Tips
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Let’s Grow: Pollinator Gardens for Monarch Butterflies
Monarch butterflies are a beautiful and important part of our natural world in Central Texas. They are also in decline, due to habitat loss and other factors. One way to help monarch butterflies is to plant a pollinator garden. A pollinator garden is a garden that is designed to attract and support pollinators, such as butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds. Pollinators are essential for the health of our planet, as they help to pollinate plants, which is essential for food production. Below is a great pollinator plant chart (PDF – printer version) that you can print and take with you to your local garden nursery to pick out your selections. When…
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July in the Garden – 2023 Edition
Greetings, Lakeway gardeners! This month it is all about staying cool. After June’s extreme temps, we should only expect that July will likely set new heat records. As thermometers continue to rise, many new Texas gardeners start to wonder what they’ve gotten themselves into (!) while veteran Texas gardeners escape the summer heat in Colorado or elsewhere… Luckily from the sanctuary of air conditioning, you can start your fall garden planning this month. Resilient vegetable gardeners know to set up shade cloths to protect tender transplants of tomatoes and peppers during this sweltering month. Tomato varieties like Celebrity, Lemon Boy, Flame, Ponderosa, Cherokee Purple, and Tie Dye Green are some colorful and delicious favorites and worth a try…
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June in the Garden – 2023 Edition
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…
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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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May in the Garden – 2023 Edition
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…
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Five Easy Steps for Creative Ikebana
Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arranging. It is a centuries-old tradition that has evolved over time, but it still retains its core principles of simplicity, asymmetry, and harmony. Ikebana is a great way to bring beauty and peace into your home, and it can also be a fun and creative outlet. Here are 5 easy steps for beautiful floral arrangements. Remember there is no right or wrong way to create an ikebana arrangement! The important thing is to have fun and create something that you find beautiful! Choose Your Container Start by selecting your container for the arrangement. Ikebana containers are typically low and shallow but they can…
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April in the Garden – 2023 Edition
Greetings, Lakeway gardeners! Will April showers bring May flowers? Only time and a few heavy rainstorms will tell. April is a wonderful month to be in the Lakeway garden with your hands in the dirt. The danger of frost should have passed (the average last frost day for the Lakeway area can range all the way to April 10th), but be prepared in case of a surprise late freeze. April is the time of year that all warm season plants can be seeded or transplanted. It’s also the official start of regular lawn mowing and irrigation. Flowers, pollinators, hummingbirds, trees and many spring vegetables flourish this month too. The delicate purple wildflower with the…
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Let’s Grow: WaterWise Gardens with the Lakeway MUD
Lakeway Municipal Utility District (LMUD) is hosting a week-long series of water-related speakers from March 27-31 at their district office (1097 Lohmans Crossing). Join us on Monday March 27th at 2pm when the Lakeway Garden Club shares tips for successfully growing drought-tolerant, low-maintenance native plants and how to create a WaterWise garden! The Lakeway Garden Club is free and open to all local area residents. For information about the Lakeway Garden Club, visit https://lakewaygardenclub.com
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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…
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March in the Garden – 2023 Edition
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…
