Wichita Valley Landscaping

05/28/2026

Nice round of showers this morning. Beautiful day in store for enjoying outdoors. Our son PJ left earlier on his first solo plant buying mission. We pray for his success and safety. Wichita Valley South was in Emory Texas. Retired now Curly & Dave Brandt were an integral part of our business for 30 years. Curly will be 95 the third week of June. PJ graduated from Emory High school so he has friends and family in East Texas. Get some gardening done. We are here if you need anything. Consultation is free if you come to me. Come see us!! wv-landscape.com

05/25/2026

https://youtu.be/Ycj-bQXWRrQ

I do not own anything from this video, all rights go to the artists of the music and the artist of the picture.This is a song which has a lot of versions upl...

05/24/2026

Hometown Gardener 5/24/26 Memorial Day! Time we remember the folks who made this country, “The land of the free, home of the brave.” Nila is a veteran. I am not although I know plenty of folk who were in The ‘Nam. Happy I avoided that conflict but so many friends did serve I know the stories all too well.
I think a very good portrayal of patriotism we saw in the movie, “Forrest Gump.” While this fictional story had Forrest in Vietnam his hero and leader was Captain Dan. Captain Dan came from a line of ancestors who had died valiantly on the battlefield. Captain Dan wanted to follow that honorable history while he had his turn to serve and command. Sure enough he got his wish on day when he stepped on a land mine and was mortally wounded. Forrest immediately picked the hero up and shouldered him back to safety, running full speed. All the way Dan was screaming, “ Dammit
Gump, Put me down!!” Forrest was having none of that. Dan’s life was spared but he spent the rest of his life in a wheel chair with no legs and a broken spirit.
That’s as far as I’ll go since I know most of you saw this awesome Tom Hanks movie. If some of you younger folks have not I highly recommend it. I just thought this Hollywood version showed a prime example of love, friendship, and valor on the battlefield. I could relate some real life stories about landmines, hand grenades, and helicopters But I won’t since I wasn’t there and those stories might hurt someone with memories they would like to forget. We have always been involved in some conflict somewhere to this day. Real life heroes are still being made.
So Thank You military men and women!! We owe you our freedom. Such as it is today and count on you to make the right decisions and come back to us alive no matter how scarred this leaves you. Physical and emotional. I keep reading stories of vets living on the street. This is just wrong….
For those of us enjoying this freedom, Memorial Day has always meant opening day for the ski crowd at local lakes. The water is warm enough for them now. Being a fisherman I would stay off the lake as skiers love to show off but the fish don’t like the big wakes and the noise. I would go to the lake just to swim and hang with friends on these weekends. I hope all who are out there now have a wonderful and safe day. Everything is better cooked over an open fire. Even hot dog weenies. Ya’ll drive friendly on the way home and watch out for drunken idiots… There will be some.
We gave away free mulch made from local trees at Wichita Valley on Saturday. This makes people happy and makes room for my tree service friends to dump more. We let them dump for free and they like that. The landfill charges them then makes compost from the wood chips. So do we. I started my career as a tree service so these guys are kindred spirits. I never owned the equipment they have today. Bucket trucks, chippers, rope saddles, etc. They work faster and smarter than I ever could. I was a free hand climber that hauled off branches and cut everything to firewood which I could sell off cheap or give away to friends with fireplaces. I still get up in a tree now and then. Loved it since I was a child. When a bricklayer suggested I start a tree service I said, “Really? People will pay me to climb a tree?” The rest is history.
I still enjoy planting trees for people. Trees are the only item that adds actual real estate value. Certified arborists like Mike Ibarra and Charlie Carr can and will evaluate any tree for you. You will be surprised to find your trees may be worth as much or more than your house. If a motorist crashes and burns on your big tree you will have something that will hold up in court. I do believe that xeric and native landscaping should also get legal evaluations but has not yet. I can see this coming soon. The state of Colorado is offering $3 a square foot to destroy water guzzling lawns and replace them with native and xeric plant species. I have seen perks like this offered in other states as well. Hello Texas???
Think about this and vote for folks that have the foresight to get new things on the books. Our own John Hirschi and a fellow named Carlos from Corpus Christi actually passed a xeriscape law in the state of Texas when these two were State Representatives. The law carried no penalty but suggested this would be a great way to conserve water, our most valuable resource. I asked my friend John about this after he gave me a copy of the bill. He replied. “It’s for the future, when the time comes, lawmakers will have something to work with.” I miss John Hirschi. He was my hero and mentor for so long. As the owner of the best native plant nursery in the area I can testify that xeriscaping has caught on with the general public and becomes more widespread every year. I am popular now. I did have to put up with people accusing me of selling w**ds. I just smiled and took it. I knew where the future was headed. The future is right now.
It hit 94 at our house today. I need to get some work done and make sure we have enough mesquite wood to finish a turkey on the smoker. Some shade and a couple cold beers sounds like a good deal. Ya’ll enjoy this weekend and let’s never forget who we are and what we represent. Never forget what made this country great. Make certain to vote to get back to where we once stood and why so many came to “The land of opportunity.” Who made that happen? Where are we now? Where do we want to go? What will our children say?
If I were at the lake I would be in the water right now. I could go down to the river on the back of our land. Maybe I will… Ya’ll be safe. Eat local, shop local, buy local.

