Kiss of Sun

New blog address!!

2012-02-07T19:11:00.001-08:00

I'm making a jump and taking my blog to wordpress so please change my blog address in any blogrolls, blogreaders or bookmarks you might have. New blog address for Kiss of Sun is http://kissofsun.wordpress.com

Pollinator happiness

2011-11-02T08:36:00.000-07:00

I was taking pictures in the preschool garden the other day and was watching the bees go crazy around the pumpkin blossoms. They were just so happy. Then I noticed a few of them looked a little weighted down. So I got in close and noticed the bees just covered in pollen all over their bodies and weighted down with full pollen sacks. Check it out!

What happened to that cute little garden???

2011-11-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

What happened to that cute little garden you used to take care of Bonnie? The one with all the little hands and feet helping?

Don't you worry, the little preschool garden is still going strong and we are doing monthly gardening classes. Let me catch you up...last time we posted was in June about the preschool garden and warm season veggies were sprawling. July came and we cleaned up and planted our pumpkin patch for fall.

September started with our wonderful students moving up to their new classes and it was time to come out to the garden. First order of business? Sun protection because no one told Mother Nature that September is the time for cooler weather- at least not here in Texas.

So my friends and I fashioned some sun hats out of newsprint and got on out to the garden.

First order of business- observation and exploration. Those kids wanted to see what was going on since their last visit. And what in the heck was this vine growing in the veggie garden?? So we talked about how cool pumpkin vines are because they have male and female flowers. And what they really like is insects who help them pollinate the flowers. We checked out the female flower with the baby pumpkin on it, just waiting to get pollinated so it can start growing.

Here is our trellis, beautifully covered in pumpkin vines The vines took a late summer beating from the aphids but we just kept giving strong sprays of water to knock them off. Some vines did have to be sacrificed as aphid food for the greater good.

We got about 5 great big pumpkins, 4 of them growing on the trellis. Here they are just starting to turn orange. In fact, one started growing and got caught in between the trellis metal bars so it is now stuck there. Guess we'll have to take a hacksaw to that one. Perfect prep for pumpkin pie??

We left them up and delayed our cool season garden in order to have the pumpkins on the vine for Halloween but this next week they will be harvested for indoor decoration or pie making, whatever the kids want. Then on to greens and all the other good cool season veggies for the kids.

Support Our Local Independent Nurseries in October

2011-10-02T19:12:00.000-07:00

Last night was the first drop of rain my garden has seen this summer. It wasn't much, but enough to celebrate. To give you an idea of how severe our weather has been this summer and fall, we have had 88 days of 100+ weather. The record until this year was 69. The average is 14. ALL public boat ramps on Lake Travis are closed because the lake is at it's 3rd lowest level on record.

Picture of Lake Travis low elevation during 2011 drought

(picture from Texas Parks and Wildflife)

So you get it, right? Things are pretty desperate here. And it has been depressing having to choose what plants to try and keep alive, now that we are on stage 2 water restrictions.

But I'm not writing to have a plant pity party this week. This week I want to say thanks to all of our local independent nurseries out there who have held on through this long drought waiting for a time when gardeners feel safe to start and plant again. I appreciate the selection of plants they have and the knowledge they are willing to share. And Pam Penick over at Digging has asked the Austin Garden Bloggers to show our appreciation of these local, independent nurseries. I wholeheartedly join in the cause! Here are some of the plants I have bought from these local nurseries over the years that I cherish in my garden (pictures are from earlier, more lush times in the garden!).

"Macho Mocha" Mangave

Purple salvia- a nice break from the traditional red or white.

Jerusalem sage- a fantastic, drought tolerate, deer-resistant choice

Loropetalum or Chinese Fringe Plant. I'm not a big lover of everygreen shrubs- but this one just grabs me every time I see it with the crimsom foliage. Some varieties have green and white foliage, other's more green/red combo or more purple.

Lamb's Ear with Mexican feather grass. These beauties last for years in the garden even in drought conditions.

Confederate Jasmine, also called Star Jasmine- this vine is gorgeous come April when it blooms out insanely. And the smell, oh the smell. I could lay in bed for days just breathing that scent. And luckily it is right outside my bedroom window, so I can- just not for days.

So thank you to some of my favorite nurseries who have supplied me with so many wonderful plants- I'll be making a trip soon to bring my garden back from the brink. Here are a few of my favorites:

Barton Springs Nursery
I love this nursery because plants are well-labeled, they carry a large stock of 4" pots which keeps costs down, a huge selection and a helpful staff. In addition, they have a beautiful selection of pots. 3601 Bee Caves Rd. (512) 328-6655.

The Natural Gardener
NG is just a fun place to explore. Although a bit more of a hike down south in Oak Hill for me, I like to go and meander through the display gardens. The staff and set-up of the garden always prove very educational if you need some direction on care of a plant. Plus I love the Ladybug brand of products. 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd. (512) 288-6113. Click for my tour of the Natural Gardener.

Shoal Creek Nursery
This nursery is more convenient to me and I like exploring it when I have some spare time. 2710 Hancock Dr. (512) 458-5909

Red Barn Nursery
The Red Barn is located up north off 183 and they have a very nice selection and a pleasing, sprawling set-up. Vegetables, natives, herbs, annuals, trees, they have it all. 12881 Pond Springs Road (512) 335-8093

Now THAT is a squash!

2011-07-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Italian Heirloom Squash from the garden

Summer can get messy in the garden

2011-06-28T11:23:00.000-07:00

I'm always amazed at the difference between cold and warm season gardens. In the cold season, everything seems to stay nice and tidy, politely growing in it's designated spot. Growing but not crowding it's neighbor. Warm season, especially summer, is like BLAHHHHHHH, everything just oozes into each other and if there is no room, it just spills across borders and takes over another area. Above is the vegetable bed at the preschool garden. You can see the zucchini spilling out of the bed because it has run out of room. Cucumbers are growing on an arch over the zucchini. We finally had to tie all of the tomato cages in the back together and to the ground to stop them from being puled over by their abundant foliage up top. And those are not wimpy tomato cages either- those are good strong ones that I ordered because I got tired of the wimpy ones.

These zinnias took forever to seed, but now that they are going they seem to be shoving each other out of the way.

Sunflower- just had to show it because it is so cool. The two year olds planted these and no they are about twice as tall as the planters.

Ahhh, here is another shot of the warm weather crazy growth. Pineapple sage on the right whihc has NEVER gotten this big. My god, its a hedge. Herbs in the front with zinnia behind. Can't even see the Mexican feather grass behind. It's lovely all this crowding of plants, but it can really be a surprise after the polite garden of last season.

And I had to include this last shot. I had a battle getting the zinnias to grow this year in their designated spot in the preschool garden. So I'm cleaning out the garden one day and I carry all the weeds over to the dumpster, and what do I find???? This zinnia growing out of a 1" hole in the ground where the locking rod for the dumpster door goes into the ground. Just goes to show you there is NO controlling Mother Nature.

Veggies ho!!!!

2011-06-08T07:08:00.000-07:00

The veggie garden is rockin and rollin and I just love it. This is a great time of year when the plants are so robust but not overgrown and rude like they will feel about a month from now as I struggle to keep tomato cages from falling over and the hot weather stresses the cucumbers and makes them look sick. Right now everything is just green. The rebuilt garden is working out fantastic with the drip irrigation reinstalled as well. Not only are the transplant and seeds I put in this year doing well, I am also having little seeds from past years coming up that must have gotten to the right spot with the turnover of the dirt during the rebuild. I probably have about 5 VOLUNTEER tomato plants in addition to the 12 or so I planted on purpose.

I AM growing other things in addition to tomatoes, but I just happened to get the best photos of the tomatoes this morning. Tomatillos, squash, cucumbers- japanese and pickling size, green peppers, and peas.

But I have to admit, the tomatoes are the queens of the crop right now. I think I may go on an all tomato diet for my lunches, just sit there and eat them sprinkled with salt.

Preschool garden shows off summer glory

2011-06-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

The preschool garden that I manage is REALLY showing off right now with phenomenal growth and great veggie harvests.You can see here the mexican feather grass with pineapple sage in the background and sunflowers growing on the left.Man, don't you just want to braid that feather grass? Gorgeous.

Here's the center vegetable garden. Cucumbers growing up the trellis, zucchini in the middle and tomatoes at the end. We have already started harvesting zucchini and if the kids don't stay on top of it, we easily end up with 2 foot long zucchinis. I saw the first of the cucumbers hanging down today- the lovely Japanese variety.

Caterpillars, caterpillars and more caterpillars munching on our bronze fennel. The more the merrier- the kids love to watch them.

Some of our zucchini really taking off. If the kids wait too long to get there, they can easily grow to club size. I took one home the other day and baked 48 zucchini muffins out of 1 zucchini.

Pineapple sage with zinnias growing in front. The pineapple sage has been phenomenal this year, really took off a ton more than last year. Must have just settled in.

Lambs ear with purple coneflower behind it.

The lambs ear is just swarming with bees right now as it is flowering. Let's take a closer look.

When the kids get a little nervous out there about the buzzing, I just have them chant their mantra: bees are pollinating, bees are pollinating, bees are pollinating.

A gorgeous stand of purple coneflowers this year. Some of the preschool girls love to bring these in to their teachers in the morning. Just fine with me as it keeps the plants producing more.

These guys are just fantastic. But very fast to grow and disappear. One day I'll have fifteen of them on there, 3 days later all gone. Where do these guys go anyway when they go to chrysalis stage? I don't see them hanging around anywhere...

And finally, our santolina with its delicate yellow flowers. These guys are so great in gardens, just really stand up to weather and slowly, slowly, slowly get bigger.

I'm always so excited to see this garden through the seasons as it has been changing and growing. And the kids always shout at me and ask me what I see going on that is new. It's great to see them really connected with the space and I'm looking forward to working with this program to make it even stronger.

5 things to help your landscape survive the summer

2011-05-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

School is out and summer hot weather has arrived. with such extreme conditions in summer, what can you do to help your landscape survive and come out healthy in the fall? Here are 5 things to help your home garden through the summer:

1. Check your sprinkler system to make sure your programming is compliant and run a sprinkler test to make sure you don’t have any broken heads or lines. My sprinklers usually run around 3am and I am definitely not out there checking for geysers shooting up from a broken head. But this can be a common occurrence from lawn mower damage or just system aging. So choose a day, tell your kids to put on their swimsuits, and have an old-fashioned sprinkler run for the kids while you check to make sure the heads are all operating and facing the right direction.

2. Water deeply and infrequently. Why? Watering in this fashion encourages plants to develop deep, long roots which can access moisture away from the surface of the soil where it is less likely to have evaporated. You want to wet your garden or lawn to a depth of 6”. This usually means adding about 1” of water per week. How can you measure to see how long you should water to add 1”? Set out a few straight sided tuna-type cans in an area and turn on your sprinklers for 10 minutes. Measure the height of the water in the cans and take an average. Then divide 10 by your average reading. This will tell you how many minutes it will take you to get 1” of water out of your sprinklers.

3. Irrigate when the water is least likely to evaporate before soaking in. Get the most from your system by sticking to the cool early morning hours between 3am and 9am. Watering at night can promote disease because of the prolonged wet conditions.

