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A. Actually, it’s very easy to kill a cedar tree (juniper) by cutting it at the base. This is one specimen that won’t resprout. But dig out the stump unless you’re willing to wait a long time. Producer note: Tim Miller of Millberg Farm gave me a tip to “easily kill a tree.” His trick is to girdle it in the hottest part of August. He’s successfully thinned out a hackberry overpopulation with this method.

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Salvia 'Indigo Spires'

There are many great salvias for our central Texas gardens. One of my favorites is the vigorous perennial called 'Indigo Spires', a cross between our native Salvia farinacea and Salvia longispicata made at the Huntington botanical gardens in California. Salvia 'Indigo Spires" is a bushy perennial that grows to about 3-4 feet tall and 4-5 wide. It has very showy deep blue to indigo flowers on long spikes and blooms continuously from spring to frost. Butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to the beautiful blooms, but deer usually avoid it. Plant in sun to part shade in soil that drains well. Once established, Indigo Spires requires minimal watering. This salvia makes an awesome display when planted around pink-flowered antique roses. But give it plenty of room to create a large mound of foliage and blooms.

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• Keep after the nut sedge, since side shoots are sending out shoots that will take hold over the next few months.
• Catch up on garden reading!

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