Perennials - Desiree Gardens

April is an exciting time for gardeners!

Desiree Gardens April 1, 2024 April 1, 2024Annuals, April, Irrigation, Natural Gardens, Perennials 0

The warm weather is here at last, and it’s here to stay for a while. We’re completely free of any risk of frost, and if you haven’t gotten your spring planting done yet now is the time! Many of you have already seen the trees, shrubs, and other perennials begin to bud, bloom, and leaf out. Our late bloomers aren’t far behind. So, what do we need to focus on in April?

For your lawns, it’s too late now to apply a pre-emergent to prevent weeds, but you’ll have another opportunity in June. If you do have pesky weeds in your lawn you can still use a broadleaf weed killer with at least 1% 2,4-D but make sure to apply it only where needed early in the morning when there is little or no wind. Remember that it can damage or kill other plants and flowers in your garden beds. Now is also the time to apply an all-nitrogen fertilizer to your lawn to encourage growth and give it lush green leaves. When mowing, do not mow too low. If you lowered your mower to scalp your lawn last month remember to raise it up. Taller lawns create healthier grass and encourage better root growth.

This is the perfect time to plant all of your heat loving annual varieties from 4″ or 6″ pots, or from seedlings you started indoors earlier this year. Perennials should be started from quart or gallon pots. Annual varieties include purslane, lantana, pentas, purple fountain grass for your full sun gardens. In the shade you can add coleus, caladiums, and begonias. If you’re wanting to add a rose or two to your garden this is also a great time for that as well. We recommend varieties such as Earth-Kind, but other brands such as Knockout roses are also a good choice. For climbing roses it’s hard to go wrong with the stunning Joseph’s Coat or Peggy Martin, just remember that your climbers will need a trellis or some other support. Keep a close eye out for rose-rosette, also known as witches broom, which is an incurable virus that can quickly spread among rose plantings.

Once your spring flowering trees and shrubs are done for the season you can start pruning and shaping them. Wisteria, redbud, and dogwood trees should be pruned when the flowers drop. Wisteria should be pruned by hand to help it maintain a more natural look. For your trees you should remove any low hanging branches, water sprouts, hanging branches, or crossed branches. On your stone fruit trees such as peaches or plums you should keep the previous advice in mind but pay close attention to where fruit is setting. Judicious pruning will help the tree direct resources to the fruit that remains and produce larger fruits on those remaining.

As we noted earlier, weeds are returning along with the warm weather. Make sure to keep on top of weeds in any of your garden beds. Adding a layer of mulch after removing weeds helps immensely in weed suppression. Mulch also aids in moisture retention and soil temperature. This will become critically important as we move into the summer months when the hot Texas sun can dry everything while raising surface soil temperatures well above 130° in some cases. Along those same lines it is critically important to make sure your lawn and plants are receiving adequate water. New growth in the spring is heavily dependent on spring rains supplemented by your irrigation system. Modern sprinkler systems using ET (Evapotranspiration) controllers are one of the best ways to keep your plants properly hydrated. They tap into the internet and pull rainfall totals, humidity information, and more to precisely apply the amount of water needed. This not only helps your garden but can save you from a hefty water bill later this year. These modern systems can also be monitored and controlled from handy phone-based apps so that you can keep an eye on things no matter where you are.

It certainly is an exciting time of year, and Desiree Gardens is always here to help. Need help with your irrigation or sprinkler system? Does your garden need an overhaul or just a general checkup? Give us a call at 817-202-4808, or drop us a line and contact us here, to find out how Desiree can help you create a wonderful garden with a budget you can afford.

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March is here! Is it too early to start planting?

Desiree Gardens March 6, 2024 March 6, 2024Irrigation, March, Shrubs, Trees 0

The first Texas bluebonnets are beginning to appear, and that can mean only one thing: The early spring has finally arrived. This is the time of year that we can begin planting frost hardy plants.

There is always a chance of a late spring frost, especially prior to Easter weekend. With each passing week however, the chance of a killing frost drops. For most areas of North Texas the chance of a killing frost drops to 50% by March 15th. By the first week of April the chance of a killing frost drops to 10%. February and March this year have been unseasonably warm however, meaning that in all likelihood we will be safe to plant within the first two weeks of March, but there is always that slim chance.

