Gardening in the Southern Zone

Gardening In the Southern Zone by CAROLINE BROWNLEE HUTCHESON

HOUSTON, TEXAS MARCH, 1971

FOREWORD ABOUT THE AUTHOR (Written without the author’s permission, by her family.)

Caroline Brownlee Hutcheson, a resident of Houston, Texas since 1940, was born in Austin, Texas, the daughter of former State Senator Houghton Brownlee and Nunie Curtis Brownlee - both of Austin and later in life of Burnet, Texas. Her genuine and affectionate interest in flowers and gardening doubtless arose from her girlhood days in Austin and her young adult days in the hill country of Central Texas on her family’s “Brownlee Ranch” - located between Burnet and Marble Falls in Burnet County, Texas. Possibly her interest in Garden Clubs’ efforts to carry the happy message of “gardening” to others in the community was also encouraged and advanced by her affectionate relationship with her mother-in-law, Eleanor Thomson Hutcheson, who was an active member of The Garden Club of Houston, and in her own way loved flowers, gardening and floral arrangements - and brought some appreciation of such things to many others.

The author’s love of flowers, beauty - particularly nature’s natural beauty -her appreciation of gardening as a combination of escape, hobby, satisfaction and reward - all of these she has been able to share with the less-than-helpful males (five of them) in her own immediate family. Happily, her young daughter and her gardening daughter-in-law now give promise of doing much more to help her various gardening projects - not just “cheering from the sidelines,” as the male members have done!

By those closest to her, the author is admired for her accomplishments as wife, mother, nature-lover, and understanding companion. Some of her friends who have read typewritten drafts of the printed pages that follow have generously suggested that her gardening journal reveals “the real Caroline,” as well as a few helpful and meritorious suggestions about gardening in this part of the world. In recognition of her loving interest in the subject, of her creativeness in writing down her thoughts while still attending to her duties at home - her family at Christmas of 1971 has arranged to print this little booklet on “Gardening in the Southern Zone,” hoping that it will show her their appreciation and also will make it possible for some of her other friends who instinctively share her love of flowers, plants, nature and gardening to consider the helpful hints she has taken the time and trouble to record in her own special way.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PREFACE ...................................................................................... 3 2.

PLANNING YOUR GARDEN................................................... 4

3.

TREES FOR TIDS AREA............................................................ 9

4.

SHRUBS AND HEDGES........................................................... 12

5.

AMARYLLIS AND IRIS............................................................ 16

6.

OTHER BULBS TO PLANT..................................................... 21

7.

PERENNIALS AND GROUND COVERS.............................. 23

8. ANNUALS................................................................................... 24 9. VINES........................................................................................... 25 10. LILIES........................................................................................... 26 11.

YOUR SANCTUARY................................................................. 27

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PREFACE This book is written for the beginning gardener and for the newcomer, as I was, to the Gulf Coast area. After all of these years of trying to learn, I realize that there is still very much to be learned, but this is one of the many things that makes gardening so interesting.

Since I am a victim of claustrophobia, I felt very deprived of my freedom when I first started raising a family, until I discovered the wonderful world of gardening. Gardening is a great outlet for people of my temperament, both for men and for women.

My father used to say that there were two things you could do that would absolutely take your mind off of all of your troubles, namely, play golf or paint.

I would like to add gardening to that list. If you are making a flower bed, or remaking an old one, or digging a vegetable garden, or even just weeding, you simply can’t worry about anything. Gardening is one of the most wonderfully relaxing hobbies in the world. Even though you may end up with a terrific backache and ruined fingernails, the sense of accomplishment repays you for all of the trials and tribulations when that first bulb blooms or when you eat that first tomato. To use an old cliche, old gardeners never die, they just dig away.

I must say that I had to dig for some of this information, but then gardeners are used to digging. One of my major problems in learning about gardening is that I never took a course pertaining to gardening, and, as far as I know, I was never offered one. We left all of this to the A. & M. boys -why, I don’t know.

For that reason, this book makes no attempt to be horticulturally perfect, but I do think the information it gives you will be practical. I have had personal experience with almost every plant mentioned, and, any with which I have not had personal experience, I am frank to admit it.

There is no attempt made to cover every bulb and plant that can be grown along the Gulf Coast, but I do hope that this article includes a great majority of them. It does include all of my favorites, and, if you are encouraged to plant one new bulb or one new bush or one new tree or one new plant, I will consider this writing worthwhile.

I do hope that you can profit by my mistakes, and I do hope that hearing some of my experiences may save you both time and money while you are building yourself a beautiful garden.

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PLANNING YOUR GARDEN If you live along the coast where it is generally hard to find a hump in the ground, much less a hill, it is absolutely your first concern to provide excellent drainage for your lot as well as your flower beds. This is something that a girl can’t do by herself. This is a “man-size” job. Of course, the easiest thing to do is to call in an expert, but, in case you can’t do that, you certainly need a strong back, or, even better, a couple of strong backs.

You may have to build your lot up by hauling in dirt or sand. You will probably have to put in drains, and this is no easy job. There are several good books that tell you how to do it, and the material isn’t so expensive. The digging is the hardest part of it.

After you have solved the drainage problem, or, better still, before you even do that, you should make a complete plan of your lot Here again, the easiest thing to do is to call in an expert, and it may pay you in the long run even if you aren’t rich ,to have a Landscape Architect draw a plan for you. However, if you can’t afford to do this, you can afford to spend some time and effort studying the subject. You would be amazed how much has been written on garden design. For instance, you can send seventy-five cents to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn 25, New York, for a handbook on American Gardens, which is composed of “one hundred pictures of beautifully designed gardens for various situations, a source book of landscaping ideas”. Another of their handbooks is Garden Structures, which costs one dollar, and is composed of “easily followed plans and instructions for building paved terraces, walks, walls and other garden structures”. There are also many other good books at your bookstore written by some of the leading garden designers in the country.

Incidentally, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is a must on your list when you visit New York. Many New Yorkers, I found, had never been near the place, but once you go over to Brooklyn, you will have no trouble finding it. It is truly an oasis and well worth any effort you expend to get there. It is beautifully planned and very well-marked. Although, to me, the Japanese garden is not as beautiful as the one in San Francisco, it is very beautiful, nevertheless, and you must remember that plants are easier to grow in San Francisco. Probably, also, Japanese gardeners are easier to get there to maintain the gardens.

A true interest in gardening opens up many new vistas to you, and another spot you shouldn’t miss is the Missouri Botanical Garden, better known as “Shaws Garden” in St. Louis. The orchid display is truly magnificent, and this is a sight you will never forget.

One friend of mine was kind enough to say that she liked a “messy garden”.

I am sure she said this because she knew that I had one, and there are several reasons why I have a messy garden. In the first place, I don’t plan ahead like

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I should, and, in the second place, I can’t resist new plants. I could blame my messy garden on the children and the various dogs we have raised, but the truth of the matter is that it is really my own fault. I’m the kind who buys the plants and then comes home and tries to find a place to put them. We have had roses sitting out in cans for several days while we furiously prepared a place for them. This isn’t the proper way to do things, and I know it, but I get these sudden urges to buy plants very often, especially after reading a new gardening magazine with beautiful pictures. I will be driving to the cleaners when I suddenly find my car headed straight for the nursery, and the first thing I know, there I am looking for something new to plant ... something that I need like a hole in the head! Or, I will park the car by the dime store to buy something, and the first thing I know I am across the street and have just purchased two dozen Strawberry plants. Then I have to buy a strawberry jar to put them in, because there isn’t a spot in a single bed that isn’t already full. And, to top it all, I am allergic to strawberries.

I tell myself that I am buying them for my husband and the children, but the truth is that I have to have them. Some women are this way about hats. l’m this way about plants. It even happens in the grocery store. I’ll be wheeling along a cart full of groceries when all of a sudden I see one of those stands full of flower seeds. Can I pass it by? - No! After thirty minutes of looking at all of the pictures, I end up at the cashier’s stand with a dozen packets of flower seeds.

Every now and then this system pays off, like the time I brought home all of the vegetable seeds. We ended up with a real nice vegetable garden. Of course, it took three days to get the bed ready and I even had my cook digging, but the vegetables were delicious. It really is fun to go out in the back yard and pick your salad for dinner. The Radishes were horrible because we let them get too big, but the Chard, Lettuce, Parsley, Beet Tops, and various kinds of Tomatoes were great. I bought the Tomato plants and the Parsley plants, and raised the rest from seed.

Because I am by nature a very impatient person, the first mistake I made in gardening was in not preparing my beds properly. This is a very common mistake, and, on the Gulf Coast, a fatal one to many flowers. Azaleas, for instance, are the easiest shrubs in the world to grow here if they are planted properly. In our area, whether your soil is sand or clay (we have both, you know), your flower beds must have drainage, should preferably be raised, and must have some form of compost mixed with the soil, especially if you live in one of the clay regions. This sounds elementary, but many people moving here from higher, less humid climates, don’t realize the necessity for this procedure.

