Clint Horticulture - Blog

Spring!

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 02:41:07 GMT

Spring is just around the corner! There are so many exciting changes to observe in the garden right now.%26nbsp;

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I took a few pictures of some of the beautiful blooms at one our properties this morning.

Listed below are descriptions of the pictures in the slideshow:

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1. Sweet smelling Hyacinth 'Purple Sensation'

2. The leaves of Spirea beginning to emerge

3.%26nbsp; Cheery clusters of Paperwhites

4. A beautiful orange and pink Snapdragon

5. One vivid cherry-red 'Kingsblood' Tulip

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We're looking forward to even more blooms in the upcoming weeks!

Succulent Wreath

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 09:48:26 GMT

CHI recently had a rather fun commission to create two large (24" diameter) succulent wreaths. After a bit of research and design development, we ordered the necessary plants and awaited their arrival in the mail. Once we had all of the supplies in hand, we got right to work. We thought you may like to know how we did it- so here are a few pointers:

Necessary Materials:

Wreath form filled with sphagnum moss
Succulents of your choice
Pencils
Floral pins
Good music and some patience, not mandatory- but we felt quite important!

Steps:

First soak your sphagnum wreath in water until consistently moist throughout (like a moist sponge).
Using your pencil, dig small holes into the wreath to create space for the roots of the succulent plants.
Being careful not to break the delicate succulents, carefully push the plants into the holes- roots first. If using plugs you may need to remove most of the soil from the roots so you can more easily get the plants into the small holes.
Gently press the succulent in as far as you can to stabilize the plant.
Use floral pins as necessary to help further stabilize top-heavy plants or those with no root mass.
Keeping your design intent in mind, continue to fill the entire wreath (top %26amp; sides) with succulents leaving the back empty for hanging purposes.

Our wreaths combined used over 300 plugs (we like it instant around here!). You could easily get by with less as long as you don't mind waiting to see your masterpiece in its full glory.

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A Few More Helpful Hints:

The wreath form can be purchased already filled with sphagnum moss, or you can fill your own.
We used succulent plugs for a more instant effect, but calloused (and better yet, rooted) cuttings will also work.
We recommend keeping your wreaths lying flat for about 3-4 weeks in a nice sunny location in order to root in and establish properly before hanging.%26nbsp;
It is important that the sphagnum moss does not dry out completely. Laying in a tray or tub of water is the best way to water rather than with a hose of spray nozzle directly on the plants themselves. Let the moss soak up the water form the underside and it will do the work for you!
Fertilize only in the growing season using a water-soluble fertilizer. Once a month should be plenty.
You may find that certain plants perform better for you in your area. So, by all means, watch and learn and then go with what works.

Calamondin Harvest

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 02:49:07 GMT

Chip enjoys a potted citrus plant. His ever-expanding collection easily filled the newly enlarged CHI greenhouse this winter. We%26#8217;ve all been able to enjoy the sweet scent of citrus blossoms and get a taste of the tangy kumquats and calamondins.

Calamondins, Citrus mitis, perform quite well in pots and are hardier to cold than any other true citrus species.%26nbsp; The edible fruit of the calamondin are orange, small (1%26#8221; in diameter) and thin-skinned. Just as with kumquats, you can bite right into the peel and enjoy the entire fruit.

%26nbsp;Our beautiful bounty of this tart fruit graced the 2012 CHI Holiday card. And just this week Michelle, Elizabeth, and Chip harvested 18 pounds (see photo)!

