In case you haven’t been by our plot of land recently where our nursery resides, let me tell you what it looks like: If you look past the dead grass, crispy annuals, and bare bushes, there a few rows of trees attached to a cable line. Notably, the trees are green with new growth. Nestled amongst them, are several Texas Sage, which used to be smaller than a volleyball and are now about four times the size. Then there’s the Yuccas, which have put out several extra leaves. Up the driveway next to the house are Magnolias, Knockout Roses, and Crape-Myrtle's flowering like crazy, and the Bougainvillea are spreading out their stems.
I know it’s nothing new, but year-after-year, I’m simply amazed at how it can be a bajillion degrees outside, and yet these plants and trees grow just as they were intended. And this, why it is so important to base your garden around native plants. Plants that are accustomed to the rigors of Texas temperature swings, drought followed by excessive rain, strong wind and more times than not, mediocre soil.
“Native plants give us a sense of where we are in this great land of ours. I want Texas to look like Texas and Vermont to look like Vermont.”
-Lady Bird Johnson
And still, these plants thrive. They thrive both in the soil, and in black plastic pots. They thrive in the scorching sun. Day. After. Day. And in just a few months, they’ll be thriving in the cold, wind, and rain.
Although we feel discouraged by our brown lawns and crispy plants, I encourage you to look around your neighborhood and communities for the plants and trees that are green, flowering and beautiful. As soon as the first hint of fall appears in the cool morning air, know that you’re in the clear to add some of these native beauties to your own yard. Doing so will allow them to establish before winter arrives, and they’ll settle in to shine next year - all summer long.
And good news! We will reopen September 16 with a host of native trees, shrubs and perennial plants that have survived the summer heat. We’ll also be adding some new plants to the lineup and fall home & garden items to the shop.
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