We love gardening, and landscaping, and East Texas is a great place for that pasttime! Tyler's relatively mild winters make for an environment that is conducive to near year-round gardening with trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials.
Tyler's moderate climate allows residents to design and enjoy outdoor living lifestyles featuring outdoor spaces with varied gardening plants, waterfalls, pools, walkways, stone walls, outdoor lighting and entertaining areas.
Tyler and the surrounding East Texas area has a large variety of plant nurseries, garden centers, herb farms, tree farms and landscaping services. Many retail nursery outlets provide seasonal annual flowers, and a good selection of perennials, shrubs, native plants and trees.
Easy to grow Zinnias ... enjoyed by butterflies, and humans! |
In addition, several outlets provide related services and materials such as landscape design, grass sod, lawn care, and stone. Here are a few of our favorites:
An East Texas favorite ... fragrant Gardenias blooming in early spring |
Tyler Texas Rose Garden |
Tyler is the Rose Capital of America, the location of the Tyler Rose Garden, the nation's largest municipal rose garden, and the site of the Annual Texas Rose Festival held each October. The gardens are a popular destination for both local residents and for visitors, and offer a diversity of photographic opportunities.
It is one of 24 All American Rose Selection (AARS) test gardens in the country, and also includes a unique Idea Garden created and maintained by the Smith County Master Gardeners.
A popular variety in Tyler is the "Knockout Rose" which is used by many gardeners for its easy maintenance. The City of Tyler also uses Knockout Roses in many of the landscaped street medians, such as those along South Broadway Avenue.
A greenhouse full of young plants in the spring ... Tyler Texas
A highlight of each spring season in East Texas is the 10-mile long Tyler Azalea Trail guiding visitors through neighborhoods of quaint brick streets, historic homes, and residential gardens filled with blooming azaleas, dogwoods and tulips.
The first Azaleas were planted in Tyler in 1929 by Maurice Shamburger, in the Lindsey Lane area.
Other neighbors soon followed, and the area became well known for its springtime beauty. Over the years the word spread across East Texas and beyond about Tyler azaleas.
In 1960, the first marked tour routes were established to help guide tourists.
Today, over 100,000 people from all over the USA visit Tyler each spring to attend the Tyler Azalea and Spring Flower Trail. Two marked routes exist today: the Lindsey Trail and the Dobbs Trail.
Orange Verbena |
Red Dianthus |
Yellow Hibiscus
Hydrangea |
Happy Pink & White Pansy |
Portulaca |
If you love butterflies, you might enjoy our photo gallery of East Texas Flowers showcasing Azaleas, Daffodils, Zinnias, Portulaca, Lantana, and Pokeweed to name a few.
Our gallery of East Texas Birds is perfect for backyard nature lovers to explore, featuring bluebirds, woodpeckers, buntings, goldfinches, roadrunners, hawks, and much more.
Are you a hummingbird lover like us? Check out the photos and hummingbird videos in our Texas Hummingbird Gallery.
And be sure to visit our other website about those beautiful creates that float around our Texas landscape ... ButterfliesAtHome.com
The Master Gardeners of Smith County are specially trained volunteers who provide horticultural information and help to the citizens of Smith County, working through the Smith County AgriLife Extension office.
After 72 hours of instruction in botany, soil science, entomology, plant pathology, landscape, fruit and vegetable gardening, Master Gardener interns volunteer an equivalent amount of time within a year to further AgriLife Extension’s mission of delivering educational programs to the citizens of Smith County.
2024 is the 31st year of the Smith County program, which has been recognized by both the local community and peers in other Master Gardener programs for outstanding programs and community service.
If you are interested in becoming a Master Gardener, or in having a Master Gardener speak at your organization’s event, please phone 903.590.2980 or visit the Master Gardeners website
click here for details on the Master Gardener lecture series