Author Archives: khansen
Home Garden Tour – June 1
Mark your calendars for the annual Home Garden Tour, sponsored by Smith County Master Gardeners. The tour is a unique opportunity to view five private gardens and landscapes. This year’s gardens showcase a variety of landscaping styles and methods—ranging from a woodland setting to an intimate garden planned for the wheelchair gardener.” Featured gardens this year are in the southeast section of Tyler, all within the city limits. They include: Breedlove Garden—1216 E Dulse Street Gary Garden—3601 Flagstone Drive Rentfro Garden—3811 Long Leaf Drive Bourns Garden—3819 Broadmoore… Read More →
Salvias for Texas-Tough Summer Color
One of the most diverse and useful groups of plants for summer color must be the sages – botanically known as the Salvias. Native to many places in the world, including Texas, salvias have become a staple for garden designers creating long-lasting colorful beds. Garden-worthy salvias range from Texas-tough perennials to tender annuals that have been extensively bred for the bedding plant industry. Colors take on the rainbow, from purple to red, with blues, whites, and even yellow. Salvias are in the mint family, all of which… Read More →
Hydrangeas – Showy Color Shady Spots
As springtime azaleas blooms fade, it is nice to have other plants step in to fill the gap with color. Roses are an obvious choice, with many blooming already, and the main show to start in a few weeks. One of my favorite plants in our landscape is an Oakleaf hydrangea. It provides nearly year-round interest with its large leaves, attractive white blooms and interesting bark and growth habit. It blooms in early to mid-May along with our native, white blooming Rhododendron oblongifolium (Texas azalea) and a late-blooming… Read More →
Gardening Tips for May
The saying is, “If you don’t like the weather in Texas, wait a minute and it will change.” After hitting the upper 80’s, it’s predicted to be in the upper 30’s tonight. Of course, weather, including temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind, etc., affects plants in many ways. Eventually spring will give way to our typical Texas summer with endless hot days and warm nights. Many plants, including our turfgrasses, grow best in warm to hot temperatures. They have been slow in the transition from their winter dormancy to… Read More →
Redbuds Signal Spring
Throughout woodlands and city landscapes, rosy pink splashes of color signal that spring is on its way. Redbuds are wonderful, small trees that can have a place in almost any landscape. Small in stature, they fit nicely into smaller urban lots. But, redbuds work their magic just as well on larger acreage since their cheerful, bright color is easily noticed in early springtime when grays and browns dominate the landscape. Lavender-pink to rosy or reddish purple blooms come out in March and last 2 to 3 weeks. Blooms… Read More →
March Gardening Tips
Springtime is at the door, and gardening fever is starting afflict folks. I don’t know if March came in as a lion or lamb, but one thing is certain – you can’t predict the weather in Texas. The cooler weather in late February and early March slowed down what looked like an early springtime. Saturday March 16 is the second East Texas Garden Lecture Series workshop at the Tyler Rose Garden Center, featuring “Creating Creative Container Gardens”. Gone are the days of boring, one-plant pots! Come be… Read More →
Learn How to Create an Exciting, Attractive Container Garden
Saturday March 16 is the second East Texas Garden Lecture Series workshop at the Tyler Rose Garden Center, featuring “Creating Creative Container Gardens”. Gone are the days of boring, one-plant pots! Come be inspired watching 3 nurserymen – Sharon Smith of Blue Moon Gardens, James Wilhite of Wilhite Landscape & Lawn, and Laurie Breedlove of Breedlove Landscape Nursery, demonstrate how to plant beautiful and interesting container gardens. During this fast-paced program, you’ll not only learn the basics of container gardens – soils, containers and plants, but your… Read More →
February Gardening Tips
February is a busy month for gardeners, with both indoor and outdoor activities. Indoor activities include three educational programs coming up this month, presented by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. The East Texas Garden Lecture Series kicks off on February 16 at the Tyler Rose Garden Center with “A Morning with Scott and Lauren Ogden”. The Ogdens are nationally renowned authors, garden designers and horticultural consultants, designing both public and private garden spaces around the country, spanning many climate zones. The Ogden’s latest book, “Plant-Driven Design: Creating… Read More →
