Summer Gardening Tips: Keep Veggies Thriving
Keep your East Texas summer garden thriving! Water deeply, trim tired flowers, and use mulch as air conditioning to protect your plant roots from July heat.
Plant Care and Maintenance
-
-
Texas Succulent Care: Grow Them Year-Round
Bring the joy of gardening indoors! Low-maintenance succulents survive Texas heat and thrive in winter. Learn more about succulent care here!
-
How to Avoid Periwinkle Blight
Periwinkles have long been one of our most dependable summer bedding plants, brightening East Texas landscapes with months of cheerful color. For generations, gardeners counted on them the way we counted on bachelor buttons and zinnias. Because they evolved in a hot, dry climate, they thrived in heat, tolerated drought, and bloomed without complaint from…
-
Geraniums
Originally discovered in South Africa in some 250 varieties they found their way to America. Give credit to our President Thomas Jefferson who imported them from France in 1786. Geraniums are often the first bright and bold flowers available in Spring preferring the cooler months of March thru May with temperatures between 60 and 80F….
-
The Lucky Little Leaf
Every March 17, the world wakes up a little greener. We pin on shamrocks, order green drinks, and suddenly everyone has at least a distant cousin named O’Something. But how did a tiny three-leaf plant become the star of Saint Patrick’s Day? Pull up a chair — this story has roots….. Legend says that back…
-
An Honest Guide to Christmas Gardening
Ah, Christmas gardening – that glorious time of year when we attempt to impose cheer on plants that would frankly prefer we leave them alone until spring. If you’ve ever decorated a cactus, tried to convince poinsettia to live past New Year’s, or fought a squirrel for custody of your outdoor lights, congratulations, you’re probably…
-
Sasanquas are Fall Treasures
When the days shorten and summer’s riot of color fades, East Texas gardeners are rewarded with one of the most elegant shrubs we can grow: the sasanqua camellia (Camellia sasanqua). These graceful evergreens step into the spotlight just as many plants are winding down, offering blooms from October into December. Their timing alone makes them…
-
Fall is for Planting
November in East Texas is a season of change. The mornings are crisp, the afternoons are pleasant, and the leaves crunch underfoot as the landscape shifts into its autumn wardrobe. Many folks assume the garden is finished for the year, but the truth is this is the very best time to plant trees, shrubs, and…
-
Get Ready for Winter!
As the weather gets cooler we know that winter will be just around the corner. Now is the time to start making plans for the winter months ahead. Here are some suggestions: Pine straw helps provide favorable growing conditions and stimulates healthy plant development by insulating tender roots, conserving soil moisture, eliminating erosion and protecting…
-
Keeping Mrs. Lee’s Daffodils Blooming
When I first visited Mrs. Lee’s Daffodil Garden around forty years ago, I left a note in their suggestion box letting them know that they needed to cut or thin some trees in order to keep the daffodils blooming. I was teaching horticulture at Stephen F. Austin State University at the time and had my…
-
Growing African Violets
Mature size:Height: 6-9 inches(15-23 cm)Spread:6-9 inches(15-23 cm)Colors: white, pink, deep purple, maroon, blueSite: Bright, indirect light for 12-16 hours/dayNorth or east facing window or fluorescent or LED lightsSoil: soilless mixWhen to plant: anytime indoors African violets originated in East Africa and are colorful and attractive houseplants that come in a variety of colors. Known to…
-
Stand Up for Strawberries with Tower Gardening
Tower gardening? No, it’s not like Jack’s Beanstalk, but tower gardening can come with many advantages. Tower gardens are: You’ll find many other advantages to having a tower garden of your own. There are a variety of towers available to purchase. I purchased two: one with 30 pockets (each with a 10-inch depth) and one…
-
Mulching
One of the best ways to control weeds in the home garden is by mulching—covering the soil surface around plants so that no bare soil shows. The major benefits of mulching are 1) It greatly reduces the soil moisture that is lost through evaporation and 2) It suppresses the growth of weeds in your garden….
-
It’s time to care for azaleas
Tyler is known far and wide for its beautiful azaleas, and it’s important we treat these East Texas icons with the notoriety that they’ve earned. If you haven’t already fertilized yours this spring, there’s still time. When fertilizing azaleas, remember that less is more. Small amounts applied correctly are far better than heavy-handed applications. Choose…
