There aren’t many times Houstonians can declare our weather glorious but the past few weeks have been just that. Except for an overnight storm this week with furious lightning and wind, it’s been heavenly. The renowned poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote, “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.”
Well, we Houston gardeners have no time for that. Spring in Houston is even more fleeting than a young man’s fancy so we must turn to thoughts of weeding, planting, sowing and pruning. And we have a helpful checklist to get you started.
Clean Up and Clear Out:
Last month, we advised waiting to cut back dead wood and stems. Now, it’s time to clear it all out. If a plant is coming back from the roots, gardeners should cut away most of the dead stems, carefully avoiding the new green shoots. I have Mexican heather, penta, plumbago, lantana, clerodendrum ugandese (Blue Butterfly Bush) and brugmansia (Angel’s Trumpets) all coming back from the ground. It took a while but this week they are growing like gangbusters. My roses, however, are blooming late this year.
This is also the time to clear out weeds, rake up debris and lay down fresh mulch. If you sow flower seeds, you will want to mulch lightly, then scrape back the mulch in the areas you want to plant seeds. While weeding by hand is an onerous task, it’s far better for the environment and less likely to harm other plants, though I occasionally pull up a wanted seedling along with an unwanted interloper. A set of headphones, a good playlist and a pair of garden gloves is all you need to veg out while pulling weeds. Or involve the whole family with a promise of ice cream afterwards. Or pitchers of margaritas for your helpful friends.
Many nurseries around town have staff who can give recommendations about herbicides for unwanted weeds and pre-emergent herbicides for the lawn. For those who make that choice, it is best to do so sparingly and it is imperative to follow the directions for use. Herbicides are dangerous to humans, pets, wildlife and the environment. Personally, a couple of dandelions in the lawn doesn’t ruin my vision of a landscape.
Plant and Sow Vegetables:
While February is the optimum time to get tomato seedlings in the ground, there is still time to plant other vegetables from transplants. Peppers will grow for ten months out of the year in Houston, lasting from early spring well until the first hard frost. I even picked cayenne, poblano and serrano peppers until the January snow. There are so many varieties of sweet and hot peppers and most can be grown in containers. They love the Houston heat and even produce after they get gangly looking. This year, I am growing hot peppers like Thin Long Cayenne, Pathfinder Serrano and Jalapeno M plus a sweet variety, Purple Beauty. I planted them in early March and already have serrano and cayenne fruit.
Procrastinators will still find tomato seedlings at local stores but it’s best to get them planted immediately. Next month, the only options will be full grown plants that are costly and won’t transplant as well. Also, know the growth habits of the plants you are buying. My friend, Kingwood Kim, went to the nursery for a tomato plant and spent $200 on flowers. That’s not uncommon when we are presented with gorgeous flowers in full bloom. However, she did purchase a Juliet tomato. If she had had the foresight to have taken me with her, I would have nixed the Juliet for container growing. It’s a prolific, rangy tomato that requires serious staking. What’s done is done and she’ll likely get some fruit off of it before it falls over onto her deck and takes over the patio furniture.
For container growing, there’s the always reliable Patio tomato and types that have the word “bush” in them like Better Bush. Roma tomatoes are usually determinate, or semi, and can be grown in large pots. While some cherry tomato types can grow like, well, weeds, Husky Red and Sungold can be successfully grown in containers. For even smaller pots, try Little Bing. It’s adorable and puts out sweet, tiny tomatoes. Just make sure to start with a good potting mix and keep the pots watered regularly, especially on really hot days.
I am lucky enough to have space for a vegetable garden but I didn’t find some of my favorites in time this year. I have several cherry types including Chocolate Cherry, Yellow Pear, Matt’s Wild Cherry and Indigo Blue Berries. I also have a San Marzano paste-style tomato along with a hybrid slicer, Celebrity Plus, and an heirloom, Paul Robeson.
I have already planted summer squash seeds and they are growing quite well. I am hoping that this is the year I get the prolific harvest other gardeners brag about. There is still time to sow summer squash and cucumber seeds or plant transplants. They germinate so quickly, though, buying them from the nursery is unnecessary.
Beans are another vegetable that grows easily from seed. They take very little time to germinate and grow very quickly. Mine did take longer this year to germinate than usual but they are growing rapidly. I am about to do another sowing of Calima and Purple Tepee beans. Bean seeds are cheap and gardeners can get a whole “mess” from just a few plants. And yes, beans are cheap at the grocery store but picking your own is fun and you can just pick a handful each day to throw in a salad or eat as a side dish. They are also the perfect vegetable for teaching children about gardening.
