Mother’s Day in East Texas doesn’t arrive quietly – it comes in full bloom. By mid-May, the soil has warmed, the azaleas have shown off, and just about every porch in town seems to have a pot or two bursting with color. It’s the perfect backdrop for celebrating the women who, much like a good…
Let’s face it—not all of us have space to plant a full-sized garden. Fortunately, the growing season—and a few good containers—can still turn a small patio into something productive. As an over-exuberant container gardener, I once learned this the hard way. I actually lost my homeowner’s insurance because I had too many containers on my…
When you say “pea” to most gardeners in the world, they think of “English” peas that thrive in cool, moist environments. But to most Southerners, a hot-weather legume from Africa, more related to beans, is the norm. Despite what others say about our peas being “cattle food,” many of our ancestors dined on them practically…
Shaded areas brighten with the vibrant color and graceful blooms of cyclamen. Their flowers rise above patterned leaves, each vivid and poised, immediately drawing the eye. Planted in beds or containers, they enliven spaces where most other perennials have finished blooming. Three species are commonly grown locally, each appearing in turn to provide bursts of…
On a warm East Texas afternoon, it is easy to forget that water is one of our garden’s most precious resources. The hose turns on, sprinklers spin, and we move on with our day. But research-based guidance from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension reminds us that the most successful gardens are not the ones that use…
Compost is nature’s gift to gardeners. It is nutrient-dense humus from decomposed biological organisms that enriches the soil and gives nutrients to plants, which in turn, reduces your need to buy chemical fertilizer. Compost can amend sandy soil to help retain water and help plants take root, and it can amend clay soil to break…
There’s a certain magic to spring in East Texas—one that feels especially alive as Easter approaches. It’s not just a change in the weather; it’s a full awakening. Lawns green up almost overnight, trees unfurl fresh leaves like they’ve been saving them for a special occasion, and gardeners everywhere begin that familiar ritual of stepping…
Picture this. You’re ill, in the hospital, and the nurse’s face shows concern. She reviews your lab report, which shows an abnormal pH. She informs your physician, who then determines a treatment plan, and then he calls upon the pharmacist to formulate the response. Huh? Your normal pH is 7.4 (7.35-7.45) on a scale of 1 to…
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….
A large tree and a beautiful rose were gone in my landscape over the years. The tree was an October Glory Maple (Acer Rubrum). The rose bush was the Knockout Rose (Rosa Cultivar). Let me first describe for you the symptoms of the maple tree that I never noticed. In the early summer, the Maple…
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…
I was planted on a warm East Texas morning, tucked into the soil with hope, compost, and a whispered promise that this would be the year for “perfect tomatoes.” I have heard that before. Still, I stretched my roots anyway, because that is what tomatoes do when given even a small reason to believe. Growing…
Every spring in East Texas, about the time the daffodils, narcissus, and jonquils finish their show, gardeners start getting the itch to tidy things up. The blooms fade, the leaves begin to flop, and those once‑cheerful clumps suddenly look a little faded. It’s tempting to reach for the pruners. But if you want a strong…
February offers gardeners a moment to reflect on the cultural roots woven through our Southern landscapes, and few influences run deeper than those carried from Africa. It’s a good time to note the plethora of our Southern influences from Africa, a truth that becomes more evident the longer one tends an East Texas garden. This…
“February is merely as long as is needed to pass the time until March.” (J. R. Stockton) In February most gardeners pass the time planning their future gardens and landscape. Only an ice storm finds them waiting for spring by a fire and sipping coffee. Gardeners track online sources, read gardening books while thinking about…
I believe 2026 will be full of flowers because I am planting them. The work we put in today will show in spring and summertime, so here are some things you can do to get your garden ready while we are still dreaming of warmer weather. February is a great time to get your seeds…
If you have been waiting for a sign that it is time to start your spring vegetable garden, this is it. Late January through February is when East Texas gardeners roll up their sleeves and get onions and potatoes in the ground. These two cool‑season staples are always the first act of the spring garden,…
Valentine’s Day has a funny way of sneaking into the garden. It arrives when most flower beds are still bare, the soil is cold, and gardeners are pacing the yard like impatient parents waiting for spring to wake up. But for those who love plants as much as people, February 14 is less about roses…
Winter is the prime season for planting and pruning fruit trees, and a little thoughtful work now pays off in healthier trees and better fruit later. When pruning mature trees, the goals are simple: reduce the number of fruit so the remaining crop grows larger, stimulate new fruiting wood, remove damaged or poorly situated branches,…
My name is Iris, and I have lived many lives. I first bloomed decades ago beside a farmhouse fence, where my roots learned the rhythm of East Texas rain and heat. I survived long summers, sudden freezes, and years when no one remembered to water me at all. One spring morning, a gardener knelt beside…