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Purple Texas Wildflowers: How To Add Color To Your Landscape

Purple Texas wildflowers

A rite of passage here in Texas is taking the family for the annual bluebonnet photo. Did you know that these plants are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to wildflowers in Texas? And that you can actually grow these flowers in your own back (or front) yard?

Whether you’re tired of the usual suspects in your home garden or you’re considering wildflowers as another way to use native plants in your landscaping, wildflowers are a gorgeous option that can add a nice splash of color to any property.

Below, we will suggest different types of purple Texas wildflowers you might consider incorporating in your lawn, as well as answer common questions homeowners have about adding these plants to your outdoor spaces.

Different Types of Purple Wildflowers You Can Find in Texas

Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes get the lion’s share of attention when it comes to Texas wildflowers, but they’ve got nothing … Read Full Post »

Add Color To Your Yard With Texas Winter Flowers

plants that grow in winter

Anyone from Texas can tell you that we have unique weather patterns. There are few other places where you can experience all four seasons in just one day. The running joke of “if you don’t like the weather, just wait a minute” rings true to many of us. While it can be nice to experience summer weather on a December day here in Texas, winter flowers can pose a challenge for even most experienced gardeners. 

While keeping soil type and watering requirements in mind, remember that on average, Houston gets 18 days each year with temperatures that dip below freezing. Our growing season lasts an average of 300 days, which can be great for growing a wide variety of plants and flowers. Keep in mind that throughout the winter, our days are shorter, so you’ll want to keep that in mind if you choose flowers which require a certain number of … Read Full Post »

Yard Fungus: Identification, Treatment and Prevention

yard fungus

When you spend a lot of time with the goal of having a green manicured yard, the last thing you want to see is signs of damage. You water, mow, edge and maybe even fertilize in the hopes of seeing a lush carpet. What do you do if you suspect you have yard fungus? How do you know if the damage you are seeing is a type of yard fungus or something else entirely?

St. Augustine is a popular grass for homeowners because it is shade, heat, salt and drought tolerant. When maintained properly, this variety of grass also handles normal human and animal traffic well. However, there a couple of types of lawn fungus that are more prevalent when you have St. Augustine grass. These lawn fungus types also like other warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda and Zoysia.

In this post, we will tell you what you need to know about the … Read Full Post »

Which Salt Tolerant Plants Will Work In My Yard?

salt tolerant plants

Living along the coast certainly has its advantages: access to the beach every day, coastal breezes, mild temperatures, fresh seafood and pretty views.

However, gardening in these environments can present a challenge. While saltwater has its benefits, most plants and flowers don’t like it. Salinity in the soil inhibits a plant’s ability to absorb important nutrients, thereby disrupting the plant’s metabolism.

Finding salt tolerant plants to for your lawn can be a challenge. In many cases, you can select salt tolerant varieties of ceratin plants which can do well in coastal climates. The salt tolerance of plants is determined by a variety of factors, including a plant’s ability to grow under and resist high winds, salt spray, alkaline soils and infertile, sandy soils.

When choosing plants that will be placed facing the ocean without buildings to protect them, you should choose highly salt tolerant plants. If the plants are protected … Read Full Post »

Negative Effects of Floods and How to Clean Up Your Property

Negative Effects of Floods and How to Clean Up Your Property

Around the world, the most prevalent kind of natural disaster is flooding. In the United States, floods are the leading cause of weather-related deaths, taking the lives of around 200 Americans each year. During 2016, 19 floods took place across the United States—the most since record taking began in 1980. Over the past 36 years, Texas is the state which has seen the most fatalities from flooding and flash floods.

The negative effects of floods are numerous and it can take years to rebuild. So this begs the question: is there anything you can do to help protect your home from floods? What should you do if your house floods? What can you do after a flood to help your home withstand potential damage from a future flood?

