If you’re looking to create a tropical feel in your landscape, now’s the time. The bit of sunshine we’re finally getting combined with the high humidity is certainly making Dallas feel pretty tropical right now. May through early June is prime time for you snap up your favorite tropical plants at your local garden center. Tropical hibiscus, mandevilla, allamanda and bouganvilla are just a few of the most popular tropicals you’ll find. But there are so many more to choose from.

I love to use blooming and foliage tropicals in containers for an instant feeling of lushness in the landscape. Most tropicals make excellent container specimens so they’re the perfect choice if you need to quickly spruce up the patio for a party or your Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Tropical hibiscus are available in a dizzying array of colors and add the most tropical feel to any space. You can plant tropical hibiscus in containers alongside sweet potato vine or other trailing foliage plants. Or, plant them directly into the landscape as a feature in a sunny bed. If you’re planting in-ground, be sure you’ve amended your landscape beds with plenty of compost and some expanded shale to aid drainage. Fertilize regularly to keep plants in bloom.

Firebush loves the heat.

If you’re looking for a tropical that’s irresistible to hummingbirds, Firebush tops the list (Hamelia patens). This tough, heat loving tropical brings butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden in droves. Firebush offers pretty green foliage and tufts of tubular red-orange blooms. A wonderful plant for both landscapes and patio containers. Plant in a sunny location and provide some supplemental water through summer.

Of course, my favorite Esperanza is ORANGE.

Another hummingbird-favored tropical, or semi-tropical, is Esperanza (Tecoma stans). While plants will sometimes through the winter in our Dallas gardens, often times you’ll lose them to a hard freeze. But that’s ok, because they’ll bloom non-stop until we hit freezing weather. Esperanza is available in shades of bright yellow, to orange, to almost red.

Hummingbirds will make a beeline for this Esperanza whether it’s in a patio container or in the landscape. Plants require little care to look beautiful.

There are so many beautiful tropicals to choose from right now that I could never list all of my favorites. There are many tropicals that may not bloom conspicuously, but rather offer up wonderful foliage color and contrast. Be sure the bloomers get a sunny location and the foliage tropicals a bit of afternoon shade. You know all those tropical foliage houseplants you love? Any of them can be planted outdoors in patio containers and even the landscape if you give them some afternoon shade. Some of the most beautiful tropical containers are created by mixing unusual foliage tropicals with bright bloomers

Are you a landscape designer, landscape contractor, plant grower, garden center retailer or garden writer in The South? If so, you probably face growing challenges when it comes to navigating the impact of extreme weather conditions while still creating beautiful landscapes and growing a healthy business. Intense heat, drought, and flooding are impacting how companies do business, the landscapes they create, and what plants they grow and sell.

FOR: Landscape designers, Landscape Architects, Landscape Contractors, Plant Growers, Garden Center Retailers, Plant Brokers, Public Garden Professionals, City Horticulturists, Educators, Pro Garden Writers, Allied Trade, Green Industry Students.

WHEN: Friday, October 7th, 2016. 8:20am-5pm. Sign-in 7:30am-8:20am A great opportunity to tour the gardens before they open to the public.

WHERE: Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden, Rosine Hall, 8525 Garland Rd., Dallas, TX 75218

The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) and their Southern Region Director, Leslie Halleck, have brought together an inspiring and knowledgeable group of speakers to address sustainability issues, with landscape aesthetics in mind. It’s all about sustainable style. With a focus on perennial plants, speakers will cover topics such as stylish heat and drought tolerant plant selections, organic versus sustainable plant production for growers, an update on rose rosette disease and using plants with a purpose. The 2016 Sustainable Style event is an excellent opportunity for green industry professionals to stay on top of continuing education and sustainability trends as well as take advantage of a unique industry networking opportunity.

Tickets include entry into the Dallas Arboretum, coffee, snacks and lunch from Noon-1pm:

• $99 PPA Members
• $50 Industry Students
• $149 Non-Members

Earn CEUs

• TNLA– 5 CEUs
• APLD– 5 CEUs
• NALP– 4 CEUs

12:30-1:30 Dallas Arboretum staff will be on hand for attendees as they tour the trial gardens to see how specific plants are performing under extreme southern growing conditions.