Where you put your flower beds is a matter of personal taste. It is desirable to have some in full sun and some in part shade so that you can grow a variety of plants. It is my experience that in this climate the East sun is preferable,

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especially for Ginger lilies such as Hedychim Coronarium, the white butterfly lily which does so well here. Roses, however, seem to be very happy with the West sun. In fact they seem to prefer it. Chrysanthemums also seem to like a Western exposure in this region. It has been my experience that very few plants prefer year-around full sun in this climate, with our hot, humid summers and our sudden, devastating Northers which may drop the temperature twenty or thirty degrees in a few hours.

We gardeners may fuss a lot about the weather, but we honestly shouldn’t complain, because there are so many plants which grow beautifully here, and there are actually very few in comparison which don’t do well here. After I spent several winters in and around New York and Washington during the second World War, the only plants I really missed when I came back were the Lilacs. However, when you realize that all of the beautiful plants and shrubs we take for granted here are grown in greenhouses up there, you are amazed, and you realize how lucky we Gulf Coast gardeners are in comparison.

Luckily for me, several of my flower beds had been professionally made before we bought our houses, and with those beds I never had any problem. They were provided with good drainage, were dug deep, were filled with good soil mixed with humus, and they were raised two or three inches above ground level. Then they were planted with Formosa Azaleas which grew undisturbed for years. They were kept mulched with peat moss, so they were completely free of weeds at all time. They were watered once or twice a week during long dry spells, and every few years I got ambitious and fed them, but they don’t seem to care one way or the other, and every spring they bloom beautifully. Azalea roots don’t like to be disturbed, so I make it a point not to dig around them except to plant Crinum or small bulbs, or to divide those bulbs that are between or in front of them. Actually, it is better not to plant many other plants with your Azaleas, because Azaleas cannot stand strong fertilizer such as manure.

For this reason, any plants you plant with your Azaleas cannot be fertilized as they should be. The Azalea roots extend out as far as the leaves, and since these roots are fibrous and do not like to be disturbed, it is difficult to work around the Azaleas. Of course, you can plant in front of them, but try to stay away from the roots. Azaleas come in many lovely colors including bright red, pale pink, coral, lavender pink, deep rose, and white. Here again is a matter of personal choice, but please don’t plant Formosas (purplish pink) in front of a red house!

You can always paint your house another color, but Formosa Azaleas and orange-red brick just don’t go together! Azaleas are one of the few plants that you can plant while in bloom, so it is easy to pick the colors you prefer.

One way I wasted a lot of money, time, and effort was by planting a lot of annual flower seed. I still like to plant some annuals, but your first investment should be in permanent plants, such as bushes and trees and perennials. Annuals are fine in their place, but they certainly don’t take the place of permanent plants, because the first thing you know, they have died down and you

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have nothing again. Also, it is my advice that you buy the plants instead of the seeds. Of course, some things are very easy to grow from seed, such as Vinca (Periwinkle), but, on the whole, you get a much faster, safer start with the plants, and the plants are not that expensive. Six little plants of Stock can add so much to your garden. The white Stock is my favorite, because it smells so spicy. Incidentally, Stock should be planted early here - as soon as you can get the plants, because when the weather gets hot the Stock folds up. This same thing is true of Pansies. Pansies don’t freeze, but the hot weather burns them.

Also, you should plant your Sweet Peas early, about December, and this is easy to forget because you are so busy with Christmas.

Plants which freeze, like Tomatoes, can’t be set out until after the last freeze, and this last freeze may be as late as March. It is really never safe to put away your winter clothes in this climate until after Easter, no matter how hot it may get earlier. It is usually safe to set out your plants in April, but as the old saying goes, “only fools and newcomers predict the weather around here”.

Still another mistake I made was in not looking around town enough before I started planting things. People in the Houston area have a wonderful opportunity with the River Oaks Garden Club’s Azalea Trail and the Garden Club of Houston’s House and Garden Pilgrimage to see what other people have done with their gardens. And you don’t have to have ten acres and a million dollars to have a pretty garden. But you do have to have a plan. For instance, for ten years I put off building a terrace which I should have built in the first place, and this is something that you can do yourself. We did build a walk, and you will find that the cheap orange brick ages very rapidly and turns a beautiful color. Used brick is very pretty but, unless it is fairly clean of cement, it presents its problems. And when you make your flower beds, there is nothing as pretty as brick or rock to make a really permanent edge to them. It takes more brick and more work, but standing them vertically makes a wonderful edging.

This method also helps with the drainage problem with your raised beds, and they all should be raised.

Actually, I can say that my five children have never done any harm to my flowers, but I can’t say the same about our pets, especially dogs. One of my first gardening experiences was a pretty sad one. I planted a lot of Easter Lilies, and they grew up beautifully. They set their buds, and the buds were showing color.

Then one day I went out and every bud was gone. Our Springer Spaniel puppy had eaten them. Naturally, I could have cried, but you have to be philosophical about these things and make up your mind that you will laugh instead of cry. This same dog, bless her heart, also loved to lie down in the middle of my Daylilies.

We had two Pointer puppies who turned out to be great diggers. They dug up everything in sight. But the worst, and one of the cutest, smartest dogs we have ever had was a Beagle puppy. She not only dug, but she also ate every-

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thing, including a tremendous hole in my Muskrat coat and my Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) plant. There wasn’t one leaf left when she was finished with it. One expensive meal included Mr. Dewey Compton’s book, Gulf Coast Gardener ($7.95), loaned to me by Mrs. Margarite Palmer plus the new edition of A Garden Book for Houston ($3.50) loaned to me by Betty Tennant. How’s that for a meal? I must say that she had expensive taste. And I have chased that dog all over the neighborhood many, many times, because we would all cry if anything happened to her. Such is life, and I’m more glad every day that I read Plato and Aristotle once. You have to take a broad outlook on these things, even though the hairdresser gets a little expensive trying to cover up those gray hairs. And, thank goodness, she finally grew up!

There are many shrubs which do very well here. Camellias, if planted right, do very well. The only trouble I have ever had with Camellias is that they tend to get scale on them. They should be sprayed with Volek or one of the preparations for this purpose available at your nursery. Camellias, like Azaleas, don’t like to have their roots disturbed and, also like Azaleas, they can’t take strong fertilizer such as manure. If you fertilize them while they are in bud, the buds will dry up and fall off. Like Azaleas, they take some watering in long, hot dry spells. If we have a moderate freeze or two, the only thing affected will be the buds showing color. Even the very severe ice storm we had some years ago only damaged a few branches of my Camellias and Azaleas, although they were left completely uncovered because we were out of town, and the nurse we left with the children never thought of covering them. The only thing we lost was our Hibiscus. I finally gave up on the Hibiscus in the garden and strongly suggest that you plant them in big pots. They bloom all summer here. After the severe freezes, even my Strelitzia (Bird of Paradise) came back, but not the Hibiscus, although they had the same exposure. On this subject, the last 18° spell we had, which is very severe weather for this region, my Lemon tree froze almost to the ground while the Satsuma right next to it (both on the South side of the house) wasn’t hurt by the freeze. The Lemon tree did come back, however. Please be patient after a freeze and wait awhile before you run out with the shovel and clippers.

On feeding plants, it is my experience that it is never a good idea to feed plants when the weather is hot. Spring, fall (when it finally cools off), or winter are fine, but don’t feed them during the hot summer. Fertilizer men seem to come the year around with fertilizer, but you have to be strong-minded about this subject. Also, if you let them spread the fertilizer (which is much more pleasant for you and is usually included in the price), watch them! They will sound very learned and say that naturally they know the difference between a Camellia and a Chrysanthemum, but my experience has been that the first time you turn your back they are dumping baskets of fertilizer on your Camellias and Azaleas. However, they do a great job if you just keep an eye on them. You also get some delightful surprises, such as Tiny Tim Tomato plants coming

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up everywhere- delicious all summer. You will also be rewarded with greener foliage and better blooming plants than if you don’t fertilize.

Mulches are a great help to the lazy gardener like me. Whether you use peat moss, cotton seed hulls, or pine bark, or if you use stable sweepings (if you can find them), mulches certainly cut down on the weeds and cut down on the watering, and they also protect your plants from the heat and the cold. One word of warning . . . be careful of wood shavings. The prettiest pink Phlox bed I ever had barely survived a mulch of wood shavings. Pine bark is great. We do save all of our ashes from the fire place and put on the Roses and Chrysanthemums, and we do save all or most of the Oak leaves to mulch the Azaleas and Camellias. It breaks my heart to see someone burning a big pile of Oak leaves. Pine needles are good, too, if you are lucky enough to have some Pine trees. However, pine needles are acid and aren’t good for St. Augustine grass.

We have had quite a problem with our grass under the pine trees, and I was advised to rent an aerorater and sprinkle calcium on the grass to “sweeten the soil”.

