I'm very new to gardening. ==>> i can tell.. and welcome to GW ... i am not even going to try to speak to what grows in houston.. others will chime in there... but let me tell you what is the easiest way to make a list .. this spring.. simply take the camera/phone .... and as you tool around town.. snap pix.. bring them here.. so we can ID for you ... and start a list of things YOU LIKE.. in your area.. odds are .... they all thrive there ... next.. check the link.. and memorize it all ... it might take years.. lol .... but do it.. planting and first year aftercare.. are the ONLY important things.. after choosing an appropriate plant ... and we plant in NATIVE SOIL.. we do not amend planting holes ... but we do mulch heavily after planting ... read those parts closely .. if you succeed.. and they get well ESTABLISHED... most shrubs become entirely are free but for some pruning in the decades to come ... [which is what was NOT done on the old ones ] .... i would never bother transplanting what you call a mature shrub .. jsut too much work .. for what are basically rather cheap plants ... well when you grasp all that.. you are all set to start digging.. lol .. and TIMING of planting is very important .. and i want you to NOT think about doing this all this spring.. we will find a couple things.. for you to experiment on .. but dont delude yourself into thinking you are going to landscape the whole yard in the 'proper planting season' ... this spring ... if that is imperative.. hire a landscape architect to develop a plan for you.. and to plant a vast majority of the project ...instant gratification is not for the novice .. IMHO ... and after a few this spring.. we will shoot for a few in the fall/winter planting season.. good luck ken Here is a link that might be useful: link

Thank you for the suggestions! After finding my FEDCO catalog I was able to identify a wide range of winter squash and placed an order for many of their offerings.

While Boron is an essential micro nutrient a little too much causes plants to die so spraying Borax mixtures to control Creeping Charlie has not been something knowledgeable people have advocated for about 25 years now. Creeping Charlie, "Glechoma hederacea", spreads through seeds, rhizomes (roots), and bits of plants and although the best method of control is pulling the seedlings most people don't se them until they are much bigger and more difficult to pull. This stuff can never be pulled too early. Although it has adapted to many soil conditions Creeping Charlie does most bestest in moist, shady soils with a lower pH then most of the desirable plants like, so a soil test can be of some help in control when the soil is corrected. Here is a link that might be useful: controlling creeping charlie

Hello Friends, This is a very nice community and there are a lot of discussions made which are not only interesting, but also very informative. Well, about myself Eileen Wang newbie, here I can get updates on various topics all around the world. I want to share and gain knowledge as well as experience among various people here. So, I am excited to take part in all topics. Thanks and Regards, Eileen Wang