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.

Camellias in Central Texas

Central Texas has very few plants which bloom in the winter. Azaleas bloom spring and fall, with some new varieties blooming all summer. Loropetalum blooms in February, as does Texas Scarlet Flowering Quince and Texas Redbud. But what about winter bloomers? Types of Camellias Camellias come to us from eastern and southern Asia.  The ornamental Camellias which do well in our area are Japanese Camellia (Camellia japonica) and Sasanqua Camellia (Camellia sasanqua).       One species, Camellia sinensis, is the plant from which our tea leaves come.     [...]

By |2024-05-04T09:11:16-05:00December 18th, 2017|Plants|
Read More

What Makes Onions Bulb?

Have you ever planted onions, only to be disappointed in the size of bulb produced, or even have no bulbs produce at all? Here are some guidelines to ensure bulb production of onions in your garden. Choose the right variety: onions are characterized by the length of day required for them to produce bulbs. “Long-day” varieties will quit forming leaves and begin forming bulbs when day length reaches 14-16 hours. These varieties do better in the NORTHERN STATES. They are often the little onion “sets” you find at the box [...]

By |2020-07-22T16:35:46-05:00December 11th, 2017|Vegetable Gardening|
Read More

Protecting Your Plants in the Winter

Do you have a plan for keeping your tender plants alive this winter?  Are you wondering which plants will need protection? The first thing you need to know is what hardiness zone your plant is classified in. Is it zone 10, like the Bougainvillea? Or zone 9, like Lemon Grass? The hardiness zone determines the minimum cold temperatures that a plant will tolerate. It is just a guideline, however, as other factors will also need to be considered. A tender plant that is well established going into the winter will [...]

By |2017-12-04T17:31:45-06:00December 4th, 2017|Plants|
Read More

Is it Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus or Easter Cactus?

Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving Cactus are tropical plants native to the rainforests of Brazil. They grow in similar environments as epiphytic orchids, in the forks of tree limbs, where they grow in decayed leaves and other natural debris that accumulates there. The flattened stem segments have no true leaves. The shapes of the segments differ in each species, which aids in identification. Easter Cactus also grows in forests in Brazil, but in drier forests than the Christmas and Thanksgiving Cactus. They are not considered tropical plants and their care will [...]

By |2024-11-11T13:04:30-06:00November 27th, 2017|Plants, Houseplants, Succulents and Cacti|
Read More

Poinsettia Care

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 it [...]

By |2019-11-17T00:57:06-06:00November 21st, 2017|Plants|
Read More

Fall Harvests and Versatile Chard

Well, hopefully your fall vegetable garden is well underway, and you even have some greens to harvest and prepare. Keep an eye on those Cabbage Loopers! The little guys feed on the underside of the leaves of cabbage, broccoli, collards, brussels sprouts and other Cole crops at a time in the fall when the plants really need those leaves to produce carbohydrates for root and leaf growth. Continue using Bt or Spinosad weekly to control those little buggers! Swiss chard is not only a pretty plant that can be used [...]

By |2017-11-12T15:35:34-06:00November 12th, 2017|Vegetable Gardening|
Read More

Twig Girdlers

    I came out one morning and my driveway was covered in the tips of the branches from my enormous Cedar tree. (Actually, what we call a Cedar in Central Texas is really an Ashe Juniper.)           I picked up one of the fallen branch tips. It was about 3-4” long.  I examined the cut end of the twig. Yep. I could see the smoothly chewed groove that caused the twig to fall. It was Twig Girdler damage, all right!           [...]

By |2023-11-05T10:13:33-06:00November 6th, 2017|Insects, Trees|
Read More

Why Trees Change Color in Fall

What determines if a plant will have good fall color?   Fall color in tree leaves is determined by many factors. Any tree grown from a seed, such as an acorn, will have genetic variability in developing fall color. This is observed by watching our native “Spanish Oaks”, aka Texas Red Oak, as the leaves begin to turn in fall. Many will have beautiful red fall color, but we also observe some trees with leaves that simply turn brown and hang on the tree most of the winter…. (this is [...]

By |2023-11-15T13:37:47-06:00November 1st, 2017|Uncategorized|
Read More

My Lawn is ALIVE!

Soooooo many calls the past two weeks about “creepy crawlies” on lawn grasses! What is going on, and what can we do about it? Many lawns were visited a month or so ago by hoards of 1-inch-wide tan or mottled gray moths. The moths laid eggs and the Armyworms have hatched! The rains last month gave these pests the conditions they needed to reproduce and cause rapid damage to lawns. Typically, these Armyworm larvae feed and are most active at night and on overcast days. In daylight, they will hide [...]

By |2021-08-20T07:36:15-05:00October 18th, 2017|Lawn Care, Insects|
Read More

Brown Patch on Lawns

Brown Patch is a fungus that shows up in our lawns in the spring and fall, when temperatures begin to cool. Because it needs cool, moist conditions, we do not see brown patch fungus in the summer. If you have had brown patch in your lawn in the past, it is probable that you will see it again once the conditions are right for its development. St. Augustine is most often infected, but Bermuda and Zoysia will become infected under the right conditions. Over-watered and over-fertilized lawns are more susceptible [...]

By |2022-01-05T10:58:41-06:00October 11th, 2017|Lawn Care, Disease|
Read More

Time to Plant Garlic!

Knowing when to plant different vegetables can be confusing. In Central Texas, we have a fairly mild winter. This means we are able to plant “cool-season” vegetables in the fall for harvest in the spring. Garlic is one of these cool weather plants. The ideal time to plant garlic here is in October and November. It is so easy, you will wonder why you haven’t been planting it all along! See the garlic plants on the right side of this photo? Garlic grows best in rich organic soil with good [...]

By |2021-12-29T09:34:49-06:00October 4th, 2017|Vegetable Gardening|
Read More

Cool Season Color

Winter Annuals in Zone 8 Pansies are one of the most rewarding plants for cool-season planting. They require 6-8 hours of sun and a soil enriched with compost. Remember that winter is their season, and that they are HEAVY feeders-fertilize monthly with NutriStar Color Star time-release fertilizer, and the blooms will never stop! I have had them bloom in an ice storm! Dead-head the fading flowers when possible to encourage more blooms, and you will be greatly rewarded!               Violas are one of my [...]

By |2024-02-26T14:36:35-06:00September 26th, 2017|Plants|
Read More
Copyright | All Rights Reserved
Go to Top