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Fall for Your Hill Country Garden
Residents of the Texas Hill Country are blessed with an abundance of beautiful natural landscape just outside their front door. However, gardeners and landscapers don't always just want to let Mother Nature have all the fun. And luckily, there are a number of varieties of grasses, trees, plants, vegetables and herbs that do wonderfully in our climate. Additionally, with our temperate weather, unlike our northern neighbors, we are able to plant well into the fall. So in the autumn, what are our best bets for our garden and landscaping?
As the weather turns cooler, greens are the name of the game for vegetables. Right now is a great time to grow from seed greens like kale, chard, and spinach. You can also plant for garlic and radishes. And let's not forget that the holidays are just around the corner, which reminds us to start growing those yummy carrots and peas.
Herbs are also hardy fall growers. Unlike basil, which prefers the heat, oregano and cilantro actually thrive more in the fall than they do the summer. Rosemary is so hardy in this area, that it is in abundance when you need to flavor those savory winter meals to come.
But what about your landscaping? Lucky for you, you can practically retire that lawnmower for the next few months. As the days grow cooler, typical Hill Country lawns like Bermuda and St. Augustine will grow dormant. You do, however, need to fertilize your lawn before winter hits to keep it healthy until spring. Just be sure you use organic fertilizers that are safe for the local animals. Part of the beauty of living on a Hill Country property is the nature around us, so we want to protect it as much as possible.
This is also the best time of year to plant trees. Trees in this part of the country spread their roots mostly in October, November and December. While in northern climates these months are hard on the trees, our temperate climate is far less stressful on a tree's growth. Inside your yard and fence-line, try growing the hardy evergreen Live Oak. Other trees suitable for the area include Spanish oak and Bigtooth maple. Honor Texas by planting the state Pecan tree. Not only does it grow large and majestic, but you'll be showered with free pecans just in time to make that pie for Thanksgiving. Sapling trees do best inside your fence as deer just love to nibble on fresh, young trees.
For around your home and in your flower beds, several shrubs and perennials are amazing fall accessories. Though too late to grow from seed, these can be found at your local nurseries for immediate planting. Around your foundation, plant shrubs like the evergreen silvery Mountain laurel and Yaupon. Both are deer resistant. A perennial which shines this time of year is the Fall aster. Not only do its purple, white or pink blooms add a pretty touch, but its nectar attracts butterflies and birds. Another lovely and easy to grow perennial is the Salvia. This flowering plant has multiple species of all shapes and colors. However, one Salvia standout is the Mountain Sage, which is not only native to the Hill Country, but grows vivid reddish-orange blooms in the fall. Even better, it is especially attractive to hummingbirds.
Finally, don't forget about your wildflowers. Though you won't enjoy them for months, fall is the time to plant your wildflower seeds. It wouldn't be spring in the Hill Country without a blanket of Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush.
About the Author
Deborah Allen is a sales counselor at Ranches of Brushy Top, a hill country acreage real estate community. They sell some of the most remarkable, rural, hill country Texas land located near Blanco, TX. For more information please visit http://www.brushytop.com
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Country Dance by Carulli (www.learnclassicalguitar.com)