4. Mulch any bare soil in your garden. Mulching helps reduce moisture evaporation from soil as well as reduces temperature fluctuation for plants. It also reduces the possibility for soil to develop that hard-packed top layer that seems to thwart attempts at getting any shovel into it. And ultimately, mulches decompose to add organic matter into your garden soil. So count that as a double incentive to add mulch to your garden. You can choose from a variety of mulches- hardwood mulch, pine straw, leaves or even sawdust (not from treated lumber, please!)

5. Install drip irrigation in appropriate areas. No, lawns will never be the best place for drip irrigation. But what about some garden beds where you can convert some of the sprinkler heads into drip or micro-sprinklers? These allow you to place water right where your plants need it and virtually eliminate water evaporation. There are lots of online guides on how to make this conversion.

Don't Miss Inside Austin Gardens Tour 2011- May 14th

2011-05-10T19:26:00.000-07:00

Today, the Austin Garden Bloggers were treated to a pre-tour showing of 4 of the gardens on the Inside Austin Gardens Tour, presented by the Travis County Master Gardeners. Every time I do one of these tours, I am amazed with how inspiring looking at other gardens can be. Even if they are not my style (that is, if I know what my style is) there are always things I take away to incorporate into my gardening, even if just a thought. Each garden was so different, yet they had all not only defied what the "normal" is in their neighborhood, but had also inspired a few neighbors on their street to take a step in creating more waterwise gardening approaches.

Here are some thoughts that I took away from the gardens:
NEVER TAKE YOUR GARDEN TOO SERIOUSLY

Rebecca Matthews did a beautiful job of exuding fun in her garden. From the knitted covers for trees and rocks to the chandelier to the fountains. I am most definitely going to use her letter wall as inspiration for a letter wall for each of my kids. Her watering can fountain was amazing and squeezed into the walkway going into her backyard. Surprises around every corner.
Sue Nazar has a big concrete fish that I adore. It is so understated that you can walk right by and not notice, like I did, but when you see it, it is just perfect in that spot and you can't take your eyes off it.

YOU CAN NEVER HAVE TOO MANY PLANTS
I have to hit myself everytime I go to a nursery and just keep repeating this phrase. Because I see something I like and I buy...one. One little plant. That then sits where it is placed and just looks lonely. I walk through Sue Nazar's garden and just love how crowded and lush it appears. And weeding? Good luck weeds if you can find space to come up in all that foliage.

YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU MIGHT FIND YOUR NEXT GARDEN PIECE

Link Davidson, the Master Gardener who designed Wendy Brennan's garden, is the master of this approach. I told Link I want to be his sidekick on the next Big Trash Pickup Day just to watch him in action. From the air conditioning screens creating a beautiful open wall to the cut sidewalk pieces to the bright red hydraulic press (that is the perfect color, Link!), amazing!

DON'T BE AFRAID OF COLOR
I saw this idea in more than one garden, but Sue Nazar's little cottage in the backyard was a perfect example. She had a beautiful red pot just downhill that showed off well in the same red.

FIND WAYS TO ROLL WITH THE CLIMATE YOU HAVE BEEN DEALT

When we visited Sheryl Williams' garden, we all stood in the front yard and talked and talked and talked about her front yard. Sheryl removed all of her lawn and installed an area of Texas Sedge. This picture does not do justice to the beauty of the sedges and the movement of their seed heads back and forth. Drought tolerant, striking, and deer resistant. The triple crown for me.

SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL EVERYTHING
Sue Nazar found this out the hard way when the Vitex that she had cut and decked over decided it didn't want to be vanquished from her garden. So it just found a way through the deck boards. Sue has accepted its presence with frequent cuttings and it just keeps growing happily.

Thank you to all of the garden owners for sharing their gardens with us. I encourage you to take the tour this Saturday, May 14th. Gardens open from 9am-4pm and you can purchase a $10 ticket that admits you to all of the gardens on the tour- amazing price. Tickets can be bought at each garden location. More info at Inside Austin Gardens Tour

Here we go...up and up!

2011-05-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

Macho Mocha...you can't get a much better name for a plant than that. It just rolls off the tongue and makes me feel like I'm listening to the guy in the Old Spice commercials with that deep voice. This 'Macho Mocha' Mangave has been moved around my garden quite a bit- probably four times before it found it's latest home in the full full full sun bed- did I mention it gets lots of sun? Anyway, frost damage from Old Man Winter led to a little leaf trimming from me. It promptly responded by sending up a spike. Here it is just starting out.

And it just kept getting bigger and bigger and bigger. Here's the top of it as it was growing.

A gorgeous plant whether it is blooming or not. I personally love the purple "freckles" on it.

Finally, at about 11 feet tall, it started to bloom. Nothing like the yuccas with their white petals. Everything is about fine details with this plant, from it's purple speckles on the leaves to the filaments that come out on the bloom spike.

Vegetable Garden New and Improved

2011-04-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

My last cold season garden didn't happen- mainly because the sides of my vegetable garden beds were caving in towards each other. It made me unhappy every time I went out there which meant I went out less and less. Finally, John took pity on me and rebuilt it. We even improved it by making a pass through path at the back of the garden. So now, instead of looking like beds in the shape of an "E", it looks like a "U" with an "I" ticked in the middle.

Dirt got put back in, then I reinstalled the drip irrigation and micro-sprinklers, taking care to bury the tubing below the new pass through path. Then we reinstalled the two 16' long cattle panel trellises. I will never garden without these things again- they are such space savers when you can have cucumbers, beans, squash, etc growing up them.

Finally it was time to plant. Tomatoes, ancho pepper, tricolor pole beans, japanese and pickling cucumbers, Italian squash, and tomatillos. Perhaps space for an few okra in a few weeks. My last step is to add the mulch back, but I am finding it humorous to see what seeds the dirt turnover is revealing- lots of volunteer tomato plants and even marigold seeds from a year ago.

Those little red and white cups you see in the photos are for protection against cutworm- the love to get my hopes up as the plant gets settled and then dash them by coming along and severing the whole plant off. A simple cup or even the 4" nursery pot with the bottom cut out and placed around the plant will protect from them. And I used cupcake cups to put around the Italian squash plant stems. This has the added bonus of keeping the moth from laying the squash vine borer eggs deep around the stem at ground level. They are easier to find higher up on the plant. Squash vine borer...my nemesis...grrrr. So my new weapons, cupcake cups and Bt powder. And every few days I go out and crush any eggs I find between my fingernails. Funny, you can even see a tomato volunteer coming up next to the squash plant with the white cup around it.

Here's the view from the back looking out at both gates. See how John built the nice high beds for me so when I'm old I can still be the gardener lady on the block with plenty of cucumbers to offer neighbors? So sweet.

Nature's Best Home Protection System

2011-04-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

I noticed our cactus has been rented out. There was a nest well hidden in the middle of the cactus.

I got up close enough to snap a picture of the eggs...and to also get a shot of prickers into the backside of my shorts. Ouch! Mom saw me and did a few fly-bys to warn me off. I don't think I need the additional warning.

Prickly Pear Newbie

2011-04-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

Master Gardener class coming soon!

2011-04-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Many of you know that I am a Master Gardener in Travis County. I am very happy that I took the class and became involved with this wonderful organization. Not only does it feed my passion for gardening in so many ways, but I have been introduced to some of the most amazing people who have become wonderful friends as well as colleagues.

The 2011 Master Gardener class is coming up soon and the application process is fast approaching. If you have any interest in possibly taking this class, click here for more info on the process.

Here's a little bit about the program from the Extension blog:
Have you always wondered just who exactly are the Travis County Master Gardeners and how their title is earned?

The Master Gardeners are volunteers who support the efforts of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service through community education in horticulture. These dedicated people devote a significant amount of time volunteering in our community. Have you ever called our Extension office in Travis County or sent us an email and asked a horticultural question? Chances are, a very knowledgeable Master Gardener assisted you.

Before becoming Master Gardeners, these folks must attend a very rigorous, but enjoyable, training program. Offered a maximum of once per year in Travis County, this program provides training in such topics as basic horticulture/botany; native and adapted plants; plant pathology; entomology and integrated pest management; tree care; lawn care; and many others.

Hope to see some of you at future MG meetings!

Potato class

2011-02-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

Spending the next 2 days in the Titan Garden planting our new potato towers with the first graders. This is our first week of the pilot garden program where kids come to the garden every week. They are learning today about where all these vegetables they see in the store come from. Celery is the stem of the plant, apple is the fruit, lettuce is a leaf, carrot is a root, and broccoli is a flower. I told them next time their mom serves them broccoli, they can say, "mom, thanks for the flowers!"

Back to potatoes...potatoes are a part of the stem called a tuber, which is packed full of nutrients. They'll be watching their potatoes grow over the next few months and practicing their in-class lessons of measuring height and charting measurements over time.

A Welcome Visitor from the Fall

2011-01-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

It's a quiet time...not in my life but in my home garden. I'm just letting things be right now. But I saw some photos back from the fall of caterpillars on our passion vine that I forgot to post so now is a good a time as any.

These were Gulf Fritillary caterpillars, I believe, We had put a passion vine right outside off of our porch and the kids were thrilled with the results. At one point we had 5 or 6 caterpillars at once on the plant and the real question was whether the plant would survive being chewed down to a nub. Here's a close-up view. So beautiful.

After some time of gorging and growing and gorging and growing, the caterpillars would suddenly be one day hanging upside down. Very still. In our case, they were attaching themselves to the cattle panel piece we had installed for the vine to climb.

And before you knew it, and never it seems when I was watching, they had turned into a chrysalis to begin their transformation. Now I know at this point I should showcase the butterfly coming out but alas, there was not moment in front of the camera.

So I am uploading a beautiful shot of one from the internet. But we enjoyed quite a few of these in our fall garden. Since the fall, we have moved our passion vine to another location where it is growing tall and strong! Can't wait to see what kind of butterfly crop we get this year! I highly recommend the passion vine- a beautiful plant and stunning flower. But you just need to be OK with it getting munched down to a nub once it has some caterpillars on it.

Reflections on gardening

2010-11-27T18:09:00.000-08:00

Can we already be nearing the end of the year? I write a neighborhood newsletter article on gardening and when I get to the end of every year, I want to escape talking about specific plants, etc and help people reflect on how to be a better overall gardener in Central Texas. Many of these resolutions were adapted from Doug Welsh’s Texas Garden Almanac and I give a little bow of thanks to him for supplying such wonderful information in that book.

Resolution #1: I will water the lawn according to its needs, not by a rigid schedule and never in the middle of the day.

Even if you have a sprinkler timer system, you should always be watching when you need to change the schedule because of supplemental watering from rain or as the season changes. Unless you are overseeding with an annual winter grass, most of our grasses are dormant in the winter months and sprinkler systems can be shut off for the lawn zones. As growth begins to happen in spring and really kicks up in summer, you can change your sprinkler program to reflect your watering needs. The goal in watering is to do it infrequently and deeply. This helps plants and lawns form deeper root systems that can survive drought and heat better.

Resolution #2: I will use a pesticide only when absolutely necessary and I will use the least toxic option.

