This is the first of a series of articles introducing Montgomery County Master Gardeners.

This inaugural issue highlights Cliff Blackerby, a master gardener since 2010. Cliff is a retired army colonel, holds a Ph.D. from that great university Texas A&M and enjoys several hobbies besides gardening. He and his wife Sandy are avid travelers; Italy being their favorite travel destination. He also enjoys golf and has recently taken up photography; even teaching an iPhone photography class to master gardeners.

During his ten years as a master gardener, Cliff has served on the executive board as vice president, president and past president. He also worked with the intern classes for three years serving as the coordinator for two. When asked which position he liked the best he responded, “Working with the intern class, definitely. It was so much fun getting to know the new interns and learning about each of them.” He came to call them his ‘children’ since, as the coordinator, he was responsible for the care, education and feeding of the class. Cliff claims about 150 master gardener children now.

While he rotated through all the demonstration gardens during his internship, he chose to work in the floral gardens. He said he picked floral because he and Sandy ate out a lot and did not do a lot of cooking so vegetable gardening held no interest for him; floral fit his plans for his home gardening better than the other options. He commented, “My knees are old and don’t take well to kneeling to maintain the plants or pull weeds so I’ve looked for something a little less stressful on the body. I now work with our web group getting my volunteer hours researching and writing garden related articles. Let me do a little shameful self promotion here; we have a large readership, but are always looking to increase it. I’d like to invite our readers to share our website information (https://mcmga.com) to friends and encourage them to sign up to get email notifications when a new article is published. It’s a great resource to the gardening public.”

Asked about his favorite flowers he said, “As a master gardener, I guess I’m supposed to like all kinds of flowers, but if I had to pick there are two I’m particularly fond of: hydrangea and Civil War verbena. The hydrangea because it is such a naturally beautiful plant with its gorgeous blue, pink and white flowers. Growing up in the south, the hydrangea just has a natural charm and appeal for me.”

“I was introduced to the verbena in the demonstration gardens at the master gardener center. I was able to talk the area manager of the bog into letting me take one of the plant’s ‘babies’ for my own garden. It is a beautiful little mounding plant with delicate white flowers that bloom from the spring to late summer. It takes very little care which I really appreciate! We have offered it for sale in the master gardener spring plant sale the last couple of years. I’ve gifted my neighbor with a couple of the plants, now we both have verbena prominently displayed in our gardens.”

Asked what was  the best thing about being a master gardener, he noted “ Of course you learn a lot about plants and I guess that might be what brings you to our association, but for me, the real value in becoming a master gardener are the lasting friendships I’ve made.”

 

The 2020 Texas Superstar Brochure is now available online and hard copies are also available at the Extension office. The Brochure highlights new selections for 2020 and includes Texas Superstar Plants that were introduced after the 2016 brochure was published.

The Texas Superstar Program trials not only ornamentals but fruit trees, grape vines, strawberries, tomatoes, and herbs. In the selection process of plants every effort is made to ensure that the plants perform well across the state. To be designated a Texas Superstar the plant must not only perform well in our versatile climate but also should be easy to propagate, readily available and reasonably priced.

While there are so many plants to select from, one plant stands out due to its beauty, disease resistance, and resilience in our Texas weather. The Yellow Butterfly vine, Callaeum macropterum, gets its name from the beautiful seed pods shaped like a butterfly that start out with a chartreuse color, slowly turn brown, and remain on the vine for a long time. The yellow flowers are a bright yellow with five petals grown in a cluster. The vine does not cling and can grow to 10-15 ft in height and width. It can be trained on trellises, arbors, and fences. It is hardy in Zone 8b-10 and in mild winters retains its glossy green leaves.

 

 

New for 2020 is Blue Daze, Evolvulus glomeratus, a low spreading groundcover or spiller in a container. Hardy in Zone 9-11, it is considered an annual in areas where frost is a common occurrence. It grows best in full sun and tolerates a variety of soils as long as it is well drained. The foliage is greyish-green with a mass of small blue flowers. It grows 9 to 18 inches tall and spreads to 36 inches wide.

 

For more information on Texas Superstar please follow the information on their website Texas Superstars.

From now until late October, we will feel the heat in our gardens in southeast Texas in a big way. Lush green foliage and flowering plants give way to dry, parched soil and the need for watering to keep our gardens alive. However, not all plants succumb to the hot and dry Texas heat! Let’s take a look at three natives that thrive in these tough conditions. These plants not only love Texas heat, they are also pollinator magnets.

First of all, if you aren’t growing this stunner, you should be! Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii) is a tough, Texas perennial with bright green foliage and hot red-orange tubular flowers.

It isn’t surprising that Hummingbirds can’t resist it when flowers begin in mid-June and often last through the end of the year. Plant in full sun if possible, partial shade is okay too. Prune back after blooming stops to retain a shrub-like form.

 

Second, if you love butterflies, you must have Texas Lantana (urticoides) in your landscape.

It emerges from dormancy as soon as temperatures warm up. It grows fast and begins flowering as early as April. A member of the verbena family, you will recognize the native species of this drought tolerant perennial’s bright red, orange, and yellow, tubular flowers with four flared lobes. Lantana thrives in poor, well-drained soil. Warning: Leaves give off a sharp aroma when touched and they can cause a skin rash.

Finally, Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) is another gorgeous Texas perennial with fluffy lavender-blue flowers that attract impressive numbers of Queen butterflies. This shrubby, easily spreading native will flourish in sun to part shade and tolerate sandy, loam, clay or limestone soils. It blooms as early as March and lasts through the fall!

For reference or more information on Texas natives, visit www.wildflower.org/plants.