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Spring is one of my favorite times of year and I know I am not alone.  I start thinking about what I am planting and where I am planting.  I always drive my husband crazy, because I like to create new planting areas and sometimes take on more than I can handle.

In addition to the beauty in my yard, I like to get out and see the natural beauty of Texas wildflowers.  When you start seeing those beautiful flowers emerging from the winter sleep, you know the earth is alive again.  The weather is perfect at around 75 degrees with a slight cool breeze coupled with a sighting of mass growth wildflowers brings absolute joy to my heart. 

I grew up in and around San Antonio and lived in the Hill Country for a few years.  These area are the mecca for beautiful wildflowers and wildflower trails.  When my daughter was young we lived south of San Antonio and there was a 10 acre field near our house that was solid bluebonnets.  It literally looked like you were stepping onto water.  When there was a breeze, the bluebonnets would sway and it looked like moving water.  Add a splash of Indian Paintbrushes for a color pallet that artists love to recreate.

This is my first spring in the Houston area, so I am looking forward to checking out the local flavor of wildflowers.  I did some research and will be looking for Salt Marshmallow, Sea Oxeye, Sea lavender, Salt Marsh Morning Glory, Beach morning Glory, Goat-Foot Morning Glory and beach Evening Primrose.  I will still take a trip to the Hill Country and drive the trails around Fredericksburg.

For those of you that have never been to the Hill Country or just go once in awhile, make Fredericksburg you destination and you will find field after field of wildflowers from April to early June.  I like the drive from North Houston to Fredericksburg taking Hwy 290 to Hwy 71 to Austin and then pick-up 290 again.  There is nice scenery and during the Spring you can see wildflowers at multiple locations.  Hwy 290 from Johnson City to Fredericksburg offers wine vineyards and the Wildflower Center nursery.  This is a great place to get wildlfowers to plant in the fall for your area of Texas.  Plus they have cool plants and acres of wildflowers growing and producing seeds.

A good book to have for identifying wildflowers on your trip is ‘Wildflowers of Texas’ by Geyata Ajilvsgi.  The great thing about this book is the wildflowers are separated by their bloom color which makes is so easy to find what you are looking for.  Start planning your trip today.  Dust off your sandals and hat to get ready for an adventure into the world of Texas wildflower color. 

Happy Wildflower Hunting.

Everything in nature that is alive dies and everything that dies rots.  What was alive and rots is compost.  This truly is as simple as it gets.  I love to make compost and started composting in my young years.  We raised cattle, horses, chickens, ducks, etc…the real American farm.  We would clean out the manure pens and mix with hay and set aside to create compost to add to the vegetable garden.  We did not consider ourselves environmentalists, it was just what we did.  We had an open compost pit and now I create my compost inside a compost bin.

Composting can be done on the open ground, in a bin, in a bag, in a barrel or a pit.  There are many composting methods and they all simply have the goal to meet the needs of microorganisms that do the work of turning raw organic matter into humus.  The basic elements are air, moisture, energy food (carbon) and protein food (nitrogen) plus warmth.  Compost piles regardless of location need to be maintained in small mass to achieve high enough temperature. 

Organic matter is made up of many items such as leaves, plant cuttings, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, fireplace ashes, pet and human hair, shredded newspapers, weeds and garden residue.  Woody plant cuttings should be cut into very small pieces to compost quicker.  All paper goods should be shredded.  Avoid using dog, cat or bird waste.  Manure from most animals is good, dog or cat waste can carry parasites to humans, especially cat, and is less pleasant to handle.  The neighbor may not like the wafe of odor that could drift their way.  The following items are good to add to the compost pile to increase N-P-K content; bonemeal, dried blood, cottonseed meal, greensand, seaweed, and other natural products. 

