Gardening in West U

April 11, 2017

Be a Grass Roots Advocate in West University Place!

Concept Sketch, Jennie E Hughes Park, West University Place, TX

Thanks to a $2.2MM gift from the family of Jennie E. Hughes, the southeast quadrant of West University Place is finally getting some public greenspace!  With regard to parks, this section of our community is the most under-served part of the city.  It is the only quadrant of our ...

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Sept. 22, 2016

Plant it Forward | A Sustainable Living Non-Profit

Fresh VegetablesTrade in your grocery cart for a reusable tote and treat your family to locally grown fresh vegetables!

Through Plant It Forward Farms, families may enjoy a weekly box of fresh, local produce through a Farm Share program which gives newly-arrived refugees access to the American dream. Environmentally-conscious consumers will ...

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March 7, 2016

The Unexpected Garden

Ann Martin in her Container Garden, Houston, TX 77005Ann Martin finds that the patience and watchfulness make her garden grow.  That and a lot of Texas ingenuity. “The sage and thyme don’t like growing in Houston, so I mulch with limestone or marble chips so they think they are in the Hill Country,” says Martin, VP of ...

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Feb. 28, 2014

New Gardens in Hermann Park - Opening 2014

Garden Mount at McGovern Centennial Gardens in Hermann ParkI am looking forward to the completion of these new gardens in Hermann Park.  The most interesting design element is this “Garden Mount”, which can be seen from the Museum of Natural Science.  A handicap-accessible ramp spirals up to the top of the mount, from which we will ...

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Feb. 16, 2012

Agriculture Science in the Inner City

Agriculture Science in the Inner City

Since the City of Houston is so urban, you might think that we don’t have strong Agriculture Science or FFA programs in our local schools.  Not so at all!

Agriculture science is Big Business in Texas.  According to the Texas Farm Bureau, 77% of the total land area ...

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Oct. 31, 2011

The Drought vs. Your Trees

Drought vs. Your TreesRecently, my homeowners are seeing a new problem – the drought is costing us a lot of trees.

This is something of a cycle.  Here in Texas, the extended drought has drastically weakened the root systems of our shade trees. Then the big autumn storms finally blow through, bringing ...

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June 6, 2011

Organic Produce from Wylderose Farm

Margaret's tomatoesMargaret Billingsley, the former speech therapist at West U Elementary, has retired to Wylderose Farm in New Ulm, Texas with her husband and their beloved Shelties.  They are now growing organic fruits and vegetables.  As a matter of fact, Margaret purchased the shade structures from Teas Nursery when ...

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Oct. 28, 2010

Healthy Trees for Houston - Tips from West University's Urban Forester

Example of Oak Canker InfectionWe need more healthy trees for Houston - and this is definitely not one of them.

This photo (courtesy of Texas A&M University) is of an oak tree infected with Hypoxylon Canker, a fungus which has been showing up in East Texas.  There is no cure for the disease, which manifests ...

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April 27, 2010

Tree Trust Provides Free Trees in West University Place!

One of the benefits of living is West University Place is our City's Tree Trust, a source of free trees for local residents.

West University Place is increasingly an oasis of green in the middle of Houston’s paved-over urban environment -- and this is deliberate, not accidental.  Stringent building codes ...

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Jan. 1, 2010

Curb Appeal - Weeding Between the Lines

Proper landscaping contributes to curb appeal, a buyers first impressionThe cliche is true -- first impressions really do count in real estate.  The house itself is only part of that essential, early curb appeal. Landscaping can be crucial part of the first impression, working for or against your property.  Check out the entry to this home... dappled shade, comfy ...
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