Today is Earth Day, and with May being right around the corner, I felt the need to write about the delicate balance of controlling garden pests and protecting our local wildlife and essential pollinators. May is generally the month that pest activity begins to...
Okra is a popular and versatile vegetable that thrives in the warm climate of San Antonio, Texas. These are hot weather loving veggies. When many other veggies are shutting down production due to the heat of summer, you can usually count on okra to keep fruiting. When...
Juniper ground covers can be a fantastic addition to your garden in San Antonio, Texas. Junipers offer an evergreen groundcover with unique texture for year-round visual interest in your landscape. These low-growing plants not only provide excellent ground coverage...
It’s time! Melons can be planted in our San Antonio gardens now, hooray! Have you always wanted to plant a melon, but just didn’t have the information you needed to be successful? Well, it’s your lucky day today. We’re sharing some tips for growing melons in our area....
We recently hosted a great Composting 101 class with Karen Gardner, BCMG and vegetable specialist, and came away with some great tips for how to easily make your own compost. Easy is the key here. We are not diving into anything too complicated. The consensus of the...
Last week I bragged all about Vista® Bubblegum® petunias, and rightly so. They are fantastic! Many of you came out and scooped them all up (we got more… just saying). But today is all about Laura Bush petunias. If you haven’t yet heard of these, they are just as...
The Supertunia Vista® Bubblegum® petunia is truly a sight to behold with its vibrant pink flowers that add a pop of color to any garden. This delightful plant is not only beautiful but also tough, especially when it comes to surviving in a place like San Antonio,...
Field sandburs, also known as sticker burs or grassburs, can be a pesky problem for those in San Antonio, Texas. These prickly weeds are especially prevalent in our region and can quickly take over your lawn if left unchecked. Understanding the lifecycle of sandburs...
When it comes to planting cool weather spring annuals, perennials, or herbs in Texas, timing is everything. By planting these colorful or flavorful early offerings, you can enjoy a longer flowering and/or harvesting season and have your garden bursting with vibrant...
When it comes to gardening and using pesticides or fungicides, one of the most crucial steps that gardeners often overlook is reading the labels on these products. The information provided on the labels is not just there for legal reasons; it serves as a valuable...
Crape Myrtles are a beautiful addition to any garden or landscape. To ensure they grow to their full potential, it’s essential to prune them the correct way. Here are some tips to help you properly prune your Crape Myrtles and maintain their health and beauty....
Tomatoes. They are one of our favorite harvests to enjoy, but they do take some work to produce. You can’t plant too early; you can’t plant too late. They’re hungry and thirsty plants, but when you take a bite out of a fresh, homegrown tomato, most of think they are...
Planting root vegetables, like beets, can be a rewarding and delicious experience for any gardener. They tend to be some of the easier vegetables to grow, making them great choices for teaching young gardeners. Late winter/early spring or mid fall are great times to...
Early spring brings you the best selections of roses at Rainbow Gardens here in San Antonio, Texas. Late winter to early spring is the right time to plant them here as well. We pot up our bareroot roses in January so that means when you buy them now, they aren’t...
If trees are something you are thinking about planting in your landscape for the new year, don’t delay. While fall is the best time to plant, winter and early spring (really early spring) are runners up. Although the cold weather will shut down the growth of the tops...
Scale pests are a common problem for gardeners and plant enthusiasts in San Antonio, Texas. These tiny insects attach themselves to the stems and leaves of plants, sucking out the sap and causing damage to the plant. If left untreated, scale infestations can kill...
Did you know that winter is the best time to plant hardy fruit trees? Planting from mid Dec through February, when fruit trees are dormant, is less stressful for trees and helps to reduce transplant shock. This time period also gives roots the time it needs to develop...
All too often, when the season changes and leaves begin to fall, it’s the sound of groans that are heard from homeowners thinking about daily raking, or carrying around a heavy leaf blower on a weekly basis. We think the sound we hear should be squeals of joy. ...
I spend plenty of time talking to you about Gregg’s Blue Mistflower in late summer to early fall. The fuzzy, baby-blue flowers it produces are a magnet to nectar-seeking Queen butterflies and Monarchs also drop in for a snack during their fall migration. But I would...
Asparagus is a delicious and nutritious vegetable that is easy to grow in San Antonio, Texas. If you’re considering growing your own asparagus, there are some important things you should know to ensure a successful harvest. Growing Asparagus in Texas First,...
