To celebrate the 2021 National Garden Week, The Woodlands Garden Club has created a spectacular Horticulture Showcase with our members Garden Superstars. Enjoy the show and our members’ comments about their favorite plants!
Melinda Roberts – Tulip Tree blooms 
Kathy Kern – The apple tree, I got a few years ago at Hope Farms. Last year, it had about 20 apples on it, but as soon as they were a juicy little bite, the squirrels ate them all! Frank and I devised an elaborate (stupid) cover for the tree, but that was already too late. This year, we have ONE little apple on the tree, and so far, the squirrels have not found it – ha! I am hoping to get to taste the apple when it gets big enough to eat. Wish me luck! 
Betty Lahiri – Oak Leaf Hydrangea from Hope Farms Gardens
Gigi Hancock – Lillies 
Gigi Hancock – Lillies 
Cathy Neill – Iris 
Cathy Neill – Red Lion Amaryllis 
Cynthia Kliewer – amaryllis Candy Cane. I call it Charlotte because that’s the name of the friend that gave it to me. One bulb had 6 blooms! I think the cold really gave it a good rest. 
Rhonda Chenet – Crinums grow well in either dry or boggy soils; they are tough, low maintenance bulbs which make them perfect for rain gardens. Although drought-tolerant, crinums bloom more if well watered. This is a plant my dear mother shared with me from her garden 12 years ago. 
Kathy Kern – This iris is one of my favorites. It’s the color of my bridesmaids’ dresses in my wedding, 50 years ago!
Sabrina Crooke – One of my favorite little flowers. After moving 3 times, I finally found the perfect shaded place for my shamrocks to flourish 
Debra Hopkins – this is my Paparazzi Jagger Phlox, a perennial that blooms in the spring and fall. I did cover it during the freeze, but the tag says it is hardy from -10 to -20 F. Still it doesn’t look as splendid as it did the previous year. I recently moved it out of the whiskey barrel and into my front yard since it also can be used as a ground cover. 
Kiki Walther – Cardinal Flowers blooming in my garden. They are perennials and bloom in late August, early September. This common urban plant reaches a height of 6 inches to 6 feet. One of its most distinguishing characteristics are the intense red flowers that bloom on spikes up to 8-inches long. These plants survive Texas’ hot dry summer by living in wet shady areas. 
Kiki Walther – Cardinal Flower 
Kathy Kern – Clematis plant that I’ve had for about 10 years. I did not expect it to be so gorgeous this year, after all the snow and ice we had. Silly me, the freakish winter storm must have made the clematis think it was up in the North, where they seem to be on everyone’s mailbox and on a trellis on all the houses! I just love the color of the blooms! Enjoy!
Becky Patin – plants that survived the February deep freeze 
Cathy Neill – new gold lantana is next to the ditch and driveway and also gets baked by the afternoon sun. Nothing but weeds could survive in that spot till I made a bed by composting in place over winter one year. I planted the lantana in the following spring and immediately started seeing monarch butterflies on it. I found out it is a food nectar source for monarch butterflies. 
Cathy Neill – Tropical milkweed is in several spots in my yard. Monarchs in caterpillar phase will eat every leaf on it in the fall usually then make a chrysalis or cocoon. 
Cathy Neill – Red Salvia is next to my driveway in a spot that gets baked by the afternoon sun. It blooms from spring till freezes knock it down. But it has always come back. 
Viviane Tondeur – Billbergia bromeliad 
Viviane Tondeur – Billbergia bromeliads are tall, narrow bromeliads with strappy leaves and a vase-like shape. The flowers, although short lived, are usually spectacular. They are frequently cascading, but can be upright having a variety of colors such as purple, blue, yellow, green or white. 
Sabrina Crooke – purchased and replaced all my succulents (died in Feb cold spell). Pricey! 
Melinda Roberts – roses 
Melinda Roberts – roses 
Julie Liaw – Hydrangea 
Julie Liaw – I bought a small and sad looking hydrangea without flowers for $5 at a grocery store about 2 years ago. I planted it in my backyard and watched it grow slowly. Much to my surprise, the hydrangea came back after February’s bitter cold snowstorm and is now blooming beautifully. I enjoy watching this resilient hydrangea with joy every day! 
Edith Wilhite – My garden star is this a Spotted Leopard Ligularia. This plant comes back after every freeze. I bought it at Peckerwood about 6 years ago. 
Sabrina Crooke – Picked up a new plant (at least it is for me) from Grower’s Outlet in Willis TX. Columbia Oregano Herb Plant. Press the leaves a little and the whole patio smells of oregano! 
Sabrina Crooke – Columbia Oregano Herb Plant 
Sabrina Crooke – Can’t leave out my husband’s raised gardens on the side of the house. He checks them every time he comes home from an outing. Currently his snow peas are keeping us well supplied and they are great in a chicken, cashew and snow pea stir fry! 
Sabrina Crooke – Snow Peas 
Viviane Tondeur – The mirasol pepper is a popular chili pepper in the Mexican culture widely known for making traditional Mexican mole sauces. This one is grown from the seeds of a store bought pepper. 
Viviane Tondeur – mirasol peppers are called “guajillo” when dried 
Sharon Podolski – raised bed
Sabrina Crooke 
Betty Lahiri
The Woodlands Garden Club 