1 00:00:00,900 --> 00:00:02,100 - Hi there, I'm Tom Spencer. 2 00:00:02,100 --> 00:00:03,766 This week on Central Texas Gardener, 3 00:00:03,766 --> 00:00:06,633 see how to layer for low-care dimension. 4 00:00:06,633 --> 00:00:09,966 Tim Kiphart from Far South Nursery combines succulents, 5 00:00:09,966 --> 00:00:12,266 bamboo, and flowering perennials. 6 00:00:12,266 --> 00:00:15,166 On tour, a small garden applies geometry in front, 7 00:00:15,166 --> 00:00:18,766 and goes for a pet friendly back, including a catio. 8 00:00:18,766 --> 00:00:20,533 Daphne answers your top question, 9 00:00:20,533 --> 00:00:23,466 and Jeff Pavlat cleans up succulent plants. 10 00:00:23,466 --> 00:00:26,333 So let's get growing, right here, right now. 11 00:00:26,333 --> 00:00:27,833 - [Announcer] Central Texas Gardener 12 00:00:27,833 --> 00:00:30,833 is made possible in part by Austin Area Garden Center, 13 00:00:30,833 --> 00:00:33,233 sharing the joys of gardening for over 50 years 14 00:00:33,233 --> 00:00:35,000 in Zilker Botanical Garden, 15 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,933 home of 32 garden clubs and Zilker Garden Festival. 16 00:00:37,933 --> 00:00:41,200 zilkergarden.org. 17 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:43,000 And from the University of Texas 18 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,400 at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 19 00:00:45,400 --> 00:00:48,366 displaying Texas native plants in sustainable gardens. 20 00:00:49,933 --> 00:00:52,733 And with the generous support from Lisa and Desi Rhoden. 21 00:00:54,266 --> 00:00:56,366 Support for this and other KLRU productions 22 00:00:56,366 --> 00:00:58,266 made possible by the Producers Circle, 23 00:00:58,266 --> 00:01:00,600 ensuring local programming that reflects the character 24 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:03,266 and interests of the Greater Austin, Texas community. 25 00:01:03,266 --> 00:01:06,533 (playful upbeat music) 26 00:01:18,433 --> 00:01:21,033 - On a small lot in east Austin, Briana and Mark 27 00:01:21,033 --> 00:01:24,100 applied geometry in front to boost dimension. 28 00:01:24,100 --> 00:01:25,966 In back, they designed for pet friendly, 29 00:01:25,966 --> 00:01:28,933 including a catio for rescued feral cats. 30 00:01:30,100 --> 00:01:31,633 - [Narrator] This old yard found new roots 31 00:01:31,633 --> 00:01:33,666 in pieces of the past. 32 00:01:33,666 --> 00:01:37,100 In 2003, when Briana Miriani and Mark Biechler 33 00:01:37,100 --> 00:01:39,933 settled into an elderly east Austin bungalow, 34 00:01:39,933 --> 00:01:43,766 they put their backs and creativity into its restoration. 35 00:01:43,766 --> 00:01:45,866 - We're just getting started on renovating our house. 36 00:01:45,866 --> 00:01:47,566 We've done other things first. 37 00:01:47,566 --> 00:01:49,533 We did the yard, and then we built a guest house 38 00:01:49,533 --> 00:01:51,666 in back, because we didn't have any room 39 00:01:51,666 --> 00:01:54,100 in our house to have anybody (laughing) 40 00:01:54,100 --> 00:01:57,233 except on the couch, it's such a small, old house. 41 00:01:57,233 --> 00:01:59,866 Then the last thing, the most recent thing we've done 42 00:01:59,866 --> 00:02:03,100 is build a catio, 'cause we've got all these inside cats. 43 00:02:03,100 --> 00:02:05,500 We've got five inside cats, four of them 44 00:02:05,500 --> 00:02:10,500 came from the street and were just not quite street smart. 45 00:02:11,666 --> 00:02:13,900 So, we got them fixed and brought them in. 46 00:02:13,900 --> 00:02:16,800 And I just felt bad that they couldn't go outside anymore. 47 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:18,933 But we didn't want to let 'em out. 48 00:02:18,933 --> 00:02:20,800 - [Narrator] Briana and Mark have always adopted 49 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:22,766 abandoned mistreated dogs. 50 00:02:22,766 --> 00:02:24,966 The cats came with the neighborhood. 51 00:02:24,966 --> 00:02:29,133 - There were a lot of unfixed, feral cats, 52 00:02:29,133 --> 00:02:34,133 probably 15 at one time, that I set about fixing, 53 00:02:34,133 --> 00:02:37,600 and the Humane Society has a really good program 54 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:39,133 (laughs) for that, thank goodness. 55 00:02:39,133 --> 00:02:41,300 There were just so many cats, and you see, 56 00:02:41,300 --> 00:02:43,600 like in the neighborhood there's groups 57 00:02:43,600 --> 00:02:46,633 on different blocks that look the same, 58 00:02:46,633 --> 00:02:48,966 that you know all came from the same family. 59 00:02:48,966 --> 00:02:50,866 I founds homes for about seven. 60 00:02:50,866 --> 00:02:53,933 - [Narrator] They were also fixing up the small front yard. 61 00:02:53,933 --> 00:02:57,866 Giving it geometric diversity broadened its visual scope. 62 00:02:57,866 --> 00:03:00,766 Mark offset the rectangular yard and chain link fence 63 00:03:00,766 --> 00:03:04,800 with curving beds and narrow strips of Palisades Zoysia. 64 00:03:04,800 --> 00:03:07,200 To echo the lines of the fence and house, 65 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:10,300 they laid straightforward flagstone pathways. 66 00:03:10,300 --> 00:03:13,766 Their raised bed design brings together both contours. 67 00:03:13,766 --> 00:03:15,666 Graduated levels of old bricks, 68 00:03:15,666 --> 00:03:19,600 given a paint brush facelift, frame shapes of all kinds. 