Not all bugs are bad bugs- in fact there are 1,000 times as many good or neutral bugs as there are bad bugs. But pesticides often do not distinguish between the two and can wipe out beneficial populations, thus exacerbating the pest cycle by taking away natural predators to the pests. So pay attention to possible problems and take action early with non-toxic options. For example, pruning weak branches or picking bugs off or spraying them off with a strong blast of water can be a better option up front than blasting toxic sprays later. And always follow the directions on any pest control product that you use. We need beneficials like honeybees and lady bugs for healthy plants, so let’s be careful of what we spray in their habitat.

Resolution #3: I will pay as much attention to the foundation of my garden as I do the plants that grow in it.

You can stick the healthiest plant in your garden, but if the soil and environment are not what the plant needs, it will perish. An ideal garden soil is 50% organic matter and 50% native soil. So add organic matter (pine bark mulch, compost, fallen leaves, etc) every time you plant annuals, perennials, vegetables or rework a bed. You can never add too much organic matter. Aerating your soil either manually or with a tiller can help relieve stress on plants or lawns from compacted soil.

Resolution #4: I will appreciate Central Texas for the fantastic differences of our vegetable growing seasons, rather than mourn the absence of a “typical” spring and fall.

We have two warm seasons here- spring and early fall. We get two chances to grow the wonderful warm season crops like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, etc. But you have to get going as early as possible, planting in early March/April and July/August. By September and October, we are planting cool season crops. So appreciate the non-stop vegetable gardening opportunities we have here and keep an eye on the calendar. You can see exactly when to plant vegetables by printing this calendar.

Resolution #5: I will recognize mulch for its wondrous powers to prevent weeds, conserve water, prevent diseases, and keep plant roots protected from heat and cold.

Need I say more? Make sure your beds are well mulched before every summer and every winter. If not, add more.

Resolution #6: I will not commit “crape-murder” by chopping off the tops of my crape myrtle trees.

The excessive pruning of the tops of crape myrtles ruins their natural structure and actually results in fewer blooms. So save yourself some time by retiring this hefty winter chore or save yourself some money and tell your tree service not to touch your crape myrtles. Pruning is acceptable to remove dead, dying or damaged branches or to remove a branch that is not consistent with the overall vase-structure of the tree.

Resolution #7: I will get to know my soil.

Most of us add fertilizer in some way to our gardens and lawns. But how can we know the right amount of fertilizer, organic or inorganic, to add if we don’t know what our soil needs. There is an easy answer: Get a soil test. http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/files/urbansoil.pdf Test orders start at just $10 per sample! The results will lay out a plan for you on what nutrients your soil is lacking and make your fertilization efforts more effective. And never use a “Weed and Feed” product. The right time to apply “weed” chemicals and “feed” chemicals is never at the same time of year. Applying a combined product means one of these chemicals is more likely running through your lawn into our groundwater and creeks.

Resolution #8: I will accept my gardening environment and work with it to plant appropriately.

Repeat after me: “I live in Texas, I have alkaline soil and lots of limestone.” Look at what grows well in our location and work with native or adapted plants to create a garden and yard that won’t fight against our natural environment. Check out the City of Austin Grow Green site for great plant lists.

Resolution #9: I will give my new plants the best chance of survival by planting at the correct time.

The best time to plant or divide perennials or plant trees is in the fall. This gives them time over the winter to grow a strong root system and be ready to flourish in spring before the heat of summer moves in.

Resolution #10: I will consider the future before I plant something.

That tree that looks wonderful next to your house now may be laying atop your roof in 10 years so be sure to think into the future on how a plant at its mature size will interact with its surroundings.

Be the best gardener you can be in 2011!

Showstopping purple!

2010-09-13T12:05:00.000-07:00

Click on the picture to get a better view!

This is the view approaching my house- and there's a little extra oomph tho this view this morning. That's because our Cenizo (Texas Sage) on the corner has burst into a vivid display of purple this morning. These bushes are about 10' tall and a good 25' across, so it is quite a sight.

I noticed a few days ago that the Cenizos bloom was sneaking up on us. As I was waiting for Jack's bus, I saw little white buds all over the bushes. These bushes usually have a huge bloom around the time we have a big rain, especially if a dry season has preceded it. Well, we definitely had a downpour thanks to Tropical Storm Hermine (14") and not much rain prior to that so the conditions were perfect.

I love Cenizos. Drought tolerant once established, deer resistant, and regular displays of color. I think we might have a variety called Green Cloud as ours are not as silvery-gray and many that I see around town. There are also varieties that bloom a bit bluer and some that bloom white.

I convinced my parents to plant some of these in their backyard in Dallas and wouldn't you know it they were rewarded with blooms just a few weeks later. A great addition to any Texas landscape!

Red spider lilies

2010-09-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

Red spider lilies emerging. After 2 days of torrential downpours. Take that, Hermine!

What the...

2010-08-06T14:18:00.000-07:00

Armenian cucumber in the garden

Eat Your Veggies!

2010-08-06T14:14:00.000-07:00

My vegetables are coming in fast and furious right now. Cucumbers, tomatillos, tomatoes. Not sure why, since most people I know have already hit their height in garden harvests and are now pulling up plants or getting ready for an early fall planting. Mine seem to have been slow starters- OK with me as long as they produce in the end.

So, we've been eating cucumbers. No, I mean like every night. And usually I eat them for lunch. And I'm giving them to friends and clients. Share the joy, I say. Plus, I couldn't bear it if I actually had vegetables going bad in my fridge after sweating to get them to grow.

The past two nights, we have had garden-inspired meals. I am getting lots of tomatillos right now so last night I decided to use some old tortilla chips, leftover chicken and the tomatillos and make chilaquiles. For those who have never had it, you basically layer chips (or tortillas) with chicken (or egg for a breakfast version), salsa, and cheese. I sliced up the tomatillos and threw two layers of those in as well as some cojita cheese and and layered in some store-bought tomatillo salsa. With a little dollop of sour cream, oh baby! We had that last night with cucumber salad made by slicing up cucumbers and marinating them in 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar and a dash of minced ginger. Takes about 40 minutes to transform into the divine.

I wanted to find a new way to serve cucumbers for tonight, so I decided to try making quick cucumber kimchi. Quick explanation for those saying "kimwhat?". Kimchi is a korean dish typically made with cabbage and spices and usually involving the cabbage fermenting in a clay pot. Stinky at first, but so good once your taste buds acclimate. Anyway, no fermenting over here. Key ingredients, korean chile powder, ginger, rice vinegar. Here's the recipe if you're interested. I'm pairing this with a slow-cooked soy/seasame roast, rice, and bok choy. Can't wait to see what the kids think about the kimchi. No worries, they don't like it...I'll eat their portion.

Vegetable education

2010-08-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

OK, the annual fall vegetable gardening seminar is coming up this weekend , so I hope to see many of you there. I'll be working the event so say hi if you see me! I know, it's way down south, but take a nice drive (or a short one if you're in South Austin) and come learn. You will NOT be disappointed.

Fall Vegetable Gardening

Saturday, August 7, 2010

10am-Noon

Southwest Hills Community Church

7416 W. Hwy 71, Austin TX 78735

Cooler weather is just around the corner and now is the time to prepare your vegetable garden for the fall and winter season. Join Master Gardener Vegetable Specialist Patty Leander to learn the basics of vegetable gardening with an emphasis on varieties that flourish in the fall and winter months. Broccoli, lettuce, Swiss chard, radishes and spinach are among the fantastic crops that grow well in our cooler season. Vegetable gardens don't end in fall, so come learn how to keep yours going year round.

This seminar is free and open to the public. It is presented by the Travis County Master Gardeners, a volunteer arm of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Travis County. www.tcmastergardeners.org

Yum!!!!

2010-08-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

The crops continue to come in. My tomatoes are actually just hitting their stride, having offered up nothing in the early summer. In addition, regular, lemon and suyo cucumbers and tomatillos are keeping my dinners EXTRA fresh!

Teacher Bouquet Day at Preschool Garden

2010-07-28T09:20:00.000-07:00

The morning started out overcast, which was perfect as my first visitors to the garden were kept cool. Some approached boldly, dragging their parents behind. Others were a bit more shy.

"Do you want to pick some flowers for your teacher?" I would ask them. Every single one of them nodded. Today is Teacher Bouquet Day at the preschool garden. We have so many beautiful things growing right now that the idea was easy to grab on to. As kids and parents arrive, they can stop in the garden and pick a small bouquet of flowers and herbs to bring in to their teachers. We dropped off a vase in each class this morning so the teachers can add to their bouquet with each gift, ending up with a great arrangement.

Some kids knew exactly what they wanted. "I want that red one, " one little boy told me, pointing to a bright red zinnia. The girls usually requested the purple cosmos, so frilly and fun. I would add stems of rosemary to some of the bouquets, letting the kids know that this was something that was added to their favorite dish- PIZZA. I heard one little boy tell his mom, "Smell it, it's a pizza herb." I added oregano and lemon basil to others, knowing the aromas would be great in the classrooms. I also added the profuse but delicate blooms of trailing verbena to add some weight to the bunches. It was a wonderful chance to show little ones how special it is to give flowers to someone and to show your appreciation for all they do.

Some parents stuck around for a bit, letting their kids show them the cucumbers hanging off the trellis or the bell peppers. One little boy just wanted to show his parents all of the roly polies. And my little friend Nicole wanted to make sure she got one bouquet for her teacher...and one for her daddy. I hope that dad feels extra special today.

Bloom Day July 2010

2010-07-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

I feel like I have been way too absent from the sheer love of gardening that normally drives me to post on the 15th of every month and link to Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. School gardens, summer camp schedules, hot weather...all seem to have soaked up the spare time I usually reserve for my own patch. But today, I was determined to get out and take some photos. This year, with the courtesy of the rains we have been having, I am seeing some beautiful blooms come out and some of the reworking of plants that has been done over the past few years has finally matured and taken hold.

Without further ado, blooming at Kiss of Sun in July...

I had to start with this photo of my crinum lilies. I bought two pots of these three years ago and divided up to end up with about 15 plants. I took a handful of them to East Texas and planted them at my grandparents graves as I had heard about how well they do when left to their own at gravesites. I planted a few at my uncle's lakehouse, where I think they might have not done as well. And I planted a few in various locations around my yard. Every year, the beautiful strap foliage comes out and no flowers. This is the first year they have bloomed and the smell is heavenly. And having this connection in my garden to something I have left in memory of my grandparents is a lovely thing to see every day.

Now, let's go big and bold. My 8-foot tall sunflowers are blooming. They are just gorgeous and I love taking the kids out to see them. I will sometimes look out the kitchen window and see neighbors staring at my house as they are walking by and I finally realized it is not because of the window which has that permanent foggy look to it, but because they are looking at the sunflowers which are towering over my side yard.

Too many other flowers to attach photos but the Cenizo Sages are in beautiful bloom right now from the recent rains, the Cypress Vine is putting on delicate red blooms, and the cleomids are continuing their purple bloomfest run. The wildflower/septic field is filled with bee balm, Mexican Hat, and plenty of seeds as the flowers dry up.

In the vegetable garden, we have tomatoes, tomatillas, canteloupes, and patty pan squash. The pickling cucumbers I gave out to so many friends seem to be consistently putting out the fattest, most enormous cucumbers I have ever seen. And all of my friends who took some of the plants are getting great crops. So, yay! Cucumber salads for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My suyos are slow to develop this year, but seem to just be coming into their prime, for whatever reason. Since I have had plenty from the school garden and my mother-in-law, I'm OK with this delayed development.

