Dana Nichols

SPECIALTY: Landscaping

ABOUT:

As conservation manager at SAWS, Dana gets to spend her days promoting beautiful San Antonio landscapes that need little to no water while benefiting Texas wildlife. When she’s not working with her talented co-workers whipping up new landscape programs, she’s cooking up delicious dinners made with fresh herbs from her low-water-use garden or planning the next trip with her husband, Rick — preferably to some exotic place that requires a passport.

Christmas Tree Turned Bird Feeder

Before you haul your holiday pine or fir to the brush/compost pile, decorate it one more time — this time as a bird feeder. The weekend after New Year’s Eve is usually when the Christmas tree comes down in our house. I usually cut it up and add it to my brush/compost pile where it […]
Ball Moss Wreath

Customize your own holiday door décor with just a few materials — including one that’s absolutely free and widely available this time of year. Forget a store-bought wreath that looks like everyone else’s. Customize your own holiday door décor with just a few materials — including one that’s absolutely free and widely available this time […]
Garden Center Safety in a COVID-19 World

Some landscape centers are still open for business. But before you venture out, make sure you plan ahead to help keep you and your community safe. In some ways, this spring is like any other. The birds are singing, bees are buzzing, flowers are blooming. It’s also unlike any other as a result of the […]
The Rights and Wrongs of River Rock

A faux streambed can add woodland charm and delightful texture to your landscape. But these design details can make the difference between “nailed it” and “nope.” We get it. When you’re faced with a lackluster lawn year after year, the temptation to rip it all out and replace it with gravel is fierce. But using […]
Lovely Local Landscapes

Landscape features you can do. Check out these featured landscapes that are right here is San Antonio selected for their substantial reduction of grass, beds appropriately mulched with leaves, chips, bark or stone, plants appropriate to soil and sunlight conditions, plants covering at least 50 percent of the site in beds or non-turf areas, and […]
6 Amazing San Antonio Yards to Inspire

Six landscapes offer very different approaches in design, but share the common goal of saving water. Every year the WaterSaver Landscape tour focuses on landscapes designed for low maintenance and low water use. Limited irrigation, native plants, colorful drought-tough perennials and reduced lawn spaces are features they all share. Each landscape offers simple ideas that […]
Composting Dos, Don’ts and Whys

Compost is like health food for your garden. It enriches the soil with nutrients and increases water infiltration. Knowing a few basics can make it easy-peasy too! Whether you buy it or make your own, compost is a simple, environmentally friendly way to improve the overall health of your landscape. There are many ways to compost. […]
Winter Stars

Evergreens that change very little throughout the year are the showstoppers of your landscape. Winter is the best time to decide where you might want to add some when the weather warms up. In winter, evergreen plants that change very little throughout the year are the showstoppers of your landscape. Winter is the best time of year […]
Resolve to Get Gardening and Get Healthy

Instead of spending time and money at the gym, spend it in your landscape. Resolve to combine your exercise resolution with your garden goals. For a couple of years I’ve suggested New Year’s resolutions on various ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. And I stand behind those resolutions. But we all know that the most […]
Compost Guide for the Holidays

It’s cool to compost, especially if you have lots of uncooked fresh fruit and veggie scraps left over from your holiday feast. Meat If you have a lot of protein leftover, you can freeze most meats for 1-2 months. Don’t put meat in the compost pile. It attracts four, six and eight leggedunwanted neighbors. Drippings […]
Make a Merry Chris-Moss Wreath

Customize your own holiday door décor with just a few materials — including one that’s absolutely free and widely available this time of year: ball moss. Forget a store-bought wreath that looks like everyone else’s. Customize your own holiday door décor with just a few materials — including one that’s absolutely free and widely available […]
Help Your Landscape Beat the Heat

No lawn? No worries. But if you have a yard full of grass in the sun, this time of year can be rough. Follow our tips for a landscape that’s Texas-tough. It’s that time of year again – hot, hot, hot punctuated by an all too occasional rain shower and yep, drought restrictions. Those with little […]
3 Reasons Rocks Don’t Rock the Landscape

