Hi, parupudi! : )

Houston is generally considered zone 9a, but I've put a link below that will let you enter your zip code, so you can make sure of your zone exactly where you are.

I have a handful of little things to tell you; others here will have amazing advise they will chime up with (this is an amazing group of people)...

AZALEAS--Feed them when they're done blooming.

HIBISCUS--The danger of frost has passed, so it is safe to prune these. Cut one of the branches and have a good look--do you see any green? If so, it is alive! If not, it might be anyway--some of my hibiscus only had brown and white in the middle, but they are putting on new growth. I'd say give them another month before you really start to worry. My tropicals are waking up now and starting to grow, but they were looking pretty twiggy for a while! There is very little you need to do for hibiscus here, other than keeping them mulched and pruning them to help them be bushy and not leggy.

OLEANDERS look very ugly after the winter's over--all grey and dead-seeming like a plant in a Tim Burton movie--but they come back. I pruned mine a couple weeks ago and they've got buds on them now. Oleanders are very dramatic about cold weather, but they usually come back in Houston without any problems.

ROSES: We prune roses on Valentine's Day in Houston (just because mid-Feb. is the right time here, and doing it on V-Day makes it easy to remember). For your spring pruning, I recommend having three good thick stems coming out of the baseroots (let these be a couple feet high) and cutting off the rest--cut off anything thinner than a pencil, anything that is diseased or dead, any branches that are getting in the way of each other (we need good air circulation for roses here, or they get bad blackspot), etc. I have made the mistake of not pruning heavily, and I had very leggy, weak rose bushes that year. If your roses are well established, they can take being cut back hard like this. But don't forget that climbing roses bloom on old growth, so be sparing when you prune those, and try to keep the canes as close as you can to horizontal for good blooms.
Here is a WONDERFUL site for how to grow roses in Houston: http://www.burger.com/roseindx.htm

MANDEVILLA: If they're established, cut them back now that all danger of frost is over. They'll return from their roots.

: )

Here is a link that might be useful: GW zone finder by zip code

The small pink azalaes are probably encores...if you keep them deadheaded...they will bloom again...and then they will bloom again in October. All Azalaes are to be fed and pruned after they bloom. After July 15th..do not feed or prune. Azalaes..all kinds...love water...so keep them watered year round.

Your hibicus will need to be fed hibiscus food a few times a year. If it quits putting out a lot of flowers, feed it. It too, likes water.

Too late to prune roses...will have to wait for next Val day. But they can be fed and watered regularily...and sprayed for bugs, etc. Roses need a lot of babying.

Hi All,

Thanks for your advice. Somethings that i didn't understand.
When you say keep your Azalea's deadheaded --> What does this mean? and also how should i prune my Azalea's? I mean how much should i cut the tips off after the blooming is over.

I aerated all my flower beds 2 weeks back. But didn't find time to re-mulch again. I also studied that it is good to add COMPOST and then re-mulch again.Also, i didn't remove the mulch from previous year when i aerated and it just got mixed up with the soil. So, is this fine?

Can any one suggest any kind of COMPOST that i can mix in the soil?

Also, do i need to add more soil to my flower beds again? If yes, then what type is good - Planting soil, Garde soil?

Any suggestions on what kind of mulch is good for Houston, TX area? Should i change the mulch again this year?

Thanks a lot
Pavani