69 00:03:19,600 --> 00:03:22,866 Rotund golden barrel cactus and leaf-clustered agaves, 70 00:03:22,866 --> 00:03:24,866 join flowering perennials. 71 00:03:24,866 --> 00:03:28,966 Even edibles get a spot in repurposed galvanized buckets. 72 00:03:28,966 --> 00:03:30,700 They tucked in foundling trinkets, 73 00:03:30,700 --> 00:03:32,733 and rusty-hued small boulders. 74 00:03:33,933 --> 00:03:35,400 Rather than hedge out the neighbors, 75 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:39,166 fence beds alternate screening plants with breezy views. 76 00:03:39,166 --> 00:03:42,733 Food and water attract an active wildlife population. 77 00:03:42,733 --> 00:03:44,933 They made the backyard pet friendly. 78 00:03:44,933 --> 00:03:47,566 - And things just kind of evolved around the animals, 79 00:03:47,566 --> 00:03:48,866 it seemed like more and more. 80 00:03:48,866 --> 00:03:52,733 The dogs would play and hit any shrubs 81 00:03:52,733 --> 00:03:55,066 that we put along the side, they'd just take them out. 82 00:03:55,066 --> 00:03:57,633 They're 70-pound dogs and they'd just take them out. 83 00:03:57,633 --> 00:04:01,300 So we got the watering troughs and put plants in there. 84 00:04:01,300 --> 00:04:05,566 We built the guest house in back and we do Airbnb sometimes, 85 00:04:05,566 --> 00:04:08,666 and we have other family members, some who may be older, 86 00:04:08,666 --> 00:04:12,733 and we decided to divide the yard in half in back, 87 00:04:12,733 --> 00:04:17,333 so that the dogs could be kept out of the back area. 88 00:04:17,333 --> 00:04:19,700 And that kind of started this whole thing. 89 00:04:19,700 --> 00:04:22,166 The grass didn't grow in back anymore 90 00:04:22,166 --> 00:04:24,400 because of the shade and the dogs, 91 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,133 so we just decided to mulch half of it 92 00:04:27,133 --> 00:04:28,833 where the dogs played most of the time, 93 00:04:28,833 --> 00:04:30,633 and then the back half we just did gravel 94 00:04:30,633 --> 00:04:33,133 because it's shady back there too. 95 00:04:33,133 --> 00:04:35,700 It's kind of a bonus back there too because, 96 00:04:35,700 --> 00:04:38,600 one, it's easy we can get the leaf blower out, 97 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:42,100 just to clean it off, so it's kind of low maintenance. 98 00:04:42,100 --> 00:04:46,700 Also we found that Jack, the long-haired dog, 99 00:04:46,700 --> 00:04:48,933 does not like baths. 100 00:04:48,933 --> 00:04:53,366 And we found that it's not so much the bath, 101 00:04:53,366 --> 00:04:57,000 it's being restrained that he doesn't like. 102 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:58,633 So we have to, during the bath, 103 00:04:58,633 --> 00:05:00,500 we have to let him go several times, 104 00:05:00,500 --> 00:05:02,500 and then he'll just run off and kind of shake, 105 00:05:02,500 --> 00:05:04,400 and then he'll come back to us when we call him 106 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:05,866 and we'll continue with the bath. 107 00:05:05,866 --> 00:05:09,666 But if we lock him in the gravel part, 108 00:05:11,066 --> 00:05:14,366 when we let him go, he sometimes will roll around 109 00:05:14,366 --> 00:05:15,966 on the ground, but it's the gravel, 110 00:05:15,966 --> 00:05:18,833 so he's not like rolling in the mud, 111 00:05:18,833 --> 00:05:21,133 as he would be doing in the grass. 112 00:05:21,133 --> 00:05:25,333 The mulch part has its part for them to play, 113 00:05:25,333 --> 00:05:28,533 and it's softer, and then the back part, 114 00:05:28,533 --> 00:05:31,600 also good for bathing. (laughs) 115 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:33,033 - [Narrator] Then they built the catio, 116 00:05:33,033 --> 00:05:36,366 to let their feral cat rescues enjoy the outdoors. 117 00:05:36,366 --> 00:05:37,300 - [Briana] We decided to make it match 118 00:05:37,300 --> 00:05:41,266 our back gate and our fence. 119 00:05:41,266 --> 00:05:43,400 It's still kind of evolving, there's a lot of stuff 120 00:05:43,400 --> 00:05:46,233 we've learned about it, but, it's good, they like it. 121 00:05:46,233 --> 00:05:48,466 There's a small learning curve of a couple of weeks. 122 00:05:48,466 --> 00:05:50,400 They all kind of acted like we were gonna 123 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,366 put them back out on the street, (laughs) which we weren't. 124 00:05:54,366 --> 00:05:56,966 But now they just go in and out constantly. 125 00:05:56,966 --> 00:05:59,500 We realized that you have to put the shelves, 126 00:05:59,500 --> 00:06:03,000 and you have to stack them so they're like a ladder. 127 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:05,366 You know, you can't just, they have to be able to go 128 00:06:05,366 --> 00:06:07,766 from one shelf, jump to the other shelf, 129 00:06:07,766 --> 00:06:11,533 jump to another shelf, to get to the highest shelf. 130 00:06:11,533 --> 00:06:14,133 - [Narrator] She advises to research cat doors. 131 00:06:14,133 --> 00:06:16,000 - You're putting it into your wall, 132 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:17,966 so it's gonna be there a while. 133 00:06:17,966 --> 00:06:20,466 Or your door, we got one for the wall. 134 00:06:20,466 --> 00:06:22,600 I didn't want something that's going to fall apart 135 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:24,700 and we're going to have to open up our wall again. 