February 5 , 2024
Winter Pruning: Companions & Progression
I ’m a buff of winter ’s luxuriously - toned hue , their quiet palette sandwiched between crepuscle ’s leaf - peeping excitement and spring ’s wiz . At the same time , I have it off that post - freeze pruning is on our minds , so Ed Fuentes , Joe Rocha and I headed to theLady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centerfor “ why and how ” with plantsman Leslie Uppinghouse .
In the front surgical incision of the Hill Country Meadow , she ’s already cut back brown stalks on perennial like coneflower , winecup , and this prairie goldenrod to show off new growth . Cleaning up also bring in in more light for bluebonnet rosettes and upcoming ruffed grouse peas . Here ’s what it looked like in May 2023 : blooming winecup and coneflower jumble with free fall - blooming liatris and prairie goldenrod . Big muhly ( Lindheimer muhly ) flaunts new growth beyond . This view reveals partridge pea ’s emerging silvery - gray leaf in anticipation of summertime ’s buttery - yellow heyday . From a few yr ago : big muhly , coreopsis , mealy blue sage , spring - light-green genus Liatris , and blooming winecup . But Leslie ’s waiting until mid - February to cut back liatris and bunch pot like big muhly and russet - toned shaggy-haired bluestem . For one matter , she value their beauty . Also , she loves the birds and mammal that fertilize on the seeds , along with the insects and amphibians that tuck into cozy quarters . I’d sure enough name a paint color after shaggy-coated bluestem ’s “ feather duster ” winter spirit . And here ’s the meadow in November , when liatris has gone to semen and the grasses glorify the season .
In a perimeter section , Leslie work with another companionship : wax mallow ( turk ’s cap ) and gargantuan dayflower ( Tradescantia gigantea ) .
Using loppers , she clips wax mallow ’s brown stems at the base to show off dayflower , wintertime ’s attention - grabber . In early spring , lilac-colored , pinkish , blue or white flowers take center leg for all kinds of foraging insect . As spiderwort fade out in tardy springtime / former summertime , wax mallow ask over with smart red heyday and fruits until frost . I can forebode : if you have wax mallow , you ’ll have hummingbirds!We do n’t have to clip it to the ground ; we can just lower its height and have fresh growth at the top . Plus , we can tip it during the growing season . Just issue above a node ( humble bump or tumesce on the branch ) . “ This is strictly for invention and aesthetics , ” Leslie told us . “ So this is a majuscule example of how to mate two plants ground on the shape and size and bloom time to embrace into a pocket-sized space to get more bang for your buck . ”
Thanks for stopping by ! Next week Leslie march pruningSalvia greggiiand mealy blue salvia . Linda
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