Episode of the Week

browse by: date

March 10th, 2011

Meet Mr. Smarty Plants from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Actually, this smarty is Barbara Medford, one of a team that answers native plant questions online. Sweetpea Hoover from The Natural Gardener identifies weeds that are cropping up.


This text will be replaced

Plant of the Week: Star Jasmine

Star Jasmine

Tips of the Week

  • If you have full sun, plant roses.
  • When you prepare your planting hole, do so much like you would for a tree. Dig the hole twice as wide as the root ball but no deeper than the container. Do not set the root flare below ground. This will be the woody “flaring” part above the roots. Do not fertilize at planting time. Mulch, but keep the mulch away from the base of the rose.
  • If you don't have deep, well-drained soil, consider smaller roses to plant in containers. Also, look for roses that grow on their own root and are not grafted. There are many easy-care roses, including Earth-Kind roses. Click Search on this site for CTG's rose suggestions.
  • Prune trees. Last call for oak-wilt susceptible oaks.
  • Plant trees, shrubs and hardy perennials.
  • Transplant roses, trees, and shrubs.
  • Prepare soil for summer vegetables.
  • Avoid pruning cold-tender plants at this time. With warm days, it will encourage new growth, which could be killed with a late freeze.
  • Do prune woody perennials and dormant native plants that look like sticks!
  • More Tips

Question of the Week

Why do we have fewer weeds this winter?

Featured Garden

John Wilson and Debra Leff

Related Gardeners

Barbara Medford