Ravenea rivularis Planted June 1997 Majesty Palm

 Garden View
1997/2000

 Sabal palmetto Planted June 1997 palmetto Palm

 Rhapis excelsa Planted February 1997
Lady Palm

 Garden View
1999/2000 growing season

 Wodyetia bifurcata Planted June 1997 Foxtail Palm

 Phoenix roebelenii Planted Jan. 1997
Pygmy Date Palm

 

 Back to main menu part one January-June
January-June

 Back to main menu part two July- December
July-December

Comparison page, images of our garden 1997 - 2001

These pages are designed as a comparison in order to examine and to note the similarities or differences of our garden plants and palms from 1997 to 2000 (three full growing seasons). We are not strict organic gardeners, but we do try to stay within the organic principles and guidelines to protect and preserve nature (our planet earth) and all friendly critters within. Because of our high humidity along the coast of South Texas, we have been forced in the past to use fungicides from time to time, this year we started using Neem Oil and Physan the later being recommended by John Anderson with excellent results. We try and use good sound garden hygiene practices and hand pick the bad bugs from our plants whenever possible. The use of compost, Aspergillus inoculants and organic fertilizers like "Golden Harvest" and an "EcoSane" combination, on a regular consistent schedule, suits our requirements and garden needs well.

1996-1997

Jana and I moved to Corpus Christi Texas in November of 1996, and having to leave a lush (Pacific Northwest Tropical Garden) that we designed, developed and nurtured for 5 years wasn't all that easy. When we arrived in South Texas to our new home there wasn't a palm or tropical plant in our yard. That soon changed, we had two palms in the ground before our furniture arrived, and when spring came we were busy digging and planting seven days a week. By the end of summer 1997 we had almost 70 palms in the ground along with many tropical plants, built a deck with a spa and proceeded to enjoy the warm pleasant fall months in our newly planted tropical garden.

I can remember sitting in the hot tub looking all around and wondering how big our plants would get next year, like a kid with a new toy I was truly in a paradise of a wealth of greenery and exotic flora, yet on the other hand I worried about the coming winter months and wondered if I'd have anything left, come spring. As the winter came and went, we were blessed with a mild season, even after a few nights below freezing cold weather, we didn't lose one plant or palm.

1998-1999

As the spring of '98 approached Jana and I once again started to work in the garden, this time cleaning up after the winter (month) and planting more tropicals and palms. The summer of 1998 was hot and dry (record all time high of 103°), we we're clearly in a drought and on restricted watering, yet our garden grew despite the lack of rain or a regular watering champaign. We began working on our cacti garden, designing new beds, moving plants to a more suited spot and making plans for what to plant in other areas of our garden. The summer passed too fast and soon November was upon us and we were ready to face a new winter, again I worried about an Arctic outbreak of cold frigid weather.

By the middle of December my fears of a cold snap came to pass, and the weather people all predicted doom and gloom for us tropical gardeners. It did get cold, well anyway for me, as I became acclimated to the hot Texas summer heat and any thing below 50°F was chilling. December 1998 (Christmas day freeze) Sky cleared about 4:00 pm and temperatures dropped to 31°F and lasted all day on the 26th, and went above freezing the next day. It was too cold for me to get out and wrap any of our plants so they went unprotected. We also had two hard frosts, the first was from 4:00am to about 7:30 pm low temperature was 31F the next was 6:00pm to about 7:00pm low temperature was 32°F on both days temperatures went up to the 60's within a few hours, I did take the garden hose and tried to wash the frost off before sunrise (was it ever cold, it took me most of the day to thaw myself out). Again none of our palms were protected during this freeze or cold spell. As Mike Burnett said of a nursery in, I believe San Antonio, whose motto is, "We try and kill our plants, the ones that 'live', we sell!" this is the way I feel about my plants because when and if they do get large(r), trying to cover them would be next to impossible (still I worry like some mother hen especially now that they are getting bigger). Out of this cold spell and frost our tender palms did sustain some damage, but all recovered well.

1999-2000

Though rainfall was sparse in '99, and the fact we had a near miss with a hurricane (Bret) which did some damage to our plants and palms, it has was by far, the best growing season (our second) since moving here from our cool tropics in Oregon. During November Jana and I put over two tons of cotton mulch to a depth of 3 to 4 inches on top of the garden beds and around some palms. This past winter 1999-2000 was very mild our lowest temperature 31°F at the airport and 33°F our garden in fact we had a couple days where temperatures were in the 90's during the day both in January and February. Nothing was damaged out side of some minor wind ware and tear. December I started a new garden bed, in which Manahot, Syagrus romanzoffiana, Livistona chinensis, Carica papaya, Cuphea sp., Phoenix roebelenii, Phoenix humilis among other plants, were planted and are for the most growing very fast as of June, 2000.

July and August 2000 brought little rain the the Texas Riviera, temperatures were in the mid to high 90s while lows never went below 72°. September brought record breaking temperatures. First the old record of 103° (set in June of 1998), were broken several times 106°, 107° and 109°, in fact we stayed in the century mark for one week, this is indeed a rarity for Corpus Christi.

