Texas Shrubs –
Planning, Planting and Choosing

Planning Your Garden

Check the area for the amount of sun received.

• Plants labeled as ‘full sun’ usually require 6-8 hours of direct sun.
• Partial sun plants usually require morning sun and afternoon shade.
• Check with your Texas Certified Nursery Professional- tags are not always regionalized so a plant labeled as full sun may not be able to withstand the intense Texas sun.
• Shade plants require very little direct sun.
• Plan for mature heights and widths of plants when making your selections.
• Choose an open spot that has good air circulation.

Soil quality is critical to the success of your garden. Here’s how to get your soil ready:

• Choose a location.
• Have your soil tested and follow the recommendations.
• Remove all weeds, debris and rocks.

Get Inspired, These Pages Offer a Selection of Shrubs for Every Purpose and Location, and Each One is a Marvel in its Own Right.

Unusual colors, outstanding blooms, worthy of a Debut.

Perennials are the key to good garden design. Enjoy this selection of shrubs that thrive in Texas, for year round garden interest.

Soil Preparation

Work in 3 inches of expanded shale and 2 inches of Calloway’s Organic Compost to a 6-8” depth.

• Allows drainage so plantings don’t waterlog.
• Keeps clay soils from packing into hardpan.
• Puts organic material into soil.
• Promotes microbial activity for a more healthy soil.

Tips on Planting Shrubs

Prepare your Texas soil before planting. Your shrubs will be growing in the same soil for years, so provide them with the nutrients they will need.

• Dig hole twice as wide as container but only as deep as the root ball.
• Backfill around your plant with Calloway’s Tree and Shrub Mix.
• Use Root Stimulator around each plant.
• Water in thoroughly to settle soils and remove any air pockets.
• Arrange plants by massing colors to achieve the greatest effect.
• Buy shrubs with colorful foliage.
• Choose plants that bloom at different times of the year.
• Mulch the bed with a 3 to 4 inch layer of mulch.

Many flowering shrubs love the shade. Shade loving Shrubs to look for include:

• Hydrangea
• Aucuba
• Aralia
• Acanthus
• Aspidistra
• Yew