Spring! Need we say more?
Spring officially began March 20th on the vernal equinox, the day when night and day are each 12 hours long. And despite a dip into the 30s on the first day of April it is really starting to look and feel like spring in north Texas.
Trees and dormant shrubs are budding out, various wildflowers and shrubs are starting to bloom, and we have pleasant nights and daytime temperatures as well. What’s not to like?
Rains have been only fair since the flooding of last fall, but with lawns still coming out of dormancy and cool temperatures we do not need to water much just yet with the exception of newly planted shrubs and flowers. Make sure they get watered in thoroughly and are not allowed to dry out between rain events.
Most of the weeds you see now are winter weeds that will burn out as it warms up, and broadleaf weed killers will control a lot of our problems. The wild rye and rescue grasses are the biggest problems as there are not many herbicides that will affect them without burning the lawn too.
April is absolutely the busiest month of the year for gardening. We will start changing out pansies, a plethora of bugs will announce their presence, everything needs to be mowed, trees are making messes with leaves and catkins, veggies need to be planted - the list goes on and on.
So much to do, but this is truly a magical time of year to be outside. Get your gardening gloves on and say hello to spring!
The Color White
Is white really a color? Ask a physicist and they will tell you no, because white does not have a specific wavelength. Rather, it is what we see when all wavelengths of light are reflected off an object. But regardless of physics, white lends an elegance all its own and is a wonderful addition to any garden.
We have many white plants and blooms to work with, and texture and scent also become part of the equation. Whites work well when contrasted with dark green foliage or colors like reds and purples, and can make bright colors like yellow seem even lighter. White is also nice in shade gardens where they are akin to a light in the dark.
 So lets start at the top. Many of our spring blooming trees are whites, like wild plums and ornamental pears, and we have several white crape myrtles to choose from.
Mexican Plum tree
Natchez is a popular tree form crape that looks great against a red brick façade or interspersed with darker crapes like Catawba or Tuscarora. There are also dwarf bush-type white crapes like Acoma that can be mixed in with evergreen shrubs, and Black Diamond is a crape cultivar with dark foliage that contrasts nicely with the white flower.
Natchez Crape Myrtle
White blooming shrubs include spiraea, roses, hydrangeas, viburnums, azaleas, and gardenias. Hydrangeas need afternoon shade.  If you have the space an oakleaf hydrangea has a gorgeous bloom followed by burgundy fall foliage.
Oakleaf Hydrangea
Virtually all annual flowers from alyssum to zinnias have white varieties, as do many of our good perennials.  Salvias, moonflowers, coneflowers, shasta daisies, and Virginia sweetspire are good perennial choices.
Salvia Greggi
For white flowering vines use Star Jasmine in areas with winter protection, and Sweet Autumn Clematis for late summer blooms. Both are fragrant. Variegated Algerian ivy is a great shade groundcover with white edges.
If you are into spring bulbs, there are many narcissus in white and most are extremely fragrant.
So regardless of the season or space, white can fit nicely into any garden.
Time For Summer Color
Speaking of color, it is nearly time to replace pansies with summer annuals. If you planted petunias as an intermediate, you will need to swap them out for hot weather plants in early June. But if you just have pansies or nothing at all in your beds then you can start planting many summer flowers in the next few weeks.
There are many choices, but we need plants that can outlast a long summer season with extreme temperatures. So with this demanding criteria, here are some proven winners.
Full sun or afternoon sun areas:
Lantana is hands-down the toughest choice for high heat, and the absolute best choice for dryer beds.  If you think lantana can get a little unruly, try the “Lucky” series that only grow to about 12 inches and stay compact.
Lucky Lantana
Pentas, periwinkles, and compact zinnias are also heat lovers, but periwinkles cannot be planted here until about mid-may due to pythium and rhizoctonia root rot when nights are cool or it is too wet.
Zinnias can have similar issues if planted too early and if our weather stays cool. Sunpatiens have been in the market for several years now and have proven to perform dependably.
Penta
 Purple fountain grass, esperanza, sun coleus, and tropical hibiscus can be used for big accents, and Powis Castle artemisia is a fast growing soft silver foliage plant similar to the old Dusty miller.
Cora Periwinkles
Scaevola is a great trailing plant in lavender or white, and Blackfoot daisy is a fragrant  mounding/trailing plant—both great for rock walls, containers or borders.
Sunpatiens
Sweet potato vines are another great accent as long as you have the space for them or the time to periodically cut them back. Other choices for sun include Angelonia, Torenia, various Salvia, Blue Daze, Moss Rose, and Purslane.
 Bronze begonias tolerate sun or shade so are great for those places that go in and out of the sun, but they struggle with uneven moisture, and with twice a week water restrictions it can be hard to keep them looking good in July-August.
Bronze Begonia
Shade areas:
In the shade, caladiums and various types of begonias are king with impatiens and caladiums close behind. Impatiens need a little light to look good all summer.  In heavy shade they tend to get leggy. Caladiums need consistent water. You can also use foliage plants like shade coleus, Japanese painted fern, alternanthera, or lamium.
Dragon-wing Begonia |
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