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Greetings!
Brrr! It's a frosty morning out there, but beautiful and clear, just perfect for a holiday cup of hot chocolate! Kristy and I have about switched over from Gatorade to hot chocolate -- I don't know which is worse for the waistline but hot chocolate definitely tastes better!
 | | Pansies laugh at cold |
It's hard to believe, but even though it's cold outside, there are still lovely blooming plants for the garden. Most of the cool-season annuals we know and love, like snapdragons, pansies, violas, delphiniums and wallflowers, can tolerate our cold snaps without too much trouble. We are so lucky to live in an area where we can really garden all year round!
 | | 'Loteria' Book |
That is, if you have time! Are you busy with holiday shopping? Don't forget, the gallery is full of unique, one-of-a-kind gifts for those unique folks on your list! It seems like we receive new treasures almost every day. I know there's someone on your list who would appreciate something handmade (or homegrown!) My current favorite? The little booklets made from Loteria cards! (Loteria is a Mexican board game, rather like bingo.)
It's a peaceful time at the garden center. Stop by and see for yourself -- we spend a good bit of time each day, leaning on our rakes and watching the bluebirds, goldfinches and hawks. When we're not drinking hot chocolate, that is!
 | | Mmmmm! |
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Fall Color -- Our December Gift
It's taken as a matter of fact that we don't have fall color around here, but that's just not true! This week our trees, while perhaps not exactly ablaze with color, are at least decked out in their fall finery. Here are some examples of trees well-suited to this area that offer some degree of fall color.
 | | Baldcypress |
Baldcypress trees often turn a rich, coppery brown just before they lose their needles for the season. These stately trees are big -- give them a lot of room.
 | | Bradford Pear |
Bradford Pears have a pretty shape, and while not especially long-lived trees, offer several seasons of interest.
 | | Cedar Elm |
Cedar Elms are native to this area, and in addition to their pretty yellow fall color, offer a lacy, delicate texture. They are good, medium-sized shade trees for suburban lawns.
We don't usually think of Crape Myrtles when we think of fall color, but se
 | | Crape Myrtle |
veral varieties offer outstanding color in the autumn, including Sioux and Tuscarora.
 | | Shumard Oak |
I love Shumard Oaks for fall color, too, but they can be unreliable. Sometimes an entire tree will be covered with red leaves, and sometimes you'll just see one or two bright red leaves in the bunch.
 | | Water Oak |
Water Oaks can also surprise you with their golden-yellow hues in the fall. These fast-growing trees are large and provide great shade for a big yard.
Other great trees for fall color in Fort Bend County include Mexican Plum, Red Maple, Sweetgum,
 | | Green Ash |
and Green Ash. While we don't stock all these trees all the time, we can special-order almost any tree in any size for you. Give us a call, drop by or send me a note if you're interested in planting a tree for fall color.
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Winter Chill!
As you can imagine, the life of a garden center owner revolves around the weather forecast, and right now we are in the midst of our first real cold snap. Tuesday's temperatures were colder than we expected, and Wednesday will be very cold too. If you haven't already done so, protect tender tropicals like crotons, fancy ferns, begonias, mandevillas, pothos ivies and other "house" plants. In addition, some of our winter favorites will do better with a bit of protection. Cover lobelia and alyssum and any newly planted young citrus trees. If you can cover your tomatoes, do so and you may get a few extra ones on the table this winter. Or you can just pick the ones that have begun to ripen -- if you leave them on the kitchen counter, they'll ripen all by themselves and you won't have to worry about the weather!
 | | We're using plankets! |
Remember, if you're applying frost cloth or blankets, what you're doing is trapping the heat from the earth. Blankets don't really "warm up" a plant -- they merely slow the escape of heat. So make sure the cloths and blankets go all the way down to the ground, making contact with the earth to trap heat in. Don't just lay frost cloth on top like a little hat. If you're worried about tropical fruit, protect from the ground up, being sure to come up over the graft, which is usually about a foot off the ground. The roots won't freeze, and even if you lose the top, you'll have a better chance of keeping your tree intact.
If you use a heat source under your blankets, like Christmas lights, please be careful! A fire is worse than a freeze -- be safe!
 | | Brrr! |
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2012 Events and Classes
We're working with Diana Liga to put together a year's worth of classes focused on the edible garden, organically speaking, but what else interests you? It's hard to believe 2011 is drawing to a close, but it is, and we're busy trying to nail down classes and events for 2012.
On the drawing boards so far: classes in watercolor painting, fused glass, mosaic, handmade books, birdwatching, tea from the garden and possibly flower arranging.
But we'd like to hear from you too. Is there a garden speaker you just love and want to share with the Papershell family? Is there an artist whose work you admire and want to see exhibited at Papershell? A gardening topic you'd like to know more about? Take a minute to think it over and drop us a note or call us on the telephone. We're l00king forward to a fantastic sophomore year!
 | | So much to learn! |
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Please stop by and visit! Have a glass of world-famous lemonade (or a beer!) -- we'd love to meet you!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Barrow
Papershell: A Garden Gallery
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Closed for the holidays!
Sunday, December 24 through Monday, January 2
We'll be open again at 9:00am on Tuesday, January 3, 2012!
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