136 00:06:24,700 --> 00:06:27,066 But I know it's got like a metal interior. 137 00:06:27,066 --> 00:06:32,066 The flap is really thick too, it really, and it's got, 138 00:06:33,133 --> 00:06:34,066 I mean, maybe they're all like this, 139 00:06:34,066 --> 00:06:35,833 but it works really well. 140 00:06:35,833 --> 00:06:38,300 And it's got two magnets, when the cats go out 141 00:06:38,300 --> 00:06:43,166 it hits those magnets again and, you know, 142 00:06:43,166 --> 00:06:45,533 in the heat of the summer, we just keep thinking, 143 00:06:45,533 --> 00:06:47,033 Oh the air conditioning's going out, 144 00:06:47,033 --> 00:06:50,066 but there's a thick plastic door, 145 00:06:50,066 --> 00:06:51,966 and it seems to work really well. 146 00:06:51,966 --> 00:06:55,933 Our house is about three feet up, with the piers. 147 00:06:55,933 --> 00:06:59,766 So for them to come out that door from the laundry room, 148 00:06:59,766 --> 00:07:01,533 it was about three feet above the ground. 149 00:07:01,533 --> 00:07:04,600 So we had to build a little platform, 150 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:06,800 and then build a ramp down from that. 151 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,333 So it ended up there's a little doghouse kind of design 152 00:07:10,333 --> 00:07:13,466 back there by chance, and I put a little dog bed 153 00:07:14,933 --> 00:07:17,000 under there, so they do use that. 154 00:07:17,000 --> 00:07:19,733 Sometimes it's cooler in the summer, you know. 155 00:07:19,733 --> 00:07:22,433 And sometimes some will be like way up on top. 156 00:07:22,433 --> 00:07:23,866 We did put grass in the bottom, 157 00:07:23,866 --> 00:07:25,533 it's like the only grass in the backyard. 158 00:07:25,533 --> 00:07:28,066 It's struggling a little bit, I think it might not 159 00:07:28,066 --> 00:07:29,366 be getting enough sun. 160 00:07:29,366 --> 00:07:32,833 But I'm going to see if I can make it go, 161 00:07:32,833 --> 00:07:35,033 rather than put artificial down there. 162 00:07:35,033 --> 00:07:37,300 But they do really, they go down there 163 00:07:37,300 --> 00:07:38,566 and roll in the grass. 164 00:07:38,566 --> 00:07:42,566 Everything I do I have to see if it's toxic. 165 00:07:43,700 --> 00:07:45,466 'Cause they're gonna chew on it. 166 00:07:45,466 --> 00:07:49,533 You know, whether it be just a little toxic or a lot, 167 00:07:49,533 --> 00:07:53,366 but years ago I had a cat get hold of a kalanchoe leaf. 168 00:07:53,366 --> 00:07:57,500 And those mother of millions, or whatever, 169 00:07:57,500 --> 00:07:59,533 that are all around here. 170 00:07:59,533 --> 00:08:02,333 And he just, we brought it in for the winter, 171 00:08:02,333 --> 00:08:07,333 not knowing it was super toxic, and he just got one leaf, 172 00:08:07,333 --> 00:08:10,166 and chewed on it, carried it around and played with it, 173 00:08:10,166 --> 00:08:14,266 and I had to feed him through a tube in his throat 174 00:08:14,266 --> 00:08:18,366 for about two months, I mean, it was horrible. 175 00:08:18,366 --> 00:08:20,933 - [Narrator] In their garden, home, and neighborhood, 176 00:08:20,933 --> 00:08:24,233 Briana and Mark want to make a positive impact. 177 00:08:24,233 --> 00:08:26,733 - The Humane Society has a free spay and neuter 178 00:08:26,733 --> 00:08:30,766 for feral cats, which is just an amazing program. 179 00:08:30,766 --> 00:08:34,466 Because I'll go in there, you drop them off between like 180 00:08:34,466 --> 00:08:39,466 6:00 and 8:00 a.m., and they'll have like 80 cats sometimes. 181 00:08:40,633 --> 00:08:42,133 they do it two and three times a week. 182 00:08:42,133 --> 00:08:44,366 And in one session, they'll have that many cats, 183 00:08:44,366 --> 00:08:47,166 and I just think, what if people weren't doing this? 184 00:08:47,166 --> 00:08:49,066 Bringing these cats in and trapping them, 185 00:08:49,066 --> 00:08:50,333 what would it be like? 186 00:08:50,333 --> 00:08:52,566 It's still a problem, it's a huge problem. 187 00:08:52,566 --> 00:08:54,833 It's kind of amazing, there's a lot of people 188 00:08:54,833 --> 00:08:57,400 behind the scenes doing a lot of stuff. 189 00:08:57,400 --> 00:08:59,766 - If you're tired of planting things in a straight line, 190 00:08:59,766 --> 00:09:01,266 and wanna mix it up a little bit, 191 00:09:01,266 --> 00:09:02,700 you're in the right place right. 192 00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:04,366 Right now, I'm joined by Tim Kiphart, 193 00:09:04,366 --> 00:09:06,766 from Far South Nursery, we're gonna be talkin' about 194 00:09:06,766 --> 00:09:08,866 all sorts of different plants that will work well 195 00:09:08,866 --> 00:09:10,666 in combination with one another. 196 00:09:10,666 --> 00:09:11,700 Welcome to the show. 197 00:09:11,700 --> 00:09:12,966 - Thank you for having me. 198 00:09:12,966 --> 00:09:14,833 - It's a pleasure to have you here. 199 00:09:14,833 --> 00:09:16,700 You've brought along a lot of terrific plants. 200 00:09:16,700 --> 00:09:19,833 We're gonna start by talkin' bout things that grow tall, 201 00:09:19,833 --> 00:09:22,100 and at the back of the beds. 202 00:09:22,100 --> 00:09:25,900 And you've brought along a Golden Goddess bamboo. 