SPRING 2026 MARCH | APRIL | MAY

Randy Culpepper, Editor | Todd Williams, Rockwall County Extension Agent

NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS: Lisa Behne, Michele Campbell, Laura Chaney, 
Brian Cook, Randy Culpepper, Kim Townsend, Debora Zerneri

IN THIS EDITION

Other than a frigid week in Winter, we made it to Spring. It's time to roll up our sleeves and start gardening for another year.

In this edition of Envirosmart, you will learn:

• Seasonal To-Do's
• We Love Bugs!
• Spring Vegetable Gardening
• Texas Superstar® Plants
• Intro to Earth-Kind® Gardening
• Gardening From Scratch
• Trellises for Vegetable Gardening
• A Peek in the Garden
• MG's Around Town
• Pokey

I know I say this every year, but with the mild winter we’ve had, this year is especially tempting to plant early. The icepocalypses may be over, but the frosts probably aren’t. It only takes a light frost overnight to kill many spring plants. Resist the temptation or have lots of frost cloth handy! Our average last frost date is March 20^th. For the few weeks before then, you have plenty of garden chores to do so you can get outside and scratch the itch! Amend those beds with high quality compost. Get a last-minute soil test so you aren’t wasting fertilizer. Start some seeds indoors for later spring planting. Hang that rain gauge that’s been in the garage for ages so you can see how much rain you get this spring.

March  

Seed Outdoors – Beans (Lima, bush, pole, snap), Beets, Carrots, Corn, Cucumbers, Greens (Collard or Mustard), Leeks, Lettuce, Melons, Radishes, Scallions, Spinach, Squash, Swiss Chard, Turnips, Zucchini

Transplant – Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Greens, Kale, Lettuce, Melons, Peppers, Squash, Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, Zucchini

April  

Seed Outdoors – Beans, Corn, Cucumbers, Gourds, Melons, Okra, Peas, Pumpkins, Radishes, Squash, Zucchini

Transplant –Cucumbers, Eggplant, Gourds, Melons, Okra, Peppers, Pumpkins, Squash, Sweet Potato Slips, Tomatoes, Zucchini

May

Seed Outdoors – Corn, Cucumbers, Gourds, Melons, Okra, Peas, Pumpkins, Radishes, Squash, Zucchini

Transplant – Cucumbers, Eggplant, Gourds, Melons, Okra, Pumpkins, Radishes, Squash, Sweet Potato Slips, Zucchini

Seed Indoors – Eggplant, Peppers, Tomatoes

Herbs

Let’s talk about herb gardens, or better yet using herbs in landscaping! Herbs as landscaping plants not only add curb appeal and dimension, but are useful and excellent pollinator plants. Herbs are very efficient growers with average to poor soil, and require very little fertilizer. For success, it is most important to know which herbs make good neighbors. For example, Basil and Rosemary or Lavender planted right next to each other is a recipe for disaster and dead plants. Rosemary and Lavender do not like “wet feet” and once established in well-draining soil, require much less water than Basil.

Keep in mind that the table below,

1. Includes both perennial and annual herbs
2. Dry and Moist means the frequency of watering
3. Sunny means 6-8 hours but in your harsh summers most would benefit from morning sun and some afternoon shade.

Enjoy and as always, reach out with any questions, OR come see me in person!

I will be hosting an in-depth herb class on March 6^th. Sign up below and we can have some "Herb Talk!"

Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/herb-your-enthusiasm-tickets-1982523015708?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Texas Gold Columbine (Aquilegia chrysantha var. hinckleyana ‘Texas Gold’) 
yellow flowers

Henry Duelberg Sage
(Salvia farinacea ‘Henry Duelberg') 
blue spikes of flowers

New Gold™ Lantana (Lantana camara ‘New Gold’) yellow flowers

Trailing Lantana 
(Lantana montevidensis) lavender, purple or white blooms

Flame Acanthus (Anisacanthus quadrifidus var. wrightii) or Hummingbird Bush
long, slender, red or orange blooms

Turk’s Cap 
(Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii) 
"turban–like” flowers in various colors ranging from bright red to pink to white

Pentas 
(Pentas lanceolata) 
star-shaped clusters of flowers

Gregg’s Mistflower (Conoclinium greggii) 
blue flowers

Verbena
(glandularia x hybrida) 
clusters of many small flowers

Plumbago 
(Plumbago auriculata) 
blue flowers

Texas Rock Rose  
(Pavonia lasiopetala)
 rose colored hibiscus-like flowers

In conjunction with plant selection, look at the arrangement of the plants in your area. Take into consideration the height, color, and blooming season. Nowadays, there are apps that can help you visualize the color, size, and spread of the plants. Factor in the blooming time so that pollinators would be supported throughout the season. To assist in the planning strategy, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation has just released a new free app called “Wild Thumb“ to help you along.

