WEBVTT 00:00.467 --> 00:01.835 >> Tom: Hi, there, I'm Tom Spencer. 00:01.835 --> 00:03.837 This week on "Central Texas Gardener", 00:03.837 --> 00:07.140 get the color wheel for butterflies with Max Munoz from 00:07.140 --> 00:09.176 The National Butterfly Center. 00:09.176 --> 00:12.479 On tour, see how new low-water gardens at Rollingwood's City 00:12.479 --> 00:15.315 Hall changed a neighborhood's perspective. 00:15.315 --> 00:18.986 Daphne explains what to do about bagworms and Jeff Ferris picks 00:18.986 --> 00:21.889 wildflowers to plant, even on a leach field. 00:21.889 --> 00:25.392 So, let's get growing, right here, right now. 00:25.392 --> 00:27.127 >> "Central Texas Gardener" is sponsored by the Austin Area 00:27.127 --> 00:29.763 Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden, 00:29.763 --> 00:33.066 home of 31 local garden clubs and the Zilker garden festival. 00:33.066 --> 00:35.402 Zilkergarden.org. 00:35.402 --> 00:50.317 [Music]. 00:50.317 --> 00:53.053 >> Tom: What happens when a city hall turns lawn and foundation 00:53.053 --> 00:56.156 shrubs into a destination of discovery? 00:56.156 --> 00:59.326 See how Rollingwood's City Hall gardens changed a neighborhood's 00:59.326 --> 01:01.728 perspective. 01:01.728 --> 01:04.331 >> Unlike most city halls against strident pavement, 01:04.331 --> 01:06.800 Rollingwood's City Hall is nestled into a neighborhood, 01:06.800 --> 01:09.202 blending into nearby homes. 01:09.202 --> 01:11.505 The difference these days is that there's not a blade of 01:11.505 --> 01:14.408 grass, except for billowing clumps of fall-blooming muhly 01:14.408 --> 01:16.310 grasses. 01:16.310 --> 01:18.145 In spring, annuals steal the show, 01:18.145 --> 01:21.014 as the cut-back grasses pump out new growth. 01:21.014 --> 01:23.850 The ever-changing scenery against structural evergreens is 01:23.850 --> 01:27.287 why neighbors make it part of their daily strolls. 01:27.287 --> 01:29.856 Robert Patterson, a member of the Rollingwood Park Commission, 01:29.856 --> 01:34.261 championed the new look to remove lawn and conserve water. 01:34.261 --> 01:36.063 >> We thought, well, wouldn't it be cool to do something 01:36.063 --> 01:40.968 educational and beautiful and water wise? 01:40.968 --> 01:42.502 We have all these different environments. 01:42.502 --> 01:46.573 You know, we have the shade, we have hillside, we have full sun. 01:46.573 --> 01:49.710 And so we thought it was a great opportunity to create, 01:49.710 --> 01:52.846 right here in the central city, the opportunity to show people 01:52.846 --> 01:54.881 what they could do in their yard. 01:54.881 --> 01:57.651 >> Former Mayor Barry Bone supported the water wise 01:57.651 --> 01:59.319 initiative. 01:59.319 --> 02:01.488 The Rollingwood Women's Club and neighbors raised additional 02:01.488 --> 02:04.891 funds and selected the design team. 02:04.891 --> 02:07.527 Lauren and Scott Ogden, along with Patrick Kirwin, 02:07.527 --> 02:09.663 collaborated to change dimensions, 02:09.663 --> 02:12.399 philosophical and botanical. 02:12.399 --> 02:14.134 >> The city hall building is actually an older property 02:14.134 --> 02:18.372 that's been here a long time and it had the old style kind of 02:18.372 --> 02:22.175 line-them-up-and-shoot-them landscape with a foundation 02:22.175 --> 02:24.811 planting, and we very much wanted to get away from that. 02:24.811 --> 02:28.515 >> Since work began in fall 2013, plants are still young, 02:28.515 --> 02:30.751 but filling in rapidly. 02:30.751 --> 02:33.353 In less than a year, the curb strip reversed the static 02:33.353 --> 02:35.389 promenade. 02:35.389 --> 02:37.624 >> The hell strip is something that Lauren has been a champion 02:37.624 --> 02:38.759 of for a long time. 02:38.759 --> 02:42.696 It's a common problem people have in a property. 02:42.696 --> 02:44.831 If you have that little narrow strip between the sidewalk and 02:44.831 --> 02:47.434 the street, it's really difficult to water. 02:47.434 --> 02:51.738 That's a place where we do have a lot of desert shrubs and some 02:51.738 --> 02:56.843 yuccas and agaves, many grasses, many of the dryland grasses, 02:56.843 --> 02:59.980 along with a lot of the nice perennial and annual 02:59.980 --> 03:01.882 wildflowers. 03:01.882 --> 03:03.350 >> In the sunniest sections, Patrick, 03:03.350 --> 03:06.820 of Kirwin Horticulture Services, chose quarter-inch Fairlane pink 03:06.820 --> 03:09.790 gravel to underscore plants that like good drainage and rocky 03:09.790 --> 03:12.259 mulch. 03:12.259 --> 03:15.062 Decomposed granite packs flat on wide berth pathways edged with 03:15.062 --> 03:16.930 limestone. 03:16.930 --> 03:20.534 >> They had a parking lot up the hill and a sidewalk that ran 03:20.534 --> 03:25.205 right along the foot of the building to get you straight to 03:25.205 --> 03:27.407 the front door as fast as you could go, 03:27.407 --> 03:30.677 and that works fine for just getting to city hall. 03:30.677 --> 03:34.915 But we felt like if we were going to try to make this into a 03:34.915 --> 03:36.349 display garden to show things off, 03:36.349 --> 03:38.885 we actually needed people to walk through the garden and not 03:38.885 --> 03:40.787 walk by it. 03:40.787 --> 03:43.390 >> Deer mosey through, too, so the Ogdens chose the least tasty 03:43.390 --> 03:45.058 menu. 03:45.058 --> 03:48.228 >> We wanted to make it pretty so that people would be excited 03:48.228 --> 03:52.199 about what they could grow in a dryland garden, 03:52.199 --> 03:55.335 but we also wanted to have lots and lots of different kinds of 03:55.335 --> 03:56.069 plants. 