The Garden’s Pollinator Pathway is a-buzz this month with bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators busy collecting nectar from blooming plants. To enjoy this whirl of activity in your own garden–and help support the overall health of our ecosystem–look to summer-blooming native plants.
Many plants flower in May and into June, but as the temperatures rise, the blooms fade away and then stop altogether. Not red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora.) This Texas native combines easy care and drought tolerance with reliable color all summer long. “It’s one of the most carefree plants you can find,” says Sr. Horticulturist Steve Huddleston.
The Rainforest Conservatory is currently filled with an orchids from every corner of the globe. You might think you could never evoke a tropical paradise in your own home, but orchids are more accessible than you might think. With a few simple tips, you can create your own World of Orchids.
The Rainforest Conservatory is currently filled with an orchids from every corner of the globe. You might think you could never evoke a tropical paradise in your own home, but orchids are more accessible than you might think. With a few simple tips, you can create your own World of Orchids.
Tulips and daffodils get the spotlight in early spring in North Texas, and its easy to see why. Bright, cheerful and colorful, they dazzle the eye in the winter sunlight. But another plant can be found flowering at the same time. In shady corners and under trees, hellebores are opening their richly colored blooms against dark green foliage.
Midwinter is a quiet time outside in the Garden, with most plants dormant until the days grow longer. But in the greenhouses devoted to the Garden’s Begonia Collection, excitement is growing as these remarkable plants get ready to bloom. Learn more about the incredible variety of begonias and get started growing your own.
In stories of wizards and witches, transfiguration is described as the magic of turning one object into another. With the wave of a wand, a magician can turn a teacup into a hedgehog, a rabbit into a hat, or a human into a cat. Here in the real world, transfiguration remains impossible—mostly. One plant species seems to have the magical ability to transform into a bewildering variety of forms and shapes. You may have enjoyed one of these forms for dinner last night. You may be growing another in your flowerbeds. Brassica oleracea isn’t magic, but it may be as close as we muggles can get.
November is the month to plant wildflower seeds, and this is an opportunity you don’t want to miss. A little effort now can pay off with a glorious, pollinator-friendly display come spring. Texas is famous for its wildflowers, and some may volunteer themselves in your yard. But for best results, plan ahead.
Walk into any garden center or nursery in October and you will be greeted by rows of yellow, red, purple and orange chrysanthemums. Many people treat chrysanthemums, or more simply mums, as annuals. They buy them every year and throw them out when they stop blooming or at the first frost. In fact, mums are hardy perennials that will withstand our winters and summers and come back just as colorful year after year. The Garden loves mums, and special displays of these plants are on view now in the Fuller Garden and Japanese Garden. Learn more about how to grow your own mums for fall color as well as the history of this remarkable plant.
A sigh of relief can be heard across North Texas that the heat wave has broken. We know to expect more hot days in September, but with Labor Day behind us, cooler weather is just around the corner. That means it’s time to think about spring! No, we’re not crazy, and yes, we know it’s not yet autumn. But now is the time to plan for a gorgeous spring by planting bulbs.
FORT WORTH BOTANIC GARDEN
3220 Botanic Garden Blvd
Fort Worth, Texas 76107
(817) 463-4160
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BOTANICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF TEXAS
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We respectfully acknowledge that the Fort Worth Botanic Garden is located on traditional lands of Indigenous Peoples. We honor the ancestry, heritage, and gifts of all Indigenous Peoples who were sustained by these lands and give thanks to them. We are grateful that these lands continue to provide enrichment for many people today. [More…]
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