Event Sponsors include: Halleck Horticultural, North Haven Gardens, Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden, Local Plant Source, Eason Horticultural Resources, Inc., Southwest Perennials, Inc., Living Earth.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE

Our Speakers for the Day:

Kelly Norris, Author “Plants with Style”, Director of Horticulture,
Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
3:15PM - 4:30PM Plants with Style
Gardeners need chic, sustainable, thriving plants for modern lifestyles. Why settle for lackluster gardens filled with dull, ho-hum plants? Plants after all are the very essence of fashionable gardening. In this spirited, provocative lecture, 20-something plantsman Kelly Norris calls for a garden revolution: Out with boring plants and in with stylish alternatives that captivate and enthrall. A passionate horticulturist and lifelong gardener, Kelly is the ideal guide to the botanical riches available to today’s gardeners. In chapters on environment, structure, seasonal standouts, and plant combinations he shines a spotlight on the A-list plants in every category—plants that will thrive, not merely survive. Along the way, he shows you how to forge a personal style in harmony with your garden’s setting and local environment. As Kelly puts it, “A garden is the best way to savor life on earth. (+ Public Day)

Lloyd Traven, Owner, Peace Tree Farm
1:45PM – 3:00PM Organic Versus Sustainable Plant Production
Sustainable, organic, Certified Organic, Naturally-Grown, MPS, Veriflora, GAP-Certified, GMO-Free, local, Fair Trade, so many names, so many initials, but do they actually mean something? Well, some REALLY do, and some are just 'feel-good', but how do you know the difference, and how do we convey the reality to the consumer? Let's talk about what they mean and what matters. Let's be blunt--as if Lloyd ever filters what he says!!--sustainable and Certified Organic both have meaning as well as great real value, but are often in direct opposition to each other, and it is important to decide what you need and what your customer really wants you to do, so how do we make them coexist? Real world techniques for growers and retailers, concentrating on propagation and potted perennial production. He covers insect pests, while focusing on sanitation, disease complexes and thwarting them without harsh chemicals. They are also practices you can use to show your customers, retail or wholesale, that you care about them, the planet, and the future. (+ Public Day)

Presented by Eason Horticultural Resources
Susan Martin, Owner of Gardner Sue’s News
10:40AM - 11:50AM Moving Beyond Pretty: Plants with Bonus Points
When the plant catalogs begin to arrive, our eyes are filled with botanical eye candy of every color, shape and size. We want them all, of course. The challenge is to look beyond the pretty flowers and actively seek out perennial plants that deliver more…more color in shade, food for pollinators, greater durability, and visual interest through all four seasons. As you begin to see plants from a new perspective, consider developing new ways of marketing and merchandising them according to the benefits they offer, not just their pretty colors. We’re moving beyond pretty and into the realm of more.

Presented by Southwest Perennials, Inc.
Dr. Kevin Ong, Associate Professor & Extension Plant Pathologist, Texas A&M University
9:45AM – 10:30AM Rose Rosette Disease Update
What do we really know about rose rosette disease? There is much information that is circulated and various treatment suggestions are claimed as effective. But what do we really know about this disease? We will explore historical scientific data to see what was said and proven previously, and how this information forms the basis of current work and progress on this disease, the pathogen and vector that transmit the pathogen. An update of current research in rose rosette will be shared.

Presented by Living Earth
Andrea DeLong-Amaya, Director of Horticulture, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
8:30am-9:30am Native Plants for Southern Landscapes
Are you interested in saving water, reducing pesticide and fertilizer use, and improving the wildlife habitat on your property but don’t want a “zeroscape”? Andrea DeLong-Amaya, director of horticulture at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, will introduce you to a high performing southern native perennial plants suitable for various home landscape situations to help you achieve your landscape goals. Understanding ideal growing conditions, best maintenance techniques for each species, and where to look for more gardening guidance is critical for success and will also be discussed in this presentation. (+ Public Day)

With such a warm winter behind us here in Dallas, we might be seeing hummingbirds in the garden any day now. Do you have the right kinds of plants in your lanscape to attract and feed these the tiny beauties?