I am taking a chance with canteloupe this year after swearing off of them two years ago when my beautiful melons yielded absolutely no sweetness in their flesh. I currenly have three beautiful melons developing.

And a really nice crop of tomatillas is coming in. The balloon husks are so fun to see in the garden and so far I have only picked a few but I look forward to making many sauces in the coming days.

Hope your garden is flourishing and you have the time to enjoy it.

Like a Dream Come True

2010-06-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I have posted about the preschool garden that I designed and installed. But it is nothing close to forgotten. I walk through it multiple times a week to check on how things are going or join a class in the garden for a lesson or exploration walk. Now that the veggies are coming in strong, at least one class a week goes out to harvest zucchini and cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes.

But now that many of the plants are reaching mature size, it feels like I am walking in a dream I once had. It feels like I just stepped into the 3-D rendering prints that I presented to the owner so long ago. But it is a very cool feeling to see something like this come to fruition. And I love seeing what the kids find when they go out there.

One thing that is especially fascinating to them right now is the cucumber trellis. We have lots of cucumbers coming in and they love the long, curvy shapes of the Suyo Japanese cucumber. The ones hanging down are easy to spot, but they love looking under the leaves on the trellis to find the babies just beginning. The trellis has been such a welcome addition to the garden this year and has given us so much more room to plant. Plus, I think the zucchini below like having some shelter from the sweltering summer sun.

We set aside multiple patches where we didn't initially plant perennials because we had the kids come out and plant annual seeds. Zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers, and of course the vegetables. Now, looking over the purple cascading verbena and the rainbow colors of zinnias that lead down to the herb spiral, the kids love talking about which zinnia flower came from their seed. They love finding the swallowtail caterpillars in the dill and parsley. And they love touching things.

Which is what it is all about. A sensory experience for them to get out and connect with nature. To understand how wonderful it is to help create life from a seed and see a vegetable grow and take it inside to eat it while it is still warm from the sun.

Upcoming free seminar- be a garden detetctive

2010-05-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

This is a fabulous seminar and totally free. Yes, I'll be there to help organize it, but I'd go even without it being my volunteer work because the information is so good. Here's the official blurb:

Just when you think you've done everything right by your plants, one of them starts to go downhill. One of the biggest challenges for gardeners is correctly diagnosing plant problems and finding effective, safe solutions. Is your plant dying because of an insect, environmental or disease problem? Join us at this free seminar and develop your garden detective skills!

Become a Garden Detective
Saturday, May 29, 2010
10am-Noon

Zilker Botanical Garden
2220 Barton Springs Rd.

Join us to learn the causes of plant problems, the process for diagnosing plant problems, and preventive garden management techniques. This seminar is free and open to the public. It is presented by the Travis County Master Gardeners Association, a volunteer arm of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Travis County. For information, see http://www.tcmastergardeners.org or call the Travis County Master Gardener's help desk at (512) 854-9600.

Wildflowers at the Elementary- can the kids stand the wait?

2010-05-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

Last fall when we had a wildflower stomp at River Place Elementary, the one thing we all wondered is whether the kids would be able to stand the wait it would take until they saw blooms. Well, the kids had lots of other gardening on their minds as we had them planting in their new Titan Gardens raised beds. But we started to see some wildflowers peeking out about a month ago.

Since then, some kids must have been pouring super-caffeinated Mountain Dew on these plants, because they suddenly came out of nowhere and have created a gorgeous blanket of yellow, orange and purple next to our garden area.

This is a wonderful thing for the kids to see, beyond the stunning colors and insect activity, but also that some things are well worth the wait.

Things I noticed on a Monday morning

2010-05-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

1. Mexican Feather Grass: I want to run my fingers through the Mexican Feather Grass constantly. Or plant a field of it and lay down. Ahhhhhhhh...

2. Ummm, little ladybugs...get a room. Just kidding, good to see you guys multiplying as much as possible.

3. There is something growing in my compost pile. Since this photo I have noticed either cucumber or squash plants coming out everywhere. Amazing how I can do NOTHING to them and they love it here but growing them in the garden dirt can be such a struggle. Just goes to show you how important organic matter is to seeds.

Poppies!

2010-05-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

For those who visited my house in early spring and heard my wishful talk about the poppies I had seeded into the wildflower (septic) field next to my house, you'll be happy to know that the poppies are putting on quite a show. Dazzling red color in the front of the filed, with a daring pink poppy who defies the odds. Hard to capture the reds in a wide shot, so I went in for a closeup.

There were so many bees joyfully jumping from flower to flower that the humming volume was pretty incredible. I had to put aside my bug aversion and go in for a close-up when I saw two bees having a big old time.

Wait for it, wait for it....NOW!

2010-05-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

Good lord, I wait for it all spring, watching the new growth emerge on the Confederate Jasmine and then the buds. These vines are about 8 years old, transferred from our old house because we loved them too much to leave them to the guy who bought it. And they settled down happily here and began a fast climb up the deck supports.

And every April, they give a show like you wouldn't believe. Complete with smelly-vision. Because they smell REALLY REALLY good. White flowers just cover the vine and stick around for about 2 weeks, coating eveything in that incredible smell.

Confederate jasmine. Woody perennial, evergreen leaves on it year round so perfect for coverage. Flowers about April with small white flowers and intense smell. Climber with help given for something to grab on to (in this case electrical wire wound around the posts). Wouldn't necessarily call it deer resistant as I tried to grow some on an unprotected fence and deer just kept eating it down to a nub until it died. Drought tolerant once established.

If you love aromas, you need one of these.

Vacancy

2010-04-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

We've watched in anticipation this spring to see if any owl was on the hunt for a new home and would decide to move in to our owl house we built and installed last summer. Doesn't look like any takers yet, but here's hoping. Maybe an owl couple will have a fight and mom will move out on the dad and find solace in our sweet little abode. I could lend a sympathetic ear if she wants to vent about her owlish hubby. ... just sayin' !

2010 Home Vegetable Garden List

2010-04-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

I feel like it is the perfect storm for gardening...end of freeze possibilities, perfect weather, and a long weekend. That sent everyone to the nurseries to clean them out of vegetables and other plants. Luckily I had already hoarded away some tomatoes that were passalongs from fellow gardener Jen for both the school garden and my garden. I rounded them off with a few others I found before Easter, as I knew my Easter weekend would not be spent gardening. I'm pretty much going out on a limb this year with varieties I have never tried before.

So my post-Easter workout was to clean out both my vegetable garden and the preschool vegetable garden to ready them for warm season veggies. So here it is, straight from the home office in Austin TX, the 2010 vegetable list for Bonnie's Garden (descriptions are mostly taken from seed catalogs unless obviously a first person description of my experiences):

Hale's Best Canteloupe: My first venture backl into melons in two years, as my last crop produced beautiful melons with absolutely no sweetness. But i"m willing to give it a second try with this popular variety
Described as a beautiful oval melon deep green skin with golden netting. The flesh is an appealing salmon color, aromatic and sweet.

Brandywine Tomato: Everyone should try this variety once. They're huge and juicy. Take forever to ripen but worth the wait...and just plain cool looking. I grow mine next to a trellis so when they get huge I can just lean them over and let them continue to climb. Indeterminate

Early Girl Tomato: Dependable large harvests of flavorful, solid 4 to 6 oz. fruit. Disease resistance is good, contributing to its excellent performance in almost any climate. A proven variety for delicious, early tomatoes. Indeterminate.

Sweet Tangerine Tomato: 6 oz. bright orange fruits, very sweet and flavorful. Sets a heavy crop, even in hot weather. Determinate.

Italian Heirloom Tomato: Later maturing. Meaty, orange-red 1/2 lobed fruits. Ideal for slicing. Superb flavor. Indeterminate.

Green Zebra Tomato: A unique and delicious salad tomato. 3 oz. green fruits ripen to amber-green with darker green stripes. The light green flesh is very flavorful, sweet yet zingy. This one is a real taste treat. Indeterminate.

Mule Team Tomato:A great choice for a 'main crop,' all-purpose tomato. Vigorous plants bear plenty of 8 to 12 ounce round, bright red tomatoes with excellent flavor and texture. Not only are harvests very abundant, but production continues right up until frost. Heirloom variety. Indeterminate.

Kellogg's Breakfast Tomato: Lovely pale-orange color on 1 lb. beefsteak type fruit. Tomatoes have very good flavor and are quite meaty with few seeds. Juice has the same bright color as orange juice and is delicious. Heirloom variety. Indeterminate.

Yellow Pear Tomato: these miniature pear-shaped tomatoes are 1-3/4 to 2 inches long and clear yellow in color. They are delightfully sweet, considered by many as 'garden candy'. Baskets of these are as pretty as can be. Tall plants bear large and continuous harvests. Indeterminate.

Aunt Gerdie's Gold Tomato: Indeterminate heirloom yellow. 1-2 pound fruit with rich gold color is not overly sweet or juicy. One of the best tasting yellows. Outstanding flavor carries hints of melon.

Aunt Ruby's Tomato: Heirloom beefsteak variety. Slightly flattened, 1 pound fruit that ripens to a pale greenish-yellow ("lime jello green") with a slight pink blush that extends to the inside. Superb, fruity sweet and slightly spicy taste.

Sweet Baby Girl Tomato: A major seed company set out to find a cherry tomato that was extra flavorful and sweet on a productive, but more manageable plant. The result is Sweet Baby Girl, and it does indeed have incredible harvests of tomatoes on healthy, compact plants. Dark red fruit has great, sweet flavor and grows in long clusters. Resistant to tobacco mosaic virus. Compact indeterminate.

Sweet Havana Pepper: 5" blocky lobed thick-walled sweet fruits. Prolific yields.

Armenian Cucumber: I'm usually a soyu cuke girl, but this year I am trying this variety. Catalog: This unusual and attractive 12-18" cuke is always sweet and crispy, even when fruit is large. Thin skinned with deep ridges it is perfect for the fresh market. Handle carefully to avoid bruising. Botanically, a close relative of the honeydew melon. Thrives in hot weather.

Lemon Cucumber: The 3-4" round and lemon yellow cucumbers are tender and sweet, excellent for salads and pickling. Normal-sized vines yield heavily and for a long time.

I'm still hoping to add Thai eggplant (if I can find plants or seeds), a few tomatillas, and some zucchini.

Let's hope they all live up to their descriptions.

Abracadabra and it's done!

2010-03-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

I wish it had been as simple as abracadabra but my aching back and hands tell me different. Today was GO! day for the preschool garden redesign project. I had a fantastic helper with me, Reynaldo, and together we shoveled, wheelbarrowed, dug, spread, and stomped for 8 hours...and finished!

You can see more about how this project started here and here.

First, we got all of the gardening soil in- about 8 inches deep when all was said and done- in all of the beds. Then we moved onto the mulch and put in about 3 inches of mulch into all of the beds. There was mulch to spare which I will use when I turn over the veggie bed to warm season vegetables next week.

This first picture, you can see our next step of putting landscape cloth down. I had previously sprayed the grass to kill it all, but we want to make sure we make it as tough as possible for weeds to come up through the decomposed granite pathways we were ready to lay.You can see our existing vegetable garden in the foreground...lettuce anyone?

