16th September, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
The Natural Gardener is having their last free class of the summer tomorrow, and all attendees will receive a 20% off coupon for one item. Here’s the info from their website:
LAST FREE CLASS OF THE SEASON! Please come join us. Class attendees will receive a coupon good for 20% OFF one item purchased that day! (Excluding bulk soil yard products and sale items. Discount cannot be combined with any other offer.)
Classes are free, and no registration is required. All classes are held Saturday mornings at 9:00 a.m. unless otherwise specified. Most classes are about one hour long. All are subject to change- please call to confirm. Classes are held outdoors under an open air canopy, so be sure to dress for the weather. Arrive early for best seating. Seating is limited- you are welcome to bring your own folding chair.
September 17 – Lauren Woodward-Stanley, of Stanley Studio, presents “Green Roofs: Austin, Texas.” What are green roofs and why do they matter? What is their potential in Central Texas? These vegetative architectural wonders take many forms, colors, and sizes. Especially in the context of drought and urban growth in the region, it is important to examine the role of green roofs as one piece of Austin’s green infrastructure. Green roofs are an exciting opportunity to make our community more resilient and more beautiful! Lauren Woodward Stanley, of Stanley Studio, shares her experiences and comments about green roofs in our area. Lauren is an AIA member and Masters Graduate of UT’s School of Architecture, who cut her teeth on green roofs while in Seattle. She and husband Lars Stanley, a blacksmith and architect, have been growing their design practice and young family on a 2-acre “rurban” compound in central east Austin, complete with a studio green roof. Lauren is a member of the Green Roof Advisory Group initiated by Councilmember Chris Riley to help establish a best practice approach and appropriate incentives for green roofs in Austin. She is also a co-founder of GRoWERS (Green Roofs: Working Expertise, Regional Solutions), which aims to facilitate the design and installation of small green roofs of all varieties across the city.
click here for more info!
23rd August, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I’m happy to be back from 2 weeks traveling through India. What a fun, amazing country with a tremendously rich history. But definitely saw some areas with some major environmental problems (as well as severe poverty) that was very upsetting and really damaging to the quality of life there. It was a real eye-opener and a trip I’ll never forget.
I’ve not had a lot of time to get into the Austin news I missed while I was gone, but did find this Statesman page with some fun gardening events coming up. Here are a few that are most pertinent to being green by growing your own food:
- Do-it-yourself day: Vegetable gardens and rain gardens. Master Gardener Tommie Clayton and landscape architect John Gleason speak, followed by a tour of the Zilker Green Garden. 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 27. $10. Registration required. Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road. 974-2550, www.ci.austin.tx.us/green
garden/ggc_training.htm.
- “Experience the Fun of Planting Seeds in the Fall.”Georgetown Garden Club meeting. 1:30 p.m. Sept. 1. Georgetown Parks and Recreation Community Room, 1101 N. College. Free. 512-746-2076, www.
georgetowngardenclub.org.
- Austin Herb Society meeting.Annual members luncheon and general meeting. 9:30 a.m. to noon Sept. 6. Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road. www.austinherbsociety.org.
- Keep Austin Wild classes. Become a Certified Habitat Steward and learn to garden for desirable wildlife and help create, maintain and restore wildlife habitat as part of the City’s Keep Austin Wild initiative. Thirty hours of classes from Sept. 8 through Oct. 6. $40. 974-4009, www.cityofaustin.org/parks/wildlifehabitat.htm.
- From the garden to the table. Williamson County and Cities Health District offers free cooking, nutrition and gardening course. 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Sept. 13, 20 and 27. WIC Clinic, Round Rock WCCHD Office, 211 Commerce Cove, Round Rock. E-mail cabels@wcchd.org to register.
- Home fruit production seminar. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 17. A seminar presented by the Travis County Master Gardeners on growing fruit at home. Limited seating. Register and pay online at agriliferegister.tamu.edu, keyword search: Fruit. Room 1130, Austin Community College, 1820 Stassney Lane. $25. 854-9600, www.tcmaster
gardeners.org.
1st April, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
My husband took this pic of our first little tomoato of the season! It’s not too late to plant veggies in Austin that like hot weather like okra and peppers, and possibly not too late to put in tomato transplants if you’re interesting in starting a garden this year.
23rd March, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
It’s been awhile since I had any gardening updates, mainly because my fall garden wasn’t very successful and the squirrels ate what little there was. But with the return of warm weather, things are really picking up.
Here is my side garden with cabbages last September
....and here it is now- notice the bird netting to keep out the squirrels
Here is some asparagus I planted last fall with some garlic chives in the front right corner (they grow like a weed) and some kale in the background
An onion I planted last March is finally taking off
Kale from the Natural Gardener that I transpalnted last fall. Also some carrots on either side that grew slowly all winter and took off once it got warmer.