Nitrogen activators are a necessity to speed heating and decay of the organic matter.  Most compost pile failures are caused by lack of nitrogen activators.  Bacteria and fungi that do the work of composting need Nitrogen to carry out the compost process.  Good nitrogen activators are blood meal, bone meal, manures, alfalfa meal, tea grounds, coffee grounds, eggshells, wheat bran, dried seaweed and fish and shrimp scraps.  I also add dried granular molasses to my compost pile.  Sugars are rich in carbohydrates.

Choosing the right composting method is very important and is a main element for success.  The factors are space, construction available, total need for compost and rate of use, time given to project, organic matter at hand, level of human energy for turning and equipment owned or obtainable.  The compost pile or container should be located in an area of the yard that is easy access and not at your backdoor or too close to the neighbors house.  Regardless of the method you choose, keep each pile small in mass for ease of aeration and quick heating.

 Time needed for good quick compost is approximately 8 weeks if you use the right organic matter, maintain aeration, consistent temperature and mechanical or manual turning.  The temperature of a pile should range between 113deg farenheit and 158deg farenheit.  To test this you can use a thermometer or a metal rod that should feel hot to the touch after inserting and leaving a few minutes.  Some die-hard composters simply stick they hand or arm in the pile to check heat.

These are the basics for knowing about composting and starting a compost pile.  There are many books that give you much more detail and two of my favorites that I follow religiously is the Rodale Book of Composting and The Secret Life of Compost by Malcolm Beck.  Composting should be approached as something fun and the feeling that you are giving back to the earth.  Go out today and start composting….Life Is Good when you are giving back to Nature.

I woke up again this morning to cold, wet weather.  I just cannot believe that this far south in Texas has winters similar to winters I experienced in the Texas Hill Country.  My husband and I moved to this area last year because we wanted a sub-tropical climate coupled with the greatness of Texas.  We bought our house in August 2008 and traveled here a couple of times during 2008-2009 winter.  It did not seem so bad.  Then we permanently moved here in June 2009. 

The summer of 2009 for Houston was similar to summers in Texas Hill Country with no rain and hot sunny days, where we lived for 10 years.  Then the fall came and the returning rains gave us hope of a semi-tropical environment.  We shrugged it off as an unusual summer.  Then the winter came and we were happy to experience winter since we have had no winter for four years living in the Caribbean.  However, winter just kept coming and here we are in February and it is still coming.

I have asked several people in the area if this is normal?  All responses were a resounding ‘No’.  I breathed a sigh of relief.  Then I watch the news and see that everywhere in the US is experiencing a record breaking winter.  Could this be a trend for the future?  Are we on the edge of another ‘Ice Age’.  Whoa, I am drifting into an extreme side.  Seriously, are our weather patterns changing?  Being an avid gardener, I am alway watching weather and reading the famous Farmers Almanac.

The Global Warming craze, and I do mean craze, told us that our temperatures were rising every year and that glaciers were melting.  I do not believe all the hype, but I have seen the signs of glaciers melting.  Since I lived in the Caribbean during this craze, I did not notice a change because weather patterns did not change there.  I tracked the weather in the US and there were droughts which seemed never-ending in Texas.  So, was the Global Warming prediction true? 

I do believe that we are poor stewards of the earth, but does this mean we caused all the weather pattern changes?  I am alwasy open to conversation about th topic and last weekend I had the pleasure of having a conversation with a gentleman that was an ex-NASA engineer who studied weather.  Interestingly enough he was working as a volunteer official at my nephew’s tennis game.  He had the most interesting story to tell me.

He says that there are data gathering weather stations all around the world for Nasa.  One of their purposes is to gather all types and ranges of solar data to help structure a pattern.  Over the last thirty years, this data has shown an interesting pattern.  Every ten years there is an arc curve pattern of data (in other words, a big S curve) that shows a high and low period.  In the high period of solar heat and flares, our temperatures are slightly higher during all seasons of the year.  Right now we are the the bottom point of the curve in a low period, which obviously means we are having slightly lower temperatures.  I asked him to explain how we had such high summer temperatures if this is in the low period.  He said that you have to look at the average temperature for the year.  Well this did make sense.  He also said that we are in the lower curve period at least until 2012.  This is not what I wanted to hear, but at least I had another explanation that seemed to help me make sense of the weather.

