What's Growing #3 - An Impressive Woman

Posted by talkdirt

Posted: April 20, 2008 - 4:49 pm

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Linda Lockhart, center, in "Who Ya Gonna Call?" at the 2nd Annual North Root Big Lake Gardeners Spring Gardening Symposium. Photo by Fran Durner"Is there anything you can't do?" asked a participant of Linda Lockhart at this weekend's 2nd Annual North Root Big Lake Spring Gardening Symposium.

I think everyone in the room was thinking the same thing. Lockhart organized the 2nd annual symposium this year (after founding and organizing it last year) scored stuff for door prizes and the goodie bags for each of the 75 participants, rounded up volunteers to help (including husband John Erskine) and items for the silent auction. All to benefit the Mid-Valley Senior Center in Houston, where the event was held. (Applause to the Center for their hospitality and the tasty lunch!)

Linda Lockhart, right, with Sharon Taylor of the Willow Garden Club who gave a presentation on "Planting to Attract Birds" at the symposium. Photo by Fran DurnerShe is one of the founding members and the current president of the North Root Big Lake Garden Club, gardens intensely from seeds she starts herself, runs her own graphics business, gives classes and in some of her spare time (does she ever sleep?) composes music, like she did for the slide presentation she gave at the symposium.

She also organized a corny musical number at the symposium - "Who Ya Gonna Call? Moosebusters!" That got a lot of laughs.

When Linda answered my query about what seeds she had started, this is what she said:

"Got lots of stuff started this year. What I've decided is that I should only grow from seed those things that are not readily available from the nurseries. Only spend my precious space starting goodies that I've had luck with in the past and try some interesting things that I've always wanted to that I know won't show up in 6-packs somewhere."

The setup for starting from seed inside the Lockhart-Erskine garage. Yep, there is still room for the car! Photo by Fran Durner"Black Pearl Peppers - black foliage and black peppers."

"Silver Shadow Geranium - magenta flowers with silver-traced foliage."

"Black Prince Tomatoes - Russian strain of short season tomatoes that have black fruit. Sounded just too interesting to pass up!"

"Cobaea Scandens. Both purple and alba. I grow these magnificent climbers every year. Lots of them, though it's hard to find the seed, I start enough so that my garden club members can all have some."

"Early Girl Tomatoes. The only reliable producer for outdoor production. Lots of these which I will also share with my club. Jelly Bean Tomatoes. Grew these last year with good results. If I had planted them up sooner, would have had lots more than we got. Will try to keep ahead of them this year. Will share extras with the club."

Variegated-leaf milk thistle. Photo by Fran Durner."St. Mary's Milk Thistle - varigated foliage. I've had these before, but never from seed. "

"Double Cosmos. These are quite spectacular and I've started a bunch to fill in around the lilies when they are done."

"Stevia. Herbal sweetner that I use in my herb teas. This grew for me gangbusters last year, and I've got some great starts going already this year. It seems the ones I grow from seed have much larger leaves (the best part) and grow better than the starts I've found at some of the greenhouses. Starting both commercial seed and seeds from my collection. If I've got good germination from my seed collection, will share with the club next year."

"Hops. Going to give this beautiful vine a try. Russian Olive tree seed. I have germination on quite a few of these, though they were supposed to stratify for several months. We'll see."

"Riverbank Grape. A grape native to the Pacific Northwest. I'll try anything at least once. Slow germination, but it looks like we're getting there."

"Myrrh. We'll see. Could be an interesting addition to the herbs I already grow in my very dry 'Mediterranean Herb Bed' where they will join oregano, tarragon, hyssop, certain monardas, French marigolds, chamomille and others."

"Sesame. These are doing very well. They bloom pink, don't know if I'll have any seeds, but the flowers in the photos are pretty!"

"Ornamenta Corn. Not the ears, but the leaves. They are striped with white and pink. Should provide a great backdrop to the rich, purple Wild Mountain Orach that comes up in a specific place in my garden every year. I don't expect corn, just cool foliage. Will also use some of these in containers."

"Lots of lilies and dahlias. Asparagus. New Zealand Delphiniums. Scabiosa and more. Kale will have to wait a couple of weeks. I'll start lots of these. Last year's batch got huge and extraordinarily beautiful. I've never seen such magnificent flowered, ruffled, colored kale. Just the seed for ornamental kale from Denali seeds. These plants were at least 3 feet tall and 3 feet across! They took up a lot of room, but come fall, WOW! were they something. Lots of steer manure was the trick. Will have to plant them in another location in the garden this year, I hear it's not good to plant cole crops in the same place twice."

Incarvillea delavayi or Hardy Gloxinia. Photo by Fran Durner.The best surprise however, was in the garage bay used by husband John. On a sunny windowsill was a plant with big blooming pink flowers, Incarvillea delavayi also known as "Hardy gloxinia."

Very, very impressive.

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