Letter from the Nursery Manager

Greetings!

The Nursery has been somewhat hectic, like most nurseries during winter, as we juggle freezing weather and shorter days with preparing plants to look their best for early spring sales. So first, winter was not kind, and I strongly suspect we can expect one or more freezes this year. That's not news, right? Looking forward to spring and the Budding Out Plant Sale & Festival on March 18th, I'd like to highlight a few incredible plants which I think every garden should have.
First on the list is a not very widely available bulbous plant that sprouts lush green leaves with rust colored flecks in fall, then in spring makes an exciting large compound umbel blue flower. It's very drought tolerant, which one would expect from a Mediterranean plant. 
Eryngium prostratum is native to boggy areas in the Houston area. So before you rush out here to buy it and if you live in the Houston area, make sure it's not already in your yard! It's a very "un-eryngium" member of the genus because it doesn't form a noticeable clump and no large inflorescence, but instead forms a tiny inflorescence and a mat. I truly enjoy this plant because it encourages me to bring my face very close to the ground to see the tiny blue flowers. If you prefer to remain upright, it's possible to see the flowers with binoculars.
At the other end of the size spectrum, Scott Ogden brings us a delightful small tree strongly resembling Myrcianthes
fragrans, Simpson's Stopper, which he collected from a long ago trip to Puerto Purificacion, Mexico. In his backyard in Austin, the original specimen has weathered deep freezes and incredible droughts without going dormant, unlike the Florida provenance Simpson Stopper many gardeners are more familiar with. Yet like its Florida provenance counterpart, it bears fruit spring into fall, initially green, then yellow, then orange, then red, then black, in multiple stages that provide a wonderful mix of colors through the season. After a few years, the trunk also exhibits exfoliating bark in shades of light brown to gray. Even though I've eaten quite a bit of the tasty fruit, I cannot vouch for its effectiveness as an anti-diarrhetic as
suggested by its common name, Simpson's Stopper. At this time, only small pots are available, yet on the bright side it is a very vigorous grower.
On the surface, it appears similar to most Texas sage, but the leaves have a
slightly gray-brown hue, and the flowers are a beautiful pale pink, truly a subtle and sophisticated addition to your dry garden.
That's all for now.

Happy gardening,
Craig Jackson
Nursery Manager


The John Fairey Garden Nursery is open from 9 am - 3 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Garden members receive a 15% discount on plant purchases.