Lenten rose plants (Helleborus x hybridus) are not roses at all but a hellebore hybrid. It was given its name because the flower looks similar to a rose and it blooms in early spring often during Lent. This is another plant that we will have at our annual Raincatcher’s Plant sale on Thursday, May 4th.
It is an evergreen, slow growing perennial and the blooms on the heirloom varieties are downward facing. The flowers are very long lived, sometimes remaining for eight to ten weeks.
Lenten rose thrives in partial to full shade which makes it a good plant for adding color and texture to dark areas of the garden. Try planting it in small groups of 3 to 5 plants (18 to 24 inches apart) or plant along walkways and edging. As you can see from the photo, it looks great planted alongside purple oxalis and holly fern. It is best to keep the soil moist but it can tolerate drier conditions once established.
Lenten Rose foliage with Holly Fern and Purple Oxalis
We hope to see you at our plant sale on Thursday, May 4 from 10 AM to 3 PM. Raincatcher’s Garden is located at 11001 Midway Road, Dallas, Texas on the campus of Midway Hills Christian Church. Raincatcher’s is a Dallas County Master Gardener program and all proceeds from this sale benefit master gardener programs.
Jackie James Dallas County Master Gardener 1993
Come shop the sale on Thursday, May 4th, 10am until 3pm.
Midway Hills Christian Church 11001 Midway Road Dallas, Texas 75229
Four-Nerve Daisy (Tetraneuris Scaposa) is a Texas native perennial plant that blooms almost year round. It is evergreen with gray green foliage and bright yellow flowers that bloom on long leafless stems. The plant itself is 6 – 12 inches tall (including the flower stem) with a 1 foot spread. It is heat and drought tolerant and pest and disease free. It also attracts butterflies and bees!
I have been growing this plant for about 10 years now and it has become my favorite plant. I have paired it with grape hyacinth and have found this to be a great combination because they both bloom in early spring. It’s a great border plant or rock garden plant and does well in full sun. It does not tolerate over watering which is a good thing in my book!!! This plant has a long taproot and does not transplant well. It spreads from seeds and does well if dug when the seedlings are small. I have been digging these tiny seedlings and will have some available at our plant sale at Raincatcher’s Garden on May 4th.
Raincatcher’s Annual Plant Sale
May 4th, 10 AM – 3 PM
We will have annuals, perennials, herbs, peppers, succulents, shrubs, trees, groundcover, bulbs, houseplants, decorative pots, yard art, and more.
Location: The courtyard at 11001 Midway Road, Dallas, Texas 75229
Jackie James, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 1998
We made a decision last year to fill the courtyard at Raincatcher’s garden in 2022 with lots of pepper plants. Some of the peppers will be grown to use in our very popular pepper jellies but several of the ones we selected are for ornamental purposes. Ornamental peppers are safe to eat but they are typically used for their attractive color or ornamental quality rather than their flavor. They are often considered too hot to eat by most people.
Fish Pepper
A favorite ornamental pepper that you will see growing in the courtyard is the Fish pepper. Last summer, we fell in love with this pepper plant growing in the edible garden. In fact, most visitors to the garden asked us about this plant because it is so unusual and beautiful. The Fish pepper is an African-American heirloom variety that dates back to the 1800’s. It is a large plant and the leaves range from fully white to part green and fully green. I can testify to the fact that the peppers on this plant pack a lot of heat as I was asked to try it in preparation for the pepper class that was taught at the garden last summer!!!
Fidalgo Roxa
Fidalgo Roxa is a pepper plant from Brazil and is considered to be “one of a kind.” The flowers are white and purple and the plant will eventually be loaded with purple, pink and apricot colored peppers. It is described to have a fruity flavor that is in the upper mid heat range.
Cherry Bomb
Cherry Bomb (AKA Hot Cherry Pepper) is another variety that we chose to grow this year. It is a beautiful compact plant with brilliant red cherry-like peppers. Despite its name, this pepper is described as having a heat level close to a mild jalapeno – medium heat with a sweet taste. The pepper is fleshy and juicy and can be used as a substitute for jalapenos, in vinegars and is good for stuffing and pickling.
