So we lost Phyllis this weekend. You may have known her from her newspaper articles or news footage...she was my "show girl". Always ready for the paparazzi!

Phyllis in her younger days, before her waddles came in...

She was the last of my original gang of girls, a Polish hen. I always figured Phyllis would be the first to go. She just seemed daintier and gentler than the rest...she was fine hanging out by herself and I'd often find her puttering about by herself in a corner of the yard. She was quite the independent.

Phyllis was a good layer, usually an egg a day. Unless she was feeling broody, which she often would; meaning that she just wanted to sit on everyone elses eggs. She would get quite perterbed with me when I'd roust her out of the nest, or snatch all the eggs from underneather her.

She was practically blind due to the volume of "hair" that eventually hung down to cover her entire face. Not to mention, that big puff of white feathers on her head made her a pretty easy target. I always had this uneasy feeling that someday her lack of speed and that big white target might just be the end of her.

And that's exactly what happened this weekend. I had noticed that Cooper's hawk lingering across the street several days before. Not that hawks are an unusual sight when you live so close to a lake, but when you keep chickens, you keep one eye on the hawks. Sure enough, she didn't survive the attack. Poor, poor Phyllis.

It might seem silly to some to love your chickens. But I loved Phyllis and am so bummed she's gone. Yes, yes, they are livestock. But dang if she wasn't just the funniest character...Miss ya Phyl!

Ok most of it.

So here are some photos of my freshly made beds on the front of the house. They pretty much eliminated all but a bit of lawn up front. I have a few drought tolerant foundation shrubs planted in them to get started, but will be filling them in with all sorts of pretties over the spring.

PC: Leslie F. Halleck

The beds on the front of the house face North West...it's a tough exposure. Plants against the house get shaded a good part of the day, then get blasted with the hottest of afternoon sun in the summer. For foundation plantings, I went with a Southern Wax Myrtle, Juniper 'Wintergreen' for some height, Texas Sage 'Desperado', Loropetalum 'Ever Red', Nandina 'Obsession', Abelia 'Kaleidoscope'...there is also a grey leaf Cotoneaster on the corner for some accent. In the outer part of the bed I planted a Maple 'Red Sunset' to eventually provide some shade on the corner of the house. These are not huge trees, but should round out at about 40-50', 30' wide. So I planted the wax myrtle, loropetallum and abelias because while they can handle that hot sun, they can also do well in the shade that will eventually be cast on them by the tree. Now, the Texas sage may eventually have to go if it gets to shady, but that's not going to happen for quite a while. On the outer part of the bed I planted a dwarf Peach 'Bonfire'...this is a cool purple leafed peach that only grows to 6'-8', but produces normal sized peaches. There is also a Leucophyllum langmaniae 'Rio Bravo' thrown in there along with an Agave Americana and a Barberry 'Orange Rocket'. There is also an evergreen Wisteria over on the corner of the fence with some transplanted Iris. I will add a number of different sun perennials and bulbs to this bed. I may even add some dwarf columnar apple trees against the house.

PC: Leslie F. Halleck

On the East side of the house I basically mimicked the same foundation plantings, with a few spacing adjustments. This side is a bit more difficult because the part against the house and in the corner plants will receive even more shade, but still get blasted with the hot afternoon summer sun. It's not an idea exposure for sure (not to mention I have that giant concrete driveway that is a conduit for massive amounts of heat..ick. I have dreams of jack hammering it ALL up...lol). There is a Sweet Olive hiding around the corner and a Holly 'Nellie R. Stevens' anchoring down the far corner. I also planted a dwarf Apple tree 'Empire' over in the sunnier part. I plan on tucking in some Hellebores and wood fern in the shadier corner and adding some 'Spring Bouquet' Viburnum and a 'Mutabilis' roses to the far end. Plus any number of sun perennials and bulbs.

PC: Leslie F. Halleck

We used the leftover stone to edge the front of the crazy driveway bed...

All in all, I have lots of space to garden up front and I'm super excited..it looks pretty empty right now, but all of these shrubs I l planted will fill in to capture a lot of the corners. It will be crazy looking in no time! Check back for more plantings soon...

