LibGuides: Gardening in South Texas: eBooks & eAudiobooks for Gardening in South Texas

Subject Guide

Cristine Mitchamore

Subjects:What to Read

Links to the Library

All Guides
This will take you to the guides @ mysapl homepage.
My Library Account
Check on holds, due dates, etc.
SAPL Catalog
Keyword search link to the San Antonio Public Library Catalog.
FAQs at SAPL
How do I...?
Ask a Librarian
Ask questions, report problems, or just send comments and suggestions.

Web Sites of Interest

Gardening from bushes to vegetables.

Garden Style San Antonio
Find a plant, design a landscape, garden tips and coupons can all be found here. Best of all, the website focuses on San Antonio so everything is optimized for our area.

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Sponsored by SAWS, this website bridging their conservation programs and incentives with conservation-focused gardening articles and water-saving landscape designs.
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center
In addition to the classes they teach, the magazine they publish, and the practical lessons their gardens offer visitors, they post their knowledge and research online for you to read and download.

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These articles cover a wide range of issues relating to native plants, from gardening to education to land restoration and more.
Plant Answers.com
Guidelines for planting, a calendar of gardening events in the San Antonio area, advice on just about everything related to gardening, and most of all answers to your gardening questions are all available on this site.

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If you still can’t find the answer to your question, you can pose your question to a horticulture specialist.
Gardening Volunteers of South Texas
A “hands on” group they offer day and evening classes that are free and open to the public, and they volunteer gardening services to other community and civic organizations.

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Gardening Volunteers of South Texas is a non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging water-saving gardening horticultural education, research and earth-wise gardening.
Texas Superstar Plants
Highlights plants that perform well for Texans. In addition to tips on selecting your plants and getting the best out of your selections, the site also provides info on nurseries that carry these (sometimes unusual) plants.

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Sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension and in partnership with Lowe's and the Texas Nusery & Landscape Association.
GardenWeb - Gardening in Texas
A forum for gardeners in the Lone Star state to discuss whatever gardening topic strikes their fancy. Pose questions or make suggestions for your fellow gardeners.
Outstanding Landscape Plants for South Texas
A list of plants adapted to South Texas, organized by type of plant (vines, small shrubs, large shrubs, small trees, etc). Prairie View A&M created the list specifically for Bexar County.

Gardening During COVID-19

Gardening offers a lot during this time of Staying Home/Working from Home. Gardening gets you out in the fresh air (while respecting social distancing), addresses concerns about getting fresh food, and offers a new activity that the whole family can participate in.

Your garden can supply fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs in the places you traditionally grow flowers and shrubs. A pot on your porch or deck will grow most kinds of vegetables.

Try the National Gardening Association's website to get started.

For a more local take the SA Current offers, "Thinking of Growing Your Own Food in the Coronavirus Crisis? San Antonio Urban Farmers Offer Tips."

Stage 2 Water Restrictions!

Stage 2 Water Restrictions in effect as of April 20!

A complete listing of instructions and restrictions can be found on the attached flyer. Here are the highlights:

Watering with an irrigation system, sprinkler or soaker hose is allowed only once a week and only between 7-11 a.m. and 7-11 p.m., one day per week, as determined by the last number of your street address.
Water waste is prohibited at all times. Water waste includes allowing water to run off into a gutter, ditch, or drain; or failing to repair a controllable leak.
You should reduce water consumption by any means available.
All non-public swimming pools must have a minimum of 25 percent of the surface area covered with evaporation screens when not in use. Inflatable pool toys or floating decorations may be used.
Watering with a hand-held hose, is allowed any time on any day
Watering with drip irrigation or a 5-gallon bucket or watering can is permitted any day, but only between 7-11 a.m. and 7-1 p.m.

Stage 2 Watering Rules
Stage 2 beings when the 10-day rolling average drops below 650 feet at the monitored well.

eBooks for Texas Gardening

Texas Gardening for the 21st Century by Nan Booth Simpson
ISBN: 9781936474882
Publication Date: 2012-04-01
Offering both in-depth information and practical gardening tips, here is the latest information on organic gardening and use of native plants, specific gardening tips for each type of plant in the garden and hardscaping ideas. Organized by the state's 12 gardening regions, describing regional climate and soil considerations and providing money-saving tips and professional landscaping advice on plant selection and garden maintenance, Texas Gardening for the 21st Century contains all the information a gardener needs for a healthy and beautiful Texas garden.
Straw Bale Gardens: the breakthrough method for growing vegetables anywhere, earlier and with no weeding by Joel Karsten
ISBN: 9781610587389
Straw Bale Gardens teaches gardening in a way that isn't only new but is thoroughly innovative and revolutionary to home gardening. It solves every impediment today's home gardeners face: bad soil, weeds, a short growing season, watering problems, limited garden space, and even physical difficulty working at ground level. Developed and pioneered by author and garden expert Joel Karsten, straw bale gardens create their own growing medium and heat source so you can get an earlier start. It couldn't be simpler or more effective: all you need is a few bales of straw, some fertilizer, and some seeds or plants, and you can create a weedless vegetable garden anywhere—even in your driveway.
Gardening with Less Water by David A. Bainbridge
ISBN: 9781612125831
Publication Date: 2015-12-29
Bainbridge offers simple, inexpensive, low-tech techniques for watering your garden much more efficiently -- using up to 90 percent less water for the same results. With illustrated step-by-step instructions, David Bainbridge shows you how to install buried clay pots and pipes, wicking systems, and other porous containers that deliver water directly to a plant's roots with little to no evaporation. These systems are available at hardware stores and garden centers; are easy to set up and use; and work for garden beds, container gardens, and trees.
Landscaping for Privacy by Marty Wingate
ISBN: 9781604693744
Publication Date: 2012-03-22
Landscaping for Privacy brims with creative ideas for minimizing or even eliminating the nuisances that intrude on your personal outdoor space. Scores of real-world examples show you how to keep the outside world at bay by strategically placing buffers (such as berms or groups of small trees), barriers (such as fences), and screens (arbors or hedges, for example) around your property. And the helpful plant lists tell you precisely which varieties to choose in order to enhance your sense of seclusion. If you've ever felt frustrated by the lack of privacy whenever you step outside your home, this inspiring book will steer you toward an achievable solution.

