Garden 25

DAILY NZ

P A G E 1E

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P U B D A T E 05-21-05

O P E R A T O R RREINHARD

D A T E //

TIME:

D A T E //

TIME:

Spaces

SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS

A couple collected Texas-anything and everything to decorate their home

SATURDAY MAY 21, 2005 SECTION E

PAGE 10E

In praise of normal August 1976 was the summer of the bicentennial, the “Summer of Sam” and the summer I got screwed on my summer vacation. Almost 30 years later I’m still bitter. “What do you mean school starts in mid-August?” I can still hear myself asking. Moving to Texas from California that summer was traumatic enough on my 12-year-old psyche, but the loss of cherished summer vacation seemed almost too much to bear. August? August is still summer everywhere else. Why isn’t August summer here? It is a question that has bothered me ever since. Kids getting on school buses in 100 degree heat is abusive. When you see Jerry Lewis on television for 24 hours straight you should be preparing for school to start, not already burned out by it. Lo and behold, on the 30th anniversary of my worst summer ever, injustice may finally be righted. It looks like a bill poised to become a law will require Texas schools to begin on the Tuesday after Labor Day and end by June 7th. Yes! The new, normal school year has people deeply divided. The pro-normal people say it will save money on electricity, help tourism and give families more summer time together. The antinormal (pro-abnormal) people claim the longer summer takes away local control, will force older students to take finals after Christmas break and may impede TAKS test preparedness. (It always comes down to the TAKS test doesn’t it?) Bottom line: Students will still have to go to school for 180 days and they will still spend a disproportionate amount of their lives preparing for the TAKS test. They will lose a few days of schooltime breaks, but that is worth a longer summer. What will be different is

MICHAEL O’ROURKE

A birthday crop of abundant beauty Years, like shears, shape a garden. Weeks introduce fresh buds, new leaves.

See O’ROURKE/4E

Months coax roots to settle into the soil. Seasons instill maturity and character. Decades plant delights.

G OOD TO G ROW

Time is Mother Nature’s tool. As the San Antonio Botanical Garden celebrates its 25th anniversary, we explore delights that have sprung up in a quartercentury of growing and evolving. The 33-acre center yields a bountiful crop of surprises. Turn to Page 12E for the 25 we plucked.

STORY BY TRACY HOBSON LEHMANN P H O T O S B Y L I S A K R A N T Z A N D H E L E N L . M O N T O YA

TRACY HOBSON LEHMANN

Prickly pear (Optunia spp.) With potentially vicious spines, prickly pears aren’t invited into too many residential landscapes. But the sunny yellow blossoms dotting the cactus pads in pastures this time of year make the plant tempting. Just opt for a spineless variety unless you are using the plant as part of your security system. In 1995, Texas lawmakers named prickly pear the state plant, making the Lone Star State the only state with an official plant. The light green color of the pads and their sculptural shape make the plant an asset in the garden. ■ Light: Sun. ■ Size: 2 to 5 feet tall; 4 to 6 feet wide. ■ Water: Drought tolerant. ■ Bloom: Spring. ■ Cultivation: Needs good drainage.

DAILY NZ

P A G E 1E

COLOR

P U B D A T E 05-21-05

O P E R A T O R RREINHARD