10 Tips and Tricks for Spring Gardening

Gardening expert and nursery owner Barry Johnson ’87 shares simple advice every Aggie can follow to go from gardening novice to green thumb.

By Anna Cairns '20 '23

Portraits by Jason Kindig; other photos provided by Blooming Colors

March 21, 2022

Barry Johnson '87 is the owner of Blooming Colors Nursery & Landscaping in Grapevine, Texas.

Now a successful garden entrepreneur and the owner of Blooming Colors Nursery & Landscaping in Grapevine, Texas, Barry Johnson ’87 experienced an early love for tilling and tending fresh flora. His mother, Sally Young Johnson, encouraged him to serve as her garden helper when he was a child. Together, they gardened at home in Shreveport, Louisiana, a peaceful respite from the chaos of a family with four brothers.

In addition to his love for gardening, Johnson excelled in school. Fueled by a love for math and science, he and two of his brothers studied engineering at Texas A&M University. Upon departure from Aggieland one summer, Johnson found work at a retail garden center in Shreveport. “My parents had a rule: Go to summer school or get a summer job,” he remembered. “Well, I was tired of school by May. I always got a job.”

That summer job transformed his passion for gardening into an idea for his own business. “I loved helping customers,” Johnson recalled. “It was one of the last few professions where you could sell your knowledge, and it wasn’t a commodity.” Later, he completed a summer internship at Monrovia Wholesale Nursery in California, where he learned the business side of running a nursery.

After graduating with an agricultural engineering degree from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Johnson worked as a food project engineer for seven years. Of all his culinary accomplishments, one stands out. “If you’ve ever had a tri-colored marshmallow, it probably came off the machine I designed,” he laughed. “My kids, Joy ’20 and Jesse ’21, are tired of hearing about that one.”

But throughout his time in corporate America, Johnson’s heart remained rooted in gardening. “I had a yearning to own my own retail garden center, so I started doing that on the side,” he said. “During the week, I was a senior project engineer. On the weekends, I designed whole landscapes for people and installed them with my friends.”

Eventually, Johnson hung up his corporate suit and tie to pursue his passion. Blooming Colors Nursery & Landscaping opened in 1994, and he has been “blessed ever since.” In 2016, he funneled some of the byproducts of his success into an endowment for the Sally Young Johnson Herb Garden in the Leach Teaching Gardens at Texas A&M, permanently honoring his mother’s love for gardening. Texas herbs are the plot’s backbone, with the garden displaying a wide array of herbs with culinary, medicinal and other applications. “My mom enjoyed gardening so much that my dad built her a greenhouse. I cleaned it and kept it up for her; in return, she let me find my passion there. This is my way of honoring her for letting me into her space and trusting me,” Johnson explained.

After almost 30 years operating Blooming Colors, Johnson has more than green thumbs up his sleeves. Below, he shares some tips and tricks for spring gardening for amateurs and agricultural aces alike.

The Gardens Grows

The Gardens on Texas A&M University’s West Campus is getting ready for a growth spurt! Phase II will develop a further 20 acres of land and expand The Gardens along Horticulture Road, John Kimbrough Boulevard and Discovery Drive.

Features include a re-creation of the long-lost Grove amphitheater; a large lawn encased by the red, white and blooms garden honoring our service branches; a series of children’s gardens; a climate-controlled training center; a plaza dedicated to the great agricultural innovators of Aggieland; a Texas rose garden; White Creek access improvements for ecological studies; and an expansion of the existing Post Oak Savannah.

The expanded acreage will be a prime destination for students and visitors alike and enhance The Gardens’ mission of engaging the community in a living teaching environment.

Barry’s Spring Gardening Tips:

Get a jumpstart on spring cleaning: When it comes to cleaning up your garden for spring, the earlier, the better. “You want to have that done so that when it starts to get warm, you have a prepared bed already.” You can prepare in the dead of winter by adding good soil, compost and even fertilizer.
Bury some treasure: When his children were small, Johnson planted crops that grew mostly under the soil. “I’d let my kids dig them up to harvest, and they couldn’t have imagined that so many potatoes would be just under the surface.” When you reach for seeds this year, consider sharing the surprises of tubers and other root vegetables.
Prune for a garden boon: Pruning is tricky; it depends on both the weather and the plant in question. “I tell people to prune when it’s colorful and the weather is mild, like in the spring or fall.” Avoid pruning in the winter, because a warm spell after a winter prune could trigger the plants to start growing before the weather is right.
Divide perennials for dividends: Divide your perennials in deep winter, then spread them out or give them away. “The plants are completely dormant, so that’s the thing to do when it’s cold.”
Make your bed: Prepare your garden beds for spring by removing weeds manually or with a weedkiller. “I usually take a Manila folder or a hard piece of cardboard to protect the good plant and then spray with a Windex bottle of the weed killer.” Weed killers can be chemically engineered or organic, vinegar-based solutions. If you choose to pull weeds by hand, make sure to get the roots.

Est. 1994
Barry Johnson opened Blooming Colors in 1994, and business has been booming since.
Building Better
Barry Johnson had a hand in designing his Grapevine, Texas, nursery.
A Grapevine Original
Inspired by nurseries in Louisiana and California, Barry Johnson put a Texas twist on a proven recipe for success.
Sun and Shade
Pay attention to which plants want to soak up the sun and which plants prefer full shade.
Anyone Can Garden
Green thumbs are not a requirement for a backyard jungle.

Learn how much is too mulch: “At Blooming Colors, we recommend at least 3 to 4 inches of mulch once or twice annually, and we like double shredded hardwood.” A thick layer of mulch keeps weeds out and moisture in, and it provides an excellent insulating blanket in temperature extremes.
Follow planting zones: The United States Department of Agriculture publishes a map that uses average annual winter temperature to guide which plants grow best in every area. Many people ignore the advice, but planting zones are among the most important considerations when choosing vegetation for your garden. “I see the planting zone mistake over and over, especially with big chain stores. People buy plants that aren’t right for their zone and then come to me to fix it.” You can look up your zone here.
Plant your early spring bloomers: In early spring, you can plant potatoes, onions, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli and most of your leafy greens. “The best time to plant vegetables like those in Texas is from the October cooldown through springtime because plants go in the ground dormant. They grow roots all winter long, and then they’re ready for the summer heat.”
Wet your plants: Once you’ve picked your springtime plants and populated your yard, maintenance is a must. How to water is a boring question, but it’s the one Johnson gets asked the most. “Put your finger knuckle deep down into the soil. If it’s dry, you should water slow and down to the roots.” Don’t water every day; you don’t want your roots to rot.
Prepare for standard springtime shortcomings: Most Texans need to prepare their garden beds with nutrient-rich soil or fertilizer. “Very few areas in Texas have good soil. East Texas has great sand, but that’s an exception.” Be mindful of your placement for plants that need sun and plants that need shade and plan out your garden before you start digging. “Plants tend to look best in clusters of threes, fives and sevens.”

Is there someone who helped your passions take root? You can memorialize them through a gift to The Gardens of $25 or more at the button below or create an endowment to support long-term plans for Phase II by contacting Allyson Tjoelker ’02 at the bottom of this page.

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