Gardening in North Central Texas can be a real challenge. We have long, ridiculously hot summers, and can get some pretty cold, icy winter weather. In between are about fifteen minutes each of lovely spring weather and mild fall temperatures. Add to that our horrible clay soil, and it’s a wonder anything can grow here at all!
This page will guide you to some of the generous garden resources available online, and help you find the information you need to get your North Central Texas garden growing right. If you have a resource you’d like included in this listing, please feel free to leave a comment, and I’ll check it out.
Local Garden Resources
These sites have tons of information on gardening in North Central Texas.
- Neil Sperry’s Gardens
Neil Sperry is a fixture in the Texas gardening scene, and much of his information is focused on the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. His site contains a wealth of practical information for local gardeners. Neil also broadcasts on the radio every weekend. Neil is a mass-market chemical kinda guy, so he’s not great for information about organic gardening. - Neil Sperry on Facebook
Got questions about your North Central Texas garden? Neil answers questions on his Facebook fan page whenever he can, and so do his hundreds of local gardening followers. Some days, you can upload a photo and question, and have dozens of answers in minutes. - Howard Garrett – The Dirt Doctor
Another fixture in the Texas gardening world, Howard takes a more organic approach to gardening. If you’re looking to do things naturally rather than with chemicals, he’s your guy. - Howard Garrett on Facebook
Howard posts regularly with information about organic gardening. Often, he’ll post the natural way of doing something in response to other Facebook pages’ posts on doing it with chemicals. - Aggie Horticulture
Although this TAMU site covers all of Texas, there are some articles and plant lists posted that are good for our area. In general, this is a great gardening resource. - Texas SmartScape
This site has information specific to North Central Texas regarding landscaping with native and naturalized plants, and reducing water usage. It has a good searchable plant database. - Collin County Master Gardeners
Lots of information about local growing, and gardening events in our area.
Local Nurseries
Are you still buying your plants at Home Depot, Lowe’s and The Plant Shed? Stop! They often carry plants that simply won’t grow well in North Central Texas. These local spots specialize in plants that will do well in our area, and are staffed by folks who really know their stuff.
- Redenta’s Garden
With locations in Arlington and Dallas, this local nursery specializes in native plants and garden decor. The Arlington location always has a great selection of vegetable and herb seedlings, as well as a large assortment of perennials - North Haven Gardens
This large nursery right in the middle of Dallas has everything: vegetables, native plants, trees, and garden decor. Their web site houses tons of information about what to plant and when to plant it. - Marshall Grain
With locations in Fort Worth and Grapevine, Marshall Grain is a great place to look for local garden goodies. Their Grapevine location has the better nursery. - Weston Gardens
This nursery in Fort Worth has a great selection of roses and native plants—and also lots of stuff that shouldn’t be grown in our area, so be careful. However, their demonstration gardens across the street are brilliant and inspiring in every season.
Local Garden Bloggers
These gardeners are blogging their North Central Texas gardens.
- Plano Prarie Garden
Michael has turned the area around his Plano home back into prairie filled with native plants. - Donald’s Organic Texas Garden
Beautiful photos of whatever is growing today in Donald’s Arlington garden. - Halleck Horticultural
Leslie works at North Haven Gardens, and has a master’s degree in horticulture. She blogs about her own urban garden.
Places to Visit
Looking for some garden inspiration? These local gardens are open for visitors.
- Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden
Check their calendar for special events! - Fort Worth Botanic Garden
Lots of lovely, themed garden areas. - Texas Discovery Gardens
Texas Discovery Gardens is the first certified organic public garden in the state.
If you have questions about where to find something garden-related in North Central Texas, or have a great gardening resource you’d like to share, leave a comment!
(Please note: I can’t answer questions about gardening in other areas of Texas, so if you live somewhere other than the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, I can’t help you.)
- Plano Prarie Garden
