Winter Gardening in Texas

What have we been up to these past couple of weeks? The whole family seems to have been fighting off colds and potentially the flu. Luckily we all seem to be on the mend..does that mean the end of winter? I thought so..before the cold snap showed up this week. It was unseasonably warm for a couple of weeks- which excited the plants (and me). But we’re back to cooler days and nights for a little while, which is fitting for February..so I’ll allow it. 😉

February is a great time to prune roses. I grow a variety of roses but I treat them all the same when it comes to winter pruning. I want to encourage long stems and an open V-shape in their growth. I spend extra time with each plant to ensure I’ll make the right cut. After pruning them and carefully moving the branches to a burn pile (those thorns like to remind you who is boss), I weed below the roses then fertilize with a granular fertilizer. I used what I had on hand, a natural fertilizer called Texas Tee. I purchased the fertilizer from Hughes Plant Farm just south of Tyler on Hwy 69 (it’s a great nursery that I highly recommend). I then covered the soil below the roses with leaves. This will prevent more weed growth and help regulate the soil temperature. The leaves will also help the soil retain moisture for the plant roots. I would recommend using compost in addition to the fertilizer and before the leaves or mulch if you are able. I grow over 100 roses and I’m just stepping back into the flower business, so finances would not allow the compost addition at the moment. (I do make some of my own compost- some of which will be ready to add to the roses, soon).

I’ve also planted a few more rows of Campanula and sweet peas for spring bouquets. I’m really looking forward to beautiful blooms!

Can you believe that dianthus are blooming? They are a wonderfully tough little plant. The ones that are blooming now were planted in the fall. I covered them with row cover during the hard freezes, and that is why I now have flowers to sell to you :). Click here to order some red and white dianthus to brighten up your room. They are available for local delivery in Smith county or pick up only. Shop Flowers Here!

What’s new on the horizon for Alice Creek Flowers??

Soil Science for Gardeners Course

First, I want to tell you about my Soil Science for Gardeners Class. Did you know I studied Forest Soils in College..I actually earned a PhD studying soil recovery after strip mining in east Texas. I can teach you some things about soil! The class I designed in a 30 to 40 minute video for any gardener who is curious about soil science and learning how and why we should improve our soil. I’ll discuss how you can manage your garden soil for a beautiful garden year after year. It requires a one time purchase of $20 for lifetime access to the video. Please leave a comment below if you’re interested in this class. I should have it published next week.

Rainwater Harvesting

Next, I want to tell you about Mr. Alice Creek’s (Austin’s) foray into the rainwater harvesting world. He has spent the last two years designing and installing rainwater harvesting systems for our gardens, chickens, and for those of friends and neighbors. He has also completed the ARCSA Design Course for rainwater harvesting systems. Are you interested in hiring someone to design, install and maintain a rainwater harvesting system? Reach out below:

Gardening Services

For a limited time, I am cleaning and beautifying flower beds all over Smith county. Please reachout if you need some curb appeal!

Finally, please subscribe to this blog. You’ll receive an email each time I make an new post. Thank you 🙂

Thank you so much for reading and following along with us on our garden-ey adventures!

Cheers!

-Lacey