Gardening Articles from Local Master Gardeners
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Let the Rain Do the Work: A Garden Rooted in Earth-Kind, Permaculture, and Texas Superstars
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…
Start Composting; What? Why? How?
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…
Spring’s Promise
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…
What’s Your Garden’s pH? Why Should You Care?
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…
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….
What is responsible for killing your landscape plants and trees?
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…
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…
Confessions of a Texas Tomato
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…
Don’t Cut Daffodil Foliage Until After Mother’s Day
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…
The African Influence on Our Gardens
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…
Waiting for Springtime!
“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…
February Gardening
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…