Gardening in Tyler is good? (Houston, Dallas: for sale, houses, property tax rates)

[bpollen]

I just looked online at houses for sale in Tyler, and wow! I literally liked every house in my price range! Not only are they pretty, but they have decent size yards, too! That's important since I have dogs and I plan to garden.

For gardening...I suppose Tyler is good, right, since it's known for its roses?

Does anyone know what the soil is like? That is....can you stick a shovel in it easily? I live in Dallas, with hard clay mixed with rock. A shovel does NOT go in my yard unless I water it well first, and then exert a lot of pressure.

Does anyone know if fig trees will grow there? Is it too cold for citrus? If so, I can get a greenhouse.

Any info on gardening in Tyler would be MUCH appreciated. This specific info is not easy to find. Maybe I should post this in the gardening forum, too.

I'll be taking a trip in September to look at Tyler in person. I hope it's as pretty in person.

[KathrynAragon]

Fig trees will definitely grow in the Tyler area.

Some places have more of a clay soil and some have more of a loamy soil. When I lived to the east of Tyler, my soil was terrible clay. Now I live a bit to the west of Tyler and my soil is good. I think you will just have to look at individual properties. There is a lot of clay in this area but not all properties have a lot of clay - does that make sense?

Most of the soil around here is not rocky.

Lots of people are really into gardening here. The growing season is very long and we have a decent amount of rain. That being said, my plants always seem to start "wearing out" right about now - August and September can be hard on plants due to the long weeks of intense heat. But other than that, it's good.

I have lemon trees that are hardy down to 18 degrees and they've survived well the past few years.

I've lived in the Tyler area for about 25 years and you're right - there is a lot of really good housing in this area. Many homes have very spacious yards.

I think you will be very pleased with the housing options in Tyler, and it's a very pleasant small city with excellent amenities. Good luck!

[Mark Senior]

The Tyler Rose Garden has an Idea Garden in part of the complex. My cousins in North Richland Hills are in a garden club which took a trip to Tyler for some gardening ideas. Research for a garden club in Tyler, I would think there is at least one.
Oh, you might call the Tyler Rose Garden. 903-531-1213

[bpollen]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

Fig trees will definitely grow in the Tyler area.

Some places have more of a clay soil and some have more of a loamy soil. When I lived to the east of Tyler, my soil was terrible clay. Now I live a bit to the west of Tyler and my soil is good. I think you will just have to look at individual properties. There is a lot of clay in this area but not all properties have a lot of clay - does that make sense?

Most of the soil around here is not rocky.

Lots of people are really into gardening here. The growing season is very long and we have a decent amount of rain. That being said, my plants always seem to start "wearing out" right about now - August and September can be hard on plants due to the long weeks of intense heat. But other than that, it's good.

I have lemon trees that are hardy down to 18 degrees and they've survived well the past few years.

I've lived in the Tyler area for about 25 years and you're right - there is a lot of really good housing in this area. Many homes have very spacious yards.

I think you will be very pleased with the housing options in Tyler, and it's a very pleasant small city with excellent amenities. Good luck!

Clay, huh? I'm going to want to avoid that, if it's like the clay soil I have here in Dallas. Not rocky is a good thing, though. I had to use a *****xe to prep a rose garden area!

I am SO glad to hear about fig trees. That is my #1 edible I want to plant.

I'm so glad to hear that lemon trees will grow there! I want some citrus plants, if I can have those.

Thanks so much for the info.

[bpollen]

Originally Posted by Mark Senior

The Tyler Rose Garden has an Idea Garden in part of the complex. My cousins in North Richland Hills are in a garden club which took a trip to Tyler for some gardening ideas. Research for a garden club in Tyler, I would think there is at least one.
Oh, you might call the Tyler Rose Garden. 903-531-1213

I will do that. Thanks for the suggestion.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by bpollen

Clay, huh? I'm going to want to avoid that, if it's like the clay soil I have here in Dallas. Not rocky is a good thing, though. I had to use a *****xe to prep a rose garden area!

I am SO glad to hear about fig trees. That is my #1 edible I want to plant.

I'm so glad to hear that lemon trees will grow there! I want some citrus plants, if I can have those.

Thanks so much for the info.

