Greg Grant Gardens

10/25/2026

Watershed Stewardship (Greg Grant, 10-25-26)
Water is one of East Texas’ greatest natural resources, and how we conserve, protect, and manage it will help determine our region’s future. Although we are blessed with more rainfall than much of Texas, we are certainly not immune to drought, water shortages, pollution, and increasing demands on our rivers, lakes, and underground aquifers. As our population grows and development continues, water conservation and sound water policy become more important than ever. What we do with our land today will have a lasting impact on the water available tomorrow.
Most gardeners think about water conservation in terms of irrigation, but water quality is just as important as water quantity. Everything that falls on our landscapes eventually goes somewhere. Rainwater either soaks into the ground, evaporates, or runs off into ditches, creeks, rivers, and lakes. Along the way, it can carry soil, fertilizers, pesticides, grass clippings, pet waste, and other pollutants. Even those who live miles from a creek or lake can contribute to water quality problems without realizing it.
This is where understanding watersheds becomes important. A watershed is simply an area of land that drains into a common body of water. Every acre of East Texas belongs to one, whether it is covered with forests, pastures, neighborhoods, highways, or gardens. Healthy watersheds depend on healthy soils, vegetation, and responsible land management.
Fortunately, many of the same Earth-Kind gardening practices that conserve water also protect water quality. Mulching, composting, maintaining healthy soil, reducing unnecessary fertilizer and pesticide applications, planting appropriate vegetation, and preventing erosion all help keep our waterways cleaner. Preserving trees, native vegetation, and natural drainage areas is equally important.
Water policy also plays a major role. State laws and regulations influence how water is used, protected, and managed. Understanding these policies helps landowners, gardeners, farmers, and community leaders make better decisions about protecting our shared resources.
To help East Texans better understand these issues, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board, in cooperation with the Texas Water Resources Institute, will offer a free Texas Watershed Steward workshop on Tuesday, October 27, from 1 to 5 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension Conference Room, 1517 W. Front St., Suite 116, in Tyler.
The workshop will cover watershed science, water pollution, Texas water laws and regulations, and practical ways to improve water quality. Special attention will be given to the Mud Creek watershed and other local water resources. Participants will also learn how individuals and communities can become involved in protecting their watersheds.
Attendees will receive a Texas Watershed Steward Handbook and may qualify for professional continuing education credits. Advance registration is required at tws.tamu.edu or by calling 979-321-5921.
Whether you own a small backyard or hundreds of acres, protecting our water begins with understanding where it comes from, where it goes, and how our actions affect it. Good water stewardship is simply good land stewardship, and East Texas needs both.

Greg Grant, Ph.D., is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Tyler. He is the author of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Texas Home Landscaping, Heirloom Gardening in the South, and The Rose Rustlers. You can read his “Greg’s Ramblings” blog at arborgate.com, find his “In Greg’s Garden” column in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com), or follow him on Facebook at “Greg Grant Gardens” and “Pines, Pawpaws, and Pocket Prairies.” More science-based lawn and gardening information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service can be found at aggieturf.tamu.edu and aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu or by contacting the Smith County Master Gardener Help Desk at [email protected].

Image caption: My cypress rain garden collects the runoff from my farm.

10/24/2026

I'll be speaking about Earth-Kind bulbs at 9:00 in the morning if you'd like to join us.

See you IN THE MORNING! Pollard United Methodist Church--9 AM.🪷🌺🌸🌼🌻

10/23/2026

Flapping about monarch migration.

Join horticulturist Greg Grant as he breaks down the critical role ...

