Garden Checklist (for all Southern states except Florida and Texas)
Texas Garden Checklist

Hollies
Plant hollies now for colorful winter berries. Types with showy red fruit that will grow throughout the state include dahoon holly (Ilex cassine), round holly (I. rotunda), yaupon holly (I. vomitoria), and Chinese hollies (I. cornuta), such as Burford and 'Dwarf Burford.' In North and Central Florida, you can also include American holly (I. opaca) and its many selections such as 'East Palatka,' 'Howard,' 'Savannah,' and 'Lake City' (orange berries). Plant in partial shade to full sun and in well-drained soil.

Entire State

• Fertilizing--To keep winter annuals blooming, feed them on a monthly basis or as directed on the container. You can use a fertilizer such as Scotts All Purpose Flower & Vegetable Slow Release Plant Food 10-10-10 or Osmocote Outdoor & Indoor Slow Release Plant Food 19-6-12. Water annuals approximately twice a week when there's no rain.

North

• Landscape shrubs--Add lots of interest to your garden with new types of shrubs. Consider 'Endless Summer' French hydrangea, which grows to about 5 feet tall and blooms continuously throughout the summer in partial shade. Another new hydrangea that produces flowers on both new and old wood is 'Dooley.' In sunny spots, try shrub roses such as 'Knock Out' in either fuchsia or pink. They grow vigorously to about 4 feet tall, bloom repeatedly, and are very resistant to leaf spot diseases. This shrub rose produces numerous small blooms. It is drought tolerant, making it an ideal candidate for home landscapes.

Central

• Flowering trees--Need to replace trees lost to the hurricanes of the past year? To beautify your landscape, consider Hong Kong orchid tree (Bauhinia x blakeana), senna (Senna bicapsularis), golden shower (Cassia fistula), floss silk tree (Chorisia speciosa), jacaranda (Jacaranda mimosifolia), copperpod (Peltophorum dubium), and yellow poinciana (P. pterocarpum).

Central and South

• Pruning--Both evergreen and deciduous shrubs and trees can be trimmed now. The exception would be those plants such as azaleas or trumpet trees (Tabebuia sp.), that bloom in early spring on old wood. Wait until after spring bloom to prune them.

South

• Lawns--Grasses are growing slowly now, so cut your irrigation back to only one or two deep waterings per week, depending on the amount of rainfall that you have received. Overwatering your lawn can encourage weed problems.