There is a world of information and data out there about weather.  Everyone has a theory about what has happened, what will happen and what we have done to make it worse.  I believe that we are going through a pattern of change in weather.  Not because a scientist tells me so, but because this old earth has been here millions of years and has changed many times in those millions of years.  It is a fact of nature. 

So, I feel that we should all be more careful with our earth and how we treat her.  Be ready to ride the changes she gives us and watch her very closely, because she will guide us where we need to be to keep her healthy.

Why do we go to botanical gardens?  Why do amusement parks and resorts have great landscaping?  Why do businesses have plants in their buildings and offices?  Why do people like giving flowers?  Why do we have beautiful manicured park areas for urban developments?  Because people love ‘Green’.

Do you remember how you feel when you walk through a botanical garden or a park on a sunny afternoon?  I do!  I instantly feel at ease, at one with nature, worries drift out of my mind and a smile softly take shape.  I am sure that I am not alone in this feeling.  Have you ever noticed that people always look happy in a park or a garden area.  I have never seen a frown.

I was fortunate and had an early lesson about loving ‘Green’.  My father was one of those people that would climb through a landscape at an airport in his suit and take a cutting of a plant that he wanted to grow.  He would carefully wrap it in a wet paper towel and pack it for the journey.  His face would light up when he opened his suitcase to show my mom what he had brought home.  Then he would find an empty or half empty pot on the back patio and carefully plant his cutting.  Amazingly he always had success with his experimental gardens.  He definitely loves ‘Green’.

‘Green’ is a word that has become a buzz word because it represents saving energy, nature and space in today’s world .  It is so often associated with building structures and energy that people have forgotten what it really means?  ’Green’ has been around for millions of years and is the color of nature from rainforests to mountains and even spotted in deserts.  ’Green’ is the reason we smile when we walk through a park or a beautiful landscape.

John Muir spent his life in the pursuit of preserving ‘Green’ by lobbying to set aside beautiful landscapes as parks.  President ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt loved nature so much that he successfully used his politcal power to preserve ‘Green’.  ‘Green’ is just not a solar panel on your house or recycled wall panels, it is a fundamental life support of our minds. 

Including ‘Green’ in your life everyday will make you a happier and healthier person.  One of the easiest ways to bring ‘Green’ into your life is with a plant or flowers.  Take some time to plant a small garden at home or take a potted plant to the office.  Don’t forget the best compliment to ‘Green’ is to pair it with the color of flowers.  Go ahead and make it a ‘Green’ day today.

Water conservation should be a critical part of your landscape planning each year.  Water is one of our primary resources and is always taken for granted.  For some regions of Texas there is a shift from using groundwater to using surface water.   This means that the cost will increase for water usage.  It does not mean you have to give up landscaping.  There are ways you can reduce and conserve water in your landscape.

Do you have St Augustine grass?  Most persons who live in and around Houston do have St Augustine grass lawns.  This is a beautiful grass, but is a high water consumer.  One measure is to reduce your lawn area and add more garden beds.  Adding more garden beds allows you the flexibility of planting more native plants and/or shrubs that have a low water requirement. 

Do not cut your lawn grass too low.  I see many lawns that are cut too low so that the lawn can go longer between mowings and maintain that manicured look for a longer period of time.  Leaving the grass longer helps to reduce evaporation and protects the roots in times of heat stress.  Manicured lawns are only in the eye of the beholder.  Also ensure you have a pest managment program in place for your lawn.