TREES FOR THIS AREA There are many trees that grow very well here. Fruit trees with their beautiful spring blossoms plus the dividend of fruit (if the birds and the squirrels don’t get it), include Pear (the hard, green pears make perfectly wonderful Chutney - have you tried it? They are also good for Ginger Pear Preserves, which is delicious) ; also, there is a perfectly beautiful flowering Pear which bears no fruit; Fig. - they do very well here, and the fruit is delicious for breakfast and preserving; Plum - there are several kinds with beautiful blossoms as well as good fruit, also the Mexican Plum which is grown just for the blossoms; Peach - there are several kinds which bear well here; Lemon - if they freeze you may not have any lemons, but they are well worth growing just for the blossoms which smell delicious; Satsuma - anybody from Louisiana knows what this is, but in case you are not from Louisiana, this tree has a fruit which is like a small, greenish yellow tangerine, and it is wonderful. Fresh, in Louisiana, they are more delicious than the Orange or Tangerine. My tree didn’t freeze at 18° with no cover, and we thoroughly enjoyed our fruit. Grapefruit, which - like the lemon - require some protection, are also beautiful, especially in a lanai where they aren’t subject to freezes; Banana; which grow like mad here, and they are well worth growing for their beautiful foliage - if we have two years without a bad freeze (which happens often, believe it or not), they will bear terribly exotic blossoms which look like Orchids and then bananas which are small but very sweet to eat . We have eaten many bananas from our trees.

When they freeze, you just cut them down and they will come back. Watering helps them grow faster.

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Now, as to nut trees, I think the Pecan is hard to beat, because it is a beautiful tree, and, though deciduous (loses its leaves in winter), grows very quickly and gracefully, also easily, here. There are several kinds, so you can take your pick. Pecans are wonderful just plain, in the duck blind or out on a picnic or in your den in a bowl or to ship to friends who aren’t so fortunate as to be able to grow them so easily. They are also delicious when roasted with butter and salt.

They are marvelous in cookies, cake, candy, fruit salad, and many other dishes.

They are superb in Pecan Pie or Pecan Pralines. They are all yours for planting a tree! Pecan trees are smart. There is an old saying in these parts that when the Pecan tree starts coming out, you know that winter is over, and in my years here it has certain proven true.

Another smart tree in this area is the Crepe Myrtle. It never comes out until the cold weather is over, and it provides just the right amount of shade for flowers all summer long and then drops its leaves when the plants below it need sun. Lilies and Azaleas, and even my very special Chinese strain of Lycoris Aurea with their beautiful yellow blossoms which come in September when we so need color, do beautifully beneath the Crepe Myrtle. Besides all of this, you have color all summer long with Crepe Myrtle, and they take no care whatsoever. They come in lovely colors, although you take a chance when you buy them. Since you plant them when they are deciduous, you have to take the nurseyman’s word for what color they are, and I have bought pale pink ones which turned out to be white. However, I do have one pale pink one which is lovely. The white is beautiful, too - also the lavender. The watermelon pink, which is one of the old standbys, also is very pretty and requires no attention .

None of them do.

One of my very favorite trees in this area is the Magnolia. Take your pick as to kinds - they are all beautiful. The beautiful Magnolia Grandiflora, although terribly slow growing, does very well here, and it is one of the most permanent, rewarding trees you can plant. In bloom or not, it is always beautiful.

The leaves are perfect for cutting, and the blossoms and fruit are both superb for decorating your house. Another favorite of mine is the Magnolia Soulangeana, the Japanese Magnolia. This tree is deciduous, but when the lovely, big blossoms come out, it is superb. It is truly a harbinger of spring in this area, too. Even though once in a while we have a “norther” and the top buds freeze, this happens very seldom. We cut the blossoms liberally, which I have decided helps the tree, because our tree seemed to grow faster than any I have seen.

This is the only explanation I have for the rapid growth. Also, the Bay Magnolia, which is another beautiful member of this family.

The native Dogwood is very beautiful if you are lucky enough to have it, but it is rather difficult to get started, especially if you live where the soil is “gumbo”. Pines are difficult, too, and I would recommend that you get a reliable nursery to plant them for you so that they will replace them if they don’t

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make the grade. Redbuds take a little patience, but they are easy to start from a seeding if you can get a friend or neighbor to give you one. Once established they grow rapidly, and they bloom after about three years. Another beautiful tree which is native to this area is the Hawthorne. The bees and butterflies love the white blossoms. Several kinds of Oaks do very well here, and the “pin oak” or “water oak”, although deciduous, is a great favorite because of its graceful growth and pretty foliage. The white oak is a very beautiful tree, especially in the Spring when its leaves start to grow. It almost looks like it is blooming.

Mimosa trees are very graceful and pretty even without their leaves, and they grow very quickly here. Their pink, feathery blossoms look especially pretty against a pink brick house. I had one over my bird bath, and the birds loved to light in its branches all winter. This way you get a very good view of the birds, with no leaves to interfere. Still another beautiful tree is the Golden Rain Tree, which is also deciduous, but its blossoms are so exotic, and it blooms in the fall when so few things are blooming. These blossoms are also very pretty dried for winter arrangements.

Chinese Tallow trees provide quick shade, and they turn very pretty colors in the fall, not unlike a Maple, but they are a pest about two things. They come up all over everywhere, and you are forever pulling up seedlings. Also, they drop leaves, then branches, and you are constantly cleaning up after them .

However, they are pretty when they are full of what looks like popcorn, and they are also pretty when they turn yellow and red in the fall. Camphor trees are plentiful in this area, too, and they are evergreen. The only trouble with them is that they do freeze back when we have a bad cold spell, usually about every five years or so. However, they grow back quickly, and, if you cut them back after a freeze, they come out fuller and prettier than they were before, and their glossy, green leaves smell like camphor when crushed. Also, the birds dearly love their pretty, black berries. This is a very graceful tree in its growth.

Among the choice, smaller trees that grow well here are the Sweet Olive and the Kumquat (technically Fortunella). The Sweet Olive is well named, because the little white blossoms, which are on it most of the time, certainly do smell sweet. It is a graceful little tree, which could almost be called a shrub, and it is evergreen. The branches are fine for cutting for flower arrangements too.

Kumquat is also evergreen, and the fruit, which looks just like tiny oranges, is good to eat or to make into preserves or jelly. This is also a very graceful little tree, and the leaves are especially pretty.

Loquat (Eriobotrya Japonica) is a small ornamental tree widely and easily grown in this area. Its flowers are not particularly ornamental, but its leaves and fruit are interesting and are very pretty in flower arrangements. The apple-like fruit is good for jelly and preserves if you can beat the birds to it.

Gourmets should be interested in growing a Bay tree. My mother-in-law had a beautiful one in her back yard in Houston, and she used the leaves all of the time for cooking.

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Two small trees which grow naturally in this area are the Yaupon and the “Wild Peach”. They are both nice to have in a background planting. Some of the “wild” Yaupon has beautiful red berries, which is natural, because it is really a form of Holly. The “Wild Peach” (I’m putting this in quotes, because there isn’t really any such thing, but this is the common name for it in these parts) is an evergreen large shrub or small tree with shiny, green leaves similar to Holly, and it is probably a member of the Holly family, but you will have to ask an expert about that . Some people say it is Cherry Laurel (Prunus Paurocerasus).

If you are a bird-watcher you can obtain a list of bird-attracting trees and shrubs from the Museum of Natural Science in Houston. The late curator of this museum, Armand Yramategui, gave us this list, and I was able to obtain several things on it from his friend, Mr. Lynn Lowrey, who specializes in native plants . One very beautiful native tree is the Sassafras.

Another beautiful evergreen tree is the Yew. There are very few things that last as long in the house as the branches of Yew. Yews are expensive, because they are slow-growing, but eventually they grow very tall, so please remember this when you plant them, especially when you plant them in front of a house.

The technical name of Yew is Taxus. The juice of the foliage and the interesting fruit of the female Yew are poisonous. By the way, I’ve often wondered why the birds instinctively know which plants are poisonous. Yew trees are used extensively in Northern gardens, and I think they should be used more down here.

We tend to use so many lush, tropical plants that when we have a bad freeze most gardens look pretty terrible. It is used in some gardens as a clipped small hedge to outline formal flower beds. It is very effective used this way. Also, the tall trees make a beautiful background planting.

The Weeping Wych Elm (Ulmus Glabra Pandula) is a very graceful small tree, and it is a delight to watch on a windy day. It is as graceful as a ballet skirt.

It is also a very neat tree, and it is pretty all year.

Another favorite medium-sized tree that is perfectly beautiful is the Parkinsonia. Although the name honors a well-known Englishman, John Parkinson, you can remember its name by the humorous fact that it is a perfect tree for sunny parking lots. It likes good drainage and full sun, and it is very decorative with its beautiful yellow blossoms. It is an excellent tree for landscaping a one-story office building or house.

