Houston Flowers | Houston gardening tips, native plants, and best places to buy flowers

Oleander for Summer Blooms

A deadly but beautiful shrub.

The beautiful oleander shrub grows well in the Houston area and is a popular plant all along the gulf coast. The glossy green leaves never fade and the waxy white flowers add color to summer gardens. Although pretty, oleanders are also highly toxic so some care is needed when placing these on your property.

The sap of oleander shrubs is a skin irritant, so always wear heavy gloves and long sleeves when pruning or caring for the bush. You don't want to burn the clippings, either, since the smoke will irritate your eyes, nose and lungs. Disposal is the best means of getting rid of those clippings.

Although death by oleander poisoning is rare, I still advise planting these in an area not commonly frequented by pets or children. While I love the flowers and think they look stunning as front yard anchor plantings, I feel the most responsible course is to keep them in a fenced planting area such as a back or side yard. For the same reason I won't cut branches of flowers for indoor display. It's just too risky with little ones, cats and dogs underfoot.

The greatest benefit with an oleander shrub is the easy care. These plants are highly drought tolerant and rarely require watering. Avoid soggy or waterlogged beds, these shrubs do best in well-drained or even sandy beds. They'll begin blooming in early summer and continue to fall until the first cool nights in late fall. Winter damage is rare in Houston, but if the foliage does die back from cold just prune off the damaged parts in early spring.

Planting Tips

Choosing the right container.

Good soil, plenty of moisture, warm sunlight – yes, these are all things plants and flowers need to grow well. But an often overlooked part of the puzzle is the container we put it all in. Flowering plants need the right type of container or all the good soil in the world won't help them reach their full potential. In fact, the wrong pot can actually kill the plant.

When selecting a pot, choose only those that have at least one bottom drainage hole. Filling a pot with gravel does not provide drainage. The lower part of the soil will get soggy and root rot will occur. If you must use a pretty pot without drain holes, treat it like a fancy drip tray and slip a smaller appropriate pot inside.

Plastic pots work well for most plants, with the exception of cacti and succulents. Plastic pots retain more moisture than clay pots, so the soil may remain too moist for these desert plants. Clay and terracotta pots are a better option. Clay is porous, so moisture evaporates out the sides. If grow moisture loving flowers in a clay pot, you will need to water them more often.

Finally, keep an eye on those drainage holes. Roots and soil can block them, inhibiting drainage. If you can insert a pencil ½ inch into the holes, they are blocked. The plant needs fresh soil or it may have outgrown the container. If the plant needs repotting, select a container one size larger than the previous one.

Texas Citrus

Growing lemons and oranges.

When most people think of citrus – lemons, oranges and the like – places like Florida or California come to mind. Here in southern Texas we can also enjoy citrus fruits. I love these trees because not only are you awarded with edible fruits, you also get to enjoy the broad evergreen leaves and the fragrant blossoms.

We do experience some cold weather in the Houston area, so the same varieties that grow well in Florida won't necessarily thrive here. Our heavier, wetter soil can also cause citrus foot rot. Selecting more cold hardy citrus varieties from a local nursery helps ensure the tree survives whatever our climate throws at it. Avoid mail order sources, since these usually cater to the better known citrus growing belts.

Citrus trees can thrive in our clay soil if you take some time to prep it before you plant. If your soil drains poorly, the best option may be to plant in a berm, Create a raised berm for the planting site, mixing a small amount of compost with mostly native soil. Elevate the berm by at least inches. Water will drain better from the berm so you can avoid wet feet.

Mulching usually isn't necessary and may be detrimental. Mulch can hold too much water in the soil surface, causing rot. A winter mulch can help protect roots from cold, but never place it right up against the trunk. It's best to remove it before the warmer, wetter seasons begin.

If all else fails, consider growing dwarf citrus in containers. You can move the trees inside for winter and keep them out on a patio during the summer.

Enjoy Giant Alliums

The first time I saw alliums in bloom I actually had to stop the car. The impossible large purple orbs attached to thin, tall stalks looked like something from a Dr. Seuss story. I was instantly entranced and rushed home to find out what these gravity defying flowers were. My research uncovered the giant allium.

Giant alliums are related to those edible alliums, the onion. Instead of a large edible bulb these plants send up flower stalks up to 4 feet tall. The thin leaves also resemble those of the edible onion, except they reach a length of up to 3 feet. But the real show stopper is the flower orb. Atop each stalk is a bundle of small purple blossoms that form the flower globe. These globes measure up to 6 inches across. Plant a border of these and you have a very impressive forest of whimsical flowers.

