General Spring Season Gardening and Landscaping Tips
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Make a fertilizing schedule: Vegetables and flowering annuals monthly; trees and shrubs twice a year; lawns every 10-12 weeks.
Be sure to mulch: Mulching controls weeds, moderates soil moisture and temperature fluctuations, improves soil fertility and structure, and reduces
pest and disease damage.
Be aware of what’s going on in your garden: Keep an eye on plants for evidence of insect damage and moisture level.
Pinch back leggy bedding plants to encourage side shoots. Pinching stops the terminal growth, thus resulting in bushier plants and more buds.
Know your mow: Mow your lawn high to avoid moisture loss. Also check your lawn mower blade. Dull blades can cause a brownish discoloration of
the stems and leaves shortly after cutting.
Weeds will invade a lawn that is suffering from lack of moisture. A thorough, deep soaking of the lawn every week is better than frequent light watering.
Springtime Gardening and Landscaping Tips by the Month
March
The cold should be behind us now - The average last killing freeze date for the Central Texas area is March 3rd. This means outdoor gardening can begin in a big way.
• It’s time to clean up the garden and make it ready for spring blooms and summer plants. Remove all the dead leaves and foliage that can harbor
disease and pests. Pull out any weeds. Prune back perennial plants so they come back strong and full, not leggy.
• Start Planting your spring bedding of choice. When you plant, add some soft rock phosphate or bone meal around the root zone to give a boost to
the root development. Water-in or spray with seaweed to help the plant cope with the stress of transplanting. The seaweed can increase plants’ heat
tolerance, winter hardiness, and pest and disease resistance.
• Get those hanging baskets started this month. Get creative with colorful blooms!
• Begin to set out virus resistant strains of St. Augustine, seed Bermuda grass or Buffalo grass.
• After scalping the lawn, fertilize with a complete fertilizer and water it thoroughly.
• As the weather warms up - watch all trees, shrubs, and emerging plants for signs of disease and insects. Watch for aphids, thrips, red spider mite,
caterpillars, white fly, leaf rollers, and scale.
What to plant in March:
Vegetable Seeds: Beets, Chard, Collards, Beans, Endive, Cantaloupe, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Leaf Lettuce, Mustard, Peas, Radish, Pumpkin, New Zealand Spinach, Summer Squash, Watermelon
Vegetable Plants: Broccoli, Chard, Collards, Endive, Leaf Lettuce, Mustard
Herb Seeds: All hot-weather herbs, such as Basil, Chives, Epasote, Milk Thistle
Flower/Ornamental Seeds: Cleome, Cypress Vine, Gomphrena (globe amaranth), Marigold, Moonflower Vine, Morning Glory, Sunflower
Annual Flower/Ornamental Plants: Cockscomb, Coleus, Gomphrena, Lion’s Tail, Torenia
Perennial Plants: Cigar Plant, Cleome, Plumbago, Sedum, Spiderwort; March is the last reasonably mild month to plant such things as trees and big shrubs. Any later and these plants will encounter too much stress in the summer heat.
Bulbs: Caladium, Calla, Canna, Daylily, and Elephant Ear are the main spring and summer ornamentals that can be planted the second half of this month. Planting these warm-season bulbs while the soil is too cool can cause them to rot.
April
• It’s ime to fertilize your perennials. Give them the nutritious boost they need to grow and flower and prepare them for the coming summer heat.
• Thin newly planted vegetables from the mid-march garden.
• Control downy and powdery mildews on vegetable plants by watering in the early morning or in early evening.
• Prune spring flowering shrubs after blooming (Azaleas, Flowering Quince, Indian Hawthorne)
• Don’t be concerned about the old leaves on Magnolia Photinia, Gardenia, Cleyera, Abelia, Ligustrum or Pittosporum turning yellow and falling. This
is a natural occurrence this time of year.