03:56.069 --> 03:58.338 We wanted to make it diverse so we could show off as many 03:58.338 --> 04:02.509 different things as people might want. 04:02.509 --> 04:04.778 And we didn't want to over style it, 04:04.778 --> 04:09.382 so we pretty much went for a naturalistic style, 04:09.382 --> 04:13.286 and that allows us to combine things kind of loosely in 04:13.286 --> 04:17.657 groupings that flood back in and out and it allows for us to do 04:17.657 --> 04:19.960 some of the stuff we like to do anyway, 04:19.960 --> 04:22.295 which is to have kind of a sense of spontaneity, 04:22.295 --> 04:23.930 so we have lots of annuals. 04:23.930 --> 04:26.600 And, you know, one of the groups of plants that people forget 04:26.600 --> 04:31.171 about in doing gardens in Austin a lot is the fact that this is a 04:31.171 --> 04:33.974 great place for winter annuals. 04:33.974 --> 04:37.010 We have a huge natural flora of wildflowers that typically will 04:37.010 --> 04:39.713 germinate in the fall, grow through the winter when they 04:39.713 --> 04:43.216 have moisture, bloom in the spring and then they go away. 04:43.216 --> 04:45.785 And so one of the things we wanted to do with this garden 04:45.785 --> 04:47.821 was show people how to use that. 04:47.821 --> 04:51.324 And we combine them in many instances with succulents or 04:51.324 --> 04:54.795 what we call power plants, plants that have a really strong 04:54.795 --> 04:56.563 architectural character. 04:56.563 --> 04:59.766 So even though we're not doing architectural design, 04:59.766 --> 05:02.335 we have plants that, you know, have that kind of feature, 05:02.335 --> 05:07.340 and so when the wildflowers come and go we still have, you know, 05:07.340 --> 05:10.110 something to hold the garden together with that way. 05:10.110 --> 05:12.812 >> Reliably perennial bulbs contribute to ongoing surprise 05:12.812 --> 05:15.515 and wildlife attraction. 05:15.515 --> 05:17.350 >> The lawn's just kind of boring in that respect, 05:17.350 --> 05:21.488 you know, it's kind of swell looking if it's all green and 05:21.488 --> 05:24.491 looking okay and everything but it doesn't really do anything. 05:24.491 --> 05:25.759 There's no life in it. 05:25.759 --> 05:28.328 There's no bugs really, no butterflies, 05:28.328 --> 05:30.463 no bees and we've got all of that out here. 05:30.463 --> 05:33.533 I mean, sometimes you can see three or four different kinds of 05:33.533 --> 05:36.136 butterflies and, you know, one of these bushes will come in and 05:36.136 --> 05:39.206 bees are all over it, you know, and you can hear them buzzing as 05:39.206 --> 05:41.041 you go by. 05:41.041 --> 05:43.076 All you got to do here, really, is just stand still and just 05:43.076 --> 05:44.778 look around. 05:44.778 --> 05:47.814 You know, if you'll just take a second to stop and look there's 05:47.814 --> 05:51.218 a lot of stuff here, even in the winter. 05:51.218 --> 05:53.820 >> We have drip irrigation throughout this property. 05:53.820 --> 05:56.289 It's, you know, it's subsoil so you don't see it, 05:56.289 --> 06:00.393 and that is what keeps things alive through the heat of the 06:00.393 --> 06:01.328 summer. 06:01.328 --> 06:05.465 We do irrigate here but we irrigate minimally. 06:05.465 --> 06:07.367 >> Two rainwater tanks assist. 06:07.367 --> 06:12.239 >> And we also plumbed one of the downspouts off the roof into 06:12.239 --> 06:13.607 a big depression. 06:13.607 --> 06:15.575 We created a rain garden. 06:15.575 --> 06:18.144 The plants in the rain garden are mostly plants that naturally 06:18.144 --> 06:21.748 grow in that kind of environment where they're periodically 06:21.748 --> 06:24.351 flooded and then they dry out between flooding. 06:24.351 --> 06:26.119 And we've got some native things. 06:26.119 --> 06:30.257 There's a little creeping clover fern that's in there and we've 06:30.257 --> 06:32.425 also got some native salvias. 06:32.425 --> 06:35.028 Some of the native grasses like the Gulf muhly, 06:35.028 --> 06:36.663 that's one of the plants that's there, 06:36.663 --> 06:39.466 and the hybrid of it with the Lindheimer muhly called Pink 06:39.466 --> 06:40.367 Flamingos. 06:40.367 --> 06:41.601 We have those in there. 06:41.601 --> 06:44.137 Those are plants that naturally grow in seasonally wet areas 06:44.137 --> 06:46.273 like that. 06:46.273 --> 06:47.574 >> Opposite the front door sidewalk, 06:47.574 --> 06:50.010 the garden heads into shade. 06:50.010 --> 06:52.879 Lauren designed the conversation area with a spiral that echoes 06:52.879 --> 06:54.648 ammonite fossils. 06:54.648 --> 06:57.651 A round table, as you will, without the table. 06:57.651 --> 06:59.920 Scott's gradually tucking native rocks into the joints, 06:59.920 --> 07:02.956 where little lizards can reside. 