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December in the Garden
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…
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Saving Seeds for Next Year’s Flower Garden
Just like vegetable seeds, you can save flower seeds from your garden this year to plant the following. Here are some tips for saving your flower seeds for next year. Hybrid vs Heirloom If you want the same kind of flower or plant for next year’s garden, collect only the seeds from plants labeled as “heirloom” or “heritage.” These kinds of plants will grow just like their parent plant. Hybrid seeds with a mixture of two different parents will produce new plants, but they will only look like one of the parents. Therefore, you are taking a risk with planting hybrid seeds. Even if you expect plants to be the…
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How to Grow Garlic
It was surprising to learn recently that, according to Google Trends data gathered by AllAboutGardening.com, the most popular fall-planted crop in the United States is…. garlic. A good guess would have been kale. Possibly beets. Maybe Brussels sprouts. But garlic? Another deep dive into Google’s search trends, comparing Americans’ interest in growing garlic with interest in growing other fall-planted bulbs, like tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and crocus resulted in yet another surprise. Surely, colorful blooms would trump the spicy, pungent vegetable. No. When people used the search term “how to grow…,” garlic was again the frontrunner when compared with those spring bulb plants. Could it be that Americans have a previously undisclosed obsession with garlic?…
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November in the Garden
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…
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Wildflower Center 40th Anniversary Celebration
Join us to celebrate the first 40 years of the Wildflower Center by spending Saturday, Oct. 22, in the Lady Bird Johnson’s gardens! Guests can enjoy live music, crafts and more. Admission is free all day, but most of the performances and activities will take place between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. In 1982, Lady Bird Johnson and Helen Hayes established the National Wildflower Research Center on 60 acres of undeveloped land in East Austin. The Center moved to its current location at La Crosse Avenue in 1995 and was renamed the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in 1997. The Center has been committed to inspiring the conservation of native…
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Explore the 2022 Earth-Kind Gardening Field Day
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Travis County Master Gardeners are having their fall 2022 Earth-Kind Gardening Field Day on Saturday, October 22nd from 9am to 1pm at the Travis County AgriLife Extension office located at 1600 Smith Road, Austin, TX 78721. Parking is available along Smith Road. This event is free and open to the public. Inexperienced and experienced gardeners and those curious about sustainable gardening, irrigation, growing vegetables, and selecting tough plants for the Austin area are invited to attend the fall Earth-Kind Gardening Field Day. The event includes hands-on activities for both youth and adults. Master Gardeners will be available to answer your questions as you…
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October in the Garden
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…
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All About Mint
Most mints prefer full sun to part shade (especially afternoon shade) and moist soil without having their feet wet. Too much water or overhead watering can promote diseases and pests. Keep it deadheaded to encourage tender leaves and stems with the best oil quality. If the intent is to dry leaves, then allow the flower stem to form, but not bloom, at harvest. To prevent problems of aggressiveness, plant in a pot or sunken container to limit runner and root growth that can get out of control. Remember to experiment with different ways to use it. More ideas for Growing and Using Mint: Mint in the Garden Mint Tea Mint…
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Newest 2022 Additions to the Texas Superstar Program
The Texas Superstar program began as a regional program in the early 1980s and became a statewide effort in 1989. The name Texas Superstar was coined in 1997. To be designated a “Texas Superstar”, a plant must be beautiful and perform well for consumers and growers throughout the state. Superstars must be easy to propagate, which ensures the plants are not only widely available throughout Texas but also reasonably priced. To find out more, you can download and read the latest Texas Superstar guide in PDF format. Here are 3 newest introductions for 2022. Red Yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora): Red Yucca is a herbaceous shrubby perennial with evergreen foliage and a…
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September in the Garden
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…