10/20/2026

Each year I dig one row from my private bulb farm for the Smith County Master Gardener bulb sale. It's where I grow proven heirlooms that aren't typically available commercially. This year it was 'Golden Dawn' which is basically the fragrant, showy, cutflower version of Texas Star jonquil (Narcissus x intermedius) on steroids. I got my start 40 years ago from the late Cleo Barnwell in Shreveport. It's essentially eternal and foolproof and one of the few mid-season cultivars that not only perenniallizes but thrives and multiplies prolifically. It needs no soil prep, no water, no fertilizer, and if you plant it in a meadow like me, no weeding. It's the one I grow in my Dumpster Bed in Tyler and adds a second season to my spring bulbs. I see there are some still left in the sale so please give them good homes and think about my late friend Cleo who was born in Texas.

10/19/2026

My latest blog was about bulbs basics for beginners.

October is one of my favorite months of the year. The hellish heat of summer has lost its grip; the days are getting shorter, and gardeners across Texas are getting a second wind. After months of mowing, watering, sweating, and trying to keep plants alive, we can finally get back to the enjoyable bu

10/18/2026

Bulb Conference and Sale (Greg Grant)
One of the best things about gardening in East Texas is that we can grow an amazing assortment of bulbs. One of the frustrating things about gardening in East Texas is that many of the bulbs sold in stores, online, and even in specialty sales were never meant to live here.
Our heat, drought, floods, and unpredictable winters can quickly separate the survivors from the short-term showoffs. I have spent much of my life growing, killing, evaluating, and farming bulbs, and I have always been particularly fond of those old-fashioned kinds that survive for multiple lifetimes with little or no attention.
That will be the subject of the Smith County Master Gardeners’ annual From Bulbs to Blooms Conference and Sale on Saturday, October 24, at Pollard United Methodist Church, 3030 New Copeland Road in Tyler. The free educational program begins at 9 a.m., followed by bulb shopping and order pick-up from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
This year I’ll be presenting “Earth-Kind Bulbs: No Water, No Fertilizer, No Pesticides.” The title pretty much sums up my gardening philosophy. I like sustainable, long-lived plants that can be grown organically.
An Earth-Kind bulb should be adapted to our climate and soils, tolerant of our weather extremes, and capable of surviving without watering, fertilizing, spraying, digging, dividing, and fussing. The best bulbs are those you plant in the right place, then stand back and enjoy for years to come.
During the program, I’ll discuss why some bulbs thrive in East Texas while others gradually disappear. We’ll talk about choosing the proper planting location and selecting bulbs that are naturally suited to our conditions.
The sale is a popular part of the event because the Master Gardeners promote heirloom, hardy, and hard-to-find bulbs along with commercial cultivars that have been trialed for years in East Texas. Many are the kinds of bulbs that once passed from gardener to gardener, yard to yard, and generation to generation. Those survivors have already proven something important. They can live here. They are what my late mentor Dr. William C. Welch called “time-tested.”
The online store opened October 12 and remains open through October 21. Online purchases must be picked up at the October 24 sale. Certain quantities are limited, so ordering early is a good idea for anything you particularly want.
Along with bulbs, the event will include door prizes, raffles, children’s activities, educational displays, garden art, signed gardening books that I’ve authored, and the Smith County Master Gardeners’ annual garden guide and calendar. Proceeds support Master Gardener scholarships and educational events in our community.
Admission to the conference is free. Whether you are an experienced gardeners or simply want sustainable perennial flowers that come back every year without requiring irrigation and pesticides, come join us.

Greg Grant, Ph.D., is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Tyler. He is the author of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Texas Home Landscaping, Heirloom Gardening in the South, and The Rose Rustlers. You can read his “Greg’s Ramblings” blog at arborgate.com, find his “In Greg’s Garden” column in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com), or follow him on Facebook at “Greg Grant Gardens” and “Pines, Pawpaws, and Pocket Prairies.” More science-based lawn and gardening information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service can be found at aggieturf.tamu.edu and aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu or by contacting the Smith County Master Gardener Help Desk at [email protected].

Image caption: Only certain cultivars of daffodils thrive and bloom yearly in East Texas.

10/17/2026

Propagating spiders in the garden.

Learn how to plant and care for Red Spider Lilies (Lycoris radiata)...

