2019 Spring Forward with “Flower Power”

Spring’s in full swing at St. Charles Street Urban Community Garden & Orchard in the Third Ward community of Houston, TX and here’s what we’ve got popping!

Tropical Hibiscus
Few plants offer the tropical touch of tropical hibiscus. These sun-loving plants feature bold, plate-shaped flowers in a dazzling array of colors. You’ll most commonly find these flowering plants blooming in shades of red, pink, yellow, and orange, but there are also purple, lavender-blue, white…

Texas Blue Bonnets
When spring comes to the Lone Star State, it brings lots of beautiful, colorful wildflowers to the hills and valleys of Texas. Bluebonnets, being one of the state symbols, can be seen growing in every corner of the state, but the Texas Hill Country seems to be their favorite place

Texas bluebonnets are annual plants, meaning they go from seed to flower to seed in one year. They germinate in the fall and grow throughout the winter, and usually bloom around the end of March to the mid-May. Around mid-May, they form a seedpod, which is green at first but turns yellow and then brown. Sometime between the yellow and brown form of the seedpod, the seeds mature. The seedpods pop open, releasing small, hard seeds. .
Pomegranate Fruit Blossoms
The pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae that grows between 5 and 10 m (16 and 33 ft) tall.. The fruit is typically in season in the Northern Hemisphere from September to February.
Climbing Roses
The individual blooms on climbing roses can be of a finer quality and larger than those of the bush form. They generally have a heavy spring crop followed by a better repeat bloom and usually a good fall crop of blooms with a few exceptions. A few seedling Climbing roses bloom only once and are so noted. Some climbers will not bloom the first year as they need time to establish and develop height. Climbers bloom on old wood so many times, they will not bloom until the second year and beyond. Climbing roses are a diverse group with many different heritages, which makes this a wonderfully useful collection of roses. Large flowered climbing roses differ from Ramblers in that they have fewer, yet larger blooms (4-6 inches in size) and are not quite as vigorous. Being so diverse, they vary in winter hardiness, generally climbing roses are hardy zones 5 or 6 through 10 except as unless noted.
Lantana
Growing lantana in the garden is a great way to add color and interest. Simply choose a sunny location and plant them in well-draining soil. Although these plants are tolerant of many soil conditions, lantana flowers prefer slightly acidic soil
Red Amaryllis
Few bulbs are easier to grow than amaryllis — and few bloom with greater exuberance and beauty. Just plant the bulb in good potting soil, water regularly and provide bright, indirect light. 
Succulents
Succulents are popular for two simple reasons: they are beautiful and nearly indestructible. Technically, a succulent is any plant with thick, fleshy (succulent) water storage organs. Succulents store water in their leaves, their stems or their roots. These plants have adapted to survive arid conditions throughout the world, from Africa to the deserts of North America. As a group, succulents include some of the most well-known plants, such as the aloe and agave, and many almost unknown plants. Cacti are a unique subset of the succulent group. Succulents make excellent display plants in dish gardens.

Cherokee Blackberry Blossoms
The Cherokee Blackberry Plant is an upright blackberry plant, which grows to be very vigorous, producing large, sweet, firm fruits. The Cherokee Blackberry will ripen in mid-season, normally in late June to early July. Grows in zones: 5 – 9

Coral Bougainvillea


Bougainvillea are thorny, evergreen summer bloomers, but their orange, yellow, crimson or purple flowers are actually modified leaves called bracts. The bracts surround the actual flowers that are tiny and white. To start growing bougainvillea in gardens, you’ll need to live somewhere warm; otherwise, container growing of bougainvillea is recommended. The plants thrive in USDA hardiness zone 10-11, and will also grow in zone 9 with adequate protection.


Fushia Bougainvillea
Tangerine Blossoms
Tangerine trees are a type of mandarin orange. Delight in the perfumed blossoms and delicious tangerines produced by this tree. May bloom again while fruit still remains on the tree, allowing for different harvest intervals. Heat-tolerant. Fruit takes up to 18 months to ripen. Harvest in winter and spring. Self-pollinating

Peach Blossoms
If you are growing peach trees, you know that they require lots of sunshine. In fact, they thrive in an area where they can soak up the sunshine throughout the whole day. The care of peach trees is not too difficult. They don’t require much fuss and muss.

Spring Break 2019: Second Baptist Church (in Katy, TX) Youth Join Us in our Outdoor Classroom for a Hands-On Lesson in Urban Agricultural Options and Food Desert Solutions.

“Girl Power” sets precedent as these young students tackle the task of putting a fresh layer of heavy mulch on 20+ fruit trees in our orchard –an important seasonal preparation step to retain moisture before the heat of summer takes hold!
Determined not to turn away from a little hard work – these young ladies got the job done!

Girl Scouts Earn a Gardening Badge and Put Seeds in the Ground!


As a former Girl Scout it was my pleasure to provide an educational experience that earned these young Scouts their Gardening Badge!

Each assigned a small bed as their work space to effectively navigate the “Gardening 101” experience: cleaning and weeding, tilling the soil, selecting seasonal seeds and proper planting and tagging techniques! We look forward to our seeing these Girl Scouts again this Summer for a follow-up lesson and to turn our attention to “Garden Art & Beautification!”