Cool-Season Edibles and Ornamentals (flowers, etc.) can be planted now! Mix it up! Above we have Mystic Spires Salvia (usually an evergreen ornamental) planted with Giant Red Mustard. Edible kales, with their unusual leaf colors and textures, are fun to use in designs too! Same with Swiss Chard!
Cardoons are another cool-season vegetable with MASSIVE ornamental appeal. They are relatives of Artichokes but the Cardoon mid-rib is eaten instead of the flower bud.
Seen above growing alongside Texas Tarragon / Mexican Mint Marigold, an ornamental herb. It's too hot to grow French Tarragon in Texas. This South American native is a great replacement.
What to plant now in the garden:
See the Williamson County Vegetable Planting Calendar here.
November is for Transplanting! If you have trees, shrubs, roses, and perennials in the wrong spot or planted too deep November is the ideal time to move them. Every job/species is a little different and we'd be happy to coach you on-site ("Garden Coach") or here at the nursery (bring photos). Walking you through the process can be difficult over the phone or through email.
Fall brings cooler temperatures, often high humidity, less sunlight, and greater amounts of rainfall. This can be the perfect storm for a fungus of an undesirable nature.
Many fungi can be easily treated. While others, like Brown Patch in St. Augustine lawns, are incurable. Manageable, but incurable. We can fight fire with fire! MicroGro from Microlife aims to build up soil microorganisms to crowd out and outcompete soil-born pathogens like Brown Patch.
NEW!
MicroLife introduced Liquid AF in 2024! While not labeled as a fungicide, AF is a thoughtful collection of Bacteria with an appetite for fungus. Mix this liquid with equal parts liquid molasses (for an initial feeding for the bacteria) into one gallon of water. The solution can be poured into the soil (ex. as a treatment for root rot on boxwoods) or sprayed onto the foliage. We recommend using chlorine-free water; distilled, RO, or water left out to outgas for 72 hours.
Speaking of rainfall. Fall can be a very tricky time to grow in containers outdoors. The amount of irrigation needed last summer will not be the same amount needed in the fall. This is where deadly overwatering happens! Our analog moisture meters take the guesswork out of container gardening! By pushing the sensor into the soil media 4-6 inches, the meter will tell you if water is needed!
Of course, you can use these indoors and, in the garden, but be very careful in the garden! The metal shaft and sensor are far from indestructible, and care should be taken when pushing the instrument into the ground. Press gently!
Cabbage Loopers: A common "pest" of basilicas and leafy greens during the cooler seasons. They're a fact of life here. While the caterpillar can make a great snack for our songbirds, most of us like our Lettuce without holes. Bt bacteria sprayed every two weeks, once a week in severe infestations, can help keep the moth larve at bay.
Because Bt only affects caterpillars, we don't need to worry about contamination or non-target casualties! Available year-round here at HCWG.
Be sure to store your Bt indoors where temperatures are moderate. It's alive and can be "killed".
If Bt isn't working for you, we can move to Captain Jack's Dead Bug Brew with Spinosad. It's a baby step stronger but far safer than Pyrethrins in our opinion.
We are fully restocked on 2025 Cool-Season vegetable seeds! They're ready to germinate now. See the Wilco Planting link above to start your wish list today!
We are restocked on our Texas Bluebonnet seeds! November is a great time to throw out (yes, just throw them out) the seeds. Some will germinate now, others will freeze and crack open to germinate in the spring. While some others will remain dormant to geminate next year! Bluebonnets know some years are bad years so they are programmed by thick seed-coats to strategically wait to ensure the species lives on!
We are carrying the most popular native seeds and added a few new species including our favorite, Prickly Poppy!
Sow them now for spring and summer flowers.
Sharp tools make work easy, and safe! Fall is a great time to prune your trees*** and shrubs! We carry our favorite hand tools to get most jobs done! If you have the full collection of garden tools already take the time this fall to sharpen'em up and reoil'em!
***We do not recommend spraying wound sealer on cuts except for Oaks. Epecialy Live Oak and Red Oak species. If you're not sure what kind of tree(s) you have you're always welcome to email, text, or bring in samples or photos.
Text us at 512-560-6788 (text only line)
If you're shopping for your gardener this holiday season, stop by and take a look at our selection! We can even help you put together custom gift sets!
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