August 2016

Remember this?  One of three tuteurs that were disintegrating.  I decided to use this one as a pattern and make new ones.

My basic materials.

The finished product, at last!  These are much sturdier than the originals.

My lemon tree is loaded.

This datura was planted by the birds and has never been given any attention.  No additional water, nothing!  And it is right next to the road in the blistering sun.  Mother Nature does lit best.

Bloom time for the Texas Cenizo.  I bought the pot because the color just matched the shrub flowers.  This is the first significant bloom I've had in this pot and I love it.

Want to know how to propagate Texas Mountain Laurel?  I got this lesson from Cheryl McLaughlin from her radio garden show on KLBJ Sundays at 10:00am.  She is an exper on native plants.

I give the seed hulls plenty of time to fill out then I cut one open at a joint with a razor.

Break open the pod at that joint.  Try not to cut the sead inside the pod.

Take a sliver out of the side so you can peel away the pod.

Nice fat seed here.  Peel away the seed pod

Leave the seed out for an hour or more and if it starts to turn pink or reddish then the seeds are good to plant in potting soil or seed starter mix.  If they do not change color, wait another week or so and try shelling another seed pod.  When they have reached this stage they will germinate very quickly and with a high success rate.  Treat like any new seedling.  They are really tough and do not like a lot of water.