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

Cupheas
Remember Mexican heather (Cuphea hyssopifolia), which was so popular a few years ago with its small purple flowers? Don't forget about other cupheas that are easy to find and offer even more color. Tall cigar plant (C. micropetala) starts showing off its tubular red-and-yellow flowers this month. These pretty blooms are frequented by hummingbirds. Another, C. ignea, (called cigar, cigarette, or firecracker plant) has small tubular flowers that are almost totally orange. It blooms from spring to fall. Finally, bat-faced cuphea (C. llavea) has red-and-purple flowers. All cupheas are durable, drought-tolerant choices for the sunny perennial garden.

North

• Daylilies--Divide plants that have become so crowded that they've lost their vigor and aren't blooming. Dig them up, and divide the clumps with a shovel or garden fork. Cut leaves back to 12 inches. Then replant, spacing them about 18 inches apart, and water well.
• Sod webworms--The greenish or tan caterpillars curl up near the soil line during the day and feed at night. Look for notched leaf blades, a sign of their chewing damage. You may also find a dusty material left behind by the feeding caterpillars. If your lawn is affected by these pests, apply an insecticide such as Bayer Advanced Lawn PowerForce Multi-Insect Killer or Spectracide Triazicide Soil & Turf Insect Killer.

Central

• Herbs--Plant lemon balm, rosemary, Mexican tarragon, fennel, oregano, mint, and thyme. If you don't have room in the ground, place herbs in pots or in a window box. Moveable containers are great for herbs such as basil or sweet marjoram that need protection on freezing nights. Be sure they have good drainage holes, and water when the top 2 inches of soil has dried out.

South

• Lawns--If you didn't fertilize last month, apply a product such as Pennington Centipede & St. Augustine Food 18-0-18 or Sta-Green Centipede Lawn Fertilizer 15-0-15 (it's good for St. Augustine too).
• Palms--Trim off yellowed or discolored fronds. Feed with a fertilizer such as Vigoro Palm, Ixora & Ornamental Plant Food 9-4-9 or Schultz Expert Gardener Citrus & Tropical 10-4-10. Plant new palms now; keep them well watered for the first few weeks until established.
• Bougainvilleas--Plant this sprawling, drought-tolerant shrub in dry areas that receive at least six hours of sun daily. Growing to more than 15 feet tall and wide, they are excellent for softening a wall or fence or adding privacy. They also make great container plants, flowering throughout the year. Avoid placing these thorny shrubs in areas with a lot of traffic.