I miss you! I'm hoping I see you this Saturday, September 21, at the Sugar Land Garden Club's Plantapalooza! I'll have my succulents and succulent arrangements, and there'll also be tons of great, unusual plants grown by Heidi Sheesley of Treesearch Farms, plus artwork and garden decor handmade by local craftspeople. It's from 8:30am to 1:00pm at the Sugar Lakes Clubhouse, 930 Sugar Lakes Blvd. Here's a link to the flyer for more information.

Yummy!

Put this on your calendar too: the Garden Club of Houston's annual Fall Bulb and Plant Mart is the weekend of October 4 and 5, on Holly Hall at Fannin (across from Reliant Stadium). This is a great place to pick up not only the more familiar fall bulbs, but also more unusual ones, as well as perennials, herbs, native plants and gardening information. You may see me there with a big shopping bag! I'll be wearing a disguise because I really don't need one more bulb for my garden! Or maybe just one more...

Support our local art friends!

One of our Facebook friends reminded me that the Sugar Land Art Guild is sponsoring their first annual Art Fest, on Saturday October 19 from 10:00am to 5:00pm. Interested in art? Come check out the local scene! More than 20 local artists already confirmed.

Way better than mums for fall color!

Are you working on the fall garden? By now you should be seeing lots of neat options for the (coming) cooler season. It's okay now to plant dianthus, calendula, petunias, swiss chard, cabbages, kales, lobelia, marigolds, phlox, snapdragons, broccoli, cauliflower & lettuce. If I were you, though, I'd wait to plant violas and pansies. Still a big too hot, in my opinion.

Thanks again and garden on!

Fall (Mostly) Bulbs

I love planting bulbs in the fall and being rewarded with the flowers in the spring! There are so many bulbs that are well-suited to our area, naturalizing and multiplying in the garden for a great show year after year. This is how I got most of the bulbs in my garden: they are offsets or "daughters" from friends and family members.

Amaryllis 'Susan'

It's so easy to plant bulbs but there are so many wonderful varieties that I had to write two articles. The first (linked below) details the ones I think no Gulf Coast garden should be without. In the next newsletter, I'll have another article about what to plant if you've already got the tried and true varieties.

Daffodil 'Carlton'

I have included some "spring" bulbs even though this is the season for planting fall bulbs because it's getting harder and harder to find them at the garden centers. If you're shopping at specialty markets like the Garden Club of Houston's Fall Bulb and Plant Mart, you'll find not only "fall" but "spring" bulbs as well.

So enjoy! And read on...

Fall Bulbs 1: The Tried and True

Succulents: Chic and Simple

Neat, sweet, petite!

Now that the nights are cooling down a bit, it's time to start thinking about succulents! These little plants aren't completely carefree but they're a whole lot easier than maintaining big flowerbeds. Almost all succulents we grow here will appreciate afternoon shade in the summer and some of them can't take even morning sun in July and August. I've written a longer article about 8 different sorts of succulents with notes on their light requirements and cold-hardiness. Read more on the website! And then when you decide you have got to have a little succulent dish garden for your patio or porch, come see me Saturday at the Sugar Land Garden Club Plantapalooza! I'll have individual plants as well as mixed containers available in a range of prices.

Click the link for lots more information!

Succulents: Chic and Simple

Plant Sale: 5 Great Picks

It's more than just succulents at the Sugar Land Garden Club Plantapalooza! Local grower Heidi Sheesley of Treesearch Farms will be on hand with over 100 different plant varieties, mostly perennial and many native. You can view the entire list here! I've also written a longer post (with pictures) about five outstanding additions to the Texas Gulf Coast garden. You'll want to have one of everything!

Blood Lily, photo: Heidi Sheesley, Treesearch Farms