2014 Holiday Gift Guide for Gardeners

So its that time of year. Only a few numbers of days remain between now and Christmas so you better get to it. Here are a few ideas for the gardeners and green thumbs on your list. If your like us, you may enjoy the convenience of shopping online versus the crowds and parking lots so we've provided links direct to Amazon to make it easy. Enjoy and happy shopping. 

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Cube Birdhouse: Apple

$79.00

Loll Designs

A simple, and modern take on the birdhouse that will add a little punch of color to your garden. Also be sure to check out the other products from Loll Designs such as their outdoor furniture. Fun, inventive and made from recycled products.

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Dallas Arboretum Membership

The gift of a garden that will wow and change with every visit. A magical place for young and old with a full calendar of events. One of the better places to get lost in Dallas. 

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Fiskars 9921 Softouch Micro-Tip Pruning Snip

$10.99

Fiskars Garden

Pruning snips are always handy to have in the garden and make a great stocking stuffer.

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Pike's Original Maine Garden Hod 16 Quart Capacity

$51.90

Pike's Original

For the vegetable gardner, here is a nice gathering basket to harvest sll those fresh vegetables from the garden. 

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Bon Home Multi-Purpose Comfort Mat, 18 by 30-Inch, Grasscloth Khaki

$40.42

Lets Gel

Save the knees! Who wouldn't enjoy the comfort of having this pad to kneel down on when working in the dirt. 

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Esschert Design FF90 Fire Bowl, X-Large

$237.00

Esschert Design USA, LLC

After a hard day's work in the garden, what's nicer than putting your feet up around the fire and relaxing. Well done. You deserve it. 

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HandMaster Bella Men's Comfort Flex Coated Garden Glove, Medium/Large

$7.31

Magid Glove & Safety L&G

Another necessity in the garden. This one for the men. 

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HandMaster Bella Women's Comfort Flex Coated Garden Glove, Medium/Large

$8.07

Magid Glove & Safety L&G

Hey ladies. This one's for you. 

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Mini Retro Bullet Planter by Hip Haven

Hip Haven

A sharp and modern looking planter for a little hipster flavor.

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Radius Garden NRGSET Green 4-Piece Ergonomic Gardening Hand Tool Set, Includes Trowel, Transplanter, Weeder, and Cultivator

$34.98

Radius Garden

A handy set of garden tools that are a little easier on the hands and joints. Dig in. 

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Black & Decker CM1936 19-Inch 36-Volt Cordless Electric Lawn Mower With Removable Battery

$377.99

For those who handle their own lawn mowing, here is a mower that is light, electric which means no hassle with the gas or the oil.

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Living Wall Planter INDOOR/OUTDOOR USE w/Reservoir (Color: Chocolate) Vertical Garden (Modular, Sustainable, Eco, Green) Hanging Planter

$38.00

Wooly Pocket

This wall mount planter is a great gift that can be used both indoor and outdoors. 

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Sloggers Women's Rain and Garden Shoe with "All-Day-Comfort" Insole, Midsummer Black Print - Wo's size 9 - Style 5102BK09

$23.49

Every gardener needs a good pair of shoes to wade through the dirt and mud. Easy to hose off and clean after

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RST Brands OP-OL04-Bei Original Orbital Zero Gravity Patio Lounger

$130.36

After all your work and bountiful harvests, now sit back and put your feet up on this cleverly designed chair.

HAPPY SHOPPING AND HAVE A GREAT HOLIDAY!

Best Trees for Fall Foliage in Dallas

Like most around town, you are probably enjoying the beautiful fall foliage of the trees around Dallas. From the deep burgundy colors of the Red Oaks to the yellows and orange colors of the Sweetgum trees. It's a favorite time of year for many people that leads us right into the holiday season. 