Look for the Texas Superstars® label at your local nurseries and our own RCMG plant sale in April. Many joys come from creating a vibrant blooming garden. Knowing that your plants are supporting pollinators is one of the most rewarding. Using Texas Superstars® and an Earth-Kind® strategy (see next article) in your garden plan, you have maximized your odds of gardening success with season-long colors and Texas hardy resilience.

For more information about Texas Superstar® plants download the brochure here.

Aaaahhhhhhh…its springtime! The birds are chirping. The sun is shining. And the yard is calling! And boy, is that yard calling! Weeds are flourishing. Perennials call for pruning. Mulch needs replacing. Isn’t it time to fertilize? Whew, gardening in spring can seem overwhelming. What if you had your own personal guide for dealing with the overwhelmingness (Yes, I checked it and that’s a word!) of spring gardening, or gardening anytime of the year? 

Well, today, I’d like to introduce you to Earth-Kind®! 

Earth-Kind® is a landscape management system, created by horticultural specialists, agents, and volunteers of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. In other words, it was created by folks who know what they’re doing. 

Let's start with three important takeaways:

1.     Earth-Kind® offers REAL-WORLD strategies for conquering your landscape year-round;

2.     Earth-Kind® can SAVE YOU MONEY; and

3.     Earth-Kind®  is NOT COMPLICATED. (see #1).

As you work on preparing your landscape for the year, Earth-Kind® provides strategies on soil preparation, fertilizer & pesticide usage, efficient irrigation, and the best plants for your area. With spring calling, all of these areas are in need of consideration as you plan. 

One of the ways you can get the ball rolling on your very own Earth-Kind® process is through a soil analysis. This is a simple way to ensure you are maintaining and feeding all of your landscape efficiently, from turf grasses to blooming beds to trees. And it’s the first step in takeaway #2! Here is a great link to help you get started on your soil analysis, or you can contact Rockwall County Master Gardeners for additional assistance.

If you’re planning on adding additional plantings to your landscape this spring, Earth-Kind® practices can serve you well in this area. A hallmark of Earth-Kind® strategies is plant testing. To find plants tested and recommended for our area, checkout the Earth-Kind® Plant Selector. This is an electronic database that enables you to search for plants that grow well in our geographical region. Plus, many local retail nurseries carry native and adapted, Earth-Kind®-approved plants, in their inventories. 

Earth-Kind®  resources abound online, however, make sure you utilize the Texas A&M AgriLife websites and resources that reference Earth-Kind® with the federally registered trademark. Here is a great quick-reference on 10 Earth-Kind® strategies, any of which could be adopt this spring and summer. 

The spring yard may still look a wee bit daunting. Between Texas Superstars® and Earth-Kind® gardening, you now have some fabulous strategies in your possession. Remember, Earth-Kind® is intended to be real-world. Take it one step a time, at a pace that fits your budget, schedule and needs. Relax and enjoy – that’s what gardening, and  Earth-Kind®, are all about!

Rockwall County has seen an explosion of population over the last 3 decades. From a population of just over 24,000 in 1990, to well over 135,000 in 2024. That’s some unbelievable growth for the smallest county in the State of Texas. I spent my formative years growing up in Rockwall. Then, like many of my peers, I left for a period and decided to live abroad for about 10 years. Eventually in my mid 40’s, I found myself in the home I grew up taking care of my elderly parents. 

