World Gardens in a Flash

Corpus Christi’s South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center were in a bit of a crisis when we visited last winter due to the browsings of wild pigs. This just goes to show how much care one must take when planning your gardens especially when pests can cause havoc. The Botanical Gardens were still quite a delight to visit and we immediately purchased a membership because doing so allowed us into many of Corpus Christi’s top attractions for free during the month of February. One thing I should say is don’t expect the usual botanical gardens, these are quite unique for a number of reasons. They are located on a property with a huge lake and visitors to the gardens can extend their visit and walk to take in the birding and wildlife in the natural part of the gardens. Other best bets include a greenhouse with orchids, a succulent cactus garden, surprising roses (they bloom early), a butterfly garden and some exotic trees. If you have the chance to visit you won’t be dismayed.

Succulent / Cactus Garden

Succulents and cactus have the advantage of being low water tolerant and will grow in the arid conditions with minimal care. Although the sajuaro is often viewed as being like a modern sign with spines, many other cacti have beautiful color and shapes. Succulents also have the advantage of having good shapes and contours.

Orchids

Most of the orchids were kept in a greenhouse at Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens. A walk through the greenhouse will net you many examples and will introduce you to some of the issues of care and styles of growth.

Butterfly Garden

The butterfly garden at Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens sometimes missed edges due to the wild pigs, but in February they were already well in bloom. Several of the species grown were local wildflowers that were quite beautiful.

Roses

Yes, roses do grow quite beautifully in Corpus Christi and are in full bloom in February. The botanical gardens has a lovely formal look and shade too.

Cost of Admission: $5.00 for adults, seniors and students $4, children under 12 $2

Address:  8545 SOUTH STAPLES, CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 78413

Phone: (351) 652-2100

While on a trip to the United Kingdom, I came upon this wall garden on a small cottage in the town of Ayr, Scotland. I found it cute and decorative. Then I pondered the reasons why this sort of garden would be the owner’s choice for growing colorful annuals.

Growing Annuals in Cold Winter Areas 

Annuals grow quickly from seed, can be started in a warmer are in the home or attached to the home and produce colorful blooms all season long. Many gardeners faced with a short growing season find growing seeds in a pot easy to do.  Some colorful and easy to grow annuals include pansies, poppies, calendula, and nasturtium. I often buy seedlings of other favorites like petunia and prefer annuals that hang down the edges of a pot planted around a bushy, taller annual like daisies or sage.

Reasons for Gardening in Flower Pots 

Gardening in pots is also easier for many senior citizens who have trouble bending, digging and crawling around the garden especially when the frosts leave late as in Ayr, Scotland. The picture shows space is quite tight. The flowers soften the otherwise harsh look of the driveway. Attaching hooks onto your house siding can be easy to do using a molley bolt or hook. The flat sided pots are good choices for a narrow area rather than a hanging basket. 

Maintaining Your Container Annuals

Most annuals will go to seed after blooming. Once a plant goes to seed, it will often bloom less. Cut or pull off dead blossoms to keep your annuals from going to seed and out of your driveway. Many use round up to kill weeds or plants growing in the driveway. I prefer to dig them out if possible. Keep your annuals well fertilized, once weekly of a liquid plant food will keep them happy. Water in stages, add a container of water and let it leach through the basket, then water thoroughly to verify the container is well saturated. Wait until the container feels light or the plants begin to wilt before watering again. 

Additional Resources for Winter Gardening

How to Winterize Your Garden

Red Twig Dogwood and Yellow Twig Dogwood are two of the most colorful water loving native plants used in Northwest Gardens.

This picture shows the rich color that turns a garden or waterfront aflame in late autumn. Taken in late November, the red and yellow color in the native plant shrubs contrasts nicely with the blue of a sunny day and the water along the beach.

Red twig and yellow twig dogwood tend to be inexpensive to buy at local Garden Nurseries. Red and yellow twig dogwood share the same habitat, the marshy areas that are native to the Black River, Duwamish River flood plain through the Renton, Kent, Auburn, Sumner, Puyallup valley. The plants will flower if local deer don’t eat the blossoms off. The red and yellow color is more intense if the branches are pruned down as if eaten. The branches of red twig dogwood and yellow twig dogwood green up in spring with the first leaves. Flowers mostly show up in small clusters on the ends of branches. The red twig dogwood and yellow twig dogwood grow about 6-8′ high if left unpruned and about 3-6 feet wide with arching branches. Red twig dogwood and yellow twig dogwood don’t mind wet roots and can tolerate drought and poor soils, needing very little fertilizer.

The rose garden at Pt. Defiance Zoo in Tacoma in summer time offers gorgeous colorful blooms and wonderful scents. Rose gardens are a great way to discover which rose to plant in your garden.

What to Look for in a Rose?

A rose that has lush green leaves, seems devoid of disease such as black spot or rust, has well shaped flower buds and blooms in a public garden like the one at Pt. Defiance Zoo in Tacoma, is likely to be a good selection for your own garden. My experience with roses has been instructive. Roses with heavy blooms like the Austin roses will likely retain rain water and mold unless they are protected under a shelter. Roses that get black spot or rust easily often won’t survive for another year meaning you’re going to waste your money.

My favorite roses for the Renton area are the bush roses or the floribunda. Floribunda means many flowering and I typically find they bloom repeatedly throughout the summer, are relatively disease free and have long stems with the flowers showing many stages of bloom at the same time. This makes floribunda roses wonderful for flower arrangements. Look for floribunda varieties with scent if you usually tend to shop for tea roses.

Things to Look for in Public Rose Gardens Like the Pt. Defiance Zoo in Tacoma

Notice the pergola in the back of the picture. Look for how structure is used to make roses look their best. Pt. Defiance Zoo uses a variety of trellis, stakes, and other structures to make their garden really attractive. One of the nice things about this small garden at Pt. Defiance Zoo is you get a taste of beauty on your way to visiting the zoo.

See more pictures at TacomaMama.com