Currently, Chip is hard at work turning the large harvest into a spiced marmalade%26#8230;

TARR: Take-All Root Rot

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 04:05:00 GMT

In recent years, a fungal disease that infects the underground organs of turf grasses has wreaked havoc on Texas lawns. This disease, commonly known as Take-All Root Rot (TARR), is caused by the pathogen Gaeumannomyces graminis. The fungus grows in a web on the surface of the roots and causes them to become completely rotted and shriveled and, thus, can no longer function as an efficient root system. The fungus is highly active during the mild temperatures of the spring and fall. However, effects of fungal activity can extend into summer, when the turf can become yellow, thin, and grow weakly. While all species of warm-season turf can be affected, stressed turf, and particularly St. Augustine, struggles the most with TARR.
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Symptoms associated with TARR usually appear in late spring/early summer and can include: yellow patches of grass in the lawn, irregularly shaped thinning spots, dry spots that do no respond to watering, brown to black roots, and ultimately, dead turf. If left completely untreated, this fungal disease can decimate entire lawns.
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Unfortunately, there is no quick treatment that solves the TARR problem. Therefore, when CHI horticulturists come across this disease on a client%26#8217;s property, they proceed with a multi-fold approach. Using knowledge of the disease to effectively attack the pathogen, in conjunction with increasing the health and vigor of the turf, CHI horticulturists can greatly improve the prognosis of an infected lawn. Treatment strategies include application of fungicide when the pathogen is active, aerating and topdressing with peat moss to introduce organic matter and alleviate compaction, raking and removing infected plant material, and sulfur applications to reduce pH.
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There is still more research to be done to fully understand the disease and effectiveness of certain treatments, but it is understood that the long term success greatly depends on a holistic care program that increases the tolerance of the turf to stress factors* and fosters a healthy growing environment through proper mowing, watering, and fertilization programs.
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* Common stress problems found in lawns include: excess shade, thatch, soil compaction, poor drainage, drought, high temperatures, improper use of herbicides, over fertilization, and excess supplemental irrigation.
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Resources:
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Wes Rivers, CHI Horticulturist/Garden Manager
Tim Kiphart, CHI Horticulturist/Garden Manager
http://www.plantanswers.com/root_rot_fungus.htm
http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-0823/ANR-0823.pdf
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/docs/TakeAll.pdf
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October Plant: Curucuma alismatifolia

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 05:04:44 GMT

Curucuma alismatifolia

Common Name:%26nbsp;Siam Tulip, Thai Ginger Lily

Family: Zingiberaceae (Ginger Family)

Type: Herbaceous Perennial

Zone: 8-10

Height: 1.5-2'

Spread: 1-1.5'

Bloom Time: Late Summer-Early Fall

Flowers: Showy, 3" Inflorescence

Sun: Full Sun %26#8211; Part Shade

Water: Consistent Moisture, but well drained

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Culture:%26nbsp;

Plant rhizomes in spring after last frost date in organically rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade (some other species of Curcuma prefer part shade). Plants do well in hot summer with high humidity. Provide regular moisture throughout the growing season and do not allow soils to dry out. Winter hardy to USDA Zones 8-10.

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Noteworthy Characteristics:

The Siam Tulip or Thai Ginger Lily is a part of the very diverse ginger family (Zingiberaceae), home to over 1300 species, including the edible ginger we all love for it's spicy flavor (Curcuma longa (turmeric), the main ingredient in curry powder). It is a rhizomatous tropical perennial that grows to 2%26#8217; tall. It is native to Thailand (formerly known as Siam). Inflorescences, stems and leaves of this plant resemble the flower, stem and leaves of tulips, hence the common name. Siam Tulip is a repeat bloomer that produces abundant inflorescences in late summer through fall. Plants go dormant in winter (first frost-last frost). Each inflorescence (to 3%26#8221; tall) consists of showy, petal-like, pink bracts that surround the tiny, lavender-white, true flowers. The true flowers are seen only if they curl around the bracts edges. Each inflorescence appears atop a rigid, reed-like stem that grows from a clump of narrow, lance-shaped, dark green leaves.

