While native coneflowers await their floral launch (any minute now), Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica) and coral Anomatheca laxas (I still call them freesias) charm a nook in my part sun island bed. Defying every histrionic weather event, the bluebells have returned each spring since 2011. The laxas came along in 2008 when a now defunct nursery grew them, eventually spreading themselves around. Native to South Africa and related to irises, they are so drought tolerant that it’s worth an online search to source them. The bluebells came from Southern Bulb Company, founded by Texas-ba ..read more

What a little charmer! This tiny-leaved groundcover, Menodora heterophylla, was a new-to-me that I had to try when I discovered it at last fall’s Wildflower Center native plant sale. It loves dry part shade, and that I’ve got! Even as a new planting, it sailed through December’s freeze and February’s ice, never dropping a leaf. One common name is “redbud” due to its teensy red flower buds that open to starry yellow. From Central Texas Gardener’s Facebook page, a San Antonio reader noted: “It’s one of the few things that’s around in winter (and now spring), thriving in the dry, sandy, neglecte ..read more

Plant-based food for her young family’s good health: that’s why Phố Phạm scrapped the lawn for a backyard food forest. She lined the fence with seasonal vegetables—including 200 peppers—and 300 fruit and citrus trees, many of them in containers. On a warm day in January, the CTG team headed to her Round Rock backyard sweetly perfumed by flowering trees big and small. Lighting/audio assistant Steve Maedl checks out her microphone placement while director Ed Fuentes frames it up. “It started off with one basil plant—one basil plant–and then a tomato plant and then green beans and then zucchin ..read more

Kool-Aid, bubble gum, or grape soda? That’s the quiz around town when Texas mountain laurels scent our lives with plump, lavender-purple blossoms. Who knows how delighted bees, butterflies, and wasps describe that sweet fragrance, but we can all agree that spring is pushing winter out the door. ‘Tis the season where every morning brings a gift. In late February, Leucojum aestivum glows with miniature white droplets. Just a handful of bulbs gradually populated a border in my garden, amenable to whatever Texas weather throws at them. In sun or shade, strappy foliage fills in for winter-dorman ..read more

For over a year, garden designer Leah Churner’s Instagram pictures caught my eye as she carved a dry creek bed into a rocky, gumbo clay hillside. She and fellow Delta Dawn Gardens designer Holly Gardovsky gradually added plants—native and adapted—that get along with shade and heavy soil. Home to Lori Najvar, documentarian and artist, and architect Glen Chappell, we headed out in late November. Hard-hitting rain and bone-chilling cold cut that visit short. When we returned in early December, plants were unfazed with the nips, but we donned wooly beanies! When Lori and Glen fell in love with ..read more

Things are looking mighty lively in the garden just two weeks after the ice capades. As buds abound, Narcissus tazetta ‘Grand Primo’ unfurled tiny, fragrant flowers for tiny pollinators, like this hover fly that stopped by on a Sunday stroll. Many of us are still cleaning up toppled trees. If you’re in Austin, here are guidelines for curb collection. If your live oak or red oak trees were damaged, those wounds have healed already. Since this is prime time for oak wilt transmission, tools MUST be disinfected between new cuts that you or an arborist make on the tree and the wounds painted immed ..read more

It’s been a rough 10 days on our trees, and as I wrote this, another broken live oak limb slid from its perilous perch on the roof. But last week’s icy Mexican plum flowers? Good as new! This time, their little “ice cubes” protected them, ready to feed hungry bees and hover flies. I spotted a few butterflies floating around, though not a crowd. Last year, monarch and red admiral butterflies were sparse after ongoing drought and untimely freezes that diminished their food supplies. Did you know that monarch butterflies leaving Mexico in March are not the same ones that return in fall, or eve ..read more

As we hunkered down Tuesday morning, sweet fragrance charmed my home “office” workday. I’d ducked out early into the freezing drizzle to rescue drooping Narcissus Erlicheer and Grand Primo flowers on their icy stems. In a vase of warm water, they quickly warmed up and will bloom now for days. (Oh, I used a compostable straw to stabilize a pinched stem. I’d gotten them for another floppy flower project, but they were too narrow. Flower arranger I am not!) The plants will be fine and I bet more flowers will pop up once things warm up. April Fool’s in January, right? Balmy, spring-like days pr ..read more

A fence and lawn: that’s what faced thrifty first-time gardeners Ashley Nava-Monteros and Carlos Monteros at their new house in Hutto. Originally from El Paso, they brought together plants and art that honor their cultural history and support wildlife with native and adapted plantings that thrive on clay soil. “I would describe our garden as the Southwest cottage. I just love all of the flowers. Carlos seems to be more of the cacti enthusiast,” Ashley told us. On a hot humid December day, the CTG crew headed out to meet them: director Ed Fuentes, grip Steve Maedl, and Decibel intern Jonathan ..read more

Your opinions matter! Help us frame Central Texas Gardener’s direction moving forward. We’re here for you, so please let us know in this short survey by February 10. With many thanks, Linda & the moving forward CTG team ..read more