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Nature’s Way Resources honors the contributions of our late owner, John Ferguson. “The Lazy Gardener” Brenda Beust Smith and Shelby Cassano welcome your feedback and remain grateful to the many horticulturists who share their expertise.
Published January 7, 2026
2026 GARDENING PREDICTIONS: Experts expect more interest in (so expect advice on!) organic gardening, vertical growing, plants that can and will survive climate change, and… lots of pink… but it’s gotta look FADED! Although one national website does point to a growing interest in yellow flowers “as long as they look dusty and (yes!) faded…”
THE “Color of the Year 2026” (according to traditional selection by Garden Media Group is (ta! da!): “Faded Petal.” (Pause for raised eyebrows.) As various “internet experts” explain: Instead of specific colors, this year we need to think: “baby pink/blue, etc, pale, serene, wonderfully nostalgic, antiqued rose hues.” One source: homesandgardens.com/gardens/faded-petal-color-trend
ON THE OTHER HAND, if plants that not only survive and thrive in our challenging, ever-changing climate, maybe a better resource for us would be Texas Superstar Plants? These Texas gardens-tested winners are selected by plant experts from Texas A&M Agrilife, Texas Tech University, county Agrilife Extension horticulturists, the Texas Nursery and Landscape Association and their member plant producers, and the Texas Department of Agriculture. You’re not going to find any better recommendations (especially for ecological-protective choices) than Texas Superstars® for both indoor and outdoor plants, seeds & flower bulbs.
Our local independent nurseries are good resources for these Texas-selected/recommended plants. And it’s a good idea to do an even broader search of the Texas SuperStar website (plants, tips, warnings, etc.). Might save you time, money, and energy in the long run. Be sure you see this assuring (R) somewhere in print.
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We are moving into our best Rose Pruning time, but if you don’t do it at all, or don’t do it correctly, you might be very sorry. Advice doesn’t get any better than Baxter Williams’ illustrated directions posted on Nature’s Way Resources website here.
WE GARDENERS ARE OFTEN accused of getting obsessive about this or that plant. (So WHAT!!!!). Here comes validation! On Wed., Feb. 11, Amy Stewart will present inside views of her delightful and educational “The Tree Collectors” book at our always-extraordinary (free) Nancy Stallworth Thomas Horticulture Lecture, 10am, Bagby Hall, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Rd. As always, this Garden Club of Houston presentation is free. No reservations needed.
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HOUSTON ROSE
FREEZE POINTERS!
by KAREN GERLACH
Houston Rose Society
Consulting Rosarian
houstonrose.com
Roses in Houston do not need extensive freeze protection like our more northern states require. However, there are a few circumstances where some protective measures can be beneficial.
- Some rose varieties can be more sensitive at lower temperatures, such as hybrid tea roses, floribundas, and grandifloras, particularly grafted roses or new plantings. The tender graft unions can be damaged during hard freezes.
- Tougher roses for freezes include Earth-Kind roses, old garden roses such as China roses, tea roses, noisette roses, and shrub roses.
- Container roses do not have the benefit of ground warmth. These can be moved into the garage or against a warm wall.
- You can protect your roses by mulching heavily (3-4in), using frost cloths, protecting the graft by mounding mulch or soil, and ensuring your plants are watered well.
- Our climate does not require rose cones or heavy covering.
- Avoid pruning in the fall. This can stimulate new growth, which is more susceptible to freeze damage.
- The type of freeze matters. Roses and other plants tolerate slow, gradual temperatures much better as they alter their metabolism with the gradual temperature decrease. Fast, sudden decreases in temperature can be more destructive to plants, as these metabolic changes do not have an opportunity to occur.
EDITOR’S NOTE: You can pick up more rose-growing information at the upcoming Houston Rose Society Meeting, Sat., Jan 10, 2pm (in person and virtual). Site/virtual details: houstonrose.org.
