Do you think bluebonnets are what Texas wildflowers are all about? Actually, in Texomaland, most of those legendary spring beauties come to our roadsides only as a courtesy of government agencies that sow, mow, and otherwise outwit nature into producing them. Same for the gorgeous red clover that lines parts of US 75 every spring. [...]

Oh, yes, you can! You can grow it here: elegant cut flowers, exotic gourmet vegetables, rare and precious herbs, fragrant and carefree roses. Well, okay, forget about rhubarb, Irish moss, those impossibly tall dahlias and the long-stemmed florist’s roses. Tulips don’t fare well, either—here one spring, gone the next. Any seasoned gardener can give you [...]

You can grow an astounding array of flowers, vegetables and herbs from seeds right here in Texomaland, if you just don’t let the instructions on the seed packets intimidate you. “Start seeds indoors six weeks before first frost-free date,” they direct you. Balderdash!

If you love flavor, you love herbs—the big, bright herbs that throw themselves into the pan headlong, commandeering the chicken or roast, and the more delicate herbs that mince or sidle their way into salads and leave a dinner guest sighing, “Was that a hint of tarragon in the dressing? But it seemed so impossibly fresh.”

An early morning breeze bears the summer sweetness of roses. Your eyes catch the splendor of moonflower just closing, and hummingbirds dart from bloom to bloom on the trumpet vine. A barn rooster’s crow breaks the silence. Dew shines on the rose petals, and the cattle begin to stir.

Color is the hottest trend in landscaping all over the South. But to most homeowners in our area, color means one thing—water-thirsty plants—and we all know what a fragile resource water is.

Is there a way to have it all in Texomaland? Can you punch up your landscape with high impact color, and still enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you’re a wise water steward?