10th February, 2011 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I was reading Renee Studebaker’s Statesman blog and found a list of tips for growing tomatoes. Renee says now is the time of year to start seedlings so transplants can be started in mid-March, so yesterday I planted 8. I used old yogurt cups and tried to find a warm spot in the house, although that’s a little tricky since Renee says the seedlings should be kept between 70 and 80 degrees and our house is programmed to go down to 55 when we’re at work. Check out her whole article for helpful tips, including these seedling specific tips:
SEEDS: Start seeds indoors under grow-lights or in a greenhouse 6-8 weeks before you intend to plant outside. Press the seeds into moistened seed starting mix or straight vermiculite. Yogurt cups or paper coffee cups work fine as pots. Poke several holes in the bottom for drainage. Keep seed pots moist and warm (between 70 and 80 degrees) until seeds germinate. To keep seeds warm, set pots in a sunny window, on a seed heating mat (or ordinary heating pad) or a warm spot on top of the fridge.
12th January, 2011 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment
Meee! I haven’t had a lot of success with winter gardening, things have not been growing very fast at all, but I did finally have enough kale to make some delicious Italian soup, like the kind they serve at the Olive Garden. It’s not very healthy and it’s not vegetarian, but at least a small fraction of it came from my back yard. Here’s a link to the recipe - I didn’t use any bacon and used less cream than recommended, and I probably used 5 cups of chopped kale.
- here’s the kale I collected from outside
- and the finished soup!
12th November, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 1 Comment
We finally discovered that a little squirrel has been responsible for destroying lettuce, kale, onions, beets, cabbage, and cauliflower in my garden. You can watch a video of him callously eating my plants here. (I tried to post the video on the blog but either my computer is too slow or I’m not doing it right, so you have to go to youtube to watch it.) Last weekend I bought some (eco-friendly) spray that smells horrible and sprayed it around the garden – I think it’s supposed to smell like pee and deter squirrels, but it didn’t seem to help at all. So yesterday I bought a little animal trap, so if I catch him I can take him far far away and hopefully another little squirrel won’t take his place. The one that’s been eating the garden has a distinctive black head, so I am pretty sure he’s the only one that’s been visting so far.
27th October, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I made some shrimp gumbo with all of the okra I’ve been getting from my garden. I had to buy all of the other ingredients I used, so it was only a slightly “local” dish, but still exciting since usually I don’t get enough from my garden to make much.
25th October, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
We’re still getting a lot of okra and now I’m able to have enough at once to make a dish out of them. I’m thinking of trying to make some gumbo with this batch:
We’re also getting a few oranges which is very exciting. We didn’t realize that they are ready when they turn yellow, so a few went bad and turned brown while we were waiting for them to turn orange. But the ones we’ve had have been pretty good – not very big or sweet, but still tasty.
Over the weekend I went to the Natural Gardener again and went a little crazy. I picked up some cabbage, kale, and broccoli, and also a few drought resistant, deer resistant plants for a side garden I’ve been working on.
Over the weekend someone came and ate a couple of kale plants completely, and also ate most of the leaves off of some beet plants I’ve been growing. So sad! Also, caterpillars have been eating my cabagges - I had been picking them off by hand last week, but I bought some spray at Natural Gardener as well, so hopefully that works more efficiently.
11th October, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
We had a new raised garden added onto our house, and I’ve been trying to grow plants there that only need partial sun, like broccoli, beets, and lettuce. I’m still getting a lot of okra and peppers from our patio garden too! Here are some pics:
- new garden
tiny lettuce in new garden
orange
okra
kale from the Natural Gardener
bell peppers
7th October, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
This weekend the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center will be having a plant sale with over 300 species of native plants. Here’s some info from the website:
Did your garden suffer from record drought and heavy freezes? Time for a refill. At the Wildflower Center’s Fall Plant Sale and Gardening Festival you can choose from over 300 species of Texas native plants. The event also features artists and authors signing their works in the store, guided walks and talks and tips for your garden from experts.
Fall Plant Sale 2010: October 9 and 10, Members Only Preview on October 8
Hours: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m, Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission: $8 adults, $7 seniors and students, $4 UT faculty, staff or students with identification, $3 children 5 through 12, members and children under 5 free.
You can see more info about the sale here and you can see a list of plants they will have here - this list is nice to check out because they’ve included a picture of each kind of plant.