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ATTN. GARDEN/PLANT GROUPS
— Nature’s Way Resources offers free guided tours of NWR’s extensive nursery/soil/mulch facilities for garden clubs, plant societies and other plant-oriented, organized groups. As usual, NWR’s now-expanded meeting site is free to above groups. Reservations a must for both. Great time to visit.
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John’s Corner
NEWS FROM THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SOIL AND PLANTS
Subject: Bio-Solids
Please take a moment to read a past article of John’s from 2023. Sewage sludge agricultural products are more widespread than you might realize. It helps to understand what that means, the difference in producing them the right way and the cheap way, and the possible consequences of opting for cheaper options.
Click below to learn more about all of the different types of mulch in detail.
Explore our article library to learn more information about various mulches and other topics.
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About Us
BRENDA BEUST SMITH
WE KNOW HER BEST AS THE LAZY GARDENER . . .
but Brenda Beust Smith is also:
- a national award-winning writer & editor
- a nationally-published writer & photographer
- a national horticultural speaker
- a former Houston Chronicle reporter
When the Chronicle discontinued Brenda’s 45-year-old Lazy Gardener” print column — started in the early ’70s as a fun side-project to reporting, it then ranked as the longestrunning, continuously-published local newspaper column in the Greater Houston area. The name, she says, is not just fun, it’s true.
Brenda’s gradual sideways step from reporter into gardening writing led first to an 18-year series of when-to-do-what Lazy Gardener Calendars, then to her Lazy Gardener’s Guide book which morphed into her Lazy Gardener’s Guide on CD, which she now emails free upon request.
Brenda became a Harris County Master Gardener and, over the years, served on theboards of many Greater Houston area horticulture organizations. She hosted local radio and TV shows, most notably a 10+-year Lazy Gardener specialty shows on HoustonPBS (Ch. 8) and her call-in “EcoGardening” show on KPFT-FM.
For over three decades, Brenda served as Assistant Production Manager of the GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA’S “BULLETIN” magazine. Although still an active broad-based freelance writer, Brenda’s main focus now is THE LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS HOUSTON GARDEN NEWSLETTER with John Ferguson and Pablo Hernandez of Nature’s Way Resources.
A native of New Orleans and graduate of St. Agnes Academy and the University of Houston, Brenda lives in Humble, TX, and is married to the retired Aldine High School Coach Bill Smith. They have one son, Blake.
Regarding this newsletter, Brenda is the lead writer, originator of it and the daily inspiration for it. We so appreciate the way she has made gardening such a fun way to celebrate life together for such a long time.
About her column, Brenda says: “I don’t consider myself a ‘garden writer.” I started out 50+ years ago as a very lazy “gardening reporter.” I still feel that way today. I hope my columns inspire/help newcomers, but I do not write to them. I write to very experienced gardeners who want to expand their horizons.
JOHN FERGUSON (1951-2025)
John was a native Houstonian with more than 35 years of business experience. He founded Nature’s Way Resources, a composting company known for producing high-quality compost, mulch, and soil mixes. He held an MS in Physics and Geology and was a licensed Soil Scientist in Texas.
Throughout his career, John received numerous awards in horticulture and environmental work. He represented the composting industry for many years on the Houston-Galveston Area Council for solid waste. His personal garden was featured in several horticultural books and in Better Homes and Gardens. His business was recognized by The Wall Street Journal for the quality and value of its products. He was a member of the Physics Honor Society and several professional organizations, and he co-authored Organic Management for the Professional.
John contributed articles regularly to this newsletter and oversaw its publication. We continue to share his past articles each week alongside The Lazy Gardener column to keep his passion, knowledge, and spirit alive for our readers.
SHELBY CASSANO is the communications and marketing lead for Nature’s Way Resources and the editor of The Lazy Gardener and Friends newsletter. Through her business, Leaf and Ledger, she exclusively partners with NWR to direct all marketing efforts, from campaign strategy and content planning to technical production of the newsletter. Shelby holds a B.S. in Agriculture with a concentration in Horticulture from Stephen F. Austin State University and previously managed the company’s nursery.
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Conroe, TX 77385
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