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.

  Prunus Mexicana, Mexican Plum. Texas Native, drought tolerant, fragrant spring blooms and tons of tasty plums!

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!

What a winter lovely...

This is Camellia sasanqua 'Setsugekka', a lovely doublish 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...

Some of you may be aware that the City of Dallas, and other cities, will be entering Stage 1 watering restrictions on Dec. 12, 2011, meaning residents can use their sprinklers just two days a week. 

While I realize that this may send some of you into a bit of a watering panic, you really don't need to worry. This watering schedule is business as usual in winter.  In our climate here in N. Texas, you rarely need to water established landscapes more than once per week, if it isn't raining. New plantings will usually only need 1 extra hand watering to get established, again, if it isn't raining. 

It's not about how many times per week you water. It's whether or not you're delivering enough water during that individual watering. Your goal is to deliver 1" worth of rainfall per week on established landscape plants. This can usually be accomplished by running your  sprinkler system for anywhere from about 40 minutes to 1 hour, in one watering. If your soil won't absorb that much water all at once, then simply split that time into two watering cycles, with a break in between, on the same day. This is much more effective than watering 3 or 4 times per week for 10 or 15 mintues...this kind of shallow watering only encourages shallow weak root systems (resulting in plants that need more water) and wastes water.

Here are links to a couple of detailed posts I've written on proper watering techniques:

Proper Watering Q & A

Proper Watering in Texas Heat

Even with Stage 2 or 3 Restrictions in place, you will still be able to keep your established landscape healthy if you follow proper watering advice. Just remember, it's not about frequency, it's about depth of watering. Even with the summer we just had, if you'd watered deeply, once per week, established turf, shrubs and trees would have been fine.

Obviously, smaller herbaceous material and newly planted material will need supplemental watering. This can be accomplished using TreeGator bags on new trees and shrubs (or any that have been planted in the last several years)..you can also use slow drip tips that fit onto reused soda bottles to put in containers or raised veggie beds. You'll fill these containers on your approved watering day. You can even use something as simple as a milk jug with a few small holes poked in the bottom.

Install Rainbarrels now to capture rainfall. Water restrictions do not apply to rain water - you may use rainwater as you please. The restrictions only apply to treated municipal water.

So, take away is don't panic. I will be teaching a number of upcoming "watering workshops" at North Haven Gardens to teach you about the upcoming restrictions and how to maintain a beautiful landscape within those restrictions. NHG will also be hosting a "Heat Hardy Series" that will include my and other staff's watering programs, plus programs on heat hardy plant selection, design, and much more. This series will start in December and continue through 2012. Keep an eye on the NHG calendar for upcoming programs - it will be updated later today.

Here is what I'm putting on the books right now:

Wed 12/14/11 @ Noon-1pm : "Water Right" Workshop L. Halleck, at NHG

Sat 1/14/12 @ 11am-noon  : "Water Right" Workshop, L. Halleck, at NHG

Sat 1/14/12 @ 2:30-3:30pm : Spring Vegetables Planting Guide, L. Halleck, at NHG

Wed 1/18/12 @ 11-11:45 : "Water Right" Workshop, L. Halleck, at NHG

Wed 1/18/12 @ noon-1:30 : How to grow Tomatoes, L. Halleck at NHG

Thurs 2/9/12 @ 1pm-4pm : Vegetable Gardens 101 ($25 registration fee) L. Halleck, at NHG

Sat 2/18/12 @ 10am-11am : "Water Right" Workshop, L. Halleck, at NHG

Sat 2/18/12 1pm, Edible Ornamentals, L. Halleck, Texas Organic Farming and Gardening Association Conference, Mesquite Convention Center.

Sat 4/21/12 @ 1pm-2pm : Edible Ornamentals, L. Halleck at NHG

I'll be adding more dates I'm sure. I'll update all my class listings at Halleck Horticultural

I don't typically get political on this blog, but I feel I need to say something on this topic. Bear with me.

So if you watch a lot of Fox News or read a lot of Drudge Report, then you’re probably getting absolutely enraged about the “OBAMA CHRISTMAS TREE TAX” that is going to be levied against all you hard-working Christians this year. How dare he…who does he think he is?? Gosh darn Jesus-hatin’ freak. Jim Hoft stated that “Barack Obama hates Christians.” Um, really? I hate to tell you guys, but most “Christians” are buying fake plastic trees from China these days…get your fact straight will you?

Now, really folks, let’s use our brains here. I know these kinds of things are really fun for people like Sean Hannity and Jim Hoft to latch on to in order to generate false outrage which in turn generate big ratings for them and thus personal profits. It’s how they make their living. But we’re all much smarter than this, I truly believe it. But I realize that for those of you not in the green industry, like Sean Hannity and Jim Hoft, this new fee that’s being collected may not make a lot of sense to you or them. As someone who is in the industry (an industry that has allowed me to be gainfully employed as a productive tax-paying member of society for 20 years) let’s see if I can provide to you a rational explanation for what is actually going on.

