Lazy Gardener & Friends
Weekly Newsletter
Welcome to the Lazy Gardener & Friends Weekly Horticultural Newsletter!
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2026 Newsletters
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 631 – Earth Day Gardening Tips for Houston + What to Plant in April
Earth Day gardening tips, what to plant in April, and how Houston gardeners can grow smarter with their local ecosystem.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 630 – Houston Plant Sales Guide + April Gardening Tips & Soil Advice
Houston plant sales, smart April planting tips, and why healthy soil matters more than what you plant.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 629 – Monarch Butterfly Migration Boosted + Houston Garden Tips, Soil & Pink Moon Guide
Monarch butterfly migration is up, Houston gardeners get soil and seasonal tips, and the Pink Moon offers a spring night sky highlight.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 628 – Louisiana Iris Highlights + Soil Health Tips for Spring Gardens
This week’s Lazy Gardener celebrates the striking beauty of Louisiana iris while exploring spring gardening challenges like deer pressure and plant selection. You’ll also find creative techniques like seed snails for starting plants. In John Ferguson’s Corner, dive deeper into soil health and the critical role minerals play in plant growth and nutrition.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 627 – Texas Superstar Plants + Soil Health Tips for Houston Gardens
This week’s Lazy Gardener features Texas Superstar plants that thrive in Houston’s toughest conditions, along with a standout Louisiana iris worth seeing. In John Ferguson’s Corner, learn the fundamentals of soil health, including how clay, sand, and silt work together to support plant growth. A well-rounded look at choosing the right plants and building better soil.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 626 – Miyawaki Forests: Could Houston Grow Butterfly Forests?
Could tiny Miyawaki forests bring butterflies back to Houston neighborhoods?
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 625 – Houston Shade Gardening: Better Plants & Bluebonnet Tips
Better shade gardening in Houston, plus reader-tested bluebonnet growing tips.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 624 – Bluebonnets in Houston: Can You Grow Them at Home?
This week’s Lazy Gardener explores whether bluebonnets sold as plants can successfully grow in Houston gardens and what conditions they need to thrive. The newsletter also highlights upcoming plant sales, wildflower tips, and a deep look at remineralizing soils with mineral-rich rock dust.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 623 – Plant a Tree Now: Best Houston Trees & Free Tree Giveaways
Thinking about adding a tree to your landscape? This week’s Lazy Gardener newsletter explains why now is the best time to plant a tree in Houston and highlights native species like Eastern redbud, Chickasaw plum, and Nuttall oak. It also shares upcoming local tree giveaway events and seasonal gardening updates.
The Lazy Gardener & Friends – 622 – Native Mulch Benefits: Soil Health Tips for Houston Gardeners
This week’s Lazy Gardener newsletter celebrates Trees for Houston planting its one-millionth tree while exploring how climate shifts are affecting local gardening practices. Readers will also find seasonal gardening reminders and a deep dive into why native mulch is one of the most beneficial materials for soil health and plant growth.
2025 Newsletters
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 605 – Houston Gardening: Fall Flowers, Bromeliad Care & Fungi Fest
Houston gardeners: get fall-ready with white-flower ideas, bromeliad winter care, mushroom tips, and event highlights including Fungi Fest.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 604 – Discover Homegrown Habitats & Fall Herb Gardening
Dr. Doug Tallamy’s Homegrown National Park inspires communities to restore nature one yard at a time. Plus, discover fall herb gardening tips from local experts and learn why this is the perfect season to plant.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 603 – Essential Texas Fall Gardening Tips & Plant Sales
Get essential fall gardening tips, expert advice, and upcoming Texas plant sale highlights from SFA Gardens, Urban Harvest, and the Garden Club of Houston.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 602 – Essential Houston Soil & Fall Garden Tips
Explore essential soil health tips, fall garden planting advice, and care for treasured plants in this week’s Lazy Gardener newsletter for Houston gardeners.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 601 – Houston Gardening, Bulb Mart & Succulent Tips
Discover essential Houston gardening tips, expert succulent care, and insider highlights from the Garden Club of Houston Bulb Mart in this week’s Lazy Gardener newsletter.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 600 – Hummingbird Gardens, Mulch & Fall Planting in Houston
It’s officially World Hummingbird Awareness time! Migrating hummers are arriving across the Gulf Coast, and local experts share how to make your garden a true haven. Plus, tips on fall vegetable gardening, mulch insights, and local events for Houston-area gardeners.
Lazy Gardener & Friends – 599 – Gulf Coast Fall Gardening: Preparing for Storms, Mulching, and a Fresh Growing Season
Gulf Coast fall gardening is just beginning. Learn how to prepare for storms, improve soil with the right mulch, and make the most of one of the region’s best growing seasons with insights from Brenda Beust Smith and John Ferguson.