When it comes to gardening, what happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas. Here’s why Sin City’s gravel-gilded grounds aren’t a good gamble in Texas’ terrain. There’s a common misconception that rock yards are the only ones that save water. That’s only partially true, as rocks don’t need any watering whatsoever. But when used strategically […]
Where the Wild Things Are

Understory is the unsung hero of your landscape, providing critical habitat for wildlife and requiring zero maintenance. Yet, it’s often underutilized. Here’s why you should love it and leave it in your landscape. While our heritage trees are revered and protected, as they should be, very little regard is given to the understory associated with […]
Let Me Call You Sweetheart Rose

The Sweetheart Rose is ideally suited for smaller, very sunny yards. Lucky for you, it’s also an EarthKind rose and is included in the spring 2016 WaterSaver Landscape Coupon plant list. The Sweetheart Rose, also known as Cecile Brunner, is a small rose bush that produces a staggering amount of sweet-smelling blooms starting in spring […]
3 Reasons Rocks Don’t Rock the Landscape

Rocks rock when you use them strategically and effectively. But rocks are not a requirement of a water-savvy landscape. We’ll give you three reasons why. Recently I’ve had many people say SAWS just wants them to have rock yards. And I’m here to tell you that could not be farther from the truth. Here are […]
Get your Steps in and Get inspired

It’s a new year for new resolutions. If walking is one of yours, lace up your sneakers and stroll some of our favorite haunts for exercise and landscape ideas. Now that the holidays and holiday parties have come and gone January finds many of us reassessing our personal exercise regime. Did you happen to get […]
Grilling with Herbs

Summertime is grillin’ time. I think most San Antonians would agree that summertime is grillin’ time. Steaks, ribs, chicken, sausage, burgers and shrimp all end up on the grill at some point each summer. My husband Rick is the grill master for the protein portion of our meal, but I’m in charge of the sides, […]
Mediterranean Gardening in South Texas

San Antonio’s climate and geology are ideal for a Mediterranean garden. There have been a lot of stories in the news recently about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet . It turns out a Mediterranean garden can be good for us, too — and ideal for San Antonio’s climate and geology. Our climate similarities include short wet […]
Wanted: Water Conservation Ideas

Do you have water conservation ideas that’ll help make San Antonio a more sustainable city now and in the future? We want to hear them! Please join us at San Antonio’s first-ever Sustainability Forum Tuesday, June 23, from 5-8 p.m. at Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center-The Grotto. We’ll be asking for your ideas on topics […]
Ready to Ditch Your Irrigation System?

GardenStyleSA-friendly landscapes come in all shapes and sizes for every taste and budget. They can be neat and subdued, dominated by orderly evergreen shrubs lined up in a row, or wild and woolly with colors exploding from various corners of the yard. They may have a knockout patio, an herb garden, a focus on butterflies, […]
The Dirty Dozen

Over the last few months I’ve been polling local natural area managers from the San Antonio River Authority, City of San Antonio Natural Areas, and Texas Parks and Wildlife on which non-native plants seem to be the most problematic in their management areas. This is an informal survey, not a scientific study. I asked them […]
Avoiding Problematic Plants

It’s an exciting time for natural areas here in San Antonio with San Antonians protecting, preserving, restoring and enjoying natural areas across the city. From the major restoration of the Mission Reach section of the San Antonio River and the 120-mile stretch of hike and bike trails of the Howard Peak Greenway Trail to Hardberger […]
Make Room in Perennial Beds for Reseeding Annuals

In a region with 12 months of sunshine, little changes in the landscape from season to season. So it’s careful attention to details that count. Early spring flowers, redbuds, mountain laurels, Anacahuita, fluffy yellow globes on a Huisache tree and old-fashioned quince tell us spring is around the corner, and for me, the spots in […]
A Rain Garden that Pulls Double Duty

In San Antonio, the main advantages of planting a rain garden are two-fold: it slows down the rain to prevent pollution and saves a ton of water in the process. Check to see if we have a WaterSaver Landscape Coupon available to purchase the plants for your rain garden! Plus, 200 square feet is the perfect size […]
Garden Socially

