Unusual February

I had hoped that by the time I wrote this article some of the spring wildflowers would be blooming. It has been so dry and cold at night that the plants are wisely waiting for rain before they emerge.

We have passed mid February and the conventional saying is that now you can trim your roses, but I am waiting a bit longer this year. Cutting back the roses stim ulates them to put out new leaves. If new leaves are hit by the low 20s weather they will die. I can still hear the outrage in my Grandmother’s voice when she lost some of her roses due to a cold snap after she pruned her roses at the usual time.

Primrose Bush Jasmine is said to be evergreen. My bushes have only dead leaves now. Last year the plant sent up new branches after the severe freeze but the branches with dead leaves did not revive. Time will tell if this plant continues to be an effective evergreen shrub hedge in our area.

I took a trip to Fredericksburg last week and did not see any roadside wildflowers. I did see the bright red berries on the Possum Haw Holly ( Ilex decidua).

Even the weeds we usually see this time of year are absent such as bedstraw.

Bedstraw is a plant that youngsters find amusing because the narrow leaves found in whorls around the square stem have tiny bristles on the edges. Hence it sticks to your clothing acting like a natural velcro. Nature knows how to amaze.

Written by Jackie Mattice Hays County Master Naturalist