07:02.956 --> 07:07.661 >> We did come up with palettes of things that are drought 07:07.661 --> 07:10.997 tolerant and shade tolerant, and so that's what we have. 07:10.997 --> 07:14.301 Underneath the oaks we have some of the native sedges and some of 07:14.301 --> 07:17.304 the cycads that are very tough and drought tolerant and even, 07:17.304 --> 07:23.009 you know, some plants like the boxwoods that are, you know, 07:23.009 --> 07:26.680 common in old landscapes here, actually tried and true tough 07:26.680 --> 07:29.482 plants that naturally grow in the wild on limestone soils, 07:29.482 --> 07:32.218 kind of like we have in Austin, and so they're very tough. 07:32.218 --> 07:37.624 And, so, we have a very catholic open-minded palette here. 07:37.624 --> 07:39.526 We have lots and lots of native plants. 07:39.526 --> 07:42.295 We also have lots of plants that are adapted plants from all over 07:42.295 --> 07:44.297 the world. 07:44.297 --> 07:45.665 Coonties are also cycads. 07:45.665 --> 07:47.734 They're a little low-growing cycad that actually has its 07:47.734 --> 07:52.872 bulb, its tuber located underground. 07:52.872 --> 07:54.708 They don't need any kind of irrigation, really, 07:54.708 --> 07:56.943 and as a dry shade plant you couldn't do better. 07:56.943 --> 08:01.014 We have then the dioons, which are the cycads native to North 08:01.014 --> 08:04.184 America in Mexico relatively nearby, 08:04.184 --> 08:06.219 and we have those on the hillside. 08:06.219 --> 08:09.956 One of the things we like to do with this garden is to have some 08:09.956 --> 08:13.460 plants that echo forms all the way through it, 08:13.460 --> 08:16.629 so if you stand at one end and look at the other you do get 08:16.629 --> 08:18.932 some kind of sense of continuity. 08:18.932 --> 08:20.867 And so we have grasses that repeat. 08:20.867 --> 08:23.203 We have things -- architectural plants like the cycads that 08:23.203 --> 08:25.505 repeat all the way through it and then things like the 08:25.505 --> 08:28.174 succulents like the agaves and yuccas. 08:28.174 --> 08:31.144 Again, if you stand and view the whole thing, 08:31.144 --> 08:33.713 there is some continuity that way. 08:33.713 --> 08:36.750 >> But let's make it clear, this is not a no-maintenance mow and 08:36.750 --> 08:38.585 blow yard. 08:38.585 --> 08:41.855 >> That's one of the, I think, the fallacies of landscape 08:41.855 --> 08:46.092 architecture makes a lot of people think that an initial 08:46.092 --> 08:49.462 vision and an installation and you're done, 08:49.462 --> 08:52.031 and a garden isn't that way at all. 08:52.031 --> 08:55.468 It's actually an evolutionary process and most of the good 08:55.468 --> 08:59.439 decisions come about responding to what you see evolving rather 08:59.439 --> 09:03.143 than whatever preconceived notions you may have had at the 09:03.143 --> 09:04.244 beginning of it. 09:04.244 --> 09:07.113 >> I think it is -- has ongoing impact. 09:07.113 --> 09:08.581 I think when people first saw it, you know, 09:08.581 --> 09:10.784 when it was just a few little bitty plants and nothing was 09:10.784 --> 09:13.186 flowering and there were some cactus and, you know, 09:13.186 --> 09:15.488 sitting out in the middle of some rocks people just kind of 09:15.488 --> 09:19.259 went -- you know, there were some skeptics, you know. 09:19.259 --> 09:23.163 Plant nerds like me dug it from the get-go, you know, 09:23.163 --> 09:27.333 but now that it's coming along and it's becoming, you know, 09:27.333 --> 09:30.570 more mature and people can see that wow look at that thing. 09:30.570 --> 09:32.205 I never realized it was going to be that way. 09:32.205 --> 09:34.441 Like this bush here, you know, once you see, you know, 09:34.441 --> 09:37.811 what the potential is and you see how it matures over time, 09:37.811 --> 09:39.179 and there are cycles. 09:39.179 --> 09:40.213 You know, there's the spring cycle, 09:40.213 --> 09:41.648 the fall cycle and all that. 09:41.648 --> 09:43.316 People were starting to get interested. 09:43.316 --> 09:44.551 I talked to somebody a couple of days ago, I said, 09:44.551 --> 09:45.852 "What do you think about the garden?" 09:45.852 --> 09:48.221 And they're like, wow, you know, like we had no idea it was going 09:48.221 --> 09:50.323 to be like this. 09:50.323 --> 09:52.926 >> Tom: Visit Rollingwood City Hall Garden yourself and meet 09:52.926 --> 09:56.129 one of the designers on the Garden Conservancy's Open Days 09:56.129 --> 09:58.398 tour on October 17th. 09:58.398 --> 10:02.335 You can find out more at gardenconsevancy.org. 10:02.335 --> 10:03.937 And right now we're going to take a spin around the color 10:03.937 --> 10:05.839 wheel with Max Munoz. 10:05.839 --> 10:08.775 He is the director of operations from the National Butterfly 10:08.775 --> 10:10.977 Center down in Mission, Texas. 10:10.977 --> 10:12.278 And welcome back. 10:12.278 --> 10:13.546 >> Max: Thank you for having me here. 10:13.546 --> 10:14.814 >> Tom: No, no, it's a real pleasure. 10:14.814 --> 10:17.484 You came on the show when the center was first getting 10:17.484 --> 10:18.184 underway. 10:18.184 --> 10:18.885 >> Max: Yes. 10:18.885 --> 10:20.520 >> Tom: And I'm sure you've been busy. 10:20.520 --> 10:21.521 >> Max: We've been pushing plants. 10:21.521 --> 10:23.923 We've been trying to garden as much as we can. 10:23.923 --> 10:26.793 >> Tom: Yeah, well, it's a great idea and, you know, 10:26.793 --> 10:29.262 we have the National Wildflower Center here in Texas, 10:29.262 --> 10:31.431 now the National Butterfly Center. 10:31.431 --> 10:32.832 It's a great pairing, I think. 10:32.832 --> 10:33.766 >> Max: It sure is. 10:33.766 --> 10:34.701 >> Tom: Okay. 10:34.701 --> 10:37.437 Well, when I say take a spin around the color wheel, 10:37.437 --> 10:40.807 we're going to talk about kind of colors of the rainbow because 10:40.807 --> 10:42.976 it literally, they all attract butterflies, right? 10:42.976 --> 10:43.643 >> Max: Yes. 10:43.643 --> 10:45.778 There is no bad color. 10:45.778 --> 10:48.848 If you ever think that there is a bad color, 10:48.848 --> 10:51.117 that particular flower will have a color within that color to 10:51.117 --> 10:52.352 attract butterflies. 10:52.352 --> 10:53.119 >> Tom: Okay. 10:53.119 --> 10:56.723 So, you know, there are some wide scales out there that say 10:56.723 --> 10:58.258 avoid this color, use that color. 10:58.258 --> 10:59.359 >> Max: Yes. 10:59.359 --> 11:00.059 We've heard them all. 11:00.059 --> 11:00.860 We've heard several. 11:00.860 --> 11:04.831 One of them was the purple, the color purple. 11:04.831 --> 11:05.732 >> Tom: All right. 11:05.732 --> 11:09.168 >> Max: You know, and we can actually talk about the 11:09.168 --> 11:10.570 different plants that attract so many butterflies, 11:10.570 --> 11:12.038 and they are purple. 11:12.038 --> 11:12.705 >> Tom: Okay. 11:12.705 --> 11:13.406 Well, let's do it. 11:13.406 --> 11:15.375 Let's start with purples. 11:15.375 --> 11:17.844 And a lot of these will range from purples to pinks, right? 11:17.844 --> 11:18.545 >> Max: Yes. 11:18.545 --> 11:20.380 Yes, it all depends on how you look at it. 11:20.380 --> 11:22.282 I've seen some plants and people will say, well, 11:22.282 --> 11:23.616 it was a purple one. 11:23.616 --> 11:25.919 And I have it and I call it a pink. 11:25.919 --> 11:27.287 You know, so it all depends. 11:27.287 --> 11:28.288 [Laughter]. 11:28.288 --> 11:29.322 >> Tom: Depends on the viewer. 11:29.322 --> 11:29.989 >> Max: Yes. 11:29.989 --> 11:31.324 >> Tom: Now there's a plant that we've never talked about, 11:31.324 --> 11:33.159 it's called tube tongue. 11:33.159 --> 11:33.793 >> Max: Yes. 11:33.793 --> 11:36.329 >> Tom: And this sounds like a great garden plant on top of a 11:36.329 --> 11:37.997 great butterfly plant. 11:37.997 --> 11:40.600 >> Max: I actually use it in our gardens there at the National 11:40.600 --> 11:43.202 Butterfly Center as a ground coverage. 11:43.202 --> 11:43.970 >> Tom: Okay. 11:43.970 --> 11:46.272 >> Max: You know, there's areas where you plant a very nice 11:46.272 --> 11:47.340 tree. 11:47.340 --> 11:50.243 For example, I have a soapberry tree. 11:50.243 --> 11:51.010 >> Tom: Okay. 11:51.010 --> 11:53.613 >> Max: And nothing underneath grows really nice because it 11:53.613 --> 11:54.981 creates a pretty good shade. 11:54.981 --> 11:55.715 >> Tom: Right. 11:55.715 --> 11:57.650 >> Max: So then I place tube tongue under it. 11:57.650 --> 12:00.420 And tube tongue does wonder in the shade. 12:00.420 --> 12:01.154 >> Tom: Okay. 12:01.154 --> 12:02.989 >> Max: It starts growing and then all of a sudden you see 12:02.989 --> 12:06.092 just a purple, or pink, color all around you. 12:06.092 --> 12:06.793 >> Tom: Okay. 12:06.793 --> 12:07.894 All right. 12:07.894 --> 12:09.395 So a fantastic groundcover. 12:09.395 --> 12:10.229 >> Max: It is. 12:10.229 --> 12:12.632 >> Tom: And I understand its blooms are pretty much year 12:12.632 --> 12:13.366 round. 12:13.366 --> 12:14.334 >> Max: Pretty much, depending on where you place it. 12:14.334 --> 12:15.134 >> Tom: Okay. 12:15.134 --> 12:17.503 >> Max: The first thing you have to do before a garden is making 12:17.503 --> 12:19.572 sure you know where you're going to place it to make sure you're 12:19.572 --> 12:21.274 going to have shade or enough sun. 12:21.274 --> 12:22.141 >> Tom: Okay. 12:22.141 --> 12:24.010 >> Max: Also understand what the plant needs. 12:24.010 --> 12:24.711 >> Tom: Sure. 12:24.711 --> 12:27.180 >> Max: And the tube tongue is one that loves the shade. 12:27.180 --> 12:27.814 >> Tom: Okay. 12:27.814 --> 12:28.381 Very good. 12:28.381 --> 12:30.216 >> Max: So if you have it in the shade and you water it just the 12:30.216 --> 12:32.252 right amount, not too much because you don't want to rot 12:32.252 --> 12:35.021 anything under there, and you don't want to give it too little 12:35.021 --> 12:36.789 water, depending on also where you live. 12:36.789 --> 12:37.490 >> Tom: Sure. 12:37.490 --> 12:39.392 >> Max: And you will have a wonderful plant that will give 12:39.392 --> 12:42.061 you flowers and butterflies through the whole year. 12:42.061 --> 12:43.663 >> Tom: What butterflies does it attract? 12:43.663 --> 12:45.431 >> Max: It will attract some of the smaller ones. 12:45.431 --> 12:48.968 For example, some of the hair-streaks, 12:48.968 --> 12:50.169 the smaller hair-streaks. 12:50.169 --> 12:52.071 It does attract a lot of Bordered Patch on it too. 12:52.071 --> 12:52.705 >> Tom: Okay. 12:52.705 --> 12:53.773 Beautiful butterflies. 12:53.773 --> 12:55.808 >> Max: Bordered Patch uses it -- yes, very beautiful. 12:55.808 --> 12:58.344 The Bordered Patch uses it as a nectar source, 12:58.344 --> 12:59.746 so you get to see a lot of that. 12:59.746 --> 13:00.580 >> Tom: All right. 13:00.580 --> 13:03.850 Well, let's talk about some other purple and pink ones. 13:03.850 --> 13:05.351 I love the horsemints. 