What to plant in April:
Vegetable Seeds: Lima Beans, Snap Beans, Beets, Chard, Okra, Black-eyed Peas, Radishes, New Zealand Spinach, Summer Squash, Cantaloupe, Sweet Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Pumpkin, Watermelon
Vegetable Plants: Eggplant, Pepper, Summer Squash, Sweet Potato Slips, Tomatillo, Tomato
Annual Flower/Ornamental Seeds: Ageratum, Balsam, Castor Bean, Celosia, Cleome, Coleus, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Cypress Vine, Four O’clocks, Globe Amaranth, Gourds, Hyacinth Bean Vine, Impatiens, Marigold, Moonflower Vine, Morning Glory Vine, Periwinkle, Sunflower, Tithonia, Zinnia
Annual Flower/Ornamental Plants: Ageratum, Ajuga, Balsam, Begonia, Blue Daze, Caladiums, Celosia, Coleus, Copper Plant, Gazania, Geranium, Globe Amaranth, Impatiens, Marigold, Penta, Periwinkle, Drummond Phlox, Portulaca, Purple Fountain Grass, Purslane, Torenia, Zinnia
Perennial Plants: Black-eyed Susan, Purple Coneflower, Shasta Daisy, Ox-eye Daisy, Four-nerve Daisy, Lantana, Plumbago, Salvia, Yarrow
Ornamental Grasses: Ornamental grasses produce their feathery or unique blooms in the fall, so plant them now! Mexican wire or Mexican Feather Grass, Big Muhly, Lindheimer Muhly, Inland Sea Oats and Sideoats Grama
Warm-season Bulbs: Caladium, Elephant Ears, Lily
May
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Repot crowded house plants, move to a spot on your patio or under a large shade tree for the summer.
Early spring annuals such as Pansies and Calendulas will soon fade with summer’s heat. Clean out the beds and plant summer flowering annuals.
Work rain-compacted soil around plants and flower beds to provide aeration. Use shallow cultivation to prevent root damage. The use of a good
mulch will prevent soil compacting, eliminate the need for cultivation, greatly reduce weed growth, and cut down on watering.
Think ahead: Complete your pruning of Climbing Roses to insure a good supply of new wood for next year’s flower formation.
The information herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. However, no investigation has been made to determine the accuracy of such information. No person or entity should rely on the accuracy of
these materials without conducting a thorough, independent investigation of same. Gracy Title, its officers, agents and employees have no liability, expressed or implied, relating to these materials.
Native and Adaptive Plants
Popular Area Garden Supply Centers
Those that thrive and survive in Central Texas
Resources for tools, plants and good advice
*Notes that the plant is native to Texas
Bloom Nursery
Located on the grounds of Thyme and Dough
333 West Hwy 290, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
512-894-0001 / www.thymeanddough.com
Trees
Ash*, Cedar*, Cypress*, Elm*, Honey Mesquite*, Maple*, Oak*, Palmetto*, Pecan*, Mexican
Sycamore, Anacacho Orchid*, Buckeye*
Yuccas/Agaves/Succulents
Agave (Blue, Century Plant*, Parry’s*, Queen Victoria*, Squid), Basket Grass*, Cactus (Prickly Pear)*,
Nolina*, Sotol*, Yucca (Giant, Paleleaf*, Red*, Softleaf, Spanish*, Twistleaf*)
Shrubs
Abelia, Acuba, Agarita*, American Beautyberry*, Aralia, Barbados, Cherry*, Barberry, Bottlebrush,
Butterfly Bush*, Coralberry*, Cotoneaster, Dalea*, Elaeagnus, Elbow Bush*, Flame Acanthus*,
Fragrant Mimosa*, Germander, Hawthorne, Holly*, Honeysuckle Bush*, Jasmine, Mallow*,
Mistflower*, Mock Orange, Oleander, Palmetto*, Pineapple Guava, Roses (Belinda’s, Grandma’s,
Cecile Brunner, Knock Out, Lady Banksia, Livin’ Easy, Marie Daly, Martha, Mutabilis, Nearly Wild,
Old Blush), Rosemary, Sage*, Senna, Skyflower, Sumac*, Thryallis, Turk’s Cap*
Farmer’s Nursery Inc.