PC: Leslie F. Halleck

I usually try to do my bigger landscaping projects and planting during winter. Here in the DFW area, our soils don't freeze so we can plant all year long. It's much easier for larger trees and shrubs to get established fall through winter, which helps get them through our hot, dry summers a bit more easily.

So I finally broke ground on one new foundation bed today...

I'll post more pics along the way. We'll be planting a tree and a few shrubs, but not filling in the entire bed today. I like to get a few foundation shrubs in and then play with smaller perennials and color afterwards...it's part of the gardening fun!

What else am I planting today? SEED POTATOES! Yes, it is that time folks. You have February to get your potatoes, asparagus, rhubarb and horseradish in the ground. Plus, you can plant tons of broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, lettuces and more right now. (you can get this stuff at North Haven Gardens in Dallas)

Alright...I've got to go clean the chicken coop...be back later with more photos!

If you live in N. Texas, now through the end of January is the time to plant your onion sets and slips! Good onion production relies heavily on both soil temperature and day-length after emerging so it's crucial to plant them on schedule. In our region, you need to plant Short-day type varieties (in case you've been flipping through seed catalogs).

Plant your slips about 4-5" apart and about 3-4" deep (don't bury the green portion). Onion sets (bulblets) can be planted the same distance apart and about 2" deep. Onions are traditionally heavy Nitrogen feeders so about 3 weeks after planting (when you see green tops emerging from the sets) start feeding with a good veggie fertilizer. Side dress your onions about every 2-3 weeks. When tops start to yellow in late spring, stop feeding and watering. Let the tops start to die down...and about 2-3 weeks later you'll harvest your onions.

PC: Leslie F. Halleck

Onions then need to "cure", after harvest which basically means to dry/harden off. You can of course use your freshly harvested onions in the kitchen for cooking, but if you plan to store them you need to cure them for 2-3 weeks before you bring them indoors or put them in a refrigerator. You can simply lay them out in flats in a dry covered area. The bulb will pull the remaining nutrients out of the top green foliage, which will turn completely brown and the neck will harden. At this point, you can cut off the tops and store your onions in mesh onion bags.

Visit your local independent garden center for more growing information and to buy your slips/sets, pronto!

Some of you may be wondering what, if anything, you can plant right now in Texas. You might be surprised at your options! The standard answer is...LOTS.

While some areas of Texas are colder than others right now, the main factor to take into account is whether or not your soil freezes in the winter. Generally, ours does not. That means you can continue planting all trees, fruit trees, shrubs, roses, perennials, perennial groundcover and cool season annuals and veggies. You can also continue planting cool-season color such as pansies, violas, snapdragons, Gerbera daisies (yes..I'm looking at some gorgeous ones on the nursery table as I type). The plants are far more protected from winter temps in the ground than they are in pots...so if they are out on the nursery table unprotected and still look great, well then you don't have much to worry about.

Best advice on what to plant when? Go to a real garden center. Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart are not real garden centers. A good garden center will have in-stock what you should be planting, at any given time during a season. They will also have expert staff that can teach you how to grow successfully.

Here is a list of what you can plant right now (it is not by any means comprehensive, but just a basic guide)

• Pre-chilled Tulip bulbs, Daffodils, Dutch Iris, Crocus, Iris, Hyacinth, Leucojum, Spanish Bluebells and more.
• Very cold hardy veggie transplants such as Kale, Broccoli, Mustard Greens, Spinach, Pak Choi (you can also seed spinach outdoors), Cardoon.
• Cool season and perennial herbs - Cilantro, Dill, Parsley, Oregano, Rosemary, Thyme, Curry, Mint and more.
• Perennials such as Salvias, Turk's cap, Scabiosa, Rudbeckia, Hellebore, Evergreen ferns, Leopard plant, Heuchera and much more.
• Pansies, Violas, Iceland poppy, Snapdragons, Alyssum, Gerber daisy, Dianthus, Cyclamen, Primrose
• Roses, Hollies, Indian Hawthorne, Nandina, Mahonia, Camellia, Yew,Passion vine, Carolina Jessamine, Cross Vine...much more.
• (Any container grown tree) Italian Stone pine, Atlas cedar, fruit trees (all), Japanese maples, Flowering trees (Mexican Plum, ornamental cherry, peach, etc) Shade trees (Maples, Oaks, Pistache, etc.)