Through this all, we had lots of company. About 5-10 kids were constantly visiting with us from the playground whenever they were outside. We got all kinds of questions:

What 'ya doin?
Can we play in the dirt?
When do we get to come in?
Can you build a secret passageway that you only tell me about?
Can we plant pizza seeds?

At least it made me forget that I was unloading what must have been the 400th wheelbarrow load because I was laughing...

What I will say is THANK GOD FOR REYNALDO!

He was my saving grace, hoofing those wheelbarrows back and forth to me so I could unload and spread all of the material. Here he is cleaning off the walls making everything look perfect. When he smoothed the dirt in the first bed, I thought it looked so perfect, I didn't want to plant anything in it.

So there it is! Now I can't wait to get out there and plant those pizza seeds.

Here we go!

2010-03-25T19:15:00.000-07:00

The preschool garden redesign is approved and moving forward. The last two days, we have had our irrigation guy out there reworking the spriklers so we no longer have to suffer with the powerful jet stream sprinklers that water the lawn but do nothing for vegetables and ornamentals. He has run spray heads all along the line of our new beds and, my personal favorite, a line for drip irrigation ON IT'S OWN ZONE through the vegetable garden (thank you, thank you, thank you to whatever power in the universe made this happen!)

In addition the rock guy came out and built all of the lovely rock walls for the beds. We just ran treated lumber along the back to insure the dirt doesn't fall through the fence. These beds are just for ornmentals, so I am not worried about using the treated lumber.

But i love these rock walls and the irrigation. Did I mention the drip lines - OK, OK, I know. It's just that I had to water that vegetable bed like every day when I would pick up Alex during the horrible summer we had last year .

Then tonight, I met Bill, our fantastic delivery guy, at the school after hours. Sounds sneaky, I know but I can assure you, it was all about dirt! I lie, it was about dirt, and mulch, and decomposed granite. 5.5 cu yds of dirt, 3 cu yds of mulch and 2 cu yds of decomposed granite. All from Geo Growers, I love that place as well.

So tomorrow is it- the big build day. See you bright and early- I'll be the one with the shovel!

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

2010-03-06T20:27:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to announce that I am the proud new mama of a school garden re-design that is moving forward. It's wonderful when something you design is accepted and people are enthusiastic about it. In this case, I'm even more excited because it is for one of the school gardens I help out in and directly affects one of my little ones and all of her friends.

The preschool garden I manage right now exists of a 6' x 12' vegetable garden and an herb spiral. The kids love planting seeds and harvesting with me, but it just seemed like a waste of good gardening space to have the rest of the area as grass. Last week, however, I presented a design to take the entire 23' x 23' space and make it into a garden bursting with textures and smells, attracting bees and butterflies, and creating a garden sanctuary for the preschool classes to visit and learn about plants, nature and gardening. The design was accepted.

Before:

After:

Of course, what's important is how the garden is used by the classrooms, so I'll be working with the directors to gather activities for kids from 1 year old to 6 years old to let them get the most out of the garden. I want them to be able to appreciate how the plants feel, smell and look, how insects can be both good and bad in the garden, and how gardens change over the seasons and years.

Some gardening days are especially sweet!

8 things I love right now in the garden...

2010-02-11T10:14:00.000-08:00

It's rainy and cold right now with a light dusting of snow expected tonight. But strolling around the garden this morning, I saw so many things that I love about this time of year, this perch right above the tumble into spring when there is so much happening, yet little seen by the eye.

Unexpected textures like this Mexican Feather grass, green growth mixed with brown. Like hair I want to brush and put into a ponytail.

New growth, emerging everywhere you look, when you look close enough. Garlic chives emerge from around a rock. They seed everywhere after flowering, and I let them because they are gorgeous and drought dependable. And deer don't like garlic-breath!

Lovely gifts like these bags of leaves from my husband's co-worker to put in my compost bin, since my leaves consist mainly of live oak leave which don't compost as well. What a wonderful present!

Vegetables that laugh at winter. My peas growing on the trellis.

Surprises forming underground, like my radishes. The kids love to come find the biggest bulb to pull out.

Rain, rain and more rain! It's nice to have a season where the sprinklers are off.

The promise of things to come. Buds on the cherry tree promise a good spring bloom.

Early surprises, my daffodils.

Hope every season brings you joy from your garden. Now, let's get this spring thing started.

A Lesson on Potato Growing

2010-02-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

Growing potatoes in your garden is a cool experience and I had a lot of fun doing it last year. Not sure how to get started? Join the Travis County Master Gardeners for a lesson in the Extension Demonstration garden

Growing Your Own Potatoes
Saturday, Feb 13, 9-11am
Texas AgriLife Extension Office of Travis County
1600-B Smith Rd, Austin TX 78721

Grow your own potatoes? Yes, you can! Potato planting time is upon us, so join us at the Texas Agrilife Extension office of Travis County in the demonstration garden for a detailed look at how to grow your own crop of potatoes. This hands-on demonstration includes planting potatoes in the ground and in baskets, recommended varieties, and tips for success.

This demonstration is free, open to the public and requires no reservations. It is presented by the Travis County Master Gardeners Association, a volunteer arm of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Travis County. For information, see www.tcmastergardeners.org or call the Travis County Master Gardener's help desk at (512) 854-9600.

Kids and Dirt: Tell Me More!

2010-01-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows me or follows my blogs knows I am into kids and dirt. I love having my kids garden with me and I love introducing other kids to gardening. I am currently involved in the vegetable and herb garden at my daughter's preschool and with the new garden at my son's elementary school. But alsong with the joy of teaching kids to garden comes a myriad of challenges: how to fit the garden into the curriculum, how to excite teachers about the garden, how to get school and district support, funding, and so on..

If you're interested in school gardening and anywhere near Austin, check out this upcoming opportunity. It's called the Get Growing Keep Going Conference. Not expensive and perfect for teachers, administration and parent/school volunteers to learn the latest information about gardening in schools.

Sat, Feb 6, 2010, 8 am- 4pm

Garza Independence High School (1600 Chicon, Austin TX 78702).

7 CEU for those needing them

Registration fee of $25

The purpose of the conference is to give administrators, teachers and parent representatives the tools to integrate gardens, nature areas and green programs into the school environment which includes topics on rainwater harvesting, composting, vegetable gardening, plant propagation, native habitats, native plants, etc.

The key speakers for the conference are Kevin Coyle, VP of Education at National Wildlife Federation, and Danna Keyburn, Science Educator at Redeemer Lutheran School. The conference includes speakers, hands-on sessions and exhibitors from organization such as Travis County Master Gardeners, Sustainable Food Center, Green Corn Project, Austin Discovery School, LBJ Wildflower Center, National Wildlife Federation, and Keep Austin Beautiful.

I'll certainly be there and I hope you will to. More info and registration

My garden helper-what a fashionista!

2010-01-25T18:52:00.000-08:00

Here she is, harvesting radishes. I'm sure gardening catalogs everywhere will be featuring this pantless-with-boots ensemble for next year

Check it out!

2010-01-24T15:19:00.000-08:00

Usually, I'm shouting this while posting a picture. But today I want you to look on the right hand side of my blog...that's right, go ahead. I'll wait.

Do you see it? "Upcoming Austin Gardening Seminars". I have posted upcoming seminars presented by the Travis County Master Gardeners. These seminars are all free and open to the public. Some great stuff coming up and I hope to see some of you there (come say hi if you see me or Vicki. We'll both be wearing nametags helping out at these events.).

I'll keep updating them as info becomes finalized or you can subscribe to the Central Texas Horticulture blog and get email updates when I've posted an upcoming event.

Letting their hair down

2010-01-18T13:49:00.000-08:00

I had to laugh when I took this picture. It looks like a bunch of ladies hanging their wet hair down. Wish I could take a blowdryer out there and bring them back to life!

Not so prickly purple

2010-01-18T13:43:00.000-08:00

Prickly Pears are so beautiful when they have their fruits growing out. Especially when everything seems so drab right now and you stumble across this beautiful purple shade. I only like to grow the spineless prickly pear, with the kids so young. I have not done any cooking myself with the PP fruit, but I can remember the first time I discovered that you did, when I had a prickly pear margarita in San Antonio. Yum! Now THAT is a good introduction to an ingredient.

Luckily, my spineless PPs did not have any freeze damage. I do have a Cow's Tongue PP that is now laying flat on the ground, with I suspect most of it completely damaged. I am hoping the base will come back and start growth again. I'll prune it once I know frost danger is passed to allow the base to gain whatever protection it can from the previously damaged portion.

Peeking out

2010-01-18T13:32:00.000-08:00

Just poking around today after getting 2.5 inches of rain the past few days. Garden has had a nice soaking and I thought I would check on my radishes. They are just poking their "shoulders" out above the dirt and really plumping up. Should make a good appetizer snack one of these evenings.

Radishes are a great crop to grow, especially to show kids- because they are fast growing and put out their greens quickly so the kids can see the growth. And its fun to show them that not all veggies grow above ground, but sometimes have surprises lying below as well.

November Bloom Day

2009-11-15T18:20:00.000-08:00

It's quite a time of year. You wouldn't think of November as a great blooming time, but with the cooler weather just barely grazing us this time of year, all the fall bloomers spring to life. Glad to share it with you for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, hosted by May Dreams Gardens.

Primary in both my garden and neighborhood right now is Copper Canyon Daisy, an amazing show of yellow flowers that just spring out of nowhere. I am only sad that they do not bloom all summer as well. Every year, this plant gets cut back to the ground and grows back with it's airy foliage. But I have to wait awhile to enjoy the blooms.

The new Abutilon plant I added this year now has little blooms all over it, hanging like ornaments on a Christmas tree. I hope that it will bush out next year for me even more.

I seem to have a variety of purples battling it out in my garden this time of year. In one bed, Mexican Bush Sage, blooming since mid-summer, is showing off next to Purple Heart, another long-term bloomer. Both extremely drought tolerant. And Mexican Bush Sage is extremely deer resistant so tends to get used behind and in front of the fence. But I did have a few Mexican Bush Sages that suffered with our EXTREME drought this summer. I just cut them back and voila! they sprang back and started blooming again, with less foliage to support in the drought, they have really put on a fall show.

I have three gerbera that I planted 3 years ago. The red one blooms repeatedly but I only get a rare showing from the yellow and orange. But lo and behold, the orange has really come out this fall, so I can't help but feature it here.

My "Macho Mocha" mangave has finally found a good location in the reorganized full sun bed. I gave it a slightly raised location with better drainage. And in one of my seed madness binges, I dropped some seeds in the ground around the back of it. Little did I know that 5 foot tall cosmos would spring up. But I love the color and they are the Starbucks of the bee world right now, with bees coming and going all day.

Finally, I can't ignore the workhorse of my summer garden, the zinnias that reseed themselves every year and bring me a variety of colors. No matter what heat or drought, the zinnias just keep on coming. God bless them. Every climate needs a flower like that. Here are a few pinks to end my post that seem to be reaching the end of their season, but beautiful nonetheless.

Happy November blooms everyone!

