Mark Montoya
Ask the Practical Gardener, December 2010
In addition to his regular columns providing gardening advice, our own Practical Gardener, Mark Montoya, has agreed to start answering questions as a semi-regular feature here at Midtown Montgomery Living. If you have a question for Mark, email it to us at midtownmontgomeryliving[at]gmail.com! Dear Practical Gardener, My azaleas seem like they are out of control! […]
Think Spring Now – And I Mean It!
You may not believe me, but now is the time to plant flowers and bulbs for a beautiful garden this coming spring. Other than pansies, there are a lot more flowers to consider planting now. Here are some bedding plants that will be fully grown, hardier and flower longer if you plant now: FOXGLOVE: There […]
Sources of Sounds of Silence
Can anyone tell me how much unwanted noise we have to hear in a day? I have become so accustomed to traffic noise, appliances, television and so forth, that I just recently learned how rare it is to hear nothing. On Sunday, silence awakened me. As I awoke, all I could hear was the occasional […]
The Drought Continues
Yesterday, I visited the home of new clients. The couple moved to Montgomery from Albuquerque, New Mexico a while back and recently decided to construct a swimming pool in their back yard. My father was from New Mexico, and we had much to talk about. The newly excavated pool space and the resulting mounds of […]
House Plants for the Soul
What a world! What a world! What a world! In this messed-up world — and this horrible drought we are in, bring yourself some joy with house plants. The green in your home will soothe your soul. Some people feel that they must wait for someone to be ill or die before they can have […]
Maintaining the Future
HOT! That is what I have to say about gardening this week. Do as little as possible right now. This is not the time to be digging and planting in your garden, but to enjoy what you planted months ago…and maybe pluck the occasional weed or two. Maintenance, which includes watering, mowing, edging and blowing, […]
Crape Myrtles
I’m sure that you have noticed the incredible crape myrtles in our older neighborhoods. They just love the sun and heat. Crape myrtles are originally from Asia, and have become as traditional a part of the Southern landscape as camellias and azaleas, which are also from Asia. Crape myrtles are very easy to root from […]
Weed Control
Just what is a weed? In the case of the dandelion, one person’s weed is another’s cooked greens. Goldenrod? It used to be the State flower. Let’s just say weeds are in the eye of the beholder, and that’s why I’m going to talk about weed control. Weeds drive me crazy. Roundup and other weed […]
Grasses in the Garden
If you have not yet discovered the beauty and usefulness of ornamental grasses in your garden, now is the time to start looking. By planting grasses now, you give them an opportunity to take hold and flourish up until the first frost. Taller grasses – four to six feet high – can make great screens. […]
The Beauty of Wildflowers
I suppose that there are some good things that can come of a recession. Traveling within our state for the past two weekends, I have noticed that the wildflowers are exceptionally plentiful. What a delight to see the results of not mowing the grass along the highways this spring! In your upcoming travels, I hope […]
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