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In the Clint Horticulture Garden:

We found this little jewel while out and about hunting for something different, and are so excited to try it out here in our neck of the woods. The above picture, recently taken in one of our client's gardens, clearly illustrates the similarity to a tulip flower's bell shape and long, narrow leaves. What was exciting to us about this particular variety was that unlike others gingers that we see in the landscape in the Dallas area that prefer the shade, the Thai Ginger Lily likes the full sun. It also has a long growing season, blooming showy bright pink (it also comes in a white variety) flowers throughout summer and fall. These elegant blooms each last up to a month.

This is our first summer to try the Thai Ginger Lily and we're anxious to see how well it lasts through our winter. If all goes well, the plant should go dormant through the coldest parts of winter and reemerge next summer. However, as we all know the winters in Dallas can be a bit unpredictable, so as long as we are not too wet and too cold we should see this beauty next summer!

VOTE FOR US!!!!

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:18:22 GMT

We've been nominated by the Editors at D Magazine for the 2012 Best of Big D Reader's Choice - BEST LANDSCAPE DESIGN SERVICE in Dallas! Wow what an honor - we are super excited to even be on the list! We are nominated along with 9 other Prominent Landscape Architecture and Design Firms!

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We need your help though - Voting is for a very limited time NOW - May 27th!

you can VOTE DAILY - we are poll #20

and most importantly you must click SUBMIT at end for your votes to count!

and by no means do you have to vote on all polls - but we would love if you would support our friends who are up too!

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Bell 'Invito as Best Stationer in Dallas (they did a fabulous job with our cards and letterhead!) and

Trinity River Audubon Center as Best Family Attraction in Dallas (our friends, avid nature lovers, and educators - and if you haven't been... GO Already! and don't forget to visit Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center too!)

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We are going to make it super easy for you!%26nbsp;

VOTE HERE

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tell your friends...

and thanks so much for your support!

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Carpe Diem -

Emily

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Color your world

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 10:38:30 GMT

Believe it or not... i have been busy as a bee all summer working away on my fall color plant palettes. It may seem a little strange to already be planning the seasonal color that we won't even think about installing until mid-november (December preferably). But, in our industry - the spring and fall always sneak up on us... and at a moments notice a client is ready to 'freshen' things up... and after the summer we are experiencing now, i know the same will hold true this season! I like to think that i'm super organized (though that's not necessarily the case), and always ready for those moments - but let's just say - i work well under pressure.. probably too well! I do however, work extremely hard on getting my seasonal color planned, booked, and ready to go-- AHEAD of schedule. Many of you may think - 'what... plan seasonal color, why don't you just go buy some pansies and stick 'em in the ground' - and if that's the case, then you don't know me! We take a lot of pride in our seasonal color displays here at Clint Horticulture - and i have A LOT of fun working on the palettes! I'm pretty detail oriented - and pretty big on always trying something new and different. I also love unexpected plant combinations... so in the sport of out-doing myself each season, i plan away. As i am getting ready to book the majority of my plants for installation this fall - i wanted to share with you 3 of my favorite palettes! I'll have to say this season - i'm pretty big into the monochromatic color schemes - they are just so darn dramatic... and are really quite showstopping in person! if you keep your eyes peeled this winter and early spring... you may just see a few of these combos brightening up the gardens around town!

Cheers to COLOR!

moss as we know it...

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 11:28:38 GMT

Moss - as you may have noticed - has become quite the trend in the past couple of years... and with good reason! who doesn't like the thought of cool, green, fuzziness underneath our feet. or in a bowl. or hanging on the wall. or well anywhere within view for that matter! unfortunately, here in sunny (a bit of spite in my voice) texas - we don't grow too much moss, not long term anyway. i occasionally have the privilege of stumbling across a cute little stand hiding in a shady stone path... or wandering up the bark of a tree (see photo -yes i took that here in sunny texas) i've used it in terrariums. i use dried moss for indoor arrangements and accents all the time. But i stumbled across some other ideas for moss - that may just get you thinking about moss in a whole new light... i know i am!

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living moss table by Ayodhyatra more info here

living moss bath mat by Nguyen La Chanh more info here

living moss headboard by Lovetann more info%26nbsp;here

living moss on tree (Dallas resident) by E. Cauble

Now thats an idea...