203 00:09:25,900 --> 00:09:27,100 Tell me a little bit about it. 204 00:09:27,100 --> 00:09:29,866 - In today's building scheme, you know, 205 00:09:29,866 --> 00:09:33,233 lot size is shrinking so much that it's so important 206 00:09:33,233 --> 00:09:36,800 to have plants that scale up, and people still want privacy, 207 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:39,033 still need something evergreen. 208 00:09:39,033 --> 00:09:41,133 But it can't overwhelm the landscape. 209 00:09:41,133 --> 00:09:44,400 So, we've got a couple really nice bamboos, 210 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:46,066 the Golden Goddess being one of 'em. 211 00:09:46,066 --> 00:09:50,833 It's about eight, 10, 12 feet, if it gets really happy. 212 00:09:50,833 --> 00:09:55,066 And about that wide, but love the architecture, 213 00:09:55,066 --> 00:09:58,400 it has an upright weeping arching habit to it. 214 00:09:58,400 --> 00:09:59,800 - [Tom] Very graceful form. 215 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:00,733 - Very graceful. 216 00:10:00,733 --> 00:10:02,433 - And bamboos are tough as nails 217 00:10:02,433 --> 00:10:05,033 and this one is a clumper not a runner 218 00:10:05,033 --> 00:10:06,866 so it will stay in a tight space, right? 219 00:10:06,866 --> 00:10:10,700 - All the bamboos we grow at Far South are clumpers, 220 00:10:10,700 --> 00:10:14,133 and so they do stay contained, 221 00:10:14,133 --> 00:10:18,266 and with that being said, you may have a spread 222 00:10:18,266 --> 00:10:23,033 of one to two feet a year on those. 223 00:10:23,033 --> 00:10:26,033 But very easy to maintain, very easy to remove, 224 00:10:26,033 --> 00:10:27,633 canes, combs as they're called. 225 00:10:27,633 --> 00:10:29,433 - Sure, sure, yep. 226 00:10:29,433 --> 00:10:31,366 - Very easy to control and contain. 227 00:10:31,366 --> 00:10:35,333 - Now bamboos like full sun, and I think 228 00:10:35,333 --> 00:10:36,866 they like a little bit of moisture. 229 00:10:36,866 --> 00:10:41,200 - A little bit more moisture, but are really actually 230 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:45,300 quite adapted once acclimated. 231 00:10:45,300 --> 00:10:48,933 We have some planted in the ground out at Far South, 232 00:10:48,933 --> 00:10:51,866 and they've been in the ground for about five six years, 233 00:10:51,866 --> 00:10:55,266 get little to no supplemental irrigation. 234 00:10:56,233 --> 00:10:59,466 What's nice about the Multiplex, 235 00:10:59,466 --> 00:11:01,866 the two bamboos that we have here today, 236 00:11:01,866 --> 00:11:05,700 is they do take some shade, they actually prefer 237 00:11:05,700 --> 00:11:07,433 a little bit of afternoon shade, 238 00:11:07,433 --> 00:11:09,833 or even bright woodland conditions. 239 00:11:09,833 --> 00:11:12,133 - Okay, so underneath a tree or something like that. 240 00:11:12,133 --> 00:11:14,166 You've got this one here, and everybody's looking 241 00:11:14,166 --> 00:11:16,233 for screening in the shade as well. 242 00:11:16,233 --> 00:11:18,533 You've brought along another bamboo. 243 00:11:18,533 --> 00:11:20,433 This is Chinese Goddess, is that correct? 244 00:11:20,433 --> 00:11:25,133 - Chinese Goddess, which for all practical purposes, 245 00:11:25,133 --> 00:11:27,966 is just a smaller scale plant. 246 00:11:27,966 --> 00:11:31,233 Smaller leaves, finer leaves, thinner combs, 247 00:11:32,233 --> 00:11:34,166 a little bit shorter plant. 248 00:11:34,166 --> 00:11:37,766 Where Golden Goddess gets to be 10, 12 feet, 249 00:11:37,766 --> 00:11:41,200 Chinese Goddess comes in at six foot. 250 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:43,466 - Which is a really good height for a lot of plants. 251 00:11:43,466 --> 00:11:46,500 And again, for that layering that you're looking for 252 00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:50,033 of tall, medium size plants, these two work well together. 253 00:11:50,033 --> 00:11:51,566 - Lovely. 254 00:11:51,566 --> 00:11:54,066 - All right, well, you also brought in a bunch of Nolinas 255 00:11:54,066 --> 00:11:56,333 which are one of my favorite plant families, 256 00:11:56,333 --> 00:11:58,866 and I wanna dive in and talk about one of them 257 00:11:58,866 --> 00:12:03,366 is new to me, it's No-lee-na or No-lye-na Siberica, 258 00:12:03,366 --> 00:12:05,766 and tell me a little bit about this. 259 00:12:05,766 --> 00:12:07,633 When I first saw it, I thought it was an Iris 260 00:12:07,633 --> 00:12:09,633 or something like that, it looks so lush and full. 261 00:12:09,633 --> 00:12:13,066 - It's a very unique plant, the Nolinas are all 262 00:12:13,066 --> 00:12:17,733 grass-like plants, so they give you that sort of texture. 263 00:12:19,200 --> 00:12:22,133 We call this La Siberica, it's the area 264 00:12:22,133 --> 00:12:24,233 in Mexico where it's from. 265 00:12:24,233 --> 00:12:29,133 Has a very nice, weeping pendulous habit, 266 00:12:29,133 --> 00:12:33,733 dark green foliage about 3/4 of an inch wide. 267 00:12:33,733 --> 00:12:36,833 Will actually form a trunk over time, 268 00:12:36,833 --> 00:12:38,533 and unlike some of these other ones, 269 00:12:38,533 --> 00:12:41,966 is rather fast at doing it. 270 00:12:41,966 --> 00:12:44,400 - I've heard they grow as tall as 20 feet. 271 00:12:44,400 --> 00:12:48,933 - In habitat, in habitat, and those might 272 00:12:50,166 --> 00:12:52,266 literally be hundreds of years old. 273 00:12:52,266 --> 00:12:54,733 - Okay, okay, well, I won't wait for that. 274 00:12:54,733 --> 00:12:56,900 But boy it's a gorgeous looking plant. 