In terms of gardening, how can people make the most of winter?

Winter is a neglected season in the garden because we really don’t have [harsh] winter[s]. The cold is not the issue-—heat is. Our ground stays warm all through the winter, so even if a plant is dormant above ground, [its] root system is growing through the winter. So it is the best time to plant anything but a tropical [plant]. [Winter is] often a neglected season, but it’s the best time to plant.

How should residents care for their gardens in colder weather?

The best thing to do in the winter is definitely feed [plants] with a time-released organic food [that is enriched with compost]. [Residents] also need to quit watering as much. We’re getting rain; plants aren’t as actively growing. You need to cut that sprinkler system way back or, better yet, [turn it] off. Most people lose their plants by putting too much water on them.

What plants are trending this year for winter in Tomball and Magnolia?

Winter is the best time to plant flowers, since the ground stays warm in southeast Texas. Winter annuals planted in fall should bloom until about May or June.[/caption]

What’s trending the most over the last few years is including edibles into the landscape. Winter vegetables are the easiest to grow, because you’re not dealing with as many environmental pressures—heat and insects and so forth. Incorporating lettuces and kales are gorgeous color to mix with some of your flowering winter annuals. Another wonderful thing to do is to plant herbs in as well—fennel, dill, parsley [and] cilantro are all cool season annuals. The winter is the best season to plant edibles in the landscape, whether it’s vegetables or herbs.

When should trees or perennials be trimmed?

You don’t want to start pruning back your perennials and trees until the danger of frost has passed, so [not until the] end of February [or] first of March. Because our weather is so inconsistent, if you cut them back and we get into a couple weeks of warm 70-degree weather—which happens often through the winter months—you will have signaled the plant to grow. Then we drop back into freezing weather, and you’re going to damage that new growth. It’s better to just leave them alone.