All the Dirt on Gardening

Some plants just bring so much joy when they flower that they are irresistible! Five Star Hibiscus is one of those. The seeds are large and easy to start. The plants are perennial and given water and protection from late afternoon blazing sun, they are easy to keep growing for years and years. 5 Star Hibiscus among the peaches There is a white version but the red ones just shout out from their place in the afternoon shade under our native peach trees. In their native Texas, they are called Texas Five Star Hibiscus or Texas Star, Star of Texas and in Mexico they are called Mexican Hibiscus and in the Deep South they are called Swamp Hibiscus. In addition to those, one of the more confusing names is Star Mallow. There are so many other mallows that a person could be confused and end up with one that crawls the ground instead of shooting up 6 feet. The Latin name resolves the question though. Just look for seeds or plants of Hibiscus coccineus. Th...

The wind has been terrific today. This afternoon it rained while I was mowing and then there was dime size hail. Spring has one surprise after another. While holding the Salvia Greggii Pink Preference ( Bustani Plant Farm ) for a photo, a bee landed on my hand. They are all over the plants of course and you can actually hear them buzzing while doing the weed pulling. Ah, the joys of gardening. In the shade garden, native Columbine has taken hold and is slowly increasing in size as the years go by. We made the garden boundary with stones dug out of a planting hole for a crab apple tree. The bed was made from the contents of the compost pile, plus peat and cottonseed hulls. Every year, we add peat to keep improving the soil conditions. Another 30 tiny seedlings and larger plants went into the ground today. The seeds of Red Star Hibiscus or rose mallow ( Hibiscus coccineus ) are getting their first true leaves. Also the Edamame and cucumbers are sprouting and I think the seed starting ...