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05/22/2026

FREE MULCH!! Again this Saturday. Have a pleasant Memorial Day!! Watch out for idiots... There will be some. Do some gardening instead. Bring your trucks and trailers. Come & Get it!!

05/22/2026

Jack Stevens Wee-Chi-Tah Sculptures. Jack was my neighbor. A finer man I never met. It was my honor to do this water feature and landscape for Streams and Valleys working with Roby Christie. Some of our best career work went into this. 10 years from concept to finish. Sun shines today so let's make some hay! Freebies to all paying customers. Free mulch with every tree sale. Rain likely this evening. Plant before the rain!! Wichita Valley Landscaping or on the web wv-landscape.com

05/21/2026

Paul Dowlearn

Rain!! Finally some good rain falling in Texoma. 4/10ths already at 9am at Wichita Valley Landscaping. This will continue with more chances later today and into your weekend. We cannot do landscaping in mud so we hope to see some of you today. Good day for a free consultation. Dry inside the office. wv-landscape.com

05/16/2026

FREE MULCH!!! Saturday only. Bring your trucks and trailers and help us get this pile knocked down. The local tree services dump here for free. I have the best price in town but now we are overstocked and need some room for more. Local trees get recycled here!! No purchase required.

05/04/2026

Hometown Gardener 5/4/26 Cedar Sanderson had a good day as our Featured Artist last Saturday. She sold some artworks and books. I traded her my two for two of hers. She said she would come again later this year. We are open for next Saturday if you want to be next or someone you know. Call me 940-696-3082.
The following is a true story from last week. A woman came to me with a pecan limb with stunted growth. I guessed “witches broom” which makes that look but usually on a few branches branches, “It’s on the whole tree and others in the neighborhood” she replied. She lives in Wichita Gardens (south Beverly Drive) which used to be a pecan orchard and has many venerable old trees. That pushed my button. I called Charlie Carr (Texas Tree Service) who is CERTIFIED ARBORIST and long time friend. He took one look at the branch and said, “This time of year I’ll bet that is from pre-emergent.” I was embarassed I did not think of that for every May I would get a sample of what should be a healthy tree that had yellowing and brown leaves. But not stunted this badly.
The lady was still here shopping so Charlie went and spoke with her. It was not pre-emergent it was worse. It was a systemic herbicide. Systemics are worse because they work from becoming a part of the system of the plants it is applied to. Anywhere the granules or liquids are applied the product goes into all roots and into all plants. Hence system-ic. The most dangerous herbicide/pesticide application of them all. So the lady used a systemic for w**ds in her lawn and now faces losing an 80 year old pecan tree. The pecan, having extensive roots simply got an overdose. A huge (literally) loss for the sake of lawn grass.
She said she had come to me because I was knowledgeable and had a reputation for telling the truth. I pride myself on that. Through me she got Charlie, one of the best in his business. A guy who cares enough that he will go into that neighborhood and see for himself for his own peace of mind. He is out of town right now but he and I will get to the bottom of this so stay tuned. The lady assumed she had some weird pecan disease. That disease was caused by man made chemicals and perhaps not reading the fine print. Many, including pre-emergents will say, “This product is to be used on grass only, do not use around trees and shrubs.” Now, who among us does not have trees and shrubs in their landscape? That statement gets them off the hook in case you kill the more valuable trees. Read the fine print. Put all those products back on the shelf.
About ten years ago Home Depot used a systemic in their bedding plants. They were so impressed they even used it in their advertisements. Once outdoors it was killing pollinators. Bees and butterflies lay dead. Public outcry was so bad that they stopped and changed directions. Other systemics were killing native trees and were pulled off the shelves by the EPA immediately. The moral is this: Systemic pesticide/herbicide use has not proven effective or safe to use in any situation. Just because an unscrupulous retailer is willing to sell it to you means nothing. Hoping our EPA will do their job and pull them all.
Remember that any product you put on your lawn will wind up in your house sooner sooner later. Lawn chemical companies will tell you to stay off the applied areas for hours or perhaps days. Think on it….
For those who read this ONLY. Free mulch for you guys just tell you read The Hometown Gardener. For those who share this just let me know and I’ll throw in some free plants. Love, Peace, NO systemics.

