Most plants are dormant in winter. But there are a few that will make your landscape a yuletide treasure. From holly and mistletoe to poinsettias and Christmas trees, plants have always played a part in celebrating winter holidays.

Deciduous holly or possumhaw puts on quite a show during the holiday season. Cheerful red berries borne along bare stems add a flash of color to South Texas winter landscapes and provides a much-needed meal for wildlife. Also consider its cousin, evergreen yaupon holly.

Spice up your Christmas tamales with a native subshrub that may be in your yard right now — chili pequin. Often mistaken for a weed, this spicy petite pepper can be enjoyed until the first frost. It looks great in a formal landscape when planted en masse. With little white, star-shaped flowers and red and green peppers that resemble Christmas lights, this plant couldn’t look more Christmassy if it were wearing an ugly sweater!

Red and green aren’t the only holiday colors. For Jewish Americans, Hannukah is celebrated with blue and white. Salvia ballotiflora lights up any garden with small blue and white flowers. Trim it back in February to produce a more tidy, full form. Its bloom time is spring and summer, but miraculously this medium shrub reblooms just in time for the festival of lights.

Scarlet sage is a hardworking hummingbird favorite that blooms year-round. A hard freeze will slow it down, but it’ll bounce back in spring. Pair it with frostweed in a dry shady spot to provide a pollinator buffet. When winter temperatures dip below freezing, frostweed puts on a dazzling display with delicate ribbons of ice that burst from the base of the stem.

A reliable December bloomer that’s often overlooked in the nursery trade is pink thoroughwort. Its fuzzy white blooms resemble falling snowflakes.

Using evergreen plants to decorate in winter is a practice that dates back thousands of years, and they’re a reminder that warmer times are ahead.

Not sure what to choose? CLICK HERE for our list of lovely native Texas evergreens to choose from.

By Kevin Pride, a SAWS Conservation Field Investigator and a self-proclaimed nature boy. He has a background in restoration ecology and is zealous about native plant landscapes that use zero irrigation. Kevin spends his free time deep underground surveying caves or hiking barefoot with his daughter, Daisy, and their dog.

Snapdragons are cool season bloomers and Texas gardeners should set the plants out by the end of November, allowing the plants to start blooming during winter and early spring.

• Locate your snapdragon in a sunny spot with well-draining soil. Space the plants 10 to 14 inches apart, digging each hole about as deep as and slightly wider than the plant’s container. Water the area thoroughly and cover with a two- to four-inch layer of mulch to help regulate soil temperatures and retain moisture.

• Water the newly planted snapdragons regularly for the first two to four weeks after they are transplanted. Gardeners with sandy soil should water the plants daily. After the snapdragons become established, only water the plants when the top 1 inch of soil feels dry. Over-watering snapdragons can stunt their growth.

• Pinch the plants back after they bloom to encourage a second bloom. With the right conditions, snapdragons may continue blooming until the weather heats up.

As Earth Day approaches, I’m reflecting on the positive impact homeowner associations can have on their communities. Encouraging sustainable landscapes is one of them.

Caught up in the whirlwind of life, I always appreciate the timely tips and local updates shared in our HOA newsletters, such as when to prune oaks to help prevent oak wilt or the city’s watering rules. And I love to daydream while admiring the artful landscapes recognized in the “Yard of the Month” feature.

Guidelines for a “Yard of the Month” often include maintaining tidy edges, a neat appearance, pruned shrubs and trees, and minimal bare spots and weeds in a garden bed or lawn. HOAs often have a separate recognition for holiday events.

If I might suggest guidelines for an Earth Day “Yard of the Month,” I would include these sustainable practices.

Is the landscape designed to attract wildlife? Look for plants that provide nectar and seeds, or act as host plants. Layers of trees, shrubs and perennials make good habitat. Avoiding pesticide use is best.

Are most plants drought-hardy? Landscape watering often adds up to 50 to 70 percent of a summer water bill. Selecting water-saving plants can minimize watering once they are established.

Does the yard minimize turf? Lawns are thirstier than drought-tolerant perennial plants. Less grass means less watering. If you like lawn, strive for the rule of thirds with one-third lawn, one-third landscaped beds and one-third outdoor living space like a patio. Frame your lawn with flower beds.
Are clippings mulched into the lawn or composted on site? San Antonio’s green bins are also a great option.

Are landscaped beds mulched? This helps conserve water and keep weeds down. Extra points for “green mulching,” or planting densely.
Are hardscapes porous? Pathways and patios should be permeable to allow water through.

