Yes, we know it’s a bit warm outside; but that doesn’t mean our Houston veggie gardens are put to bed for the summer. Now is the time to get your second crop of tomatoes in the ground for fall harvest. Fall is a good time for developing tomatoes because the cooler temperatures allow for better […]
Spring Tomato Talk
Tomato Talk with Clare Where: Buchanan’s Native Plants When: Saturday February 19, 2021 @ 10:30am Join us for tomato 101 with our very own gardener, Clare. Clare will walk us through the basics for planting spring tomatoes, her favorite varieties, tips and tricks, and a Q&A session to answer all of your tomato-centered questions. Register […]
Monarch Migration in 3 Simple Steps
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. As soon as spring milkweed plants are available for depositing eggs, mating begins. It will take several generations to complete the northern trek. However, in the […]
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. Beautyberry is an excellent native for Houston […]
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!
When you ask us here at Buchanan’s to come up with something negative about Esperanza, you just might find us speechless for a change! We can’t think of anything we don’t love about this beautiful group of plants. Right now, we have a great selection of different Esperanza (Tecoma stans) varieties in colors ranging from […]
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 […]