That being said, there are a number of plants that you can plant secure in the knowledge that they will continue to thrive even through another freeze. Perennials like gladiolas, mallows such as turks cap, cannas, and salvias are always a safe bet this time of year. Annual color examples include foxgloves, larkspur, and sweet alyssum. These should be planted as soon as possible to ensure that they have a long growing season before the Texas heat of summer takes hold. Any seeds that were started inside over the winter can begin to be moved outside so that they can adjust to the sun and temperature, but make sure to bring them back in if temperatures threaten to fall below 32°. The same applies to any container plants that have been overwintered indoors: the soil in containers gets much cooler much faster than your average ground soil, so keep a close eye on the weather. Better yet, head to DesireeGardens.com and sign up for our newsletter: we send out warnings any time the weather looks like it will take a turn for the worst.

If you have been putting off tree and shrub pruning, this is pretty much your last chance to perform this chore before leaves and buds start to appear. The exception to this is any spring flowering trees and shrubs. If you have dogwoods, wisterias, or fruit trees in your garden you should wait until after the blossoms have dropped. Early spring flowering plants set their buds in the autumn and should be pruned in late spring or early summer. This helps to ensure a glorious bloom next year. Any other trees and shrubs should be pruned over winter, with March being your last chance until next winter. Remove any low hanging branches to raise the canopy, and trim inside growth where the leaves of the plant are less productive, but do not trim oaks yet. Texas oaks should be trimmed in late summer when the chance of oak wilt fungal infection is at a minimum. Finally, if you have transplanted any woody shrubs or trees, cut back the canopy by around 40% in order to compensate for roots that were lost during the digging process.

For those with an irrigation system, now is the time to switch over to a spring watering schedule. The increased sunlight and the new growth of plants that have been recently added, or those coming out of dormancy, means that their watering needs are drastically increasing. Now is also the time for an irrigation audit. Run each zone one by one and check for leaks, poor water flow from spray heads, clogs, and breaks in drip line. Repair or replace these as necessary.

Lawns are also beginning to perk back up as the soil temperatures increase and they receive more sunlight. Take time early this month to scalp your lawn. We don’t need to get down to the thatch for a proper scalp. Scalping your lawn can dramatically improve the appearance of your spring lawn as it grows in. Simply drop your mower by no more than two notches when performing this task. Apply a pre-emergent weed killer early this month. Once it warms up and you begin to see weeds in your lawn, it is already too late. We do not recommend using any weed and feed product whatsoever. Many if not all weed and feed products can damage your trees and shrubs. Later this month you can add an all-nitrogen fertilizer. This will promote vigorous growth and a lush green color.

Finally, this is a fine time to make any changes to your hardscape and irrigation system. If you are putting in a retaining wall, pavers or pathways, patios or pergolas, do it now. Desiree Gardens offers a full suite of planning, consultation, irrigation design and installation services to help you create a wonderful garden this year, but don’t wait too long to book your appointment. Our spring schedule is filling up fast.

Need help with your irrigation or sprinkler system? Does your garden need an overhaul or just a general checkup? Maybe you just need a helping hand to protect sensitive plants from freeze and frost. Give us a call at 817-202-4808, or drop us a line and contact us here, to find out how Desiree can help you create a wonderful garden with a budget you can afford.

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Spring Pre-emergent Weed Control

Desiree Gardens March 3, 2024 March 3, 2024Grasses, Ground Cover, Monoculture, Perennials, Plants 0

Now, early March, is the time to apply your twice annual pre-emergent weed control, if you choose to use one. This timing is for North Texas – if you live further south (Zone 9 or greater) you will need to apply it earlier, and if north (Zone 7b and lower) apply it later.

We at Desiree Gardens don’t really do lawns, and what little lawn space we have is usually dedicated to native wild flowers. But we know this is not for everyone. If you have a wild-scaped lawn like we promote, you DO NOT want to apply pre-emergents and definitely do not apply a broad leaf weed killer.

If however you have a well manicured lawn, you will want to apply your pre-emergent now in the first week of March. This will help control crabgrass, spurge, henbit, and rescuegrass. This should be reapplied in early June, and again in September. We’ll post reminders for those applications.

Other weeds such as clover, dandelion, dallisgrass, nutsedge, and bittercress will need to be controlled with a broad leaf weed killer that is only effective after the weeds have appeared. It is also important to apply a broad leafed weed killer when the daytime temperature is above 70°, rain is not expected for at least 48-hours, and preferably in the morning when there is little to no wind. Always remember that broad leafed weed killers are indiscriminate and if blown onto your garden beds will damage or kill plants there as if they were weeds.

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February is here, and it’s time to get ready for spring!

Desiree Gardens February 3, 2024 February 4, 2024Annuals, Calendar, February, Freezes, Natural Gardens, Perennials, Plants, Weather 0

February begins to herald the change to spring here in North Texas, and while we often get some of our hardest freezes in February it’s also the time when your garden will begin to wake up. Most plants use a combination of available sunlight, as the days grow longer, as well as soil temperature to decide when to come out of dormancy. Now is also the time to begin planning your spring garden. But what needs to be done now?

