Mitzi VanSant’s Grandchildren in Bluebonnets

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Mitzi VanSant’s Grandchildren in Bluebonnets

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Wildflowers

Recent Episodes

Gardens for Well-Being All Year

Embrace winter’s dormancy to support treasured wildlife, renew summer-depleted soil, and appreciate our garden’s architectural gifts. Kristin and Ryan Harvey created their dream garden from lifeless soil and Shaman Jesus Garcia of The Herbal Action Project cultivates spiritual and physical healing outdoors. Learn how snow and ice insulate our plants. Indoors, go for bold, beautiful | watch episode →

Hillside Garden, Texas Tough Plants, Start Milkweed Seeds

Dramatic weather’s here to stay, so let’s work with it! On an eroding slope framed by live oaks, Lori Najvar and Glen Chapell worked with designer Leah Churner to control runoff and plant shade-tolerant plants in clay soil. Fall’s primetime for planting, so Kirk Alston from The Natural Gardener picks resilient perennial options for sun, | watch episode →

December To Do List

Plant: ornamental & wildlife

Hardy perennials, shrubs
Trees
Roses (best time!)
Winter annuals, including calendula, snapdragon, pansy, viola, dusty miller, ornamental kale and cabbage, alyssum, stock, cyclamen, dusty miller, flowering kale and cabbage
Avoid planting cold tender plants like Pride of Barbardos, Esperanza, lantana, plumbago

Plant: herbs

Perennials thyme, oregano
Avoid planting rosemary
Cilantro transplants, parsley, dill, fennel , chervil, summer savory, borage, rue, chives
Be prepared to cover in case of deep freeze

Plant: food crops

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/home-landscape/edible-gardens/growing-vegetables/

Prune

Prune freeze damaged plants or not? Best to leave seeds on plants for birds and protect root system. If picky relatives coming, okay to prune
Avoid pruning shrubs right now unless you see damage
Do not prune oak trees unless you have damage: paint wound immediately
Okay to prune trees other than red oaks and live oaks

Divide/Move

Shrubs, roses, trees, evergreen spring-blooming perennials while dormant
Asters and other fall-bloomers which are dormant

Prep

Select spots where you want fruit trees, grapes, or berries to plant in January; for now, prep with compost
Mulch cold tender plants like gingers, Esperanza and semi-tropicals
Keep that row cover ready! Do not protect plants with plastic!

Lawn

Pluck out early weeds.

Other tasks

Rake leaves into beds to mulch over winter and return nutrients to the soil
Mow leaves on grass (if not raking to beds or compost) to break them down
Collect leaves from neighbors to add to compost pile!
Deeply water new plants; keep new seedlings moist but not drenched

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