Nasturtiums in Central Texas Nasturtiums are a cool-season annual in Central Texas and are easily grown from seed in pots or seeded directly in the garden. Native to the mountain regions of Central Mexico, Argentina and Chile, they thrive in cool temperatures, but do not tolerate freeze or frost. The plants will fade when it gets hot, so planting when it is cool is mandatory. Nasturtiums are easy to grow from seed,  and are a fun project for late winter gardens.       Nasturtium seeds are large and have [...]

  Pride of Barbados     Caesalpinia pulcherrima Full Sun, well-drained soil 8' x 8', reseeds readily Herbaceous perennial. Do not cut back until late winter. Will be late to emerge in the spring. Deer resistant in most areas. Zone 8   (W. Indies and subtropics of the Americas)     Tropical Milkweed     Asclepias currasavica Full Sun/Part Sun 3'-4' x 3'-4' Re-seeding annual. Collect seeds when seedpods are ripe and save to plant next year. Somewhat deer resistant, but not reliable. Zone 8 (S.Central, Central America)     Firecracker Fern    [...]

  Acanthus, Flame      Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii 3’-5’ by 3'-5' Sun. Summer blooms attract hummingbirds. May be trimmed to shape during the growing season. This is a deciduous woody shrub that may also be trimmed right before it flushes in the spring. Deer resistant.  Zone 7 (Edwards Plateau)     Betony, Texas     Stachys coccinea 12"-18" by 2'-3' Shade, Part Shade. Low growing herbaceous perennial with red flowers from April to October. Cut back to the ground in late February. Not reliably deer resistant. Zone 7. (Trans-Pecos region [...]

Preparing for a Freeze Winter temperatures in Central Texas can be unpredictable. Knowing what we need to protect and how to protect it is the “all important” question. Obviously, we need to protect any tropical plants in pots if a freeze of any kind is expected. We have a blog that covers that. Click HERE to learn more about protecting tropical plants. Every situation will be a bit different, so I will try to simplify it as best as I can. General Information: *Well-hydrated plants are usually more tolerant of cold, [...]

Welcome to our Deer Resistant plant list for Central Texas. Of course, there are NO GUARANTEES! Every location has its own "deer pressure" and the best way to see what works in your area is to observe what plants are not being eaten! We recommend spraying ALL new plants, whether they are "deer resistant" or not, with Deer Out repellant twice a week for about three weeks after planting. Deer will sample anything new, and at certain times of the year or in a drought situation, NOTHING is reliable. Please [...]

Mid-February is one of the busiest times in the garden-we have plants that have died back this winter to cut back, and most importantly, it is time to prune our roses! Timing is important with all pruning endeavors, and roses should be pruned before they have started to put out new growth and expended precious reserves they will need to put out spring growth and blooms. I have talked to many people who are hesitant to prune roses, thinking that they might harm them. Trust me, roses are tougher that [...]