My garden is starting to wake up and it’s thriving from all the winter rain. In fact, I haven’t had to water since early last fall. The cherry tree’s blooms have come and gone, and the mountain laurel and red buds are in full bloom. And the basil I got from this year’s Spring Bloom […]
Dana’s Easy Potatoes au Gratin

This dish is a family favorite that’s both easy and good — and even better when served up after a hard day’s work in the yard. Dana’s Easy Potatoes au Gratin Ingredients 2-3 large (or 5-6 medium) russet potatoes, peeled and cubed 1 cup Half & Half 1 cup Mexican sour cream 1-1/4 cup parmesan […]
Coupon Plant Selection – A Plethora of Choices

Our WaterSaver Landscape Coupons have over 100 choices for you to choose from. While many will agree that more choices are better, it does mean you may need to do a little homework to make sure you choose the best plant selection for your little piece of landscape heaven. GardenStyleSA Find a Plant can certainly help. […]
Don’t Trash that Tree, Recycle It

Christmas has come and gone and now it’s time to take down the tinsel and lights. If you put up a fresh Christmas tree this year, you may be wondering how best to dispose of it. Here are some ideas that will let you and your tree give back to the environment. Cut it down […]
Nature’s Mulch is the Best

Mulch is pretty important. It keeps roots and soil cool during scorching hot summers, makes weeds easier to pull and helps conserve water. When we use it in our landscapes, we’re mimicking the natural forest floor. Next time you hike through one of our area natural parks, take a look at the ground off the trail […]
Plant Now for Spring Wildflowers

Central Texas is known for its drifts of spring wildflowers. It’s practically a rite of passage for kids to have their picture taken in a field of blooming bluebonnets. But we usually don’t think about wildflowers until the weather starts to warm up. And, that’s too late if you want your own personal patch. In […]
Compost Guide for Thanksgiving

Turkey If you have a lot leftover, you can freeze the turkey meat for 1-2 months. Don’t put turkey meat in the compost pile or down the drain. Turkey Drippings Use drippings to make gravy. Or, pour into a non-recyclable container and toss in the trash. Turkey Carcass Use the carcass to make turkey broth […]
Leftover Love: Turkey Potpie

Many of us go all year without cooking turkey at home. Sure, we may have the occasional turkey leg at Fiesta or order turkey sandwiches for lunch, but it’s not the same as Thanksgiving turkey. And, I have to say my husband, much like the dad on “A Christmas Story,” is quite the turkey aficionado […]
GardenStyle Recognition Program

You’ve worked hard on your landscape — planning, taking classes, visiting local nurseries, digging, sweating and getting everything just right. And along the way, you’ve also learned a lot about gardening. You’re conserving water, providing habitat for local wildlife, going organic and increasing diversity, all while livening things up with a beautiful outdoor living area […]
Spinach and Pear Salad

This salad brings us toward the heartier fair of the holiday season with spinach and pears, but is still fresh and light. And, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a fabulous autumn meal. Pear Dressing: 1 pear, diced small 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped 2 tablespoons rice wine Juice from ½ a lemon Fresh cracked black […]
Yard Work or Relaxation?

You love flipping through garden magazines, watching home and garden programs and, of course, clicking around GardenStyleSA.com browsing all the great plant choices there are to design the perfect garden. You dream of a wonderful garden space you can relax in while watching butterflies flutter, cooking a feast with your own homegrown herbs, or having the perfect […]
When Aphids are a Good Sign

It’s monarch migration season in central Texas. As with many pollinators, there is growing concern about the decline in monarch populations. Fortunately, there are some simple things gardeners can do to help these fluttering beauties. Of course, you need a caterpillar before you can have a butterfly and the monarch caterpillar is a picky eater. It feeds […]
Save the Date to Get Inspired

Get inspired! The WaterSaver Landscape Tour is Saturday, Oct. 4, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. The free tour highlights three different and unique low-water landscapes in Deerfield, along with exemplary yards in Colonies North, Hollywood Park and Castle Hills. No matter what your own personal garden goals are, we are confidant you’ll find some great ideas here. New […]
Remember Goldilocks