October 2000 brought on the first cold front of the season, temperatures went from 96° to an all time record low of 44°. During this time an all time record high-low of 45° was recorded along with about 1 inch of badly needed rain.

Fall and early winter brought cooler than normal temperatures to the Coastal Bend. Unlike last years winter (1999-2000) in which temperatures were 5-10 degrees above normal, this winter season the temperatures are about 5-10 degrees cooler. Lowest temperature recorded this year was 28°F but with out frost. For more information on this years winter weather Winter Weather 2000-2001 a summary of events & damage. One final note; We leave this year with a deficient of about 9 inches of rain, making Y2k, a very dry year.

2000-2001

This by far was the coldest winter, we have experienced sense moving to Corpus Christi. The average day and night time temperatures were from 2 to 5 degrees below normal. Although we only had three frost and temperatures never went below 30° F, the cool days and night made for mighty slow growing. Spring came early to South Texas (February 3rd.) and by March things really starting growing again. Summer temperatures were somewhat normal with no real hot spells (over 100°) but the lack of rain hit home real hard and we were forced to use water rationing by the end of August 2001. Some new palms were planted this year Livistona carinensis, Sabal mauritiiformis, a Livistona hybrid from San Antonio Botanical Gardens and a Queen Sago.

Remember, a well managed soil, which is kept active and healthy, equals healthy and actively growing plants. The use of pesticides, fungicides and herbicides only destroys the microorganisms in the soil, thus a low biota count causes plants to get stressed and the plants will not properly take in nutrients. Poor soil equals poor growth and unhealthy plants. Feed the soil and the soil feeds the plants, the plants provide compost and the compost feeds the biota, simple soil bionomics, mother nature has been doing it for millions of years. I'd like to think that this same school of thought, is why our garden literally exploded in growth these past few years. I guess as the saying goes, "The first year your garden sleeps, the second year your garden creeps, the third year your garden leaps!"

Below and at the top of this page, are some links, to images of our garden from 1997 to 2001, as words can sometimes become confusing and misleading, seeing is believing, and a picture (side-by-side) is worth a thousand words. Compare for yourself and see after three years of growing, just how much our garden did grow, "you be the judge!" Remember, safe gardening is of all our concern, organic is best, but if you do use chemicals and poisons please read the instructions very carefully and always follow the directions, use the right equipment, ware the proper clothing and eye protection spray safe. Remember always beware, that some plants and palms have barbs, spines and needles, so be extra cautious! Enjoy!

 

1997-1998 (Getting Started), (1998 Image Gallery) removed from internet
1998-1999 (1998 Image Gallery), (1999 Image Gallery)
removed from internet
1999-2000 (1999 Image Gallery), (2000 Image Gallery,
part 1 & part 2)
2000-2001 (
2000 Winter Image Gallery), (2001 Winter Image Gallery)
2001 Spring Image Gallery
2001 Summer Image Gallery


Our Garden: Corpus Christi, Texas
Lat. 27 46N : Long. 097 30W : Elv. 13'
Growing Season Days - 330 : First Frost - Dec.25 : Last Frost - Feb.4
Average Monthly Temperatures
Jan. 56.3° : Feb. 59.3° : Mar. 65.9° : Apr. 73° : May 78° : June 82.7°
July 84.9° : Aug. 85° : Sept. 81.5° : Oct. 74° : Nov. 65° : Dec. 59.1°
Yearly Annual Rainfall 30 inches
Zone 9
Year we started our garden spring 1997

Bio-Organic Technology
The secret is deep within the roots


Beneficial microorganisms "Aspergillus" inoculants

 Comparison Images (side-by-side) Links (1997-2001)

 Ravenea rivularis Planted June 1997 Majesty Palm

 Garden View
1997/2000

 Sabal palmetto Planted June 1997 palmetto Palm

 Rhapis excelsa Planted February 1997
Lady Palm

 Garden View
1999/2000 growing season

 Wodyetia bifurcata Planted June 1997 Foxtail Palm

 Phoenix roebelenii Planted Jan. 1997
Pygmy Date Palm

 

 Back to main menu part one January-June
January-June

 Back to main menu part two July- December
July-December

Raingardens Spring 2001
Green Thumbs Tropical Garden Image Gallery
On the Texas Riviera at Corpus Christi

 Summer comes to South Texas

 Spring comes to South Texas

Archive Y2k Garden Image Gallery

 Main Menu Page January - June
Year 2000 Garden 

Main Menu Page July - December
Year 2000 Garden 

Spring 2001 Garden Gallery 

 Cycas revoluta

Some Texas Garden Tips & Links 

 Rhapis excelsa

Search this site & menu

 Phoenix roebelenii

Links and Resource Page

Bananas

 To The Oregon Garden

 Carica papaya

Winter 2000 Page 1 Gallery

Winter 2001 Page 1 Gallery

 Strelitzia nicolai
Images of the Giant Bird of Paradise in a progressive series of photographs from start to finish of the flowering process.

Mango's Jungle

John Anderson's Bromeliads

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"Dirt", is something you get on someone; "Soil", is what our plants grow in!





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