As much as we Texas gardeners like to complain about the weather, we really are blessed. Yes, our summers are brutal and hot, but we typically have long, mild falls and, lately, not terribly severe winters. Unlike our northern neighbors, we don’t have to pack up our gardens and hibernate for winter; instead we get to garden year ‘round.

Fall and winter really are our easiest growing seasons; unfortunately, they also seem to be the most limited in plant selection. Our cool-season annual palette is usually limited to five plants – dianthus, cabbage and kale, snapdragons, violas and pansies. Of these, pansies are the most used. In fact, Texas is the largest market for pansy sales in the nation because, unlike folks in most other areas, we can grow them all winter long. I love pansies and the other cool-season annuals dearly and plant thousands of them every year at the Dallas Arboretum, but sometimes I just want something new, different or unusual to spice up my containers and flower beds. 

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