Crossvine is typically one of the blooming plants to attract nesting hummingbirds.

The species of hummingbirds that we see here in Dallas, ruby-throated and black-chinned hummingbirds, spend their winters in Mexico and Central America. Hummingbirds typically begin arriving in the Dallas area in late-March; usually just in time to take advantage of blooming plants like crossvine (in full bloom right now) coral honeysuckle and buckeyes. The autumn sage are already blooming, which will definitely capture their attention.

White autumn sage, and salvias of all kinds, attract hummingbirds.

If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden and you haven’t yet put out feeders, now’s the time. Plants hummingbirds love typically produce tubular flowers that accommodate their long tongues. While hot colored flowers (red, orange, yellow), tend to be preferred, the hummingbirds in my yard are just as happy to feed on white, blue and purple salvias.

In order to see an abundance of hummingbirds in your garden, you need to attract a female to nest in spring. By putting out hummingbird feeders late-March and planting specific spring-blooming plants, you can entice a female to take up residence nearby if other conditions are right. Plants they love in Dallas gardens include esparanza, crossvine, salvia, honeysuckle, columbine and red yucca.

While I typically recommend sticking to plants that are tough, tried and true in our Dallas landscapes, I’m a horticulturist: I love to experiment. No garden is static. Conditions are always changing and no plant is a permanent fixture. Some plants may live in your landscape for thirty years…others can bring you just as much joy in only one season. I’m all for planting beauties that may not be long-lived but put on a big show while they’re around. That brings us to peonies.

Peony Itoh ‘Mikasa’ – Perfect for containers if you don’t have the perfect garden spot!

If you’re a northern transplant to the south, you probably grew up with peonies as a common sight in spring. There are several categories of peonies: Tree, herbaceous and intersectional hybrids. I’ve found that all three can be grown here, but some do better than others. The intersectional hybrids (‘Itoh’ hybrids) seem particularly suited to our area. Certain species of tree peony tree (Paeonia rockii) tolerate our summers better than the others. Herbaceous peonies really need the right spot to thrive. Given just the right conditions you can successfully grow gorgeous peonies.

Itoh hybrid peonies are particularly pretty.

An eastern exposure is ideal for peonies. The morning sun will provide them enough sun to bloom and they’ll be shaded from the hot afternoon sun. Or, position near larger trees or shrubs that will shade plants in the afternoon. Peonies prefer loose, acidic soil, which we do not have. Amending garden beds with compost and a fertilizer created to feed camellias, hydrangeas and Japanese maples will help. Expanded shale works well to loosen and aerate soil. Be sure to water your peonies deeply twice a week once temperature get hot. Fertilize in spring and fall. In early winter, cut back your plants to the ground. Come late winter, you should see them start to sprout again.

Note that peonies need a chilling period in winter in order to bloom well in spring. So if we experience a consistently warm winter, you may not see plants bloom as well. Now is the time to find a good selection of peonies at the local garden center and they’re typically only available for a short time.

It’s that time of spring when, in amongst a cacophony of color, white flowers slip onto the scene and steal the show. The first white irises just started blooming around town, which for me is always the official signal that spring has arrived. While color plays a big role in my garden, so do accent neutrals like white and silver. White flowers help soften the feel of a landscape, bring sophistication and light up the evening garden. Here are a few of my favorite fresh in white spring bloomers:

Iris ‘Immortality’. How much more white could this be? The answer is none, none more white.

Whites are always the first of the bearded iris to grace our gardens in spring. There is none more beautiful, in my humble opinion, than ‘Immortality’. This cultivar produces masses of huge pure white blooms that are also fragrant. Bearded iris are one of these toughest and most prolific of our water-wise perennials. Plant them with abandon!

