Easy and Affordable Composting
Simple introduction to composting. Great guide for new gardeners. You’ll get my “no-no” and “yes” list for composting materials and an easy way to start today.
How to Start Your Houston Garden
4 tools you will need to start planning your garden and landscape today
Satsuma Ohnaga Bitter Melon
These edible, very bitter gourds have been a really interesting addition to the HDG Vegetable Test Garden. With wild 2021 weather, I was not confident these would make their debut this year. Fortunately they did, and they were a hit! Improper Seed Starting: My first attempt at germinating seeds was…
Lemon Balm Eucalyptus
A review of Lemon Balm Eucalyptus in the HDG Test Garden, a 2 acre site devoted to testing plants in Houston, Texas.
Lantana
Today let’s talk about a flowering plant that is native to the tropical Americas. The Purple Training Lantana and New Gold Lantana, or Lantana montevidensis and Lantana x ‘New Gold’ respectively, are outstanding examples of the Lantana family. The Purple Training flourishes in USDA Zones 8-10, while the New Gold…
Pride of Barbados
Caesalpinia pulcherrima, more often known as Pride of Barbados (sometimes referred to as Bird of Paradise, although this common name belongs to another plant), is a favorite medium to large, tropical shrub for Texas landscapes. You can expect this fast-growing plant to reach 4 to 8 feet tall and around…
Coneflower
Echinacea spp. also known as Coneflowers, are a popular and colorful perennial accent for landscapes, gardens, and as cut flowers ranging in height from 24 inches to 4 to 6 feet. Hardy from zone 2 to 10 depending on the variety, they require full sun to partial shade, average watering,…
Celeste Fig
Do you ever want more function in your landscape than just something nice to look at? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone and we have something for you! Say hello to the Celeste Fig tree; Also known as Ficus carica ‘Celeste’. This handy little tree grows up to 7’-10’ tall and…
Philodendron
Searching for a large, exotic feature to your tropical landscape? A great addition is Split-Leaf Philodendron, or Philodendron bipinnatifidum, which sports huge, palm-like, dark green-lobed leaves. Reaching 12-15′ in height and with a potentially matching width, this seemingly tropical and moisture loving plant actually prefers well drained fertile soils with…
Garden Potato
Solanum tuberosum, more commonly referred to as Garden Potato, is a cool season vegetable hardy in zones 1 to 7, or most of the continental United States. Potatoes produce best when planted in early spring with warm days and cools nights. Potato is a common culinary vegetable but is often…