Blog

We Love Trees At Top Choice we love trees.  All sorts of trees.  When we started improving the landscape at our shop, the first thing we did was plant new trees, followed closely by taking better care of the beautiful native oaks on the lot.  We planted trees before we even thought of putting down […]

Native to the Austin area, the Red Bird of Paradise is a favorite for summer blooms. Every summer the shrub is covered in a dazzling display of orange-red flowers that can last from March until October. The eight-inch flowers appear in a pyramid-like shape. Growing up to 8 feet, the red bird of paradise produces […]

If you live in Austin, we guarantee you’ve seen more than a few Live Oak trees. They are native, evergreen, and don’t need too much water to be healthy. However, Live Oaks are notorious for producing small, fast-growing off shoots commonly known as water sprouts or suckers. They can appear for a variety of reasons: […]

Sweet Potato Vines               As we swing into the seventh month of the year, one of the most common points of conversation is the intense heat that Texas is known to bring. It can be tricky to keep many plants not only alive, but healthy when the long summer sun comes out, but there are […]

Bradford Pear               A staple of southern landscaping, Bradford Pear Trees can be spotted in many Texas lawns from Austin all the way to Tyler. With an appearance of being covered in snow (when blooming), they have a unique sense of beauty and can be trusted to improve looks of a lawn very quick due […]

Bamboo, a tall hollow cane, grows natively around the globe. Southeast Asia is home to the largest concentration of native bamboo where it can grow to 130 feet tall. Here in Texas a native variety of bamboo known as Arundinaria can be found in thick cane breaks along many rivers and marshes. It produces dense […]

The Classics: If you are anything like me, you get confused about the differences between all of the most obviously poisonous plants in Texas: Poison Ivy, Poison Sumac, and Poison Oak. Just remember to stay away from all of them… Poison Sumac:  Poison Sumac is much more of a shrub or even tree than its […]

Floral Facts (not all of these are in season or work well in central Texas):  Periwinkles – also known as blue Vincas. We have all heard the phrase, “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” in reference to marriage. The blue refers to periwinkle which was supposed to increase the love between the married couple […]

We have started seeing mosquitoes. It is only going to get worse. We wanted to give you some quick info that could possibly help. Also, below, please notice the section on erosion.  Some mosquito facts: They can detect carbon dioxide from ~150ft.  They suck. Forgive me. Couldn’t resist. Only the females bite (for nutrients to […]

PRUNE YOUR CRAPE MYRTLES Don’t let the controversy of how to prune your Crape Myrtles prevent you from taking care of them! You’ve probably noticed everyone is pruning their Crape Myrtles this time of year. We love the pretty, colorful blooms they provide for that extra Spring time pop of color. Unfortunately, there’s a lot […]