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
Yard work…not always green
My old house I live in an older neighborhood (from the 50's), close to 290 and the 610 loop. Few original owners are left and for a long time there were lots of renters, which is never a good thing. The kids of the original owners finally became tired of being landlords for crappy tenants and sold … Read more about Yard work…not always green
A 6 pack of cool!
Some days... There have been times when I feel like I might scream if somebody asks for another Indian Hawthorn, Red Tip or Ligustrum. Let's face it, the old standby's are capital B...BORING! I understand, the builder put them in and one died or the previous owner wanted low maintenance, but dang … Read more about A 6 pack of cool!
Crape Myrtles
Crape History 101 Although they are native to China, crape myrtles have become an icon for the South (and yes, that gets a capital “S”…because it is a specific place). The original crape myrtles, Lagerstroemia indica, were very prone to powdery mildew. Since 1956, breeders have … Read more about Crape Myrtles