13:05.351 --> 13:07.787 >> Max: Oh, horsemints are wonderful. 13:07.787 --> 13:11.224 This time of year, since it's summer, they start dying back. 13:11.224 --> 13:12.425 >> Tom: Sure, sure. 13:12.425 --> 13:13.559 >> Max: But in the spring, I mean, 13:13.559 --> 13:15.895 you see a field of purples all around. 13:15.895 --> 13:16.529 >> Tom: Right. 13:16.529 --> 13:17.330 >> Max: Purple and whites. 13:17.330 --> 13:18.431 >> Tom: Right, right. 13:18.431 --> 13:19.365 Glorious plant. 13:19.365 --> 13:22.969 And, again, usually mixed in with a lot of other colors, 13:22.969 --> 13:23.903 you know, in nature. 13:23.903 --> 13:27.373 >> Max: In nature, you will find it, you know, 13:27.373 --> 13:29.242 in a wildflower patch. 13:29.242 --> 13:31.611 There at the center, if you come to the center at the pavilion 13:31.611 --> 13:34.714 itself, we have a wildflower refugium. 13:34.714 --> 13:39.752 And you will find the Indian blanket, the bee balm or --. 13:39.752 --> 13:40.887 >> Tom: Right, horsemint. 13:40.887 --> 13:42.055 >> Max: Horsemint. 13:42.055 --> 13:44.090 And the combination of the purple and the yellows, 13:44.090 --> 13:45.091 it's just --. 13:45.091 --> 13:45.658 >> Tom: Yeah. 13:45.658 --> 13:46.459 >> Max: Wonderful. 13:46.459 --> 13:47.360 >> Tom: It's a great combination. 13:47.360 --> 13:48.227 >> Max: Yes. 13:48.227 --> 13:50.029 >> Tom: But it's a tough as nails plant, 13:50.029 --> 13:52.932 very easy to grow from seed, and one that every Texas gardener 13:52.932 --> 13:54.200 should be using. 13:54.200 --> 13:57.036 >> Max: And it's one that we use because every year we get a 13:57.036 --> 13:58.371 beautiful garden. 13:58.371 --> 13:59.505 >> Tom: Right, right. 13:59.505 --> 14:00.707 >> Max: So it is a great plant. 14:00.707 --> 14:02.041 >> Tom: Now I love passion vines. 14:02.041 --> 14:03.643 And while we're talking about purples, 14:03.643 --> 14:05.344 we've got to mention the passion vines. 14:05.344 --> 14:07.113 And this attracts the Gulf fritillaries and a lot of 14:07.113 --> 14:08.014 others. 14:08.014 --> 14:09.515 >> Max: Well, it is a host plant for the Gulf fritillary. 14:09.515 --> 14:11.184 >> Tom: Right. 14:11.184 --> 14:13.086 >> Max: You can get Mexican fritillary or just all the 14:13.086 --> 14:14.721 fritillaries on it. 14:14.721 --> 14:16.656 Longwings, like the zebra heliconians. 14:16.656 --> 14:17.657 >> Tom: Those are beautiful. 14:17.657 --> 14:18.524 >> Max: They come to it, too. 14:18.524 --> 14:21.094 And not only is it a good, you know, host, 14:21.094 --> 14:23.830 but the flower itself is just amazing. 14:23.830 --> 14:24.664 >> Tom: Spectacular. 14:24.664 --> 14:26.065 >> Max: Yes, it's very pretty. 14:26.065 --> 14:29.736 >> Tom: It's almost like an alien but it's a really superb 14:29.736 --> 14:30.837 plant. 14:30.837 --> 14:33.873 Now you also had some reds that you want to talk about. 14:33.873 --> 14:37.310 And there's one called the musk flower that I've never seen 14:37.310 --> 14:38.845 before, I don't think. 14:38.845 --> 14:41.247 >> Max: Well, this particular plant I stumbled into it a 14:41.247 --> 14:42.515 couple of years ago. 14:42.515 --> 14:43.149 >> Tom: Okay. 14:43.149 --> 14:45.318 >> Max: I was walking the bank of a canal and I saw this pretty 14:45.318 --> 14:47.987 red color. 14:47.987 --> 14:50.890 And on it was a large swallowtail. 14:50.890 --> 14:51.824 >> Tom: Okay. 14:51.824 --> 14:53.426 >> Max: So I figured, well, why not try it? 14:53.426 --> 14:55.595 I went and picked up the root on it, 14:55.595 --> 14:58.297 placed it in one of my gardens, and then I kept doing the same 14:58.297 --> 15:00.500 thing over and over until I had a real nice patch. 15:00.500 --> 15:01.234 >> Tom: Right. 15:01.234 --> 15:03.736 >> Max: It's a beautiful red color. 15:03.736 --> 15:06.072 And, like I said, the larger swallowtails will come to it, 15:06.072 --> 15:07.974 the bigger butterflies will. 15:07.974 --> 15:09.008 So it's a really good plant. 15:09.008 --> 15:10.109 >> Tom: Right, okay. 15:10.109 --> 15:12.245 And this is one that I've not seen in the trade, 15:12.245 --> 15:15.047 but hopefully you can help introduce it. 15:15.047 --> 15:16.048 >> Max: Well, we're working on that. 15:16.048 --> 15:18.651 We're working on being able to have it available for anybody 15:18.651 --> 15:19.919 who needs it. 15:19.919 --> 15:24.423 >> Tom: There's a hibiscus relative as well that you use. 15:24.423 --> 15:26.426 And these attract a lot of butterflies. 15:26.426 --> 15:27.593 >> Max: Yes, the heartleaf hibiscus. 15:27.593 --> 15:28.261 >> Tom: Right. 15:28.261 --> 15:30.630 >> Max: The heartleaf hibiscus is one that a lot of people have 15:30.630 --> 15:33.533 a hard time trying to propagate. 15:33.533 --> 15:37.036 But we worked a way to propagate it easier. 15:37.036 --> 15:37.837 >> Tom: Okay. 15:37.837 --> 15:40.339 >> Max: And it has worked for us, but it is a beautiful red, 15:40.339 --> 15:41.440 red, red color. 15:41.440 --> 15:42.241 >> Tom: Yeah. 15:42.241 --> 15:44.010 >> Max: And it does attract a lot of butterflies. 15:44.010 --> 15:46.646 And one that you'll see there is a lot of sulfurs. 15:46.646 --> 15:48.447 So it is a wonderful plant to have in your garden. 15:48.447 --> 15:50.850 >> Tom: A sulfur butterfly on that color would be beautiful to 15:50.850 --> 15:51.717 see. 15:51.717 --> 15:52.518 >> Max: It stands out. 15:52.518 --> 15:53.252 >> Tom: Yeah, right. 