275 00:12:56,900 --> 00:12:59,000 And right next to it is an all-star. 276 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:03,000 It's the Nolina texana, which is a lot of different names, 277 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,133 bear brass, basket grass. 278 00:13:05,133 --> 00:13:09,700 - [Tim] Bear grass, basket grass, Nolina, you know, 279 00:13:09,700 --> 00:13:13,366 Indigenous tribes did use the fronds 280 00:13:13,366 --> 00:13:16,666 for weeding purposes, hence the name. 281 00:13:17,833 --> 00:13:20,533 The Texas bear grass, or basket grass 282 00:13:20,533 --> 00:13:22,300 is one of our hill country natives. 283 00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:26,900 What makes it kind of unique is that bloom spike 284 00:13:26,900 --> 00:13:31,900 actually flowers within the foliage of the plant. 285 00:13:33,066 --> 00:13:34,533 - Interesting little bloom spike on it. 286 00:13:34,533 --> 00:13:37,866 And again, tough as nails, full sun, doesn't need 287 00:13:37,866 --> 00:13:41,266 much water at all, just as easy going as it could be. 288 00:13:41,266 --> 00:13:45,566 - Yeah, full sun, and even my dad lives outside of Boerne, 289 00:13:45,566 --> 00:13:48,300 and we have it in the garden in several places, 290 00:13:48,300 --> 00:13:52,266 where it picks up just windows of sun 291 00:13:53,833 --> 00:13:58,800 throughout the day, and is in primarily afternoon shade, 292 00:13:59,700 --> 00:14:01,366 and does just perfectly fine. 293 00:14:01,366 --> 00:14:03,133 - Yeah, it's happy going right? (laughing) 294 00:14:03,133 --> 00:14:04,266 - Happy. 295 00:14:04,266 --> 00:14:07,833 - The Nolina nelsonii is a stunner. 296 00:14:07,833 --> 00:14:09,333 You brought one of those as well. 297 00:14:09,333 --> 00:14:12,100 The coloration on this, my favorite. 298 00:14:12,100 --> 00:14:16,300 I love that pale gray-green color, absolutely stunning. 299 00:14:16,300 --> 00:14:21,300 - Ah it's hard to beat that color, it's so blue. 300 00:14:22,166 --> 00:14:25,633 And the fronds are so upright. 301 00:14:25,633 --> 00:14:29,400 The architecture is fantastic. 302 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:31,633 This is another trunk former. 303 00:14:31,633 --> 00:14:36,633 But it's slow, it's also a great option, 304 00:14:37,500 --> 00:14:39,033 as all of 'em, for containers. 305 00:14:39,033 --> 00:14:43,466 You need a large container, but you can certainly expect 306 00:14:43,466 --> 00:14:47,166 Nelsonii to grow four feet by four feet. 307 00:14:47,166 --> 00:14:49,466 - Right, and it will make, all these plants would make 308 00:14:49,466 --> 00:14:51,300 beautiful counter points or foils 309 00:14:51,300 --> 00:14:53,533 to something soft and leafy like the bamboo, 310 00:14:53,533 --> 00:14:55,500 or other kinds of tall-growing plants, 311 00:14:55,500 --> 00:14:58,233 so it's a great foreground object, 312 00:14:58,233 --> 00:15:01,500 very sculptured in front of the looseness, so it's nice. 313 00:15:01,500 --> 00:15:05,033 - That's it you know, and with the modern trend 314 00:15:05,033 --> 00:15:08,533 in architecture these days, all these plants 315 00:15:08,533 --> 00:15:11,533 lend themselves to that modern aesthetic 316 00:15:11,533 --> 00:15:15,800 as well as the dry land aesthetic. 317 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:18,866 - And they're, real quickly, they're also 318 00:15:18,866 --> 00:15:22,433 pretty cold hearty, and pretty friendly in the garden. 319 00:15:22,433 --> 00:15:25,466 It's not like a yucca with sharp ends. 320 00:15:25,466 --> 00:15:26,633 This is not something that you need 321 00:15:26,633 --> 00:15:28,066 to worry about your children with. 322 00:15:28,066 --> 00:15:32,000 - Yeah, all perfectly hearty, no issues with cold. 323 00:15:33,466 --> 00:15:36,533 You might watch the edges, the margins of the leaves. 324 00:15:36,533 --> 00:15:38,166 I've had paper cuts 325 00:15:38,166 --> 00:15:40,700 on more that one occasion. - Yeah I could grab 'em. 326 00:15:40,700 --> 00:15:42,966 - But something's not gonna reach out 327 00:15:42,966 --> 00:15:44,366 and grab ya back though. 328 00:15:44,366 --> 00:15:45,900 - There ya go. 329 00:15:45,900 --> 00:15:48,666 You brought along a couple different forms of agave, 330 00:15:48,666 --> 00:15:50,966 which again go perfectly with the plants 331 00:15:50,966 --> 00:15:52,366 we're talking about. 332 00:15:52,366 --> 00:15:54,233 The first one is the squid agave, 333 00:15:54,233 --> 00:15:56,033 which is so graceful looking. 334 00:15:57,233 --> 00:16:02,233 - It is, squid agave's a very apt name for it. 335 00:16:03,366 --> 00:16:07,900 With age it does throw the tentacles out. 336 00:16:09,966 --> 00:16:12,233 Love it in containers, love it in the ground. 337 00:16:13,666 --> 00:16:15,200 This one does pup up. 338 00:16:17,100 --> 00:16:20,300 What we have found though also, is that it does best 339 00:16:20,300 --> 00:16:21,966 with at least a little afternoon shade. 340 00:16:21,966 --> 00:16:23,866 You know, I think you were mentioning that-- 341 00:16:23,866 --> 00:16:25,933 - Right, in my garden it got a little sun scald 342 00:16:25,933 --> 00:16:28,233 with too much afternoon sun. 343 00:16:28,233 --> 00:16:33,033 And it's again graceful plant, great low-growing plant. 344 00:16:33,033 --> 00:16:36,933 It will colonize, and is again, tough, tough plant. 345 00:16:36,933 --> 00:16:41,633 - Tough as nails, 30 inches by 30 inches, three by three. 346 00:16:41,633 --> 00:16:45,800 Hearty to that certainly 10 to 15 degree range. 