Ok, some of you folks are going to have to educate me what I can't do in the Hill Country that I do in East Texas. I get to play with almost 3 acres now so I am excited. Won't have my greenhouse to start with but will build one soon. We will be a little ways outside of Kerrville towards Bandera.

The previous owners of my place used Rosemary as hedges in a couple of places! So it is going to be fun to see what works. I am going to try blueberries in pots and will be digging up some of my plants for transplanting.

Hi Duane, welcome to this part of Texas, you will be as a crow flies west of me about 100 miles
@LindaTx8 if I remember right is much closer

This is a list I got from DG years ago when we thought of moving to Kerrville, you will be able to grow much more than the list shows and when I had a dear friend that used to live there, she grew pretty much everything I did.
We can't grow Azaleas here, lol or there I don't believe
I either have or have tried every plant on A&M's growing list and then some, so just ask,

Hi Duane,
Welcome to the Hill Country! I've lived here (north of Bulverde) for sixteen years and absolutely love it. Lots of good things: the climate, not many mosquitoes, starry skies, plenty of native wildflowers, etc. Don't bother bringing any impatiens or azaleas or caladiums with you. But be prepared for a whole new gardening adventure as you learn to deal with white-tail deer, caliche, drought, floods, armadillos....it's all fun. You don't need to keep your bluebonnets in pots; they'll be perfectly happy in the ground. Kerrville's great. You're going to love it! I'm here if you have any questions. Our rivers are the best!

Oh, you said "blueberries" not bluebonnets. Have no experience here with blueberries.
I think I need new glasses.

Hi Duane! We have t-mailed already. I once had a blueberry plant in a half whiskey barrel pot, used a special acidic soil mix and then keep adding acidifier occasionally. It can be done, just more difficult because of the alkaline water. I've also had strawberries the same way, only they're more tolerant of alkaline water. Oh, just remembered that they have a good nature center in Kerrville...great place, if I recall and their gardens and landscapes might give you some ideas:
http://riversidenaturecenter.o...

This might be a good url to look over:
http://kerr.agrilife.org/agric...

The hill country offers new challenges and new opportunities. There are some I expected and some I had to let my sacred cow out to pasture on. I look forward to seeing your progress.

@GrammaChar , what is the flower in your avatar?

It's a common Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja) that grows in my front pasture. I just chose to take the photo from above, which shows off the structure of the flower.

GrammaChar said:It's a common Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja) that grows in my front pasture. I just chose to take the photo from above, which shows off the structure of the flower.

I am officially and completely blushing. Ya, I knew that. Thank you! What kind of Texan asks that?

Well, they look so different from that angle!!

They also vary so much

Poohdaddy,
I moved from East Texas (Nacogdoches) to Austin and have now moved back to East Texas (north of Houston). That first move was quite a gardening experience. Since the soil is so different and the air is much drier, I couldn't grow many of the plants I had grown to love. However, I soon found plants to fall in love with in Austin. I throughly enjoyed my almost 17 years gardening there and I'm sure you will come to love the Hill Country's beauty too. I've now come full circle and am back to growing the plants I loved in East Texas. I'm searching for the perfect Hydrangea now that I can grow them again.

@SALL20, are you looking for a macrophyllas for color or oak leaf

I'm trying to find a panicle hydrangea "Bo Bo" locally. It sounds like the perfect one for me

I'm looking for one of the Endless Summer cultivars. Not sure which one I want yet. Guess it depends on which ones I can find! I have trips planned to several of the nurseries around my area. I just love looking at plants!😀

HAHAHA, I do too. I hope to look this weekend. I fell in love with the oak leaf years ago and it has never let me down,

Sorry for the confusion on the paintbrush. I think it was just the perspective that fooled you, Audrey.
When we moved to the Hill Country sixteen years ago, I filled the bed of the pickup with plants that I grew in Houston. We unloaded them and put them on the front porch to await planting in our new gardens. The next morning I went out to check on them and scared three white-tail deer away. You guessed it - my plants were nubs. I knew there were deer in the area, but I had no idea they'd come right up to the front door! I've learned a lot since then....and most of those plants I brought with me wouldn't have survived here anyway. The term "Texas Native" covers too many regions in our big ole state!

I can't believe that it has been SIX months since I started this thread! First I want to apologize for not responding and thanking each of you for your thoughts and suggestions. Seems that April- June was a blurrrr with buying, selling, moving etc. So Thank All Of You for your assistance.

Once we got to Hill Country in June the learning curve began. I got my Master Gardener affiliation transferred in July. August I lost my mind and began acquiring an additional 6 acres behind my property. Plan to put in an orchard to get an Ag Exemption. So now you all will have to assist me more I have started on building 3 raised bed garden areas, have a keyhole garden staked off and have the materials to build an herb spiral like Dave built a couple of years ago. My wife said I could not put one in unless it was exactly like Trish's

@LindaTX8 thanks for your suggestions. I went to the Nature Center's plant sale and obtained several native plants. Also think of you every time we are at the Apple Store and Patio Cafe I will be buying my apple trees from Love Creek for part of my orchard. Any suggestions on other fruit trees and where to obtain will be appreciated.

I do have a challenge with deer. Front yard is approximately an acre and the most I have seen at one time is 18 white tail, but back yard is fenced and about 1.5 acre and only have to contend with birds, armadillos, and a couple of bunnies. The trees in the orchard will definitely have to be surrounded by wire for deer protection. Black buck antelope and axis deer are very plentiful on the back side.

Since most of my projects are in the early stages, anyone with suggestions feel free to step forward.

Well, now we need photos! Sounds like a dream to be able to start over with all the land you can possibly use for planting.

White rock. Grows awesome cedars, chuckl. Deer, yes, more so than you would think. Hedgehogs down there too. Eastland Co sounds like somewhere I would love to be when done with this job... cedars and false willows, long sunny days