Apply fertilizer sparingly.  Most people think that you have to apply fertilizer more often to keep that ‘green’ color.  The thinking is ‘more is better’.  Not true for lawns or plants.  Focus on maintaining healthy soil through organic gardening measures for lawn and plants and they will only require fertilizer to supplement feeding.  Do not Use Chemicals in your Lawn or Garden Beds.  Chemicals drain off in stormwater and infect our streams, lakes and rivers as well as cause possible health issues for your family and pets.

Set-up a water scheduling program for your irrigation system.  This means matching your irrigation needs to what is required, 1 to 1.5 inches per week of water.  Water includes rainfall and irrigation.  Program your controller to water three days a week at a maximum and try to start watering early in the morning to avoid unnecessary evaporation.  Have your irrigation system checked each year by a licensed irrigator to ensure you are maintaining water efficiency in your system.

Install a rain sensor on your irrigation system to not water when Mother Nature is doing it for you.  Do not water on windy days.  Use sprinkler heads that emit larger water droplets and not a mist which will mostly evaporate before hitting the lawn or plant.  Use drip irrigation in garden bed areas.  Do not allow water to hit sidewalks or driveways.  Contact a licensed irrigator for assistance with more water efficient sprinkler system choices.

Following these simple tips can save you upwards of 1500 gallons of water a month.  I don’t know about you but I am always excited to know I can reduce my water bill.  Water is a precious resource and it is in greater demand and in lower supply than 30 years ago.  Right now the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) has put in process a draft WaterSense® Water-Efficient Single-Family New Home Specifications.  Irrigation industry professionals have sent their comments to this document to ensure licensed irrigators and homeowners maintain some rights to their water.  However, this just drives home that we need to start using our water more efficiently before the federal government decides to do it for us.  You can do your part today.

I had been an organic gardener for years and then one day I finally learned how to make ‘Great Soil’.  Let me give a little history behind that statement.

I moved to Kerrville Texas in the summer of 1996.  The house sat on 1.5 acres and the landscape was basic and boring.  So being a gardener, I set out to redefine our yard to enhance the property and above all, our lives.  I designed four bed areas with a total square footage of 1,950.  The first thing I did was go out to the bed areas with a shovel to dig and see what I had in the way of soil.  I found 2″ to 4″ soil base on top of limestone.  Now the soil base I am referring to, was really just dirt and needed some TLC to become soil. That is when my journey began to find out how to make soil and change my dirt to soil.

I started the process of learning how to make soil by making contact with the organic movers and shakers of Texas; Howard Garrett, Malcolm Beck and Bob Webster.  I read everything they published and attended every seminar and meeting they gave about organic gardening.  Then, I started picking their brains about making soil.  Malcolm Beck was one my best resources.  He is a man that not only talks the game but he lives the game and has changed soil structure and literally made soil for many years.  He suggested a simple starting plan to me and I began the process.  I faithfully followed the plan and within two years I had increased my soil depth in my garden beds and lawns by 3″ to 4″ and after three years we had increased the depth by 6″ to 6″ in the garden beds.  I literally made soil and this is when I finally ‘got it’ about the importance of soil conditioning.  .

Learning to make great soil is much easier than you think.  There is a difference between dirt and soil.  I see dirt as something that holds plants in place and soil is the living, breathing organism that makes your landscape healthy.  Soil is a mixture of minerals, living organisms, water, organic matter and air. Healthy living soil is alive.  I am definitely one of those ‘green geeks’ that loves the earthy smell of great soil and I love seeing earthworms.

All plants grow healthier when there is adequate microorganism activity in healthy soil.  Microorganisms can be made up of mycorrhizal fungi, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, yeasts, algae, cynobacteria, actinomycetes, protozoa mites, beneficial nematodes and other small organisms.  In active soil, the microorganisms feed on the healthy soils substances and release energy rich minerals, vitamins, enzymes and other compounds to feed the roots of plants which makes the plant healthier and hardier.  Okay, enough of the biological education, lets get down to the nitty gritty.

