QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Can I grow blueberries in Central Texas?
Answer: There’s a new variety, Southern highbush, for Southern gardens, and to some degree, those in Central Texas. Our biggest problem with blueberries is that our soil pH is too and our water is alkaline. But, if you can grow azaleas, you can grow blueberries. It means adapting the soil with a lot of peat moss.
It may be easier to try them in containers, like a half whiskey barrel of sand and peat moss. You’ll want to water them with rainwater.
They like a good sunny location and can put up with a little bit of shade. You want to make sure to buy at least two and preferably three, so they can pollinate each other. That way you’ll have better berry set and larger berries. It’s a challenge we don’t generally recommend it, but it can be done.
past Questions of the Week →
PLANT OF THE WEEK
‘Lady Banks’ Rose
 This week’s featured plant is ‘Lady Banks’ Rose. ‘Lady Banks’ is unlike almost any other rose; in fact it doesn’t even look like a rose to a lot of people. It blooms early in the spring with some beautiful clusters that look like little bouquets. They come in white and a yellow form. The white form is wonderfully fragrant, it kind of smells like violets. The yellow form isn’t fragrant. A nice thing about ‘Lady Banks’ is that it’s thornless so you can put it near a walkway and you don’t have to worry about the thorns catching and damaging you or your clothing.
‘Lady Banks’ is a very vigorous rose. It really grows fast with long running shoots. It’s a good climber. It does well on a trellis, but you got to give it plenty of room. The largest rose in the world is a ‘Lady Banks’ rose in Tombstone, Arizona. It was planted in the late 1800s by Western settlers. It’s still around over hundred years later, covering 8000 square feet with a trunk circumference of over 13 ft. That is one large rose!
It’s not going to get that large in your lifetime, but if you need to screen a neighbor or a shed, it’s a great one. Just keep in mind that it only blooms once, in spring, but it’s really worth having around because it steals the show when it blooms. It’s completely disease resistant, and it isn’t necessary to spray it or even fertilize it. It’s also a sturdy waterwise performer. More great reasons to consider ‘Lady Banks.’
past Plants of the Week →
PLANTING TIPS OF THE WEEK
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Plant cole crops like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.
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Plant root crops, greens, onions, potatoes.
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Prune roses, except for spring-only bloomers. With a climbing rose, weave the vines in a horizontal or 45 degree angle on the trellis for more bloom production.
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See upcoming events on our events page.
more Planting Tips →
THIS WEEK’S FEATURE
Landscape designer Colleen Dieter checks out ideas for that awkward curb strip in front. Meet Colleen and Sue Nazar at this year’s Mayfield Park Gardening Symposium. Here is Colleen’s curb strip plant list:
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pink skullcap
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damianita
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yucca
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Mexican wire grass
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lamb’s ears
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spineless prickly pear
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gaura
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yarrow
Farmer’s Markets in Austin and around the state.
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