Horticulture Happenings
OKC Garden Fest Moves to Gardens Saturday, May 13 with more than 40 vendors
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yriad Gardens is the proud new home of the OKC Garden Fest. The third annual event will be held Saturday, May 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Gardens, located at 301 W. Reno
Avenue.
“Last year’s festival at the Farmers Public Market was well attended and our goal is to make this the premier garden festival in Oklahoma City,” said Bill Farris, event organizer and owner of Prairie Wind Nursery in Norman. “We are thrilled to host Garden Fest at Myriad Gardens because we will be in one of the most beautiful and inspiring spots in Oklahoma.” Timed to coincide with Mother’s Day weekend, the festival will feature herbs, perennials, roses, produce, pottery, jewelry, wineries, food products and food trucks. Activities for children will also be offered and there is no charge for attending. This year will again feature an area with information for those wanting to start a butterfly garden or Monarch Waystation, an intentionally-managed garden that offers food and habitat for the Monarch butterfly population. Several vendors will offer milkweed for Monarchs along with other pollinator friendly plants. New this year will be educational talks and demonstrations about gardens and pollinators. For a complete list of vendors, activities and speakers visit facebook.com/okcgardenfest/. See vendors to date on page 20.
Desert Bird of Paradise By Olivia Tegeler, Horticulture
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re you looking for a plant that can add a splash of color to your garden? Or perhaps one that can tolerate the blistering summer heat and drought? If so, Caesalpinia gilliesii, commonly known as desert bird of paradise, is an excellent choice. It is difficult to choose a favorite plant out of the multitude of options at Myriad Botanical Gardens, but this one definitely deserves the top position on my list of favorites in the Children’s Garden. A member of the legume family (Fabaceae), this desert beauty has many wonderful characteristics, the most prominent being the exotic clusters of yellow flowers with long, bright red stamens that are displayed throughout the spring and summer months. Furthermore, the delicate, bluish-green feathery foliage makes this plant a sight to behold even without its beautiful blooms. Once established, it can thrive in full sun, tolerate drought conditions and fix its own nitrogen, which means that it seldom requires fertilizer treatments. It can be watered deeply but infrequently, making it a good candidate for a water-wise garden. The only maintenance that may be necessary includes making sure the soil is well-drained and removing the fuzzy brown pods – which are deer resistant and poisonous if eaten – to encourage the plant to continue flowering.
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In addition to all of these traits, this dainty shrub attracts a variety of bees, butterflies and hummingbirds which can be found buzzing or fluttering among the plethora of brilliant blooms all summer long. Gardener or not, the desert bird of paradise can be appreciated for its beauty, tolerant nature and its appeal to pollinators. Desert Bird of Paradise, Caesalpinia gilliesii, grows in the Childrens Garden.
