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nancyk
April 09, 2021
by Debbie Hopper/Victoria County Master Gardener
Edited by Suzanne LaBrecque/Victoria County Master Gardener
Editor’s note: Victoria County Master Gardeners will feature "A Color for the Month" as part of a 2021 series. April is violet. Watch the colors change in Gardeners' Dirt each month.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER DEBBIE HOPPER
Petunias come in a variety of colors. They are pretty in hanging baskets.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER DEBBIE HOPPER
Verbena is an excellent trailing plant and ground cover.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER DEBBIE HOPPER
Dianthus can bloom through the summer.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER DEBBIE HOPPER
Bougainvillea, which is grown in containers, is popular.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
Spring is finally here and so are the wildflowers. In February, we had an unusual occurrence of what this Texas native calls a “snowstorm.” I know many of you suffered deadly damage to much of your landscape. I had been wanting to make some changes to my landscape and this is a perfect time.
Violet is the most popular color used. It stands for power, leadership, wealth, passion, respect, wisdom and is calming, inspiring and refreshing. It represents the future, dreams and spirituality. Violet has the strength and energy of red as well as the spirituality and integrity of blue. While not as intense as purple, the color violet represents penitence and fasting before Easter and Christmas. Also, violet is used in stained glass windows in churches. History says that kings, rulers and priests dressed in violet. The dye was expensive and only afforded by the wealthy. Small children were sometimes wrapped in violet textiles, hoping to bring them prosperity and success.
Wildflowers
Wildflowers are the first flowers we see in the spring. For me, it signals a new beginning, the future and a new journey in life. Wildflowers begin to appear in March and April. Winecup flowers, vetch, prairie verbena, Texas spiderworts and prairie iris are examples. I mow around them, leaving them for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
Seeds for wildflowers can be purchased from nurseries.
Annuals
Annuals complete their life cycle in one growing season. One such annual is larkspur (Ranunculaceae), which grows in all zones and gets two to four feet tall. It produces flowers of pink, violet, purple, white and mauve.
They will go to seed and spread in your flower bed if you let them and come back the next year. I grow some that were given to me by my grandmother. They are a favorite. Pansies, violas and petunias could also be chosen.
Perennials
Perennials usually live three years or longer. Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas) grows one to two feet and blooms in the summer and fall.
Lavender is grown for its fragrance and for cuttings. It does not like humidity, but Spanish lavender is more tolerant to moisture. It needs a sunny location, with well-drained soil. They are drought tolerant and can be propagated by root division. Other violet-colored perennials include salvia, bougainvillea, dianthus and phlox.
Vines
Wisteria (Wisteria sinensis) is a woody vine with violet-colored, grape-like clusters. It grows in zones 5-9 and is one of the most popular vines.
The gardener must provide a sturdy structure because the woody vine can get 75 feet long. It needs to be pruned twice a year, and it is important to keep it controlled. Clematis, in the buttercup family, is another beautiful vine. It likes cool feet and warm foliage.
Shrubs and trees
Texas mountain laurel (Sophora secundiflora) is a small native evergreen tree growing 20-30 feet with a spread of 10-12 feet. It produces fragrant, violet, wisteria-like flowers that bloom in the spring and has three- to five-inch hard seed pods that are bright red.
It is slow-growing, needs full sun and has few pests. Foliage is poisonous to livestock while seeds and flowers are poisonous to humans. Other shrubs or trees could include crepe myrtle and vitex.
I hope you will try adding violet to your landscape. As you sit in your garden, breathe in the fragrances. Let the color violet inspire you, stretch your imagination, while you relax and escape from reality.
ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk