Landscaping in the Big Country with Adam Andrews is your weekly guide to thriving West Texas yards—lawns, trees, beds, soil, water-wise strategies, seasonal to-dos, and practical fixes for pests and disease. Broadcast live at noon Saturdays on NewsTalk1560, KZQQ-AM (Abilene, Texas), Adam answers listener questions and shares expert tips tailored to the Big Country climate. Send your questions for on-air consideration to wcgardens24@gmail.com

Adam and Amber ease us into “pre-fall” and what that means for your yard. Timely to-dos: it’s the last call for fall lawn fertilizing and pre-emergent; true freeze talk can wait. Fall color arrives with violas (heat-tolerant pansy cousins), wonderfully fragrant stock, ornamental kale & cabbage, and eye-popping ornamental peppers (pretty—don’t rub your eyes!).

Plant of the Week: Chinese Pistachio (Pistacia chinensis) — a Texas Superstar shade tree that laughs at heat, cold, and clay. Expect long life, strong fall color (oranges → reds), deep non-surface roots, pest resistance, and minimal mess (female berries dry in place). Listener Eric calls in to rave about his—and yes, birds will “help” plant a few extras.

West Texas is easing toward fall, and Adam & Amber share how the shorter days and cooler nights kick plants into gear. We hit the week’s forecast, the State Fair effect (bring that rain!), and a quick celestial note on daylight. Then: a fun recap of our succulent-pumpkin workshop.

Plant of the Week is Asiatic (Asian) Jasmine—why it’s the near-bulletproof, evergreen groundcover for Abilene (shade to sun, drought-tough, low-maintenance) and how to plant and use it in beds and containers.