In the Verbena family, this pest free-sun loving tree goes by many names. Most commonly known as Vitex, this wonderful tree can also be known as Texas lilac, Indian spice, Hemp tree, Pepper tree and Monks pepper tree.
The fragrant flowers are bright lavender in color and full of nectar which makes this tree a great choice to attract Hummingbirds and Butterflies.
A fast growing deciduous tree that can grow to be 18' tall and 10-15' wide. Drought tolerant and given the name "Pepper Tree" during the Great Depression, the Vitex seeds were used as a pepper substitute.
This Purple Vitex is one of my favorites and makes for a wonderful focal point in any courtyard, patio or landscape design.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. Happy Gardening! Portia Leyendecker
The Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) is an annual plant in the Asteraceae family. A native to the Americas. The stem can grow to be 9 feet tall and the flower head can reach almost 12" in diameter. This beauty was first discovered by Francisco Pizarro in Peru and was worshiped by the Incas as a symbol of the Sun God. There is also evidence that the sunflower was first domesticated in Mexico by 2600 BC. The seeds were brought to Europe in the 16th century.
Milkweed is a great source of food for Butterflies and Hummingbirds. A host plant for the Monarch Butterfly, Asclepias Curassavica is a wonderful perennial that loves full sun. You can grow it from seed or in potted form. Monarch on a Viburnum leaf. Butterfly Weed or Milk Weed is a great addition to any landscape or garden.
Above is Neon Flash Spirea. Wonderful for bright pink color all summer long. Great for attracting butterflies. Vivian is fascinated by the wonderful and prehistoric Rollie Pollie or Pill Bug. I think most 4 year olds are, see the link below:
Vivian and I had fun planting some Dyssodia or Dahlberg Daisy together. This is a great border plant with bright yellow flowers for full sun. Good in the late spring and through summer. As you can see, Pepper the Black Pug wanted in on the fun. Vivian and I posing in the garden together.
This is a project we just worked on and it includes a New Orleans theme Courtyard and Butterfly Garden. In addition to the Butterfly attracting plants, we installed a natural stone border and a gravel parking area. These are the before shots of the Courtyard and the Butterfly Garden.
Did you know Earth Day has been around since 1970.
It was created by Senator Gaylord Nelson and has reached over 175 countries worldwide. The organizers of the Earth Day network will be launching the "Green Generation" campaign soon.
Remember chemical fertilizers will kill Butterflies, not just weeds.
Here is the latest project this last week of April 15th. 2009. Leyendecker Landscape designed and installed a new landscape in the wonderful community of Boulevard Green right off Bellaire Blvd. It is a small, quiet and hidden architectural gem.
Leyendecker Landscape started by taking out the old deck, added a brand new deck in addition to adding a 2' privacy extension to the fence.
The client chose the perfect fountain from Joshua's Native Plantsin the Heights. Leyendecker Landscape installed the fountain along with the electrical needed to run it.
This is what it looked like before.
Thank you Ms Redel for giving Leyendecker Landscape the opportunity to serve your landscaping needs. It was a joy working with you :)
Leyendecker Landscape is experiencing the opportunity to update one of many units on Blvd. Green off Bellaire Blvd. Wonderfully architectural housing built in the 70's. This tucked away community offers an amazingly quiet and peaceful experience. We have before and during shots of the project with more photos to come after the completion.
It has been a complete redo starting with the demolition of the old deck, the rebuild of a new deck and landscaping. There is still a water feature to install.
Watch out for the end results.
Please note: This landscaping project is considered to be a combination of partial sun and shade. A variety of texture is important in this case.
This is a project that was designed to change out color twice a year. We went with red for contrast and a warmer feel. In the Fall, Cyclamen was the flower of choice. We went with red Geraniums for Spring.
These are pictures of the project in it's construction stage and after the plant installation.
This is by far is one of my favorite design/installations, now matured over 1 year, it gives me great joy to drive past this Heights Home.
This is a true native garden that attracts many varieties of Birds and Butterflies.
Probably my favorite style to install. It is really not hard to keep up with and it adds such curb appeal for the property.
You can't go wrong investing in your home.
The fence came from Atkins Architectural and really makes this quaint landscape extra special.
The homeowner has really become quite the gardener. Ms. Suhr is busy playing and teaching music, she travels to Idaho a few months out of the year and still manages to keep this little paradise looking fantastic all year around.
Leyendecker Landscape crew installs custom fence.
This is the photo I took when first meeting with the client.
another before shot for the design process.
This design/installation costs less than a mid-size car. This improvement will not depreciate, will not lose momentum in the stock market - it will only add value to the homeowner's property.
Invest in yourself!
XO Portia
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Did you know that there are 5 different varieties of Bluebonnets or Lupinus Subcarnosus???
The Bluebonnet became our lovely state flower in march of 1901. Other varieties include Lupinus Texensis, Lupinus Havardii, Lupinus Concinnus, Lupinus Plattensis.
Something else people don't realize is that the best time to plant Bluebonnets is in September and October. This allows the root system to fully develop through winter & then surprise us with outstanding color in March, April and even May. Many of the Spring blooming wild flowers follow the same rule and germinate in the Fall for that burst of Spring color.
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