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 02:58:32 GMT

let me just say, Emily and Heat - do not go well together, and well 36+ days of 100 degrees... is just about ridiculous! let me rephrase - IS RIDICULOUS.%26nbsp; i love texas for many reasons - but heat, unrelenting, dry heat, that makes grown men cry - is not one of them! that said, while longing for ways to get my plant fix - sans swelter - i came across this novel idea, and just couldn't keep it to myself!

Tuscany-based designer, Carmel Walsh - takes us for a 'walk on the wild side' with her botanical infused shoes... great for walking, planting, and being the talk of every summer party!! the best part is - you can wear them INSIDE!!

i can envision these with so many different plantings - something for every season... succulents for summer, little baby conifers for winter, full of herbs for spring... and what about moss - oh my goodness... enough to make you forget all about that darned heat-miser!

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see the full write-up on Carmel Walsh and her Living Shoes here.

I'm all Aglow...

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 12:45:23 GMT

Thats right... i'm glowing at probably, my new favorite Echeveria --- Afterglow! i mean really, how cool is this guy... he literally glows in the sunlight. Its the perfect combination of cool blue with that glowing rim of pink and coral that catches light perfectly. Quite frankly this picture just doesn't do it justice! i've been using him wherever i can - in pots, in beds and i just can't get enough! here i combined him with the (cute as a button) sedum 'ogon' that stays nice and yellow to play off his stately blue tones.

I'm dying to mix him in with some more traditional plantings... something unexpected - i think he'd be a nice touch.

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Spring Has Sprung....

Fri, 18 Mar 2011 04:15:00 GMT

...well not according to the calendar - but if you happen to live in North Texas - you may know just what i'm talking about! I'm a little taken aback by just how springy it is.. i mean - the tulips are almost done, and that makes me quite sad... seeing as how i haven't had many chances to get out of the office and take pictures. In fact - i missed some tulips that we planted entirely! But i did get a chance to snag a few pics of just what i see when i think of spring, like all the dormant perennials that start emerging - and they are so darsh gone cute when they are just peeping up out of the ground! You can drive past any garden center and they are already bustling with people who have been bitten by the planting bug... well here's to spring! may it be long and colorful -

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i hope you take the time to stop and smell the roses (or any other plant that tickles those olfactory senses of yours)!

Get Your Vote ON!!!!

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:33:14 GMT

The Center for Growing People (Our Saviour Community Gardens) needs your votes! They are one of 15 community gardens across America in line to receive a shared sum of $20,000 from DeLoach. The 5 gardens who receive the most votes win! You can vote ONCE PER DAY from now until August 1, 2011 - and the winners will be announced in the October/November issue of Organic Gardening!

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The Center for Growing People hopes to build fully accessible pathways and beds for gardeners with disabilities - who can say no to that!

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Watch their video here (its the second to last one) and cast your vote!

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'The Center for Growing People is a community gardening training project of the Dallas Urban Gardening Initiative (DUG IN) in partnership with Heifer International

This center, located on the grounds of Our Saviour Episcopal Church encompasses indoor classroom space, an outdoor teaching pavilion/water catchment structure, fruit orchards and vineyard, composting center, individual plots for families (Plot Against Hunger), and a community operated farm for food pantry production (Just Greens).%26nbsp; %26nbsp;

This project began in 2003 with an initial group of 20 plots for families and a small pantry plot.%26nbsp; Two years later, from 2005, the major support for this training center came through a multi-year partnership with Heifer International.%26nbsp; With Heifer%26#8217;s support the fruit orchard and vineyard were established, regular workshops and trainings have benefited hundreds of people, animals including earthworms (vermiculture), bees, and chickens were added to compliment gardening activities, and donations of fresh produce to the needy have exceeded 7,000 pounds per year. %26nbsp;

The Center for Growing People is the only facility of its kind in North Texas, and currently GICD (Gardners In Community Development) is able to provide training through hands-on and volunteer opportunities to other neighborhoods, churches, organizations and individuals that need a model to follow, want organizational training, and are in the process of starting and learning to maintain sustainable community food projects.