Shishito Pepper
Shishito pepper is a Japanese pepper variety that is very trendy right now. They are easy to grow and yield a lot of fruit in a short period of time. The plants are compact and do well in containers. They have thin skin which makes them perfect for quick frying, roasting and grilling. The pepper is considered to be mildly spicy but occasionally you might find one that really packs a punch!
Aji Dulce pepper
And back by popular demand, we have grown more of the Aji Dulce peppers for the sale this year. This is a fun plant with red and green lantern shaped peppers. They are sweet and can be used in many recipes. If you read the article I wrote for this blog last year, you will remember that the seeds came from Puerto Rico from my good friend Paco. We have had several requests for this “Paco” pepper plant from people who bought and grew this plant last year!!!
Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills is pleased to offer pansies and violas at a fantastic price for your fall and winter landscape color. “What’s the difference?” you might ask. Pansy blooms are larger than viola blooms, but violas are reported to have more blooms per plant and be somewhat more cold-tolerant. We love them both! We’ve also added alyssum this year – so pretty in container plantings. All plants are sold in 18-count flats of 4” pots.
Sale Date: 10/7 at 7am through 10/11 at noon. All flats $19 (including tax)
Pick up purchased plants at Raincatcher’s on Wednesday, 10/27, 1-4pm (details below)
All pansy orders must be paid for by Thursday, October 14th. If you opt out of paying through Signup Genius, you may bring cash (exact change only please) or check made out to DCMGA to the Raincatcher’s Garden on Tuesday, 10/12, from 9am until noon or email Lisa Centala at lcentala@gmail.com to make other arrangements.
All prepaid pansies and plants may be picked up at Raincatcher’s from the shade pavilion in the north garden on Wednesday, 10/27, from 1pm until 4pm. Raincatcher’s is located on the campus of Midway Hills Christian Church at 11001 Midway Road, Dallas, TX. We offer delivery in the Dallas area for large orders of 10 flats or more. Please indicate “delivery requested” in the comments section of the signup, and we will notify you to make arrangements. Volunteers will be available to help pull and load your order.
Place your order using the following link:
Sale Dates: 10/7 at 7am through 10/11 at noon. All flats $19
This article is about my friend Paco. We met on a pickleball court 5 or 6 years ago and have been good friends ever since. The first time I stepped into his backyard, I discovered we had something other than pickleball in common – gardening! Paco is from Puerto Rico and he has turned his backyard into a tropical paradise. Last year at a summer pool party, I noticed a pepper plant with small, wrinkly looking red and green peppers. He explained that he collected the seeds from peppers he got in Puerto Rico because it is an important ingredient for sofrito. I left the party with a baggie full of seeds.
The Aji Dulce peppers (Capsicum Chinese) are small, sweet peppers. They have the shape and size of a habanera pepper but without the heat. They start out light to dark green and eventually turn red and orange if left on the plant to mature. Aji Dulce is used to season dishes in Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Cuba. My research found that in Puerto Rico, it is most commonly used in sofrito (which translates to stir fry or sauté in English). It is a perennial in the tropics but is an annual here.
With the seeds Paco gave me last year, we have been able to start a number of these pepper plants for the Raincatcher’s Garden annual plant sale which will be held at the garden on Thursday, May 13th. I am looking forward to growing a couple of these plants myself this summer and will be looking up sofrito recipes once I get a good crop going!
This plant goes by several names. In Puerto Rico it is know as aji dulce, ajicito or ajies. In the Dominican Rebuplic it is called aji gustoso and in Cuba it is aji cachucha. To me, this plant will always and simply be referred to as Paco’s peppers!
Jackie James
Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 1993
We will be posting more details on this blog about the May 13th plant sale in the near future.
Our annual plant sale will be held in conjunction with the April 26, 2018 meeting of the Dallas
County Master Gardener Association. Before the meeting: 10:00 – 11:30 After the meeting:
1:00 – 2:00
Come shop the great variety of plants we have to offer!! We have divided our perennials,
potted volunteers, started seeds, taken cuttings, dug bulbs..
We have herbs, succulents,
bulbs, houseplants, Louisiana iris, annuals, perennials, natives and adapted plants as well as
ornamental plant markers and other garden items.
Don’t forget our tomato and pepper plants, ready to go home with you!
DALLAS GARDEN BUZZ 