Extension Educationin Williamson County

Spring is in the air!  Well, spring was in the air last week, but this is Texas, and we never know when that last bit of winter will hit.  Even if the weather is confused about which season it is, the calendar tells me that it is time to get outside and start working in the lawn.  This cold snap is a good time to start making a to-do list for your lawn.

If you need to fertilize your lawn, now is a good time to take a soil test to understand what nutrients are lacking and how much you need to apply.  You can find the soil sample submission form (more…)

One thing I love about gardening is the camaraderie and conversations that you get to have with other like-minded plant lovers.  I always learn good tips from other gardeners, and they are usually willing to share plants, too!  You know you have made friends with a gardener when they offer to let you take cuttings from a plant or give you some bulbs that they divided.

Several great gardeners that I admire recommend keeping a gardening journal, and that is one tip that I plan to try out this year.  I always think I will remember (more…)

January 2023 has started off with beautiful weather and sunny days.  This kind of weather makes it nice to get outside and work in the lawn, and there is always something to do in our lawns and gardens.  If you made a New Year’s Resolution to get more exercise, then yard work is the perfect opportunity.

The winter months are a great time to prune trees.  Most of our trees have lost their leaves, making it easy to see the limb structure, and it is better for the health of the tree to prune before they put on new spring growth.  (more…)

Trees offer a lot of great things in our world.  They provide shade on hot days, they are beautiful points of interest in the landscape, and they put off oxygen.  Trees go one step further by providing free compost every fall!

We have really had some beautiful fall color during the last few weeks, and the trees are starting to lose their leaves.  Before you purchase landscape waste bags and start raking, consider using the leaves for mulch or compost in your landscape.

Leaves can be used in the home landscape in a few different ways. (more…)

The Christmas season is here!  I enjoy using plants and natural elements to decorate my home, and during the Christmas season that means poinsettias and Christmas greenery.

Poinsettias are a neat plant to grow, and they have an interesting history as the Christmas flower.  Poinsettias are native to Mexico and were cultivated by the Aztecs for their bright colors.  The flowers were used by Franciscan priests in the 17^th century for nativity processions since it blooms near Christmas.

In 1828, Joel Roberts Poinsett, US Ambassador to Mexico, saw the brightly colored plants in bloom, and he sent some plants to his greenhouse in Charleston, North Carolina. (more…)

One of my mom’s favorite flowers to grow is a pansy.  Every year in the fall, we went on a search for the perfect tray of pansies.  Some years she liked to plant a mix of colorful pansies, and other years she planted a solid color for a big impact statement.

Pansies are in the Violaceae family, which has more than 500 species.  Violas originally come from Europe, and our modern-day pansy is a hybrid cultivar that was developed in the mid-1800’s. (more…)

The weather is finally starting to feel a little more like fall, or maybe I am trying to convince myself that 89-degree temperatures are fall weather in Texas.  The shorter daylight hours are making a difference in the weather, and I am ready to enjoy some fall vegetables.

I always enjoy planting salad greens and lettuce in the fall, and this year I am looking forward to the results of a broccoli trial in the Master Gardener Demonstration Garden.  A couple of our Master Gardeners will be attending an Advanced Training Class in Texas Superstar plants, and they are getting a head start on the class by planting Texas Superstar Green Magic Broccoli. (more…)