Photo taken by Amanda Green in Midland County. By Amanda Green, Permian Basin Master Gardener I love walking through the garden center and looking at the beautiful Mimosas. With their pink feathering flowers, cute fern-like leaves, and appreciating how much sunlight falls through. But did you know these are a destructive invasive species? They reseed so readily they outcompete native plants, and do not offer much benefit to local pollinators. Quite a few states have already b

Blossom End Rot Picture by John Cappadonna By John Cappadonna – Permian Basin Master Gardener Blossom-end rot is a common phenomenon with tomatoes and peppers and occasionally with squash and melons. You have probably heard that it is caused by a calcium deficiency. Most folks assume this means there is not enough calcium in the soil, and they add things like eggshells or Epsom salts to the soil because they saw it on the internet. While blossom-end rot is a calcium defic

Native or Nativar? Photo by Emmy Ulmschneider By Emmy Ulmschneider, Permian Basin Master Gardener You are tired of row after row of English green turf landscapes down your street and have become interested in having a yard that reflects America. You have attended several lectures on the importance of native plants and the critical role they play in supporting our native American wildlife, particularly our birds and pollinators. And you have finally decided that you want

By: Mary Sirgo, Permian Basin Master Gardener Native and adapted plants are on their way to becoming part of a landscape that uses less water and does a little more for the wildlife that calls it home. | Mary Sirgo Spend enough time talking with homeowners, and you begin to notice a change in the questions they ask. A decade ago, conversations often centered on achieving the perfect lawn. Which fertilizer should I use? How often should I water? How do I get rid of weeds? Toda

Snow and Bottle Tree Photo: Barbara Porsch By Barbara Porsch, Permian Basin Master Gardener What comes to your mind when you hear the term “yard art”? I love yard art because it usually fills a void in my landscaping or garden. Welcome to my yard. My favorite decoration in my yard is my first bottle tree. It is a tall cedar post with long screws holding the bottles. A friend helped me with it, and we planted it in the middle of what was then my vegetable garden. I hav

Young Bloom Stalks of Nolina Photo by Emmy Ulmschneider By Emmy Ulmschneider, Permian Basin Master Gardener I am always amazed by the connections between native plants and the organisms they support. As I started to cut back last year’s dried flower stalk from my Saccahuista or Beargrass, Nolina microcarpa, I noticed that both a praying mantis and a green lacewing had chosen to lay their eggs on the old flower stalk. This plant has a long human connection as well. The

A pocket prairie garden feels intentional—and contained—when paired with a strong hardscape bed border. In the winter months, the sculptural bird bath provides a quiet beauty as the flowers go dormant. | Emmy Ulmschneider By Mary Sirgo, Permian Basin Master Gardener One of the most common objections I hear about native landscapes is that they look messy. As someone who spends a lot of time advocating for native plants, I understand where that perception comes from. What many

Photo by Debbie Roland By Debbie Roland, Permian Basin Master Gardener With rising temperatures, strong winds, and days with high UV rays, plants need attention to stay healthy and productive. Whether you grow flowers, vegetables, or native plants, a few things can help your garden thrive through the summer. Watering becomes an important task in June. Watering deeply is better than frequent shallow watering because it encourages roots to grow deeper. Early morning is t

By Amanda Green, Permian Basin Master Gardener Photo taken in 2012 by Greg Bodin in Howard County I recently had a woman contact me for help with landscaping to support her healthy population of horned lizards on her property. I didn’t fully understand the relationship between horned lizards and landscaping, so I took this opportunity to interview the man who “wrote the book” on the subject. Let me introduce you to Dusty Rhodes. What's your background in native plants and r

Photo by John Cappadonna By John Cappadonna – Master Gardener Why do some gardeners claim that compost is so much better than fertilizer? To answer that question, it is important to understand a little about the relationship plants have with soil. Plants take up almost all the nutrients they require from the soil dissolved in water. There are about 17 nutrients that plants take up from the soil. The ones we hear most about are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They are