I’ve seen the growth of Rockwall on a personal level. I've watched as the cow pastures and hay fields slowly changed into shopping centers, homes, apartments, and entertainment plazas that make Rockwall so attractive to new residents. One thing that can truly make a new space feel like home and help you put down roots, are in fact, ROOTS. Gardening is not just a hobby; it can nurture a physical connection to the soil our feet tread every day. It doesn’t matter if you like growing a beautiful lawn, the most amazing flower displays, or the food you like to consume, growing things opens new opportunities to community connections and pride.    

Here are some things to consider as a new resident to Rockwall County that should help you get started with setting down roots, both actual and allegorical.

• What are your limits? (Physically, spatially, and time wise)
• What do you want to grow?
• Do you want to grow in a container, inground, or a combination of both?
• Do you have a sprinkler system or automatic watering system?
• Sun exposure?

While the above list may seem daunting there really is no need to be intimidated about any of these items.

Rockwall lies hardily in the area known as Blackland Prairie, but with the geological features present in the area you can find some areas that aren’t exactly the characteristic fertile black heavy clay soil. You can run into some sandy loam, a much less fertile gray clay, bottomland soils, and silt from the Trinity River system depositing it’s run off soils for hundreds of years.

If you decide to plant in ground, it would be helpful to have a soil test. This will allow you to know exactly what you’re dealing with and what amendments, if any, are needed to be added to the soil. I was lucky enough to have inherited some rather dead soil from years of inappropriate chemical usage which stripped it of most forms of beneficial activity. If you find yourself in a similar situation, remember that patience is key to success.

I’ve had more planting failures than successes by a very wide margin. This doesn’t include the absolute state my neighbors tend to find in my “adventures in gardening.” Don’t get discouraged, it’s a learning process and it will take some time. There are so many resources available now in Rockwall that weren’t readily available when I started out on my adventure. Between the extension office and Rockwall County Master Gardeners, your bases will be covered to untangle just about any challenge you could possibly come across. If by chance you find yourself in the midst of a never-before-seen obstacle, take a deep breath, and remember you could become famous for discovering something new and have it named after yourself. As a side note, most of us Master Gardeners live for new challenges and finding the solutions to them!

https://blackland.tamu.edu/news/2010/after-111-years-soil-survey-complete/

https://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/

(This is an amazing resource to see what you’re likely to be dealing with)

This Spring, I need to create a new trellis so that vining vegetables such as tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, squash, sweet potatoes, and beans have a place to spread off of the ground. For vegetables, I’ve explored different trellis methods over the years. My first trellis was fashioned by lashing five bamboo poles together at the top in the form of a teepee. This simple idea came with a few frustrations. The ends of the bamboo in the ground would break or uproot in heavy winds. So, I replaced the bamboo with rebar posts the following year. The other flaw was how the vines would cluster at the top of the pyramid. The growth would become so compact that harvesting vegetables at the center of the teepee became difficult to reach and see.

In my next trellis attempt, I created six “ladders” out of 1 inch by 1 inch pressure treated posts. Great idea. Some limitations. Firstly, the ladders were limited by their height. Although I used six-foot posts, many of the vining plants I grew were much taller than six feet long. As the vines lengthened, I would drape the vines across the top of the ladder row. Like the teepee experience, the vines would become dense and harvesting was difficult.

The other limitation is that a ladder takes up valuable garden space. Vines can create a dense canopy which will shade everything underneath. For the vining vegetables, this works out great because the fruit itself is protected from the heat of the sun while the leaves absorb the sun’s rays. But the soil below the ladder is shaded so deeply that nothing else will grow. That garden space would simply remain unused.

With my new garden, I am keeping it simple. I will be using a cattle panel (which is available at any farm & feed supply) and steel fencing t-posts to build a support frame. The trellis will be long enough for extra growth, strong enough to support medium-sized melons, and will stand so that it will not take up a lot of space in the garden.

Searching on the Internet produces a lot of simple ways to use a cattle panel as a vegetable support. One of the most beautiful ideas that I’ve seen is to create a large arch that stretches between garden beds. It’s picturesque; but, it also requires a lot of space between the beds if you intend for the archway to cover a path.

My plan is to use a cattle panel for a vertical bed, but not at a 90-degree angle. Going back to my teepee experiment, a vertical panel covered with vines will only act like a giant sail. This type of structure will need a solid base. That’s more work that I was willing to put in. So instead of going ‘up,’ I am going to build at an angle.