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04/26/2026

Hometown Gardener 4/26/26 Have not done one of these in a while. Here are some basic beliefs that the public still clings to. My apologies to those who know better and/or in the landscape/gardening business.
#1 Planting: We professionals plant in every season, every month, every day. We expect success but know we will take some losses during drought and especially during summer. Our heat and dry come at the same time most years. The wild card here are vegetables and farm crops. Getting those in at the right time can be critical. I’ve had tomatoes and potatoes in ground for several weeks now and still planting as I have time. Sunday is my day off although I will take an afternoon off early to plant in front of a rain. I love doing that and have mostly planted dry this year and not watering in. I have a tray full of Swiss chard, squash, and some peppers outside waiting right now. In short, trees, shrubs, and flowering perennials which make up most our ornamental landscaping can be planted at any time.
#2 Spring is a good time to plant as long as we get our spring rains and somewhat normal temps. It is not the best time. Fall remains the best time to plant all long living plants that we use in ornamental landscaping. Including some annuals like bluebonnets that are good at reseeding themselves. I still have to tell folks this every year being an honest nurseryman. They generally go ahead and plant during spring anyway. I guess we can’t help ourselves. I am no exception to this.
#3 Pruning: This is a touchy subject for most folks. They seem to think they can do irreparable damage if done wrong. Truth is your tree service guys and lawn maintenance guys are out there working in all seasons. They are pruning and hauling off branches every day. All you need do is go for a healthy walk or at least sit on the front porch and watch these services go about their duties. Use a little common sense. Pruning at the “wrong” time doesn’t kill anything. If it did would we not see the damage and dead plants?
#4 Common names and bad advice. Common names confuse. For example, “Bleeding heart” describes Dicentra, a vine found east of us, or Turk’s cap (malvaviscus aboreus var. drummondi), or certain Asiatic lillies (lilium spp.). Botanical names nail the plant down. If you do a search using common names you will find the botanical name listed. Learn a few and be a better gardener. Aboreus in malvaviscus means tree or tree like. It does in fact become a tree in the tropics with no winter. Plants are really hard to know just going by leaves because botany goes by flower parts. Exactly why google gives so many wrong answers. With some good shots of flowers google can be more accurate. Bad advice comes from public garden pages where the person asks for suggestions. Many times they are just listing their favorites having no idea of sun/shade or soil type. To find a suitable plant for that spot it is all about location, location, location, soil type and fertility, and sunlight or the lack thereof.
#5 Weeds and lawns: This is the absolute worst. Homeowners fret every year when early spring comes and they go outside and cannot see any lawn grass. The unscrupulous Megastores and chemical lawncare companies know this and lead you to believe something has to be done or lose your “beautiful” grass you have to mow and water during the warm season. Once again all it takes is patience and observance of natural cycles. These grasses and w**ds are pretty much all cool season plants that were green all winter. Now as they warm up they jump up to flower and set seed. Most of these plants will burn off naturally as we go into May. Now is a good time to observe and realize not everybody in the neighborhood uses pre-emergents, w**d & feed, or has a chemical lawn care service yet all lawns will awaken now and all lawns will have a warm season grass lawn to dominate. All of these chemical treatments harm unintended victims like worms, birds. frogs, etc., including us humans and our beloved pets. Thankfully the gardening public is beginning to shun the chemical approach to go natural instead. I named Wichita Valley as Your Natural Nursery when we opened in the late 1980’s. The name means something to good gardeners now.
There’s much more to be said. I just had to get these things off my chest in hopes you will share and teach others. Spring brings them all and the beginners need our help. They will not be interested in reading this. You did… Come see us. Pray for decent weather. Eat well, sleep well, be well.

