By Mary Sirgo, Permian Basin Master Gardeners   It’s 2016 in Lubbock, Texas, and the sky has fallen, blanketing the ground in bright white snow. Younger and disinclined to prepare for even the mildest of weather, I found myself without food in the house and hungry. After layering up in my warmest clothes, I set out on foot to the nearest grocery store. Major roads had been cleared for business, but driving out of my neighborhood wasn’t in the cards. As I walked a quiet route,

By Amanda Green, Master Gardener When choosing plants for landscaping, I’m usually drawn to soft and delicate foliage, which isn’t always the best choice for our West Texas Climate. When I was choosing new trees for my property, I knew I needed something small, drought-tolerant, and that would protect the songbirds from neighborhood cats and other predators. What I kept coming back to was native desert trees with prickles (thorns), and realized they were perfect for my needs.

Prickly Russian Thistle/Picture by iNaturalist stock By Mary Sirgo Despite ongoing development in Texas that leaves many landscapes altered beyond recognition, a strong gust of wind and a tumbleweed can knock you back to reality. The infamous flora connects us to the Old West, reminding us of where we are and how we got here. But did you know this iconography of cowboy culture is one of the most prolific invasive species in North America, introduced seemingly by accident? In

pulchella & Coreopsis tinctoria | Mary Sirgo By Mary Sirgo, Permian Basin Master Gardeners Lawns first came on the scene as a status symbol in Europe, indicating that a landowner was so wealthy they could devote large swaths of their property to recreation rather than food production. Later, in the late 1800s, lawns became popular in North American landscapes, with the invention of the push lawn mower enhancing their accessibility for maintenance. Today, invasive grass turf

Mealy Blue Sage Photo: www.ecoblossom.com By Debbie Roland and Emmy Ulmschneider, Master Gardeners   If you are looking for a...

Photo:  Pinterest.com By Debbie Roland, Master Gardener   Last week we talked about using pots and other containers in your yard and...

By Emmy Ulmschneider, Master Gardener   Three times in my life I have been touched by people whose knowledge, passion, and willingness to...

Backyard prairie with native grasses, shrubs and forbs. By Emmy Ulmschneider and Debbie Roland, Master Gardeners This will be the first...