Planting a memory

2009-11-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

This weekend my cousin Howard got married to Maggie. It was a very personal ceremony held at the house of a friend in an old section of Austin. While enjoying the view off the deck after the ceremony, my aunt and I noticed some amazing, gigantic acorns in the tree on the other side of the driveway. And when I say gigantic, I mean it. Check out the pictures with my hand in for size. That is MY hand, not my kids.

My uncle inquired and found out it was a bur oak, named for the fringy top around the acorn. So being the classy family that we are, my aunt, uncle and I immediately traipsed around the side of the house in our wedding attire and collected about 8 acrorns each. I thought the kids would think they were very cool for show and tell items.

But today I was thinking about replacing a cedar tree that we lost on the corner of our property and it came to me that I already had a tree ready to plant...my bur oak acorns. So I took two outside and planted them, one where the cedar was lost and another in the wooded area alongside our driveway. Should I be so lucky that these little acorns will sprout, I will have a lovely memory of the occasion that led to their gathering and how a tree's growth is such an overwhelmingly perfect analogy for the growth of a marriage.

Can I grow to love pink?

2009-11-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

OK, let's start with a fact about me. I'm not a pink kind of girl. Never have been.

Always preferred more earthy colors like olive green and brown. Pink was just too outspoken for me. The palest of pinks was something I could tolerate, but never the bubblegum or hot pink.

But it's hard to avoid pinks in your garden. They have snuck in over the years and surprise me. At first, I wrinkled my nose at them, but now I am intrigued. Some start hot and stay hot. Others fade to a paler shade by bloom's end.

I'm not a meticulous gardener. If I have a packet of seeds for too long, I'll just have a seed spreading day and spread them all over the garden. That's how my hot pink zinnias came to be. They are like a little gaggle of sorority girls, all reaching to be the tallest, shouting, "look at me, look at me." Zinnias are easy to propagate from seed and will often reseed the next year. My kind of flower, even if they are pink.

And then there is my Peggy Martin rose. My dad and I each bought one after reading her incredible survival story through Hurricane Katrina and subsequent rediscovery and propagation as a fund raiser for the Gulf Coast. She's a climber. My dad's is now stretching across his entire arbor. Mine is on a trellis that creates a screen for our air conditioning units. It develops clusters of hot pink blooms in April through May. It repeats its blooming in late summer/fall and mine has just started, perhaps a late response due to the drought. But it will bloom until frost robs it of the pink gems. Very disease resistant and low maintenance.

So while I may not be a pink girl, I have come to love these pinks in my garden that brighten their surroundings, scream to be noticed, survive the inferno that is our Texas summer, and leave me with a smile.

Waiting for the big costume change...

2009-10-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, there have been plenty of swallowtail caterpillars on our parsley at the elementary school garden. You can see at least 6 in this photo I took this morning. So a few days ago, the 2 year olds picked a few and brought them inside to live inside their butterfly house and watch them change into butterflies.

The kids have been picking them fresh parsley every day and have put two sticks inside for when they are ready to turn into a chrysalis.

And yesterday was the big day. The first caterpillar spun its cocoon...and the kids went wild. Alex was so excited about it, she could barely tell me what happened.

Here is a picture of the chrysalis hanging off of the stick. You can see the silk string which anchors it to the stick.

The kids have been taking close looks all day and today the smaller two year olds in the next class down went and got their caterpillars.

I am so glad to see them all so connected to the garden. The older kids (5 yo) always have because they go out to water and pick vegetables. But it is wonderful to see that even the littlest ones get excited by going out there, and can remember everything their teacher tells them about how caterpillars turn into butterflies.

You're never too young to garden!

Mature Garden Humor

2009-10-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Elementary school garden on the rise

2009-10-21T07:50:00.000-07:00

The elementary school garden is just starting and it is definitely a whole new ballgame from the preschool garden. The preschoolers are able to help in small ways and it is a wonderful sensory experience for them. But the elementry school garden will be the kid's doing the work. With the help of a local garden club, we planted two demonstration beds that shows the wonderful plants that can withstand deer as well as handle part shade.

This is an exciting project for me, but also a little scary since you just set the class levels free to do whatever they want. And lets face it...I'm a bit of a control freak. (silence) I know, you would have never thought that, right? (silence)

But the demo beds look great and we have given the teachers lots of ideas for themes for their class beds and plant lists that are deer resistant and shade-tolerant. So keep your fingers crossed. At least the rain is making the maintenance easy.

A garden tour not to be missed!

2009-10-20T19:19:00.000-07:00

FYI to all gardeners or those who need to be inspired to whip yours into shape. This weekend is the Inside Austin Gardens tour presented by the Travis County Master Gardeners, a wonderful tour showcasing 6 Austin gardens.

The theme this year is sustainable gardening for urban wildlife. All the gardens are National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitats attracting animals, hummingbirds and butterflies for the whole neighborhood to see and enjoy. The spaces are designed using native plants and sustainable gardening practices. There are 6 gardens on the tour, all maintained by the homeowners themselves. The event includes garden tours and educational seminars at each location, including: Gardening to Attract Birds; Plant Magnets for Butterflies and Hummingbirds; and Adapted & Native Plants in Your Landscape.

Tickets are $10 for all 6 gardens (or $5 per garden if you visit just 1) and can be purchased at any home on the tour. You can visit this website to view the brochure and see a map of where the gardens are located.

October Bloom Day

2009-10-13T10:44:00.000-07:00

My apologies to folks who saw my post before I had any text...or maybe it was more pleasant just perusing the pictures and not having to read my garden drivel. Anywho, I'm here now and ready to write!

Apparently all of the rain dancers, rants, raves and prayers of us Central Texans in the drought have been heard because we have been having some absolutely fantastic rains down here. Whatever type you may want. Torrential. Slow and steady. Misty. They have all visited us at some time or another in the past few weeks. And so the gardens have come back to life. Hot and cold temps (this week we have everything from the 60s to the 90s). But the plants love it. My morning glory and clematis on the trellises have returned and are showing off their variety of purple colors. Pink zinnias have been popping back up all over and moxing with the orange bulbine. The abutilon, with its delicate chinese-lantern type flowers is just starting to give some blooms, the first since I planted it. I am hoping for many more from this beautiful addition.

The native garden has really been filling in and some of the plants are even encroaching on the walkway. All the plants here are deer-resistant, an extremely important trait in my heighborhood. if you don't have a fence around parts of your garden. Here you see the white allium going to seed in the front, with artemesia, bamboo muhley and salvias in the back.

Oh, my bat-faced cuphea. How I love you. Just had to take a shot of all the little bats staring out at me from the garden today. Aren't they amazing? There must be 200 blooms on the plant right now.

An ornamental Pennisetum grass called "Fireworks" sets off the esperanza. I will be curious to see if the grass survives the winter as purple fountain grasses are questionable in their hardiness here.

Gulf muhley and Mexican bush sage set off the silver ponyfoot around my pig corral (with my little Buddha keeping his back turned to the pigs).

Gulf muhley, just gorgeous with moisture drops hanging off of it.
And finally, a parting shot of my little buddha, casting his blessing over the garden.

The okra that ate New York

2009-10-02T05:39:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when you don't go to the garden for 3 days and you are growing okra. I had to compost about half of these because they were too big and woody to eat. But the other ones will be tasty, rubbed with oil and salt and grilled whole!

And then I bought him an aluminium bucket...

2009-10-01T19:12:00.000-07:00

May I digress from the garden for a post...?

Friday is our 10th wedding anniversary. I could go on and on about how much has happened in 10 years and how things have changed but stayed the same and love grows and kids kick your ass, but lets get on to the important stuff. Like what are we getting each other for our anniversary. It's a biggie, after all.

Well, the powers that be, lame as they are, decided that the 10th anniversary gift should be tin. Tin, really? I mean, what am I supposed to get him? A can of soup? OK, moving on. The modern tradition for 10 years is aluminum...wait...C'MON!!!! I mean, who are these idiots? Tin and aluminum? Who were they- Alcoa stockholders?

Well, screw that. John and I are declaring a new tradition for 10 year anniversaries. Behold, the iPhone anniversary. That's right, we bought each other iPhones. And we will celebrate our anniversary by sitting close and staring adoringly into our iPhones while we download all the greatest applications. And send cutesy text messages to each other. Because THAT my friends is love.

Today's the big day...

2009-10-01T08:03:00.000-07:00

I agreed to help out with the new garden they are building at my son's elementary. And then I agreed to create an information packet that will be handed out to the teacher's helping them to understand why the PTA built the garden, what they can do with it, and give them some direction on gardening so the plants don't all die or get eaten by the deer.

So I have been working for a week on the packet and I'm really excited to present it today to the committee. It contains:

Introduction to the garden
FAQ on the garden (the what, why, where and how)
Info on our gardening buddies (parents) program
Garden planning sheet for the teachers to help them create a garden plan
Ideas for garden themes with suggested plants
Gardening tips and maintenance
Ideas to integrate garden into curriculum areas
Suggested plant list

Of course, I'm trying to lower my expectations from thinking they will say "My god, you are a gardening genius. " because you know that never happens when you present something. There always has to be some thumbprints applied to your creation. So I would settle for "Nice job. What about...." That's all I need...just some sort of tiny recognition that I have worked hard on this and checked and verified information 100 different ways to make sure it is right.

Finally, I just have to say thanks for all of the great info I have gotten from Austin Garden Bloggers and Travis County Master Gardeners that I have called on. What a great support system! You guys rock.

The Preschool Garden revived!

2009-09-28T19:01:00.000-07:00

I know I have referred a lot to the school garden that I manage. But I have to make a change because I have (quite insanely, as my husband points out) agreed to help out with the gardens being started at my older child's elementary school . So, today I wanted to show how the preschool garden, as it will hereafter be known, has really been revived by the short spell of rain and cooler temps. Which should return tomorrow after a few unbearable hot and humid days this last week. Yay!

First, this is an overall photo of the 6' x 12' bed in which the veggies are growing. You can see the fall crop of squash in the foreground. We have crookneck and eight ball squash here. To the left side are the pumpkins growing on our homemade trellises that were previously used for cucumbers. You can on both of these that we have a smattering of powdery mildew. I had been hoping it would resolve on its own if I removed affected leaves, but no such luck. I am going to use a home remedy tomorrow of diluted cider vinegar. Apparently it changes the pH and inhibits the mildew. I'll report back on its success. In the rear, you can see the tomatoes. These have been going since spring. I cut them back by half in August and they just instantly started growing like crazy. I removed two out of six that were not recovering from the drought and propagated two new tomato plants by layering branches from the healthy plants down under the soil until they sprouted roots.

Here is one of the crookneck squash plants. Seems to be putting on squash pretty successfully, I did have to come up and perform some surgery on these a few weeks ago when I discovered borer holes, despite my gleefully squashing eggs between my fingernails every day when I found them. Some of them slipped by and chomped right into the stems. I cut four out and buried the sliced-open stems under more soil to encourage rooting. I harvested two crookneck squash today and gave them to the cook who announced she would be pureeing them into the spaghetti sauce later in the week. I love it!

We are also growing eight-ball squash. My first time to do it and the shape is just so cool. We have one pant that is producing green ball squash and one that is producing yellow. I brought a green home today to try so I could give a description to the cook. Diced and sauteed it and topped it with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Yum! Plus they are really cute.