Is landscape lighting dark-sky friendly? Lights should point downward and only on when needed.

Complementary colors and design choices should make it pop. Perennials typically need less water than seasonal annuals.
Extra points for hand watering! Turn the faucet’s handle to half-open and the average hose will use 300 gallons in 30 minutes. Compare this to the average automatic sprinkler system which uses 1,500-2,000 gallons per cycle.

Our HOAs are uniquely positioned to influence our neighborhoods to create a more sustainable, nature-rich San Antonio. Highlight your most eco-friendly yards in April for Earth Day! (Every month encouraged.)

By Sasha Kodet, a conservation planner whose large garden attracts a myriad of wildlife and curious neighbors with minimal water. At SAWS, Kodet develops outdoor programs to help people create their own beautiful, water-saving landscapes. She draws on her two decades of experience as a naturalist, botanical garden educator and event planner. Kodet enjoys (really) long walks in the woods and has thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and the Long Trail.

Have you ever tried to grow plants, but constantly kill them? Or maybe you love the idea of plants, but are fully aware you don’t have the time or attention span to do it properly? I’m not going to lie, I’ve done some abominable things to plants. I’ve hacked, sawed, and ripped plants back and out of the ground. I certainly never watered them.

Lucky for me, there are native plants. They survive and thrive with only natural rainfall, and endure prairie fires, wildlife grazing, floods, and other acts of destruction. Best of all, they require minimal maintenance and provide massive benefits to wildlife.

The first step with any project is planning. A map is a good place to start. If you don’t have one you can also use an ariel view in google maps using the ‘measure distance’ feature to estimate how much space you’re working with. This takes about 15 minutes.

Next comes the design. For me, that’s the frustrating part so I ignored everyone’s advice and decided to do my entire 1,600 square foot yard at once. Those wiser than I will keep it simple and start with a 200-square-foot garden bed up against the house. You can also peruse our plan and design resources for inspiration. There’s even pre-planned designs you can completely copy.

The last step is to determine where to put your plants. In my case, I sketched in an area for plants. But you can fill in your design entirely — you do you!

By Sarah Gorton, a Planner with the SAWS Conservation department. She is passionate about bats and native plants, with a particular fondness for horseherb! Sarah has completed certifications through Texas Master Naturalist and Native Plant Society. When she isn’t working on her research on the use of native grasses for uptaking pollutants at UTSA, she can be found making stained glass or hanging out with her two Chihuahuas.

Turf installation may be the single biggest water user in the lifetime of a residential property. Hands down, putting in a new lawn uses way more water than filling a swimming pool. Even in San Antonio, with our established conservation culture, this comes as a shock to most people.

For the record, a modest 15-by-30-foot pool (3 feet in the shallow end, 8 feet in the deep end) will average about 13,500 gallons to fill. After that it uses much less, provided it’s not leaking. And if it’s covered, the water use is more akin to an irrigated xeriscape — about 1,600 gallons per month (from topping it off after splashing and evaporation, especially in hot weather).

Now let’s look at that new lawn. After unloading fresh cut grass sod on bare soil on a hot summer day, many builders set sprinklers to run twice a day, or more, every day. Compare that to the typical five-zone irrigation system, which uses 5,000 gallons per month running just once a week (4.3 times per month). But running seven days a week, your sprinkler use for that new lawn has just climbed up to 36,000 gallons per month (that’s almost three swimming pools’ worth of water!).

Establishing turf depends heavily on weather conditions during and after install.

Some irrigation systems and custom builds are much, much bigger (think 20 zones, 20 gallons per minute) — that’s like filling a new pool every month!

Either way, irrigation that runs this way uses a staggering amount of water. And until it’s turned down, that continues month after month. Problem is, the turf doesn’t go in until just before a new build is sold, and by the time the bill arrives, the builder is long gone and you’re the one paying for it.

Turf specialists recommend cutting back the watering after the first week, but builders don’t usually do that. It’s usually left to the new homeowner — unknown to them, of course.

Rule of thumb: new sod may be established as soon as three weeks after install, depending on conditions. As soon as you can, cut back irrigation to once a week. Otherwise, you may be diving into the deep end on your very first water bill.

SAWS offers free irrigation consultations for customers. Just give us a call to schedule an appointment.

And if you haven’t tried growing grass in San Antonio yet, you’ll find there’s a reason why SAWS customers turn to our conservation rebates to minimize turf, maximize landscape beds, and reduce the size of the irrigation system.

