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Nature’s Way Resources owner John Ferguson, “The Lazy Gardener” Brenda Beust Smith and Pablo Hernandez welcome your feedback and are so grateful to the many horticulturists who contribute their expertise

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“Ok, longtime Houston gardeners, lets tell

newbies to gardening here, how important it is

to use GREATER HOUSTON AREA ADVICE!” —  Oft-repeated quote, origin not credited

TIME TO PRUNE, BUT DO IT RIGHT! MERCER’S TIPS BELOW

WHAT A FRUSTRATING GARDENING PERIOD THIS MONTH!

BY BRENDA BEUST SMITH 

We want to garden! Sun was out, we were into sleeveless shirts, rains have been sufficient, nurseries are PACKED with gorgeous flowers. Everyone’s thinking GARDENING!!! This current rain is a good thing, cold iffy. Plant roots below ground are itchin’ to shoot green growth upward!. Rainwater will make them healthier. Wondering what you should do first?

DON’T POUT — TURN ON RADIO! Used to have many gardening radio shows. Now only know of two, but both have excellent hosts and experienced LOCAL guest experts. Be patient! Don’t hesitate to call if you have queries!

• GARDEN LINE WITH SKIP RICHTER, 740AM KTRH — Saturday & Sunday, 6–10 AM. Call in line:713-212-5874. (Also on Heart Radio app.) 
• HOME SHOW GARDENING PROS with TOM TYNAN, SPORTS RADIO Saturdays, Sat. 7-9am. Call-in line: 281-833-3333

Know of any others specifically for our area? Do share! Always check out-of-Greater Houston-Area against a LOCAL source. One size fits all doesn’t work for all! https://homeshowgardenpros.com/

• Since another cold spell’s ahead, good time to think about where to put colorful new bloomers. Check Texas hot sun tolerance! In blasting hot sunny areas, pale pastels may wash out, variegated plants may look like dying if used all alone. Strong solid greens, reds, oranges, yellows, etc. may compete better.
• Less-than-preferable views in backyard? Use hot colored plants to draw visitor’s eye to more attractive off-site view from house, patio, etc.
• Color’s impact multiplies when coupled with hardscapes (rocks, birdbaths, fences, benches, etc.). Large rocks draw the eye, anchoring us to Mother Earth offering sort of a strong metaphysical protection from the stresses of everyday life. Locate at least one large interesting rock somewhere near the site where you sit outside at night.
• If you’re new to a subdivision with HOA/POA regulations about gardening in the front (and sometimes back) yard, be sure to check these before spending a lot of money on plants. Sometimes these are VERY strict.
  
  

  (Above quoted Lazy Gardener Guide’s advice no longer in print. For pdf version, email lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com)

ATTN. GARDEN/PLANT GROUPS — In wake of Hurricane Beryl, 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.

• 2025 COLOR OF THE YEAR! Pantone picked this color “…rich, warming brown hue” because “M0CHA MOUSSE” is “supposed to evoke feelings of comfort and indulgence, such as those associated with chocolate and coffee, to feed our desire for harmony”! 

Pictured: Cosmos Atrosanguineus 

I actually knew someone who waited every spring to put in her new spring garden until Pantone announced its “Color of the Year.” Not sure how she’d have done it this year. Don’t find many ‘brown” blooms around these days!

Brenda Beust Smith’s column is based on her 40+ years as the Houston Chronicle’s “Lazy Gardener” column — lazygardenerbrenda@gmail.com Brenda’s column focuses ONLY on the Greater Houston Area

Spotlighting

MERCER BOTANIC GARDEN

Above. JACOB MARTIN, Mercer Botanic Garden Head of Horticulture/Greenhouse Manager notes: (left) On the Elm, which has naturally dense foliage, he shows cutting a branch that is crossing other branches, and if left to continue to grow, will eventually rub and damage the larger branch to the left. Right Jacob cuts an apricot branch with a saw, and at an angle to protect the branch collar.  Christy Jones photos

DON’T JUST ‘WHACK-AWAY’!

HAVE A TREE-PRUNING PLAN AND DO IT NOW!

by CHRISTY JONES

Mercer Botanic Garden

Education Director

We are in ‘late-winter’ pruning time that needs to be done before it gets too hot. Bugs and diseases get more active with heat. Give your tree time to adjust through Houston’s typical quick spring season. 