And finally the pumpkins. Again, I have been fighting borers and powdery mildew which have taken their toll. I pulled one small plant up today who just couldn't keep up the fight. But my other plants are going gangbusters, climbing over the trellises and under the tomato plants, actually using the tomatoes as a trellis in some cases. And here you can see a few of the pumpkins. They are all baby size pumpkins, as we don't have the room for the big mama pumpkins.

Let's hope I can manage the powdery mildew and keep these lovelies alive until Halloween!

The View from Down There

2009-09-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

Sunday was museum day in Austin where the museums had free admission. We took advantage by taking the kids to see the Wildflower Center. I started taking pictures upon arriving but Jack kept asking to take some as well. I thought to myself how Jack will have a totally different perspective on the Wildflower Center and it would be interesting to see what catches a 5 year old's eye. Give a little leeway for the fascination a 5 year old can have with taking pictures of his feet.

But without further ado, here it is.

The View from Down Here aka a 5 year-old's visit to the Wildflower Center:

Free landscape design seminar this weekend

2009-09-11T08:11:00.001-07:00

Have you been thinking of redesigning your garden or creating a new planting bed? Attend the Travis County Master Gardener free seminar on landscape design and learn the basics of good landscape design practices. This seminar will help you learn how to analyze your needs, formulate a concept plan and transform all of it into a final planting plan.

Redesigning Your Gardens
Saturday, Sept 12, 2009
1pm-3pm
Old Quarry Branch, Austin Public Library
7051 Village Center Dr (off Far West Blvd.)

RAIN!

2009-09-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

Just sitting here listening to the first raindrops hit our metal roof...and it is a glorious sound. Amazing to finally have some regular rainfall happening. Enough to make the watering restrictions not such a death sentence.

Pure joy

2009-09-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

Red Spider Lily

School garden is producing again!

2009-09-03T08:38:00.000-07:00

The school vegetable garden has started producing again, hot weather be damned! (oops, is that wrong to curse in a post about school gardens?)

In the picture, you see tomatoes on the back right, pumpkins on the left of the garden (on the trellises) and yellow crookneck and ball squash growing in the right foreground.

I noticed the tomatoes I have cut back are really putting on growth and probably 3 out of the 5 have flowers again. The cherry tomato already has fruits again which have been ripening so we're back on track. We did lose one tomato plant after cut back, but I bent down one of the branches on an adjacent plant and layers it to create a new plant. Yea, free plant!

The baby pumpkins are doing great, climbing all over the trellises we previously used for the cucumbers. The challenge will be to give them enough space once they really get going. I caught this picture of a tiny pumpkin- that was one day ago and I saw the flower is open today with bees all inside of it. But EEK! what I did not notice was the squash vine borer egg that is sitting in the crook of the stem. I'll go hunt it down when I pick up Alex today.

Nice to see it all recovering now that weather is in the 90s instead of the 100s. The kids are going out to water everyday, and even the 2 year old have been going out and taking little cups of water to pour on the plants!

The herb spiral continues to do great and the school has had the strongest, longest-lasting crop of parsley that I have ever seen. Mine gave out eons ago. But they have parsley, oregano, basil, chard, and thyme all going strong. The only herb that did not last through the summer was the dill.
I'm going to cut some herbs for the different classes so they can have a smellathon.

Hoping for a crop of squash and tomatoes and then the plan is to clear and make way for spinach. My hope is to get approval to install a drip system this winter and a cattle panel trellis to bend from one side to the other.

#68...but will Fall deprive us of the record?

2009-09-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

Today should be our 68th day of 100+ temperatures here in Austin. The record is 69. Is it wrong that I kind of want two more days of excessive heat just so we have the bragging rights to holding the record for most 100+ days in a year?

61 days and counting...

2009-08-21T18:53:00.000-07:00

We're at 61 days of 100+ temperatures here in Austin. We will most likely break the 2nd highest number of days (66) next week and possibly the highest number (69) before this summer is through. And it will only get worse for the garden as Austin has stage 2 watering restrictions kicking in Monday, which means you are only allowed to water one day a week. That may seem like enough in normal temperatures of fall or spring, but in 100+ temperatures every day the plants are stressed constantly and have incredible evaporation. Many need daily watering to keep their leaves from shriveling up and drying out. So, I'll be making my rounds this weekend and cutting back many of my plants, just to give them less plant to support in this heat and during the water restrictions.

But the heat has a bigger affect than the garden and lawn in my house. The mood is just generally cranky in the afternoon here, unless we are in the pool. Even then, going in the pool is akin to taking a group bath as the water temperature is around 91 degrees. I know anyone reading outside of Austin is thinking about all of the rain they have gotten. It seems everyone I talk to have been having downpours weekly. And I appreciate that so many want to push that weather our way. If only that were a possibility.

Fall Vegetables!!!! Cooler temps can not be far away, right?

2009-08-17T07:55:00.001-07:00

With the new watering restrictions just announced and temperatures in the 100s for what seems like forever, it may seem like summer will never end. But fall will be here before you know it and now is the time to prepare your vegetable garden to make the most of the cooler temperatures.

This Saturday, the Travis County Master Gardeners will be presenting a free seminar on Fall Vegetable Gardening taught by Master Gardener Vegetable Specialist Patty Leander.

Fall Vegetable Gardening
Saturday, August 22, 2009, 10am-Noon
River Place Country Club
4207 River Place Blvd
Austin TX

Patty will review basics of vegetable gardening and specifically discuss varieties that flourish in the fall and winter months. Perfect your vegetable gardening by hearing more about how to prepare soil, what varieties do the best in Central Texas, and how to avoid common problems. Broccoli, lettuce, swiss chard, radishes and spinach all grow well in our cooler season. And crops like tomatoes, peppers, and squash can flourish when planted in late summer to take advantage of the cooler fall temperatures.

This seminar is free and open to the public. No reservations are required. Call (512) 854-9600 with questions.

Tomatoes moving into fall

2009-07-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

I've been surprised this year at the continuous amount of tomatoes I have gotten all summer. I have had hot summers before where I have literally gotten no tomatoes after June 1st until it cools down for fall because many tomatoes stop setting fruit when it stays above around 80 at night. This summer certainly qualifies. So what gives? I think this year I did a better job of selecting heat tolerant varieties which will fruit in this weather. Cherry tomatoes are always reliable for this. Juliets do a very good job. Some others I planted this year include Cherokee purple, Azoychka, and Arkansas Traveler.

That said, the heat has taken it's toll the last month or so. In fact, many of my tomato plants I have gone ahead and chopped back a half to ready them to go in fall. The rest will be done by the first week of August. I did this last year and I got a fantastic crop in the fall. I had tomatoes going all the way until frost last year.

So do your tomatoes a favor. If they are still healthy, cut them back by half so they can be ready to perform when the weather gives us a break.

The ugly...

2009-07-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

They declared the drought in Central and South Texas as "extreme" and "exceptional" the other day. Our area is the only one in the nation to be in a declared drought right now and lake levels are at a 25-year low. It's not hard to find record-breaking facts right now having to do with the heat here in Central Texas. And for gardeners, that means things are ugly right now. July is already a tiresome month for gardens here because of the normal heat we get, but we have been above 100 degrees for a long time with no rain.

Container plants need to be watered at least twice a day on my patio, and many of them I have dragged into the shade to give them a little break from the sun's searing rays. Shade will help them quite ba bit. And the grass, what can I say? I know I have St. Augustine and this is a good shade grass, not good for full sun. But I have both shade and sun on my property, so what is a homeowner to do- install patchwork grass of different types according to sun and shade locations on their porperty? The grass is usually able to hold on quite well most of the year, but this drought has just put it through it's paces. I'm not interested in keeping the greenest lawn on the block and running up water bills and breaking water restrictions while I am at it. At this point, I just want to keep a hint of life in it to carry it through the rest of the summer until rains will revive it. But man, even with two waterings a week, look at this crispy lawn.

At least it is nice to remind myself that this is considered "extreme: weather for Texas and won't be something I will have to deal with every year.

So what is a gardener to do in this heat and drought? If you don't have mulch on top of the soil, add it...NOW...LOTS OF IT. It will help to keep in moisture and keep the soil temperature down. If you are watering, give deep soakings, especially to the lawn so it will develop deeper, stronger roots. And keep an eye out for things you might not normally have to watch- like trees. Our trees are now going through their second year of drought and this can really stress a tree, introducing an opportunity for diseases or pests to move in and take advantage. If trees look like they are having problems, give them infrequent, deep soakings with a hose to help them through to the fall.

Ahhh fall. Will it ever come?

Upcoming Seminar in Austin- Diagnosing plant problems

2009-07-06T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is our second run of this popular program, helping gardeners to diagnose plant problems in their garden.

Becoming A Garden Detective: Diagnosing Plant Problems
Saturday, July 11, 2009
10am-Noon
Zilker Botanical Garden

Just when you think you've done everything right by your plants, one of them starts to really look sick. One of the biggest challenges for gardeners is correctly diagnosing plant problems and finding effective, safe solutions. Is your plant dying because of an insect, environmental or disease problem? This seminar will teach you the causes of plant problems, the process for diagnosing plant problems, and how to respond to the problems. This class is free and open to the public.

More rain!

2009-07-01T09:31:00.000-07:00

I don't know who finally did that rain dance right, but we have gotten some very nice rain storms the past two days and all I can say is that my plants are so very thankful and their sad, wilted, papery-dry faces have disappeared. There is nothing sweeter right now than the sound of rain pitter-pattering on the roof.

Now I can rest easy...

2009-06-22T12:26:00.000-07:00

Those of you who have been following my Weed Watch 09 series may have been missing sleep at night, wondering what those crazy plants that sprung up in my garden bed outside my back door were. The answer I have been searching for appeared from a new blogging friend, Healingmagichands. She helped me in my quest and IDed the giant plant as Horseweed, a fast-growing plant with a not-so-attractive bloom that then seeds all over the bed. Luckily, my husband, in his non-garden-crazy sensible mind had insisted we pull it out before it fully seeded. The gardener in me screamed no!, let's leave it and see what happens (the downfall of all good gardeners) but the wife who wanted to make sure I didn't spend all of next year getting told "I told you so" decided to pull the plug.

Thanks Healingmagichands! You've not only saved my garden, but my marriage as well.

Sherlock of the Garden

2009-06-17T19:37:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a fantastic seminar sponsored by the Travis County Master Gardeners. Yes, this is a tacky self-serving post because I DO help organize these seminars. But I speak here as an attendee and it was a great seminar. The seminar was taught by MG Susan Decker speaking on plant diseases and Extension Entomologist agent Wizzie Brown, who spoke on insect problems. The goal was to teach gardeners how to recognize certain types of damage so that you could narrow down the source and treat it. Susan covered a huge amount of plant diseases and how to recognize and treat for them. All great info!

Then Wizzie did a great job of simplifying types of insect damage and showing you the possible culprits. A tip I learned last night, if you see chewed damage on leaves and the edges are turned brown, don't bother looking or treating for the culprit because the damage is old and the bug is long gone. If you see chewed leaves and the edges are still green, its fresh and you should look or treat for the caterpillar/beetle,/grasshopper, etc that might have done it.

Good to know. I already feel more sleuthy.

If you're in Austin and you want to attend the Plant Detective seminar, we are holding another one on July 11th at Zilker Botanical Garden at 10am. Free and open to the public.

