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Category Archives: Horticulture
What’s Happening in Austin’s August Vegetable Garden
Stay Hydrated and Keep the August Vegetable Garden Going – Tips from Paula Wolfel August is an interesting time for gardeners in Austin. Vegetable gardens consist of plants that have survived or are surviving the heat but have dormant and empty spots from plants that succumbed to high temperatures or pests and diseases. For those who have tomato, pepper, eggplant, squash, melons, and cucumbers that are still going strong, continue to water daily and to provide a water-soluble fertilizer once a week. If you’ve got empty spots or… Read More →
What’s Happening in Austin’s July Vegetable Garden
July Vegetable Garden Checklist Tips from Paula Wolfel The July heat slows things down in the Austin vegetable garden. For most gardeners, July gardening consists of either trying to keep plants alive with daily watering until the temperatures drop again in late summer, or planning for their fall gardens. Heat and lack of rain can adversely affect growth and pollination so if your plants are not producing new fruits but remain green, try to hold tight until the temperatures drop. And in the meantime, start planning your fall… Read More →
Texas Superstar® – Trailing Lantana
Trailing Lantana is a ‘Go-To’ Plant In Central Texas, Lantana is a ‘go to’ garden specimen for continuous color from spring through fall. It survives our inconsistent freezes, drought, and periods of rain deluge and just keeps coming back. The purple variety of Trailing Lantana is slightly more hardy than the white, but both are plants you’ll want to have in your garden. The white variety can take more shade than the purple, but still flowers best with direct sun and heat. As with all lantanas, the foliage… Read More →
The Least I Can Say About Texas’ Native Bees
June 19th-25th, 2023 is National Pollinator Week. Travis County Master Gardener Vicki Blachman gives us a deep dive into native bees with this guest post. A Short Intro to Native Bees by Vicki Blachman There are over 20,000 bee species in the world. Of those, close to 4,500 are considered native to the U.S., and up to 1000, native to Texas. They have seven family classifications, of which six are right here in Texas1. Our native bees range in size from nearly an inch long down to smaller… Read More →
Texas Superstar® – Gold Star Esperanza
Give Yourself a ‘Gold Star’ Gold Star Esperanza (Tecoma stans ‘Gold Star’) is a subtropical Texas native. It’s a reliable perennial in USDA Hardiness Zone 9. You might also know this showy plant as ‘yellow bells’ or ‘hardy yellow trumpet. The ‘Gold Star’ variety is the most prolific flowering variety that is “a must” for a Central Texas gardener. It is a fast-growing shrub that can reach 4-5 feet tall with similar width. The actual size is responsive to the growing conditions and is a wonderful accent plant… Read More →
What’s Happening in Austin’s June Vegetable Garden
June Vegetable Garden Checklist Tips from Paula Wolfel It is June and it is getting hot! Although we were spoiled with some good rain last month, we also had a few over 90 degree days. With this heat, watering will be the most important part of your gardening regiment. But in my opinion, June is the best month to enjoy all the work you have put into your garden to date. Your June Vegetable Garden Checklist: WATER Water is the most important factor in the garden as the… 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 Austin’s May Vegetable Garden
Austin’s May Vegetable Garden Checklist Tips from Paula Wolfel May is upon us and are veggies are growing! I am already picking tomatoes, radishes, asparagus, snap peas, and lots of lettuces and greens. You still have time to get new plants in before the summer heat arrives. Make sure you are staying on top of your watering as it is the most important task for May. Your vegetable garden prefers rain but if those drops are not falling from the sky, then make sure you are watering plants… Read More →
Tree Damage RX
Assisting our Dynamic Wonders The tree damage from the recent ice storm continues to plague Travis County, fueled by several high wind events. Branches are now falling or hanging when they looked fine right after the storm. Our challenge now is to continue to survey and review our trees for pruning, signs of life, or terminal damage. Let’s look at several examples to acclimate to detecting damage and how best to address. Mother Nature’s Stubs In my last post (Trees CODIT for Ice Storm Aftermath), I discussed pruning… Read More →
Trees CODIT for Ice Storm Aftermath
Tree – Heal Thyself! With the most recent ice storm and freezing temperatures, it makes you wonder what mother nature will do next to our trees and landscapes. Think about it, we had the “Snowpocalypse” of 2021, the drought of 2022, and now the “Icepocalypse” of 2023. Our trees are definitely in a weakened state and with so many also incurring ice damage, is a large portion of our natural landscape at risk? We have trees documented in our area that are 100+ years old. That’s before people… Read More →