347 00:16:45,800 --> 00:16:49,600 I think one thing worth pointing out was some of the agaves, 348 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:51,600 even though they're hearty, 349 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:55,400 is that if we're going to have precipitation, 350 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:59,033 that sometimes it's best to go ahead and cover them, 351 00:16:59,033 --> 00:17:03,400 because that precipitation will freeze on the leaves 352 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:06,066 and sometimes will scar the foliage. 353 00:17:06,066 --> 00:17:08,800 - Got it, very smart advice. 354 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,266 Now we have another agave, but I wanna skip ahead. 355 00:17:11,266 --> 00:17:13,933 You brought something new that we've never talked about. 356 00:17:13,933 --> 00:17:18,233 This is a Eupatorium, called viburnum-leaf Eupatorium. 357 00:17:18,233 --> 00:17:20,366 It kind of blows me away, 'cause lookin' at it, 358 00:17:20,366 --> 00:17:24,033 I'm thinkin' it's just a viburnum, it's a woody shrub. 359 00:17:24,033 --> 00:17:26,733 But it's a very new introduction. 360 00:17:26,733 --> 00:17:31,733 - Pretty new introduction, certainly for us here in Texas. 361 00:17:33,133 --> 00:17:36,866 It is a Mexican species, and as you said the foliage 362 00:17:36,866 --> 00:17:39,366 is reminiscent of a viburnum, 363 00:17:39,366 --> 00:17:43,033 and it is a woody mistflower or boneset. 364 00:17:44,166 --> 00:17:46,933 What I like about it is it's, 365 00:17:46,933 --> 00:17:49,500 again it's a smaller scale plant, 366 00:17:49,500 --> 00:17:52,700 three feet by three feet, evergreen, 367 00:17:53,933 --> 00:17:56,300 and then it is a fall/winter bloomer. 368 00:17:56,300 --> 00:18:00,733 So for us we saw it bloom this year in November/December. 369 00:18:00,733 --> 00:18:02,666 - Great for the butterflies. 370 00:18:02,666 --> 00:18:05,366 - If there's any stragglers around, you know, 371 00:18:05,366 --> 00:18:08,333 and absolutely, wonderful for the butterflies. 372 00:18:08,333 --> 00:18:10,700 - Well it certainly looks like a viburnum 373 00:18:10,700 --> 00:18:13,766 with a nice glossum leaf, it looks like a terrific plant. 374 00:18:13,766 --> 00:18:16,966 Real quickly, growing conditions for this one. 375 00:18:16,966 --> 00:18:21,966 - Really not picky, very tolerant of all sorts of 376 00:18:23,166 --> 00:18:24,700 growing conditions, all sorts of soils. 377 00:18:24,700 --> 00:18:26,433 Beautiful pinkish-white flowers. 378 00:18:26,433 --> 00:18:27,700 - [Tom] Ah sounds great. 379 00:18:27,700 --> 00:18:29,333 - A little bit of shade in the afternoon, 380 00:18:29,333 --> 00:18:32,733 woodland conditions to full sun. 381 00:18:32,733 --> 00:18:34,333 - Real quickly, you brought along a sedum, 382 00:18:34,333 --> 00:18:35,633 tell me about that as well. 383 00:18:35,633 --> 00:18:38,166 - My favorite sedum in the world Sedum palmeri. 384 00:18:38,166 --> 00:18:42,100 Great for the front of a bed, super for a container. 385 00:18:42,100 --> 00:18:45,466 Blooms in February, evergreen. 386 00:18:45,466 --> 00:18:47,966 - All right well, it's been a lot of fun, 387 00:18:47,966 --> 00:18:49,633 taking this little trip with you. 388 00:18:49,633 --> 00:18:51,233 Thanks so much for coming on board. 389 00:18:51,233 --> 00:18:53,233 - Thank you for having me, appreciate it. 390 00:18:53,233 --> 00:18:55,500 - Okay, and coming up next, it's Daphne. 391 00:18:55,500 --> 00:18:58,400 (fun upbeat music) 392 00:18:59,733 --> 00:19:02,233 - Hi, I'm Daphne Richards, and this is Augie. 393 00:19:02,233 --> 00:19:04,966 Our question of the week comes from John Thomas. 394 00:19:04,966 --> 00:19:08,200 He has two mature live oaks in the front yard. 395 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,066 One has a full canopy of leaves, 396 00:19:10,066 --> 00:19:12,033 while the other is almost bare. 397 00:19:12,033 --> 00:19:14,766 John says that this happened over the last several years 398 00:19:14,766 --> 00:19:17,766 and wants to know what might be causing the leaf drop. 399 00:19:17,766 --> 00:19:21,033 Well John, trees lose their leaves due to stress, 400 00:19:21,033 --> 00:19:24,366 normally related to heat, cold, or drought, 401 00:19:24,366 --> 00:19:28,333 or due to infestation by a disease or insect pest. 402 00:19:28,333 --> 00:19:31,400 If a tree is stressed, it will drop more of its leaves, 403 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:34,466 drop them earlier in the season, and will remain bare 404 00:19:34,466 --> 00:19:37,333 longer than surrounding healthy trees. 405 00:19:37,333 --> 00:19:39,933 From your photos, there doesn't seem to be any evidence 406 00:19:39,933 --> 00:19:42,433 of disease or insect damage, and you've said 407 00:19:42,433 --> 00:19:44,066 that you're watering both trees, 408 00:19:44,066 --> 00:19:46,100 so there must be an issue with the roots 409 00:19:46,100 --> 00:19:48,966 and water uptake in the stressed tree. 410 00:19:48,966 --> 00:19:52,033 This is most likely due to soil compaction. 