Eggplant can still be planted by transplant but for other fruits and vegetables, it is best to sow them in place now. Melons, corn and okra can all be sown from seed this month and into April. Corn and melons, especially watermelons, need a lot of space. I don’t have the room for corn and the squirrels would have a field day if I grew it. The only luck I have had with melons are the Charentais types. This year, I am going to try Golden Jenny. It’s a smaller variety that I plan to grow on a trellis.
It’s Time for Blooms:
Every front yard or back patio looks more inviting with plants. But beautiful flowers are what really makes our neighbors stop to comment or elicits compliments from our guests. Be it blooming shrubs or a mass of colorful annuals, our eyes are drawn to the hues of pretty flowers. We give them to our loved ones on holidays, why not give them to ourselves and our community the rest of the year?
It can be costly to create a showstopping display all at one time and most large yards or gardens take a couple of years to really get going. While it can be tempting to splurge on flats of annuals to fill every nook and cranny, it is best to make a plan first so that you don’t come home with $100 worth of plants that sit in nursery pots for weeks. And for cheap gardening supplies, check out the dollar stores.
Seeds are definitely a cheaper way to go but they can take months before they bloom and that’s only if germination is successful. Smart gardeners take advantage of both options. While the weather is pleasant, nurseries are overflowing with transplants that can give a visual lift to your landscape. Pretty soon, our cooler season annuals like dianthus, stock, lobelia and pansies will start to fade. If we get to work now, we can have a seamless transition of color. Some good choices for sunny spots include long-lasting pentas, petunias and vinca while plants like impatiens, begonias and angelonia do well in part-shade.
This is still an optimum time for getting flowering shrubs and vines into the garden. The nurseries are loaded with expensive container-grown roses that look stunning now. In another couple of weeks, those same roses will look tired and full of blackspot, a reason the stores price them so high. Do not plunk down the money for them unless you are planting them within a couple of days.
There may be some good deals on azaleas, too. I always think it’s a shame that the older varieties only bloom once a year. However, this was a stunning year for them and my older neighborhood looks gorgeous. The Encore azaleas that have repeat blooms are expensive but they will soon go on sale for those who are patient.
A couple of seed packets of quick-growing annuals like zinnias and cosmos is a cheap way to get color. The seeds can be sown directly into the soil. Make sure to water them regularly to hasten the germination. Acquaint yourself with the identification of the seedlings so that you don’t accidentally weed them out. The varieties differ but some can be blooming in as little as two months. Most, however, will put on a show about three months after sowing. I am sowing a mix of zinnias called Takii’s Choice as well as Apricotta, Double Dutch Rose and Sensation cosmos.
Watch the Wildlife:
People who like to dig in the dirt and grow things also tend to be souls who love the living things around them. Spring is a time of renewal and reproduction. Many animals are mating and procreating during this time, even some we wish weren’t. I discovered that there was a nest of Carolina wrens in my sago palm, mostly because they let me know each time I got too close. When the fledglings left the nest, they were wobbly and unskilled. I managed to prevent my dog from taking advantage of one little bird’s mishap with a wall. For the next couple of days I kept my dog away from the area to ensure their safety.
Kingwood Kim bought a beautiful hanging basket of flowers that she said was her sacrifice to the wrens. She knows they’ll make quick work of the basket but it will be a safe space for the babies.
Even though I run screaming like a mad woman when I see a garter snake, I leave them alone. I don’t mind the lizards, I just wish they would announce their presence before scurrying across my hand. Gardeners would be well-advised to learn a little about what bugs and reptiles are venomous to be on the safe side.
Enjoy the Burn:
Once the gardening bug bites someone, the stinger stays in forever. Kingwood Kim called me the other day accusing me of ruining her life and monthly budget, like I was some sort of shady drug dealer. When she had a new deck built, she asked me to help her furnish it with plants and flowers. After lots of money, work and margaritas, her deck was outfitted beautifully with greenery and blooms. She soon discovered that an oasis requires upkeep, especially in the heat of summer, her least favorite time of year. She has also fallen victim more than once to the siren song of the local nurseries and big box stores that promise instant gratification, at a price.
After chiding me for luring her into a hobby that requires hauling dirt and dealing with bugs, she then complained that her home was filthy because she only wanted to work in her yard. I commiserated with her because my house is embarrassingly unkempt right now, and that’s okay. It happens every year because there is only so much pleasant weather in Houston to get our garden chores completed. Spring cleaning for our homes has to wait until summer, when the temperatures are too unbearable to be outside.
That doesn’t mean that gardening is all work. It can be frustrating and tiring but it’s also good for the heart and mind. Working in the soil grounds us to the planet. Nurturing plants helps us to be more nurturing to those around us. Something we all could do a little better.
When the labor is over for the day, gardeners can not only sit back and enjoy their own handiwork but that of the earth around us. There may be cheaper hobbies but few as fulfilling.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2025.
