hen I was up in Colorado this summer I was introduced to a poster by the late Bonnie Appleton (a horticultural educator) entitled ‘How to Kill a Tree.’ This tongue in cheek title was followed by an illustration showing all of the mistakes that people make when planting and caring for trees. While ma...

hristmas and other winter holidays bring out the desire to fill our homes with greenery and decorative flowers. With a little extra care and forethought, many of these wonderful plants can continue to thrive long after December becomes just a distant memory. Choosing a living Christmas tree is a gre...

here is an oft repeated feeling that I experience every year here in Texas. By summer I am mentally packing my bags and moving to Colorado.   I swear that I cannot take one more year here in this heat.   But then something happens. Not just any something… but Texas in spring happens. Specifically, o...

all and winter are the perfect times to plant trees in Texas. Our soil does not freeze and our temperatures don’t often fall below 15 degrees Fahrenheit, making it easier to transplant than any other time of the year. In addition, cooler temperatures allow us to get away with less watering after pla...

It's time to plant wildflowers for next spring! Good winter rains and cool temperatures mean a strong spring wildflower season, especially for bluebonnets. (photo by Moses Leos III) ell . . . we’ve made it through yet another summer! Now that cooler weather is finally arriving, it is time to re-eval...

he idea of having two or more plants growing next to each other to the mutual benefit of each has been around for thousands of years. Beyond this basic concept, it is actually more controversial than one might anticipate. (But then isn’t everything these days!)  Research shows that certain plants em...

s temperatures start to drop and we head towards a nice cool, fall vibe our summer and fall perennials will start to go dormant for the winter months, leaving some bare spots in our landscapes. The good news is that there are several winter-hardy annuals that can carry over color until spring 2018 b...

ow, we have been warm this summer! I am thankful for the recent rain for sure, but I am also certain that there’s more heat on its way – so this seems like a good time to ask which plants can take the   heat and brighten up our landscapes this time of year. There are plenty actually. Driving around ...

lants from the salvia genus (known also as sages) have become very popular in the last few years due to their extreme heat and drought tolerance. Although there are other plants commonly referred to as sage (i.e. Russian and Jerusalem sage), the salvia genus contains the true sages. The most well-kn...

here is nothing that brightens up an empty fence or bare wall like a vine. They come in many shapes and sizes, but the one trait they all have in common is their desire to climb something ... anything! This gives them a versatility that shrubs and perennials just don’t possess. Even though I have a ...