There are many other plants that can go in the ground right now, but hopefully this will give you a place to start if you're hesitant about planting. And btw...get this material in the ground now, and you'll have a much easier time getting it through next summer. It can take a good year or two for new plantings to get established. The larger the plant material, the longer that new establishment period (a 2" caliper tree, will need about 2 years to root in...a 3" caliper tree will need 3 years, etc. Shrubs, roses, perennials, etc. need a good year-2 years).

Have some frost cloth on hand to protect newly planted herbaceous plants if we're going to have a hard freeze.

Seriously folks, I know it's like pulling teeth to get most of you to follow this advice that us expert horticulturists are always trying to get you to follow. But it's for your own good. Really.

I realize that many of you that have transplanted from up North just aren't used to planting in Fall and Winter. You plant in April and May. That's the only time you plant. But I'm hoping that after this last brutal summer, you'll finally realize why it's the better choice than planting in spring. I'm talking trees, shrubs, groundcovers and perennials here.

Especially with water restrictions most likely to be in place for our long-term future, you're really setting yourself up for much more summer success if you'll plant your high-dollar or larger specimens now. Yes, you can plant trees and shrubs when they are completely dormant. Our soil doesn't freeze here, so you can plant year-round. When you plant now, your beauties will have many months to start putting down roots and start getting established before they have to suffer through the heat of summer. Our fall and winter weather is mild, we usually get a decent amount of rainfall, such that you only have to water minimally. The sun isn't nearly as intense as it is in summer so plants get a much needed break when newly planted.

Plant now, and it will be much easier for you to get your plantings through next summer. Plant those trees and shrubs in May...and you'll struggle continuously to get them established in the heat. You may end up having to replace them because they just don't get consistent enough moisture due to the environmental conditions. Why waste the time and money? No one likes having to start over, much less spend more money on replacement plants.

Good nurseries will still have a good selection of fruit trees (because now is the best time to plant them), shade trees, Japanese maples, hardy foundation shrubs, groundcovers and drought-hardy perennials.

So...get planting! I do all my major landscaping in fall and winter...I have some new beds I'll be putting in very soon. Photos to come!

Plums in bloom
PC: Leslie F. Halleck

White Flowering Camellia

What a winter lovely...

This is Camellia sasanqua 'Setsugekka', a lovely double-ish white blooming Camellia. I planted two of these in large ceramic containers on either side of my front door. They make for a wonderful homecoming each day as they are highly fragrant, something we often forget about certain Camellia varieties.

I'm partial to the C. sasanqua hybrids because they often perform better in our climate and soils and are a very sturdy upright specimens. This particular variety grows to about 10' tall, but can be kept shorter. A perfect evergreen for containers. Will bloom through December into January.

Sometimes Camellia flower buds can be nipped in a hard freeze, so I do use frost cloth or Plankets to cover my Camellia in pots while they are in bud. The plants themselves generally don't need protecting, but you don't want to lose your flower buds.

Just thought you might enjoy some flower shots on this dreary day...

Freeze Fresh Pesto for the Winter

Still have basil in the garden here in Texas? If so, I'd say today is the perfect day to get it harvested and start making Pesto to put away for the winter.

Basil won't tolerate temperatures below 40 F degrees and we've already dipped to 40F at night, and into the mid- to high- 30's in some parts of Texas at night. Pine nuts, the traditional ingredient in pesto, can be pricey...but you don't have to use them. You can use any other nut you have on hand like walnuts or almonds - it's just as good! And remember, you can make pesto from many different herbs...it doesn't have to be basil. One of my favorite pesto combinations is cilantro and walnuts. So pesto isn't just for warm season herbs!

If you're making mass quantities of pesto right now like I am, you'll want to freeze pesto portions for future use. I like to scoop the pesto into ice trays, which make just about the right amount for a single portion. Cover the pesto in the tray with some plastic wrap and freeze. Then just store in freezer safe ziploc bags. Yum!