The first thing to do is find natural compost in your area.  Second, you need to find a company that carries organic and natural garden products.  In Houston, there are independent nurseries, natural bulk product producers and feed stores who carry natural organic products.  The main products your are looking for are natural compost, granular molasses, natural organic granular fertilizer and local shredded mulch.

Start the process in your garden beds.  First, do not remove the leaves from your bed area.  Leaves are organic matter that will breakdown and encourage earthworms and increase microorganisms. Below is the starter plan of application for the products:

1. Spread granular molasses
2. Spread a 1″ layer of compost
3. Spread granular organic fertilizer
4. Apply at least a 2″ layer of shredded mulch

Do not worry about getting the quantity exact because you can never really overuse organics in your landscape as there is no burning like chemical products. Now you know my secret to making ‘Great Soil’.  I still use this same step-by-step process anywhere I live.  In addition I use other products such as rock powders, liquid compost, liquid seaweed, fish emulsion, etc.  It will take a little extra time, but I guarantee to you that you will see increased vigor in plant growth, plants survive weather stress and bloom their little hearts out.  Another plus is that you are reversing the chemical damage to soil and bringing back the beauty of nature.

I want to suggest that you buy a copy of the Organic Manual by Howard Garrett.  It is a great starter manual for any gardener wanting to learn the basics of organic gardening.

Check out Vine and Fig Garden Company on Facebook now.  We are very excited to have a business page on Facebook which allows us the opportunity to share news, events, landscape and irrigation information with our fans.   Just another great way to learn about our company and how we choose to make a difference with natural concept landscaping and irrgation services.

Check us out today and become a Fan.

Brrrrrrr.  It was verrry coooold these last few days.  I am used to cold and freezing weather after living in the Texas Hill Country for 10 years and thought I would have to travel back there to experience this kind of cold again.  Boy, was I wrong.  My first year back from living in the Caribbean for four years and Houston has record cold weather.  I thought I had chosen a Texas location with mild winters.  Guess this has to do with global warming…I think the glaciers are not melting and just moving South. 

I want to share with you some tips for post freeze care.  I have very large garden areas at my home and clients with large garden areas that required diligent care for this freeze period.  I worried about the tropicals and semi-tropicals as well as the hardier perennials and shrubs.  Most of my efforts paid off but there were some little fellas that could not take it.  Now, I have the task of cleaning up after the freeze and getting the survivors ready for Spring.  I am sure you are all in the same boat with me. 

The first thing to know is to always let the frost or ice thaw on the plant and then you can assess the damage.  As the sun warms the plant, the damage will become very apparent.  The leaves and stems will look dark brown or black and in some cases soggy and nasty.  I would wait at least another couple of days for more warming before tackling the clean-up.

Cold tender annuals need to just be removed as they will not return in the Spring.  If you have cold hardy annuals planted and they look a little withered, just give them a little snip and fertilize with water-soluble and they will revive themselves.  Replace your cold tender annuals with cold hardy annuals which will take you into Spring. 

Some cold tender perennials and most cold hardy perennials will have survived.  You can check by looking for some green wood on the stems.  You lightly scratch with your fingernail or pruners to see if there is any green left.  Cut down to the green or cut down to 1″ to 2″ from the ground.   I have always cut my perennials back to the 1″ or 2″ from ground with great success for regrowth in Spring.    Most perennials will re-grow from the root base anyway.  Make sure you have at least a 3″ layer of mulch as this will protect the root system through remaining winter.

Tropicals and semi-tropicals may have survived if protected well enough.  Hibiscus seem to be one of the most popular tropicals.  There are some Hibiscus that are root hardy perennials and they can be treated as described in the previous paragraph.  The tropical hibiscus can be a bit more tricky and will need extra protection to survive a frost or freeze.  If they were in the garage, they may have some slight freeze damage and will just need to be lightly pruned.  If they were left outside under cover, then you will need to let them thaw and check for damage.  You can check for green stems following the method discussed in previous paragraph.  If they have green stems, I would not prune now and wait until we get past frost or freeze weather and then you can prune back to green part of stem. They will still need alot of tender loving care to get through winter and flourish in the Spring.   I typically will plant tropical hibiscus in a container and plant the root hardy hibiscus in the garden beds.  This makes it easier to transport the tropicals into the garage for safe keeping and I just cut back the perennial variety after the first freeze.