Gardening in Small Spaces

Small-Space Container Gardens by Fern Richardson
ISBN: 9781604693898
Publication Date: 2012-06-27
Small? Yes. A concrete slab populated with plastic chairs and an abandoned grill? Not anymore. Small-Space Container Gardens layers practical gardening fundamentals with creative solutions, encouraging us to think "outside the pot." You'll learn how to tackle unique challenges, like windy conditions several stories above street level, and how to care for plants and troubleshoot problems like garden pests and diseases. From design basics to essential plant picks, Small-Space Container Gardens proves you don't need a yard to have a happy, healthy garden. For anyone who wants more green in their life, it's time to start gardening creatively in small spaces.

Vegetable Gardening

The Vegetable Gardener's Guide to Permaculture by Christopher Shein; Julie Thompson (As told to)
ISBN: 9781604695403
Publication Date: 2013-01-15
"A useful and a wonderful resource whether you grow on a balcony, rooftop or in the ground." --Yolanda Burrell, owner of Pollinate Farm and Garden Supply Once a fringe topic, permaculture is moving to the mainstream as organic gardeners discover the wisdom of a simple system that emphasizes the simple idea that by taking care of the earth, the earth takes care of you. The Vegetable Gardener's Guide to Permaculture is for home gardeners of every skill--with any size space--who want to live in harmony with nature to produce and share an abundant food supply with minimal effort. Christopher Shein highlights everything you need to know to start living off the land lightly. You'll learn how to create rich, healthy, and low-cost soil, blend a functional food garden and decorative landscape, share the bounty with others, and much more.
The Kitchen Gardener's Handbook by Jennifer R. Bartley
ISBN: 9781604692730
Publication Date: 2011-01-27
"A mouthwatering picture book." --Toronto Tasting Notes No longer content with separating the plants they grow to eat and the plants they grow for beauty, gardeners are discovering the pleasures of incorporating both edibles and ornamentals into their home landscapes. The Kitchen Gardener's Handbook makes it easy. Whether she's sharing tips on planting radishes in spring, harvesting tomatoes in summer, or pruning perennials in winter, Bartley's friendly advice gives gardeners the tools they need to build and maintain a kitchen garden. Readers will learn how to plant, grow, and harvest the best vegetables, fruits, greens, and herbs for every season. They'll also find seasonal recipes that celebrate the best of the harvest, monthly garden chores, eight sample garden designs, and information on using cut flowers for decoration. The Kitchen Gardener's Handbook is a guide for gardeners who want it all--the freshness of fruits and vegetables and the beauty and simplicity of hand-picked bouquets.
Grow Cook Eat: A food lover's guide to vegetable gardening, including 50 recipes, plus harvesting and storage tips by Will Galloway
ISBN: 9781570617959
For those who already have experience getting their hands dirty in the garden, this handbook will help them refine their gardening skills and cultivate gourmet quality food. The book also fills in the blanks that exist between growing food in the garden and using it in the kitchen with guides to 50 of the best-loved, tastiest vegetables, herbs, and small fruits. The guides give readers easy-to-follow planting and growing information, specific instructions for harvesting all the edible parts of the plant, advice on storing food in a way that maximizes flavor, basic preparation techniques, and recipes. The recipes at the end of each guide help readers explore the foods they grow and demonstrate how to use unusual foods, like radish greens, garlic scapes, and green coriander seeds.
Grow Your Own Herbs by Susan Belsinger; Arthur O. Tucker
ISBN: 9781604699463
Publication Date: 2019-07-09
Grow Your Own Herbs shares everything you need to know to grow the forty most important culinary herbs. Includes basic gardening information, including details on soil, watering, and potting. Profiles of 40 herbs--including popular varieties like basil, bay laurel, lemon verbena, tarragon, savory, thyme, and more--feature tasting notes, cultivation information, and harvesting tips. Additional information includes instructions for preserving and storing, along with techniques for making delicious pastes, syrups, vinegar, and butters.

Lawn Options for Homeowners

As of Sept. 1, 2013, Homeowners Associations (HOAs) in Texas can no longer prevent residents from installing native plants or drought-tolerant ones although they may still require members to follow landscaping guidelines and submit proposed changes for approval.

Find some tips on persuading your HOA from the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center's Sway Your HOA.

Reduce Your Water Bill & Preserve Our Environment

Choosing plants that require less water helps our environment and ensures your garden or landscaping stays vibrant even under watering restrictions.

Saving water saves you money on your water bill, but SAWS residential customers can get a little something extra to reward you for water-wise ways. Apply for Watersaver Coupons and Rebates from SAWS. Find all the available coupons and rebates on SAWS' Garden Style San Antonio section.