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TX Native Database
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A
school teacher in Katy Texas asks what native plants can help the kids
learn. |
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Below are the names of plants that I have suggested. Descriptions of these
plants can be found on the dropdown to the left. |
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Turk's
Cap, Texas Lantana, Autumn Sage, Desert Honeysuckle, Texas Star, Mealy
Blue Sage, Black-Eyed Susan, Giant Four O'clock, Prairie Primrose, Yarrow,
Common Sunflower, Butterfly Weed, Purple Coneflower, Mexican Hat, Queen
Anne's Lace, Jimson Weed. |
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A
resident of Denton asks: Are there any good books you would recomend on
Native Plants? |
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These are
some of my favorites. |
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- Landscaping
with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest - by George O. Miller
- Texas Wildflowers- by Capmbell and Lynn Loughmiller
- Wildflowers
of Texas - by Geyata Ajilvsgi
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A
lady in Hillsboro asks, how can I improve my soil? I can't seem to grow
anything. |
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One of the first things you need to do to grow almost anything, is
to improve
the soil. I would suggest reading the page "Soil: The Key to Successful
Gardening" from
the Organic Lifestyles site at the Texas A&M University. All of the
links under soil improvement are well worth the read, but the most important
is "Soil: The Key to Successful Gardening" (See link at bottom).
Raised bed gardening is a good way to improve heavy soils, like yours.
The next paragraph after this is from the Raised Bed Gardening site at
the University of Missouri. Be sure to check the diagram, showing double
diging on their page. "To double dig a raised bed, remove all the
soil from the bed one spade's depth. Dig the next layer down, leaving
the soil in place. Return the topsoil to the bed and thoroughly mix the
layers. Double digging permits deeper rooting by plants growing in the
bed (See link at bottom)". Mix in organic material, layering soil
and materials, as you build the bed. After the bed is finished, you need
to let it "sit and work" for
about three weeks. Then turn the soil with a pitch fork, then plant your
plants at the
appropriate times.
The one book I find very helpful for plant cultivation and selection
is:
"Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest" by
George O. Miller.
I wish you the best of luck and if you have other questions, I'll be
glad to try and help.
Here is a link to the advice about soil improvement.
Soil: The Key to Successful Gardening
Raised Bed Gardening
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A
Texas Gardener asks: How do you define "native", "naturalized",
or "introducted" in terms of plants? Also, how do
you determine or know what plants do into which category? |
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I
will try to answer your question as best I can considering that i am
just an amateur who loves gardening.
The task of identification was undertaken by the early botanists;
Linnaeus, Lindheimer and Engelmann were just a few who helped us identify
our native flora.
- A native plant, as far as I can tell from what I have read, is one
that existed on the Continent, Region or State prior to colonization.
- A naturalized plant is one that formerly was not in a certain area
but has come to that area by natural means, such as wind, birds, animals
and floods.
- An introduced plant is one that did not occur in a certain area and
was planted by people on purpose, and sometimes by accident.
As far as being able to tell which plants belong in which category,
your best bet is to read as many books and articles as possible. Some
books that have been very helpful to me are;
Texas
Wildflowers by Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller
Wildflowers
of Texas by Geyata Ajilvsgi
Landscaping
with Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest by George O. Miller. It all depends on what your goal is.
My goal is to have a garden that will be beautiful, easy to care for,
and that will demonstrate the beauty and value of the wonderful plants
that have been forgotten or ignored in favor exotic plants. More
and more people are learning to appreciate the rich diversity and
value of native plants. We hope that more commercial nurseries will
offer them, so that they will be readily available. |
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