10/15/2026

Don't tell me there's no rain predicted with tomorrow's front.

Want a greener, heat-tough lawn without wasting water? Greg Grant shares essential rules for smart turf care—from proper mower height to deep-watering strategies that build deep roots and boost drought tolerance.
Click this link to view the video.. https://youtu.be/NXG9KHtpgcA

10/14/2026

Talking lilies.

10/11/2026

Seeing Red (Greg Grant, 10-11-26)
I didn’t think the weather would ever break and that they would arrive, but they are finally here. Few flowers capture the magic of Southern gardening quite like the red spider lily, Lycoris radiata radiata. I first cherished these brilliant red pass-a-long flowers as a child, and they still fascinate me today. There is something almost unbelievable about flowers that suddenly spring from seemingly bare ground after the long, hot, dry days of summer. If there is magic in horticulture, red spider lilies certainly qualify.
Their appearance is always dramatic. One day there is nothing, and seemingly overnight, slender stalks rise from the ground and produce clusters of bright scarlet flowers with long, curling stamens that give them their spider-like appearance. There are no leaves when they bloom, which explains why Lycoris species are sometimes called naked ladies or surprise lilies. The foliage appears later, grows through the cool season, and disappears again before flowering time.
Common names can be confusing. Along the Gulf Coast, spider lily often refers to native Hymenocallis species. Farther inland across much of the South, however, spider lily traditionally means the genus, Lycoris. They have also been called hurricane lilies because they often bloom during hurricane season and once “British soldiers” because masses of their bright red flowers resemble uniformed troops standing at attention.
Their Southern history is almost as interesting as the flowers themselves. Although native to eastern Asia, red spider lilies have been part of Southern gardens for generations. Garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence traced their early American history to New Bern, North Carolina, where Captain William Roberts reportedly brought bulbs home from Japan following Commodore Matthew Perry's expedition there in the 1850s. Those few bulbs multiplied and were shared from garden to garden.
That sharing tradition explains why spider lilies are still commonly found around old homesites, cemeteries, churches, and abandoned gardens. The familiar old Southern form is a sterile triploid that does not produce viable seed. Instead, it slowly multiplies underground by producing additional bulbs. Every old patch therefore represents generations of gardeners digging, dividing, and sharing bulbs with neighbors, friends, and family.
Spider lilies are wonderfully easy to grow in East Texas. They tolerate sun or partial shade and perform best in loose, well-drained soil. Once established, they require little attention and gradually form impressive colonies. Propagation is simply a matter of digging and dividing the bulbs. Summer dormancy is the traditional time to move them, although I have successfully transplanted them immediately after flowering.
One of the most memorable displays I have ever seen was at Grace Episcopal Church cemetery in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Beneath magnificent old trees draped with Spanish moss, hundreds of red spider lilies covered the historic cemetery. Martha Turnbull, creator of the gardens at nearby Rosedown Plantation, is buried there. I couldn't help thinking she would approve of spending eternity in a beautiful Southern garden with hundreds of brilliant red British soldiers standing at attention.
If you don’t have friends who will share, red spider lilies are available locally from The Southern Bulb Company (southernbulbs.com) and each year from the Smith County Master Gardeners’ October 24 Bulbs to Blooms conference and sale (txmgsc.org).

Greg Grant, Ph.D., is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Tyler. He is the author of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Texas Home Landscaping, Heirloom Gardening in the South, and The Rose Rustlers. You can read his “Greg’s Ramblings” blog at arborgate.com, find his “In Greg’s Garden” column in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com), or follow him on Facebook at “Greg Grant Gardens” and “Pines, Pawpaws, and Pocket Prairies.” More science-based lawn and gardening information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service can be found at aggieturf.tamu.edu and aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu or by contacting the Smith County Master Gardener Help Desk at [email protected].

Image caption: Heirloom pass-a-long red spider lilies have been lighting up East Texas autumns for generations.