The Heat is On! GDDB June 2009

2009-06-15T13:43:00.001-07:00

Well, it's time to check in for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day again. The heat has really descended upon us here in Central Texas. Despite some violent, but still welcome, thunderstorms this past week, temperatures have been easily over 100 degrees and that just makes the situation out in the garden, well, desperate. Daily watering by hand is necessary to keep some of these plants even going.

But let me start with the beautiful plants that thrive in the Texas heat with a voracious, sun-slap-down attitude that makes other plants just whimper in their presence. Some are the beautiful wildflowers growing in my septic field. Beebalm/Horsemint has come back again and I just love it's looks, The purple is slowly fading, but I love the structure of the flowers and will certainly do my best to spread more seed around. The whorls of flowers going up the stem are just...cool. And I looked out tonight and I swear, there must have been 5 birds, maybe hummingbirds but I was too far away, that were hovering around it. Along with the bee balm are some yellow flowers, I think maybe a California poppy variety, and some Indian Blanket. The Mexican hat is mostly gone to seed now. Mind you, these plants get no hand watering and no irrigation. Just the septic field moisture and whatever rains come their way.

Besides the wildflowers, other plants that are laughing at the heat right now include Mexican Bush Sage, Euryops (Bush Daisy), Bulbine, Pink Skullcap, Mexican Heather, Society Garlic, Salvia Coccinea, Salvia Greggii, bicolor iris, and Rosemary. With some shade, my turk's cap, canna lily, Texas Star Hibiscus, and purple coneflower are also loving the heat. Thank god for these plants, or my garden would look desperately fried. I return to these tried and true performers in bed after bed.

The vegetable garden is, well, going. The borers have taken their toll on the squash. I have so far only harvested one zucchini. My plants seem to have all male flowers! I had to pull up one of my cushaw squash vines today after it was just decimated by borers and literally just turned to ashes. But the tomatoes are going strong after a slow start due to a mystery guest who liked to chew the entire stalk down so they would have to start growing from scratch again. Soyu cucumbers are doing great. Green peppers are tiny and very un-productive. And the okra are just starting to gain some height.

I'll wrap it all up with a view of our latest garden visitor. We have gone a bit bird-house mad in the back yard with an addition of two new houses and one owl-house this year, But it is so fun when they actually get occupied. This baby was peering out of the house waiting for mommy to bring his lunch. The mom would chirp madly from the oak tree whenever I went out to take pictures. The birdies grow up so quick...already the house is empty, waiting for the next tenant. Godspeed, little birdie!

Weed Watch 09, The Final Installment

2009-06-14T11:30:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I did my best to hold out until the mystery weed bloomed. I was hoping for possibly a goldenrod, but I would have to say no. When they finally did "bloom" if you can call it that, it was just very insignificant. SAnd having better things to do with the space, I made the executive decision to pull the plug on Weed Watch 09.

But here are some final pictures of the bloom. Some great guesses along the way, but nothing that I could identify in the end.

Look at the baby!

2009-06-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Why are baby veggies so cute?

Yummmmmm!

2009-06-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

We've had stuffed zucchini, fresh tomatoes, sauteed green beans, cucumber sandwiches and zucchini bread, all made from garden produce. And this so far from a garden which has been performing subpar.

Learn How to Collect Rainwater for Your Garden

2009-06-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

Austin Gardeners, take note!

This Saturday, the Travis County Master Gardeners will present a free public seminar on rainwater harvesting for your garden. This session will teach you all the basics on building a non-potable rainwater harvesting system.

Rainwater Harvesting for Your Garden
Saturday, June 13, 2009
10am-Noon

River Place Country Club
4207 River Place Blvd.
Austin TX

In addition, learn about rain gardens which capture valuable rainwater in your landscape. Vendors representing tank and gutter companies will be available to answer specific questions. City of Austin representatives will be available to answer permit and rebate questions.

Bring on the shade!

2009-05-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

John and I have been contemplating a way to create more shade on our back patio for a while. The afternoon sun back there is just brutal, yet when the kids come home, they often want to be out there with me in the yard or watering the plants by my side. But our current solution of dousing them with the hose to keep them cool doesn't seem to be a good long-term fix.

It just so happens that fate stepped in in the form of a website, OK, a person that works for a website. Teak, Wicker & More, a site specializing in outdoor furniture and garden items, contacted me and asked if I would be willing to try out a product and review it on my site. As I browsed the site, I came across Coolaroo sun sails and knew someone was watching out for me. We have a Coolaroo umbrella now for our table outside and just love it. Their material blocks 90% of UV rays and can reduce temperatures underneath by around 30%.

So in a few weeks, I'll have the opportunity to try out one of the Coolaroo shade sails and hopefully bring some relief to my children's feet, which get toasted as they run across the patio saying "hot, hot, hot". Full disclosure, they are sending me the shade at no cost, but there are no guidelines for my review so I can be honest about whether it works for our space and creates a cooler patio for us and cooler feet for the kids.

Can I hear a hoot?

2009-05-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

Long weekends always necessitate some projects that will just suck up some time. So, let me introduce to you the Memorial Day Weekend Time Suck Activity 09! Screech Owl House Building!

Just kidding. I was very inspired by Bob's post over at Gardening at Draco and showed it to my husband, commenting how neat it would be for him to build one with Jack. Lo and behold, today was the day. John found some plans on the internet, pre-cut the wood, and they got to work on it. We filled the bottom with about 3" of dried leaves.

Jack thinks everything is too loud, so he is holding his ears while John drills on the top.

Then, right before it went up, I realized we needed some finishing touches on it. So I grabbed some Sharpies for the kids and some paint for me. First, an owl for the top.

Jack added our welcome message on the side. And I promise that as that message fades, I will climb up there and retrace the cute little Pre-K handwriting every year, if I have to!

Then John hung the house up about 15 ft. off the ground in a big oak with a very open surrounding area, since that is what we read the owls look for when they are searching for a new pad. You know those owls, its all location, location, location!

And now, we are all just waiting. Is there an owl real estate listing sheet or something I can advertise our new offering in?

Weed Watch 09 Continues

2009-05-24T19:23:00.000-07:00

Good lord, the weed watch continues. To update you, we are now down to only one weed as John got too freaked out by the "lettuce" looking one and insisted I pull it out. Not sure what he thought was going to happen, perhaps an alien would spring forth from it and get us all? But I succumbed in a weak moment. Who knows, he might have saved the planet with his fear.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, weed #2, which started out looking like an Easter Lily or Bee Balm type plant has morphed into something totally bizarre. Branches are protruding from the mid section and the top and now it has little pods forming on the ends of the branches where I am hoping we will soon get a flower to help in the ID.

There is another of the same type of plant behind the big one, you can see it in the lower left of this photo. It has not branched out yet but has a lot of branches coming off of the very bottom. No pods on it yet.

Sorry about the horrid pictures, the plant is obviously creationg some type of photo force field that sends out interference to my camera when I try to shoot it.

Here is a detail of the flower pods coming out on the branches.

As always, completely open to suggestions of what the heck this plant is and whether it houses alien life forms.

Thanks.

School Garden Update Week of May 18

2009-05-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

Well, our school garden certainly hit it's growing stride thie week. Behold my beautiful volunteers holding the surprise zucchini harvest from Wednesday. Mind you, I just harvesting zucchini last Friday. Where the heck were these guys hiding? That one in the middle was over a foot long!

It's been a big week in the school garden. We started out on Monday harvesting green beans with the Kindergarten. There were plenty for everyone to get to put a few in the basket. Then they all went around the garden inspecting all the other plants to see what was growing. We picked a few herbs and passed them around for everyone to smell.

The boys stuck their heads deep in between the tomato plants growing and managed to find a few tomatoes that were already starting to turn red. I told them we could probably wait a bit until they had more company as one tomato would not go a long way int he school kitchen.

The cucumbers are really starting up now, with a few small ones and at least one medium size one now on the growth spurt. You can see how they have already reaching the top of the cucumber ladders we built and I'm so glad we got them off the ground or else they would have been sprawling everywhere.

The herb spiral has got everything going strong except the basil is still a bit on the small side. I have grass coming up through the dirt/gravel so I have been carefully pulling to get it under control. Careful not to get any of the prescious herbs.

The kids were excited to tell me they had zucchini in their salads last week and it was in a stew this week. I know they are paying more attention to what vegetables are on their plates and they love telling me about what is growing at home.

Because prickly pears are awesome to photograph

2009-05-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

May 2009 Bloom Day

2009-05-14T13:14:00.000-07:00

Here we are with the temperatures already rising- having to help plants who might be struggling. I'm hoping for some thunderstorms late this week to help everything along as I just planted some passalongs from Diane. Thanks Diane! But this is the time when Texas gardeners are thankful for having some choices of Texas-tough plants that can take our daytime temperatures...and also our high nighttime tsummer temperatures. With the nights so hot, plants don't get a chance to rest like they do up north. They just keep chugging along and eventually burn themselves up from continuous consumption of sugars.

OK, enough with the botany talk. Lots of colors filling in the garden right now. Let's check it out.
Lamb's ear and Dallas Red lantana are mixing together well.

Society garlic, orange bulbine, and daylilies are all lending their color. My poppy seeds didn't seem to work for me this year. After consulting with MSS, I think the mulch may have been the problem.

But some Iceland poppies bought as small plants are popping up a bloom every now and then.

Bicolor and butterfly iris are sporting their tiny blooms for me right now and lending their lush grass-like foliage. These do so well down here, even in droughts. Esperanza is just starting to send out multiple yellow blooms.

And what's this? Grapes of Gomphrena just starting to send it's little blooms out. So sunny, they look so cute just sitting right in the neck of the stems.

Portulaca and pomegranate are both blooming. The portulaca came back from seed from last year and is coming up in nooks and crannies in the walkway. I don't mind. It's gorgeous and drought tolerant.

And my wildflower/septic field has really taken off in the past few weeks.

Finally, lovely pearl milkweed vine with green flowers, a beautiful subtle vine growing on my crossvine trellis. I'm happy to let it share the space, as the flowers are mesmerizing.

Happy bloom day!

Vegetable Garden 09 Update

2009-05-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

The veggie garden is going well this year although I must admit the school veggie garden that I caring for is kicking my garden's ass. But the green beans seem to be doing well. Interestingly, my bush beans have produced much faster than the pole. We had our first harvest of the pole beans on Friday and had them for supper. Squash is starting to show some more rapid growth but I live in fear that I have missed some borer eggs that will then hatch and eat their way into the plant. Inevitable as I keep finding dozens and you know I can't be THAT good to have found every single one. But I'm dusting with Bt to try and thwart their progress.

Check out Jack shyly showing off the bean he justpicked!

Elsewhere, pepper growth is slow. The tomatoes are doing so so. The ones that I planted in my herb bed closer to the house seem to be doing better and I think I have just not amended the soil as well as I usually do in the raised vegetable bed. Plus I was fighting off hornworms or something that kept slicing the plants off and then they would have to regrow. This happened on quite a few of the plants.

Cucumbers are coming up but have not really started climbing the trellis yet. Again, we had some early buffet-style visits from something who were gnawing of the seedlings so we had to reseed quite a few.

Tally so far, 1 tomato harvested (Juliet) and about 30 beans.