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04/16/2026

And we sell it at Wichita Valley Landscaping. wv-landscape.com

For Texas homeowners who want less mowing, less fuss, and a yard that still looks inviting, this native plant is starting to make a very strong case for itself.

12/22/2025

Hometown Gardener 12/21/25 Previously I have written about Christmas and gift giving especially for gardeners. Yes we are still broke and behind but I accept this as being a fact. It was not always this way. I can remember handing out Christmas bonuses and being able to give gifts to a much bigger family in days gone by. Not lately… The economy keeps getting harder to cope with and those who work for a living seem to be last in line for benefits. I was talking to an old buddy Hugo who has been in this business as long as I have. Hugo does lawn maintenance and is one of the best in that field but he is feeling the pinch too. Plus he comes from a much bigger family and has grandkids to buy for. There are four days left to shop. That’s all I have to say on this subject. The real story right now is the weather.
Our average temps right now should be in the mid to upper 50’s. Yesterday after a predicted high of 78(f) my recording thermometer at the house read 83. Near 30 degrees above average. Now 30 degrees above average can spell disaster in the warm season. However, the global warming does help us out during the cold months. We did have a rather warm winter last year but turned around and had one cool and wet spring/summer this year. It did happen that way. So much for averages. Our weather has always been a roller coaster which makes gardening and timing of planting dates tricky to say the least. One of the greatest of all crapshoots is the roll of the dice. These averages throw us off because they are averages and hardly ever match up with reality.
One of the best analogies I have ever heard was a guy in Amarillo who was the first speaker at a four day Native Plant Symposium giving the overview for soils and climate in the Panhandle. Now the average mean temperature, meaning the daily temperature if we average out the entire year, was 65(f). So he says, “How we can come to this conclusion is, you put one foot in a bucket of ice, the other foot in a bucket of hot coals, then maybe somewhere about your crotch you should feel 65 degrees.” The crowd laughed but I could see the sincere honesty in his statement. Here in the Rolling Plains of Texas and Oklahoma our average mean temperatures run in the 70’s(f). This is what averages do for us. They make us believe things are much better than they really are. Yes, we see 70’s sometimes in any given month but not near average every day.
Watch our local weather reports. They will give averages and be happy to report us near average on a few days, then they will give record highs and record lows. I pay attention to the records. A better way to measure things I think. We set new records every year. I know we expect to be over 100(f) pretty much daily in July yet our average temps only say 99(f) because we do get some cooler weather now and then. Right!…
What I am working up to is simply this. We humans are the only creature who has calendar dates and averages. Yet we think these mean something because we use them to our best abilities. So we see this quite often, “My hibiscus is mixed up. It’s blooming in December.” Plants respond only to conditions created by the weather. They have no calendar to go by. Therefore they cannot get mixed up. If you are a gardener and love your hibiscus flowers then that should be a plus. Not something to complain about. If a cold snap is coming you can cut off that bloom and enjoy it inside the house in a decorative vase. Still a big plus… OK?
This week we are predicted high 70’s and low 80’s. Christmas day should be the warmest. I am interested to see what the general public does with this warm spell. Nice outside to get some work done for certain. Or, you can complain when the next freeze puts your hibiscus down as it should be. We’ve already had a couple hard freezes. Our greenhouse is getting crowded with plants that cannot go outside right now. We are potting overgrown, rooted in trees as fast as we can. We are installing landscapes in between all this. I had a good helper who quit because I could not pay him on time. Whether or not Hugo or I make it through is up to you. That goes for every single family owned and operated landscaping service in town. That means most of us. Very few services that help you in your yard are nation wide big business types. The folks at Home Depot (and etc.) are not gonna come out and plant a tree, mow your yard, rake leaves to make compost, or make compost to sell. Are they?
Winter begins this week with the solstice. We are just getting started. What the future brings in not yet decided. Mother Nature did not invent mathematical averages. Spring is time to enjoy what you should be planting now. Or, you can choose to believe the myths foisted upon us and wait. Just because the Megazons have the money to control advertising and marketing does not make them correct. Does it?
Nila came home with a turkey, spiral cut ham, and a big box full of goodies. We will eat well due to the charity of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. This is what Christmas should be about. It still is. Merry Christmas!!