by CMG Adrienne M
Paperwhites in front of Poinsettias from Unsplash.com by Aravind Reddy Tarugu
Gardening is a working meditation for me. It helps me remember process, and it helps me remember patience. ~Lizz Wright~
“Jack Frost” is coming soon, somewhere around the first of December. Let’s hope that this month will be cool and dry, with ample pleasant days to finish our fall gardening chores. Because of its geography, the average first-frost date varies in Comal County. The areas of higher latitude (1590 feet at Devil’s Hill, just north of Spring Branch Middle School) will receive killing frost before the lower elevations (580 feet elevation along the Guadalupe River in New Braunfels), so have protective garden coverings handy.
- Tidy up beds by removing spent annuals, and prune back flowering perennials such as salvias to around 8 inches. Replenish the nutrients by adding compost, then cover with a very generous layer of mulch. Many plants that are well-protected and have an ample amount of stored energy will grow and bloom in the Spring.
- The recommendation to over-seed lawns with winter rye grass in zones 8 and 9 is not solely for aesthetics; the additional cover can act as a barrier to a killing frost.
Zoysia Lawn by CMG Ronnie K
- Petunias are hardy to around 20 degrees, making them quite reliable as cool-season bedding plants for all elevations here. They are hardy in our area to around 20 degrees. They will bloom until May or early June, and can be planted through early March. Every gardener loves a “Happy Face!”
Petunias in the fall garden by CMG Ronnie K
- Plant roses, trees, shrubs and ground covers now to establish a good root system for vigorous growth in the spring. Groundcovers are often low maintenance and will add a nice texture and color change to the lawn. One option is Wedelia, which forms a dense ground cover eight to ten inches in height. Topped with yellow daisy-like blooms, it is very drought tolerant once established.
Wedelia, creeping daisy or creeping oxeye by CMG Ronnie K
- Edge an outdoor container or a garden area with curly parsley, then plant the interior with narcissus in the Tazetta family, such as the golden Sol d’Or, which is quick to bloom.
- For a delightful fragrance in your home, consider planting narcissus in containers indoors. They are easy to grow in a bowl filled with decorative rocks and water, and the mass plantings produce an abundance of blooms. Click here for more information on growing paperwhite narcissus.
- A vegetable garden can be a riot of colors and shapes by choosing an assortment of varieties. Lettuces, for instance, come in many shades of green and red, tall and bushy, compact and low growing. Interspersed with other greens and root vegetables, the visual choices are endless.
Buttercrunch Lettuce from Unsplashed.com by Quartisch Photography
- When harvesting a whole head of lettuce, plant new seeds in its place. Remember to sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil, as they need exposure to sunlight to germinate. Crawford lettuce is a good choice for our area. Bexar County horticulturist David Rodriguez describes it as: “…an heirloom, black-seeded romaine cos-type lettuce that sports 10-inch heads of slightly savory green leaves with blotches of reddish brown toward the margins.” Read more about Crawford lettuce here.
- For a continuous harvest of spinach, start seeds indoors, then plant them in the garden every few days. TX A&M recommends the varieties Bloomsdale, Early Hybrid and Melody.
- Prepare now to protect cold season vegetables from damaging wind and frost by installing frames for protective coverings, and stocking the supply shed with handy and suitable materials. Remember, “first frost” dates are an estimate, not a promise!
Sources: Comal County Gardening Guide ©CMG 2012; Month-By-Month Gardening in Texas, Groom & Gill, The Southern Gardens Plants Book by Southern Living.
Online: Monrovia; plantanswers; aggie-horticulture.tamu; texasgardener; whiteflowerfarms; milbergers; lsuhorticulture; longfield-gardens; southernliving and other sites.