Sun Exposure: Giving Your Plants What They Need

Sun Exposure: Giving Your Plants What They Need

Successfully introducing a new plant into your garden requires that you get to know each other. And part of that process is finding out how much sun your new plant needs – and what kind of sun.

Your plant may have come with sun exposure guidelines, or you may have found these guidelines by searching online. You may know that the blackfoot daisy does best in full to part sun, while autumn sage can handle both sun and part shade. But what does that mean, exactly, and does it matter?

October 25, 2018 — Agnieszka Hurst
The Host with the Most: Plants That Attract Butterflies and Other Creatures

The Host with the Most: Plants That Attract Butterflies and Other Creatures

Butterfly season can be very inspiring to budding and seasoned gardeners alike. How do you attract these and other delicate creatures to your garden? We all know that adult butterflies feed on nectar, and adding nectar plants to your garden is usually the first step to attracting butterflies, but it should not be the only one. Your garden also needs host plants. 
October 20, 2018 — Agnieszka Hurst
Plant Focus: Buttonbush, A Delightful Surprise

Plant Focus: Buttonbush, A Delightful Surprise

Buttonbush has a graceful growing habit and is a handsome shrub, but can be easily overlooked. That changes around May when it starts blooming. Its flowers are perfectly round creamy puffs that look out of this world. The shrub is covered in blooms for a few weeks and usually buzzing with bee and butterfly activity.  It is truly a showstopper during that time.
September 26, 2018 — Agnieszka Hurst
Plant Focus: Tough As A Rock Rose

Plant Focus: Tough As A Rock Rose

Rock rose does not need much. It is not demanding other than asking for good drainage and some sun. It takes our North Texas weather in strides and laughs in the face of heat and drought. In return for some room in your garden, it will shower you with bright pink flowers that open in the morning and close in the evening.
September 13, 2018 — Agnieszka Hurst
Plant Focus: The Mighty Turk's Cap

Plant Focus: The Mighty Turk's Cap

If you are going to plant just one native plant in your garden, Turk’s cap should be it. It is a workhorse of a plant that is extremely versatile and perfect for beginners as it is not particular about soil or sun exposure. 
Butterfly Gardening

Butterfly Gardening

Butterfly gardening is easy and rewarding. All it takes is providing a few simple things that butterflies (and generally speaking all pollinators) need: nectar and host plants, shelter and water.
September 04, 2018 — Agnieszka Hurst
Monarch on American Basketflower

Native Plants: Giving Wildlife a Place to Call Home

Thanks to their beauty, vitality, and versatility, native plants are finally enjoying their day in the sun. Native plants occur naturally in a specific geographic region and have evolved to thrive in the conditions of that environment, including the climate and soil. They’re typically more tolerant of drought and stress, they need less water, they’re less prone to disease, and they don’t take as much work. Whether you choose native trees, shrubs, grasses, flowers, or groundcover, native plant species are an important part of any North Texas garden.

Native plants offer another significant benefit: They provide a habitat for wildlife, from mammals to pollinating insects. To put it simply, native plants give wildlife a place to call home.

September 01, 2018 — Agnieszka Hurst

Watering tips

Watering can be a tricky thing. Most of us are tempted to set your sprinkles on and forget about it. But as tempting as this might sound, it is not the right way to water, especially native and well-adapted plants. The general rule of thumb is simple – we should water deeply and infrequently. But what does that mean? 
December 07, 2013 — Agnieszka Hurst