Texas Roses...

February is the month to prune rose bushes. Pruning during the month of February encourages healthier roses, producing more blooms in summer. In Hill Country, Texas, antique roses are the perfect colorful beauty for your yard and gardens in the summer. Unlike finicky roses you may purchase online or at a big box store that demand constant attention, antique roses are drought-resistant and beautiful. There are many choices ranging from small bushes to climbing vines and even plants small enough for container gardening. Old roses have not been as popular in recent years, but are returning to our gardens. Especially in the San Antonio area, these hearty lovelies are making a comeback. With muted colors and rich fragrance, antique roses are sure to be a hit in your garden. Brighten your landscape this summer with colorful antique roses.

Burroughs Landscaping is ready to combine their knowledge and expertise with your ideas to make a difference in your outdoor living space, preparing for spring and summer. 

Colorful Autumn...

The heat of summer may have caused some plants to go into hiding as the temperatures rose. With fall quickly approaching, you may find your gardens and yard coming to life again. If your landscape appeals to birds, your autumn view will be that much more colorful.

Landscape in Hill Country Texas that contains a natural garden or trees and lively shrubs containing seeds, berries and blooms will draw birds for the fall and winter months. Providing a water source and shelter encourages American goldfinches, robins, orioles and ruby-crowned kinglets. Golden-cheeked warbler nests in Ashe junipers.

Don't forget to look up! This month you can see V-shaped lines of geese and cranes on their way to brush country. Hawks and kestrels will also be looking back at you.

Burroughs Landscaping is happy to share ideal plants and trees so you can enjoy a breathtaking view for many falls to come.

An End to Summer

The end of summer is just about here. Now is great time to see just how well your landscape did during the hottest parts of the year.

If you watered your landscape it likely survived most of the heat. The right plant selection, placement and good maintenance may have actually thrived during these hot days of summer and drought.

Walk around your landscape and observe anything that may need some attention. If you spot some brown areas it could mean not enough soil for moisture retention, wrong plant selection or wrong site, etc. More importantly, it is an easy way to identify areas that may need change. You may only need to replace grass with more drought-tolerant plants or even attractive patioscape. But always remember brown does not equal dead. Native species go dormant with dying.

Embrace the opportunity, fall is a great time to make changes that will help you create an attractive resilient and water-saving landscape for next season.

If you have questions or concerns about your landscape, or need some good advice before you start, Burroughs Landscaping, Kerrville, TX can help you with all your needs.

By Peggy Cunningham

Beautiful Hill Country Landscape

Living in Hill Country Texas can be difficult in the summer. With the heat and lack of rain it can be hard to stay cool and keep your yard shaded and green. Trees play an important role in this. Planting trees that will stay green for as long as possible.

Evergreen plants and trees stay green all year long, hundreds of species thriving in climates around the world. Flowering evergreen plants, trees, shrubs, ground covers and vines bring color to gardens and landscapes. Evergreens attract birds and other wildlife to feed on nuts or seeds and take shelter under thick-growing foliage.

Trees define the landscape, creating the bones of your yard. Evergreens do not lose their leaves and remain green year round, creating wonderful shade for those hot summer days. Burroughs Landscaping has done all of the research for you, saving you both time and money later on down the road. In addition, Burroughs knows which plants and trees have a long blooming period, lasting from mid-summer to fall.

By Peggy Cunningham

Watering in Summer...

With summer upon us, there will be less rain and hotter days. Some things to consider when watering the gardens and yards the next few months, according to Mike Burroughs Landscaping in Kerrville, TX.

• When planting flowers, plants and grass, consider watering needs for each, as well as sunny and shaded areas. Group similar plants together, avoiding wasteful watering. This is known as hydrozoning.
• Have sprinkler heads checked periodically to confirm they are functioning to full capacity with no leaks and still pointing the right direction.  
• Do not water the pavement, and make sure the water is not hitting a bush blocking the grass. 
• Only water when needed. If the landscape is mostly native plants and flowers, there may be no need to water often. 
• Watering between dusk and dawn prevents the water from evaporating in the heat and wind. This allows the water to soak into the ground reaching the roots.
• Installing a rain sensor to turn the system off during a rainstorm will avoid waste and save money.
• Compost will keep the water in the soil longer and avoid runoff.
• Replacing mulch once or twice each year will hold moisture in the ground. One to two inches will allow water in, and keep it there longer. 
• Allow grass to grow slightly taller. This allows it to protect it's own roots, shading them from the heat of the sun. 
• Change the watering schedule with the seasons. In cooler weather, native plants and flowers will not need as much water as in hot summer months.