20th September, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I went to the Natural Gardener again this weekend, and found the vegetable section. It was very impressive! There were all different kinds of cabbages and kale that I had never heard of, as well as broccoli and collard green seedlings, and a bunch of other plants too. Most of the chain stores, like Home Depot and Lowes, don’t even carry fall vegetable seedlings, so it’s a great place to check out if you are interested in starting a fall garden, or you can check out the Travis County planting guide here and figure out what seed packets you need to get a fall garden started. I’m growing a lot of lettuce, broccoli, and brussel sprouts from seed, but I picked up some kale, cabbage, and cauliflower seedlings. Plus we picked up some soil for our new garden.
some veggies for sale
station for bagging your own dirt
15th September, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
The Natural Gardener has a couple of free upcoming classes on organic veggie gardening – here’s some info from their website:
Thursday, September 23 at 1:00 p.m: Rosina Newton, Horticulturist at The Natural Gardener, will teach her popular class, “Organic Vegetable Gardening 101.” Beginning gardeners – or longtime gardeners from other regions of the country – often ask for this class. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to create successful vegetable, herb, and flower gardens in Central Texas.
Tuesday, September 28 at 4:00 p.m: Rosi’s at it again! “Organic Vegetable Gardening 101.” (See Sept. 23rd class description.)
When you attend a class, you get a 10% off coupon for purchases you make that day – hopefully I can make one of these
14th September, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Renee Studebaker of the Statesman had a blog entry over the weekend with links to several Austin fall planting schedules here. Check them out if you are thinking of starting a fall garden – now is a great time to try out collards, carrots, lettuce, beets, garlic, radishes, spinach, and more.
13th September, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I just got back this morning from a week in Costa Rica (that explains the lame and infrequent posts from last week – I wrote them before I left), and I had a lot of okra waiting for me when I got back. Go me!
30th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments
pepper plants
Over the weekend I was able to visit the Natural Gardener, a garden center on Old Bee Caves Road in southwest Austin. I’d never been before, and it was so cool. Even if you’re not into gardening, it’s fun to stop by and see what they have because it’s such a big, interesting place. It’s set up with a lot of nature paths that lead to you different types of gardens, and the plants in various gardens are labeled so if you see something you like, you can find the same thing in the nursery. It has a large working vegetable garden that’s fun to check out, a small field with all sorts of different types of fruit trees, a green house, and pens with chickens, goats, and donkeys (and much more). I didn’t realize that the owner of the Natural Garden is also the owner of Lady Bug brand gardening products, an all organic line of soils, fertilizers, mulches, and composts – I have been using their turkey compost on my garden for several months while I wait for my own compost to be ready to use, and I think it’s helped my plants do well. The center has all different types of natural soil additives (interesting things like worm casings) that I had read about from this book, but didn’t know where to find. My husband and I ended up buying some garden soil – it’s a lot cheaper to buy it at the Natural Gardener if you bag it yourself than buying bags at Home Depot or Lowes, and they sell reusable bags so we can go back and use them again when we pick up compost or mulch, etc. I highly recommend checking it out!
cute goat
part of the veggie garden
gourds!
one of the gardens
selection of soil additives - there's a little container of each one so you can see what it is, with a description of what the additive is useful for
26th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I got this information from the Sustainable Food Center – basically you can take 30 hours of hands-on training to learn how to restore wildlife habitat in Austin, learning about things like native plants and invasive species, and in return for the training you do 30 hours of community service using the skills you’ve learned, although there is also a $40 training fee. I kind of want to do it, but if you sign up you have to be able to attend all of the classes, and there are a few where I’ll be out of town. Below is all the info I was emailed:
The 2010 National Wildlife Federation Habitat Stewards Training application process is now open! Join the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) nationwide team of volunteers who serve their communities as Habitat Stewards™.
The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) and NWF, in partnership with Travis Audubon Society, are offering a specialized training to teach you how to help others create and restore wildlife habitat in backyards, schoolyards, and other private and public areas.
Training Topics Include:
Native Plants for Wildlife
Invasive Plants & Habitat Restoration
Attracting Birds & Butterflies
Landscape Design Principles
Habitat Stewards Receive:
· 30+ hours of intensive, hands-on training
· A comprehensive training manual including regional resources
· Advice and practical training from local conservation professionals
· Field trips and hands-on educational sessions with community members
In return for training, volunteers must provide 30 hours of service to NWF within one year of the training. Four of those hours must be spent volunteering with Austin PARD. Project examples include: helping neighbors transform their landscapes to benefit wildlife, writing an article for a local newspaper, distributing habitat information at a local festival or leading an invasive plant removal project.
Training fee: $40.00
All classes must be attended!
