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Mulching trees can be helpful, but the way many landscape crews apply mulch does more harm than good. Done properly, mulch has great benefits like retaining moisture in the soil, suppressing weeds, adding organic matter to the soil over time, and adding to the appearance of the landscape. However, a short drive or walk around your neighborhood will probably reveal many more “mulch volcanos” than properly mulched trees. In fact, so many trees are surrounded by these “volcanos”

This summer has been quite wet so far in Austin. Everything is green and lush, and it’s great for our water bills, but mosquitos abound in these conditions. Many homeowners fall prey to the idea of an “easy fix” by paying a commercial outfit to disperse a chemical mist in the landscape around their house. But it isn’t really a fix at all. The chemicals that are used kill adult mosquitos. That means adding this chemical load to your home environment doesn’t kill the larva or t

This is Agarita (Mahonia trifoliata). Agarita is a beautiful native landscape plant here in Central Texas. It often grows in the understory and provides valuable shelter for rabbits and other small animals with its spiky leaves. They use agarita to escape from predators. This time of year it is also an important wildlife food source. If you come across one and are confident in the identity of the plant, try one of the delicious red berries - sweet and tart! Many local nurseri

Late winter and early spring too often bring a common but sad sight – beautiful crape myrtles drastically cut back to mere knubs by maintenance crews looking to make an extra buck or by homeowners who don’t know better. “ Crape murder” was coined in a Southern Living Magazine article in 1997.* The author captured the spirit of the practice precisely. The crime is one you’ve not doubt seen many times: a crape myrtle bearing last year’s seed heads with spring life already runn