The incredible 2500-mile journey of a monarch butterfly happens twice a year. In spring, as the weather warms, the roosting butterflies of Mexico spread their wings to fly north.
Beautyberry: A Texas Native Showstopper!
You might have noticed that with the arrival of fall that one of our very best Texas native plants has started putting on its best show. American beautyberry, Callicarpa sp, is best known for its fantastic display of fall berries; most often in a stunning shade of purple.
The Best Screening Shrubs for Houston
You know the phrase “good fences make good neighbors”? Well, we couldn’t agree more! But what do you do when there is no fence or the fence is unsightly? Privacy screening shrubs to the rescue! Here at Buchanan’s, we think that living plants can make the best fences. Now through fall and winter is an […]
Growing Figs in Houston
When it comes to growing fruit in Texas, you can’t get any easier than figs! Common figs, of the species, Ficus carica, are unique in that they do not require pollinators for the fruit to develop. What you’re actually eating when you enjoy a fig is modified stem tissue, instead of mature ovary tissue (such […]
10 Best House Plants for a Healthy Home
Life these days doesn’t seem to be getting less complicated or stressful. Technology, while it can make some task easier, seems to also bring more work home for us and keep us “on call” 24/7. Kid activity schedules seem to get fuller and more hectic; we often don’t make time for ourselves. Here at Buchanan’s […]
Esperanza Beats the Heat!
Esperanza, also called Yellow Bells or Yellow Trumpet Flower, is native to Texas and found growing wild on rocky slopes near San Antonio and in the Trans-Pecos region. The large tubular flowers offer a striking contrast against the dark glossy foliage and are irresistible to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.
Gingers for your Houston Garden
Gingers are a real treasure here in Houston summer gardens. Gingers we grow here can range from large specimen plants to short ground covers and offer up a variety of bloom colors and fragrance. While there are too many types of ginger for us to highlight here, we thought we’d share a few of our […]
Leopard Plant: Striking Foliage for the Shade Garden
In our hot Houston climate, it’s important to plant shade trees to cool our homes and landscapes. But once those shade trees develop, we may find ourselves struggling to maintain sun-loving plants in a now-shady garden. It can sometimes feel like there aren’t as many options available to us for the shade garden, but here […]
Plumbago: A butterfly oasis in blue!
If you love the color blue…and you love butterflies, then we have the perfect plant for you! Plumbago auriculata, also known commonly as Blue Plumbago, Cape Plumbago, Cape Leadwort and Skyflower, is a root-hardy perennial in our Houston gardens. This small rambling shrub offers up a bounty of blue flower clusters irresistible to both butterflies […]
Feed your soil and your plants!
Now is the time to fertilize your vegetable garden and container plantings. If you haven’t fed your lawn, now is a good time to do so as well. Here at Buchanan’s, we prefer organic fertilizers that not only feed your plants, but also feed the soil. You might wonder why we feel it’s important to […]
Summer Vegetable Gardening
What to plant now By now, you’re probably starting to enjoy harvests of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and more from your veggie garden. Did you know that you can seed another round of summer vegetables into the garden in June? Large-seeded varieties like squash, zucchini, pumpkins, eggplant, beans, okra, and cucumbers love warm temperatures and will […]
Chaste Tree, Vitex; A Favorite Texas Blooming Tree
As summer approaches, so does a bounty of blue and purple-flowering summer perennials and annuals, such as salvia, scabiosa and scaevola. Plants that flower in the purple color range attract butterflies to the garden, making for a lively show. But purple is not just for herbaceous perennials and annuals: One of our favorite blooming trees […]
