It’s that time of year when weed control is on my mind.  Winter weeds like henbit and clover are actively growing and making a nuisance of themselves.  Just when you start to think you can take a break from lawn care for a couple months, all these pesky winter weeds start showing up. We have some options to control winter weeds that are already up and growing.  Fortunately, some of these control options will also help you stick to your fitness goals for the new year!  One option… Read More →

Nandina is an old-fashioned evergreen shrub that has become one of my favorite shrubs.  The foliage is dark green, but can turn orange, red, or maroon in the fall with bright red berries in the winter.  Also known as Heavenly Bamboo for its slender stems and spreading growth pattern, Nandina domestica is drought tolerant and cold hardy.  Nandina is also great because it can grow in sun, part shade, and shade.

When the days are short and many plants are dormant during this time of year, I am always drawn to anything is green or blooming.  I love putting out fresh greenery and poinsettias, but there are two other winter-blooming plants that are eye-catching at Christmas and will continue growing throughout the year.

The temperatures are quickly falling as I sit down to write this article, and I can’t believe that I am writing about lawn care as we head into winter weather.  The cooler months of fall and winter do provide a little bit of relief from lawn care chores like mowing, weeding, and watering, but there are still a few tasks that you need to do to prepare for winter.

One of the most fun parts of my job is working with the Master Gardener Volunteers in our Demonstration Garden.  The gardens include an herb garden, drought tolerant and native ornamental plants, roses, fruit trees, and vegetables.  The Master Gardener Volunteers do a fantastic job of maintaining the garden and growing all kinds of plants that will do well in our area.

On Tuesday, October 1, I got to participate in a fun event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the pecan tree being designated as the Texas State Tree.   The Texas Pecan Board hosted a neat event on the steps of the Capitol Building in Austin to commemorate the 100-year anniversary, complete with a proclamation signed by Governor Abbott.

I can’t believe we are already in mid-September!  The warm temperatures have fooled me into thinking it is still summer, but the days are getting shorter and we are headed into fall.  Fall is a great time to start thinking about landscaping plans in Central Texas.  We recommend planting trees and shrubs in the fall time, so they have the cooler months to really develop a good root system before the summer heat comes back.  If you are looking for some ideas for your landscape, let me introduce… Read More →

We are right in the middle of the hottest days of summer, and now is the time to start thinking about your fall garden.  Texas is a great place for vegetable gardeners because we can grow crops all year long! Not many people want to be working in the garden in August, but now is the time to be planting pumpkins, winter squash, peas, sweet corn, and lima beans.  Just around the corner in September we can start planting cole crops like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower. … Read More →

  We have enjoyed a nice summer so far with cooler temperatures (for Texas) and good rains in June.  This is great news for our lawns and plants, and especially for our water bills.  Over the last few weeks, we’ve had hotter temperatures and less rain, so you need to start thinking about supplying extra water to your lawn.