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Author Archives: sheryl.williams
Overwintering our Friends by Marge Trachtenberg
Overwinter Plants During Austin’s Crazy February Storms We have all read the books and articles on how to overwinter plants in the house. We read that we should start getting them used to less light, less water, less fertilizer, and less attention. We read that we should check for diseases, insects or even slithering critters, before making the transition from outside to inside. It all makes for good common sense, especially for those of us with a geranium or two, a Sansevieria that lives under the trees all… Read More →
In the February Vegetable Garden
Hope Springs Eternal in the February Vegetable Garden After a series of hard freezes in January, I turn an eye to February in hopes that I can get some things in the ground and get the vegetable garden growing again. I’d better because I bought too many seeds again from all those helpful catalogs that I got in the mail. The trick is, though, to get the timing right because we are not in the frost-free zone yet. Don’t be fooled by those balmy days. Keep a diligent… Read More →
One Tough Plant – Japanese Aralia by Yvonne Schneider
Impulse Buy Becomes One Tough Plant I have to admit it, I bought my Japanese Aralia (Fatsia japonica) off a discount shelf at a Houston big box store because I loved the shape of the leaves and it looked so healthy! It was the end of the summer season and they were clearing out their plants in favor of space for the upcoming Christmas trees – and my eyes always wonder toward any plant I’ve not seen before. The Aralia caught my eye, as the leaves were deep… Read More →
Variegated Ginger – Surprising 2021 Winter Storm Survivor by Kirk Walden
Micro-climate, Macro-effect The Snowmageddon of February 2021 totally wiped out 26 of my agaves. But a tender perennial, variegated ginger, made a surprising comeback. My Variegated Ginger (Alpinia zerumbet) was a real specimen plant, anchoring one end of my front porch. It was ideally situated: sheltered by the house on one side and the porch on the other, next to an intake to a French drain. It got six hours or less of sun a day. Over the eight years it had been in place, it had grown… Read More →
In the January Vegetable Garden
Freeze Wallops the January Vegetable Garden And just like that the hard freeze arrives and wipes out a good portion of my January vegetable garden. Happy new year to you too mother nature! Like many of you, I’ve been gardening like crazy up until a few days ago and enjoying constant harvests from just about everything. I was even picking okra! But not anymore. All those tender vegetables and herbs are blackened and shriveled from the hard freeze that hit my Austin garden. I’ve been paying attention to… Read More →
Huisache – the 2021 Winter Storm Survivor by Kirk Walden
The Right Plant for the Right Place Driving around the Austin area you see a lot of trees suffering winter storm damage from the February 2021 freeze. And while arborists have been busy cutting down trees, I have a great success story to share. In September of 2020, a Wax Myrtle across from my front door died inexplicably. I didn’t want such a prominent spot to be empty for long, so set to selecting a replacement. I wanted something showy, since it sits directly across from the front… Read More →
Austin Landscapes Survive 2021 Winter Storm Uri by Yvonne Schneider
Travis County Master Gardeners Track Winter Freeze Recovery Process Numerous landscape plants and trees were toppled by the freezing rain and snow sent by Winter Storm Uri in February, with most plant foliage becoming brown and crispy within days or weeks. Homeowners and gardeners wondered – do we have to start over with the landscape, and how much is all this going to cost? Can we even find the plants we’d like to buy? The Travis County Master Gardeners had the same questions, and researched the progress of… Read More →
In the December Vegetable Garden
When is it Winter in Austin Texas? Winter is a relative term for the December vegetable garden if you live in Austin. The first freeze hasn’t arrived yet, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t lurking around the corner (the average frost date is the first week of December.) It is classic weather for Austin – which means anything can happen. According to NOAA, we have entered into a La Nina weather pattern, which for us here in Central Texas means we can expect warmer than normal temperatures and… Read More →
Carpenter Ants May Be a Problem This Year by Wizzie Brown
Carpenter Ants Capitalizing on Freeze Damage With the freeze we had earlier this year, many people lost trees or branches of trees. Many people have already cleaned up their yard but others are still waiting for help from arborists to cut down dead trees or prune damaged limbs. If you, or your neighbor, is one of the people who choose to leave things in place, you may now be dealing with carpenter ants. Identifying Carpenter Ants Carpenter ants are large ants varying in color from all black to… Read More →
Why You Should Care About Oak Wilt by Linda Drga
What is Oak Wilt and Why Do We Care About it? Trees are a valuable resource, so we do not want to lose them to disease. Oak Wilt is caused by Bretziella fagacearum, (formerly called Ceratocystis fagacearum), a non-native invasive fungus. It can be found in MN, NY, Tx, IL, OH all together 21 states are infected. In 1944 it was discovered in oak trees in the Midwest. It is spread through the vascular (water-conducting system) roots at about 75 feet per year. All oak trees are susceptible… Read More →