Large Stem Plants Waiting to Be Chopped Photo by Emmy Ulmschneider By Emmy Ulmschneider, Permian Basin Master Gardener In a native landscape, winter is important, and one of winter’s last gifts for spring growth is the organic material left on the ground. I am slow to take down my native beds because I often find my garden invertebrates using the dead organic material for shelter. In addition, we often experience cold snaps in April, and life sometimes gets in the way of

A native plant garden in Midland, Texas, that provides habitat, reduces water demand, and inspires joy. Photo by Emmy Ulmschneider By Mary Sirgo, Permian Basin Master Gardener I love native Texas landscapes; you don’t have to sell me on the value of a sense of place. My fondest memories are exploring natural wild spaces and undeveloped lands across the state. Even with that perspective, I don’t recommend setting the goal of planting 100% native species in your yard and garde

Photo by Amanda Green By Amanda Green, Permian Basin Master Gardener Now that spring is here, you may be thinking of planting your patio planters. Some do vegetables, some do ornamentals, but we do small native butterfly gardens. As we’re trying to move towards more native plants, we had trouble finding a good fit. Texas native plants are known for having deep roots, some up to 15 feet long, so they wouldn’t work. Would they? Through trial, error, and lots of practice, we’ve

Native plants, Blackfoot Daisy, Melampodium leucanthum, and Zizotes Milkweed, Asclepias oenotheroides, up and growing for Monarchs Photo by Emmy Ulmschneider By Emmy Ulmschneider, Permian Basin Master Gardener It is March, and for me, March means Monarchs. I am fascinated by the epic journey that Monarch butterflies make. We summarized last fall’s southward migration in a September blog post: https://www.westtexasgardening.org/post/monarch-migrations. So, at the start of

Sage in Bloom Photo by Barbara Porsch By Barbara Porsch, Permian Basin Master Gardener It doesn’t take much browsing on social media to see that home vegetable gardens are a hot topic. Lots of people are putting raised and in-ground beds in their landscapes. I have even seen some of those metal raised beds in some front yards. I am not here to tell you how to grow vegetables, but to urge you not to forget to plant herbs in the mix. They are beautiful and useful too. He

Datura is a genus of nine species of highly poisonous, vespertine-flowering plants belonging to the nightshade family. Shown here volunteering out of a crack in the patio—attracting sphinx moths at night. | Mary Sirgo By: Mary Sirgo, Permian Basin Master Gardener As the weather warms here in Texas, I find it increasingly difficult to focus on the demands of daily life. The garden calls my name a bit louder each time, and I grow to resent the obligations that keep me staring a

A White-Lined Sphinx Moth visiting our Iris early one morning. Photo by Amanda Green By Amanda Green, Permian Basin Master Gardener When you turn off the porch light and get ready for bed, do you know your garden has a second shift that comes in? At night, you will have moths, Texas blind snakes, and toads that take over when your daytime wildlife goes to sleep. I rarely get to witness this, but when I do, it’s always an experience. Having night-blooming plants such as Datura

Photo by John Cappadonna By John Cappadonna – Permian Basin Master Gardener If I could only give you one gardening tip, what would it be? There are so many gardening hacks out there that it can be bewildering. There are really no silver bullets, but the most important thing you can do to improve your vegetable gardening experience is to improve your soil. The best way to improve your soil is with compost. Compost provides organic matter to the soil, which feeds the microorg

John's Herb Garden Photo by John Cappadona By Debbie Roland, Permian Basin Master Gardener Are you a coffee or tea person? Let’s talk about growing herbs for tea, and maybe that will become your new thing. Many gardeners find that if you grow your own herbs , they are more flavorful than store-bought . It is also a great way to enjoy fresh blends while connecting with nature and getting in your daily exercise! Whether you have a spacious yard or just a patio, growing he

A pollinator haven in Midland, Texas, thrives due to native plant selection and water-wise irrigation. Photo: Emmy Ulmschneider By Mary Sirgo, Permian Basin Master Gardener Twice a year, the Earth tilts into balance. On the spring equinox, day and night are nearly equal in length. Light and dark hold the same space, if only briefly, before the rhythm shifts decisively toward longer days. Many of us may not even note the date on our calendars. We are more likely to notic