W hat a pleasure to have this week’s rains breaking up another long, hot central Texas summer. But I am certain that there’s more heat to on its way – and this seems like a good  time to ask which plants can take the heat and brighten up our landscapes at this time of year. There are plenty actually...

By Amanda Moon I  have a love/hate relationship with blackberries. Most of the other berries that we grow in this area require lots and lots of additional care, soil and hard work to yield an okay crop. But with blackberries, if they’re happy, they will gladly produce quarts of fruit with little pro...

I n my last fruit tree article, I covered peaches, plums, apples, pears and pecans. These are all wonderful choices, but the options in home fruit trees far exceed those five basics. For example, you can also grow pomegranates, persimmons, loquats, and figs. All four are super-easy to grow in centra...

By Amanda Moon I t is fruit tree planting time again. When properly planned, planted and cared for, many of the basic fruiting trees can do quite well here in central Texas.   Apples, peaches, plums, pears and of course the state nut – the pecan – are all possibilities for edible specimens and/or sh...

T he good news is that gardeners are easy to shop for. The hard part is trying to decide how to narrow down the options. To help, I have put together a list of ideas that should please even the gardener who seemingly has everything.    1. Garden clothing and accessories. Anyone who has worked outsid...

F 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 ...

I f you love flower bulbs, now is the time to plan and plant for the spring of 2016. Although we will never be able to create the rolling fields of hyacinths and tulips like the Dutch, there are still many wonderful bulbs that thrive in our mild winters and hot summers, and return bigger and better ...

A s gardeners we all know how plants can brighten up and magically transform a space, whether it’s inside or out. But I have met people who rent properties who are a little hesitant to take on any of these ‘transformations’ because the property belongs to someone else.  I understand their position, ...

T he last few years have been a trying time for gardeners in the central and southern parts of our state. Typically, Texas droughts are busted one of two ways: either through a tropical system or systems from the Gulf or eastern Pacific Ocean, or climatic changes resulting from El Niño. This year’s ...

By Amanda Moon Roses can be a beautiful, easily-grown addition to any yard that has lots of sun and room for them to grow. (To thrive they need a minimum of 6-8 hours sunshine.)  But within the rose family there are different groups and classes, and if you understand these, you’ll have a better unde...