Mar 1998 -Reid Lewis - Native Texas Plants

Ramblings of March 1998

It's March and closing in on April and it's all about to bust loose. We had a very mild winter and we've had just a bit of rain. . . now add some days of sun. As of the 21st we hit that 12 hours of daylight, 12 hours of dark mark so it really is Spring. Hold on, boys and girls, because it just might be a great Spring show.

So many things are happening now. The soil is warming up and in turn the microbes and the plants are coming to life. The Sandhill Cranes sing in the sky as they pass overhead — it's time for them to move North again. The white bass have moved upstream to spawn and to start the whole circle over once again. Life is such a joy and wonder (as it should be every day). It's all within us to "see" if we just look. So stop for a moment now and then to talk to the stars at night. (I like Orion myself. . .we have an ongoing conversation most every night at my front gate.) Watch the clouds dancing as they roll by on the winds, and of course sunrises and sunsets. You know they happen every day. How lucky I am to have a view to the east from my little living room so that every morning as I drink my coffee and listen to tunes (too loud most of the time), I can see the sky wake up. Oh yes, Spring is here and a wonderful time will be had by all, I hope.

Now with that being said, let me get back to my intended thought when I started this at 4:30 a.m. It all started with thoughts of societies of different kinds or groups of like minds that share a common interest or goals. (Now bear with me on this. It might just come around full circle, or maybe not.) I know many of you belong to more than one society or group, be it PTA or beekeepers. I know I'm up to my chin in groups, never a dull moment, don't you know. Now one of my interests has always been the learning of the native American peoples from the Brujos of Central Mexico to the Medicine Wheel of the North Plains. I can still feel the energy in my mind as I sat upon Harney Peak in the Black Hills where Black Elk had his vision over 100 years ago. And always plants are part of all these people whose lives are interwoven with what the earth can offer, be that for food, power, medicine, sacrifice or just pleasure. The plants are a part of the people and people are part of the earth.

One society of the great plains was a group who were looked upon as very strange (unlike us, right?) to those who did not understand the whole picture of the people who lived upon the plains — the "Contraires." It was a hard life for those who were choosing to live this life. Everything they did was backwards. When they said hello they meant goodbye; if it was the worst meal they'd ever eaten, you "done good" and if they were going to run away from the friends of the tribe you had better watch your topknot when you slept. OK, now hang in there, this is where I'll try to pull this together. Let's be a little "contraire."

Yes, it's Spring. But think about fall. Remember all the things that looked so good and got your attention. Well, now is the time to plant for that show. Most garden centers will focus on spring with roses and redbuds so to speak, and that's fine. It's what most people want and think about, but what I'm saying is to think about it. Try to plant for opposite seasons. Plant in the spring for fall. Plant in the fall for spring. Your show will be much better then. If you buy a flowering plant now and want it to look good, in three weeks it won't look bad, but next year after it's had time to grow is when it will look great. Plants need time in the ground, so think about what you buy and when you buy it. What was it that got your attention back in September, October and November? The fragrant mistflower (Eupatorium havanense) loaded with white flowers that smell so good and draw butterflies on their fall migration south? What about the beautiful vermillion flowers of Mountain Sage (Salvia regla), or the strong purple spikes of Gayfeather (Liatris mucronata), or the tall golden Maximilian Sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani) that will feed the birds in the winter long after it has delighted you? The Lacey Oak (Quercus glaucoides) that turned such beautiful colors are just now about to bust buds with those peachy colored new leaves. Think about the Golden-eyes (Vigueria dentata) and the Black Dalea (Dalea frutescens) and American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), not to mention all the grasses that flower in the fall and put texture in the winter landscape. Grasses like Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ), Gulf Coast Muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) and Lindheimer Muhly (Muhlenbergia lindheimeri). The Possumhaws (Ilex decidua) looked fine this winter and Rusty Blackhaw (Viburnum rufidulum) when not in bloom gives such wonderful fall color, plus the bark is beautiful in itself.

Think back a little before you get too overloaded by sensory input, to that other season of change, for in time it will be here again. Be a little "contraire" now and then. It's good for you and keeps everyone around you on their toes. So til next time, where I come from, this is how we say goodbye. . .Hello.