TEXAS
Flowering Trees
Enhance your landscape with early-spring
flowering trees. The season begins with deciduous saucer magnolias (Magnolia x soulangeana), shown at right, which are covered with
tulip-like flowers in pink and white. The next wave of blooms include
Mexican plum (Prunus mexicana), redbuds, and flowering peaches such as
'Red Baron' (double red and good fruit). For the eastern third of the
state, consider Eastern redbud (try selections such as 'Forest Pansy' or
'Alba'). For the western half of the state, Texas redbud, with its
shinier leaves and deeper magenta flowers, works best (try 'Texas White'
or 'Oklahoma'). White forms of the redbuds are also good choices.
Spring-flowering trees are especially beautiful when planted under tall
trees or in front of evergreen foliage.
Panhandle
Tools--Sharpen and maintain equipment in
preparation for pruning. A good pair of sharp lopping shears can
accomplish big jobs quickly and easily. A light coating of oil helps
preserve the metal and wooden surfaces of tools. Many local hardware
stores offer tool sharpening services.
Entire State
Try this--Do you have dry, chapped hands from
working in your garden? Use Hemp Hand Protector to repair and protect
your skin. It is available at The Body Shop, or visit
www.thebodyshop.com to order it online.
Vines--Grapes can provide shade and fruit for the summer garden. For
West Texas, 'Black Spanish' is easy and productive. In East Texas,
muscadines, such as 'Jumbo,' require little or no care and produce fruit
by the second season.
North and East
Fragrance--Winter honeysuckle
(Lonicera fragrantissima) and sweet olive
(Osmanthus frangrans) are hardy
shrubs that bloom in late winter and early spring. Both have creamy
white, fragrant flowers. Banana shrub (Michelia figo) perfumes the air
with its banana-like scent into spring and early summer. All of these
plants can be easily transplanted from containers now.
Central, West, and South
Pruning--Crepe myrtles are some of
our most popular summer-blooming trees. Now is the time to prune. They
look best when their trunks are exposed by removing some of the twiggy
growth at the bottom and within their structure. Don't commit “crepe
murder” by hacking off major trunks. It is better to select dwarf types
if a smaller plant is desired.
Central, East, and South Potatoes--Plant seed potatoes in the
middle of the month for harvest in May and June. Cut them into
individual pieces that have at least one eye. Let these dry before
setting in rows in the garden. Each seed piece should be planted at
least 4 to 6 inches deep and 10 to 12 inches apart in the rows.
South
Bright blooms--Single- and double-flowering Chinese
hibiscus come in an array of colors and are long-term favorites for our
region. Hollyhocks also thrive in the area and provide long seasons of
color. They are available in shades of pink, white, lavender, and rose.
"Around Your Garden" is from the Febuary 2008 issue of Southern Living.
