garden gate

Phelan Mansion gardens upgraded

Before
After

Christus Hospital – St. Elizabeth was honored with an historic visit from Nancy Bechtol of the Smithsonian to the gardens of the Phelan Mansion last week.

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Asparagus fern can take the heat, cold

This time of year, we are all looking for some greenery to add to our vases for a little cheer in the house. Why go buy greenery when you probably have some in your own yard. How about using the classic greenery of asparagus fern?

The asparagus fern is the voluminous greenery we’ve all seen gracing large urns and pots in the South. If you don’t want to bring in the whole garden pot, just clip some because this fern will reward a good haircut with even more abundant growth.

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Time for spring cleanup

It’s that time again! Yep, time to get out there in the yard and begin the spring cleanup. Our winters aren’t so long or so cold, but they can be really messy. Chances are your yard and garden are full of half-alive or half-dead plants, wind strewn debris and maybe even some old damp sheets or things used to cover your most sensitive plants during a couple of chilly nights.

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Sapling giveaway on Feb. 15

Jackie Steen, Master Gardener president

Did your mama always say, “Can’t get something for nothing”? Well maybe you can after all. For the second year, the Campbell Forestry group has partnered with the Jefferson County Master Gardener group to supply tree seedlings to our county. There is no cost to anyone. Yep, the seedlings are free.

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Variegated foliage adds beauty

Not every garden needs to be full of blooming flowers to be a showstopper space. Sometimes we get locked into the idea that we need green leaves and flowers to create beauty in the yard. How can you add more interest to your yard? How about adding variegated foliage plants instead of high maintenance flowers?

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Thin skin now a compliment

We all love ’em. Sweet Texas oranges are those little juicy bites of sunshine that we can buy year round at local grocery stores. Lots of our oranges come from Florida and California (thick skins, pretty, not as juicy) and South Texas and Mexico (not as pretty, super sweet, super juicy). With a little care you can grow your own oranges on your own beautiful orange tree right here in Southeast Texas.

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Thin skin now a compliment

 

We all love ’em. Sweet Texas oranges are those little juicy bites of sunshine that we can buy year round at local grocery stores. Lots of our oranges come from Florida and California (thick skins, pretty, not as juicy) and South Texas and Mexico (not as pretty, super sweet, super juicy). With a little care you can grow your own oranges on your own beautiful orange tree right here in Southeast Texas.

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Recycle or re-use plant containers

January is sometimes a bad month for gardening in the yard, so we may turn our attention to perusing seed catalogs, cleaning tools and generally organizing our sheds and garages. Lots of us have huge stacks of those containers of all sizes that we use to bring our plants home. There are quite a few uses for them other than just replanting plants into them.

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My hero has always been sedum

Just think of them as that tough, rugged individual that lots of ladies look for in their 20s. The sedums are independent succulents that will make you happy in good soil, bad soil, little water — “in sickness and in health.” They bloom for months and don’t require much day-to-day care. There’s a sedum for most any sunny spot you have to fill.

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Ladybugs, the gardener’s best friend

Most gardeners know that lots on insects in the garden are what keep things “in the pink.” Of all the insects in the garden, the ladybug is one of the most recognizable and helpful. They are a friend – no, a best friend – of the gardener. They just love to make a meal of those dreaded aphids. Not only that, they look so darned cute.

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