411 00:19:52,033 --> 00:19:53,566 You can check for soil compaction, 412 00:19:53,566 --> 00:19:57,033 by taking a screwdriver or other similar metal object, 413 00:19:57,033 --> 00:20:00,566 and trying to insert it into the soil around the tree. 414 00:20:00,566 --> 00:20:03,233 If the soil is compacted, it will be very difficult, 415 00:20:03,233 --> 00:20:06,500 if not impossible, to push down into it. 416 00:20:06,500 --> 00:20:09,266 When soil is compacted, there isn't enough pore space 417 00:20:09,266 --> 00:20:12,333 for oxygen and water, making it virtually the same 418 00:20:12,333 --> 00:20:13,966 as growing in rock. 419 00:20:13,966 --> 00:20:15,900 Unless the situation is remedied, 420 00:20:15,900 --> 00:20:18,233 the tree will continue to decline. 421 00:20:18,233 --> 00:20:20,500 Although many people aerate the soil in their lawns 422 00:20:20,500 --> 00:20:23,966 each year, by pulling out small plugs of turf and soil, 423 00:20:23,966 --> 00:20:26,000 it's much more difficult to aerate the soil 424 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,033 around mature trees, with their large, 425 00:20:28,033 --> 00:20:29,833 extensive root systems. 426 00:20:29,833 --> 00:20:32,666 We recommend you contact several certified arborists 427 00:20:32,666 --> 00:20:35,066 and consider hiring someone to assist. 428 00:20:35,066 --> 00:20:37,133 A qualified arborist could aerate the soil 429 00:20:37,133 --> 00:20:41,200 around the tree safely, using special tools and techniques. 430 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:44,166 Our plant of the week is annual warm weather vine, 431 00:20:44,166 --> 00:20:47,466 morning glory, thanks to tips from Lea Joy from Smithville. 432 00:20:47,466 --> 00:20:50,133 First, she soaks the seeds overnight. 433 00:20:50,133 --> 00:20:52,366 Lea says she's grown them without this step, 434 00:20:52,366 --> 00:20:54,366 but germination takes longer. 435 00:20:54,366 --> 00:20:57,566 After soaking, plant seeds in a full sun area of the garden 436 00:20:57,566 --> 00:21:00,200 and keep the soil moist until they emerge. 437 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:01,966 Fertile, well-drained soil is great, 438 00:21:01,966 --> 00:21:04,300 but morning glories tolerate, and even thrive 439 00:21:04,300 --> 00:21:05,800 in rocky, poor soil. 440 00:21:05,800 --> 00:21:09,433 These vigorous, fast-growing vines must have a trellis, 441 00:21:09,433 --> 00:21:12,166 fence or other climbing support. 442 00:21:12,166 --> 00:21:14,400 Each flower lasts just one day, 443 00:21:14,400 --> 00:21:17,600 but new ones open the very next morning to attract bees, 444 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,733 hummingbirds, and butterflies, like this Monarch. 445 00:21:20,733 --> 00:21:23,300 Lea reports that she doesn't water her morning glories, 446 00:21:23,300 --> 00:21:26,200 since rainfall is usually enough, but when times are dry, 447 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,066 certainly, give morning glories a little drink. 448 00:21:29,066 --> 00:21:32,433 This year, Lea reports that she's growing several varieties. 449 00:21:32,433 --> 00:21:34,766 Every summer Lea collects seeds from the pods, 450 00:21:34,766 --> 00:21:38,066 and replants the following spring, after the last frost. 451 00:21:38,066 --> 00:21:40,600 Other pods that fall to the ground sow themselves. 452 00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:42,566 And Lea notes that the seeds are poisonous, 453 00:21:42,566 --> 00:21:45,233 so do keep out of reach of children and pets. 454 00:21:45,233 --> 00:21:47,433 Our viewer picture this week comes from Pam Beall 455 00:21:47,433 --> 00:21:49,666 in San Antonio who spotted a Monarch butterfly 456 00:21:49,666 --> 00:21:52,666 on her Japanese plum tree in November last year. 457 00:21:52,666 --> 00:21:54,866 Growing successive bloomers from spring through fall 458 00:21:54,866 --> 00:21:57,300 helps all our pollinators, including Monarchs. 459 00:21:57,300 --> 00:21:58,733 We'd love to hear from you. 460 00:21:58,733 --> 00:22:02,300 Visit klru.org/ctg to send us your questions, 461 00:22:02,300 --> 00:22:03,966 pictures, and video. 462 00:22:03,966 --> 00:22:07,100 - Now let's check in with Jeff Pavlat for Backyard Basics. 463 00:22:07,100 --> 00:22:10,033 (fun upbeat music) 464 00:22:11,466 --> 00:22:13,800 - I'm Jeff Pavlat with the Austin Cactus 465 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:16,333 and Succulent Society, and today I'm gonna talk 466 00:22:16,333 --> 00:22:19,700 a little about pruning agaves, whether in the landscape 467 00:22:19,700 --> 00:22:22,200 or in containers, a little bit of pruning 468 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:24,033 can help agaves look their best. 469 00:22:24,033 --> 00:22:25,833 Looking at this large agave here, 470 00:22:25,833 --> 00:22:28,200 you can see it has a lot of dry leaves lower down, 471 00:22:28,200 --> 00:22:29,700 and then even up higher. 472 00:22:29,700 --> 00:22:32,333 Now naturally, agaves drop leaves at the base 473 00:22:32,333 --> 00:22:34,566 and they slowly go down to the ground 474 00:22:34,566 --> 00:22:38,200 and you can cut them off for aesthetic reasons. 475 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:40,266 On ones in the landscape, if they're sort of hidden, 476 00:22:40,266 --> 00:22:42,733 and don't bother you, it's not necessary to remove them. 477 00:22:42,733 --> 00:22:44,866 But in containers, I usually remove 'em. 478 00:22:44,866 --> 00:22:48,033 Now, this particular agave is really dry, 479 00:22:48,033 --> 00:22:50,766 which is why it has so many leaves up higher, 480 00:22:50,766 --> 00:22:53,333 but another reason agave could look this way 481 00:22:53,333 --> 00:22:58,066 is with freeze damage, and if an agave does suffer damage 482 00:22:58,066 --> 00:23:01,966 from freezing, you'll want to wait until it dries up good, 483 00:23:01,966 --> 00:23:04,000 and then you can cut those leaves off. 484 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,033 So I'm gonna start here by pruning off 485 00:23:06,033 --> 00:23:07,633 one of the lower leaves. 