SHRUBS AND HEDGES One thing I will never understand is why people in this area keep on planting plain old Ligustrum hedges when there are so many prettier things they could plant. Not that I have anything in particular against Ligustrums, except that they are so commonplace and monotonous. To me, the prettiest hedge you can plant is a mixed hedge of several kinds of Viburnum, Pyracantha, Guava,

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Elaeagnus and Holly. The Viburnum family grow exceptionally well here, and there are many beautiful kinds with different, interesting leaves, some of which turn red in the fall. They make good bird refuges, because the birds love their fall and winter fruits. Some of these are deciduous, and others are evergreen, so be sure to check this point when you buy them. Their flowers are certainly prettier than those of the Ligustrum.

Pyracantha, with its pretty, red berries in the fall, is a great favorite with the birds. Sometimes the birds will come in great flocks and completely strip your bushes of berries, but it is fun to watch the birds, too . You do have to keep Pyracantha within bounds, because it tends to get unruly if you aren’t careful, and don’t plant it too close to the children’s playground, because it does have thorns .

Guava is one of my favorite shrubs here . Its leaves are such a pretty olive green, and they are every bit as pretty as Eucalyptus leaves and don’t smell so bad. In fact, they don’t smell at all. I’ll admit prejudice on this point, since I am allergic to Eucalyptus, and the florists in this area are so generous with it that I have had to undo many a flower arrangement. The blossoms on the Guava are among the most exotic you can grow, and they are fine to cut for the house, too.

They always cause comment, because very few people seem to be familiar with them. I don’t know why, because they are among the easiest shrubs to grow.

They are evergreen, too. Mine survived 18° without turning a leaf. The fruit makes delicious pink jelly.

There are several kinds of Holly that do well here, including both the shiny leaved and dull-leaved varieties. It is very nice to be able to cut Holly out of your own garden for Christmas. If your Holly develops scale, feed it some Epsom Salts.

Elaeagnus is a very handsome addition to a hedge of mixed shrubs. It has such pretty leaves with the silverish tinge underneath, and its fruit grows in very interesting clusters. They are also useful for flower arrangements in your house.

Indian Hawthorn (Raphiolepsis lndica) is a pretty low-growing shrub, suitable for planting in front of a house. It comes to us from Southern China, and it has clusters of pinkish white blossoms. This is one of the many plants that can’t be grown successfully in the Northern States, but it grows very well here.

Philadelphus (Mock Orange) is a very attractive spring-blooming shrub to add to your garden, and the white blossoms are very useful in flower arrangements. There are several kinds, and the large-flowered variety is prettier, but they are all desirable plants with their beautiful dogwood-like blossoms.

Gardenias, or Cape-Jasmine, grow well here, although sometimes you have to spray them . They are well worth growing for their wonderfully sweet-smell-

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ing blossoms. To me, they are the most romantic flower we grow, and they always make me think of music and gaiety. With due respect to my orchid-growing friends, I prefer Gardenias. Another shrub with very delicious-smelling flowers is the one called “Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”. Its real name is Brunfelsia Latifolia. It is decidious, but it is well worth growing for its pretty leaves and its wonderfully fragrant flowers which range from white to lavender to purple all at the same time, depending on the age of the blossom. These branches are excellent for cutting, too, and they last quite well in the house and fill your room with their spicy, fragrant odor.

Bridal Wreath does very well here, and it looks especially pretty mixed with your Azaleas. Somehow it seems to soften the whole effect of the Azaleas, especially the stronger colored ones. Japanese Quince is another very pretty shrub which, in my opinion, isn’t grown enough around here, although it is very easy to grow. It comes in shades from pink to red, and it makes a very pretty low hedge or border. Although deciduous, it is magnificent when in bloom, and it is excellent for flower arrangements.

There are many kinds of Bamboos which grow well here, ranging from very tall (for screening purposes) to the dwarf Bamboo. My good friend, Mrs. S. F. Dixon, collected them over the years, and she had a very imposing collection. They are all pretty, and their feathery leaves have been the subject of much Japanese and Chinese art. They make a very dense hedge, but give them room, because they do spread. Although they show some effects from winter weather, they don’t freeze like Oleanders. Oleanders are beautiful, especially the pale pink variety, but they do freeze here, although not every year. One of my sons, when he was a little boy, made beautiful leis out of the Oleander blossoms when we were down at the bay. In my blissful ignorance, I didn’t know they were poisonous but, luckily, he didn’t eat them. You can also buy them in white, red, and yellow.

Another shrub which likes our climate is Plumbago. It freezes down in the winter, but it comes right back up, and it is blooming again before you know it.

The blue variety gives you color all spring and summer, and the white variety is very pretty for a low border. This shrub takes no care whatsoever, except I do cut out the frozen, dead branches once a year.

Lavender is a beautiful large shrub with its colorful blossoms which last well in the house, and it blooms late when so many plants are through blooming. It looks very pretty mixed with Abelia which blooms about the same time with its white blossoms. These two plants are favorites in West and Central Texas as well as along the coast .

Nandina is a nice addition to your planting for its interesting coloring and pretty red berries. It is sometimes called Japanese Bamboo.

Photenia is a very interesting shrub to be used as a background planting. It

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has large, glossy, evergreen leaves, and the new leaves are a beautiful red color.

This plant is listed as deciduous in some books, but in this climate it is evergreen. It grows very tall eventually, so keep this in mind when you plant it. Two other shrubs which are very good here are the plain and variegated Pittsosporum. These plants are very effective on either side of an entrance if you keep them clipped in round shapes . They are also evergreen, and the leaves are very good to cut for the house. The varigated variety is especially nice with its olive green and white leaves. It looks so cool when the weather is hot.

Poinsettia plants, although they do freeze, grow very quickly here, and very often we don’t have a freeze too soon for you to cut the blossoms for Christmas.

These blossoms (actually bracts) have stems filled with a milky liquid, and in order to preserve them you must dip them in boiling water, then cold water.

Some people burn the ends to preserve them. The red ones are very pretty, but the white ones are more unusual. These plants also grow to be quite large in this climate .

By the way, I finally learned how to keep Hibiscus blossoms open . Cut them early in the morning while the dew is still on them and put them in the refrigerator.

Some people will tell you that Roses don’t do well here, and perhaps they do take a little more care than a lot of plants, but, to me, they are worth every bit of trouble they cause. A garden just isn’t a garden without Roses. The biggest problems here seem to be blackspot and mildew, and many of the newer varieties of Roses are less subject to these maladies than some of the older varieties. The Peace strain is especially more resistant to these diseases. And, if you have never grown a Peace rose, you just haven’t lived. The combination of the pale yellow and the pale pink is out of this world, and they smell heavenly.

There is also a solid pink one which is very beautiful. They say that canned roses can be planted at any time, but it seems to me that it is better not to plant them when it is too hot. If you buy roses, be sure you get good ones. You will be well paid in flowers, and a good rose only costs about two or three dollars.

They are a permanent investment. Again, dig your bed deep and fill in with leaf mold and fertilizer and, when you plant your rose, be sure to spread out the roots. Unless the ground is very damp, it is a good idea to fill the hole half full with dirt, pack down, then fill it with water, then more dirt, pack down again, then water. Always leave the “bud”, or “knob”, exposed above the ground, and always snip off immediately any growth below the “bud”. Dusting with Rose Dust, or spraying, certainly helps to control blackspot and mildew. Although Roses, like Iris, respond very well to feeding and watering, some of the Roses around these parts seem to thrive on inattention. When you cut a Rose always cut directly above three or five leaves so that another rose will grow.

Hydrangeas are very nice to have in your garden, even though they do lose their leaves. Their beautiful blossoms are normally pink, but they can be made

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blue by the addition of acid to the soil. Lantana, especially the trailing kind, is certainly an addition in the late spring and summer garden. I had one growing in my Bridal Wreath, and it continued to be covered with lavender blossoms long after the Bridal Wreath’s white blossoms had disappeared. The red and yellow variety is pretty, too, also the pink and yellow.

Yuccas are perfectly beautiful when they are in bloom, but you have to watch out about those leaves around the children as well as yourself, or they might put out someone’s eye. The pink variety of Yucca is a striking plant with its hairy leaves and its long racemes of coral-pink blossoms. It is a very nice plant to have potted for your Terrace. One white Yucca blossom makes a gorgeous flower arrangement.

Althea (Rose of Sharon) grows here like a native, although it is deciduous.

Forsythia also likes our climate, and its yellow blossoms are very gay in the spring.

Water Lilies are lovely to grow if you have a place to put them.

Night-blooming Jasmine freezes, but it pops right back up in the spring, and it makes your summer and fall garden smell deliciously romantic.

AMARYLLIS AND IRIS As every gardener knows, the backbone of your garden, next to the lawn, the hedges, and the shrubs, is your perennial plants. For the beginner, a perennial plant is a plant that is a permanent plant - that is, as permanent as anything can be these days. Once you plant it, it is yours to grow and multiply year after year. Once a year or, in some cases, once every few years, you dig it up and divide it and replant what you can use of it, then you give the rest to your friends or, in my case, sell it at the annual Bulb Mart to maintain the grounds of the Museum of Fine Arts of Houston.