Most of GICD%26#8217;s work is done by volunteers.%26nbsp; These wonderful people help tend the grounds, they plant, weed and harvest the pantry plots, they help teach those who come to the center, and many serve by going out and helping when other neighborhoods begin projects.%26nbsp; This is a labor of love for gardening, for the earth, and for each other.'%26nbsp; - GICD website %26nbsp;

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A SPECIAL THANKS!!

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 03:45:22 GMT

We are sooo excited about the launch of our new and improved website!! we have been working away on this project for about 2 years now... so to have it all ready, well 'excited' is an understatement! With that said, we could not have done it alone. We'd like to take a moment to send out a special thanks to everyone who has helped us make this vision a reality:

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TO OUR CLIENTS - we would have nothing to fill our pages and portfolio, if it weren't for you. We love watching your gardens transform and are extremely grateful to call you friends! Thank You for allowing us to be a part of your gardens... it is truly an honor!! And thanks for allowing us to showcase your gardens.

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To The Old State - you have been so diligent in making this site represent who Clint Horticulture is. From the bottom of our hearts we want to Thank You! Gabe - it has been a pleasure working with you - thanks so much for your dedication to this project - it's been fun being on the receiving end of the design process for a change! We also have to give a little shout out to Gabe - who is an amazing artist - you can see some of his work here.

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To Melissa Zihlman - Thanks so much for the amazing head shots... they are truly beautiful. Your vision exudes the Clint Horticulture aesthetic! To stay current with Melissa's photography handiwork - check out her blog

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To bell'INVITO - it all started with a calling card - the amazing letterpress cards that catch everyone's attention! The clean and earthy design that embodies Clint Horticulture, was the starting point for this transformation!

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And Finally, To the Clint Horticulture Team - Thank You for your positive attitudes, diligent work ethic, and constant innovative ideas! We have much to look forward to in the future!

Steal my Heart

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:46:49 GMT

Succulents do just that.... steal my heart. i love to use them mixed with other unexpected plants, like these snapdragons for instance! And even though Texas in general conjures up images of cacti and tumbleweeds, many succulents are not hardy for us.. so containers are great ways to give those cute little kalanchoes a chance.

Pictured here is Agave 'Jaws', Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea', and Antirrihnum majus 'Montego Purple'

Its Hip to Be Square...

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:11:23 GMT

when you're a vegetable that is. %26nbsp;who wouldn't die to call this french kitchen garden home? cabbage never looked so good as it does here, in this hip monoculture. now if only we all had hundreds of acres to for our veggies to call home!

Kitchen gardens are common place for the Estates in Europe - and believe it or not.. the urban vegetable garden has become quite a trend in the states as well- even if our spaces are not as expansive!!

Photos taken at Chateau Villandry by ACM PHOTOGRAPHY - click here to see more of this incredible garden!

The Cool way to Compost

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:04:32 GMT

Composting is becoming quite the trend for urban gardeners... and although this practice has been going on for centuries - never has it looked so cool as it does now! check out these custom compost bins - designed and built by the cool cats at Clint Horticulture!

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These really are Cool Compost Bins - no really. There are two kinds of composting - Hot and Cool. Cool Composting (also known as Slow Composting) is a much lower maintenance route, generally taking 6 months to 2 years to decompose, before you incorporate it back into the garden. There is no turning involved - you just pile up your grass clippings, leaves, twigs, food remains, etc., and let nature take it's course. It is important to keep weeds and diseased plant materials out of cool compost piles because the temperatures do not get high enough to kill them. However cool composting has been shown to better suppress soil-borne disease than hot composting.

For more information on Cool Composting and backyard composting in general - check out the NRCS website.

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