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.

Perennials for the Shade in Central Texas

Finding perennials for the shade, or even part shade can be challenging at times. While this list is a compilation of plants that do well in "dappled" shade, I have included a few that will tolerate a few hours of morning sun and even a few that will tolerate sun "or" shade. Please read the descriptions carefully to determine which will work best in the amount of shade that you are planting in. Pay attention to the "summer sun" conditions where you are planting for best results.   Chinese Ground [...]

By |2025-12-29T13:03:48-06:00May 26th, 2025|Plants, Native Plants|
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Septoria Leaf Spot of Tomato

    Tomatoes are susceptible to a variety of fungal leaf spot diseases. Proper cultural methods go a long way in preventing them.           Septoria leaf spot usually shows up on the lower leaves after the fruit has begun to set. Removal of the lower leaves as the plant grows so that splashing water will not spread the disease is recommended.       The fungus overwinters on plant debris or on any plant in the Nightshade family. It can also survive on tomato cages and [...]

By |2025-04-17T13:29:24-05:00April 17th, 2025|Vegetable Gardening, Disease, Plants|
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Tiger Eye Flowering Maple

This tender perennial is native to the tropics and sub-tropics of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia. I have found various Zones applied to it, with 8b and 9 the most common. I would believe that it could be root-hardy to 20°F if established in the ground in a protected location. It lends itself to container growing as well, and can do well in a sunny window in the winter.     Flowering Maples do best in filtered shade, dappled shade or part shade in Central Texas. I would definitely [...]

By |2025-04-01T14:59:12-05:00April 1st, 2025|Plants, Houseplants|
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My Ruellia is Fuzzy

What is that white "fuzz" on my Mexican Petunia?     The first thing you should check for is mealy bugs. They are known to infest Ruellia and can be difficult to control.  If you do find mealy bugs on your Ruellia it is best to trim the plants back hard, bag the clippings and seal the bags before disposing them.            If the temperatures are between 45°-85°F you can spray them will All Seasons Oil after new growth appears. Consult labels on other products to [...]

By |2024-11-30T16:00:45-06:00November 30th, 2024|Insects, Plants|
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Trees For Different Soils

Know your soil before you choose a tree for your landscape. Always perform a drainage test if drainage is questionable. Clay Soil Cedar Elm              Lacebark Elm           Canby Oak Live Oak                 Texas Red Oak          Bur Oak Chinese Pistache   Magnolia                   Bald Cypress Mex. Sycamore Caliche Soil Cedar Elm              Lacey Oak                [...]

By |2024-10-19T14:37:33-05:00October 19th, 2024|Trees|
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What to Expect at Tree Fest

When you arrive... When you arrive, please check in at the welcome booth. If you are planning on purchasing a tree that is 15 gallon size or larger you MUST sign in with your name and phone number. You will be helped in the order that you signed in. If there are people ahead of you, we will call your phone number when it is your turn to be helped. If necessary, you may request a salesperson with a golf cart to assist you. You will be asked if you [...]

By |2025-10-01T11:58:38-05:00October 13th, 2024|Trees|
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Grow Cilantro from Seed

Grow Cilantro from Seed Cilantro is a cool-season crop that grows best when the temperatures are between 50° and 85°F. In Central Texas we can begin seeding Cilantro into our gardens in September/October for a November/December harvest and again in February for an April harvest. When established Cilantro can tolerate temperatures down to 20°F. The leaves may freeze but the plants should grow back. Plants in the ground should be covered with frost cloth if a hard freeze is expected.  If planting Cilantro in November, December or January, planting in [...]

By |2025-12-14T10:29:58-06:00October 12th, 2024|Vegetable Gardening, Plants|
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Gardening in Clay Soils in Central Texas

Why is it hard to find information on gardening in clay soils? If you have been gardening in clay soil for very long you have probably had your fair share of failures. It is hard to find lists of plants that will thrive in heavy soil, as no one really wants to stick their neck out with recommendations in case it doesn’t work. Of course, there are many variables that need to be considered, and growing conditions are never identical, so please consider this a list of “plants to try” [...]

By |2025-05-03T08:54:27-05:00October 7th, 2024|Palms, Trees, Plants, Vegetable Gardening|
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Why are My Tomatoes Not Ripening?

Why Aren’t My Tomatoes Ripening? It’s June, and some of you have been wondering why your tomatoes have continued to remain green and are failing to ripen. The short answer is TEMPERATURE.     The optimum temperature for tomatoes to ripen is 70° to 75°F. If you were a bit late getting your tomatoes planted and/or the temperature got above 85°-90°F early this year, the ripening process slows or even stops. At these high temperatures the pigments lycopene and carotene, which are responsible for giving the fruit the red or [...]

By |2024-06-09T15:35:52-05:00June 9th, 2024|Vegetable Gardening, Plants|
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Hardy Palms for Central Texas

Let's face it, Central Texas has unpredictable winters. It seems that every 10 years or so we will get a killing freeze that separates the hardy palms from the non-hardy palms. Some non-hardy palms such as the Mexican Fan Palm will be damaged more often than that, and may or may not survive even a "normal" winter. There are palms that will survive all but the most brutal Central Texas winters, and I'd like to introduce you to them here. What is our Hardiness Zone? According to the USDA 2023 [...]

By |2024-03-27T15:29:22-05:00March 27th, 2024|Plants, Palms|
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Planting a Grow Bag Texas Mountain Laurel

Planting a Grow Bag Texas Mountain Laurel         MEASURE from the bottom of the bag to the top of the soil. (NOT to the top of the bag)               DIG a hole that is about two inches shallower than the measurement of the soil depth.             TURN the bag on its side and cut the bottom off the bag with a sharp knife.                 PLACE the grow bag in [...]

By |2024-03-18T15:57:44-05:00March 18th, 2024|Trees|
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