Mary Claire Rowe

The Smith County Master Gardeners and the five families, who opened their homes for the Spring Garden Tour last Saturday, had an amazing turnout of fellow, garden lovers, and it was a great success.

The months of hard work really showed, and it was a perfect day in five wonderful gardens. While hundreds of people took the opportunity to see the handiwork of these gardeners, it was never too crowded at any one place to be anything but a good experience in a lovely garden space.

While many people left these gardens reflecting on their own gardens and thinking, “if only,” others were inspired to plan to use some of the plants they saw so successfully growing on the tour. That is one of the major goals of the master gardeners — education.

The Tyler Rose Garden complex is the place to see more of these plants growing in a garden environment, not just sitting on a shelf in a nursery. Not only are there thousands of roses in full bloom, but several other garden areas of great interest. The Heritage and Old Rose Garden, on the southwest corner is filled with roses and plants that have been used and loved by gardeners for generations.

The Shade and Camellia Garden, filled with beautiful and unusual plants that like deep shade, is placed along the path that leads from the Heritage Garden to the teaching and demonstration garden, the IDEA Garden.

In this case, “IDEA” stands for innovation, demonstration, education, and application. In the beginning of this garden, the plants used were ones that were not often found in local nurseries, nor used by local gardeners.

The IDEA Garden was the place, where these gardeners could see how successfully the plants could be grown here. The requests for the plants on the part of the viewing public have brought about a big change in what is available in the nurseries.

In the past, most of the plants available were not necessarily ones that would grow well here in our area. They were plants that might do well for a short period of time, but then had to be thrown away. Now, many more plants are perennials and can exist here over the life of a garden.

The real accomplishment of the IDEA Garden and the Heritage Garden in my estimation is the juxtaposition of plants. The artist’s eye for color and shape, along with the gardener’s knowledge of what soil, sun, water needs each plant requires, and the blending of these elements is what makes the IDEA Garden so incredibly special. I don’t know of any other gardens in the area, where it has been done so successfully.

Kudos all around to the Smith County Master Gardeners. And by the way, the Rose Garden has never looked prettier!

PLANTS OF THE WEEK: We don’t often see peony’s growing abundantly here, because of the frequent, early spring heat, or too frequent rains, but this year they have done very well. Beautiful, fragrant, Paeona lactiflora “Festiva maxima’’ was blooming in the Heritage Garden last week.

It blooms May through June, is hardy in Zones 9 through 3 and is deer resistant. It likes open areas in full sun with late afternoon shade, and rich, well-drained soil.

It grows from 36 inches to 48 inches in height. The secret for having peonies that bloom is to plant them at the proper level. The “eyes’’ or growing tips should be set at soil level. If they are planted too deeply, the plant will only grow leaves and will not flower. Organic feed or mulch will encourage blooms.

Placed next to it is Byzantine Gladiolus, a long beloved gladiola brought to America with our colonial forebearers from southern Europe, and which has naturalized throughout the south.

It loves moist, well-drained soil, full sun to part shade. It is hardy in Zones 9 through 6. It grows 24-36 inches tall. The striking, red-violet glads accent the creamy white exterior and the surprising red-violet heart of the peony. There is much to be learned in the garden.

“What’s Blooming In Our Garden’’ is a regular feature of the Tyler Morning Telegraph

Garden Page. It is written by Mary Claire Rowe, a Master Gardener with the Texas Cooperative Extension, and focuses on flowers and plant life around East Texas. To share your comments on gardening, write her in care of the Morning Telegraph.

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Mary Claire Rowe
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