1305 Leander Dr, Leander, TX 78641
512-259-0088 / www.farmersnursery.com
Forever Gardens
6970 Ranch Rd. 2243, Georgetown, TX 78628
512-868-3373 / www.forevergardens.net
Gardenville
See website for multiple Central Texas locations
www.garden-ville.com
Ornamental Grasses
Hill Country Water Gardens
1407 North Bell Blvd, Cedar Park, TX 78613
512-260-5050 / www.hillcountrywatergardens.com
Vines
It’s About Thyme
11726 Manchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78748
512-280-1192 / www.itsaboutthyme.com
Fountain Grass, Inland Sea Oats*, Little Bluestem*, Mexican, Feathergrass*, Muhly (Bamboo, Big*,
Deer*, Gulf*, Pine*)
Carolina Jessamine*, Coral Vine, Crossvine*, Fig Vine, Honeysuckle, Coral*, Jasmine, Passion Vine*,
Trumpet Vine*, Virginia Creeper*, Wisteria*
Bulbs
Landmark Nurseries
1510 Royston Ln, Round Rock, TX 78664
512-251-9238 / www.landmarknurseries.com
Ground Cover
Homeworks Landscape Materials
101 Rebel Dr, Kyle, TX 78640 / 512-268-8328
www.homeworkslandscapematerials.com
Amaryllis, Bearded Iris, Chinese Ground Orchid, Daffodils, Lilies (Cooper’s,Crinum, Oxblood/
Schoolhouse, Spider, Oxalis, Rainlilies
Aztec Grass, Dalea, Greg*, Frogfruit*, Germander, Horseherb, Jasmine, Leadwort Plumbago, Liriope,
Monkey Grass, Mountain Pea, Myoporum, Oregano, Pigeonberry*, Purple, Heart, Santolina, Sedge
(Cheroke, Meadow, Texas)*, Sedum*, Silver Ponyfoot*, Violet*, Wooly Stemodia*
Water Plants
Coastal Water-hyssop*, Bandana-of-the-Everglades, Jamaican Sawgrass*, Lance-leaf Burhead*,
Horsetail*, Scarlet Rose-mallow, Wooly Rose-mallow, Spider-lily, Zig-zag Iris, Virginia Blueflag, Soft
Rush*, American Water-willow*, Salt Marsh-mallow, Cardinal Flower*, Water Clover*, Yellow Water
Lotus, Yellow Cow-lily or Spatterdock*, White Water Lily, Marsh, Obedient Plant*, Marsh Fleabane*,
Pickerelweed, Long-leaf or Knotty Pondweed*, White-topped Sedge or Star Sedge*, Delta
Arrowhead, Arrowhead*, Lizard Tail, Trisquare Bulrush*, Giant Bulrush*, Powdery Thalia
Perennials
Artemesia, Black-eyed Susan*, Bulbine, Calylophus*, Cast Iron Plant, Chile Pequin* , Columbine*,
Coralbean*, Coreopsis*, Cuphea, Daisy (Blackfoot*, Copper Canyon, Engelmann*), Damianita*,
Yellow Bells*, Fall Aster*, Fern (Firecracker, River*), Firebush, Gaura*, Gayfeather*, Golden
Groundsel*, Hibiscus*, Hymenoxys*, Indigo Spires*, Iris (Bearded), Lamb’s Ear, Lantana (Texas*,
Trailing), Lion’s Tail, Marigold, Obedient Plant*, Penstemon (Gulf Coast, Hill Country, Rock)*, Phlox*,
Plumbago, Pride of Barbados, Primrose*, Purple Coneflower*, Rock Rose*, Ruellia, Sage (Blue*,
Jerusalem, Majestic, Mexican, Penstemon, Russian*, Tropical), Senna*, Shrimp Plant, Skeletonleaf
Goldeneye*, Skullcap (Pink*, Heartleaf), Society Garlic, Spiderwort*, Texas Betony*, Verbena*,
Winecup*, Yarrow , Zexmenia*
Central Texas Public Garden Viewing Spots
The Central Texas area has plenty of public green spots where you can enjoy a garden
experience without doing the work yourself.
Lady Bird Johnson Wilflower Center
4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, TX 78739
512-232-0100 / www.wildflower.org
Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum
605 Robert E Lee Rd, Austin, TX 78704
512-445-558 / www.umlaufsculpture.org
Zilker Botanical Gardens
512 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
512-477-8672 / www.zilkergarden.org
Jade Gardens
12404 Ranch Road 12, Wimberley, TX 78676
512-847-2514 / www.wimberley-tx.com/~bonsaijg
King Feed and Hardware, Inc.
14210 Ranch Road 12 North, Wimberley, TX 78676
512-847-2618 / www.kingfeedandhardware.com
The Natural Gardener
8648 Old Bee Caves Rd, Austin, TX 78735
512-288-6113 / www.naturalgardeneraustin.com
Pots and Plants Garden Center
5902 Bee Caves Rd, Austin, TX 78746
512-327-4564 / www.plasticpinkflamingos.com
Red Barn Garden Center
12881 Pond Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78729
512-335-8093
Round Rock Gardens
901 Sam Bass Rd, Round Rock, TX 78681
512-255-3353 / www.roundrockgardens.com
Shoal Creek Nursery
2710 Hancock Dr, Austin, TX 78731
(512) 458-5909 / www.shoalcreeknursery.com
Sledd Nursery
1211 West Lynn St, Austin, TX 78703
512-478-9977 / www.sleddnursery.com
Sunshine Landscape & Garden Center
2002 UR-620 South, Lakeway, TX 78734
512-263-5275 / www.sunshineaustin.com
Sol’stice Garden Expressions
900 Highway 290 West, Dripping Springs, TX 78620
512-569-0175 / www.solsticegardens.com