If you are thinking about planting some trees between now and spring (which is a good time to do so or the health of the tree), we wanted to offer up a list of the best trees for fall foliage in Dallas. Here they are in no particular order:

Red Oak Trees

Red Oak (Quercus shumardii) trees are one of the classic and stately trees in the Dallas area and provide a wonderful range of colors from deep red and maroon to dark oranges. They are a large scale shade tree and provide a wonderful framework to any residential property.

Red oaks can produce a wide variety of deep red colors in the fall.

Sweetgum Trees

Sweetgum trees (Luqidambar styraciflua) are another brilliant showstopper in the fall with an often wild range of colors from bright yellow to deep reds and oranges. They grow in a more vertical shape an are often used for lining boulevards and parkways. These do produce the pesky spiked balls but consider the fruitless variety to eliminate this issue. 

Sweetgum tree with a brilliant red and orange color mix. 

A close up view of the vibrant colors of the fall leaves of the Sweetgum tree. 

Cedar Elm Trees

Another traditional (and a bit under used) native Texas tree is the Cedar Elm (Ulmus crassifolia) . This tree provide a bit more rustic texture and smaller leaf size that turn yellow in the fall before shedding. 

Cedar Elm trees along the lakeside in Highland Park.

Cedar Elms turn a bright yellow in the fall. 

River Birch Trees

Another tree that could certainly be planted more around Dallas, is the River Birch (Betula nigra 'Dura heat'). This slightly smaller scale tree also produces a bright yellow color in the fall that goes along nicely with it's very interesting bark texture. 

River Birch trees showing a vibrant yellow color in the fall. 

A closer view of the leaf color of the River Birch in the fall. 

Chinese Pistache Trees

The Chinese Pistache (Pistachia chinensis) is another tree that could be used more around Dallas. This tree is rather fast growing and has a wonderful leaf texture that produces color in yellows, oranges and reds. 

A Chinese Pistache tree planted along a street with bright yellow and orange colors. 

This Chinese Pistache has produced a stunning red color. 

A Few Other Trees to Consider....

Japanese Maples

Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood') is a wonderful ornamental scale tree that produces a deep, rich burgundy color in the fall. 

Japanese Maples planted in a row create a great contrasting color for most stone materials used.

October Glory Maples

Another maples that packs a punch in the fall is the October Glory Maple (Acer rubrum 'October Glory').. These maples often provide some of the most vivid splashes of color around residential neighborhoods. The only drawback is that the visual show is rather short and they tend to drop their colorful leaves at the first taste of cold weather or a stiff wind. The 'Autumn Flame' is another similar variety to try out.

You can hardly miss the stunning show of color provided by the October Glory Maples in the fall. 

Just a few of our favorite trees for fall color around the Dallas area. Hope you enjoy them while the show lasts. Happy fall. 

What's Blooming in Dallas – November 2014

The recent warm temperatures have extended the summer bloom season another couple weeks. Here are a few of the plants you can find that are still blooming into the fall. Think about these when planting next year to get those extra weeks of bloom for your garden.

Abelia 'Edward Goucher' (Abelia 'Edward Goucher') -  A medium height and fragrant shrub with profuse late summer blooms. 

View fullsize

Drift Rose 'Popcorn' (Rosa 'novarospop')  - A low growing shrub with summer blooms.

Encore Azalea 'Autumn Sunset' (Azalea x 'Roblen PP#16248) - A medium height evergreen shrub with red blooms into fall.

Encore Azalea ' Autumn Cheer' (Azalea x 'Conlef' PP#10579) - A medium height azalea with bright pink blooms. 

Pink Double Knockout Rose (Rosa 'Radtkopink')

Gold Star Esperanza (Tecoma stans 'Gold Star) - A sun loving perennial with bright yellow blooms throughout the summer.

Hybrid Tea Rose 'Tahitian Sunset' (Rosa 'Tahitian Sunset') - One of the beautiful hybrid tea roses. 

Enjoy the blooms while they last. The cool temperatures coming soon are sure to chase them off.