Thursday Sept. 9 6:00pm-9:00pm
Saturday Sept. 11 9:00am-3:00pm
Thursday Sept. 16 6:00pm-9:00pm
Saturday Sept. 18 9:00am-3:00pm
Thursday Sept. 23 6:00pm-9:00pm
Saturday Sept. 25 8:30am-12:00pm
Thursday Sept. 30 6:00pm-8:30pm
Saturday Oct. 2 8:30am-12:00pm
Registration deadline is August 27, 2010. Enrollment is limited. Application process required. Must have Austin address to register. Cancellation policy applicable, see website for more details: http://www.cityofaustin.org/parks/wildlifehabitat.htm.
23rd August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I finally have a little eggplant growing in the garden! Hang in there, little guy!
here's a sideways picture
And my okra is getting massive! The tomatoes are doing well too, but had some beets and squash die over the past few days.
18th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
If you’re interested in learning more about gardening in Texas, check out the UT Go Native Classes that are being offered through the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Check out this link to register and look at prices and times. The classes are a little pricey but they are supposed to be really good. Here are the descriptions of the classes offered:
Native Plant Gardening: Design – Proper design will help ensure a successful native plant garden. In this class you will learn how to create a list of goals for your landscape, analyze your site (soils, light, water, drainage, slope, traffic patterns, neighboring conditions, etc.) and perform an inventory of existing features. You will also learn about base maps (what they are and how to create and use them) and designing a garden layout and conceptual plan. We will also discuss how to incorporate existing plants and other features into a fresh design and how to find resources or professional assistance. Dress for the weather (sunscreen, hat, water, etc.); some class time will be spent outdoors. Instructor: Ginger Hudson (mailto:ginarama@yahoo.com). Cost: $45.00.
Native Plant Gardening: Plants I – Choosing the right native plants for your garden is both art and science. In this class you will learn about common and botanical names, basic garden ecology, and plant requirements. We will also introduce native plants that will thrive in your garden and learn their characteristics (height, bloom color, bloom period, fragrance, seasonality, light requirements, deer resistance, etc.). Dress for the weather (sunscreen, hat, water, etc.); some class time will be spent outdoors. You may bring a camera to class. Instructor: Andrea DeLong-Amaya (adelongamaya@wildflower.org). Cost: $45.00.
Native Plant Gardening: Plants II – The Texas flora is so rich and native plant selection is so important, we have divided it into two parts. In Part II, you will continue to learn about the top natives for your garden, where to find them and where to go for more information. Native Plant Gardening: Plants I (#8363) is a recommended prior to enrollment in this class. Dress for the weather (sunscreen, hat, water, etc.); some class time will be spent outdoors. You may bring a camera to class. Instructor: Andrea DeLong-Amaya (adelongamaya@wildflower.org). Cost: $45.00.
Native Plant Gardening: Installation – Now that you have plants and a plan, you are ready to install your native plant garden. In this class we will cover site preparation (clearing, weeds and weed management, soil additives, earthworks, drainage), irrigation, best planting times and techniques, and mulches and mulch application. Where to go for additional resources and professional assistance will also be covered. Dress for the weather (sunscreen, hat, water, etc.); some class time will be spent outdoors. Instructor: Troy Nixon (tdnixon@mindspring.com). Cost: $45.00.
Native Plant Gardening: Maintenance – A common misconception about native plants is that once they are in the ground they require no maintenance. Topics will include basic plant morphology and physiology, selecting the right tools for the job, watering guidelines and water conservation, fertilizers, soil additives, mulches, pruning, trimming, mowing, grooming, cold and heat protection, gardening hazards and gardener’s health. Dress for the weather (sunscreen, hat, water, etc.); some class time will be spent outdoors. Instructor: Ginger Hudson (mailto:ginarama@yahoo.com). Cost: $45.00.
Native Plant Gardening: Pests – This class will introduce you to native plant diseases, garden pests, insects and weeds. In addition, you will learn about beneficial insects and their interaction with pests as an important part of understanding the ecological systems of our gardens. Topics will include basic identification, determination of threat to the garden and environment, integrated pest management, treatment and safety. Proper plant cultivation techniques to reduce pests and where to go for resources and assistance will also be covered. Dress for the weather (sunscreen, hat, water, etc.); some class time will be spent outdoors. Instructor: Grady Glenn (GJGlenn@ag.tamu.edu). Cost: $45.00.
17th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I still haven’t had a ton of success in the garden, but I am continuing to get a lot of cayenne peppers, some jalapeños, and an occasional tomato. I’m most excited about my okra though – my husband and I came back from being out of town this weekend, and out of nowhere there was one okra ready to be eaten. I’m amazed that it grew so much in a few days. And look at this quiche my husband made using onions, tomatoes, parsley, and garlic chives from our garden! Delicious!
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