Tree plantin' time

The official Arbor Day is celebrated in April every year, but here in the Houston area, we like to get a head start on things. We celebrate our Arbor Day on the third Friday in January. We know that if we wait until April, the beginning of summer's heat is already going to be upon us and any trees that we put into the ground then are going to have to struggle to survive that heat, as well as the inevitable drought. So if you are looking to add trees to your landscape this year, get a move on! Now's the time to do it.

Many gardeners, myself included, are probably looking around their yards for a spot where one or two fruit trees might be added. Fruit trees are popular choices for the home garden because they come in many sizes and can be easily fitted in to even the smallest gardens. Some can even be grown in pots. The reward for growing these trees can be great and sweet, because, believe me, there is nothing sweeter than a fruit you have grown yourself.

I had been contemplating doing a post on growing fruit trees in the Houston area, but last week I was preempted by my fellow blogger Houston Garden Girl. Since I cannot improve on the information that she has already provided in her series of three posts on the subject, let me just invite you to click on her link above, which will take you to the first post and thence to the two which follow.

Then, if you need further inspiration, you might want to pay a visit to Northwest Houston blogger/gardener Clayton Bell and take a virtual walk through his yard via his video. He packs an amazing number and variety of fruit trees, shrubs, and vines into his space.

If you missed the big Urban Harvest fruit tree sale last weekend, never fear. There are still plenty more coming up. One of them is even here in Montgomery County this Saturday - the Montgomery Country Master Gardeners' sale. Check out Kathy Huber's recent post for a complete list of places and times.

And even if you can't make it to any of those sales, I have it on good authority that most of the local nurseries will have nice selections of fruit trees for the next several weeks, so that you can browse and buy in your on good time. But don't wait until February. Now really is the very best time to get those trees in the ground, so they have plenty of time to acclimate before summer.

Happy Arbor Day!