What the HECK is an HEIRLOOM? Part 2

What qualifies plants to get shelved into the HEIRLOOM section?

An heirloom at our house is this chair from the bank in Ballinger, TX that my husband's grandfather gave him, along with this horse blanket.

Last week we jumped into a discussion about HEIRLOOMS, one of the current buzzwords in landscaping. Introduction date is the 1st factor that decides a plant’s place as an heirloom, as I indicated, but today we’ll look at the 2nd criteria for that classification: dependability and self-reliance.

Datura bloom from seeds my dad gave me, which I've now passed down to my daughter.

SALVATION ARMY VS FAMILY HEIRLOOM:  In her book What Makes Heirloom Plants So Great? Judy Barrett makes the point they’re “just like heirlooms of any other kind.”  Something ends up a family keepsake because it’s useful to someone.  The item must be handed down to become an heirloom, right?  For plants, they have to be able and stable, handed down from seed (or bulb, or whatever mechanism it reproduces from) to qualify.  ”Able” means the plant CAN be handed down easily, and ”stable” refers to the fact it DOES get handed down, coming back year after year as basically the same plant.  Another name for this is open-pollinated.  An open-pollinated plant will reproduce itself over and over, pretty much unaided.  In the case of an annual plant, like many vegetables and herbs and flowers, those seeds may be saved by someone and then planted the next season.  But the point is, it’s a fairly easy process and — if conditions are right — the plants could get by just fine on their own.

HIT: HEIRLOOM plants that easily make their home in the next generation's garden.

So, why all the fuss about heirloom plants then?

1) THEY’RE EASY!  That doesn’t mean ANY heirloom can go ANYwhere.  A favorite plant usually becomes a favorite because it did well in their specific environment.  If your Aunt Betty’s lily became her stand-by in Indiana, that doesn’t mean it will be yours in New Mexico.

2)  THEY’RE FUN!  Maybe I’m weird, but I enjoy sharing the fruits of my labor AND the seeds.

3) THEY KEEP OUR HISTORY ALIVE!  I get a kick out of putting a few of my ‘Tennis Ball’ lettuce seeds saved from last season in the mail to my daughter and know she’ll be eating the same salad Thomas Jefferson ate at Monticello.  Handing down white cemetery iris from my grandmother to my children gives me joy.  Our family ROOTS remain vital when we grow heirlooms.

MYTH: food is food...or is it?

I also have a theory about what we eat being better for us when we keep it the same as our ancestors.  It just makes sense our bodies recognize what goes in our mouth as food if it’s what’s been going into our mouths for the last few hundred years.  Doesn’t an engine need some tweaking if we pour a different type of fuel in the tank than what’s expected? Think of the difference even within the same plant.  Ever eaten a ripe tomato straight from the field?  Do they taste the same as one from Kroger?  If you have no clue what I’m talking about, read Part 1 of this topic!

Pool problems: my head is swimming trying to decide WHAT to put behind my pool!

Charlene from Texas writes: “Hey, we have a spot behind the pool that gets only a few hours of LATE afternoon, intense sunlight.  Any suggestions?  We have nandina on one side and lorapetalums on the other with wax myrtles behind all. I’d love abelia but hubby thinks that won’t get enough sun.  Thanks!”

When a plant is listed as FULL SUN, it assumes most of the day it will get direct sun.  PARTIAL SHADE lovers – especially those that are grown for the bloom –  need sun for at least a few hours a day.  However, using a shade plant in a spot where afternoon reflective sun might hit it from the pool can be an issue.  Another consideration using a flowering shrub near a pool is WHAT pollinates it?  If the answer is butterflies or moths or hummingbirds, great.  But what if it is a BEE plant?  Will that become an issue with bare feet running around the area?

HIT:

datura (Datura wrightii), also known as Jimsonweed, is a Texas native that sparkles at night pollinated by hawkmoths (www.cheriecolburn.com)

Certainly for Texas, glossy abelia (Abelia grandiflora) would be an option if you have ample room for its size (8′ ht.X5′w, except for more compact selections, such as ‘Golden Glow’ or ‘Francis Mason’).  But also consider a native shrub to make your hedge.  Abelias hale from China (and I don’t mean the one just out of Beaumont, TX!), so they may require a bit of extra care.  Check out  http://npsot.org/  to find the right shrub for the spot.  A few of the things to look at include: 1) mature size, 2) evergreen or deciduous, 3) pollination source, 4) when/if/time of day it has showy blooms and what color are they, 5) poisonous parts, especially if young children or pets might be in the area, and 6) soil type/water needs.  Also, don’t be afraid to use variety, just like nature does.

MYTH:    Although LOTS of flowering plants thrive in the summertime heat, not all require full sun.  Watch your location during different points of the day and chart the sun’s progression.

bee in shade and water-loving crinum lily (Crinum americanum) http://www.cheriecolburn.com

 Seasonal changes make a difference, too, so watch to see if the sun peeks through a shady spot.  (Overhead trees might also lose their leaves giving a nice winter suntan and a needed respite from blazing summer sun.)  Make your plant selections wisely and the likelihood of having to move or re-move it later on will virtually melt away.