Taking back our backyard

This post is dedicated to my #1 Stunna and her vision.


So, we are in the planning, dreaming, and researching stages of taking back our backyard that we have loaned so graciously to the weeds, rats, and our three lovely and beautiful yet heavy and active dogs. We are open to any and all suggestions that anyone might have as well as any donations. :-)


Lisa wants to hang out in the backyard. She wants it to be pretty and cool (both in temperature and style), she wants it to be earth friendly (in terms of watering required, pesticides needed, etc.) and she wants it to be Lisa friendly (meaning low maintenance). She would like it to be pleasing to others so that people may come visit us and sit in our backyard where there are no cats and soak up our space. We've got a great chimenea, so that's a start...but that's about all we've got.We're really wanting to focus on Native Texas Plants and our primary desire is to have some hearty grass that will take the abuse our dogs dish out, and some trees that will provide shade, maybe attract some birds, and generally make our backyard more appealing. If we can plant two trees that will eventually support a hammock, that would be a bonus.


I have found the following links to get us started and some of them are to local nurseries that offer classes on all things we know nothing about. So, that's a place to start. However, I know that many of you who read this blog have knowledge that may be beneficial as well and I hope you will post some of your suggestions and ideas or share experiences of things that did or didn't work in your own landscaping endeavors.


Native Plant Society of Texas http://www.npsot.org/

Rohde's Nursery and Nature Store located in Garland, TX.
http://www.beorganic.com/index.asp


Green Mama's Organic Garden Market located in North Richland Hills, TX.
http://www.greenmamas.com/welcome/index.html
Green Mama has the following advice for us this month:
APRIL

1. Plant grass seed or lay sod now.

2. Release beneficial insects: trichagramma wasps for control of case bearers, green lacewings for aphids, spider mites, and thrips, ladybugs for aphids, and praying mantis.

3. Nematodes for control of larva in the soil: fireant, termite, tick, grubs, fleas.

4. Sulfur for flea and tick control.

5. Annual seeds to plant: cosmos, hyacinth bean, zinnias, and marigolds.

6. Vegetables and herbs to plant: melons, pumpkins, squash, peppers, cucumbers, okra, beans, eggplant, tomatoes, basil, and cilantro.

7. Plant summer flowering bulbs, amaryllis, crinums, tuberoses, use a mix of worm castings and soft rock phosphate, amend holes as you go.

8. For yellow leaves on evergreens, magnolias, photinias, ligustrums, azaleas, and gardenias, shake the leaves and top dress with 1 inch Humalfa for new growth in 6 weeks.

9. Try hanging baskets with French lavender, orange mint, ivy, lemon thyme, and geraniums. The scent on warm evenings will help repel pests.

10. Sweet Autumn Clematis should be cut back hard in early spring, it will come back and bloom heavier, and longer in the late summer and fall.

11. Late April, remove cool season plants from pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets to make room for warm season plants: geraniums, allysum, prostrate rosemary, French and lemon thyme, golden oregano, oxalis, impatients, orange mint, and variegated ivy.

12. Feed the birds

13. Fertilize summer flowering perennials, roses. And foliar feed with Bioform/John’s Recipe and Agrispon.

14. Granular fertilization time.


Redentas located in Dallas and Arlington.
http://www.redentas.com/index.shtml