To all my growLively blog readers...important news! In order to consolodate all my horticultural projects into one more maneagable site, I've moved my blog over to my Halleck Horticultural site: That's my main website, lesliehalleck.com I've imported the entire growLively blog, back from April 2007 over to the main website, so nothing should be missing. I'll also be leaving this growlively.typepad site up for quite a while, so you'll still be able to find me here, you just won't be able to make new comments...but can do so on any and all of the posts over at the new site.... Continue reading

Ok...we've gotten off easy the last couple of months with all the mild temps and rainfall...but SUMMER IS COMING... so it's time to mulch folks. That's what I'll be doing this weekend. Mulching all the new and old beds. On yard of mulch down...only 7 more to go. I think I'd better go ahead and take the ibuprofen now! yeeesh. So, what are you folks doing in the garden this weekend?! Continue reading

Ready to pick up some birds for your backyard chicken flock? North Haven Gardens is hosting their monthly chicken sale tomorrow, Saturday 6/16 from 10am-1pm or until sold out. It's first come, first serve. Plus, NHG has some gorgeous plants in stock in the garden center right now and lots of it is on sale. With this mild weather and rainfall, it's a great time to plant! Continue reading

I've been harvesting some fruit off of my 'Golden Mama' tomato plants over the last few weeks, but the big haul is beginning to come in! I filled this obviously inadequately sized bowl to overflowing today, and there are plenty more fruits to come. I"m also harvesting some wonderful 'Black Cherry' heirlooms. I've saved the larger fruit for slicing, but what to do with some of the smaller fruit? Well, one of my favorites and super easy thigns to do with cherry or small tomatoes is marinate them overnight, then roast them. So some of these babies will be going... Continue reading

Just came across one of my shots of huge blue agaves in Ecuador...wow. They were truly stunning! (Most of my travel photos end up being plants...I know..it's a problem!) Interestingly, small farmers use them to create living fence lines around their crops, like corn that you can see growing behind the agave, to keep the cattle out of the fields. It creates quite the fascinating landscape scene! Here, we'd drool over this impressive specimen as a pricey garden feature...But in case you're looking for a creative ideal to keep the deer out of the veggie beds..here ya go! I pulled... Continue reading

Just thought I'd post this shot of the Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon. If you're traveling this Memorial Day weekend and you happen to be in Portland, be sure to stop by this garden. It's lovely and you can also enjoy their tea house. Gorgeous! Continue reading

Texans..it's about that time to harvest your garlic, if you haven't done so already. Click HERE to read more about garlic! Continue reading

If you have blackberry bushes, you've probably already started harvesting...Mmmmmm! Other fruits that are ripening in my garden now are peaches and plums...what's ripening in your garden? Continue reading

Here's the story on NBC5, with Omar Villafranca, on urban backyard beekeeping! Enjoy. View more videos at: http://nbcdfw.com. One quick note - the frame they do a close up on and say it's capped honey, is actually brood (bee larvae), not capped honey. Just a clarification! Continue reading

Shot a segment today with NBC 5's Omar Villafranca on backyard bees in the city! Should run this evening on the 10pm news, but if it's rescheduled I'll repost. if you're interested in keeping bees in the DFW area, check out TBA www.texasbeekeepers.org for links to your local group, where you can take classes and attend regular meetings. Continue reading

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Looking for a super hardy drought tolerant Texas native that is also beautiful and blooms FOREVER?? Ok, maybe not forever, but let's say April through fall. That's a pretty long time. Plus, it attracts butterflies. If that sounds up your alley, then Gaura lindheimeri needs to be on your garden shopping list. 'Whirling Butterflies' is a favorite white-flowered varieties, but it also comes in pink...'Ballerina Rose'...lovely! Continue reading

Yep, it's that time folks. Time to start your seeds of fall tomato transplants! (Here in Texas, DFW area). Tomatoes need a good 8-weeks from seeding to transplant time and you'll plant your transplants into the garden in late-June through mid-July. Never fear though, if you don't want to mess with starting your own transplants, local nurseries will have transplants available during that late-June, mid-July planting time! Tomato 'Golden Mama' in my garden now. One of my favorites! Continue reading

Were you a smart gardener this spring? Did you let some of your cool season herbs and veggies to flower (which is always lovely) so you could collect seed? If so, then you'd have been collecting seed over the last few weeks. Arugula and Dill are two species that are particularly giving with their seed (most of my dill plants are actually volunteers from last year) and nows the time to collect seed from both. Arugula seed. I've been harvesting this past week. Dill seedheads...so pretty! I'll be harvesting seeds today. Both Arugula and Dill are two edibles that make... Continue reading

I'm still in love with all the new Echinacea varieties out on the market these days. It's prime conflower season right now with them all coming into full bloom. Most are highly fragrant, which you don't get from the standard E. purpurea. A few that are blooming in my garden right now are 'Mama Mia', 'Sundown', 'Summer Sky' and 'Tangerine Dream'. Sooooo lovely! What's blooming in your garden? Echinacea 'Sundown' Continue reading

This is the gang that's waiting for me every morning before I leave for work and every evening when I return. Yes, they do call me mommy. What a gang they are! Ready for your own urban backyard flock? North Haven Gardens is having their monthly pullet sale tomorrow Saturday, 5/19/12 from 11am-2pm, or until sold out! Continue reading

So I agreed, last minute and under persuasion of some friends, to do a Diorama to donate to today's Diorama-O-Rama Event benefiting Cafe Momentum. The event is in Dallas today from 4pm-8pm. It's a great cause and you'll get to bid on some very fun art. This would be me in the Amazon in Peru, with some of my photographs and my insect/flower illustrations. And my pink locust tending his own little garden, lol. It's some silly fun...Swing by the event if you can. It's a $5 donation to get in the door, then you can bid on a plethora... Continue reading

For those of you living in the City of Dallas, new permanent watering restrictions have gone into effect as of April 23rd, 2012. But don't worry...you can still get all your gardening on! The new ordinance allows for you to fulfill all your typical watering needs for established landscapes and new plantings. The twice per week restriction only applies to automated sprinkler systems or above ground sprinklers. You may run these sprinklers twice per week on your assigned days (addresses ending in even numbers can water Thursday and Sunday, addresses ending in odd numbers may water on Wednesdays and Saturdays.)... Continue reading

Have you checked out the newish series of strawberries called 'Fragoo'? So lovely...so far. The series comes in three colors 'Deep Rose', 'Pink' and 'White'. The pitch on this series is the large ornamental blooms you get on the plants. Plus, they are day-neutral so should be ever-bearing (but most strawberries will still take a break during our hottest months.) Here is a photo of 'Frago Deep Rose' in my garden. I'll be testing them out for fruit production in my veg garden. Now, strawberries are perennials so you need to give them a dedicated sunny bed. In our climate,... Continue reading