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Author Archives: sheryl.williams
Fireflies
What Are Those Flashing Bugs Called? What do you call those flashing beetles that light up in the summertime? Is it a firefly or a lightingbug? Different areas of the U.S. call these beetles one or the other or, sometimes, use them terms interchangeably. Fireflies and lightningbugs refer to beetles in family, Lampyridae. I recently visited my family in Ohio and got to return somewhat to my childhood, being giddy over the number of fireflies I discovered emerging with their gentle flashing patterns at dusk. Yes, I ran… Read More →
In the July Vegetable Garden
It’s Hot in the July Vegetable Garden If you’re a new gardener in the Austin area, you’re probably wondering what you’ve gotten yourself into. The heat advisories have already started! The U.S. Drought Monitor tells the story. Over 2/3 of Travis County is now tagged as Abnormally Dry. Dry conditions mean that the soil has a reduced capacity to capture and store heat, exacerbating the high temperatures we are already experiencing. High nighttime temperatures cause many varieties of tomatoes to produce sterile pollen, which means your plants are… Read More →
What’s Happening in the Austin June Vegetable Garden
The June Vegetable Garden Checklist by Paula Wolfel June is a fun month in the garden. Although the heat starts to set in, most Austin gardeners are still reveling in gratitude for April and May’s rain. Plants are green and growing and harvest is abundant. With that said, this time of year many Austin gardeners are disappointed to find what once was a thriving squash or pumpkin plant has died. If you grow a plant in the squash or pumpkin family then you are most likely very familiar… Read More →
Saltmarsh Caterpillars
Woollybear Cousins Active Now Saltmarsh caterpillars seem to be a common sight in gardens, lawns and traveling across roads and sidewalks. These caterpillars are a particular species, Estigmene acrea, and turn into saltmarsh moths. They are often mistakenly called “woollybears” which are a different species, Pyrrharctia isabella, that turn into Isabella tiger moths. The two species are related and in the same family Erebidae. Many Fuzzy Colors Saltmarsh caterpillars are extremely variable in color and have many setae in the late instar which creates a hairy or fuzzy… Read More →
Texas Superstar – Bluebonnet Seed Harvesting
Create Your Own Display By Harvesting Bluebonnet Seeds Our Texas state flower, the Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis), is a low maintenance winter annual whose color is an early spring welcome and a reason for a Sunday drive. It’s now available in white, pink, classic blue, and royal blue. You might ask, how do you replicate the display of bluebonnets so prominent along the state highway? A little planning and effort right now will reward you next year, as you might notice the seed pods are currently ripening. Let Your… Read More →
Don’t Give Up on Pride of Barbados Plants
Texas Superstar® – Pride of Barbados Pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima – means “very pretty”) is a tropical plant that is native to South America and the Caribbean and is a reliable perennial in Travis County. The alternate common names, such as flame tree, peacock flower, and flowering fence hint at its magnificent display. It is a fast-growing shrub or small tree that can reach heights of up to 10 feet and can be pruned to maintain its shape and size. Pride of Barbados is known for its… Read More →
What’s Happening in the May Vegetable Garden
Austin’s May Vegetable Garden Checklist Tips from Paula Wolfel May provides a window when a few more vegetables can be planted before the summer heat arrives, but is mainly a month when Austin gardeners tend to the plants that were put in the ground earlier in the spring and start harvesting. Many gardeners are harvesting beans, peas, tomatoes, squashes, radishes, carrots, lettuces, and squashes, to name a few. Unfortunately, also in May, insects and diseases are in full force. Pill bugs, tiger moth caterpillar and the saltmarsh caterpillars… Read More →
Texas Community Futures Forum on May 7th
Every five years, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service hosts the Texas Community Futures Forum to address local issues facing the general public in the areas of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Families and Health, Youth and Community Development. In order to ensure that the educational programs being planned for the future are on target, we invite your participation in the Texas Community Futures Forum to be held on May 7th from 9-11:30 am at Pflugerville Lions Club, 500 N Railroad Ave, Pflugerville, TX 78660 Your opinion is valued in… Read More →
Mountain Laurel Mirid
Mountain laurel mirids, Lopidea major, are relatively small insects that reach a little over ¼” as adults. Nymphs, or immatures, look like adults, but don’t have fully developed wings and are smaller in size. These mirids are a type of plant bug that is red and black in color. Bodies and front part of the wings are red while the head, antennae, legs, and back part of the wings are black. They have piercing-sucking mouthparts and use them to puncture foliage of plants. Feeding can lead to deformation… Read More →
Inside Austin Gardens Tour Set For May 11
The Travis County Master Gardeners Association has set Saturday, May 11, 2024, 9:00 am-3:00 pm, for their popular Inside Austin Gardens Tour (IAGT). The tour provides a rare look inside four private gardens that demonstrate realistic, sustainable gardening practices for Central Texas that will inform and inspire. Featured Gardens Showcase Diverse Settings The tour’s theme is “For Gardeners. By Gardeners”, focusing on the vast variety and practical beauty of native and well-adapted plants in the garden. In turn, each garden has a theme that highlights a particular set… Read More →