"IMG_9605" by Fabrice Florin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

Summer Curb Appeal

Curb appeal is the first impression friends, family and passersby have of our homes. For most of us, the front of our home is what greets us each time we arrive, whether at the end of a long day at work, or a fun day out playing! With regular maintenance, it is not overwhelming to keep our yards and gardens in tip top shape and make us look forward to coming home to our private sanctuary each day.

To make our homes inviting, warm and welcoming, there are a few relatively inexpensive updates that will make a world of difference:

• Keeping the grass cut and walkways, trees and bushes trimmed is the first step in looking clutter free
• Replacing mulch will add instant neatness and some color
• Touching up paint on shutters, eaves, doors and fences will make your house look instantly new again
• Clean or replace light fixtures. If they are outdated, painting them black is an inexpensive fix
• Replacing light bulbs will provide beauty, but more importantly safety at night
• Painting and cleaning up around the mailbox will make a statement
• A splash of color with some bright flowers can be added easily enough, even a couple of pretty pots on the front porch
• Pressure washing the walk and drive at the beginning of summer, then sweeping periodically keeps everything else looking tidy
• Wipe, sweep or wash front porch and door to remove any spiders or other unwanted guests
• Investing in a new front door mat will just make you feel happy
• Opening blinds and windows brightens a house from the outside as well as the inside

The back yard and entertainment area is important as well since it is summer and we are spending more time outdoors grilling, entertaining or are lucky enough to have a swimming pool:

• Find a focal point, whether a fire pit, grill or outdoor kitchen. Arrange outdoor seating in an inviting, conversational area. 
• Clean, paint or repair any fencing
• Without being cluttered, arrange yard decorations or decorative pots sparingly for a personal touch

A nicely manicured yard and fresh, bright paint with pops of color from a few beautiful flowers are the first steps toward looking forward to coming home each day.  Mike Burroughs and his team in Hill Country, Texas would love to assist with low maintenance hardscape and a few deer resistant plants. 

Spring Fling

What a great place to be in the spring – Texas Hill Country. The days are getting longer and it is finally warming up. We have had a tough, long winter, would you agree? I am ready to get my yard and landscaping in order, ready to welcome the summer months and spend some time outdoors. It is time to reclaim our yards from Old Man Winter and make them our own. Landscaping, such as trees, flowers and stone walls all show our personality, just as those great new boots and jewelry do for our outfits every morning when we get dressed. Get ready to design, install, plant, trim, expand and enjoy your outdoor living space.

Start with imagining what your goal is, what you want to see accomplished, and a plan to get there. Be thinking about any new plants, perennials and annuals you may want added. Imagine, even draw planting designs and gardens you have in mind. Look online for updated, fresh ideas.

It is time to have emergent put out. Replenishing mulch will protect the roots of plants and trees in the coming hot, dry summer months as well as greatly improve the look of the beds and around trees. Does your hardscape need improvement? Is there a new pathway in your plan? Are you thinking that retaining wall needs a little love? Have you decided a pond would add ambience to your outdoor living room? Do you need or want to add irrigation to water more wisely, not to mention easier?

Things to keep in mind while brainstorming, according to Burroughs Landscaping, about your ideas for landscaping are to keep the area, climate and soil in mind as you are determining your choices.

An inexpensive approach is to use what you have. Allowing areas to remain natural will be a maintenance time saver. It is a more economical and efficient use of water by having limited turf to maintain. Brighten up a natural area with pops of color with wildflowers, saving money as well as time now and in the long run. Wildflowers, such as Bluebonnets, Texas Paintbrush, Indian Blanket, Greenthread, Winecup and Square Bud Primrose will add colorful beauty with minimal work.  Yucca or cacti are also great additions.

Kiss winter goodbye and welcome spring with open arms, outdoors in your new sanctuary.