We are very lucky. In our area, two of the very large classes of perennial plants grow beautifully. I am speaking of members of the Amaryllis family and members of the Iris family. Several members of my garden club - especially Mrs. R. C. Meysenburg, Mrs. Joseph Richardson, Mrs. J. Willis Slaughter, Mrs. Edward Wilkerson, and Mrs. Hamilton Daly - experimented for years with the various members of these two large families of plants in order to discover which grow well in the Gulf Coast area. They have been an inspiration to all of us to try new plants, and they have introduced us to many beautiful species, including the Chinese strain of Lycoris Aurea, the many varieties of Crinum, and the Amarcrinum (which is a hybrid between Amaryllis and Crinum). These plants are all members of the Amaryllis family. These ladies have also done much experimental growing of the different members of the Iris family, espe-

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cially the wonderful new Louisiana Iris which do so well in this area, and also the tall, stately Spuria Iris.

It is a shame and a pity that so many people confuse Pseudacorus Iris with the perfectly wonderful new Louisiana hybrids. You would be amazed how many people think they have Louisiana Iris because some neighbor or friend gave them a clump of Pseudacorus. Now Pseudacorus is fine in its place, along a bayou bank to hold the soil, or as a background planting, and the leaves are nice to cut for the house when you don’t want to cut your good Iris leaves, but please don’t confuse them with the new Louisiana hybrids, because there just isn’t any comparison. Pseudacorus Iris have roots like Sweet Potatoes, spread like wildfire to take over your flower bed, and they have very small, though sweet, blossoms, either yellow or terra cotta. The new Louisiana hybrids have small rhizomes (roots), generally smaller than the roots of a “flag”, and they do not multiply as rapidly. The blossoms of good Louisiana Iris are big and beautiful in a variety of colors from pure white through yellow, all shades of blue, many shades of red and copper, and lovely shades of pink to pansy purple.

Their parade of colors is truly phenomenal, and they love this climate because it is so much like their native habitat. The graceful growth of the Louisiana Iris makes it especially adaptable to flower arrangements.

Another Iris which likes this climate is the tall, stately Spuria Iris. This Iris is a native of Asia, and spuria means bastard, which is a shame, because it is a very beautiful flower, and its parentage is perfectly legitimate. It has tall, swordlike foliage and as many as six beautiful blossoms which seem to grow right out of the main stem. It also comes in pretty colors, including white, yellow, various shades of blue, purple, and bronze. It multiplies rather slowly but surely, and it is dormant in the summer, so it does beautifully here with very little care. The white variety is especially lovely and has caused much comment in my garden. The Spuria Iris Society had a test garden in Houston where many varieties of this plant were tested . They were a beautiful sight to behold during blooming season.

Another Iris which has done very well for me is the Siberian Iris. The one I have is Caesar’s Brother, and it took me years to find out what it was, because very few people seem to be familiar with it. I saw it growing at Mount Vernon one summer and asked the gardener what it was, and he said it was “fleur-delis.” This little Iris has very slender, almost grass-like foliage which is dormant in the winter and pops up out of the ground like a bulb in the spring . It has tiny little rhizomes and should be divided seldom and then only by clumps of five or six roots. The flowers of mine are like bunches of great big violets. They are beautiful. They are also no trouble . I fertilize my Iris once a year in the fall and divide them about once in three years.

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While I have had good luck with the common “flag” and a few of the bearded Iris, I don’t think the tall bearded Iris, as a whole, are as easy to grow in this climate as these other members of the Iris family. However, some varieties do well. There is one other Iris which I would hate to be without, and that is the little winter-blooming Iris Stylosa (scientifically it is Iris Unguicularis). It, also, has grass-like foliage which some people cut back in order to see the flowers better. One friend of mine said she would never get over the thrill of going out in the snow several years ago and finding this Iris blooming. Mine is deep purple, about three inches across, and it has a yellow and white signal patch. It is the only winter-blooming Iris, and it is one you should try. As for the crested Irises, Japonica and Nada have been grown very successfully here, but they do take more care. However, they are worth it, because their sprays of lavender or white orchid-like flowers are truly lovely.

Another member of the Iris family, Dietes, I grew very successfully for ten years, but two winters of a low of 18° froze almost all of them. However, this is very unusual weather for the Gulf Coast area and, ordinarily, this is a very easy, satisfactory plant to grow here. Commonly, they are called “Orange Drops” and “Lemon Drops”, which is very misleading, because the blossoms are actually white with a small dot of orange or yellow. This plant, in this area, takes no care whatever, except it should be planted where it doesn’t get watered too much, such as along a driveway. It also does well in shady places, and it blooms, eight or nine months out of the year, with small, orchid-like blossoms which are very pretty. I understand that it doesn’t cut well, but so what - you can’t have everything. The few I have left will multiply, and eventually, I hope to have my big clumps again. I saw the price drop from a dollar a stalk to thirty-five cents (when they were plentiful); now, I am sure it will shoot back up, due to the dear old law of supply and demand .

Two other members of the Iris (Iridaceae) family which have been grown here are the Moraea (Mora’ea), or the Butterfly Iris and the “Walking Iris”, which is listed under the technical name of Neomarica (Ne-o-maa’ri-ka), sometimes called Marica. The Moraea comes to us from South Africa, and it is a close cousin of the Iris. It has tall evergreen foliage with permanent bloomstalks like Dietes. The blossoms are very much like small Orchids, and they are lovely. The Walking Iris, Neomarica, was introduced to me by my good friend, Mrs. Joseph Richardson . This Iris cousin has been called the Apostle Plant or Twelve Apostles, and it has a thick underground stem (rhizome) and more tender, swordshaped leaves which grow in a fan shape and are about eighteen inches to two feet high. There are usually twelve leaves (hence the name Apostle Plant), but this isn’t always the case. The blossoms on mine were white, like tiny white orchids. This plant, when well established, spreads like the “airplant” - hence the name “Walking Iris.”

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Several other members of the lridaceae family that grow well here are the Gladiolus, the Ixia, the Sparaxis, and the Watsonia. These bulbs are all hardy here, and once planted, they will multiply and naturalize. The Sparaxis is taller than the lxia, and the Gladioli are taller than the Watsonias. All of these bulbs are planted when they are dry, or dormant.

Perhaps, the largest member of the Amaryllidaceae family which we have experimented with here are the Crinums, sometimes called “Crinum Lilies”.

These large plants do take up space, but they grow beautifully here with little or no care, and their blossoms, in shades of white, pink, or red are lovely to cut for the house, and they keep opening after they are cut if you just stick them in some water. Also, they bloom off and on all year. They do freeze, sometimes, but you cut them off and they come right back up in no time, and the first thing you know they are blooming again. They are specially pretty slightly in front of and between your shrubs. There is a Crinum suitable for every garden, and the ones you choose are mostly a matter of taste.

Some of my favorites are the Giganteum, the St. Christopher, the H. J. Elwes and the old-fashioned Milk and Wine Lily, Sanderianum. However, they are all pretty, and they each have their advantages, depending on what you like and where you want to put them. By the way, Crinum is the Greek name of a lily.

Crinum Giganteum and Crinum St. Christopher both have beautiful, graceful leaves in two shades of green, which are very decorative even when not in bloom. Their blossoms look like clusters of white tulips. The Giganteum bloom twice a year, and this plant is one of the few which will bloom in dense shade. They bloom in the late summer and fall. St. Christopher is a Giganteum hybrid with very similar flowers and leaves, and it blooms in the Spring.

Sanderianum, commonly called the Milk and Wine Lily around here, has white blossoms ,touched with pink. It is a good bloomer and the blossoms are very fragrant. H. J. Elwes is a very small Crinum with small, narrow dark green leaves and perfectly beautiful clear pink blossoms, not unlike giant rain lilies.

Some other varieties grown here are Americanum, with white flowers, Cecil Houdyshel, pink, Ellen Bosanquet, wine, Powelliialba, white, and the more rare Rattrayii and Asiaticum, which are very large, handsome plants.

All Crinum should be planted with their necks well above the ground, and you fertilize them as you would any other garden plant. They appreciate good food and water, but they seem to survive with little or no attention. They look better in clumps, and they shouldn’t be divided too often. The Amarcrinum Howardii has beautiful shell pink blossoms which appear off and on through the spring and summer.

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There are many varieties of the stately Amaryllis which seem to love our climate, and from white through pink, to deep red and orange. These should also be planted very shallowly. To me, they are all beautiful, and again it is a matter of personal taste which ones you choose to plant. Good Amaryllis bulbs may cost four to six dollars, but they are a permanent investment. They are planted with the bulb half-buried in well-drained soil.

