Tips from Sheryl’s Garden
Here are some gardening tips that you might find useful
in your Hill Country gardens
Photos by Robert Yantis
Tips from Sheryl’s Garden
Robert and Sheryl Yantis - Highland Lakes Master Gardeners – Part of Texas AgriLife Extension Service
November may be one of the best times to enjoy your blooming roses such as this Red Cascade. If you plant roses, perennials, shrubs and trees during November and December they will put out new roots and grow faster in the spring.
November and December is also one of the best times to sow wildflower seeds for flowers in the spring. Plant your pansies and other cool weather annuals this month.
November thru December is the best time to plant trees in Texas.
Enjoy your fall blooming plants until our first freeze. Usually our first freeze is this month. When we are warned about that first freeze, water your plants the night before the freeze.
We hope you can join us for a free presentation, "Principles of Landscape Design Featuring Local Gardens" on Saturday, November 14 at 10AM at the Herman Brown Free Library on the square in downtown Burnet. This is our last Green Thumb program of 2009 presented by the Highland Lakes Master Gardeners.
Enjoy your fall garden and have a Happy Thanksgiving.
Robert and Sheryl Yantis - Highland Lakes Master Gardeners – Part of Texas AgriLife Extension Service 
December gardens are brightened by winter evergreens such as this Wichita Blue Juniper. After our first freeze has killed back the foliage on your perennial plants and vines, cut them back and mulch three to four inches deep over the roots and base of the plants to protect them from the cold until they come up again in the spring.
Do not trim your evergreen plants, shrubs and trees until early spring, except for oak trees. The best time to prune your Oak trees is from July thru January to help avoid oak wilt.
December is a good time, after the first killing frost, to transplant roses. You can also still plant container grown roses this month.
This month is also one of the best times to plant trees. If you buy a living Christmas tree make sure to pick one that will flourish in central Texas. Leyland cypress, Arizona cypress, Afghan pine, Virginia pine, and some arborvitae are good choices. Avoid Deodar Cedar, Italian Stone Pine, Scotch pine, Colorado blue spruce, and all Fir trees. For smaller trees you can prune potted rosemary for tabletop decorations.
We want to wish you a Happy Holiday Season.
January is a great time to enjoy the berries on your Youpon Holly. It is also an excellent time to plant fruit and nut trees.
It is time to spray the fruit trees you already have in the ground with dormant oil spray. Orange oil is great for this and is good for the environment.
Try to finish pruning your oak trees this month.
You can still plant your container roses. The best time to prune your roses is around Valentine ’s Day.
Select and plant your onion sets, and start your spring flower and vegetable seeds indoors this month for transplanting later when it warms up. January is also the time to dig your new asparagus beds for planting in February.
Water your trees shrubs and plants if it doesn’t rain.
On those cold dreary days read your garden and seed catalogs and plan this year’s landscape. It is also a good time to start a garden journal to help you remember what happened this year.
Robert and Sheryl Yantis - Highland Lakes Master Gardeners – Part of Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Go to Sheryl's Garden Page for many additional Garden Topics and Pictures