15:53.252 --> 15:54.453 Really beautiful. 15:54.453 --> 15:56.522 Now there are lots of oranges and yellows that we can talk 15:56.522 --> 15:58.191 about. 15:58.191 --> 16:02.495 I always think that oranges are -- I've heard, I think, 16:02.495 --> 16:05.164 people say that orange is the number one color, 16:05.164 --> 16:06.799 but I don't know that that's true or not. 16:06.799 --> 16:09.936 >> Max: Well, at the National Butterfly Center we do have all 16:09.936 --> 16:14.440 of these colors, but the orange is not used as much. 16:14.440 --> 16:15.174 >> Tom: Oh, really? 16:15.174 --> 16:15.975 Okay. 16:15.975 --> 16:17.677 >> Max: You know, you'll see them, like honeysuckles, 16:17.677 --> 16:23.082 you'll see the calico or the Texas Lantana. 16:23.082 --> 16:26.352 The flame miscanthus. 16:26.352 --> 16:27.186 >> Tom: Right. 16:27.186 --> 16:29.088 >> Max: And they do attract a lot of butterflies, 16:29.088 --> 16:31.958 but it's very limited on how many plants will attract that 16:31.958 --> 16:33.092 much. 16:33.092 --> 16:33.693 >> Tom: Okay. 16:33.693 --> 16:34.527 Well, interesting. 16:34.527 --> 16:36.062 >> Max: But they are good nectar sources, though. 16:36.062 --> 16:37.563 >> Tom: Well, and there's a lot of them. 16:37.563 --> 16:38.231 >> Max: Yes. 16:38.231 --> 16:41.868 >> Tom: A lot of -- I like the Mexican Flame Vine, the senecio. 16:41.868 --> 16:43.669 >> Max: That is one of our favorite. 16:43.669 --> 16:44.837 >> Tom: Yeah. 16:44.837 --> 16:48.207 >> Max: That is one that you can plant and cover a whole wall, 16:48.207 --> 16:51.777 say a fence, and not only will you have butterflies, 16:51.777 --> 16:53.179 but hummingbirds. 16:53.179 --> 16:54.247 The hummingbirds go crazy for it. 16:54.247 --> 16:55.014 >> Tom: Really? 16:55.014 --> 16:55.781 I didn't know that. 16:55.781 --> 16:56.749 >> Max: Yes. 16:56.749 --> 17:01.287 I actually did a little test and I placed that red dye liquid for 17:01.287 --> 17:03.756 hummingbirds and the sugar water that you create at home --. 17:03.756 --> 17:04.757 >> Tom: Right, right. 17:04.757 --> 17:06.092 >> Max: And they chose the senecio, 17:06.092 --> 17:07.193 which is the flame vine. 17:07.193 --> 17:08.194 >> Tom: I'm sure. 17:08.194 --> 17:08.961 Yeah. 17:08.961 --> 17:12.999 Well, it's a spectacular plant and a very bright, cheery color. 17:12.999 --> 17:14.433 >> Max: The flowers are just amazing. 17:14.433 --> 17:17.069 >> Tom: Well, yellows fall into this kind of range as well and 17:17.069 --> 17:19.939 there's a ton of yellows and, you know, 17:19.939 --> 17:22.775 the gaillardias and the coreopsis and a whole bunch of 17:22.775 --> 17:25.444 other things fall into that category. 17:25.444 --> 17:28.981 >> Max: We do use a lot of gaillardias because, I mean, 17:28.981 --> 17:31.183 not only are they beautiful, I mean, the color stands out. 17:31.183 --> 17:31.884 >> Tom: Oh, yeah. 17:31.884 --> 17:32.852 >> Max: But it is a good, really, 17:32.852 --> 17:34.320 really good nectar source too. 17:34.320 --> 17:38.257 >> Tom: Well, and even white, I understand, can be a good one. 17:38.257 --> 17:39.158 >> Max: Very good. 17:39.158 --> 17:42.194 I don't know if you know plumbago, the white plumbago. 17:42.194 --> 17:43.129 >> Tom: Of course, yeah. 17:43.129 --> 17:44.897 >> Max: The white plumbago is one that attracts so many 17:44.897 --> 17:45.865 butterflies. 17:45.865 --> 17:46.465 >> Tom: Right. 17:46.465 --> 17:47.500 >> Max: We use it all over. 17:47.500 --> 17:48.968 Frog fruit, another ground coverage. 17:48.968 --> 17:49.869 >> Tom: Yeah, right. 17:49.869 --> 17:51.604 >> Max: It attracts a lot of smaller butterflies. 17:51.604 --> 17:52.838 >> Tom: Very dainty little flower. 17:52.838 --> 17:53.639 >> Max: Yes. 17:53.639 --> 17:56.142 >> Tom: You know, it's kind of a homely little plant, 17:56.142 --> 17:57.610 but it works. 17:57.610 --> 17:58.377 >> Max: It does. 17:58.377 --> 18:01.314 And it works really good to create a ground coverage where 18:01.314 --> 18:04.283 you can have a patio or you can actually mow over it. 18:04.283 --> 18:05.217 >> Tom: Right. 18:05.217 --> 18:07.019 >> Max: And it withstands the heat. 18:07.019 --> 18:07.687 >> Tom: Right. 18:07.687 --> 18:08.654 >> Max: It's a really good plant. 18:08.654 --> 18:10.690 >> Tom: Well, real briefly, I understand it's real important 18:10.690 --> 18:13.826 to have nectars sources as well as food sources for them. 18:13.826 --> 18:16.262 >> Max: You don't want to have just one because let's say you 18:16.262 --> 18:18.397 have a host plant. 18:18.397 --> 18:18.998 >> Tom: All right. 18:18.998 --> 18:20.499 >> Max: And so you have a milkweed. 18:20.499 --> 18:22.635 >> Tom: Okay. 18:22.635 --> 18:23.502 >> Max: And the butterfly comes over, 18:23.502 --> 18:24.937 lays the egg and starts eating the plant. 18:24.937 --> 18:27.373 Once that plant is gone, the butterfly's gone. 18:27.373 --> 18:32.278 So if you have both of them, your host plant and your nectar 18:32.278 --> 18:32.945 source --. 18:32.945 --> 18:34.013 >> Tom: You hold on to them year round. 18:34.013 --> 18:34.780 >> Max: You will. 18:34.780 --> 18:36.449 Create the life cycle. 