Gardening Articles from Local Master Gardeners
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Time to Plant Potatoes and Onions
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 for Gardeners
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…
Time to prune most fruit trees.
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,…
The Charm of Pass-Along Gardens
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…
Vines Are Fine
In this new day of earth friendly gardening vining or climbing plants certainly have a role to play. Flowering vines can bring us a vibrant wall of color during the blooming seasons. Whether it’s tumbling over a fence or creeping up over a pergola or arch they can add shade and a feeling of privacy,…
Distinctions between Winter Grass and Weeds
Tyler, Texas, made a huge impression on me, especially since I was enamored with its scenic beauty. I arrived in Tyler during the winter season 5 years ago. The roadside was beautiful. Green grass covered the city’s roadside. It was different from the barren and yellow roadside of Abilene, Texas. When I decided to move…
Snowdrop….or Snowflakes? Identifying Plant Bulbs Can Be Challenging
Just when we’re all weary of the long, dark days of winter, a little bright spot decides to make an appearance. Right around the first of March each year, beautiful small white bell-shaped flowers with green dots on the tip of each petal spring up to provide a bright and cheery display. The green of…
Watering Options for Potted Plants
Keeping potted plants properly hydrated requires more than just sporadic watering. With the right method, you can ensure consistent moisture, encourage healthy growth, and even conserve water. Self-Watering Pots: Hassle-Free Hydration For those who struggle with daily watering, self-watering pots offer a solution. These containers have built-in reservoirs that store water and gradually supply moisture…
The Hungry Caterpillar —Butterflies Are Caterpillars First
Every beautiful butterfly was once a caterpillar, and caterpillars have to eat. This may surprise you, but the average caterpillar has a very restrictive diet, feeding on only a few plants, and some caterpillars can only eat one type of plant. We call these host plants. And without them, there would be no butterflies. So, what…
Regenerative Horticulture
As we close out another year in East Texas gardens, sometimes soggy and sometimes sun‑scorched, it’s worth looking ahead to a concept that’s gaining real traction across the country: regenerative horticulture. It’s a mouthful, but the idea is simple. Instead of gardening in ways that merely sustain the soil, regenerative gardening actively improves it. Think…
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…
Berry Christmas
There’s no plant that says “Christmas” in the South quite like a holly. Those glossy green leaves and bright red berries have been woven into our holiday traditions for centuries, symbolizing hope, resilience, and cheer in the darkest days of winter. Here in East Texas, we’re fortunate to have several native hollies that not only…