First, you must have a goal – possibly to improve shape and health. Next, develop a plan – ours for smaller trees is to ensure balance and encourage healthy growth. Of course, we will remove any dead or broken limbs. Then, we use sharp, clean pruning shears, loppers, or saw depending on the size of branch. 

Overall, we don’t want to trim more than 25% of the living crown of a tree at one time. Also, the shape should not resemble a ‘lollypop’ as this creates a top-heavy, thin tree that will be structurally weak and apt to blow over more easily in windstorms. 

Pictured illustrate Jacob demonstrating trimming on two smaller ornamental trees: a White Flowering Apricot and Dwarf Chinese Elm. 

Jacob shows how to prune two smaller trees with hand tools. We are in ‘late-winter’ pruning time that needs to be done before it gets too hot. Bugs and diseases get more active with heat so give your tree time to adjust through Houston’s typical quick spring season. 

On the Elm, which has naturally dense foliage, he shows cutting a branch that is crossing other branches, and if left to continue to grow, will eventually rub and damage the larger branch to the left. Jacob cuts the branch with a saw, and at an angle to protect the branch collar. 

Two Photos: Jacob Observing Tree, Jacob Approaching Cross Branch w/Saw 

On the Apricot, he shows an obvious ‘water sprout’ which are branches growing straight-up. These types of branches are long, thin and weak but will quickly grow to the top of the canopy, blocking sun-light for more desirable branches. If the cut is through the collar, the main branch will not heal correctly, and open itself up to insects and disease. 

Do’s 

Have a vision before you cut. 

Use clean tools and clean between trees and after use. 

Cut dead and broken limbs first, as this will allow for a clearer vision and plan. 

Don’t 

Trim more than 25% of the living crown at one time or in one year. 

Don’t ‘lollypop’ the crown as this weakens the trunk and makes tree top-heavy. 

Wait too long to trim – spring comes and goes quickly in our region, and insects and diseases are more active when its warm.

For basic tree pruning tips: harris.agrilife.org/files/2011/05/PruneUSFS.pdf 

• •. •

EDITOR’S NOTE: You can visit Mercer almost any time and find staffers at work in gardens happy to explain what they’re doing and why. REMINDER: Easy way to keep up with all Mercer’s events: facebook.com/FriendsofMercer/

John’s Corner

NEWS FROM THE WONDERFUL WORLD

OF SOIL AND PLANTS 

Subject: glyphosate   soils sounds  compost   atrazine   nutritional density

A new study released by researchers at Arizonia State University found that even brief exposure to the herbicide glyphosate found in products like Round-Up can cause lasting brain damage.

Glyphosate exposure on mice resulted in neuroinflammation, Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, premature death and anxiety like behaviors confirming the results of other studies.  Journal of Neuroinflammation (2024)

There is an increasing incidence of cognitive decline in our aging population, and it has been found to cause cancer, yet the EPA and USDA think spraying down all our grains from wheat to oats and soy with glyphosate to make harvesting easier is a good idea since it makes more money for the agribusiness companies. The only way to protect your family is grow your own food or at least buy organic certified.

For gardeners and horticulturalists there is new field of study called “eco-acoustics” that is emerging. Healthy soils produce a large cacophony of sounds in many forms. The acoustic complexity and diversity are significantly higher in revegetated plots as compared to cleared plots.

The acoustic signature is associated with soil invertebrate abundance, from earthworms, to beetles, ants and spiders. All these organisms emit sounds depending on their activity. This research supports a growing amount of evidence about the benefits of mechanical stimulation, like touch, wind or rain. Maybe those little windmill ornaments do provide some benefit.

In the future I bet there will be a method to measure the health of the soil in our gardens, by just listening to them.

I often get a chuckle out of some research papers I read as the authors act like they made a miraculous discovery. A research paper in the journal HortScience (2024) found that compost amendments effectively enhanced radish growth especially when water was scarce. Any experienced gardener could have told them that.

 The journal Research (2024) published an article on the herbicide atrazine. They found from animal studies that exposure makes nerve cells age faster. It also harms the hypothalamus that is part of our brains, increasing the risk of neurodegenerative disease. This herbicide has previously been found to disrupt hormones, interfere with our reproduction, linked to birth defects and some types of cancer, along with liver, kidney, and heart damage.

Note: This dangerous chemical is used in many weed and feed fertilizers and other gardening products.

NASA’s Goddard Institute for space studies “Climate Impact Group “has found that climate change is lowering the nutritional value of many plants including some of our foods. They suggested that falling nutritional density of plants is another contributor to declining insect and animal populations. 

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