Firstly, this is a 15 cent per tree fee paid to USDA by the Christmas tree growers and importers (who grow or import more than 500 trees a year). It’s not a “tax” on you. The fee will be collected by the growers in order for the USDA to provide collective national marketing messages about the benefits of buying US grown live Christmas trees as opposed to buying fake trees. This is a fee was actually proposed by the private industry during the Bush administration. It’s not new and it wasn’t generated by the Obama administration. Let’s try and focus on some facts here.

Why would the industry need the help of the USDA on this one you ask? Well, why would any struggling US industry need help in this economy…because Americans are putting their consumer dollars into foreign made product, that’s why.  I sell live American grown Christmas trees at the garden center I run. Christmas trees make up the majority of my sales for the entire month of December. The Christmas tree growing industry is a large and important part of the overall green industry. It can and should provide more than 100,000 American jobs annually (not including the jobs created at the retail level who are selling trees as part of their assortment), but that is declining severely. Why? Because Americans are choosing to buy petroleum based plastic xmas trees made in China en masse. This has resulted in a $6-7 million dollar sales decline in the last couple of years. That decline only continues to grow. Trust me, I know. The industry is hemorrhaging not only dollars but jobs…and it goes all the way down the supply chain to the people I either can or can’t afford to continue to employ based on our sales.

Most likely, the growers will pass that 15 cent cost on to me, the retailer. Now, more than likely, I will just absorb the cost (which I'm actually happy to do if the marketing helps increase my sales of trees), which I've continued to do on Christmas trees for the last 4 years, despite the fact that my costs have continued to rise. You as the consumer haven’t had to pay me a cent more for your Christmas tree during this entire economic recession even though I’ve lost profits…and thus the ability to increase wages for my staff. Now, at some point, I’m going to have to recoup that cost increase. At the most you might see a $.15 -.30 increase in the price of your fresh Christmas tree. You’ll pay this in order to support an American industry that provides a renewable American grown product that provides American jobs. So, what exactly are we all bitching about?

Everyone seems to constantly be screaming at the “government’ to create jobs for us. Personally, I don’t feel it’s the government’s job to create a job for me, or anyone. The government’s job is to provide infrastructure, so we can all do business, and provide some level of security and stability for all citizens, regardless of their income levels.  So, we’re screaming at them to save jobs…that’s why they are stepping in on this one…to save American jobs. And they aren't doing it by taxing you, they are collecting fees from the industry, as compensation for marketing. Make up your mind folks, you either want them involve in jobs or you don’t.  And if you’re going to hold them responsible for creating or saving jobs, then don’t “outraged” when they try to do just that.

Overall, we’re talking about around $2 million dollars that will be collected from the private industry to promote their product.  We spent billions of our hard earned tax dollars to bail out the big private banks and financial institutions, which were not only poorly run and managed but who were engaging in outright fraud…who then went on to give out millions in bonuses, but now won't extend funding to these kinds of businesses. Did you know that Bank of America started pulling its credit lines for growing industry operations all over the country in the last two years?  This has hit many growing operations hard and put them out of business, costing job after job. I’m losing vendors…business that were providing outstanding American grown products and providing American jobs. I’ve lost a big chunk of sales as a result of losing these vendors. So, we’re willing to bail out private banks with inordinate amounts of tax dollars actually collected from individual’s paychecks. But we aren’t willing to accept the Christmas tree growers are going to contribute $2 million dollars to the USDA to help promote sales of their product, thus re-fueling their industry and hopefully helping to hold on to American jobs? I don’t get it. Maybe we should all be asking What Would Jesus Do.

Look folks, almost ALL industries in this country have organizations they belongs to, and pay fees to, in order to collectively promote their products or sponsor research for. Be it technology, health care, automobiles, you name it. Because that collective marketing power is stronger than individual marketing efforts. Maybe we should be just slightly more outraged at the dollars that get thrown at the government via lobbyists to buy votes, for I don't know, the Pharmaceutical industry? Eh, call me crazy.

And why shouldn’t we be collectively promoting fresh Christmas trees?  Fresh trees are a greener option than all those petroleum plastic based trees made in China that most Americans are buying these days. Christmas trees are a renewable American resource. They also absorb carbon dioxide, create oxygen, are biodegradable, can be recycled as mulch and provide refuge for wildlife. Again, the U.S. Christmas Tree industry creates as many as 100,000 U.S. jobs each year. To ensure a constant supply, tree farms plant up to 3 new seedlings for each tree harvested. Plus, fresh trees and greens will never sit in a landfill for centuries after disposal.

I totally understand the argument that the government shouldn’t be getting involved in promoting private business. As a retailer, I have to spend a big chunk of cash on marketing and advertising to support sales of my product. But I could never afford to pay for a national campaign to promote the benefits of home gardening. Could your business afford to do that?  Again, you guys didn’t seem to mind when we bailed out private banks so you could keep raking in your hedge dividends and their executives to get their “well deserved” bonuses.. Realize that small to mid-sized businesses in this country are suffering. If the Christmas tree industry has collectively agreed that they think the USDA can help them improve the image of their product nationally, better than they can do on their own, then what’s the problem?