A flooded home isn’t necessarily a total loss. In a Washington Post article, Claudette Hanks Reichel of Louisiana State University’s Agricultural Center, who has … Read Full Post »

Landscaping Ideas Houston Homeowners Can Use to Transform Outdoor Spaces

Landscaping Ideas Houston

A well-landscaped yard can bring balance, peace and harmony to your space, creating an oasis right at home. Wanting an aesthetically-pleasing lawn is one thing; making it happen is something else entirely. With our hot, humid weather, inconsistent rainfall and occasional flooding here in Houston, it can feel like a challenge to decide which flowers or plants will work best and how to get started on your landscaping project.

Before you begin, you’ll need to learn more about your soil type and think about what plants would survive our climate. On average, Houston gets 18 days each year with temperatures below 32° and 99 days above 90°. Our growing season lasts an average of 300 days, which can be great for growing a wide variety of plants and flowers. However, you have to make sure the plants you choose are heat tolerant.

Local soil is typically either clay or sandy. You’ll … Read Full Post »

Mealybugs: A Complete Guide To This Lawn Pest

mealybugs

Have you ever found something on a houseplant that you first thought was a tiny piece of cotton, but then you realized was a living thing? Mealybugs can ruin the appearance of your indoor and outdoor plants and can cause a significant amount of damage. When left unchecked, mealybugs can eventually kill a plant. For such small creatures, mealybugs can be surprisingly hard to remove. They are found in warm, moist climates and can be introduced to your home and yard by new plants, tools or other materials.

Mealybugs: A Complete Guide To This Lawn Pest

In this post, we will tell you everything you need to know about mealybugs, including what they look like, their favorite hiding spots, their impact on our green spaces and, perhaps most importantly, what you can do if you find them feasting on your plants.

Tiny White Bugs On Plants Can Be Harmful

Those tiny white bugs you noticed … Read Full Post »

Moles In Texas: How To Control This Lawn Pest

moles in Texas

When something is burrowing in your yard, it can be hard to know what you’re dealing with. Those mounds of dirt can seemingly pop up overnight, displacing plants and flowers or creating ugly tunnels. One of the possible culprits for this type of lawn damage is a mole. What kinds of moles live in Texas, and what should homeowners know about these creatures? In this post, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about these animals, including how to discourage them from making your property their home.

Moles in Texas: How To Control This Lawn Pest

Knowing the difference between gophers, moles and voles, and which is damaging your lawn is helpful in determining the best course of action. All three burrow underground but differ in appearance and diet. When any of these animals take up residence on a golf course or another large tract of land, it can be very … Read Full Post »

What Flowers to Plant in the Fall in Texas

What flowers to plant in the fall in Texas

What’s one thing Texas homeowners take pride in? Along with our homes, we take great satisfaction in the trees, garden beds and other landscaping that add something special and beautiful to our property. Attractive landscaping adds curb appeal and increases property value, and it makes spending time outdoors that much more enjoyable.

If you’re a newcomer to the state, you might not realize gardening in Texas isn’t just for springtime. With a little know-how and planning, you can, indeed, enjoy fresh, colorful blooms almost any time of year. 

Wondering What Flowers to Plant in the Fall in Texas?

Green thumbs in many parts of Texas enjoy a climate that allows for beautiful gardens throughout the year. Fortunately, there are several varieties of flowering plants that Texas gardeners love for their ability to thrive throughout the cooler, wetter seasons.

Fall Flowers in Texas

The start of school and fall activities usually bring with them cooler … Read Full Post »

The Best Time To Prune Trees in Texas

best time to prune trees in Texas

There are many reasons why trees, especially mature trees, raise the property value of your home. Trees provide majestic beauty and undeniable curb appeal, along with much-needed shade in the Texas heat. They enable us to stay out of the sun as we relax outdoors, and they also provide both shelter and food for many varieties of animals and insects.

Trees that aren’t well maintained, however, can become not only an eyesore, but also an actual liability. Homeowners who don’t maintain their trees risk injury and property damage due to fallen limbs, termites, tree diseases and other hazards. That’s why pruning your trees—trimming away dead or overgrown branches—is essential to maintaining the trees’ longevity, beauty and value.

Pruning trees isn’t only for purposes of increased safety, health or value, either. While pruning branches helps to prevent the overgrowth of tree limbs, it also improves the overall health of the tree by encouraging … Read Full Post »