www.calloways.com
Beginning in February 2009, the HOA Board decided to participate in the Calloway's Nursery "Good Neighbor" Program which will work in tandem with our Yard of the Month program. Some of the benefits to our residents offered by the program will include:
- Calloway's Garden Advice - Tip of the Month
- Monthly gift certificates ($25.00) provided as awards for the "Yard of the Month" winner
- Special "Good Neighbor" coupons offered only to residents living in the associations' neighborhoods that participate in the "Good Neighbor" program
- Utilizing Calloway's "Yard of the Month" yard signs
Click here for the "Good Neighbor" coupon!
Timely Tips for January Gardeners
The Christmas tree is down and all the holiday decorations are put away. Fill that empty space with something else green and alive! The overall quality of indoor air in our homes and offices has been steadily declining during the past years. The typical indoor living and workplace environment contains low levels of contaminants and chemicals produced by standard latex paints, carpeting, foam insulation, varnishes, adhesives and pressed wood. Many of our interior houseplants are proving to be valuable in the fight against cleaning our inside air. Their leaves act as a filtration process to remove many of these toxic pollutants. Add a touch of green inside today and enjoy a cleaner, greener environment!
Timely Tips for December Gardeners
Working in your garden is an excellent escape during the holidays. It is a perfect time to plant trees and shrubs so they can develop a strong root system for next Spring. Cool weather color such as Pansies, Snapdragons, Cyclamen, Flowering Cabbage and Kale add splashes of color to your landscape. Spring flowering bulbs can be planted now once they have been properly chilled.
Prune Summer flowering shrubs and vines now. They will bloom on new growth. Remember-do not top your Crape myrtles! Simply prune to remove seed heads and shape. Trim evergreens only to reshape.
Prepare for the cold weather before it hits! One of the best things you can do for your landscape plants is to provide a 2-to 3-inch layer of mulch. Mulching is necessary year round but during the colder periods it provides a layer of insulation for the roots. Secondly, water your landscape well before a cold spell. A drought stressed plant is more susceptible to freeze damage. Thirdly, for more tender plants, purchase frost cloth for extra protection. Frost cloth is a fabric which adds 3 to 4 degrees of warmth. Cover the plant completely allowing the edges to come all the way to the ground. We are utilizing the heat which radiates from the ground.
Become a member of our Garden Club and you will receive email notices prior to any weather crisis. Visit www.calloways.com to join.
This is also an excellent time to start planning changes or additions to your landscape. Bring a sketch or photo and let our Texas Certified Nursery Professionals assist you!
Timely Tips for November Gardeners
Transform your landscape with the addition of fresh, colorful blooms. Pansies are by far the most popular Winter color. The ‘Matrix’ Pansy has been outstanding for our Texas weather. It will not “stretch” during bouts of warm temperatures and is bred to grow out, not up. This compact grower offers shorter, sturdier
stems to support large, colorful blooms. Dianthus (also known as “Pinks”), Snapdragons, Cyclamen, Violas and the fragrant Alyssum are also good choices for cold tolerant annuals. Ornamental Cabbage and Kale provide interesting texture in the landscape as well as color. For best effect, limit your planting to two or three colors per bed.
The key to growing beautiful annual flowers is soil preparation. Select a well drained flower bed and add plenty of organic matter. Calloway’s Flower Bed Mix contains compost plus a boost of fertilizer, water-management crystals and a wetting agent. Adding Calloway’s Flower Food to the soil at the time of planting will provide the extra nutrients for growth and blooms. Remember to add 2 to 3 inches of mulch to all beds to reduce moisture loss, prevent weeds from germinating and to insulate the soil from the cold.
These same annuals can be used in patio containers. Fill your containers with fresh potting soil and plant food. Keep them watered as necessary and remove faded flowers to encourage repeat blooming.
Drop by any of our garden centers and visit with a Texas Certified Nursery Professional. These individuals are experts in their field and continuously receive training to keep their certification current. Or, email The PlantMaster with questions at www.calloways.com/plantmaster .
Timely Tips for October Gardeners
Usher in the autumn season with creative displays for indoors or out! Pumpkins, gourds and bales of hay all started arriving in our stores in late September. Combine them with pots of mums and other blooming color and a transformation quickly occurs! Create an eye-catching vignette in your landscape with bales of hay, a scarecrow or two, multiple sizes of pumpkins and pots of garden mums or other seasonal color.
Create a pyramid of pumpkins and squash by selecting different colors and stacking them one on top of the other. Simply displaying a “pile” of pumpkins in the same color palette and different sizes will draw ones eye and interest to an area of your landscape. Color creations filled with blooming or colorful foliage plants can be used on patios and porches. Freshen up existing containers and nestle an interesting pumpkin or gourd in amongst the plants. You can also fill a favorite container or pot with a mixture of produce for a simple, impressive look!
A pumpkin or squash can easily become a festive flowerpot for fall. Select a perfect “container”, one without any scratches or nicks and one that will sit flat and not roll around. Cut an opening and remove the loose pulp inside. Add potting soil and plant directly into the “container” or leave the plants in their own pots and place them in the “container.” Remember that this is only a temporary but unique flowerpot! Achieving a colorful transformation that will carry your home and landscape through Thanksgiving is not that difficult.
Contact your local Calloway’s for ideas on “Fall Displays in the Landscape” or “Autumn Colors in Containers”!
Calloway’s will be hosting a clinic on Saturday, Oct. 29th at 10:15 am, Spring Bulbs—Fall Planting, to start planning now for those cheerful drifts of early spring color.
Visit www.calloways.com for more gardening tips, information or to become a member of Calloway’s Garden Club.
For more gardening information for Texas, visit www.mytexasgarden.com.
