want to introduce harm to other plants or other irises when replanting.

 

When you are ready to replant your bounty, is a great time to amend the soil for optimal growth. Keep in mind that your replanting might not produce flowers the first year.  Have no fear, they should grow beautiful blooms in subsequent years. Be sure to plant in sunny spots, where they can get about six hours of sun. Irises have proved to be drought tolerant and work great in our area. Plant about 12-14 inches apart so they have room to spread out, or closer if that is the look you are going for. With blooms should begin to show in early to Mid-April and lasting until the first part of May.

 

While the blooms do not last long they do create lovely burst of color throughout your garden earlier in the year. I love it when they stack their blooms on a single stem they are just beautiful. If you are looking to add to your irises and have some to share be sure to let us know. We would love to add new colors and varieties to our garden. We have plenty to share.

Your Garden ~ Plants that Deter Pests

 

Over breakfast one recent morning, a guest asked what type of plants deter bugs the best. This made me stop and think about what we have planted and why. The majority of our garden, flowers and herbs included, we use to make pretty arrangements and feed our family and guests.  While this is all important so is keeping the bugs away so that we have these great food options available.

 

Marigolds ~ This year I went on the offensive and intentionally planted flowers to help deter pests. Marigolds are great to keep out bugs and rabbits from munching on your gardens. Plus, they provide an early pollinator to attract bees and butterflies.  Just the scent of the bloom will keep away unwanted bugs and rabbits from your garden. This year I chose to plant them in various locations around our garden beds and at the ends, to hopefully help maximize my results.

 

Basil ~ We typically always plant basil because who doesn’t like basil. In the past we planted up to four different varieties, but this year only have two. Basil does a great job of being aromatic and repelling mosquitos and houseflies from your yard and home.  I’m thinking of adding some more pots with a variety of herbs to help keep the flies down in higher traffic areas and doors. All those kids coming and going can sometimes lead to doors being open to let in flies.

 

Lemon Grass ~ Lemon grass is a beautiful addition to your garden beds.  We usually place one or two on the end and watch as they sway in the wind. While also pulling double duty at deterring unwanted pests. Pests go beyond those blood sucking mosquitos to roaches, flies and other smaller insects.  Of course you can still use it in the kitchen as well.  Lemongrass thrives in a hot climate, so it works well in the Texas summer.

 

Mint ~ We pretty much always have mint growing in a pot around the bed and breakfast.  A leading herb in many of our cocktails and food dishes, it also provides the added bonus of repelling spiders, ants and mosquitoes.  Be careful when you plant, since it can spread, and you may never get a chance to get rid of it. 

 

Citronella Grass ~ Everyone is familiar with citronella being in mosquito repellents and bug repellents but do not realize that it is a grass.  Sure, there is a plant as well and you can probably find both at a local garden store.  Citronella grass can be hard to distinguish between lemon grass from afar, so get up close to help make the determination.  Citronella grass has red colored pseudostems while lemon grass has green.  Add these around your house and garden to help keep pesky mosquitoes at bay.

 

Rosemary ~ Probably another of my favorite herbs to plant for flavorful dishes and as a bug repellent is rosemary.  Rosemary will help protect your garden from a wide variety of bugs that want to feed off your bounty.  We typically have them planted at the edge of our garden like a Rosemary “hedge” of sorts and a way to keep the bugs away.

 

Chrysanthemums ~ These flowering plants are probably one of the most versatile plants to help deter bugs.  In Texas you know we love and enjoy mums later in the year, as is evidence of the giant monstrosities people create in the name of Homecoming.  In the garden they do not need to be nearly as large, to help repel ants, Japanese beetles, roaches, bed bugs, spider mites, ticks and so much more.  Plant these beauties around your house and garden to enjoy the benefits of their bug fighting prowess. 

 

This list is not a complete list of amazing plants to help fight off pests to keep your garden healthy and thriving.  There are more options that you might want to use to help keep your garden healthy or your home bug free.  Since we try to use organic means of gardening and pest repellants these options are wonderful for our garden at the Oaks Bed and Breakfast.

Graduation Party

 

    Graduation is right around the corner and there is no place better than The Oaks bed and breakfast in Sulphur Springs, to host your party.  With an outdoor space for games and fun, while visiting and conversations can happen inside.  We hosted another great party at the last Saturday and more to come in future weeks.  The graduate wanted a crawfish boil and we delivered.  The food and party were a hit.  How you do you like to boil your crawfish?  We always have our boils loaded.  Shrimp, sausage, veggies and more fill the pot along with the crawfish. Add some spice and you have a great dinner to help celebrate the graduate or another family holiday. 

    Decorations were made easy since the grad wanted to feature images and team jerseys that she wore throughout her youth.  A beautiful balloon arch from Paris Party Rentals and flowers from Sulphur Springs Floral rounded out the décor.  With the jerseys displayed around the car port you could see she stayed active.  We displayed her photos on our moveable wall, with fishing line and paper clips.  The remaining photos were placed on the tables inside so that they would not blow away in the wind. 

   

     Our favorite part of the decorations the grad put together was the photo backdrop.  All those college brochures finally came in handy.  A photo backdrop made from all the brochures that college sent over the years.  They really show off how much waste colleges spend on attracting students. Either way it also creating a talking piece to see where your student actually applied or you could find your alma mater in the mix. So creative and fun!

    Since you never know what people will want to eat and there were little kids attending, we had a grazing board and desserts inside for everyone to enjoy.  Kid friendly drinks and of course apple sauce and fruit salad, go a long way into making everyone feel like they have something they can enjoy.  

    The weather could not have been more perfect for an indoor/outdoor graduation party.  We hope the graduate feels the love and appreciation of those who came out to support her.  Good luck on your future endeavors.