I'm not familiar with Texas weather, but my parents have tomatoes growing year round in southern California. The plants aren't as happy in the winter but they survive and produce, though not as bountifully. There are plenty of greens that do well in colder weather, too. Kale in particular is supposed to be better after a bit of frost.

It's a big state, Fiona :) Try New Zealand spinach. Globe onions. Cabbage. Radishes. Horseradish.

I'm a fellow Texas gardener, and with our summer temps staying above 100 all season, we haven't even attempted to start winter squash! So if you want to try along with me... Once September comes, I'll be planting winter squash (butternut and acorn). Swiss chard loves it here and grows year-round, hot and cold. Lettuces and greens are perfect for containers and can handle a little shade. Radishes and turnips do well too! I have on good authority that winter gardens in Texas can be your most prolific. Check your local county's website for a planting guide (i.e., Travis County Planting Guide) for an even more in-depth look. You'll find that planting season is NEVER gone in Texas! Happy gardening!

Congratulations Fiona! Find your hardiness zone here http://www.thevegetablegarden.info/usda-hardiness-zones and surf the web for vegetable gardening in your zone. Happy Gardening! :)

you should try http://www.sproutrobot.com/

We're in coastal SoCal and our fall/winter garden will be: various greens, carrots, sugar snap peas, radishes, broccoli, pansies, violas, violets, tomatoes, garlic & shallots. We're so excited to have a garden again, too!

Rather than jumping right in with plants, you might consider focusing on improving your soil for next spring. Gardening is a process--and it starts with good soil. Read a little about "lasagna" or "layer" mulching. Lay out newspaper or cardboard to tamp down grass, pile it high with green and brown mulches [have a whole truckfull delivered, you cannot use too much--especially in awful texas soil] or "hot" manure... then keep it watered over the winter and you'll have a great place to start a garden come spring, without all the trouble of tilling and sod removal.

Agreed with herbs. Mine are still raging on in this unbreakable heat and with me hardly watering them.

I'd also look into trees or things like that (if you have any desire to plant any) I know I'm holding off til this heat breaks.

I also have a ton of honeysuckle I finally got to grown from clippings I'm waiting til next month or so to plant so it has a fighting chance once temps are in the 90s.

I would love to re-start my little potted herb garden (I had one last year that got destroyed by the fluke tornado that came through Brooklyn). My concern is what happens to the herbs in the winter -- can they survive outside and just hibernate, or do you need to bring them in? Bringing them in might be an issue because I have a cat, and I don't want her eating anything that'll hurt her.
Advice?

astroande- google the herbs. Many herbs are perennials. If so, leave them be and they'll should come back next year (pending no crazy hard winter) annuals you'd have to bring in. The only big annuals I can think of offhand is basil. Herbs are usually pretty easy.

Thanks you all so much!
I am thrilled at the variety I'll be able to get going, and specially thankful for the suggested tools. Thank so much!

Even better than spending $1.99 at the nursery...many herbs (basil, mint, green onion, chives) will grow from your leftovers. Especially if you have a good ethnic market nearby where you can get basil and mint fresher and more intact (instead of those tiny little plastic boxes that are half-dead) use some for dinner and stick the rest in the dirt and let them grow!

Definitely herbs and winter veggies. More importantly, you will find garden centers putting perennials and trees/shrubs on sale in the fall, since that is a greta planting time and they are trying to clear out plants for the "winter" (at least the "winter" in TX--here in WI it is WINTER). So if you know you want to do a perennial bed or plant a few trees or shrubs, fall is a greta time to do it.

Have fun!

i live in san antonio and last year we had those frosts in jan and feb (2011) and i had tomato plants that i had posted the march (2010) before and they still produced tomatoes up until i ripped it out to get the ground ready for this years planting!

Garlic is usually planted in the fall and does fairly well even in poor soil.

second the idea of growing some garlic! easy peasy & delish!

The fall is a fantastic time for gardening. Lettuce, Kale, Parsely, Peas, Broccoli to name a few of my fall favorites. Find out more at www.gardendesignsandideas.net. Good luck!

@astroande
I'm no expert, but I don't think most herbs are harmful to cats. Some herbs will winter over (oregano especially takes over), so you may have some inside and some outside.

I'm pretty late on this, but in case anyone else has astroande's question and sees this: the ASPCA website has a list of plants (which would include herbs, if any) that are dangerous for pets to eat (probably a teeny bit won't hurt them, but it's good to be careful).

I did some research when I adopted my kitten about three years ago, and came across this.