SFA Gardens

Summer is upon us and we’re heading into some real heat about 6-10” behind in rainfall. Prairie at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center is showing off with a fine flower show - Rudbeckia maxima owns the place now. SFA Gardens Nacogdoches Tx

A pic in Janet’s yard, that an Amorphophallus bulbifer - the voodoo co**se flower - about to unfurl its big leaf - surrounded by a mass of widow’s frill - Silene stellata - in bloom. Co**se flower surrounded by widow’s frill sounds like there might be some kind of hidden meaning. Janet says no. SFA Gardens Nacogdoches TX

A bit of a mystery here. In the Ruby Mize Garden, this is an Ilex cassine, a dahoon holly, the label listing ‘Darren Duling’ as the name. It’s a unique golden leaf form and Darren was the past director of Mercer Arboretum - moved on to the east coast - a kindred soul, a bonafide plant geek. I’m not sure if that label is correct. I know Darren introduced a variegated strappy leaf Ilex myrtifolia - a myrtle leaf holly- and it’s doing quite well in the Gayla Mize - it’s labeled as ‘Duling’s variegated’ - and I’ve seen it offered by Nurseries Caroliniana. Not so sure this golden dahoon is correctly labeled? New growth is quite cheerful, plant greens up during the summer. Likes nearby moist soil so it’s happy in this old oxbow. SFA Gardens Nacogdoches Texas

It’s blueberry festival time in Nacogdoches Texas! June 13 and 14 is coming up and there’s a lot to do, see and celebrate about this exciting fruit! Here’s an article about SFA’s long association with this fascinating, tasty and very healthy crop! Come buy a flat or two!

https://dcreechsite.com/2016/12/09/Vaccinium-blueberries-for-the-south/

It’s blueberry festival time in Nacogdoches, TX! Also here’s the link to a 2012 paper that gives a little history on how blueberries made their way into the Texas fruit scene: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/15538362.2011.619118. SFA Gardens Nacogdoches TX

Nice piece on our amazing LaNana Creek trail

urldefense.com

SFA Gardens invites children ages 4 to 6 to experience the magic of the outdoors through age-appropriate activities in Wonder Woods Camp at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. Wonder Woods Camp will be held daily from 8 A.M. to noon from June 1 to 5. The cost is $110 per camper and a limited number of need-based scholarships are available. Register your child by visiting our Youth Educational Programs webpage. Find the link in the comments.

Hard to beat this old timer rain lily Habranthus robustus 'Russell Manning'. With big showy flowers and ten inch foliage this clone in the right spot is a forever plant, making a large clump - and seedlings - there are millions of them - always looking for a new spot nearby. The large light pink flowers tend to proliferate after a good rain. I’ve always wanted to compare irrigation with natural heavy rainfall. It seems a good rain wins every time. SFA Gardens Nacogdoches TX

This evergreen dogwood screen in The Gayla Mize Garden is pretty impressive. All seedlings of Cornus angustata ‘Empress of China’ and all came though the Feb 16 2021 hard freeze when temps dipped to -4F. Pretty bulletproof plant with glossy evergreen leaves. The fruit is edible, albeit probably only useful in a famine. We have offered this plant before and may again. We think it’s best to plant it where it doesn’t get the full blast of a western sun. SFA Gardens Nacogdoches TX. For more info, check out our webpage: https://dcreechsite.com/2017/08/15/chinese-evergreen-dogwoods/

If you like hydrangeas, the collection in the Gayla Mize Garden is almost at peak. SFA Gardens, Nacogdoches TX