One of the members of the Amaryllis family, the Lycoris Aurea, grows very well here as a garden subject. Up North, these plants are cultivated under glass. These bulbs die down in the winter, and the bloomstalks shoot up in September before the leaves appear. The yellow blossoms are very lovely, and they bloom when very few things are blooming. After the blossoms the leaves appear, and the leaves make very nice clumps. They like to be crowded, so don’t divide them often.

Lycoris Radiata is the red variety, and they are very valuable garden plants here, too. These are much smaller than the Lycoris Aurea, both as to blossoms and as to leaves. They are nice in a border or under a tree, and it is a real thrill when you look out one day and there are the gorgeous, lily-like blossoms.

Somehow, you never notice them coming up until they are blooming away.

They look like red velvet lilies. You hate to cut them, but they are awfully pretty in the house. They are commonly referred to around here as Guernsey Lilies (Nerine sarniensis), but actually they aren’t. They are also often called Spider Lilies, which is also a misnomer. I don’t care what you call them, but do plant some. There is also a pink variety. These may be bought as dry bulbs or growing in pots.

Other very good bulbous plants which are planted when dry or dormant are the many beautiful varieties of Narcissus and Jonquils. These are also members of the large family of Amaryllidaceae, and they include such well-known bulbs as the old-fashioned Paper-White, the many and varied Daffodils, and the sweet little Jonquils, as well as the Poet’s Narcissus and the Chinese Sacred Lily. We are very lucky here, because we can grow and naturalize many types of Narcissus. We very often have Paper-Whites blooming before Christmas, unless they get nipped by a freeze. Often when I have heard a freeze is coming, I go out and cut the blossoms even though they haven’t opened, and they go right on and bloom in the house. One year I did this with the beautiful Tazetta Cragford, and what a thrill it was during the dreary weather to see this gay little white Daffodil with its bright orange cup blooming in the house. It smells delicious, too. The little white Daffodil, Cheerfulness, is also a charmer. These two were new to me, but the little old-fashioned yellow ones I had grown for years. A friend of mine from Sonora, Texas, gave me a start of them, because at that time they were very hard to find. Of course, the big Daffodils are beautiful, but I must admit a preference for the little ones.

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Among the large-cup Narcissi or Daffodils that thrive here are Fortune and William the Silent, both yellow. The white Mount Hood is very beautiful and will grow and bloom here, but I do not know that it will naturalize.

The Paper-Whites bloom first, then Soleil d’Or, which is very like the Paper- White, only it is yellow with a red cup. Of course, this is assuming that they weren’t stuck in the ground at the last minute. One very interesting and cheerful way to grow certain types of Narcissus is by planting them in a bowl full of water filled with pebbles. The kinds which are most frequently grown this way are the Tazetta varieties, a few of which are Cheerfulness (white), Cragford (white with bright orange cup), and Geranium (white with red cup).

Cragford closely resembles the Chinese Sacred Lily. I still prefer to plant them in the garden.

One thing I forgot to mention is that you must not cut the dead foliage off of your Narcissus and Daffodil bulbs. It only takes a few weeks for them to die down, and they are meanwhile storing up food for next year’s bloom from their dying foliage.

OTHER BULBS TO PLANT By the way, never buy anything but top-sized bulbs. Since almost all of the bulbs I have mentioned naturalize here (grow and multiply) , you do better to get a few good ones to start with than a large number of “bargain” bulbs. As one friend of mine said, the only trouble with buying bargains is that you are stuck with them. Also, don’t plant them too early or too deep, because if you do they will rot. September is usually very hot here, and the heat plus a heavy rainy spell is disastrous to your bulbs. Almost all bulbs should be planted the last two weeks in October and the first two weeks in November with two important exceptions - Tulips and Hyacinths.

Tulips are the very symbol of Spring to many people, and for years my mother-in-law had her formal flower beds filled with Tulips. My husband thought that they just grew there, but, unfortunately, this wasn’t so. I wish they did grow here like that. In our climate, they are a one-season performer.

Of course, they are so pretty that many people plant them anyway, some by the dozens and some by the hundreds. They add a special touch to the Spring picture, and if they are planted right they will perform beautifully for you. You must keep them refrigerated until at least the first of December, even if they have already been refrigerated; and they may be planted from then until the fifteenth of January. Mine were prettiest when I planted them the week after Christmas. Either keep them in your refrigerator or some other kind soul’s refrigerator until you plant them. They must be planted in a well-drained, sunny bed, and they should be covered with about two and a half inches of soil. There is a product on the market which is a combination of bulb starter and fungicide which I have found very useful. You put your bulbs in a paper bag with this

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product and shake them like fried chicken.

Anemones (often called the Wind-Flower) are beautiful flowers which are mostly confined to the Southern states, and, to help you tell which is the top side of these funny-looking little bulbs, you can soak them in water for an hour.

But don’t do what I did once. I put them in a glass of water and forgot about them for a couple of days. This was a fatal mistake. Anemones and Ranunculi are both in the buttercup family, and, while the Anemone provides the blues and reds, the Ranunculus provides the yellow and orange shades. They are both a fine addition to your Spring garden. Ranunculi may be soaked an hour or two before planting, too, and should be planted about one and a half inches deep with the claws down in a sunny spot.

While the Dutch Hyacinths are very beautiful, they are mostly one-season performers here. However, the French Hyacinths do naturalize here, and many people prefer this daintier variety to the more rigid, taller Dutch Hyacinths. All of these Hyacinths smell perfectly wonderful, and it is a delight to cut them for the house. The Dutch Hyacinths make an imposing display when they are grown in a bowl filled with pebbles, especially the white variety. All of these bulbs should be refrigerated like the tulips and not planted until late November, and the addition of a little sand and bone meal or bulb starter will help them. However, I planted my French Hyacinths about two inches deep in a rich, well-drained bed with no additions, and they performed beautifully and were a blanket of blue for several weeks.

Some of my gardening friends have had very good luck with Agapanthus, the Blue Lily of the Nile, and also the Pure White variety. Personally, I have to confess to failure with them, and this irritates me very much, because they are very beautiful, as anyone who has been to San Francisco can tell you. Their culture is to plant them in sun or half shade in a rich loamy bed, and to work in bone meal and humus at the time of planting. Spread out the fleshy roots around a cone of earth, and, like the Amaryllis, keep the crown above the surface. Perhaps I didn’t plant mine right, I guess I’ll have to try these again next year.

One of the few summer-flowering bulbs which we plant while dormant in the fall is the Montbretia, or Tritonia. This is a delightful plant, because it blooms long after the other bulbs have died down. It has leaves like small, narrow Gladiolus leaves, and the spikes of bright orange-red flowers are good for cutting as well as a nice addition to the summer garden.

Another real addition to the summer garden is that charming little rainlily, Zephyranthus candidum, which makes a nice border with its grass-like foliage and blooms almost constantly in this climate from August to October with its pretty white star-shaped flowers. Here, we plant this plant by division, because it is never dormant. It multiplies readily, but it takes quite a clump to

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make a good display. It is one of the most rewarding plants for bordering in this area.

Two close cousins of the white rain lily are the rose pink rain lily, Zephyranthus grandiflora rosea, and the larger variety, Habranthus robustus, which has much larger clear pink blossoms. All of these are plants you should have in your garden, because they always look attractive, and when they bloom they add so much to the garden picture. They should all be planted with their necks above the ground and close together.

PERENNIALS AND GROUND COVERS Some plants that are planted by division in this area are Cannas, Daisies (Shasta and Gerbera) Dietes, Gingers, Iris, Leucojum (Snowflakes), Penstemon, Phlox, Tulbaghia (sometimes called the “garlic flower”), Stokesia (Stokes Asters), Hemerocallis (Daylillies), Crinum of all sorts, Amaryllis, some Narcissi, Chrysanthemums and Carnations (should be divided in the Spring), Violets, Yucca, and almost all of the ground covers and borders, such as Ajuga, Aspidistra, Liriope (both large and small), Monkey Grass, Strawberry Begonia, Strawberries, Alstroemeria, Sedum, Wandering Jew (the good kinds), Ivy, Spearmint, and Peppermint. Creeping Periwinkle, also called Vinca minor or Myrtle should divide very successfully, but, frankly, I have never divided mine, so I can’t say. Creeping Phlox divides easily.

Confederate Jasmine makes a perfectly beautiful ground-cover here. Some of my other favorite ground covers are: Ajuga with its pretty blue blossoms, comes in green or bronze and makes a very attractive low-growing ground cover. Aspidistra comes plain or variegated (green and white) and makes an attractive border (18 inches to 2 feet tall) or low planting beside a porch or terrace or under a low window. It is practically foolproof to grow and is a favorite for flower arrangements, especially in Japanese arrangements.

Liriope (any variety) makes a pretty, practical border with its grass-like foliage and lovely lavender blossoms (something like grape hyacinths). It comes in two sizes and, although some people prefer the small kind, the larger kind has prettier blossoms and berries.

Monkey Grass and Liriope are both excellent to hold the dirt where it is washing away.