Some Citrus fruit trees can be hardy to the low to mid 20’s with protection.  Cold hardy citrus trees will have some freeze damage on their tips and leaves.  I have always left the damaged wood and leaves until we are out of danger for frost/freeze and then I only remove the damaged wood.  Start your fertilizing program in Spring.  Make sure you have mulched heavily around the soil and around the bottom stem area to graft and this will give better protection for survival through frost and freeze.

I could go on and on writing a novel about each plant type and how to care for it.  instead, I gave a broad sweep of plant varieties.  Now, I want you to let me know what you have in your yard that needs post freeze care.  You can email me at leslie@vineandfiggarden.com with a question or I can come visit with you and your yard to assess and share some clean-up tips.  Our first consulation is FREE.

Can you believe how cold it is today and how cold it will get later this week in the Houston area?  I am not believing it myself.  There was a report on the local weather today that it will be a possible 21 to 60 hour hard freeze depending on your location in the Houston area.  This can and will be tough on plants.  Especially the semi-tropical and tropical varieties that are popularly planted in the area.  When hard freezing temperatures are approaching it is necessary to prepare your tender plants to ride out the cold.

Your hardy evergreen shrubs and trees, deciduous trees, deciduous shrubs, hardy perennials, hardy palms and hardy herbs will weather the cold without much help.  It is a good idea to add a 3″ layer of mulch to your flower and garden beds.  This will help protect the roots of newly installed plants and will add organic matter for the soil to use in the growing season. 

Your semi-tropical and tropical plants will definitely suffer in this weather.  The following guidelines are not a guarantee and just might give them the right protection.  Let us start with tropical plants.  I would strongly recommend that all tropicals in pots be put inside the garage or greenhouse.  As for tropicals in the ground, they need some extra TLC.  First, place a 3″ mulch layer to the ground around the plant, a freeze cloth placed over the exposed leaves and limbs and watered deep.  The mulch will protect the roots and retain some heat in the soil around the plant.  The freeze cloth will protect foilage and should be actual freeze cloth from your local nursery or big-box plant store.  Some people use bed sheets (I have been known to use them in a pinch) and they can actually work if they are a high thread count…egyptian cotton with an 800 thread count obviously works best, but lets face it, I do not even have these in my linen closet.  A great combination is a layer of bed sheet with freeze cloth over the sheet.  Double whammy of protection.  Last but not least is the watering.  Water is a great insulator for the root system.  Avoid getting the water on the leaves as this does not work the same.

Semi-tropicals are considered a little hardier than true tropicals.  However, hardier is relative to the climate zone of the area.  The Houston area does not typically see the temperatures we are getting ready to experience.  So, it would be recommended to treat the semi-tropicals like the tropicals.

All container gardens should be watered deep and if they are semi-tropicals or tropicals, they will benefit from a covering on foilage and stems.  Even the large containers with shrubs and perennials will benefit from watering deep.  Remember that watering is a great insulator for root systems.

I cannot guarantee that these guidelines will keep your ‘tropies’ alive or without damage.  What I can tell you is that I have followed this very same process many times and I have had more success than failure.  So, give a try and see how it works.

Welcome to our new Blog!

We will be regularly posting company updates and information about outdoor living and design, landscaping, and irrigation systems as well as plenty of related industy news and seasonal tips. Vine and Fig Garden is a new company serving The Woodlands, Lake Conroe area, Montgomery, Magnolia and surrounding Texas communities. Our team of trained, licensed professionals will be happy to meet with you and discuss your design plans for the perfect outdoor living space.

Thank you and have a happy 2010!