The last week or two, the evening light has lasted long enough for me to piddle around in the garden when I get home.  I could not help but think, “Spring is coming!”  We still have the month of February to get through, so I am trying to restrain myself.  There are a few late winter tasks to start thinking about, and one of those is weed control. If you have trouble with more weeds in your lawn than you would like, pre-emergent weed control is a good… Read More →

One of the interesting things about observing nature is keeping track of cycles.  Late summer and fall bring a very interesting cycle to Texas, the invasion of the crickets!  This is the time of year that adult crickets seem to swarm around commercial buildings and homes. The crickets that are popping up fright now are referred to as field crickets and belong to the Gryllus assimilis family.  Females lay eggs in the fall, and they prefer

I keep running into interesting bugs to write about, especially the bugs in the garden that are killing our squash plants and messing with my tomatoes!  This week, the bugs have been attacking me!  I spent the weekend scratching chigger bites on my ankles, and I could not spend time in the backyard without mosquitos coming after me.  It is almost enough to make this outdoors-loving gardener stay inside! Mosquitos are a pesky problem in the warm months in Texas.  The bite can itch, but mosquitos can also… Read More →

Every time I check the garden over the last few weeks, it seems like it has grown another foot!  We have had great rain and good weather lately, and the plants are loving it.  We have already enjoyed several meals with fresh potatoes and onions, fried squash, and even some fresh pinto beans.  The tomatoes are finally starting to ripen, and I cannot wait for a plate of fresh sliced tomatoes. Unfortunately, the bugs seem to like this weather, too, and they are making themselves right at home… Read More →

This week I had a conversation with a newcomer to Williamson County who was interested in plant recommendations for our area and lawncare guidelines.  I have those conversations fairly often, and usually some of the questions are focused on the weather and how different it is in Texas.  Lately, I have to laugh and say that it has been a weird few years, even for Texas! The weather already feels like spring, and we are just in the beginning of March.  I love warm weather, and I am… Read More →

Every year it seems like we get to learn about a new caterpillar that emerges and makes a pest of itself.  Last spring, the oakleaf roller caterpillars hung from the oak trees by silk threads, and then in the fall the armyworms marched across the county eating our Bermuda lawns along the way.  Fortunately, the various caterpillars do not reach infestation levels every year! I had three phone calls about bagworms on Italian cypress or juniper trees within the last week.  That is when I need to start… Read More →