Urban Organics

02/08/2023

Hot off the WordPresses!!!
https://urbanorganicsonline.com/composting-at-home/

Here's the link to the composting segment we promised last weekend on GardenLine. You can download the whole guide at the bottom of the page. Happy Gardening!

02/06/2023

Another Gem From The Garden Academy

These are Texas native milkweeds. Please grow these varieties instead of the Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). All milkweeds provide nectar and serve as host plants for certain species of butterflies. However, Tropical Milkweed can actually do some harm if it is not managed properly.

Native milkweeds go dormant in the late fall. Tropical Milkweed does not. This can encourage Monarchs to stay here and continue breeding, rather than complete their migration. This interrupts the natural life cycle of the Monarch.

In addition, this can lead to a buildup of OE, parasitic protozoa that infects Monarchs. Heavily infected Monarchs don't fly as well, have shortened lifespans, and cannot migrate successfully.

All milkweeds can host OE. But when the native milkweeds go dormant, the OE dies off with them. When they regrow in spring, fresh, new, uninfected growth greets the migrating butterflies.

What can we do to help?

If you grow Tropical Milkweed, cut it down to the ground when the fall migration begins.

Grow native milkweeds. These can be hard to find, but some local nurseries carry them. They are in limited supply because of our demand. People want the easy, and pretty Tropical. We need to support the nurseries that carry the natives by trading with them and spreading the word. Give them at "atta-boy" when you stop by.

Propagate native milkweeds from seed. This can be a challenge, but it can be done. Some are easy, others require vernalization - a process that mimics winter. To learn more about this, join Joys of Butterfly Gardening SE Texas. To find seed of some native milkweeds visit Terroir Seeds LLC home of Underwood Gardens.

And lastly, ethically collect the seeds of native milkweeds. This means making sure the property owner has given permission AND that you collect no more than 10% of any native stand.

02/02/2023

02/01/2023

With today's weather it may seem counterintuitive, but our spring planting is quickly approaching!!

Some ideas for your February gardening plans 🌿

01/12/2022

Order your Spring Garden Kits!

° Recycled plastic (milk jugs & plastic bottles)
° Advantages over traditional solid wood
° Extended longevity and resistance to rot
° Maintenance free composite
° Same appearance throughout lifecycle
° Recycled composite doesn’t break down
° Solid material, no blistering or peeling
° Fade resistant coloring
° Natural Wood Color available
° 10+ Colors

These Garden Kits are made from materials that would otherwise end up in a landfill!

Urban Organics is Houston’s premier provider of beautiful, sustainable and edible landscapes providing nutrition for a healthier planet.

04/14/2021

"Get in! We'll explain later!"
Any other time and it'd be hard to lure me into a van...

04/11/2021

Hap-bee Sunday, y'all!

02/25/2021

Nope. We're not shipbuilders now....Stay tuned! 🌼🌻

01/24/2021

Who loves a good before & after?? This little Montrose courtyard presented several challenges and we think the team really knocked it out of the park!

01/20/2021

"OMG! We grew all this!"
We live these periodic texts from clients! We still have time to get you growing just in time for spring! Book your consultation today!

12/10/2020

'You must want to fly so much that you are willing to give up being a caterpillar.'

10/15/2020

If the entrance to the garden looks like this, what's the rest look like?? Stay tuned!