By: Jannie Vaught

A few Saturdays ago in the afternoon I had the opportunity to sit in on the Highland Lakes Native Plant Society of Texas at the Marble Falls Library. The speaker was Hans Landel, Ph.D . Current Interim Invasive Species coordinator at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. First of all the group is fun and enthusiastic and really, “Into” invasive species. What a force that group is and so fun. I came away with 3 plants, always a happy gift for a gardener. Here are some sites to have a look at texasinvasives.org . This covers plants insects and zebra muscles. And how to identify them and get rid of them. Also go the the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on line or best in person. You truly get the importance of keeping the non natives out and encouraging our own Natural Natives and adaptive plants. And don’t forget the Native and Adapted Landscape guide Texas AgriLife Extension, this is a very easy to use book. An earthwise guide for Central Texas.

As for in the garden at my little piece of Heaven it is Growing Lush and abundant. We worked 2 days clearing grass and mowing just to break a path! The apricots are ripening and all the fruit trees are set. And this will be a great fig season. My trees are full of figs! This morning I walked out and picked blackberry’s for breakfast. Sweet and juicy this year. Along with the abundant foliage there is an abundance of insects and being able to tell the difference between good and bad is a chore. I am getting better at it. So far I have treated mites on the tomatoes and harlequin bugs on the Maca greens. But I am looking for the leaf-legged stink bug that were so bad last year. I am using Neem oil in a water spray. Follow directions and plant usage. It can burn certain types of leaves and plants. For those fortunate enough to have an AgriLife office still in their town you can contact them for questions from farming, gardening and canning and preserving. What I learned from this meeting was the ability for plants and invasive plants and critters to travel in and through our state is US! Through boats with zebra muscles in their motors to buying invasive s at the grocery store and not knowing this is not a good plant to put in . When these come in there is less for the natives to thrive on and are often pushed out. Then all the native animals birds and pollinators suffer as well, for lack of habitat and simply something for them to eat.

So Let’s make a point to know what we are planting and driving around with.

Our native land will return to it’s natural state!

Growing Green With Jannie