Travel--Spring in the Chinese Garden in Montreal

Traveling, my husband always tries to pick the perfect time: not too hot, not too cold, not rainy, etc. He scheduled us to see Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the second week in May because apparently tourists start arriving the third week in May and hotel prices rise dramatically. I am not sure whether he thought about what that said about Montreal's weather. We flew into most of a week of chilly temperatures and light rain. 

So I have to say this was not the perfect time to see Montreal. 

rhododendrons in the Chinese garden

And yet, the Chinese Garden at the Jardin botanique de Montreal was gorgeous. 

Plant Story--Houndstongue, Gypsyflower, Cynoglossum officinale

About four years ago, I found an unfamiliar plant in my yard. I watched it flower and liked the pretty red flowers. So I let it go to seed. Mistake.

hounds tongue, gypsyweed, Cynoglossum officinale

 

Travel Story--Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country

 In mid-Apriil, we drove south and west from Austin to find wildflowers in bloom. 

And there they were, all along the roadside

Texas roadside wildflowers

Plant Story--slimflower scurfpea, Pediomelum tenuiflorum, an Inconspicuous Pretty Native

Sometimes you look right through it 

slimflower scurfpea, Pediomelum tenuiflorum

Sometimes its the green clump in the brown grass

slimflower scurfpea, Pediomelum tenuiflorum

Short (rarely more than 2' tall), with small leaves pea-like, small blue-purple flowers, and a difficult name  to remember (in English or Latin), slimflower scurfpea, Pediomelum tenuiflorum (pea family, Fabaceae) doesn't get much attention. Yet it is an American native wildflower with a range all across the mid-continental grasslands, from Indiana and Kentucky to Montana and New Mexico (see USDA plants data base under Psoralidium tenuiflorum).

Travel Story--Central Texas in April

I just returned from a tour of part of Texas with the American Horticultural Society. We went to public and private gardens, museums, and parks where wildflowers were blooming. I wore myself out dashing between wonderful plants. 

hill country rain lilies, Cooperia pediculata

Plant Story--Oenothera curtiflora, Velvetweed, Small-Flowered Gaura,

Velvetweed is a very widespread plant, found all across the United States except the Northeast. It stands up to 9' tall and yet has a very low profile. 

velvetweed, Oenothera curtiflora

Native Plants Are, Well, Wild

When you plant a native plant, you might find it spreads aggressively around the yard, crowding out  other plants in the garden. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if you are growing natives, you need to be aware that some are pretty wild. 

black-eyed susan, Rudbeckia hirta
along a path; not where I planted the first one