January is the month of suspense for vegetable gardeners.  The weather is often too cold to be outside in the garden, but we all know that full planting season is around the corner.  The seed catalogs start coming in the mail, making us dream about ripe tomatoes and delicious summer squash. We are all looking forward to spring gardening, but there are quite a few things for a vegetable gardener to do in January and early February.  January is the time to plant onions.  Many local feed stores… Read More →

The New Year brought some winter weather with it!  I enjoyed the warm weather through December, but I did not enjoy getting mosquito bites while I mowed my lawn two weeks before Christmas.  The recent cold front that blew in on New Year’s Day made it feel more like winter weather, and it certainly froze back a lot of perennial plants that were still green. To get the year started off right, here are a few winter tasks to keep your lawn and garden in top shape. First,… Read More →

The shorter days of winter are here, and I am not able to spend quite as much time out in my yard.  During the winter, I find myself really enjoying house plants to bring cheerful greenery into my home.  I have to admit to killing my share of house plants, usually bought on a whim when the bright foliage and cute succulents caught my eye at the grocery store. I like to think that I have a green thumb for plants outside, but house plants can sometimes be… Read More →

November is an interesting month for vegetable gardeners as we transition into cooler weather.  I have two cherry tomato plants in my garden that are still producing tomatoes, and I’m keeping a close eye on the forecast so I can be sure to harvest the green tomatoes before a freeze.  My herb garden is green with basil, sage, and thyme, and the bees are enjoying the last bit of pollen and nectar from the flowers on the basil. While the tomatoes and basil are enjoying the last few… Read More →

Mowing my lawn is a chore that I do not usually mind doing.  I get some exercise pushing my mower around the lawn, and I enjoy the time outside with just the hum of my mower and my own thoughts.  And mowing produces the immediate and satisfying result of a nice-looking lawn.  At least it looks nice for a few days, and then the KR Bluestem grassy weed sends up a tall seed head.  Of course, the KR Bluestem is at the front of my yard where it… Read More →

The recent rains have brought new life to my garden, and my plants have rebounded after the heat and dry weather of August and September.  Fall time in Texas always seems to bring a new burst of energy to our landscapes, and I really enjoy the burst of color before winter. Fall is a great time to plant and enjoy herbs in your landscape.  Herbs add great color and texture, and they can also be used for cooking, adding scents to your home and garden, and attracting pollinators. … Read More →

The month of September has rolled by quickly, and I am somewhat behind on my monthly garden task list.  September is a great time to divide and re-plant irises.  I have some beautiful white irises that need a little more room, and I will be moving some of them to a new spot in my yard. Iris beds do well if you thin them every two or three years.  Irises are rhizomes, which means they have a stem that grows horizontally just under the surface of the soil. … Read More →

The weather has been kind to tomato plants this year.  The rain and mild temperatures this summer helped my tomato plants survive and continue producing through July and even into August.  I am enjoying the abundant tomato harvest, and so are my coworkers, neighbors, friends, and even random people on the street. Last week, a lot of leaves were stripped off my tomato plants, and I knew the culprit before I spotted it.  The tobacco hornworm is a three to four-inch caterpillar in the moth family Sphingidae.  It… Read More →