Mysterious and delicious Citrus have become more and more available these past few years. Our best varieties include Improved Meyer Lemon, Mexican Lime, Kumquat, Satsuma Orange and Grapefruit. Mostly available in the Spring and Summer, these tasty tropicals are ideal for container culture as well as for garden subjects. If planted in the garden, Winter protection may be required when low temperatures threaten.

Japanese Maples lend sculptural qualities to our landscapes. They provide color and shape as well as varied textures. Growth styles range from strongly upright to weeping and include dwarf varieties as well as large-growing tree forms. Colors are presented seasonally in some trees and exhibit in bark as with the Coral Bark 'Sangokaku' variety and leaves as with 'Bloodgood' (top photo) and 'OshioBeni' varieties, to name a few. Lacy leaves on 'Crimson Queen' and 'Seiryu' contrast beautifully with the more broad leaves of 'Emperor' and the green 'Palmatum' species, the hardiest of all varieties. Foliage color is best in Spring and Fall on most varieties. In Winter, the chameleon-like Coral Bark variety's smooth bark turns a beautiful magenta-coral color (bottom photo), remaining while the branches are bare. This beautiful color stands as a stark contrasting accent during the Winter until new leaves emerge chartreuse in Spring and the bark returns to green.

This Southern aristocrat is alive and well and perfectly suited to Houston gardens. From the native Southern Magnolia to improved varieties like 'D. D. Blanchard' and 'Teddy Bear', all have the typical large, white flowers with strong fragrance. And for urban gardens, the more tidy and mannerly 'Little Gem' Magnolia will remain relatively small and compact while producing the longest period of bloom of most Southern Magnolia varieties.