gardeners in texas . .

[gardenmom5]

what's your favorite go-to website or book?

 

I was going to give dd a book for a "house warming" gift.  they're there this weekend looking at houses.

 

 

I'm adding a poll for these two books:

 

official guide to texas state parks and historic sites  http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0292717261?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_3&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

Unexpected Texas: Your guide to Offbeat & Overlooked History, Day Trips & Fun things to do near Dallas & Fort Worth

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1495421961?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

 

 

Edited January 10, 2016 by gardenmom5

[La Texican]

I just left Texas, but I have a Texas garden story. I tried a veggie garden. I used ant killer, the ants ate my corn, the birds pecked my tomatoes before they ripened, and a neighbors pig got loose and ate my broccoli right when it was almost read guy. I stuck to pumpkin patches after that. Nice, thick skinned pumpkins.

[Happy]

Neil Sperry's new book. Buy it directly from his website.

[ddcrook]

Here in North Texas we have clay soil that's very hard to grow anything in, so I use Mel Bartholomew's All New Square Foot Gardening. I had success planting in the boxes on top of the natural soil instead of in it.

 

Here is a list of planting dates from the county extension office. 

[Laura Corin]

Here in North Texas we have clay soil that's very hard to grow anything in, so I use Mel Bartholomew's All New Square Foot Gardening. I had success planting in the boxes on top of the natural soil instead of in it.

 

Here is a list of planting dates from the county extension office.

I'm just curious - I have clay soil too. Is it the dry climate that makes growing difficult?

[ddcrook]

I'm just curious - I have clay soil too. Is it the dry climate that makes growing difficult?

 

We don't  have a dry climate here in my area, but I don't know what the issue is. I've always heard gardeners complain about the local soil so I never tried to grow anything directly in the original soil.  Now you have me curious.  Maybe I was wrong about clay being the problem. I'll ask around and see what the issue is.

[gardenmom5]

Neil Sperry's new book. Buy it directly from his website.

 

I found that when I was puttering around looking.  I've added it to my amazon cart.  

 

I also found some hiking books (60 hikes within 60 miles DFW) and things to do in the great outdoors (they're both very physically outdoorsy active.)  I thought that would also help them to get aquainted with what there is to do outside. 

 

adding a poll for outdoor books . . . (I'm reaching my limit, and only want to buy one more - but there are two . . . . ) 

[Halftime Hope]

Neil Sperry has a fantastic FB page; in essence, he blogs on it. He also has a good website.  If they are looking for more organic rxs, Howard Garrett is the local "go-to" guy.  They both have radio shows.

 

For outdoorsy stuff, something a lot of people might not think of is mountain-biking.  The Dallas Off-road Bike Association (DORBA) website is quite good.  DORBA welcomes hikers on the trails (who knew?!?) b/c the hikers tend to help keep the trails cleaned off by picking up and throwing sticks out of the way. Bikers (obviously) don't.

Edited January 10, 2016 by Halftime Hope

[Ellie]

The fact that the word "gardeners" is used in the same sentence as "Texas" does not compute.  (LOL)

 

Ain't that the truth!!

[Laura Corin]

We don't have a dry climate here in my area, but I don't know what the issue is. .

Your definition of dry might be quite different to mine. I know that clay soils can bake hard and then any subsequent rain tends to run right off. Does that sound familiar? I'm in Scotland so that doesn't really happen here.

[LinRTX]

I garden in North Texas. We have a raised garden. The soil is clay, but my biggest problem is lack of topsoil. I think the builders must have scraped the topsoil right off this place. Under most of my property, I scrape the soil to find solid rock. My husband has been know to rent a jack hammer to dig holes.

 

[Bambam]

If you aren't looking for a vegetable garden book, I like this one for Native plants for landscaping.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Native-Texas-Plants-Landscaping-Region/dp/0891230777

[Butter]

We live in San Antonio.  My husband manages to get lots of food to grow in our backyard.  He watches a lot of youtube videos from all over the place and uses what works.

[chiguirre]

Isn't the official guide free? I know I picked up a nice, thick guide to Texas parks at a visitor center a couple of years ago. I'd buy the other guide.

[Violet Crown]

Here in Central Texas you dig a bit down and you hit the limestone. I "garden" buy getting plants labeled "hardy drought-resistant native," mulching like crazy, and trying not to mind as they shrivel at the first full-bore imposition of water restrictions.

 

I would recommend a book on xeriscaping.

[Halftime Hope]

There is a remarkable variety of soils in the NTx area, ranging from red sandy loam (I wish) to black gumbo (clay) to caliche (I'm not sure what that is...) and probably other kinds. 

 

They will need to water their foundation no matter where they are, to keep the soil consistently moist. 

 

If they have clay soils and are serious about gardening, they should start with soil amendments: compost, and expanded shale.  There are several great "dirt yards" that deliver or they can pick up by the truckbedful.  Tell them not to waster their money on bags from the big box stores.   Pretty much everyone that I know who is backyard gardening brings in soil for raised beds.  If they are working on fixing a yard, see these two articles below:

 

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/hortupdate_archives/2003/nov03/Expdshale.html

 

https://atexaspatriot.wordpress.com/garden/dealing-with-gumbo-soil/  (Great info, even though it might not be the region your family is looking in.)

[NCMom]

I am on a large garden forum (actually a couple of them) and a LOT of TX gardeners do the straw bale method. It seems like you would need even more water, but it alleviates the soil issues. I've gardened using many methods and this one is a whole different gardening experience really.

 

Joel's Karsten's book would be the one to get, if you think it might be pertinent to their situation.

 

hth,

Georgia

[gardenmom5]

UPDATE:

they've decided to rent for a year to get to know the area.   I think I'll get the hiking and a couple other outdoor places books.  thank you for all the suggestions.

[chiguirre]

Houstonia Magazine did an article about 53 Great Road Trips. The distance/time calculations are for Houston, but there are some good ideas and some trips would be even closer from DFW.

 

http://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2016/1/5/road-trip-texas-weekend-getaways-january-2016

[gardenmom5]

Houstonia Magazine did an article about 53 Great Road Trips. The distance/time calculations are for Houston, but there are some good ideas and some trips would be even closer from DFW.

 

http://www.houstoniamag.com/articles/2016/1/5/road-trip-texas-weekend-getaways-january-2016

 

thanks, I"ll pass it on.  her bff - since they were 11 - is in houston for at least 1 1/2 years.  (and her bff from college - is in college station)

[Violet Crown]

There is a remarkable variety of soils in the NTx area, ranging from red sandy loam (I wish) to black gumbo (clay) to caliche (I'm not sure what that is...) and probably other kinds.

 

They will need to water their foundation no matter where they are, to keep the soil consistently moist.

In North and Central Texas, precisely because of the soil conditions, many homes are on pier and beam foundations, which don't need to be watered. Edited January 11, 2016 by Violet Crown

[prairiewindmomma]

60 hikes within 60 miles? These are the ones that love the outdoors, right?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0897326067?keywords=texas%20hiking&qid=1452547509&ref_=sr_1_7&sr=8-7

 

 

[Halftime Hope]

In North and Central Texas, precisely because of the soil conditions, many homes are on pier and beam foundations, which don't need to be watered.

 

This may be the case.  In the DFW metro area, almost everything built after the 50s and/or built by a developer (i.e. not a custom home) on is on slab foundation which has to be watered.  Unless a young couple is looking for something in an historic neighborhood, they would be more likely to end up with a slab foundation.