By Brad Wier,  a SAWS conservation consultant. Years in South Texas landscaping and public horticulture gave him a lasting enthusiasm for native plants that don’t die when sprinklers — and gardeners — break down. He’d rather save time and water for kayaking and tubing. He is a former kilt model, and hears hummingbirds.

To a famished whitetail, a perfectly manicured yard is a tantalizingly tasty menu. Once deer have established a comfort level and grazing routine around your lawn, they’ll make repeat visits for the foreseeable future.

Deer are creatures of habit, but these tips can help alter their routine.

Cage them: Keep new plants in protective cages. Any new planting will need a temporary cage or fencing for protection until its roots are strong enough to keep tugging teeth from yanking it out.

Create roadblocks: Dense, spiny plantings can make effective barriers (if wide enough) around established trees and shrubs. Agaves and primrose jasmine are particularly effective and attractive too!

Toughen up your landscape:  Aim for the thorniest, oiliest, fuzziest and smelliest plants! Not surprisingly, these are the most familiar and successful landscape plants for the Hill Country — juniper, agarita, lantana, damianita, salvia, Mexican mint marigold, butterfly weed, Mexican oregano, sumac, esperanza, cenizo, herbs, purple heart and rosemary.

Remember, a hungry deer will nibble on anything. But these tips will help keep your landscape from becoming the new trendy eatery for local deer.

By Brad Wier, a SAWS conservation consultant. Years in South Texas landscaping and public horticulture gave him a lasting enthusiasm for native plants that don’t die when sprinklers — and gardeners — break down. He’d rather save time and water for kayaking and tubing. He is a former kilt model, and hears hummingbirds.

Water: Adequate fresh water is the single most important ingredient in the hospitable landscape. Keep bowls and baths clean by changing the water 2-4 times a week. Continuously flowing water devices will draw in all sorts of weary travelers. A word of advice: keep vegetation away from watering sites so baths aren’t interrupted by furry and feathered neighbors.

Food: Feeders, both seed and liquid, are much like fast food franchisees: adequate, but not very healthy. Instead plant seed, fruit, foliage and nectar-producing plants to provide an excellent repast.

Seeds such as sunflower, lantana, coneflower, Indian blanket, daisy are high in fat and calories for long trips.

Mealworms and special food blend mixes will satisfy the high mileage insectivorous travelers.

Foliage like milkweed, parsley, dill, passion vine, ornamental and native grasses are helpful for mostly butterflies looking for food and places to “hang around” to pupate.

Fruit including hackberry, spiny hackberry, condalia and American beautyberry offer quick, high sugar snacks.

Nectar from lantanas, mistflower, penta, sunflower, zinnia, butterfly bush, skullcap, crossvine, butterfly vine, firecracker fern, firebush, red yucca, esperanza and desert willow provide a wide variety of tastes and colors. Butterflies prefer broad, flat flower surfaces, while hummingbirds and some butterflies prefer cone-shaped flowers.

Shelter: All travelers need shelter during migration. A suburban style lawn and trees don’t offer much at all. But multilayered hedges consisting of yaupon, elbow bush, cenizo and condalia or juniper with water and food within 100-150 feet — now that’s luxury accommodations for weary travelers.

By Mark A. Peterson, a conservation project coordinator for San Antonio Water System. With over 30 years of experience as an urban forester and arborist, Mark is probably the only person you know who actually prunes trees for fun. When not expounding on the benefits of trees and limited lawns, you’re likely to find him hiking San Antonio’s wilderness parks or expounding on the virtues of geography and history to his friends.

Fruit trees are a gorgeous, healthy, and practical addition to any home garden or landscape. They are easy enough to take care of as a beginning gardener or a great plant to take care of with your children, allowing them to see science in action.

Texas is a perfect state for all kinds of fruit trees, such as apple or fig, as its warm weather and plentiful rain create an ideal environment for growth and the production of healthy fruit. If you are considering fruit trees for your landscape be sure to tune into this free online seminar.

In this online seminar,  David Rodriguez, Extension Horticulturist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will cover the basic steps of selecting appropriate fruit tree for your landscape, how to properly plant them, how to train and manage these trees as well as harvesting and general overall maintenance. Whether you want to plant your fruit trees in containers for your patio or establish an attractive back-yard orchard this seminar will get you on track for success with your fruit trees.

Milberger’s Nursery will accept your discarded Christmas tree from
Jan 2 through January 16, 2021

When you bring your tree into Milberger’s we will give you a coupon good for 20% off any regularly priced merchandise purchased before February 28, 2021. (Turf grass, labor and delivery charges are excluded from this coupon offer.)
 
Please be sure that your tree is clear of all ornaments, lights, wires and metal.