Alstroemeria does so well here that some people consider it a pest, but I haven’t found it so. Mine is Alstroemeria Pulchela, the parrot flower, so named because its blossoms are red and yellow. It is lovely in the house mixed with yellow daylilies, and I think it makes an excellent ground cover. It is a very low-growing plant except for the blossoms which shoot up above the foliage.

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Peppermint is superior to Spearmint, and though it is hard to find, it makes a fine ground cover. It is commonly called “large-leaf mint” and it is more flavorful than the smaller leaf Spearmint.

Daylilies, (Hemerocallis), in many, many colors are grown here with great success. My favorite one is the pink, which is also the first to bloom for me.

They are all pretty, and it is nice to get colors that are pretty together and pretty in your house. Mr. Russell’s garden, so close to Houston, is famous all over the United States for the many varieties he grows and sells. The lemon yellow is a good bloomer, and I have one of his brighter red ones which blooms very well.

I even like the old-fashioned double orange ones, and they all do well in this climate with little or no attention. I now have nineteen new varieties which a friend from Long Island sent me. They are all thriving and have started blooming with gorgeous blossoms of pink and red, pale yellow with pale green throat, pink and yellow. They are so easy to grow here, and they add a great sparkle to your garden when the Azaleas are through blooming. There are many kinds of Gingers here. Some of my favorites are: ( 1) The hidden ginger which has cool-looking leaves about two feet tall and the blossoms are hidden underneath. The blossoms are extremely exotic and are fine to cut for your house.

(2) The butterfly lily, which grows about 3 to 4 feet tall and has beautiful butterfly-like white flowers which bloom for a long time and are very fragrant.

Cut them and they may bloom again.

(3) Spiral ginger, which has very glossy leaves and grows in a spiral shape.

This is a very large one.

All of these gingers are planted here by division in the fall. They do freeze or go dormant, but they come back beautifully, so they are a permanent plant.

We are in one of the few climates where these exotic plants can be grown outside of a greenhouse.

ANNUALS A partial list of Annuals (plants that seldom, if ever, come back the second year) that grow well here are: Alyssum, Anchusa (blue), Balsam (sometimes reseeds itself), Begonias (you can pot these for winter bloom and carry them over that way), Calendulas, Candytuft, Forget-me-nots, Geraniums, Hollyhocks, (sometimes these carry over for several years), Lobelia, Nicotiniana, Pansies, Petunias, Portulaca, Snapdragons, Stock, Sweet Peas, Venidium (South African daisy, orange with black and brown centers), Vinca, Verbena, Violas, and Zinnias. With all of these plants, you should put out some bug bait.

I stopped using the lump kind, because I was convinced that it was killing the birds, but the finer kind is effective, and you have to use something, because we have more bugs than anybody. This climate invites them.

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VINES Many, many vines do well here. In fact, this is a rather viney climate. One of the prettiest is the Confederate Jasmine. It not only looks pretty, but it also smells heavenly. Confederate Jasmine has a white blossom.

Wisteria, with its lovely lavender or white blossoms, is grown here as a vine and also as a tree, and either way it does very well. Personally, I think it is at its prettiest trailing along the top of a tall fence, wall, or hedge or climbing in a tree, but it is very pretty in any event.

Bougainvillaea, this glamorous vine, which is so prevalent in Florida and in tropical countries, freezes back here, but it comes right back, especially on the South side of a house. The pink one is harder to grow.

Clematis paniculata, the Virgin’s Bower, grows very quickly here, and in August its tiny star-like flowers literally cover the vine and make the whole surrounding area fragrant. These vines are a perfect cover for a summerhouse or arbor. Frankly, I haven’t tried the other varieties, but I don’t see why they wouldn’t do well here. A wild variety grows many places over the countryside.

Honeysuckle, especially the Japanese kind, loves our climate, and you will forever be pulling it up, but you can’t stand to pull it all up, so, eventually, it will win the battle, and you will relax and enjoy its wonderful fragrance, especially on starry nights.

The beautiful yellow Carolina Jessamine (Gelsemium Sempervirens) is another vine which is beautiful climbing a fence or wall or tree - also it seems to be frost-proof. Climbing Roses are also very nice to have. If people in this area would bother to plant Honeysuckle and climbing Roses on the many fences along the highways, eventually our highways would look like the wonderful highways in the old South, especially in Virginia. It is a wonderful experience to drive along a highway planted with these pretty, sweet-smelling vines. Another plant beautiful along the highways is the bush Rose. These roses are used extensively along the highways up East , and they could be used just as extensively down here, provided that the right varieties are planted. Many of these wonderful bushes seem to thrive on neglect, even along the Gulf Coast. I have the old-fashioned Betty Pryor variety, which I saw in a New Jersey garden and decided I would try. Mine were bought locally, and they bloom eight or nine months a year. They seem completely resistant to mildew and blackspot, and they are so sweet in the house. The buds are deep pink, almost red, and as they open they turn to a very light pink. If you cut them in bud, they last for days in the house. I have seen many other varieties of bush roses here which seem to do just as well.

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Coral Vine (Queens Wreath or Queens Crown) is nice to have in the summer, and it comes in white as well as the usual pink variety.

One other thing - it has been my experience that it takes two years to get a vine established, so don’t give up the first year. You think they won’t grow, and then all of a sudden many of them “take the place”.

Thunbergia is a beautiful perennial which thrives here and blooms beautifully. It needs a light mulch in winter and pops back up in the spring. It has very pretty large, blue blossoms.

LILLIES I have left one of the most beautiful garden subjects until the last. You know the old saying, last but not least. In fact, it is “the most”, as my children would say. These are the Lily family (Lilium, to be technical).

Let’s face it - many Lilies are difficult to grow in this area. True, they are the “aristocrats of the flower garden”. The name comes from the Greek, leirion, a lily. According to the New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Gardening, which has been one of the greatest investments I have ever made, “the name was first given to the Madonna Lily, Lilium candidum”.

There is no doubt about it - Lilies are the “Queen of the Garden”, although, in my opinion, Iris are right up there with them. Lilies, in this area, present a challenge, but it is a challenge that you can’t afford to ignore. Many of the better gardeners in this area have grown Lilies successfully for years, but even they admit that they must be planted right and replaced when necessary, because they are not native to this climate. According to the people who grow them best, the hybrids of Lilium Longiflorum like the Gulf Coast sun, and they are the easiest to naturalize here. They should be planted in perfectly drained beds of light soil about five inches deep. Again, bone meal or bulb starter is a help, but you should put a cushion of sand between the fertilizer and the bulb.

Lilies should never be allowed to dry out, either before planting or when dividing. There is an old saying that they like to be disturbed and multiply faster when they are dug around. This saying probably has some foundation, because the bulblets do grow better when separated from the mother bulb.

Most of the other Lilies, besides the Longiflorum species, prefer partial shade in this climate. If you have sandy soil, Lilies are much easier to grow.

There are few things as beautiful as a Lily. One of the prettiest is Lucie Wilson, with its gorgeous white blossoms overlaid with rose. If I could, I would have these every year, whether they came back or not.

For several years I planted Enchantment, a Mid-Century Hybrid Lily. It is a magnificent bloomer, and it is a beautiful nasturtium red, or orange color.

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It and its cousin, Prosperity (shorter stems and perfectly lovely yellow blossoms speckled with brown), have done beautifully for me. Enchantment stays in bloom for several weeks and it is a great addition to your garden, because it blooms here in late April, when most of the spring bulbs and Azaleas are past their prime. I have had it blooming on Easter, when we have a late Easter. It is about two feet tall and like most bulbs and plants it shows up better if it is planted in groups of three.

YOUR SANCTUARY Your garden should be your sanctuary, your shelter, your refuge from the troublesome world. I’ll admit that I have never had a garden like this, but I would love to have one. We can learn a lot from the Japanese about this approach to gardening. Have you ever visited a Japanese garden? I have never been to Japan or to China, but I have read many books about these gardens and seen pictures of many of them.

The prettiest one I have seen is the one in San Francisco which I understand was built by our two governments to foster friendly relations. The Chinese and Japanese do wonders with their ingenuity and imagination. They create effects. For instance, if they want a stream and don’t have one, they make a make-believe stream bed out of sand and gravel and rocks and then build a bridge across it. Lots of their ideas can be adapted for use in our own gardens, just as we have adapted many of their ideas in art and architecture. One friend of mine even ordered a Japanese Tea House out of The New Yorker and had it assembled in his back garden. It is enchantingly different.

Of course, it is always better not to clutter up your garden with too much statuary, but it certainly adds to the effect to have a few nice pieces. Besides the many things available in the local nurseries, you can buy perfectly marvelous things in Mexico if you are fortunate enough to go down there. One friend of mine who lives on a ranch bought a lot of Mexican tile in Mexico, and when the tile arrived, the Mexicans arrived with it and they camped in a tent on his ranch while they were laying the tile. He supplied them with beans and corn meal, and the result of their work was magnificent. I saw some wonderful things in Cuernavaca for the garden, but I didn’t have a pick-up truck to bring them back. Everything I liked looked as if it weighted a ton.

