Today is Earth Day, and with May being right around the corner, I felt the need to write about the delicate balance of controlling garden pests and protecting our local wildlife and essential pollinators.   May is generally the month that pest activity begins to increase in our San Antonio gardens. When the weather warms up, the pests emerge. Will this be the year that you opt to let nature run its course? What I mean is, will you run to the store for a “wipe out” spray at the first sign of pests, or will you take the time to identify the problem? Will you choose the least toxic control m ..read more

Okra is a popular and versatile vegetable that thrives in the warm climate of San Antonio, Texas. These are hot weather loving veggies. When many other veggies are shutting down production due to the heat of summer, you can usually count on okra to keep fruiting. When it comes to growing okra in this region, there are a few key factors to keep in mind to ensure a successful harvest. Light and Water For Okra in Texas Okra plants require plenty of sunlight and warmth to thrive, so it’s important to choose a location in your garden that receives full sun for at least 6-8 hours a day. The soil sho ..read more

Juniper ground covers can be a fantastic addition to your garden in San Antonio, Texas. Junipers offer an evergreen groundcover with unique texture for year-round visual interest in your landscape. These low-growing plants not only provide excellent ground coverage but also add a pop of color and texture to your landscape. Groundcover junipers typically grow an average of 6″-12″ high and around 5′ wide. Remember that when it comes to groundcovers, they tend to grow slowly. The old adage is first year they sleep, second year they creep, and third year they leap! Some of our favorite juniper gro ..read more

It’s time! Melons can be planted in our San Antonio gardens now, hooray! Have you always wanted to plant a melon, but just didn’t have the information you needed to be successful? Well, it’s your lucky day today. We’re sharing some tips for growing melons in our area. In order for cantaloupe to develop a desirable flavor, we must: Choose the recommended varieties for our area (Hales Best, Ambrosia) Have good soil prep (they tend to do best in sandy loam, and loose, silty soils). Ample watering is important at planting and early development, but when fruits are nearing maturity, make sure they ..read more

We recently hosted a great Composting 101 class with Karen Gardner, BCMG and vegetable specialist, and came away with some great tips for how to easily make your own compost. Easy is the key here. We are not diving into anything too complicated. The consensus of the class for why they hadn’t gotten into composting earlier was because it felt too complicated. That’s not what we are doing here. Today we are showing you that if you want to start composting today, you can! For extra information, you can download our compost guide here, and we have a composting video coming next week.  Compost ..read more

The Supertunia Vista® Bubblegum® petunia is truly a sight to behold with its vibrant pink flowers that add a pop of color to any garden. This delightful plant is not only beautiful but also tough, especially when it comes to surviving in a place like San Antonio, Texas.   This mounding, trailing beauty can grow to an average of 12-24″ tall, trailing to 24-36″ wide. It looks great in both landscape plantings and container gardens. Drought and heat tolerant, Bubblegum® petunias don’t need deadheading for its continuous blooms that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Bubblegum® petunia is ..read more

When it comes to planting cool weather spring annuals, perennials, or herbs in Texas, timing is everything. By planting these colorful or flavorful early offerings, you can enjoy a longer flowering and/or harvesting season and have your garden bursting with vibrant hues and culinary foliage for an extended period of time. Early Spring Annuals in Texas Early, cool weather annuals are also called transitional annuals. They give you the first offerings of an instant splash of color to brighten up gardens coming out of winter. Planted in the earliest of spring weather, they are able to easily esta ..read more

When it comes to gardening and using pesticides or fungicides, one of the most crucial steps that gardeners often overlook is reading the labels on these products. The information provided on the labels is not just there for legal reasons; it serves as a valuable guide to ensure the safe and effective use of these chemicals in your garden. Reasons to Read Labels on Pesticides, Fungicides and Fertilizers The labels on pesticides and fungicides contain essential details that can help you make informed decisions about how, when, and where to use these products. One of the key pieces of informatio ..read more

Crape Myrtles are a beautiful addition to any garden or landscape. To ensure they grow to their full potential, it’s essential to prune them the correct way. Here are some tips to help you properly prune your Crape Myrtles and maintain their health and beauty. Do’s and Don’ts of Crape Myrtle Pruning Don’t prune off the tops of the tree: While Crape Myrtles may look tempting to prune from the top, it’s not recommended. This practice, called topping, can lead to weak growth, a shorter lifespan, and a less healthy tree. Yes, you will see some homeowners and some landscapers still doing this. Plea ..read more

Tomatoes. They are one of our favorite harvests to enjoy, but they do take some work to produce. You can’t plant too early; you can’t plant too late. They’re hungry and thirsty plants, but when you take a bite out of a fresh, homegrown tomato, most of think they are worth all the fuss. While you can’t PLANT tomatoes too early, you CAN and SHOULD buy tomatoes early if you can keep them in a brightly lit protected area. Bump up tomatoes to a larger container where they can develop strong roots while being shielded from the cold temperatures. They’ll be stronger, more developed plants by the time ..read more