So you’ve done your research, chosen the right plant for the right spot and you’ve made your purchases. Now you’re ready to get your plants in the ground. Seems simple enough, and it is. But, plants do have a bit of a Goldilocks complex. Not only should you plant sun-loving plants in the sun and shade-loving plants in […]
When the Rain Comes, Rain Garden

Put your WaterSaver Landscape coupon to work doing double duty by using it to create a rain garden. When you dig up your grass dig a little deeper, creating a slight depression with gradually sloping sides. Locate the garden in a place that will intercept runoff from your patio, driveways or other impervious surfaces on your property. The […]
Be a Good Neighbor to Natural Areas

San Antonio’s natural area parks managed by the City of San Antonio are great places to get some exercise and fresh air for sure. But they are also great places to get an up close look at native plants to incorporate into your landscape. As you hike through the parks, keep in mind none of those […]
Time for a Dip — Texas-style

Are you ready for some football? Serve it up with some Texas Caviar. This is a healthier option to serve with chips or crackers during the big game. While there are many versions, this one has always been a hit at our house. Make it on the spot or a couple of days ahead. Leftovers […]
Go Wild! Wildscape That Is

Imagine butterflies filling your backyard with moving color, or witness the arrival of birds settling in for the winter. You can add ingredients to your landscape and turn it into a feast for wildlife, too by turning it into a wildscape. The basic ingredients to a great wildscape include: Food — Select plants that provide a […]
Preservation is Conservation

If you’re lucky enough to have a little piece of Texas for your new home-building site consider preserving as much of it as you can. Preservation is conservation. As a starting point, preserve a minimum of 30 percent of your land after your home footprint is set. Even better, go a step further and design […]
Caprese Tomato Poppers

This little one-bite appetizer tastes like summer and packs some major yum using fresh basil. They’re sure to be a hit at your next party. Caprese Tomato Poppers Ingredients: Cherry tomatoes Buffalo Mozzarella Basil leaves Balsamic vinegar Cut off top of cherry tomatoes (stem end). Scoop out pulp with small spoon or the small end of […]
Recipe for a Great Yard

Follow this basic recipe and add some of your own ingredients such as pervious pathways, patios, trestles and decks and you’re on your way to a gourmet landscape. To either a new or an existing landscape add: A good amount of native and well adaptive plants – to taste. Plants for every season. There are […]
Texas Hill Country — Your Little Piece of Heaven

The Texas Hill Country is undoubtedly a beautiful place. If you’re lucky enough to have a piece of it, why would you design your landscape to conceal it? You want to enhance it! Incorporate any existing limestone outcroppings, minimize your use of turf, save a space for wildflowers, use plants native to the Hill Country, and whenever […]
Spanish Splendor

Spanish courtyards are tailor-made for San Antonio’s semi-arid climate, and we couldn’t be happier. Influenced by Roman and Moorish civilizations, Spanish-style courtyards and gardens are ideal for creating outdoor rooms for entertaining or relaxing. Spanish courtyards typically feature a spacious hardscape area, a central fountain, bird bath or basin of water, container plants and limited planting […]
Spring Seasonal Stars

South Texas gardeners think of mid-February as the start of “spring” for planting vegetables and many other warm-season plants. Everyone looks forward to spring wildflowers in March and April. If we are lucky, the mild spring weather lasts until May. For full enjoyment, plant seasonal stars several months ahead of their peak blooming time. Redbud Cercus […]
Fall Seasonal Stars

What a wonderful time of the year! Nights are cool again, plants are flowering and if we are lucky the sun is still shining. Be aware that water needs of plants (including grass) drop dramatically in the fall. Over-watering in the fall can lead to plant disease. For full enjoyment, plant seasonal stars like this […]
Winter Seasonal Stars

Tender perennials turn brown after the first hard freeze that often coincides with Thanksgiving season. The plants that remain green are now appreciated in a new way. Cactus, liriope, rosemary, yaupon and other plants stand out as the “stars” of the winter season because other plants won’t return until warmer weather does. For full enjoyment, […]
Hardscape = Patio