One edge of the cattle panel will be placed 18 inches from the edge of the bed. Using an 8-foot cattle panel, I will support the panel by using steel t-stakes pounded into the ground at the edge of the bed. Finally, I will angle the panel at a 110° position facing the sun with zip ties holding everything together.

Time will tell. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I have finally built a trellis that will last a long time, is solid enough to handle the wind, and will allow me to use my new garden space to its maximum potential. The Summer awaits!

For more information about trellis types and vegetables that grow on a trellis, read this article from The University of Minnesota’s Extension Service. https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/trellises-and-cages

Zip, zip, zoom! Zoom, zip, zip! Sammy and Mabel, brother and sister squirrels, playfully chase each other around the garden! It’s spring! The sun is shining! Its rays warm the earth and entice the dormant plants to peek out from the soil. And Sammy and Mabel are celebrating!

Sammy takes off, with Mabel chasing close behind. Then, suddenly, Sammy stops and stares up at the sky. “Sammy! Why did you stop? I’m going to run into…” And wumph! Mabel slides smack dab into Sammy. But Sammy keeps looking up. Mabel’s curiosity overcomes her irritation, so she looks up, too! “Ohhhh, Sammy, look at all the birds. They look very busy! Why?” Sammy shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said. “But you know what, Mabel, I’m going to find out why. It must be very important!”

So, Sammy sets out on his mission, with Mabel following. They see a beautiful red cardinal gathering small twigs in the garden. Sammy scampers up to the cardinal and asks him, “Why are all the birds so busy right now?” The cardinal paused and looked at Sammy and Mabel. “You do know it’s spring, right?” Sammy and Mabel both nod their heads, yes. “Spring is nest-building season. There are many types of birds flying to and fro, gathering all they need to build their nests. We lay our eggs in the nest, so it must be warm and comfortable for our young ones. It must also be located in a perfect spot, so it’s protected from weather and predators.” And at that, the cardinal spread his wings and flew into the sunny sky, heading to his nest construction site.

Sammy isn’t done asking questions, though. He looks for another bird who might take a moment to answer more questions. Just then, a mockingbird perches on a tree branch right above his and Mabel’s heads. “Oh, yoo-hoo, Mr. Birdie,” Sammy called. The mockingbird, a bit miffed at being called simply a birdie, looked down at the two squirrels. “Yes, I am a bird, but please do not call me a ‘birdie.’ I am a mockingbird, and I am the 'Official State Bird of Texas.'” Not knowing quite how to respond, Sammy and Mabel reverently bow. The mockingbird laughs at this and asks, “Why are you calling me?” This time, Mabel asks the question, “Is building a nest hard work?” The mockingbird smiles. “It is hard work; however, it’s special work. Nests are home to our nestlings until they are ready to fly.”  And with a wingy wave goodbye, the mockingbird left to continue his search.

Sammy and Mabel stood pondering all they had learned. “Sammy,” Mabel said, “I’m glad you talked to the birds. And I’m excited because this means that by summertime, there will be baby birdies all about the garden. It will be fun to see them hopping around and learning to fly.” “Yes,” said Sammy. “Maybe one of them will teach us how to fly! Wouldn’t that be great?"  And they sped off for home, ready to share with Mommy squirrel all they had learned today.

Learning Questions



   Why do birds build nests?

   What does the nest protect?

   Why is the mockingbird special?

   Try these Crafty Ideas!

Sharing science-based horticultural education with Rockwall’s youth, adults, and seniors. Here's what we've been up to this winter!

Ask a Master Gardener & Library Help Desk

AgriLife Extension Open House

Senior Outreach @ Rockwall Nursing Care Center

Welcomed 2025 Class of RCMG Interns

Planting Seeds for the Future Scholarship

Annual Seed Swap 

Winter Sowing Class

Youth Worm Composting Class

Ark Preschool Backyard Bug Days

Blue Ribbon News Publication: Here We Grow

Master SNAPS!

Photos from Rockwall County Extension Master Gardeners

Hyacinth in February

-Michele C.

Honeybee on a Blueberry Bloom

-Jake B.

Louisiana Uber

-Randy C.

Pokey!

by Kim Townsend

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