This is the perfect time to prune woody trees and shrubs, except for oaks, while they are still dormant. Any remaining ornamental grasses and perennials should also get a trim to be ready for spring, although there are some exceptions: plants like wisteria set their buds in the fall and should not be trimmed until later in the spring after flowering. If there are any deadfall, loose brush, or annuals that have run their course, it is time to do a deep cleaning in your garden and pull all that out. It’s not too late to plant new trees and shrubs, but it’s wise to prune by as much as 50% (depending on species) them when they are planted. Nandinas, for example, whether new or existing should be severely pruned back with the tallest canes taken back all the way to ground level. This will encourage more bushy growth and prevent them from becoming too leggy.

If you are starting anything from seed they should be planted indoors for now so that they are ready for planting when the soil temperature warms up a bit. Certain perennials should also be planted, or at least get them ready to be planted, such as mallows, gloriosas, fall asters and salvias. Cool season annuals can also be swapped out for iceland poppies, larkspur, and sweet alyssum.

You can begin to fertilize your trees and shrubs right now, but hold off a little bit on any cold-sensitive plants. They should wait until late March or just before Easter before being fertilized. By the same token your lawns should be scalped, fertilized (depending on the species, it’s still to early to fertilize your warm weather lawns such as St. Augustine) and possibly amend with peat moss towards the end of this month. If possible, make sure to bag the clippings and use it in your compost or as mulch. Remove any winter seeds and start looking to use a pre-emergent weed killer later this month or in early March depending on the weather. If you need to aerate your lawn to help reduce soil compaction this is a good time for that as well.

Remember that we can get hard freezes even through late March and early April, so try not to get overeager and be prepared to use frost cloth to protect your sensitive plants from early spring cold snaps. This is an exciting time of year for gardeners as the warmth of spring is just barely in sight. Consult your local nursery to see what plants are in stock and appropriate to be planted right now, and don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a call for a consultation specific to your garden goals.

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Is my Garden Done? Learn about these necessary garden activities for December.

Desiree Gardens December 5, 2023 November 13, 2023Calendar, December, Irrigation, Perennials 0

Well folks, we’ve had our first frost of the season. Hopefully any tender plants that you’ve not already brought inside were in a well protected micro-climate or were covered with frost cloth. With night-time temperatures regularly reaching into the 40s right now all of your true tropicals such as plumeria, bananas, and bougainvillea should be brought inside for the winter. But is your gardening season really done?

Planting Trees and Woody Shrubs
When your woody perennial shrubs and trees are dormant is the best time to plant them. That time of year is starting right now! During the summer, trees spend their time gathering energy from the sun and combine it with water and carbon dioxide to create sugars and starches that they store and use to live on later when they are dormant. It is during this time when they have the best store of energy and are primed and ready for further root growth in their new location. Whether you’re looking at moving some boxwoods, or planting a huge oak, this is the time to give them every chance of success.

Irrigation and Sprinkler Systems
After a long hot summer, it should be pretty obvious if certain areas of your garden are getting the correct amount of water. Some areas may have been too dry, while others turned into a swampy mess. Or maybe you just noticed all of the water being wasted on your driveway and sidewalk. Now is the perfect time for an irrigation audit to see how it is performing. It’s also a good time to get any digging done and out of the way while the majority of your garden is dormant. Whether you need to add a zone, have some sprinkler heads relocated, maybe add some drip, or just flush and clean your system, now is the time to do it. Even if you don’t need any of the above, most systems should be adjusted to change the watering duration and frequency to the fall and winter season when water demand is at its lowest.

Hardscapes and Water Features
In addition to irrigation, if you’re looking toward adding a water feature or hardscaping such as a retaining wall, outdoor kitchen, concrete work, etc. it is best to do so now when plants are dormant in order to avoid any possible damage. Pavers, garden paths, pondless waterfalls, or full blown koi ponds are all on the menu. If you have teak, cedar, or other outdoor wood decor you might consider sanding, restaining, or resealing those boards after having been exposed to the drying heat and harsh UV rays from the past few months. Now is the perfect time to get started on these projects so that you’ll be ready for the coming spring.

Birds and Other Critters
A beautiful garden is not just about the plants. Many gardeners love having bird feeders, bird baths, squirrel feeders, or other items to attract local wildlife and help them overwinter. Objects like bird baths can attract multiple species, including our precious pollinators like the humble honey bee, which need access to water year round. Leaving leaf litter or deep mulch to compost on your garden beds over the winter can also attract and provide a habitat for many beneficial insects and critters such as toads, spiders, lizards, snakes, and even newts and salamanders in some areas. Some of these critters may seem icky but they provide a huge benefit to your garden through their predation on harmful insects. It’s also the perfect time to place bird houses, nesting boxes, or bee hotels so that all of our garden buddies have warm places to cuddle up during the cold winter months.

