Let me introduce you to two “sweet” shrubs that may not be familiar to you. I introduce them as “sweet” because that epithet is in both of their common names. I’m referring to Virginia sweetspire (Itea virginica) and sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus). I have been growing both types of these “sweet” shrubs in my Tyler landscape for more than 25 years. I think they not only deserve a better location in my garden to show off their qualities, but they also may deserve a spot in your landscape, as well. VIRGINIA SWEETSPIRE Virginia sweetspire is a lovely shrub native to the southeastern United Sta ..read more

When summer temperatures soar, many plants that were enthusiastic bloomers in spring begin to wither under the onslaught of the summer sun. Many plants touted as “heat tolerant” in other parts of the country last about as long as an ice cube on the summer asphalt here in Texas. Daytime high temperatures are only part of the problem. Elevated summer nighttime temperatures are also stressful to plants because they affect a plant’s physiological and metabolic processes. CHALLENGES OF SUN AND SHADE The blast furnace of the summer sun bearing down on a plant creates serious challenges. Not only is ..read more

The most colorful and tasty snap beans you will ever eat are the ones you grow yourself. You seldom find purple or yellow beans in a grocery store or farmstand, and the commercial green varieties just can’t compare to the fresh-from-the-garden pods harvested at their peak from your own garden. And if you like experimenting and trying different varieties, the humble garden bean knows how to deliver. There are many types of beans that can be grown during a Texas warm season, and it is helpful to understand the various categories. Native to the Americas, beans are members of the extensive legume ..read more

After the last three years of climate torture, I’ve concluded that spring is my favorite season of the year. It’s the fresh start we all need. Redbuds, dogwoods, deciduous magnolias, hawthorns, peaches and plums, snowbells and silverbells, and so many other plants celebrate the arrival of spring. For nearly 40 years, SFA Gardens has been collecting woody ornamental varieties the same way someone might collect postage stamps. Watching what died, what sur-vived and what thrived is a lesson for all of us. Here are a few climate-resilient small flowering trees that get an A+ in our Pineywoods gar ..read more

Tomatoes are the queen of the vegetable garden. Each year, gardeners strive for a bountiful harvest of beautiful, tasty fruit (yes, tomatoes are fruit). Through my own gardening experiences and observing the mistakes of others, I’ve come up with a set of key factors in tomato success. The result is the following pontification that I call the “Ten Commandments of Tomato Success.” Like the “original ten,” folks who think these are optional are headed for disappointment. I. Select ye a site with full exposure to the sun. Six to eight hours of full sunlight are important. Veggies grown for their ..read more

For decades, America’s favorite garden vegetable has been celebrated in Cherokee County. Jacksonville, Texas, was touted as the “Tomato Capitol of the World” during the height of railroad-shipping days from about 1914 to the 1950s, and many local families worked picking, packing and loading tomatoes. Growing tomatoes remains a family business in Cherokee County, and the local producers have strong kindred connections. For the last 39 years, Jacksonville has been drawing folks together for the annual Tomato Fest in June. Contests (including the best homegrown tomato, salsa, tomato peeling, tom ..read more

For most of my time at Stephen F. Austin (SFA), I’ve wondered if the Christmas-tree market makes sense. Do we need to do something different? First, don’t be alarmed. I’m not against Christmas. I love the holiday season and celebrating our good fortune to have made it to another year. However, maybe we can finetune a few things. Why can’t we all just put a live Christmas tree in the living room for a few weeks and then plant it outside after the holiday season — a tree with a root system? That doesn’t seem like much to ask. Right now, we grow it to kill it. And we go to a lot of trouble to do ..read more

To live a productive life, to do meaningful work, to have a purpose — all these things are basic human desires. Unfortu-nately, adults with disabilities oftentimes do not have the opportunity to fulfill that desire. For the past 40 years, however, a remarkable place in Southeast Texas has made sure that such opportunities exist, regardless of the physical and mental challenges faced by the population it serves. The Brookwood Community, located on a 485-acre campus in Brookshire (about 35 miles west of Houston), is dedi-cated to providing meaning and purpose to more than 200 neurodivergent adu ..read more

Are you planning on selling your home in the near future? Do you have a landscape that is decades old with aging, over-grown shrubs? Perhaps those so-called dwarf shrubs are no longer very dwarf and are encroaching on the sidewalk and driveway? If these descriptions resemble your current landscape situation, wouldn’t it be nice if you could update your aging landscape to create a fresh modern look that causes traffic to slow down a bit to admire your nicely tailored front yard? Maybe your front yard could use a little makeover, giving it more appeal when viewed from the curb. Cable TV shows a ..read more

Have you ever wondered lately if things are ever going to return to normal? Whether it is world, national, regional or local news, there’s always something that seems not quite right. As a backdrop to all this, climate challenges just keep stacking up. Debris removal is a part of that. Large dead trees are a headache and take time, money and energy to remove. If they are not cleared, then they shed branches and become “dead soldiers” in our view, all adding to urban blight. The move-ment to climate-resilient urban landscapes is obviously rational. It’s all about choices. Urban landscapes need ..read more