If you don’t like this 15 cent fee on Christmas trees, then you have the power to get rid of it. It’s called buying an American grown live tree this Christmas, instead of buying a crap plastic tree made in China sold at Walmart this year. Americans have the purchasing power to put Americans back to work. So if you don’t want the government involved in your capitalist economy, then put your money where your mouth is. Go Fresh this year, Not Fake. I firmly believe that you get what you pay for. That goes for your economy too. Your choice.

Just for the record, I’m not a “Democrat” or a “Republican”. I’m an Independent voter. I’m a proponent of business and of personal accountability and responsibility. So  I am calling out “Conservatives” on this one that are claiming  “Obama Hates Christians”…I think this is what was actually meant by "don't take the Lord's name in vain"...They are getting it all wrong, and they are intentionally mis-leading you. I think rather that this rhetoric of theirs is really “anti-jobs”. Maybe they are the ones that really “Hate American Workers” with real jobs.

Alright, that's my rant for the day...Peace and love!

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!

Just a quick note to say what perfect planting weather we're having! Fall is the absolute best time in Texas to plant just about everything; trees, shrubs, groundcover, perennials, bulbs and cold hardy herbs and veggies. Planting now gives your plants a good 8-9 months to start getting established before the onset of summer stress. If you planted warm season veggies at the beginning of summer, and cold-hardy veggies and herbs in late-August and September, then you're probably harvesting along with me. Currently, I'm seeding more salad greens and planting cole crops (broccoli, cauliflower, etc.), daffodils, Dutch iris, pansies and violas and Iceland poppies. OH and purple Pak Choi. Be sure to check out my article on growing Pak Choi in the Nov/Dec issue of Neil Sperry's Gardens Magazine.

Often you may find it difficult to find certain plants you would want to plant in fall. Thus, I often hear the complaint that "I don't plant in fall because no one has what I want..." Well, this comes down to a classic supply and demand situation. Most folks plant in spring. Period. In fact, most independent garden center customers shop a few times in spring, then don't go back until the next spring. Much of this behavior has to do with the fact that many Texas residents are transplants from up North, where spring is traditionally your one main planting season and it is the best time to get new plantings established. That's just not the case here in Texas, where we have a year-round gardening climate. So, gardening consumers have conditioned the growing market to cater to spring when it comes to providing the biggest and best selection of plant material. Good independent garden centers will work hard to bring in the best selection they can in fall and keep encouraging you to plant. But alas, with traffic being so much slower than it is in spring, there is often just not enough supply or supply of certain items available from the growers for fall...because there has traditionally been so much less demand. Chicken and egg kind of situation. So, you should plant in fall...and if you want more to select from, then make a point to visit your local garden centers this fall to shop and be sure to tell staff what you're looking for! Happy planting...

Skip Summer. This is my new mantra, lol. What about the OTHER nine months of growing season we have here in Texas? I'm all for skipping summer from now on, because there's plenty of happy successful gardening to be had the rest of the year. The thing we have to remember though is we're lucky enough, in the DFW area, to have a 12-month gardening season. We are blessed with nine whole months that are relatively easy on maintenance. So why do we base all of our gardening decisions, and purchases, around 2 1/2 to 3 months of summer?

Most homeowners and gardeners, however, spend most of their mental energy, and gardening budget on planting for summer. Most people do the bulk of their planting here in April and May....only to have to struggle to keep these new plantings alive through August, often losing that battle with more moisture sensitive varieties. Why do we do this to ourselves?...when the BEST time to plant is fall and winter for perennials shrubs, ground covers and trees.  By planting your most expensive and extensive landscape plantings now, you'll have a much easier time getting them established before the next hot summer. Plant now, and your landscape will endure a hot dry summer much better, with less maintenance, than if you wait until Spring to plant. Sure, some varieties are more available in spring, so of course, plant those varieties when they are available.

Plus, when it comes to vegetable gardening, you get 9-months of production, with much less maintenance, on cool season veggies and herbs. Most people kill themselves trying to grow an amazing 2-month summer vegetable garden here (only to be plagued by the long list of challenges to deal with here on crops like tomatoes, squash and the like), but forget about the 9-months of salad days they could be having...easy greens all the way around. Not to mention the enjoyment of 9-months of cool-season color annuals. Do we have to deal with a few freezes here and there? Sure, but I usually only have to cover plantings 3 or 4 times per winter. Most cool-season plants are very cold hardy here.

None of us actually want to hang out in our gardens in the deep summer anyway, at least not in the kind of summer we just had. For at least two months, most of us are cooped up inside in the air-conditioning and never see hide nor tail of our landscapes unless we're leaving for or returning from work. Even I spent little time in my garden this past brutal summer, and I LIKE it hot. Even when it's 100 degrees, I'm still puttering out in my garden. But 110 though...and that about does it even for me.

So, I guess all I'm say is that I give you permission to skip summer...and enjoy the rest of the year in your garden!