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Plant Focus: Turk’s Cap Malvaviscus arboreus

Desiree Gardens July 11, 2023 July 9, 2023Perennials, Plants, Shrubs 0

This North Texas native excels in our climate and should have a place in nearly every garden. This perennial can get over four feet tall and nearly three feet wide in the far north of it’s habitat. In warmer climates where it grows year-round it can tower over seven feet tall.

The Turk’s Cap can tolerate a wide variety of soil and water conditions and it has adapted to a wide range of climates with a range that extends from USDA zone 7 all the way south to Florida, Cuba, Mexico, and the entirety of the Gulf Coast. In southern climates that rarely get freezing weather the Turk’s Cap is an evergreen plant and will flower year-round. Further north it will die back to the ground in colder weather and reemerge every spring as a woody perennial. Malvaviscus arboreus is often found as an understory plant where it thrives in the shade of larger trees, but it’s adaptability allows it to flourish in everything from full sun to nearly full shade.

When cultivating Turk’s Cap, it is generally recommended to prune it back in late winter or early spring to promote vigorous growth and maintain a compact shape. The plant can be propagated through stem cuttings or by dividing mature clumps. While propagation is easy in theory, the heavy black clays of North Texas make it exceedingly difficult to a very dense and extraordinary root system that can send taps very deep. Nevertheless, Turk’s Cap is very hardy and dividing root balls can be a very successful method of propagation. An alternative mentioned above is to use stem cuttings and a little bit of root powder, but the most successful methods are either layering (simply lightly bury a node on a branch) or letting it reseed from the abundant flowers and fruits they produce.

One of the most distinctive features of the Turk’s Cap is its unique flowers. Malvaviscus arboreus produces flowers from late spring to fall, attracting hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees with its nectar-rich blooms. The flowers have a long blooming season, providing a continuous source of nectar for pollinators. The flowers are borne in clusters and have a shape resembling a turban or a Turkish fez, which gives the plant its common name. The flowers are typically red, but there are also varieties with pink or white blooms. The true flowers are the small, inconspicuous structures within the colorful bracts. Malvaviscus arboreus is highly valued by wildlife due to its nectar-rich flowers. It attracts pollinators such as hummingbirds and butterflies, particularly ruby throated hummingbirds, making it a great addition to wildlife gardens. Birds are also known to feed on the red berries produced by the plant.

Besides its ornamental value, Turk’s Cap has some practical uses. The flowers can be used to make jams, jellies, and beverages with a tart flavor. The small red berries are also edible and have a mild flavor and mealy texture that makes them attractive to humans, birds, and animals alike. The leaves of the plant have also been used in traditional medicine in Mexico and elsewhere for various purposes, including the treatment of digestive, reproductive, and respiratory issues.

Need help with your irrigation or sprinkler system? Does your garden need an overhaul or just a general checkup? Give us a call at 877-558-1496, or drop us a line and contact us here, to find out how Desiree can help you create a wonderful garden with a budget you can afford.

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PLANT FACTS

Plant Type: Woody Perennial Shrub
Color: Evergreen with red or white flowers
Light: Full shade to full sun
Blooms: Red or White, Spring to Fall
Height: 4 feet; up to 9 feet in frost free areas
Width: 3 to 4 feet
Heat Tolerance: Very High
Water Requirements: Very Low
USDA Hardiness Zone: 7-10
Soil Requirements: Any

Early June Plantings and Irrigation

Desiree Gardens May 30, 2023 May 21, 2023Annuals, Calendar, Early June, Grasses, Perennials, Plants, Shrubs 0

The summer heat is definitely here, and adequate watering is more important than ever! If you haven’t already, it’s definitely time to adjust the watering schedule on your irrigation system.

Deep waterings are one of the best ways to keep your plants happy, but if you have a clay soil you can’t just dump all that water all at once as the soil won’t absorb it. Instead you’ll have excessive runoff onto your driveway, sidewalks, and the street. All that wasted water! Instead, set up each zone to water in multiple short intervals. Instead of one long 30-minute watering session, set up your clay soil zones to do three 10-minute waterings separated by 10-minute “rest” sessions to give the soil time to absorb the water.

