Cold weather doesn't mean no gardening Houston "winters" are an odd mix of weather, sometimes cold and wet, other times just cold. Then, we have days that call for shorts and a t-shirt. One day could be 70 degrees with a frost the next morning. Just keep a jacket in your car. Winter is a great time … Read more about Winter Chores
Why is my grass yellow?
About 3 weeks ago... We visited a friend and her yard looked great! I went back last week after she called, asking me what was wrong with her grass. I was shocked at the difference. What was once a beautiful thick lawn, was now a patchwork of yellow and green. In some spots, it was thin. There were … Read more about Why is my grass yellow?
Mosquito Repelling Plants…Myth Busted
We wish this was true! Over the last few years, we have been repeatedly asked for certain plants that have been touted as being able to repel mosquitoes. With the general notion that simply planting these will stop mosquitoes from entering your yard. I have many of these plants in my yard and … Read more about Mosquito Repelling Plants…Myth Busted
Mosquitoes…sigh
Suck it up, you live in south Texas... The only people who love mosquitoes are exterminators and entomologists. Mosquitoes are a fact of life in Houston, deal with them. Here is some basic info: Mosquito fact sheet. https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/preparedness/factsheet_mosquitoes.shtm This is an … Read more about Mosquitoes…sigh
More on Molasses
Low maintenance yard I spend a lot of time on my lawn, but I don't do much to it. Someone else mows and edges it, every other week. I pull weeds. As much as I hate chemicals, I had to spray this spring! I couldn't keep up with the weeds and there were 4 different types that tried to poke or sting … Read more about More on Molasses
What’s with that bark? #2
Apparently, this is a common question! A while back, I wrote part one of this barky topic. It reviewed how tree bark developes and how the cracks and fissures are a non issue. Since then, we have gotten tons of questions about why large chunks of bark fall off trees. I had two 60-year-old trees do … Read more about What’s with that bark? #2
You’ve got gall!
A perennial question Every year, in November, alarmed customers call or come in with the same problem. We hear "Something is wrong with my tree! It has fuzzy balls growing on the leaves" or "My tree has a disease, help!" or even "It's dying, should I cut it down?". Calm down, breath...this is … Read more about You’ve got gall!
My tree has ants crawling on it!
Do you mean "ants" or "ANTS!"? There is a difference. A close inspection will give you a better idea of what you're dealing with. If it's a "one ant here, one there, kind of thing", it could just be that they are foraging, looking for a meal. Massive colonies are another thing entirely! Deciding if … Read more about My tree has ants crawling on it!