In 1999, my partner Jim and I started selling plants out of his backyard and in no time at all we were bursting at the seams with plants and customers. We are now beautifying the corner at 5117 N. Main and Winston (2 blocks south of 20th St.). The building, which used to be an old grocery store, will now afford us a climate controlled space in which we can offer a large selection of indoor plants as well as gifts and antiques.

You might say that our specialty is the large selection of herbs. We have everything from culinary herbs like Basil, Rosemary, Parsley, Oregano and Thyme, to medicinal herbs such as Valerian, Tea trees, Comfrey, Ginkgo and Rue. The trend for the past couple of years has been to incorporate herbs into your landscape liberally, not only for the aroma but also for the beautiful flowers they yield. Aussie and African basil can become large shrub-like bushes with a strong licorice scent and long fronds of purple flowers for most of the season.

Speaking of aromatic gardening, the Scented geranium has made its way into many landscapes this year, with the smell of Citronella and Lemon rose. One whiff and you're a believer.

Exotic fruit trees have long been a passion with us. Jim has grown some of the prettiest Papaya trees around, all bearing large, sweet fruit for the past several years. Now we have them available again in one gallon containers for your very own yard. They are surprisingly cold hardy and easy to grow. Even if you aren't crazy about the fruit, they are spectacular just as a tree. They resemble large Philodendrons and can grow 10 feet or more. Their growth is rapid in the summer months and should produce fruit the first year.

The Backyard Gardener is the only nursery in the Heights that does landscaping. After having two homes on the Spring Heights Home Tour, we have been going great guns in our neighborhood. If you're interested in landscaping your home, come by and let us give you our tour.

Come by and see us at 5117 N. Main @ Winston. Our phone number is 713-880-8004. Open Everyday!

See you soon!
April Cohen and Jim Ruzicka