486 00:23:07,633 --> 00:23:10,700 If the leaf is mostly damaged, I'll take it all the way off. 487 00:23:10,700 --> 00:23:13,466 (sawing of leaf) 488 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:18,100 And then in this, I'll just turn it here. 489 00:23:18,100 --> 00:23:19,733 Now this one is completely dry. 490 00:23:19,733 --> 00:23:21,833 The dry ones are much harder to get off. 491 00:23:21,833 --> 00:23:24,600 (sawing of leaf) 492 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,633 And then for tips that are dried back like this, 493 00:23:30,633 --> 00:23:32,933 I recommend cutting it off at a bit of an angle, 494 00:23:32,933 --> 00:23:34,333 because I think aesthetically, 495 00:23:34,333 --> 00:23:36,200 it looks a little bit more natural. 496 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:37,033 (cracking) 497 00:23:37,033 --> 00:23:37,866 Let's see. 498 00:23:41,466 --> 00:23:44,866 And then we can just keep working our way around like this. 499 00:23:44,866 --> 00:23:47,633 (sawing of leaf) 500 00:23:49,033 --> 00:23:51,366 Now on an agave when you've cut it like this, 501 00:23:51,366 --> 00:23:53,533 the sap in here can burn a little bit 502 00:23:53,533 --> 00:23:55,066 if you get it on your hands. 503 00:23:55,066 --> 00:23:56,766 So you want to kind of be careful not to do that. 504 00:23:56,766 --> 00:23:59,200 If you do get the sap on, just wash it off 505 00:23:59,200 --> 00:24:00,800 with some soap and water. 506 00:24:00,800 --> 00:24:03,500 And then for smaller agaves in containers like this one, 507 00:24:03,500 --> 00:24:05,433 this one is not a cold hearty plant. 508 00:24:05,433 --> 00:24:07,966 It hasn't been pruned in probably a year or two. 509 00:24:07,966 --> 00:24:10,266 You can see it has a lot of pups growing around it 510 00:24:10,266 --> 00:24:12,233 and a lot of dead leaves at the base. 511 00:24:12,233 --> 00:24:14,733 So those I'll just start and work my way around, 512 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:18,233 and take 'em off. 513 00:24:19,166 --> 00:24:22,100 (leaves crunching) 514 00:24:31,266 --> 00:24:32,933 And it can be a little bit tricky 515 00:24:32,933 --> 00:24:34,533 getting your hands under here. 516 00:24:34,533 --> 00:24:36,433 And for some of you, if you're not totally comfortable, 517 00:24:36,433 --> 00:24:37,733 you might wanna wear gloves. 518 00:24:37,733 --> 00:24:39,466 I usually don't, but... 519 00:24:41,233 --> 00:24:44,266 And then, right here you can see there's an agave here, 520 00:24:44,266 --> 00:24:45,966 so I'll just pull it out. 521 00:24:47,300 --> 00:24:49,200 It doesn't show many roots, but if you pot it up 522 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:51,133 about that deep, it'll just start to grow, 523 00:24:51,133 --> 00:24:52,333 and in a few years, you'll have 524 00:24:52,333 --> 00:24:53,866 another plant just like this one. 525 00:24:55,833 --> 00:24:57,900 So, as you work your way around, 526 00:25:00,100 --> 00:25:01,966 you can already see that plant looks much better. 527 00:25:01,966 --> 00:25:03,500 Now this is one where I would just 528 00:25:03,500 --> 00:25:04,833 take part of the leaf off, 529 00:25:04,833 --> 00:25:06,833 and I would cut it at a bit of an angle. 530 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,100 (leaves crunching) 531 00:25:17,700 --> 00:25:20,333 So as you can see, with a little bit of pruning, 532 00:25:20,333 --> 00:25:22,766 your agaves will look a whole lot better. 533 00:25:22,766 --> 00:25:25,333 For backyard basics, I'm Jeff Pavlat. 534 00:25:25,333 --> 00:25:30,266 - Find out more and watch online at klru.org/ctg. 535 00:25:30,266 --> 00:25:32,566 And follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 536 00:25:32,566 --> 00:25:34,633 Until next week, I'll see you in the garden. 537 00:25:34,633 --> 00:25:37,566 (fun upbeat music) 538 00:26:06,433 --> 00:26:08,666 - [Narrator] Central Texas Gardener is made possible in part 539 00:26:08,666 --> 00:26:11,866 by Austin Area Garden Center, sharing the joys of gardening 540 00:26:11,866 --> 00:26:14,400 for over 50 years in Zilker Botanical Garden, 541 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,666 home of 32 garden clubs and Zilker Garden Festival. 542 00:26:17,666 --> 00:26:19,033 zilkergarden.org. 543 00:26:20,933 --> 00:26:23,200 And from the University of Texas at Austin 544 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:25,100 Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, 545 00:26:25,100 --> 00:26:28,100 displaying Texas native plants in sustainable gardens. 546 00:26:29,633 --> 00:26:32,466 And with the generous support from Lisa & Desi Rhoden. 547 00:26:33,966 --> 00:26:36,066 Support for this and other KLRU productions 548 00:26:36,066 --> 00:26:37,966 made possible by the Producers Circle, 549 00:26:37,966 --> 00:26:40,300 ensuring local programming that reflects the character 550 00:26:40,300 --> 00:26:42,800 and interests of the Greater Austin, Texas community. 551 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:45,566 (chimes ringing)