Summer Snowflake

It might just now be spring, but the summer snowflakes have officially arrived. One of my favorite perennial bulbs for Dallas gardens, summer snowflake (Leucojum aestivum), is blooming right now. Native to North Africa and the Mediterranean region, this hardy bulb is one of the easiest to grow and naturalize in Texas. While the common name is summer snowflake, this bulb actually blooms in spring for us. Bulbs produce clumps of dark green strap-like foliage followed by flower clusters that each develop several white bell shaped blooms. Flowers are mildly fragrant and sport small green dots at the ends of the petals. If you love lily of the valley, but have finally accepted they just won’t grow here, this will be your closest substitute in our climate. Plant in sun to part shade in perennial borders or ground cover beds.

Tulip ‘Maureen’

I’m a big fan of tulips…despite the fact that you pre-chill and plant new bulbs each year. I can’t imagine my spring garden without them. There’s never been a single year when I haven’t planted ‘Maureen’, my go-to pure white tulip. This sturdy and reliable variety never disappoints. The blooms are long-lasting and provide bright contrast to darker flowers and foliage in the garden. They’ll also practically glow in the dark, making them perfect for your moonlight garden.

Narcissus ‘Thalia’

Narcissus ‘Thalia’ may appear delicate and dainty, but it’s a Texas tough and water-wise perennial bulb. ‘Thalia’ grows in clusters that multiply each year and produce masses of pure white, fragrant blooms. Plant in the sunniest of locations or in part shade. ‘Thalia’ makes the perfect companion for roses and salvias in the perennial border, or planted naturally along the edge of wooded areas.

Temperatures are hitting the 80s, the fruit trees are beginning to bloom and the bees are buzzing. Spring is upon us! Finally.

With intense spring storms surely on the horizon, now’s the time to give your trees a bit of post-winter TLC. If you haven’t had your trees inspected by a certified arborist in a while, do so now, before wind or hail storms make it into the forecast. Often, hazards that aren’t obvious to you can be lurking in your large shade trees. Damage caused by physical injury, ice or decay can quickly split large branches or fell entire trees once a strong gust of wind comes along.

Poor tree pruning runs rampant in Dallas. If the person you have hired to prune your trees shows up with a step ladder and a pole pruner, I’d highly suggest you cancel the appointment and run. Always ask for proof of ISA Certification and make sure your tree care company is insured and bonded. Pruning trees is a science and it takes knowledge and experience to do it right. One bad pruning job can ruin your precious tree and leave it more susceptible to storm damage, pests and diseases.

Large girdling roots were removed from this live oak and the root flares properly exposed.

Oak wilt disease is already on the move in our trees in Dallas and Fort Worth. This destructive disease can kill large oak trees within a matter of weeks. It also spreads from tree to tree through roots that connect the trees underground. If you have oak trees in high risk areas, you may want to have preventative treatments administered to your trees now. Oak wilt disease starts spreading actively around the end of February in Texas and continues through mid- to late-June. It’s best not to have oak trees pruned during this time, unless a certified, qualified tree care specialist has recommended specific pruning and knows how to handle disease prevention.

I’ve noticed a lot of trees around town right now with girdling roots. These are roots that wrap around the base of the trunk and the large structural roots and they can cut off the supply of water and nutrients, not to mention restrict growth. Girdling roots should be professionally pruned away before they cause big problems.

I’ve also seen mistletoe coming on strong in many trees around town. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that sucks water and nutrients out of your tree. Mistletoe is more easily removed before your tree has leafed out, so there’s still some time to have this work performed.

If you grow vegetables, berry bushes or fruit trees (or all of the above) then you already understand the importance of successful pollination. Flowers need to be pollinated in order to successfully produce a fruit. Even if you don’t grow your own produce in your backyard, your trips to the grocery store would be pretty bleak without pollinators. While there are many pollinators in the insect world, honey bees have traditionally been the workhorse pollinators of agricultural crops. But it’s not just our food crops that need pollinators. According to published research, cross-pollination by bees supports at least 30% of the world’s food crops and 90% of wild plants. Bottom line: We need bees.

