For 25 years, horticulturist Linda Gay has enthusiastically built the plant collection at the 325-acre Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens in Humble.

Houston’s trees need help. It may not be widely obvious yet, but without substantial rain in the next few weeks the effects of this year’s drought may greatly reduce the area’s green canopy in five years, experts say. The city stands to lose millions of trees, according to Trees for Houston, which has planted about  Read More

Want another shot at growing tomatoes? Now’s your chance. As spring-planted tomatoes fade, it’s time to think about planting for fall. Master Gardeners Doug McLeod and Teresa See, veterans at growing spring crops, have been experimenting with different cultivars and methods for better fall harvests. Early ripening ‘Fourth of July’ tops their list of fall  Read More

Long a summer favorite, zinnias are water-thrifty annuals that will heat up your garden with an explosion of hot colors — or soft pastels, white or fashionable chartreuse. Blue is about all that’s missing in the color range, but butterflies don’t mind its absence from the rainbow of nectar-filled blooms. The National Garden Bureau has  Read More

  Texas gardeners rely on an arsenal of plants to pull us through climate extremes. Ornamental grasses are an outstanding group that bails us out in heat and drought. These water-thrifty multitaskers pull through rough conditions with color, texture and form intact. Gradually, they’ve become more go-to plants, winning gardeners with their graceful foliage and  Read More

Texas SuperStars are the rank and file of heat-beaters for the garden. Two 2011 SuperStars to consider: Serena angelonia  Angelonia, often called summer snapdragon, is a South American native easily grown as a Texas annual for sunny, well-draining soil gardens. The seed-grown Serena series is available in lavender, purple, pink, white and a mix. These  Read More

Q: A large limb with green leaves fell from my tree. — C.L., Houston A: Drought is severely stressing trees. Your tree may have other problems that are worsening as a result. Perhaps there are rotten areas within some branches. Weeks of unusually high winds may have been a factor as well. Water trees slowly  Read More