After living on top of a clay hill for about six years, we were insistent on finding a home with little or no clay in the yard. It wasn't difficult to find. Our soil in our yard now is loamy and fertile and no sign of clay. I would just recommend that you look closely at the soil before you buy. Clay is common around here but not inevitable by any means.

I love fig trees! Very glad they grow here. They do very well here in fact.

Good luck and keep us posted on your plans!

[bpollen]

Well, I've been reading up on Tyler. It seems that it has been experiencing a serious drought this year. I was hoping that the fact that Tyler gets 6" to 10" more rain a year than Dallas would mean no droughts. Bummer.

Someone told me that from Dallas to Shreveport, the soil is the almost the same as in Dallas. That hard as brick clay soil. I have to call some plant nursuries there and see.

I'm still going to check it out in person, though. I searched online to see if Tyler has doctors, and it seems to have a lot of doctors. A bit light in oncology, but at least it has some of those, and one or two in Longview. (Checking to see if I'd have to go to Dallas for medical treatment in the future. I live alone, so that is a big issue and a big expense, if I have to stay overnight in Dallas.)

Am also going back to Houston to check out some areas I didn't check out last time I went. I went to north of Houston last time and didn't like it. Houston also seems expensive to me...property tax rates, utility rates, HOAs everywhere.

[Mark Senior]

Most Tyler inside the city limits has a lot of sandy loom. No where in Smith County/Tyler am I aware of the black gumbo of DFW. Tyler does have some red clay, sort of small rock type soil, I have no clue what you call it. But look at what all grows in Tyler. I really don't think you would have a problem.

Tyler is THE medical center of East Texas. The only Level One Trauma Center in East Texas ETMC. Fort Worth has only one. The Texas Spine and Joint Hospital is here. The late Saudi Prince came here for treatment several years ago. A shortage of Cancer Care? I have personally heard of treatments made at Trinity Mother Francis that weren't being provided at MD Anderson in Houston. A friend I know was told by MD Anderson to go back to Tyler and prepare to die. He received a treatment in Tyler and became cancer free. Went back to MDA for second check/opinion after he went back for results, cancer free there also, there was a group of specialists there to question him to determine if they understood the treatment in Tyler and had all the paper work to support what treatment was given in Tyler. Sure, many patients here and all over the country check out MDA. Sure Houston should offer for more specialists than Tyler, but for ET Tyler is the place to be. Best to you on whatever you chose.

[bpollen]

Originally Posted by Mark Senior

Most Tyler inside the city limits has a lot of sandy loom. No where in Smith County/Tyler am I aware of the black gumbo of DFW. Tyler does have some red clay, sort of small rock type soil, I have no clue what you call it. But look at what all grows in Tyler. I really don't think you would have a problem.

Tyler is THE medical center of East Texas. The only Level One Trauma Center in East Texas ETMC. Fort Worth has only one. The Texas Spine and Joint Hospital is here. The late Saudi Prince came here for treatment several years ago. A shortage of Cancer Care? I have personally heard of treatments made at Trinity Mother Francis that weren't being provided at MD Anderson in Houston. A friend I know was told by MD Anderson to go back to Tyler and prepare to die. He received a treatment in Tyler and became cancer free. Went back to MDA for second check/opinion after he went back for results, cancer free there also, there was a group of specialists there to question him to determine if they understood the treatment in Tyler and had all the paper work to support what treatment was given in Tyler. Sure, many patients here and all over the country check out MDA. Sure Houston should offer for more specialists than Tyler, but for ET Tyler is the place to be. Best to you on whatever you chose.

Thanks, Mark. I will actually take a little trowel with me when I go, and I'm gonna dig a few spots as I travel around to see what the soil looks like for myself!

I'm so glad to hear that about the medical center and all. I'm very healthy, but it won't always be that way. It's good to know the medical providers are good, too.

Thanks for sharing the info.

[bpollen]

In looking at Tyler recently, I noticed a lot of small hilly areas, where houses have little steps at the front of lawns, leading up to the house, or rock berms around parts of their yards.

Do that mean there are rocky areas? Are some of the houses sitting on rock? Does the rock for those berms come from the area? Dug up from the area soil?

My house in Dallas is slightly raised from street level. That is because I'm sitting on solid rock, with a small layer of soil over it. What a surprise it was to me when I went to plant a small garden and hit rock inches below the surface. I had to use a *****xe to make a garden. Just about killed me. I want to avoid that, needless to say.