The allium is also one of the simplest flowers to plant and care for. It grows from a bulb, much like an onion. It's best to plant the bulbs in fall, otherwise you won't get to enjoy their late spring and early summer flowers. The blossoms survive for up to four weeks if the temperatures don't become too warm.

Water alliums once a week so the soil remains moist. A mulch helps prevent rapid soil drying and keeps down the weeds. In good soil fertilization isn't necessary, but applying a bulb fertilizer each spring can help improve blooming. While I enjoy these blossoms most in the garden, they are also suitable for use as cut flowers indoors.

Hardening Off Spring Plants

Protect seedlings from shock.

Spring flowers are almost ready to go outside, whether you grew them from seed yourself or are beginning to pick them up from garden centers and nurseries. Before you dig into last year's beds, though, you should take a few days to harden off those plants so they don't suffer transplant shock.

Hardening off helps flowers and bedding plants adjust to the temperature fluctuations, sun intensity and changeable weather conditions outdoors. Until now, these plants were growing under pretty controlled conditions. While this results in a healthy plant, it also results in one ill-equipped to handle real life outdoors.

Begin the hardening off process about week before you intend to transplant. Set the pots outside in a protected area, such as a shady area of the patio. You want to bring them in at night before the temperature cools for the first few nights. Gradually increase the time you leave them flowers outdoors while also moving them slowly to a more exposed area. You can leave them out overnight toward the end of the hardening off period if cold weather isn't expected.

Select an overcast day for transplanting. Too much sun can scorch the leaves or result in dehydration while the flowers are rooting in the new bed. Giving each plant a nice thorough watering with a starter fertilizer also helps perk up the leaves and flowers so they experience less shock. Take the time to harden off those bedding flowers, you'll be glad you did when they begin producing healthy new blooms quickly.

Attract Butterflies to Your Houston Garden

"Butterfly Milkweed has other common names such as Indian Paintbrush, Yellow Milkweed, Canada Root and Butterfly Love"

With winter nearly upon us I am already looking forward to the days of spring and what new flowers I can introduce into my garden. I decided that I would like to add a few plants that will attract butterflies and came across Butterfly Milkweed as one of the largest attractors of several species of butterflies.

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), is a perennial plant that grows from 10 in. to 3 ft. tall and can have orange or yellow flowers Which appear in clusters on the plant and bloom July through August. Butterflies are attracted to them for the nectar the flowers produce and use it as a larval food. Species of butterflies that are attracted to it, are the Queen and Monarch as well as bees and hummingbirds, so I can have a full wildlife show as well as some beautiful flowers. Commonly found in areas with dryer soil, Butterfly Milkweed produces many more flowers than its close resembling friend the Lanceolate Milkweed. Butterfly Milkweed also doesn't have a milky sap as opposed to other species of Milkweed. Butterfly Milkweed has other common names such as Indian Paintbrush, Yellow Milkweed, Canada Root and Butterfly Love. It is easily propagated in water and so easily shared with friends who would also like to enjoy butterflies in their garden.

Favorite Flowers: Lexis Florist

If you are looking for some great flowers in the Houston, TX area, check out Lexis Flowers. They have floral arrangements for every occasion and they are locally owned and operated. See them in person at:

Lexis Florist, inc.

6102 Skyline Dr

Ste A

Houston, Texas 77057

OR give them a ring at (713) 774-8080

Foxglove for Heart

I’ve always thought that foxglove was one of the more witchier-looking and sounding flowers out there, and it turns out that it really is. The plant is used in a potent brew used to alter the hearts of men (and women). You may have heart of it—it’s called digitalis! I’ve also wondered how the plant got its name in the first place. Maybe a fox somehow ended up with the purple blossoms on his paws somehow?

Personalize Your Floral Arrangements

If you are from Houston and you want to personalize your next floral gift arrangement, you might want to include a little something from home. Houston is a remarkable city, known for its wide culinary diversity, so including a favorite nonperishable food sample or baked goods from your favorite Houston restaurant would be a perfect addition to your gift basket.

As Texas is the Lone Star State, including any Texas memorabilia for any arrangements heading out to out of state friends along with your flowers would be an appropriate novelty as well—especially if your friends or family have never visited. Sure, we all know that not everyone in Texas has a ranch or cowboy hat; but including a little token from the state will make them feel a little more special.

Houston Texas Botanic Garden

Looking for something fun (and cheap) to do in Houston? Check out the Houston Botanic Garden! It's a great place that has a ton of great stuff to see, smell, and even hear! Check them out!

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