Friday, May 9, 2014

National Wildflower Week: The Zexmenia Project and a few other wildflowers

It's National Wildflower Week sponsored by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and I'm celebrating with a post on the latest wildflower project in my garden.  I call it the "Zexmenia Project".

About two years ago I planted a native Zexmenia in the circle garden.  Zexmenia is quite literally native to my neighborhood and I find it growing in many untended spots within walking distance so it was a natural choice for a native flowering plant in my garden.

Blooming almost non-stop through our hot summers, it was a big success.  It's a drought tough, heat tolerant, flowering plant and the deer do not even nibble on it.  The only deer damage is if they happen to step on it.



This one plant did so well in the garden that it generated tons of seedlings which I dug and potted up this spring. After they had a chance to develop good roots for about six weeks I began planting Zexmenia ranging from 4" to one gallon size out along the trees and property line.  This morning we finished planting eight of them just in time for a nice downpour of rain.


Here's a before from a different angle.


After from a similar view, just a bit to the left.  We've also added flowering natives Bee Brush, Crucita, Scarlet Buckeye, and Ironweed along this line.


Zexmenia should do well there.  Here's a photo of Zexmenia growing in the wild taken just across the creek behind those trees you see in the above photo.  The goal is to have a row of native flowering plants to make the property line look intentionally natural instead of neglected.


Even with the lack of rain this spring a few of my favorite wildflowers taking hold in the garden.  Mexican Hat (Ratibidia columnifera) flowers are a favorite in the garden this time of year.  The colors range from a mix of yellow to burgundy with a lot of variation in pattern.



The one color that had eluded my attempts to establish it in the garden is solid yellow and this year the yellow variation has appeared in a low spot just below the circle garden.  I like it with the purple Prairie Verbena.


I'll be celebrating National Wildflower Week tomorrow with a trip to Austin for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Gardens on Tour event.   You can visit the National Wildflower Week site for ideas on promoting wildflowers and native plants in your community.

26 comments:

  1. I love the look of wild flowers - especially in a more arid garden. There's something romantic about the whole look. It makes me think of the mediterranean, sun-drenched hillsides ... ahh. I could go for some hot sunshine right about now!

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    1. We'll be envious of your cool breezes in July and August.

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  2. Nice tribute to our wildflowers, Shirley. I love zexmenia--so tough and hardy and always in bloom during our long growing season.

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    1. It's a great native plant for our area. They were used a lot in the Austin gardens we visited yesterday.

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  3. Zexmenia is so under-used in gardens. It's great and tough as nails. Your border is going to look great.

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    1. From the looks of the gardens we toured yesterday it is becoming popular quite quickly now.

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  4. Very nice! I wasn't familiar with Zexmenia before. Sounds like the perfect plant for your borders. The Ratibida sure is fun. It reminds me of the Prairie Clovers--Dalea candida and D. purpurea. I keep thinking I want to find a place for them in my garden. Love the form of the blooms!

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    1. We have several native Daleas in Texas and the blooms are quite pretty.

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  5. Thank you Shirley for sharing, I learned many wild flowers of Texas. It's nice to protect them and propagate
    collecting seeds!

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    1. That's fun to hear that you have learned so much about our famous wildflowers in Texas. I do try to keep them going in my yard.

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  6. Shirley, I always learn something new from you! For some reason I never thought about adding Zexmenia to my yard in the front where the deer are. The Mexican Hat is everywhere, but I'd like to add something else so I'll start looking for seeds or transplants. Have fun in Austin today!

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    1. It just might work for your front area and I should have more available to share later in the year. They reseed quite prolifically.

      I can't wait to here how your Saturday went too!

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  7. Oops. I did not know it was National Wildflower Week. I better take some pictures before the week ends. Sounds like you have a nice plan for the Zexmenia. It is a great care free plant. I bought one plant 20 years ago and its seedlings populated the garden at my first house and now this one. What is the purple flower in the background of the fifth photo? I am looking forward to your tour photos.

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    1. The Wildflower Center Tour coincides with National Wildflower Week each year so that's how I know.

      I don't know the name of that purple flower yet but I did get it to grow in my garden last summer. It has not returned this year so I'll get more and see if I can find it in a reference.


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  8. I'm with Melody - Zexmenia is not in my collection out front and it most definitely should be (forehead slap!). I have a new stand of Mexican Hat in the solid yellow color out back and am trying to transplant a few out front to join the mix. It is gorgeous against the purple verbena of course and I want to establish some behind a couple of lavender plants and mealy blue sage for the same reason.

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    1. That sounds beautiful Deb. All those colors mix so well. When they go to seed I cut a few off and drop them where I want new ones next year which seems to work most of the time.

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  9. Hi Shirley - I love this post, actually all your posts!- and will be running to Rainbow Garden tomorrow to get some Zexmenia!. I recently moved from owning a house with an established garden to a rental with a yard that had been ignored and neglected for years. I am seizing the opportunity to put in a native (mostly) dry garden as I am a compulsive gardener. And I live in San Antonio so most of your garden posts are ones I can use. Judith Schara

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    1. Thank you for stopping by Judith, I glad to know another gardener in SA and that you are learning a bit about native plant gardens from my posts.

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  10. I love those Mexican hats, but can't make them work here. I'm taking a page from your book and transplanting some of the natives from our woods into the garden. Fingers crossed they take.

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    1. That sounds like a great plan Ricki. The best plants for an area are those which already grow there. The Mexican Hats like it hot and dry, two conditions which I think are rare in PNW.

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  11. Nice to see the "natives" doing so well in your garden. Use of them sure makes garden work easier - indeed! JC

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  12. Our Zexmenia is just now getting out of the gropund good. Amazing what 200 miles of north make to plants. Rain moving in here as I type, and I hope it soaks you , too !

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  13. I love zexmenia! It's such a carefree plant. Mine has been flowering for several weeks now. It seems to thrive on neglect. I lost a lot of plants this winter, but I plan to fill the empty spaces with more winners like zexmenia.

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  14. Zexmenia is my go-to plant when I have a spot where other plants fail to thrive. It's just an easy, lovely plant to grow.

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  15. I love Zexmenia too. It is always a bright spot in the height if summer. A little weedy but I do forgive it for that.

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  16. I am loving your latest project:). Pretty validating I bet too, that everywhere we looked on sat there was " your flowers"!!!!!

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