Nature’s Way Resources is proud to bring you this free weekly newsletter. While we don’t run ads, generous sponsors help support this project as a public service. Their names are listed below, please consider showing your appreciation by supporting their businesses!
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.
One of many pleasures of living in our semi-tropical area is watching how different plants here march to their own drummers! Much of the rest of the country is bemoaning winter dormancy of favorite colorful garden plants (tho comforted, of course, by temporary gorgeous fall color). We here have the luxury of many colorful bloomers that laugh at drops in temperatures. They know momentary chills will soon be replaced by new buds — if, that is, you plant for this time period!
Good example, in the Bush Airport area, Margaret Byron’s full color African Bush daisy (Euryops pectinatus, above) has proven over the past decade that she laughs at our occasiona, temporary December swings into lower temperatures, blooming happily even if a momentary true freeze arrives. Secret to such success? Patience and willingness to experiment. And understanding that extreme weather is a fact of life. No guarantees in gardening!
Where to even search for such plants? Good places to start: Our botanical sites — Houston Botanic Garden and Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Garden
Margaret started this lady almost a decade ago in her north-facing back yard. It pouted. She moved it to a partially shady west-facing side. Still wasn’t as happy as she thought it should be. Finally a 3rd move to an open south-facing front yard with good afternoon west sun site did the trick.
Even after years of our rollercoaster winters, the now-9-year-old drought-/pruning-tolerant shrub in her well-drained site delights neighbors and passers-by alike! Average height: 6 foot, depending on conditions.
There is care. When deep freezes are forecast, Margaret covers m’lady with a garbage can. In spring, lacy green leaves get a good haircut, and periodic deadheading, all of which encourage profuse, long-lasting flower production that delight butterflies, bees and neighbors alike.
So! Exactly how did Margaret’s African Bush Daisy (near-Bush Airport) survive our recent, short-lived, below-freezing temperatures that triggered overall major overnight flight delays? See for yourself . . .
Left, before freeze. Right, morning after freeze!
Good news for the “chionophobic* among us (translation: fear of snow and icy weather — I am definitely one!). Thanks to the current La Niña trend, expect warmer weather for a while at least. However, it would be useful — especially those to new to gardening in our schizophrenic weather — to hear which of your flowering plants also laughed at our brief cold invasion.
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Winters are a gamble. Some years impatiens will be in full color at Christmastime. Other years, an early freeze wipes everything out. Whenever a freeze is forecast, water all inground plants well. The drier roots are, the more susceptible they are to cold damage. Mulch heavily. The plants listed need cold weather to “do their thing.”
Some of these plants may do beautifully one year, and succumb the next. But they are all worth a try. Unless we have an exceptionally cold winter, they should give color through next spring with just occasional protection. Winter is also a time when we can plant cold-weather annuals in spots too shaded in summer.
Under deciduous trees (lose leaves in winter), plant delphiniums, English and Shasta daisies, foxglove, hollyhocks, larkspur, pansies, poppies, snapdragons, stocks, and sweet peas.
AMERICAN BEAUTYBERRY. Wonderful purple or white berries up and down long, arching branches. Perennial shrub.
AUSTRALIAN VIOLETS. Best violet for us. Perennials.
CALENDULAS. Yellow, daisy-like flowers with outstretched greenery. Annual.
CAMELLIAS. One of our most reliable evergreen winter-blooming shrubs, provided you give it slightly acidic soil, excellent drainage, and protection from the hot summer sun.
CAROLINA JESSAMINE. This evergreen native East Texas vine will need to go on a strong trellis or fence; brilliant yellow flowers are usually first sign spring’s around the corner. Perennial.
CYCLAMENS. Orchid-like flowers, low spreading greenery. Really need cold weather. Annual
DIANTHUS. Fragrant, sprightly, low-growing flowers in spring and fall; often dormant in summer.
IRIS, DUTCH. Low sword-like foliage, beautiful iris blooms, even known to appear in snow!
MAHONIA, LEATHERLEAF. Evergreen shrub, great yellow flowers, bluish berries.
NARCISSUS. Paperwhites are often in bloom on the coldest January days. Fragrant, perennial.
ORNAMENTAL KALE, CABBAGE/RED RUSSIAN KALE. Grown for their very colorful leaves.
In spring, will sprout yellow flowers on tall stalks if you let them. Red Russian is spectacular.
PRIMROSES. Spritely flower atop slender stalks with low foliage. Annual.
ROSEMARY. Small fragrant bushes that love the cold. Delicate little flowers.
YAUPON, WEEPING. This one has lovely fountaining red-berried branches. There are also yaupons now on the market shaped like Christmas trees!
Other choices: Swiss chard, Red Oakleaf lettuce, nasturtiums, and flowering peas.
From my Lazy Gardener’s Guide book, now out of print and available
only as a PDF. Request a free copy at lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com.
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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: Sulfur, Soil Microbes, and Healthy Plant Growth
Please take a moment to honor John’s legacy by revisiting his words and sharing in the passion that guided his life’s work.
We encourage readers to request their favorite past articles from John’s Corner to be republished.
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.
Calender Submittal Rules
WANT EVENT IN RIGHT AWAY? FOLLOW RULES!— ONLY GREATER HOUSTON AREA NONPROFIT GROUP EVENTS —
Expect delay if we must reformat: 3-LINE (max) EXACT FORMAT:
DAY, DATE: TITLE (by NAME if talk), time, site. Sponsor (if not in title). website/phone (NOTE CAPITALS VS lower case)
- Gardening events ONLY! No harvest, cooking, arranging, etc.
- ONLY events sent SPECIFICALLY TO US FOR CALENDAR are used!
- NO events picked up from flyers — NO PDFS! TYPE IN EMAIL ONLY.
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- Submit to: lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com. Check published entry!
Sponsorship
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please contact us at 936-273-1200 or send an e-mail to: lazygardenerandfriends@gmail.com
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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