18:36.449 --> 18:38.851 >> Tom: Speaking of this, we've got to wrap it up, 18:38.851 --> 18:41.754 but I really appreciate you coming back on. 18:41.754 --> 18:42.388 >> Max: My pleasure. 18:42.388 --> 18:43.923 >> Tom: Best wishes to you and the folks down at the National 18:43.923 --> 18:44.757 Butterfly Center. 18:44.757 --> 18:45.424 >> Max: Thank you. 18:45.424 --> 18:47.193 >> Tom: I hope a lot of our Central Texas viewers will pay 18:47.193 --> 18:48.127 you a visit. 18:48.127 --> 18:49.595 >> Max: Sounds very good. 18:49.595 --> 18:50.296 >> Tom: Okay. 18:50.296 --> 18:51.163 Thanks again. 18:51.163 --> 18:52.565 And coming up next is our friend, Daphne. 18:52.565 --> 18:57.269 [Music]. 18:57.269 --> 18:58.604 >> Daphne: Hi, I'm Daphne Richards. 18:58.604 --> 19:00.806 Our question this week came along with some fabulous video 19:00.806 --> 19:03.509 from viewer Jennifer Edwards. 19:03.509 --> 19:06.512 What is this weird thing on my tree and will it hurt it? 19:06.512 --> 19:08.247 What should I do about it? 19:08.247 --> 19:11.350 Well, Jennifer, what you have here is a bagworm, and yes, 19:11.350 --> 19:13.786 it will most certainly harm your tree. 19:13.786 --> 19:17.456 Unlike many landscape pests, bagworms should not simply be 19:17.456 --> 19:20.259 ignored to let nature take its course. 19:20.259 --> 19:22.762 They can severely damage plants, to the point of which they may 19:22.762 --> 19:24.830 not be able to recover. 19:24.830 --> 19:27.033 And because the females don't develop wings, 19:27.033 --> 19:29.568 they never leave the plant on which they're born, 19:29.568 --> 19:32.638 which could lead to a population explosion very quickly. 19:32.638 --> 19:35.007 If you find bagworms in your trees or shrubs, 19:35.007 --> 19:39.111 look for others and remove and destroy all those that you find. 19:39.111 --> 19:41.681 At maturity, they turn a light brown color that should be 19:41.681 --> 19:45.918 easily distinguished against the background of green foliage. 19:45.918 --> 19:48.220 If you have an infestation this year, 19:48.220 --> 19:50.690 you should treat next year with an insecticide, 19:50.690 --> 19:54.427 but the good news is there are several least-toxic alternatives 19:54.427 --> 19:57.496 that are target-specific for larval caterpillars. 19:57.496 --> 19:59.632 And as long as you use those products properly and 19:59.632 --> 20:03.502 judiciously, you shouldn't harm any other beneficial insects or 20:03.502 --> 20:06.672 "good" caterpillars in your landscape. 20:06.672 --> 20:10.276 Choose products containing either Bacillus thuriengiensis, 20:10.276 --> 20:13.145 better known as B.t., azadiractin, 20:13.145 --> 20:15.448 derived from Neem oil, or spinosad. 20:15.448 --> 20:18.584 Apply specifically according to the label, 20:18.584 --> 20:20.786 and only to the plant in question. 20:20.786 --> 20:24.056 Again, because female bagworms don't leave the plant where they 20:24.056 --> 20:27.526 hatch, populations will be geographically limited, 20:27.526 --> 20:30.196 allowing you to do a targeted spray. 20:30.196 --> 20:33.432 If used properly, there will be no impact on populations of 20:33.432 --> 20:37.103 other caterpillar populations anywhere else in your landscape. 20:37.103 --> 20:40.005 Treat in late June, while the larvae are still small. 20:40.005 --> 20:42.975 You likely won't prevent a few larvae from slipping through 20:42.975 --> 20:45.678 your treatment plan, so watch your plants carefully in the 20:45.678 --> 20:49.482 fall, winter, and early spring so that you can remove any bags 20:49.482 --> 20:52.251 that you find and stop the cycle from beginning again. 20:52.251 --> 20:58.224 Our plant this week is Mexican mint marigold, Tagetes lucida, 20:58.224 --> 21:00.893 also commonly known as Mexican tarragon. 21:00.893 --> 21:03.529 Getting only about 18 inches tall and wide, 21:03.529 --> 21:06.832 this compact perennial is perfect in small spaces where 21:06.832 --> 21:08.801 you need a splash of color. 21:08.801 --> 21:11.337 The bright yellow, marigold-like flowers are attractive to 21:11.337 --> 21:13.739 migrating butterflies in the fall, 21:13.739 --> 21:16.509 with a bloom season that starts after the intense summer heat 21:16.509 --> 21:19.645 has greatly subsided and ends with the first frost in early 21:19.645 --> 21:20.980 winter. 21:20.980 --> 21:23.516 In the kitchen, Mexican mint marigold may be used as a 21:23.516 --> 21:26.619 substitute for French tarragon, with a distinctive anise or 21:26.619 --> 21:28.954 licorice scent and flavor. 21:28.954 --> 21:31.290 A native of the southwestern US and Mexico, 21:31.290 --> 21:33.392 this plant is heat and drought tolerant, 21:33.392 --> 21:36.228 requiring minimal supplemental irrigation. 21:36.228 --> 21:38.764 Mexican mint marigold also tolerates many different soil 21:38.764 --> 21:41.500 types, but good drainage is a must. 21:41.500 --> 21:44.236 Plant in full sun and water regularly until established, 21:44.236 --> 21:47.473 after which, weekly irrigation will be sufficient. 21:47.473 --> 21:50.309 As with other perennials, shear it back to the ground in late 21:50.309 --> 21:53.045 winter or early spring each year. 21:53.045 --> 21:55.915 Mexican mint marigold returns easily each year and is only 21:55.915 --> 21:58.517 completely killed in the harshest of winters, 21:58.517 --> 22:01.387 but it reseeds and spreads easily but doesn't go too far 22:01.387 --> 22:05.090 afield, making this repopulating characteristic a positive 22:05.090 --> 22:07.193 quality for most gardeners. 