Sara Moran is a Horticulture Extension Agent for Ector and Midland Counties. Below, she provides readers with practical tips and resources to help their gardens and gardening efforts in Midland flourish. 

Have you started your garden, or are you still planning what you will grow? Are you a beginner gardener or an experienced one? Are you new to West Texas? (If so, welcome!) Whatever your gardening skill level, at some point in your journey, you might need resources to help, encourage, or inspire you in your gardening endeavors. For this reason, I have grouped a curated list of reliable gardening resources for West Texas.

Permian Basin Master Gardener (PBMG) volunteer program

Members of the Master Gardener program are committed volunteers trained by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service who motivate and educate the Permian Basin community about sound horticultural practices.

Their website, www.westtexasgardening.org, offers gardening information in different areas, including vegetables (varieties, when to plant, and days to harvest), shade plants, trees (deciduous and evergreens), annuals, perennials (vines, shrubs, groundcovers, grasses), fruit, nut, and berry cultivars.

They also write the PBMG Blog, which shares practical articles, tips, and local insights specifically tailored to West Texas conditions. The blog features short, easy-to-read posts written by trained Master Gardeners covering topics such as native plants, soil health, seasonal gardening, and sustainable landscaping.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

The Aggie Horticulture website provides plenty of research-based information in major gardening areas. Fruit and nut resources, vegetable resources, ornamental production, viticulture, and the Texas Superstar plant guide. The Texas Home Vegetable Gardening Guide is a detailed planting, soil, watering, crop selection, and planning guide, free to use.

Insects, pests, and diseases

Visit the Texas Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program from AgriLife online. A science-based approach to controlling pests (like insects, weeds, or diseases) that minimizes harm to people, the environment, and beneficial organisms. Instead of relying only on chemicals, IPM combines multiple strategies to manage pests effectively and long-term.

The Texas Plant Disease Diagnosis Lab is a wonderful tool that helps you properly diagnose your plant issue, especially if you suspect a pathogen is the cause of your plant’s abnormal development. Visit them at plantclinic.tamu.edu

Test your soil

Healthy soil is the foundation of a thriving garden. Testing your garden soil helps you understand its condition, ensuring your plants grow and thrive in healthy soil. Luckily, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has a “Soil, Water, and Forage Testing Laboratory” where you can submit your soil sample and have it analyzed for a fee. Visit their website and look for the “Urban and Homeowner Soil Sample Information Form,” which includes the procedure for collecting your soil sample.

Seed libraries

Seed libraries allow gardeners to borrow or take seeds for free, grow plants, and return saved seeds at the end of the season. The AgriLife Extension Office, with the support of Permian Basin Master Gardener volunteers, manages two seed libraries.

  • Midland County: Centennial Public Library
  • Ector County: Ector County Public Library

You do not need a library card for this, and you can take up to two seed packages. We kindly ask that you write your name, the seeds you are taking, and where they will be planted (home, church, farm, etc.). This information helps us promote the impact of this project. The seeds we offer are mainly vegetable, herb, flower, and fruit seeds (e.g., watermelon, cantaloupe). Gardening guides are also available at both locations.

We also take seed donations. At each location, we have a ‘donation basket’ where you can leave your seeds. Label them, so we know what they are. We will package them in small envelopes and make them available at the seed libraries.

In the last three years, we have received seed package donations from Tractor Supply Co. stores, The Home Depot in Midland, TX., Bonnie Plant Farm in Midland, TX, residents from Ector and Midland counties, Utopia Valley, LLC Farm in Las Cruces, NM, and our beloved Master Gardener volunteers!

The Native Agenda is a local project by Amanda Green (Master Gardener trainee) and her husband, Matt. They provide the community with access to native plants, wildflower seeds, and expert guidance on water-wise landscaping. Whether you want to support local pollinators or create a drought-tolerant garden, they offer the resources and knowledge you need to succeed in our unique climate.

The offer seed libraries around town as well. Visit their website to find the nearest one to you.

Classes and events:

  • In-person classes: Always check the Master Gardener website: www.westtexasgardening.org for upcoming classes and events.
  • AgriLife Learn from Texas A&M is a great online resource that helps you grow your knowledge through research-based publications, self -paced courses, and more. This platform has learners from 170+ countries and all 254 Texas counties.
  • Earth-Kind Landscaping (Texas A&M) is an online program that uses research-proven techniques to provide maximum garden and landscape enjoyment while preserving and protecting the environment. The objective of Earth-Kind Landscaping is to combine the best of organic and traditional gardening and landscaping principles to create a horticultural system that is effective in the real world and environmentally responsible.
  • Ready, Set, Grow! from New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service is a free monthly webinar series that provides research-based gardening education from extension agents, horticulture specialists, and regional experts. The program shares practical gardening practices, seasonal topics, and recorded presentations to help home gardeners learn how to grow plants successfully in desert and Southwest climates. Visit their website at: https://desertblooms.nmsu.edu/grow.html