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Embrace the Beauty of Texas Superstars this Fall
Do you need help choosing plants for your landscaping needs? Are you looking to create a beautiful, low-maintenance garden that thrives in our Texas climate? Consider incorporating Texas Superstar plants into your landscape! These plants have been rigorously tested by Texas A&M AgriLife Research to ensure their superior performance in our challenging conditions. Fall is an ideal time for planting in Texas since the cooler temperatures reduce stress on the plant’s root system leading to more rapid root growth and ultimately a healthier plant. We suggest that gardeners follow the Earth-Kind® principles when planting a Texas Superstar® or any other desirable plant. These principles provide recommendations for plant placement, soil, spacing,…
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Grow Green with Free Garden Educational Resources
Looking to create a beautiful yard that’s easy on your wallet and kind to the environment? Look no further than the Grow Green program in Travis County! This fantastic initiative by the Austin Watershed Protection Department and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension offers a wealth of resources to help you achieve a sustainable landscape. What is Grow Green? Grow Green is your one-stop shop for transforming your yard into a central Texas oasis. They promote practices that benefit both your garden and the environment, including: Water Conservation: Learn how to use water wisely with rainwater harvesting techniques and efficient irrigation methods. Smart Plant Choices: Discover the “right plant, right place” philosophy…
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Understanding Climate Zones
The climate is the reoccurring average weather found in any particular place, measured over 30 year intervals. The Earth’s tilt, rotation and land/sea distribution affect these global weather patterns, resulting in variations between different locations. Travis County Climate Zone is Cfa C – Moist Subtropical Mid-Latitude Climate f – Wet year-round a – Hot Summer German climatologist and amateur botanist Wladimir Köppen (1846-1940) divided the world’s climates into categories based upon general temperature profile related to latitude. He worked with Rudolf Geiger to modify these categories into what is known today as the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system The major categories are as follows: A – Tropical Climates Moist tropical climates…
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Grow Big in a Small Space: The Magic of Square Foot Gardening
Dreaming of a bountiful harvest but limited on space? Look no further than square foot gardening (SFG)! This revolutionary method, developed by Mel Bartholomew, allows you to maximize your yield in even the tiniest of balconies or patios. What is Square Foot Gardening? Imagine your garden bed divided into a grid of 1-foot by 1-foot squares. Each square becomes its own mini-ecosystem, planted with specific vegetables, herbs, or flowers according to their spacing needs. This eliminates wasted space and allows for intensive planting. Benefits of Square Foot Gardening: High Yields: SFG utilizes a special, lightweight soil mix that promotes healthy growth, leading to impressive harvests from a compact area. Low…
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Cultivate Longevity: Your Guide to Blue Zone Gardening
After our Lakeway Garden Club Spring mixer last week, we had many requests to share more information about Blue Zone gardening. Enjoy! Have you ever wondered what the secret is to a long and healthy life? Look no further than the Blue Zones! These five regions around the world – Sardinia (Italy), Ikaria (Greece), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Loma Linda (California), and Okinawa (Japan) – boast populations with exceptional longevity. And one key element they all share? A deep connection to gardening. Here’s why you should consider incorporating Blue Zone gardening into your life: Move Naturally: Gardening isn’t just about planting seeds. It involves weeding, watering, harvesting – all activities that…
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Pick Plants that Survive in our Extreme Texas Weather
What are the best native and adapted plants to use in central Texas that can tolerate extremes of heat and cold, drought and deluge? Find out when the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Travis County kicks off the 2024 Texas Tough Plants webinar series with Native and Adapted Plants for Central Texas and Wild About Plants, February 21st, 10 am to noon. Texas Tough Plants Webinar Series: FEB 21: Native and Adapted Plants for Central Texas and Wild About Plants MAR 20: Native Landscapes for Wildlife APR 10: Trees Your Landscape Legacy MAY 8: 6 D’s of Container Gardening Success Those interested must register in advance to receive a link to the…
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Texas A&M AgriLife hosts Monthly Open Houses in 2024
Join Us in the Texas A&M AgriLife Demo Garden for our monthly Open House! The first Friday morning of every month is designated as a FREE open house for the Texas A&M AgriLife Earth-Kind Demonstration Garden at 1600 Smith Road, Austin. You’ll be able to visit the garden and speak with the Travis County Master Gardener volunteers who maintain it as well as get your gardening questions answered by the Plant Clinic staff. Each month will also feature some sort of demonstration or workshop that deep dive into subject areas. See monthly topics below. Monthly Topics January 5th – Tree Trimming February 2nd – Houseplant University March 1st – Rose…
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Hotter US Leads USDA to Update Plant Zone Map
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has released a new version of its Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM), which shows that Lakeway and the Austin area have moved from USDA hardiness zone 8b to 9a. This means that the average annual minimum temperature in Austin has increased by 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Type in your zip code to see how the change has impacted your specific area. The PHZM is a guide for gardeners and landscapers to help them select plants that are likely to survive in their area. The map is based on 30-year averages of the lowest annual minimum temperatures at specific locations. The new map uses data from…
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Gardening in an Exceptional Drought
An exceptional drought is a period of unusually dry weather that is significantly longer and more severe than a normal drought. These droughts can have a devastating impact on plants, animals, and ecosystems. Over the past month, due to our lack of significant rain, Travis County has sadly progressed from a state of extreme drought to a state of exceptional drought. And no, there is no drought level worse than exceptional. Just like in July, we continue to have a high pressure dome reside over Texas, causing those triple-digit temps and no sign of significant rain. If you are gardening in an exceptional drought, it is important to take extra…
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Be Water Wise and Build a Rain Garden
Rain gardens are a great way to reduce flooding, improve water quality, and add beauty to your yard. They are shallow, vegetated depressions that are designed to capture and filter stormwater runoff and are especially beneficial in areas like Central Texas, a region that is prone to flooding. Here are some easy steps to create a rain garden in your yard: Choose a location. The best location for a rain garden is in a low-lying area that is close to your home’s downspouts. This will help to ensure that the rain garden captures as much stormwater runoff as possible. Prepare the soil. The soil in the rain garden should be…