On the other hand, if you have sandy soil, or a sandy loam (more common on the far western side of the DFW metroples in areas like Weatherford, Springtown, Azle, etc.) your soil will readily absorb as much as a half-inch of precipitation from your irrigation system at a time. Don’t hesitate to water deeply and run your system for 30-minutes or longer, depending on your plants’ requirements. You don’t need to do this every day. Deep watering even once or twice a week is more than adequate, especially if you have more native plants or drought tolerant varieties. Deep watering like this also makes it easier to comply with any water use restrictions imposed by periods of drought and the accompanying water supply shortages.

Now is also the time to start planting all of the heat loving plants in your garden. Crape Myrtles, Salvias, Lantanas, Texas Star Hibiscus, Verbena, Turk’s Cap, Phlox, Purple Fountain Grass, Purslane, and Yuccas are just some examples of these. Reseeding annuals such as Zinnias, Marigolds, and 4 O’clocks also thrive in the blistering summer heat. Other annuals such as Coleus, Pentas, and Caladiums should also be planted now.

It should be noted that this year has been a bad one for Caladium nurseries which have been hit hard and are not able to meet the normal demand for this plant. If you can find a Caladium plant, get it when and where you can.

If potted tropical plants are your thing, Bouganvillas, Tropical Hibiscus, Sago Palms, Agaves, succulents, and other cold sensitive potted plants will do well if planted now. Just remember that container gardens have very different watering requirements than in-ground gardens, but you can still have your containers hooked up to an irrigation system as long as they are on a separate zone.

Give us a call at 877-558-1496, or drop us a line and contact us here, to find out how Desiree can help you create a wonderful garden with a budget you can afford.

Memorial Day Garden Chores

Desiree Gardens May 23, 2023 May 21, 2023Calendar, Deciduous, Fruit Trees, Fruits and Vegetables, Late May, Plants, Trees, Vines 0

The growing season is running full steam ahead here at Desiree Gardens! That means there is a LOT going on right now.

If you haven’t started already, now is the time to prune your wisteria and other spring blooming vines or shrubs. Do not wait until late summer or fall! The buds for next spring’s blooms will set through out the late summer and fall, and if you wait to prune you won’t have any flowers come next spring. It’s also time to prune any shade trees you have, except for oaks. For other species, any low hanging branches should be cut back now and it is a fine time to prune sucker growth on the interior of the canopy.

If you have oaks that need trimming, just be patient. Mid to late summer is the best time to prune your oak trees to in order to minimize the chances of spreading oak wilt. When you do prune your oaks, all cuts should be covered with a tree wound paint, or a regular latex paint (color doesn’t matter!) you can find at your local paint or hardware store.

If you have blackberries or other fruit bearing canes, it is time to tip-prune new canes in order to keep the plant compact, as well as to encourage branching. Stone fruit trees like plums and peaches should have the fruit thinned now in order to encourage larger higher quality fruit that remains.

Give us a call at 877-558-1496, or drop us a line and contact us here, to find out how Desiree can help you create a wonderful garden with a budget you can afford.

Zone 7 & 8 May Plants

Desiree Gardens May 9, 2022 July 17, 2022Dicot, Fruits and Vegetables, Ground Cover, Monocot 1

The summer heat is here, and the weather man is forecasting nothing but highs in the 90s and 100s for weeks to come. Things start to seriously heat up in May, but it’s still the perfect time to plant certain crops. There are a variety of vegetables that need warm soil and grow very quickly that are perfect to plant in warmer weather.

Beans, cucumbers, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes all grow very quickly and prefer warm weather. This is the perfect time to set up a trellis in your raised beds and start your seedlings. All of these prefer well drained soil and regular watering, so if you don’t get frequent summer showers you’ll need to water your crops early in the morning. Tomatoes might tend to go dormant in the searing heat of late July and August, but you can look forward to another crop as the temperatures cool into September and October.

Corn, melons, and squash can be grown in fresh tilled fertile ground and will thrive in the coming summer heat. Don’t feel that you’re planting too late into the growing season. The first frost for zones 7 and 8 doesn’t usually come until mid to late November at the earliest, giving you plenty of time to allow these crops to reach maturity.

Pepper bushes seem to capture the scorching heat of the sun and concentrate it into their tiny red and orange fruits. These bushes can be ornamental, along with sweet potatoes, and provide interest and color to a front yard bed. Sweet potatoes in particular make a fantastic ground cover.

If you’re planning on some fall and winter crops, now is also the time to start planning your seedling grow beds for kale, spinach, and lettuce. Don’t start these seedlings just yet, but go ahead and start organizing grow beds and be ready to start your fall seedlings indoors under the grow light or by a south facing window here in a few weeks.

There’s never a dull moment and there’s always something to do in an active year-round garden.