About Mary Kay Pope

Mary Kay is an asset to Backbone and a wealth of knowledge! Many customers come in and ask for her by name for all their plant questions. It's no wonder why, as Mary Kay has 47 years of experience in the horticulture field. She holds a B.S. in Horticulture from Ohio State University, a TMCNP and a TCLP from Texas Association of Nurserymen, a Specialist in Urban Trees Certification from Texas A&M, and is a Certified Arborist.

Growing Blueberries in Central TX

Rabbiteye blueberries can be grown successfully in whiskey barrel sized pots in Central Texas. Because they require acid soils, use a quality potting soil mixed with 1/3 sphagnum peat moss. The pot should drain well, and no saucer should be placed under the pot to ensure thorough drainage. Blueberries require full sun to produce well. Use a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving plants, such as an Azalea/Camellia/Gardenia fertilizer. Do not apply any fertilizer the first year. Starting the second year, fertilize in late winter to early spring. DO NOT use a [...]

By |2022-03-15T14:11:53-05:00January 17th, 2019|Fruit & Nuts|
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Poinsettia Care During the Holidays

Poinsettias are such a symbol of the Holidays, and can be kept fresh-looking longer with just a few easy care instructions. Locate your Poinsettia close to a bright window if possible. The bracts will continue to “color up” with sufficient light. If you are satisfied with the color, you may display the plant in a darker area, but be aware that the color might fade. Check the soil daily for water. When the surface of the soil is dry to the touch, or if the pot feels light, remove the [...]

By |2018-12-09T11:44:41-06:00December 9th, 2018|Plants|
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L – December Gardening Checklist

December Gardening Checklist Vegetable Gardens: Plant lettuce, radish and spinach from seed or transplants. Cover whenever frost or freeze is expected. Prepare for January planting of onions. Make a planting plan for spring that includes crop rotation. Lawns: Water lawns with 1” of water if it hasn’t rained 1” in the last 2-3 weeks. Remove any leaves that have fallen so that water can get to the soil and the leaves don’t shade the grass (especially St. Augustine, which may have some green leaves) during the winter months. Winterize your [...]

By |2021-12-29T13:34:57-06:00December 2nd, 2018|Monthly Gardening Checklist|
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Cyclamen Care

Cyclamen come to us from the Mediterranean region and North Africa. They revel in cool, but not cold, temperatures, and provide us with flowers for several weeks each season. Florist Cyclamen come in shades of red, pink, white, purple and salmon. Some varieties are fragrant, some reach 7”-8” tall, and others may reach 12”-18” tall. They are grown from a corm, which is bulb-like structure, and can be kept over as a perennial as long as they are allowed to go dormant in the summer season. (Or not, as you [...]

By |2021-11-10T10:02:36-06:00November 28th, 2018|Plants|
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K – November Gardening Checklist

Trees and Shrubs The best planting season for trees and shrubs is now through mid-March. Root systems will establish well in the winter months, requiring less frequent watering than in the spring and summer establishment period. When the heat hits in late spring, your plants will benefit from the “head start” on root establishment!   Mulch: Trees and shrubs will benefit from an additional layer of mulch to protect their roots in the winter and to conserve moisture. Pull the mulch away from trunks and stems, as the mulch will [...]

By |2024-11-03T12:50:56-06:00November 22nd, 2018|Uncategorized|
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Establishing Newly Planted Trees and Shrubs in the Winter

Any tree that has been planted within the past two years should be monitored for watering during the winter months. Any tree that was in a 100 gallon pot or larger when planted should be monitored for several years beyond that, as larger trees take longer to fully establish.  PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON RAIN OR LAWN IRRIGATION TO ESTABLISH NEWLY PLANTED TREES OR SHRUBS. REGULAR DEEP SOAKING WITH A HOSE IS REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH TREES AND SHRUBS, EVEN IN THE WINTER MONTHS. EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS: Evergreen trees and [...]

By |2024-12-19T09:50:42-06:00November 18th, 2018|Uncategorized|
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Helping the Monarch Migration

Have you seen the Monarchs yet? Every year, I watch in expectation for the annual migration to pass through our area. I’ve been planting nectar plants all year in anticipation! Most of us have heard about the recent decline in the population of the Monarch, and how the use of herbicide-tolerant crops in the mid-west has limited the Monarch’s larval food plant, milkweed. We now have new information on how important the nectar plants are for the adult Monarch on the long migration to its Mexico breeding grounds in the [...]

By |2018-10-15T10:27:41-05:00October 15th, 2018|Uncategorized|
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J – October Gardening Checklist

Vegetables: October is prime planting for many cool-season vegetables. Plant Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, and Cauliflower from transplants. Swiss chard, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Spinach, Collards, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Asian Greens and Spinach may be planted from seed or transplants. Beets, carrots radishes, and cool-season peas such as snap, English and snow peas should be planted directly from seed. Be sure to follow directions on thinning carrots, beets, radishes, lettuce and spinach in order to produce a harvestable crop! October is the best month to plant Garlic from cloves separated from [...]

By |2024-09-29T11:03:40-05:00October 3rd, 2018|Monthly Gardening Checklist|
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Pecan Tips for Late August and Early September

Pecan kernels fill out their shells during August and September in Central Texas, usually between August 15 and September 15. This is a critical time for the trees to receive DEEP watering, covering an area at least out to the dripline of the tree. Without sufficient rains or irrigation, the kernel does not compress all the packing material tightly to the inside of the shell and some of that packing material adheres to the kernel. Unfortunately, the kernels themselves also suffer, as they will not be filled out as well, [...]

By |2020-07-22T16:49:53-05:00September 3rd, 2018|Fruit & Nuts, Trees|
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Ornamental Grasses – Lots of Beauty with Less Effort!

Ornamental grasses are overlooked too often. A balanced landscape requires many elements, and ornamental grasses are a great choice to fill the need for a structural variation in foliage. While everyone loves the plants that give us color, we also need to “break up” the landscape to avoid monotony, and give texture to our plantings. We have a wonderful selection of native ornamental grasses available to us, and not only do they fill a design void, but they are often quite heat and drought tolerant as well. Even when dormant [...]

By |2018-08-20T17:24:08-05:00August 20th, 2018|Plants|
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August Pruning

Central Texas has a lot going for it in the gardening realm, if you know how to play it. For one thing, we have fabulous fall weather, which our plants really love. As gardeners, we can prepare for that extra “push” the fall will give us. But, only if we prepare now, from mid to late August. Roses are looking stressed and tired from the long, hot summer. Pruning shrub roses back by 1/3 and fertilizing with an organic rose fertilizer such as Fox Farm Rose Food will bring on [...]

By |2018-08-13T11:34:32-05:00August 13th, 2018|Uncategorized|
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Ball Moss

Ball Moss is a flowering plant (not a moss at all!) that has been given a bad rap by many people in Central Texas. We have customers frequently ask how to “kill” the moss in their trees, as they believe it is harmful to the tree. Well, I’m going to give you the real scoop on this often misunderstood plant. It’s not hard to believe that the native Ball Moss is related to our popular “Air Plants”, which are sold as house plants. Both belong to the Genus Tillandsia. They [...]

By |2021-11-22T09:00:08-06:00August 1st, 2018|Plants, Trees|
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