Education
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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…
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Planting “Deer Resistant” Flower Gardens in Central Texas
Deer are a common sight in Lakeway and Central Texas, and they can be a nuisance to gardeners. They love to eat young transplants of all kinds and will often nibble on most plants to “test” them out even if they are considered “deer resistant”. But if you’re looking for ways to keep deer out of your flower beds, there are a few things you can do. One option is to plant native deer resistant flowers. There are many different types of deer resistant flowers available, so you can find ones that will fit your garden style. Some popular deer resistant flowers for Central Texas include: Black-eyed Susans Bluebonnets Coneflowers…
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Know the 6 D’s of container gardening
To be successful at container gardening requires more than just a pot and a plant. The “6 D’s of Container Gardening Success,” as presented by Texas Master Gardener Kirk Walden, highlights how to have better plant-growing results, with the information given in manageable — and memorable D-letter — chunks. The six D’s are: Design Dirt Diameter Depth Drainage Daylight Of course, each topic has subsets of information. Design Gardeners need to keep in mind how much space is needed. Also, they should bear in mind the purpose of the garden, such as whether it is ornamental or intended to grow fruits or vegetables. There are numerous styles of gardens ranging…