Greetings, Lakeway gardeners! June is a time of great abundance in Lakeway gardens. The summer heat is in full swing, and your garden is starting to bear the fruits of your dedicated labor. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and zucchini are all in season, and you can start to harvest them. In addition to harvesting crops, there are three main things to keep in mind as you tend your garden this month. Water your plants regularly, especially during hot, dry weather. Fertilize your plants every few weeks to help them continue to produce. Finally, keep an eye out for pests and diseases. If you see any problems, take action immediately to prevent them…

Greetings, Lakeway gardeners! The month of May can be an exuberant (and sometimes an exhausting) time in Lakeway. There is just so much to see and do in the garden! Roses are blooming, birds are singing and pollinators are buzzing with all the flowering excitement in our gardens. The humidity and severe storm chances are starting to rise, so an early morning garden work habit is key to staying cool. And remember to get out there and start weeding before they take over and make your yard work much, much harder! Thanks so much to everyone who attended our first ever Lakeway Garden Club Open House celebrating Earth Day on…

Greetings, Lakeway gardeners! Will March come in like a lion or lamb this year? Regardless, it is a bountiful time in the Lakeway garden. Flowers, bees, butterflies, trees and spring vegetables will begin to flourish this month. In my garden, the most anticipated moment is when tiny asparagus stalks begin to poke through the dirt – then I know spring is almost here! As we head into warmer temperatures and leave the prospect of frost damage behind, remember to review the Veggie Planting Calendar to plan your spring veggie garden. This Texas AgriLife Extension Vegetable Garden Planting Guide will show you all the ideal times to plant in order to…

Greetings, Lakeway gardeners! Even though we are off to a very icy start this month, February is still one of my favorite times in the garden. Spiderwort may be frozen in glass-like ice right now but soon their purple blooms will burst out and herald the promise of warmer weather. Once the ice thaws, it is a great time to enjoy your winter garden bounty of greens, broccoli, carrots and other healthy vegetables. Kids often love to get involved in the garden if they know they can eat some things too! Many vegetable gardeners here in Central Texas find a cooler season to be more productive than a warm season,…

Happy 2023! If the infamous 2021 Central Texas Snowmageddon was a “once in a lifetime” freeze event, let’s keep our fingers crossed for a milder winter season this month… so far this winter, it has been pretty unpredictable – unseasonably warm days and then back into the freeze zone at night. This is the type of unstable weather pattern that can trick plants into emerging from dormancy. Be assured that it’s still winter. Just remember to cover (or better yet, bring inside) your cold sensitive plants. The average last frost day for the Austin area is March 11 to March 20. It is a great idea to use this month…

Hello gardeners! How are you enjoying the latest weather roller coaster? Bringing tender potted plants inside one freezing day, then putting them back outside in the warm eighty degree sunshine the next. I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted! December is when we normally coast into a predictable winter weather pattern here in Central Texas. Therefore, gardening often, and should, be less of a priority during the holidays. The colder weather has slowed growth and hopefully is providing enough moisture to reduce the need to irrigate. Use this time to thoroughly enjoy the results of your labors and spend time in the garden with friends and family. And if you pull…

Feel that brisk chill in the air each morning? November is the month that finally feels like fall has arrived here in Central Texas. If it cools down enough at night, we may even see some fall color in the trees and shrubs. Of course that also means that deciduous plants will begin to shed their leaves in earnest, providing plenty of raw material for homemade mulch and compost. The average first freeze for Austin (Camp Mabry) is anywhere from November 29th through December 5th depending on the period of record. See below for things that should be on your November gardening to-dos. Happy gardening! November Garden Tips Flowers to…

Finally! It is officially fall in Central Texas and that means the oppressive summer heat has broken and we can all rush back outside to garden in earnest. Rains hopefully will arrive mid month to replenish soil moisture and rainwater harvesting tanks. See below for things that should be on your October gardening to-dos. Happy gardening! October Garden Tips Flowers to Plant Allyssum, Sweet Calendula Centaurea Dusty Miller Johnny Jump Up Larkspur Nasturtium Pansies (mid October) Poppies Snapdragon Sweet Pea Seeds to Sow Beets Carrots Fava Beans Greens – cool season Leeks (early-mid Oct) Onions – bulbing Onions – bunching, multiplying Peas – English, snow, snap (early Oct) Radishes Turnips…

The calendar says September is the beginning of the fall season, but the Central Texas “weather break” (flipping the switch from hot to cool) may not actually happen until late in the month or October. But look on the bright side: the shorter days will trigger fall blooms for asters and other perennials and allow us to plant cool-season flowering plants like snapdragons, dianthus, alyssum, pansies and nasturtium. These bloomers like cool growing conditions so don’t plant until later in the month. Plant sugar snap peas and snow peas during the last two weeks of September too. See below for things that should be on your September gardening to-dos. Happy…