Lazy Gardener & Friends Article 598: Smart Fall Gardening Tips for Houston
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Lazy Gardener & Friends Issue 597: Safety, Smart Gardening Tips, and Mulch Advice for Houston Gardens
Funny how gardening tips for older gardeners often help everyone! Brenda Beust Smith shares safety tricks, lightweight tools. Get soil wisdom for thriving gardens from John Ferguson..
Lazy Gardener & Friends 956
Fall in Houston means it’s time to think bulbs—but not always the same ones planted up north. From tulips that need pre-chilling to flood-loving Louisiana irises and cannas, Brenda Beust Smith shares bulb-planting tips, storm-ready advice, and a preview of the Garden Club of Houston’s 2025 Bulb & Plant Mart.
2024 Newsletters
Lazy Gardener & Friends 555
“If you are not killing plants, you are not really stretching yourself as a gardener!”
HUGELKULTURE: BUILDING FERTILE SOIL WITH WOOD LOGS
LOOKIN FOR A QUICKGROWING, COOL-SEASON VEGETABLE TO GROW?
Prairies GMO Atrazine Lawns and Climate Fluoride
Lazy Gardener & Friends 554
LET’S LIGHT-UP HOUSTON WITH NATIVE COLOR!!!
Soil Health
Lazy Gardener & Friends 553
‘IS IT FALL YET?’
health and environment
Lazy Gardener & Friends 552
SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER & EVEN NOVEMBER & DECEMBER are great months for us to plant…
Animal manures (part 3 of 3)
Lazy Gardener & Friends 551
“September tries its best to have us forget summer.”
BLOOMING BROMELIADS MAY SURPRISE YOU WITH CHANGES!
Subject: animal manures (part 2 of 3)
Lazy Gardener & Friends 550
TIMES WILL BE a’CHANGIN’ — ONE OF THESE DAYS!
Healing Gardens
Animal manures (part 1 of 3)
Lazy Gardener & Friends 549
HUMMERS ABOUND & DO & DON’T DO LAZY GARDENER TIPS!
What to do with all the storm cleanup mulch chips
Lazy Gardener & Friends 548
FALL? NOT YET FOR US . . . BUT SEPTEMBER DOES MEAN IT’S ACTUALLY COMING!
Soil microbes and health, cost of toxic ag chemicals, gardening chemicals and health
Lazy Gardener & Friends 547
…cause after the storm’s when the flowers bloom”
Food Quality and Health
Lazy Gardener & Friends 546
DISCOURAGING SQUIRRELS & HELPING POLLINATORS P0ST- BERLE
HOW DID BERYL AFFECT OUR POLLINATORS?
Corrupt Regulators, Pecans, Bagged Soil Products, Fluoride
2023 Newsletters
Lazy Gardener & Friends 507
CELEBRATING & IDENTIFYING ROSES & OTHER SURVIVORS
ROSES MAY BE TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING — LISTEN!
Microbes and minerals rare earth elements scandium V-D yttrium
Lazy Gardener & Friends 506
LEAVES IN BAYOUS, EDIBLES, HUMMER TIPS!
‘PLANT IT FORWARD’ TACKLES WEATHERING’ TRAUMAS!
LOOKING FOR EDIBLE FALL GARDEN WINNERS?
Artificial fertilizers microbes and vitamins soil invertebrates CO2 soil translocation
Lazy Gardener & Friends 505
Highways to home plots — heat, drought putting natives in spotlight
WILDFLOWER HIGHWAY PLANTING — OVERCOMING CHALLENGES!
IF YOU HAVEN’T YET, TRY NATIVE PLANTS IN YOUR GARDEN!
Plant viruses, fire ants & fungi, antioxidants and Alzheimer’s, native mulches and fire ants, tomatoes
Lazy Gardener & Friends 504
XEROPHILES PICKED RIGHT PLANTS THIS SUMMER!
Lazy Gardener & Friends 503
DON’T PLANT CHINESE TALLOWS! MORE BLOOMING SURVIVORS
Wilding or regenerative landscaping
Lazy Gardener & Friends 502
TREE LIMBS DROP? WHO KNOWS WHY?
Trees and rain food safety cryptobiosis
Lazy Gardener & Friends 501
GOOD RAINS PREDICTED NEXT WEEK? ELIEVE WHEN SEE — WILDSCAPES COMETH!
“NO DOUBT SUMMER OF 2023 has been a challenge for even the most experienced
gardeners.”
Lazy Gardener & Friends 500
‘One of the worst mistakes you can make as a gardener is to think you’re in charge.’
‘CONSTANT’ IRRIGATION KEY TO FRUIT TREE SURVIVAL THESE DAYS
Trees (part 2b) – the benefits