We took a trip West of Mexico City to Morelia (I suggest you go with a good guide, like the one we had with us, Senor Salvador de los Reyes). When we stopped for lunch at La Mancion, which we never could have found without a guide, we spent the night at San Miguel de Allende. As most of you probably know, the Instituto des Artes is an excellent school where you find beautiful things for sale and San Miguel Allende is an excellent place to stop. Morelia is a fabulous place to shop, especially at the Villa Montana. Mr. Ray Cote will arrange for you to bring things back.

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Mexicans, like the Chinese and Japanese, can teach us a great deal about gardening. Even the poorest families living in abandoned railroad cars in Mexico have beautiful flowers in every spot available. Life seems so much more festive with flowers. And who in the world but a Mexican would think of making a perfectly beautiful spot out of their public waterworks? Yet, in Mexico City, this is one of the beauty spots that you don’t miss. Our public parks are pitiful compared to theirs. Too many of our parks look more like baseball fields than parks. Why can’t we have more trees and bushes and flowers for everyone to see and enjoy? Life is so much more pleasant for old and young alike when we have pretty flowers, pretty gardens, pretty parks, and pretty highways.

Now, having written down these random thoughts and comments, it is time for me to return to action in my own garden, and to “practice what I preach” for many more happy, interesting and productive hours of gardening - in the Southern zone. I hope each reader will use the blank pages at the end of this booklet to make notes of his or her own special gardening experiences and discoveries, and that some of these notes will find their way back to me. On this fascinating subject there is no such thing as “the last word”.

C.B.H.

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Agapanthus..................................... 22 Ajuga............................................... 23 Alstroemeria................................... 23 Althea...............................................16 Alyssum........................................... 24 Amarcrinum............................... 16,19 Amarcrinum Howardii....................19 Amaryllis..............................16, 20, 22 Americanum....................................19 Anchusa.......................................... 24 Anemones....................................... 22 An,nuals.......................................... 24 Apostle Plant....................................18 Asiaticum.........................................19 Aspidistra........................................ 23 Azaleas.................................5, 6, 8, 10

Chrysanthemums................... 6, 9, 23 Clematis...........................................25 Confederate Jasmine.................23, 25 Coral Vine....................................... 26 Cragford...........................................21 Crepe Myrtle....................................10 Crinum................................. 16, 19, 23 Daffodils.....................................20, 21 Daisies............................................. 23 Daylillies................................... 23, 24 Dietes.........................................18, 23 Dogwood..........................................10 Elaeagnus.........................................12 Ellen Bosanquet...............................19 HJ Elwes..........................................19 Eucalyptus.......................................13

Balsam............................................ 24 Bamboo............................................14 Banana.............................................. 9 Bay................................................... 11 Bird of Paradise................................ 8 Blue Lily of the Nile........................ 22 Bougainvillaea.................................25 Bridal Wreath............................ 14, 16 Brooklyn Botanic Garden................. 4 Brunfelsia.........................................14 Butterfly Iris....................................18

Feeding plants.................................. 8 Fig..................................................... 9 Forget-me-Nots.............................. 24 Forsythia..........................................16 Fortune............................................21 Gardenia..........................................13 Garlic Flower.................................. 23 Geranium...................................21, 24 Giganteum.......................................19 Ginger lilies........................... 6, 23, 24 Gladiolus..........................................19 Golden Rain Tree............................. 11 Grapefruit......................................... 9 Ground Covers................................ 23 Guava...............................................13 Guernsey Lily.................................. 20

Caesar’s Brother.............................. 17 Calen dula....................................... 24 Camellias....................................... 8, 9 Camphor.......................................... 11 Candytuft........................................ 24 Cannas.................................................

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Cape-Jasmine..................................13 Carnations....................................... 23 Carolina Jessamine.........................25 Cecil Houdyshel...............................19 Cheerfulness................................... 20 Cherry Laurel...................................12 Chinese Sacred Lily...................20, 21

Habranthus..................................... 23 Hawthorne....................................... 11 I-ledges............................................12 Hemerocallis............................. 23, 24 Hibiscus.......................................8, 15 Holly .......................................... 12, 13 Hollyhocks ..................................... 24

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Honeysuckle ....................................25 Hyacinths ........................................21 Hyacinths - Dutch .......................... 22 Hyacinths - French ........................ 22 Hydrangea....................................... 15

Marica..............................................18 Mexico ...................................... 27, 28 Milk and Wine Lily..........................19 Mimosa ........................................... 11 Missouri Botanical Garden............... 4 Mock Orange . ............................... 13 Monkey Grass ................................ 23 Montbretia .................................. 22 Moraea ............................................18 Mount Hood ....................................21 Myrtle ........................................... 23

Iris ............................ 16, 17, 18, 19, 23 Iris Japonica....................................18 Iris Nada..........................................18 Iris Stylosa ......................................18 Iris Unguicularis .............................18 Ivy .................................................. 23 Ixia ..................................................19

Nandina ..........................................14 Narcissus .............................20, 21, 23 Neomarica ................................. 18, 19 Nicotiniana .................................... 24 Night Blooming Jasmine ................16

Japanese Bamboo ...........................14 Japanese Garden ............................27 Japanese Quince .............................14 Jonquils .......................................... 20

Oak .................................................. 11 Oleander .........................................14 Orange Drops ..................................18

Kumquat ......................................... 11 Lantana ...........................................16 Lavender .........................................14 Ligustrum .......................................12 Lemon . ....................................... 8, 9 Lemon Drops...................................18 Lilacs ................................................ 6 Lilium Caodidurn .......................... 26 Lilium – Enchantment................... 26 Lilium Longiflorum ....................... 26 Lilium - Lucie Wilson..................... 26 Lilium – Prosperity.........................27 Lily ................................ 10, 19, 26, 27 (Also see Lilium) Liriope ............................................ 23 Lobelia ........................................... 24 Leucojum ....................................... 23 Louisiana Iris ................................. 1 7 Loquat ............................................. 11 Lycoris ............................... 10, 16, 20 Lycoris Aurea ................................. 20 Lycoris Radiata .............................. 20

Pansies ........................................7, 24 Paper-White ..............................20, 21 Parkinsonia .....................................12 Pear .................................................. 9 Pecan ...............................................10 Penstemon ..................................... 23 Peppermint............................... 23, 24 Perennials ...................................... 23 Periwinkle ...................................... 23 Petunias ......................................... 24 Philadelphus ...................................13 Phlox .......................................... 9, 23 Photenia ..........................................14 Pine ............................................. 9, 11 Pittosporum .................................... 15 Planning ........................................... 9 Plum ................................................. 9 Plumbago ........................................14 Poets’ Narcissus ............................. 20 Poinsettia ........................................ 15 Portulaca ........................................ 24

Magnolia .........................................10

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Powelliialba .....................................19 .............................................................

Pseudacorus Iris.............................. 17 Pyracantha ......................................13 Queen’s Crown ............................... 26 Queen’s Wreath ............................. 26 Rain lilies ....................................... 23 Ranunculi ....................................... 22 Rattrayii ..........................................19 Redbud............................................. 11 Rose of Sharon ................................16 Roses ............................6, 9, 15, 16, 25 Roses - climbing .............................25

Tritonia .......................................... 22 Tulbaghia ....................................... 23 Tulips ..............................................21 Vegetables .........................................5 Venidiurn ....................................... 24 Verbena .......................................... 24 Viburnum ........................................12 Vinca .....................................7, 23, 24 Vines ...............................................25 Violas .............................................. 24 Violets ............................................ 23 Virgin’s Bower .................................25 Walking Iris ....................................18 Wandering Jew .............................. 23 Water Lilies .....................................16 Watsonia .........................................19 Weeping Wich Elm .........................21 Wild Peach ......................................12 William the Silent ...........................21 Wisteria............................................25

Saint Christopher ............................19 Sanderianum ..................................19 Santuary ..........................................27 Sassafras .........................................12 Satsuma ....................................... 8, 9 Sedum ............................................ 23 Shrubs .............................................12 Siberian Iris .................................... 17 Snapdragons .................................. 24 Snowflakes ..................................... 23 Soleil d’Or .......................................21 Sparaxis ..........................................19 Spearmint ...................................... 23 Spider Lily ...................................... 20 Spuria Iris . ..................................... 17 Stock . ..........................................7, 25 Stokesia .......................................... 23 Strawberry Begonia ....................... 23 Strawberry plants .......................... 23 Strilitzia ........................................... 8 Sweet Olive ..................................... 11 Sweet Peas ..................................7, 24

Yaupon ............................................12 Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow........14 Yew ..................................................12 Yucca ...............................................16 Zephyranthus ................................. 23 Zinnia.............................................. 24

Tazetta Cragford ............................ 20 Thunbergia ..................................... 26 Tomatoes ..........................................7 Trees ................................................. 9

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