You probably know that urbanites have taken to beekeeping with more interest in the last few years. I personally keep several honey bee hives myself. While we need more beekeepers, the reality is that beekeeping is not for everyone. It’s costly, requires hands-on education and a serious commitment to tend your hives and continue learning. If you have small children that regularly use your yard, then you may not be able to accommodate beehives on a small urban property. Here in the city, you also have to take more precautions to safely keep bees, being that we all have neighbors close by. So then what do you do if you want to increase your home garden yields and help the overall bee population, but you’re not prepared to become a beekeeper? Mason bees are the answer.

A baby blue orchard bee emerges from its cocoon in my garden. Hello!
Mason bees are gentle. This just-hatched blue orchard bee takes its first bath on my hand.

Did you know? There are thousands of bee species in North America other than the European honey bee. If you’ve ever spent time watching the blooming plants in your garden, you’ve probably seen many different types. If we can boost all of their populations, our food supply will be in much better shape. In fact, by boosting populations of other species, we can help mitigate some of the pressures on honey bees. Mason bees are a group of what I call “gentle super pollinators”. They don’t produce honey, but they don’t sting or require hive maintenance. While the females do have a stinger, they rarely if ever use it. The Blue Orchard Bee, which occurs naturally in our area, is one such mason bee.

Now is the time that baby mason bees will begin hatching out of their winter cocoons. You can pick up dormant cocoons of blue orchard bees and nesting materials right now at local garden centers (call ahead to check availability or have them order for you). Mason bees, unlike honey bees, don’t build honey comb in a hive. They simply nest in narrow holes or tubes they find in wood and hollow twigs. I’ve even seen them nesting in holes in my home’s exterior brick. You can purchase mason bee houses, which you fill with paper or reed tubes. It can take several seasons for your own little mason bee population to build up and that hinges on you providing nesting material. Other than the nesting material, all you have to do is sit back and let these powerful pollinators do their thing!

Regardless of the chance of a late freeze, it’s time to get serious about tomatoes. Growing prize-worthy tomatoes is a bit of a right of passage for most gardeners. In fact, tomatoes are typically the first the go-to-fruit for beginning gardeners. They’re easy, right? In some parts of the country, that may be the case. In Dallas? Not so much. North Texas doesn’t exactly offer up the easiest of growing conditions.

While many parts of the country have one condensed edible growing season that spans mid-spring through summer, we have several distinct growing seasons. Less heat-tolerant veggies, like spinach and lettuce, need to be grown fall through winter. Heat-lovers like peppers and eggplant won’t budge an inch until it gets hot. Tomatoes…well, they’re somewhere in between. While tomatoes are a tropical plant and are not frost hardy, they don’t reproduce well once our intense summer heat comes on.

The trick to good tomatoes is timing: Getting them planted such that they squeeze into those “in-between” times in our growing seasons. We have to plant spring crops before it gets too warm and fall crops before it gets too cold.

Here in Dallas, prime time for planting spring 4” tomato transplants is right about mid-March. However, if you hedge your bets and plant earlier, you’ll often get a better harvest. I typically plant mine before March 15th. Once April 1st hits, it’s not advisable to plant 4” tomato transplants. If you live north of Dallas, say up in Frisco, you can probably get away with planting a week or so later. If you’re south of Dallas, then be sure to get plants in the ground by March 15th as a good target.

There are varieties of tomatoes bred to be more heat-tolerant. When you see the word “heat” somewhere in the cultivar name, the plant will most likely fare better in our climate. A couple of years ago a new line of grafted tomatoes called Mighty ‘Matos hit the market. Hybrids and heirlooms have been grafted onto a hardy rootstock in order to make these tomato plants more tolerant of diseases. Plants are vigorous and definitely worth trying in your garden this spring.

You’re sure to find some of the best selections of fresh plants and varieties out at your local garden centers this coming weekend. Be sure to get your soil prepped with plenty of organic compost and composted manure before you plant. Add a tomato or vegetable fertilizer at planting time. Once developing fruit reaches about ¼ it’s mature size, you’ll want to feed plants every two weeks with an organic, dry fertilizer. If you are feeding with a liquid feed, apply to the foliage and roots every week.