Tips from the Garden
Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace. ~May Sarton~
One or two more weeks of unseasonably warm weather makes this a good time to get a head start on preparing outside areas for future planting. Mulch all garden beds and remove dead plants; plan to correct drainage issues; prune plants as necessary. Be aware, however, that the cold will come, not necessarily gradually, but more likely in a forceful rush. Then it will be time to gather up the seed catalogues, relax in an easy chair, and plan the beautiful things that will be sprouting and blooming in our spring and summer gardens.
Read more Tips HERE.
Creepy Crawlers
Insect life cycles can be broken down into two major categories: incomplete and complete. Incomplete can then be further broken into three varying types.
Click HERE to read more about Insect Life Cycles
New Greenhouse Update
Building a greenhouse is more than a one person job!
Meet the Greenhouse Team
A special thanks to TA French Custom Home Builder (project manager), Julie Edwards Home Designs (greenhouse design), and our very own CMG, Walter Mott (electrician), for their invaluable contributions.
Click HERE to see a list of our generous donors and the CMG members involved in the project.
Focus on a Native - Possumhaw Holly
Adorned in bright red berries in winter, Possumhaw Holly, Ilex decidua, is the widest-ranging holly that is native to Texas. It grows from Maryland and the Florida panhandle to the western edges of Texas. Its favored habitats include swampy lowlands, river bottoms and coastal plains in clay, loam or caliche soils. These are small trees, seldom growing to more than 30’ but more frequently appearing as a large shrub with several stems. Some other names by which this tree is known are Deciduous Holly, Meadow Holly, Prairie Holly, Swamp Holly, Welk Holly, Bearberry and Winterberry.
The leaves are dull green, deciduous, smooth, round at the tip and 1½ – 3” long with round teeth along the edges. The leaves remain green throughout autumn. Small white flowers bloom in March-May, have four petals on thin stalks at the end of small twigs. Male and female plants are separate, and the male trees do not have berries. The bark is brown, thin and smooth but becomes rougher as the tree ages.For more information click here.
Veggies, Q&As, and Native Plants
Happenings and Harvests in the Veggie Garden
A weekly log of veggie garden activities
Native Plant Gallery
Visit our gallery of native plants--and Go Native!