22:07.193 --> 22:09.895 Our viewer picture this week is thanks to Scott Stoker, 22:09.895 --> 22:12.498 of a clearwing moth visiting his lantana. 22:12.498 --> 22:14.033 We'd love to hear from you. 22:14.033 --> 22:17.870 Visit us at klru.org/ctg to send us your questions and pictures 22:17.870 --> 22:19.638 from your garden. 22:19.638 --> 22:20.439 >> Tom: Thanks, Daphne. 22:20.439 --> 22:27.613 Now let's check in with Jeff Ferris for Backyard Basics. 22:27.613 --> 22:29.114 >> Jeff: Hi, I'm Jeff Ferris. 22:29.114 --> 22:31.584 This spring was spectacular for our wildflowers. 22:31.584 --> 22:34.887 Bluebonnets, paint brush, a whole host of others. 22:34.887 --> 22:36.722 If you like to create your own meadow, 22:36.722 --> 22:38.857 now is the time to start preparing for spring. 22:38.857 --> 22:40.993 It only takes a few simple steps. 22:40.993 --> 22:43.162 First, we need to bare the ground. 22:43.162 --> 22:45.931 Either mow very low or till very shallow, 22:45.931 --> 22:47.499 only a couple of inches deep. 22:47.499 --> 22:49.535 We don't want to stir up the weeds. 22:49.535 --> 22:53.339 Next, break away the grass and smooth out the soil. 22:53.339 --> 22:56.775 Seed needs contact with bare ground to germinate. 22:56.775 --> 23:00.779 Split your wildflower seed into two parts and set one aside, 23:00.779 --> 23:02.114 a very small pinch. 23:02.114 --> 23:03.549 We're going to use that later. 23:03.549 --> 23:06.552 Working in one direction, spread the seed like you're feeding 23:06.552 --> 23:07.620 chickens. 23:07.620 --> 23:10.189 You can mix some vermiculite in with the seed to help distribute 23:10.189 --> 23:12.091 it evenly. 23:12.091 --> 23:14.827 When you've used all of the first half, 23:14.827 --> 23:17.930 take the other half and spread it perpendicular. 23:17.930 --> 23:19.932 If you went north/south on the first half, 23:19.932 --> 23:23.068 walk east to west for the second half. 23:23.068 --> 23:26.038 Now for the easy part, walk on the seeds. 23:26.038 --> 23:29.208 We need to get the seed pressed into the soil to ensure good 23:29.208 --> 23:30.743 germination. 23:30.743 --> 23:33.913 We have to have very solid seed-to-soil contact. 23:33.913 --> 23:38.217 Of course the final question is, do I need to water it in? 23:38.217 --> 23:40.352 Believe it or not, no you don't. 23:40.352 --> 23:44.023 When wildflowers spread their seeds they do so rain or shine. 23:44.023 --> 23:46.992 The seed will set in soil waiting for the right conditions 23:46.992 --> 23:50.162 of temperature and water to start the process. 23:50.162 --> 23:53.465 Fall generally provides enough water to get the process started 23:53.465 --> 23:55.367 for us. 23:55.367 --> 23:58.370 So all we need to do now is to keep an eye out for the weeds 23:58.370 --> 24:00.506 that might come up and shade our seeds, 24:00.506 --> 24:02.174 preventing them from growing. 24:02.174 --> 24:04.510 And remember, if you do water them in, 24:04.510 --> 24:07.146 you're starting the germination process. 24:07.146 --> 24:11.016 You'll have to keep up the water until the seeds show a few true 24:11.016 --> 24:12.251 leaves. 24:12.251 --> 24:15.854 If you don't keep it wet, the seeds may dry out and die. 24:15.854 --> 24:17.289 What about that little pinch? 24:17.289 --> 24:20.926 Well, fill a small pot with some of the same soil as the area you 24:20.926 --> 24:23.495 are planting your meadow in. 24:23.495 --> 24:25.664 Sprinkle the pinch on top, press it down, 24:25.664 --> 24:30.002 and get it outside where it gets the same rain and sun. 24:30.002 --> 24:32.905 As the seeds come up, you can see what each flower looks like 24:32.905 --> 24:34.406 as a seedling. 24:34.406 --> 24:37.042 It will help you identify what is starting in your meadow and 24:37.042 --> 24:40.145 will let you stay ahead of any of the weed that tries to take 24:40.145 --> 24:41.580 over. 24:41.580 --> 24:46.318 One common question, can I plant a meadow over my septic field? 24:46.318 --> 24:48.821 The answer, sort of. 24:48.821 --> 24:51.590 You have to remember our native wild flowers grow in poor, 24:51.590 --> 24:54.593 low-nutrient soil and low-water conditions, 24:54.593 --> 24:57.363 neither of which occur in the septic field. 24:57.363 --> 25:00.966 Some of the flowers may thrive, some may never germinate. 25:00.966 --> 25:03.736 You might spread a mix of ten different types of flowers and 25:03.736 --> 25:06.305 only three or four grow. 25:06.305 --> 25:09.575 You need to experiment to see what works best. 25:09.575 --> 25:13.345 But of course when working with nature, that's the fun part. 25:13.345 --> 25:15.681 From Backyard Basics, I'm Jeff Ferris. 25:15.681 --> 25:20.019 >> Tom: Find out more at klru.org/ctg and follow us on 25:20.019 --> 25:22.654 Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 25:22.654 --> 25:25.591 Until next time, I'll see you in the garden. 25:25.591 --> 26:00.859 [Music]. 26:00.859 --> 26:02.828 >> "Central Texas Gardener" is sponsored by the Austin Area 26:02.828 --> 26:05.030 Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden, 26:05.030 --> 26:08.734 home of 31 local garden clubs and the Zilker garden festival. 26:08.734 --> 26:12.734 Zilkergarden.org.