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02/28/2010

Plant annual seeds for good looks at a low price
One way to rein in plant purchases this spring without putting a damper on your dream garden is to use annuals, especially those that can be started from seeds sown directly into the garden.

02/25/2010

Garden Calendar: community gardening, growing vegetables
BIRDING 101: A four-session class will teach birding basics. Overview 7 to 9 tonight. Texas AgriLife Extension Office, 10056 Marsh Lane at Walnut Hill, B-101, Dallas. Saturday field trips are planned for March 6, April 3 and May 8. $10. 214-503-6052 or e-mail ntmnbirdgirl@gmail.com.

For city chickens, custom coop is heaven on Earth
The city chickens moved into their new luxury residential facility on the eve of the big freeze back in December. They still had a punch list for the builder, but since the new roost was roomier and more weather-tight, the hens wanted to take immediate occupancy. Paint touch-ups and installation of the chandelier could come later.

Carrots and kids are a good gardening match
Carrots tend to enjoy a special popularity with youngsters. I make my 5-year-old eat a bite of everything served for supper – broccoli, Brussels sprouts, whatever – then fill him up with carrots, without complaints. It's a veggie that he actually wants growing in our garden, and seeds ought to be planted by this weekend.

02/24/2010

New redbuds dazzle with color, plus better performance and adaptability

Spring's signal gets updated with colorful leaves, such as gold (pictured), and versatile shapes.

Trees and plants suited for the Dallas area

02/22/2010

Victory Gardens: Grow chard, collards and more in beds, containers

NATALIE CAUDILL / DMN

It's time to plant Swiss chard, collards and many other greens.

Flats of transplants that are now in garden centers include selections such as Chinese cabbage, Swiss chard and collards that may be outside your gardening comfort zone. But don't be afraid to try growing and eating them.
Garden checklist: What to do each month
Advice on starting a modern Victory Garden

Victory Gardens: Keep soil loose when planting root crops
Busy spring planting can continue this week with cool-weather root crops such as carrots, turnips, beets and radishes. These all can be sown from seeds planted shallowly in the vegetable garden or in containers.

02/18/2010

Andrea air filter helps plants clean indoor air
A new air filter improves on nature to purify indoor air.

Phone apps for Audubon, wildflower field guides
Being a nature lover and an iPhone user are becoming more in sync as Audubon Guides releases iPhone applications such as Wildflowers of Texas and Birds of Texas.

Garden Calendar: community gardening, growing vegetables
TOMATO TELL-ALL: The St. Luke's community garden's first meeting of the spring season includes a presentation by master gardener John Hunt, in the Scout Hut next to the garden. Several garden allotments are still available. 9:30 a.m. Saturday. St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 5923 Royal Lane at Jamestown. Free. 214-368-6304.

02/17/2010

Dallas retiree saves on plants by rooting cuttings for spring planting

LARA SOLT/DMN

The container gardens at Buddy Polser's home.

Frugality is not the only trait fueling Buddy Polser's time-consuming, late-winter ritual of rooting hundreds of cuttings for spring planting. He takes satisfaction in the self-reliance it represents, too.

02/16/2010

Bring your own shovel for free mulch

02/15/2010

Dallas welder transforms trash into garden sculptures

For Dallas artist Cynthia Daniel, junk metal isn’t garbage — it’s art waiting to happen.

02/11/2010

Garden booties keep feet warm, clean during spring chores
This is a busy time for garden cleanup and getting the spring vegetables started. We can't wait for perfect weather conditions.

Garden Calendar: Bonsai, composting, roses
BONSAI: Monthly meeting of the Fort Worth Bonsai Society includes a member show and tell. 7 tonight. Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center, 3220 Botanic Garden Drive. Free. www.fwbonsai.com.

02/10/2010

Potatoes are easy for kids to plant and harvest
With the possibility of homemade french fries after harvest, potatoes are a superior crop choice when vegetable gardening with children – and this is the month for planting spuds.

02/09/2010

February is prime time for onion planting
Sweet onion is the official state vegetable, which should be a clue that onions aren't terribly difficult to grow.

02/04/2010

Grants available for gardeners who want to help community
If you'd like to make gardening a part of 2010, there's help out there to make it happen more easily and economically – especially if you have a vision for sharing the experience with children and the bounty with the hungry. Consider applying for one of the following gardening grants or awards, primarily designed to assist school and community gardening groups.

Radio host Neil Sperry's gardening show on KRLD-AM to be canceled
The long-running radio show of gardening guru Neil Sperry will be canceled this summer, he said in a letter to listeners.

Garden Calendar: Sustainable landscaping, roses and honeybees
OLD GARDEN ROSES: Mike Shoup, owner of the Antique Rose Emporium in Brenham and one of the original "rose rustlers" who brought heirloom roses back into trade, is guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Collin County Rose Society. 7 p.m. Friday. Collin College, Room B-124, 2800 E. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano. Free. 972-403-0027.

Early spring is time to plant leafy greens

DMN/File

More homeowners are embracing vegetable gardening this year as consumers face higher food prices. Get a look at local gardens and advice on how to get started.
Garden checklist: What to do now
Step 1: Prepare your soil
Texas Cooperative Extension: Recommended plants for North Texas

02/02/2010

Choose the perfect crape myrtle for your yard
Hybrid crape myrtles resist disease and bloom longer

Don't commit 'crape murder'
Jimmy Turner, director of research at the Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Society, is on a mission to stop mass murder. It kills him to see crape myrtles hacked, chopped and topped around North Texas.