LaDena , welcome! Lufkin sounds like a wonderful place to garden with it's piney woods and a higher average rainfall than in much of Texas. Wanna' trade places? ... ;-) ...LOL.

We'll be looking forward to hearing how your gardening adventures progress. We love pictures! Thank you for including the photo of the beautiful butterfly on zinnias.

Curassavica will be be good for the monarchs and should come back. They like tuberosa too however it might have trouble returning. Also never doubt the power of Vitex, Almond Verbena and Buddleia. Welcome!

Welcome, Ladena. This is a good source of information. We hope you like it.

Omar

Hi Ladena, Nice pet you have there. Hope we help out. I usually keep my mouth shut on many questions about other areas because some you guys in East TX are so different, I don't want to give you miss info. I am in Central Texas west of Austin in alkaline hills. So don't take it as snobbery please. Take it as my ignorance of your conditions.

I graduated from SFASU nearby. Loved it there and SFASU arboretum is pretty awesome and free too. It has gotten so much bigger since I graduated in 2000. They have plant sale every fall and spring.

Here is a link that might be useful: SFA Gardens

Thank you, everyone, for the welcome!
Roselee, I looked at your garden and it is beautiful!
Phoenix, I was on the fence about starting tuberosa and think I'll go ahead. I have an idea for overwintering it.
Omar, I see you like to trade too. :)
Wantonamara, maybe we'll "bump" into each other occasionally on a topic. lol
Lou, yes the gardens at SFASU are awesome. I hope to attend the plant sale this fall.
Once again, thank you all for a warm welcome.
LaDena

Welcome. The pics you've attached are very nice. I'm from southeast tx near Beaumont. I'm just getting started in a "new" house, so hopefully next year I'll be able to share some pics of berries, veggies and flowers. Maybe some fruit trees too! This is a nice site to visit every so often.

Hey, Colonel, thank you for the compliment on the pictures. I'm actually from Orange and go to visit my dad often. If you decide you want some of the white irises we could do a swap,lol.
Take care, LaDena

Here is a link that might be useful: Shangri La Gardens

It's a very small world! I'd love to swap sometime, but am just getting started. A coworker gave me some bulbs, I think they might be amaryllis. So far, they're just doing ok, but I put them in a pot right now. Hope to put them in the ground this fall. I'd also like to do some old fashion poppies and foxglove mixed in with veggies, etc.

Colonel, I have plenty of red corn poppy seeds that I picked from a "seed train". If you want, I can mail you some. If you decide that you want some of the white irises let me know. I'll be digging them in September to trade with a friend's grandma for daylilies. Knowing her, I'll have daylilies to share too,lol.