-
Breaking the Plastic Cycle: Shifting to Long-Term Timber Flats and Coco Coir Pots
For years, my spring and autumn sowing routines followed a predictable, frustrating rhythm. I would pull stacked thermoplastic plug trays and cell packs out of storage, only to watch them crack, warp, and crumble under the sun. This season, I drew a line in the sand. I am moving away from single-use petroleum design and…
-
Candlemas & Climate
Weather Prediction Folklore vs. Texas Reality Candlemas sits quietly on the calendar, early February, balanced between winter’s grip and the promise of spring. For centuries it has carried the weight of prediction. Folk sayings claim that a bright Candlemas day means winter will linger, while clouds foretell an early thaw. These sayings are old, practical,…
-
Gardener’s Gifts: Where to Find the Best Tools and Supplies
If you’re gardening in South Texas, you know that our soil, heat, and seasons play by their own rules. You can’t just buy any shovel or any fertilizer and expect a miracle. You need the right gear and the right advice. Luckily, San Antonio is home to some legendary nurseries that are about more than…
-
The South Central Texas Winter Garden: Your Season of Unseen Opportunity
For gardeners in South Central Texas—from Seguin to San Antonio and beyond—winter is less of an ending and more of an essential strategic pause. While our northern neighbors are battling blizzards, we enjoy a unique climate advantage: a period of mild dormancy punctuated by the occasional, sharp hard freeze. This season is not for rest;…
-
Dormancy is Not Death: What the Soil Does While We Wait
The calendar has turned to December, and for those of us practicing stewardship in South Central Texas, the garden has settled into its annual stillness. The basil is gone, the vines are cut back, and the live oaks, though ever-present, cast shadows over beds that appear, at first glance, empty. In this deep quiet, it…
-
November: The Steward’s Time of Quiet Preparation in Central Texas
November often brings a deceptive calm to the South Central Texas garden. The scorching heat has finally relented, giving way to cooler, crisper mornings. While many gardeners associate this month with putting things “to bed,” trusted sources like Doug Welsh’s almanac and the wisdom shared by Central Texas Gardener remind us that November is not…