Winter is a great time to tackle this project. Outdoor living areas are one of the hottest trends in south Texas. Take advantage of the mild winters to complete the “floor” of your outdoor room or patio. A well-installed hardscape will be attractive and will provide many years of enjoyment. Just a note on lingo; Hardscape […]
Resolve to Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

This year, make a New Year’s resolution worth keeping. Start in your yard by reducing, reusing and recycling. Of course, our Garden Tips are geared toward helping you reduce your water footprint while still maintaining a great yard. Here are some other ideas to save water, money, and keep your New Year’s resolution. Reduce: How low […]
Get Down to the Nitty Gritty – Soil that Is!

Here’s the 4-1-1, the scoop, the dirt: Soil is the foundation for a healthy, drought-tolerant landscape. If you have deep soil – like most who live in central San Antonio – good for you. It’s probably heavy clay, but with added organic matter you have a wide variety of plants to choose from that require […]
Landscape Design – Put It on Paper

I hope you found some time to sit in the shade and reflect on the possibilities for your landscape. Garden magazines and websites are great resources to start a clip file of your favorite ideas. As you think about your landscape, consider how it fared during this toughest of summers. If there were areas that […]
How Deep is Your Soil?

The answer to this question should guide your garden design and irrigation habits. To find out how deep your soil is, just grab a screwdriver and start poking around. Verify your findings by lining up the screwdriver to a ruler. For shallow soils (less than 4 inches), the general rule is to minimize grass, which […]
Roll With It: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

This new year, make a concerted effort to be more eco-friendly and water-wise. You can start in your yard by reducing, reusing and recycling. Of course, this website is geared toward helping you reduce your water footprint while still maintaining a great-looking yard. Here are a few ideas to help you get started: Reduce: How low […]
Texas Hill Country Landscape

A Texas Hill Country Landscape design blends a formal landscape into the untouched natural area of a property. The Texas Hill Country is located on the Edward escarpment of the Edwards Aquifer. This area encompasses the fast-growing Austin to San Antonio corridor. The region is characterized by thin alkaline soils and limestone outcroppings supporting Live Oaks […]
Spanish Courtyard Garden

Spanish Courtyards are designed like an outdoor room to create a restful, relaxing atmosphere. The Roman and Moorish civilizations were significant influences in the development of the Spanish Courtyard Garden in the first through the twelve centuries. The Roman atrium was the model for the Spanish patio which became the central feature of Spanish Courtyard […]
Wildscape Landscape

Choose plant species so wildlife has a place to hide and raise their young. In the context of landscape design, having a wildscape means that your landscape benefits wildlife. As more and more wildlife habitat is converted into suburbs and shopping malls there is an increased need to create the conditions necessary to support wildlife. […]
Traditional WaterSaver Landscape

Traditional WaterSaver landscapes utilize low-water-use plants for the appearance of a traditional American lawn, without their high water counterparts. The typical American lawn was brought to America from France and England in the 1700s and promoted at the turn of the nineteenth century by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Golf Association and the […]
Cottage Garden

Capture the romantic feeling of the cottage style gardens. Cottage Gardens are indigenous to any culture where people had small plots of land of their own. Every square inch of land would be covered with something of purpose, from cutting flowers, herbs and roses for culinary and medicinal purposes, to vegetables, and fruit trees, without […]
Resolve to Get Gardening and Get Healthy

Instead of spending time and money at the gym, spend it in your landscape. Resolve to combine your exercise resolution with your garden goals. For the past couple of years I’ve suggested New Year’s resolutions of reduce, reuse and recycle. I still stand behind them all. But we all know the most common resolution for […]
WaterSaver Lane

WaterSaver Lane Showcases Beauty of Low-Water-Use Landscapes Next time you visit the San Antonio Botanical Garden, be sure to go by WaterSaver Lane, the new lawn and environmental exhibit sponsored in part by SAWS. WaterSaver Lane was created to celebrate the work of the EPA-sponsored Lawns and Environment Committee, which produced new guidelines for an environmentally-responsible […]

Dana Nichols

SPECIALTY: Landscaping

ABOUT:

Related Article