Garden Bloggers Bloom Day from east Austin!

March 15th, 2010 Posted in From the Producer, Garden Bloggers Bloom Day | 15 Comments »

I thought maybe I’d gotten the wrong address when I walked into the garden one evening last week. Where was I? Where had all these plants come from overnight?

Hyacinthus orientalis ‘Sky Jacket’

The first of the Dutch iris.  I planted them so long ago (picked up at a local nursery) that I don’t it by name, but it has performed beautifully when divided over the years.

Narcissus ‘Falconet’. The cups are now turning deeper orange.

Narcissus with N. Sweetness and Valentine rose in den bed.

Spring starflower (Ipheion uniflorum) with oxalis in the cat cove.

Also, framing the back of the cat cove, the Lady Banks rose opened Saturday afternoon.

On the fence beyond, very fragrant Clematis armandii.

This evergreen vine is tough as nails and extremely vigorous once established. Since I can’t get a water hose back there anymore, it was pretty much on its own. I ran a soaker hose along the back fence but only ran it once or twice during the “summer of death.”  Originally I planted it because it was a somewhat shady area. Then, when the city cut down all the creek trees, it got blasting sun. Once it got used to that, it tripled in size, even in drought.

In the little walkway in back, the golden groundsel (Packera obovata) reliably returned.

It disappears in the heat, but pops back out once it’s cool. Many beneficial insects and butterflies are scrambling for dining space on the flowers.

It’s a native groundcover, one you can pick up at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Spring Plant Sale April 10 -11.

See what’s blooming all over on this Garden Bloggers Bloom day at May Dreams Gardens.

I thank all of you who made our CTG Spring Special pledge event so very successful!  In fact, it was such a hit that we’re repeating it. Details soon.

Happy Bloom Day to all!  Linda

Life returns to east Austin; CTG swag!

March 10th, 2010 Posted in narcissus | 7 Comments »

Last Sunday was a perfectly romantic day to garden. Enveloped in mist, I imagined I was in a far away place, mucking about with geese and cows nearby. Well, okay, anything to get past the drudgery of excavating a trug-ful of weeds from the back path near the lettuce. I paused in the muddy mess to watch a mockingbird above my head go into his karaoke routine, just for me. I bet they don’t have a mockingbird like that in far away places.

While I was there, I clipped 5 varieties of lettuce to put in the spinner.

Then, I lifted up the stepping stones & shoved mud underneath to raise them back up a bit. Tidied up with mulch.

I dug up the Brazilian rock rose (Pavonia braziliensis) from the crape bed and moved it to a spot in the cat cove where it can ramble and flower with abandon this year without annoying my crape bed vision.

I planted some golden oregano and topped off the cove paths with fresh crushed granite.

New life is everywhere.

I’m amazed at how much recovered from the deep freeze. Since the abutilons were leafing out, I pruned them back, something I’d been itching to do for a year. Freezes are very motivating. This one’s ‘Patrick’, partnered with spuria irises and columbine.

Nearby, Narcissus ‘Sweetness’ and spring starflowers continue flowering. Made notes to add more next fall.

I measured the ‘Sweetness’ flowers: approx. 2″. Gigantic Star is 4″.

Here’s Narcissus ‘Abba’ in the crape bed.

Now and then, I had to stop for a whiff from the fragrant Mexican plum flowers.

Look very carefully and you’ll see my little friend up there, urging the flowers to fruit soon.

And, great news!  The thryallis shows tiny little leaf buds. I’ll clip it this weekend.

This week for KLRU viewers, I hope you’ll tune in for our CTG Spring Special on Saturday from 4-5:30!  I’ve compiled some of our favorite viewer segments, along with the premiere of Randy Case’s incredible garden makeover. Tom, Daphne and I will be live in the CTG studio with the Travis County Master Gardeners.

If you’ve been hankering for CTG swag, here’s your chance, thanks to KLRU’s graphic designer Mark Pedini. He made sure the shirt is 100% organic cotton!

And every pledge includes the fabulous Travis County Master Gardener’s Guide, an essential for every gardener! We sincerely thank them for their generous donation. And I thank Daphne for hauling all those boxes to KLRU!

You can also join online to get the gifts and support CTG!  Really, we thank you so very much for being part of our lives every week.

Until next week, Linda

First new plant for 2010; flowers make good neighbors

March 4th, 2010 Posted in From the Producer | 8 Comments »

So, this time of year I get lots of questions about when to fertilize the lawn. Save your time and money until at least April 15, when the grass is actively growing. Before then, you’re throwing your money away to feed weeds. And please, oh please, ignore every enticement from weed and feed products. It’s a scam, folks. Why these products aren’t banned I don’t know. Life will be much happier for our water and your lawn if you apply a thin layer of compost instead. If you’re itching to fertilize with something stronger, select a slow release organic granular. But not until April 15. Compost can be applied any time. Mow or dig those weeds; weed killer “products” will do you no good right now. And oh my gosh: read the labels. If it takes 24 hours before you can go out there again, I wouldn’t send an innocent foot out there ever!

If you tuned in to last week’s blog picture of the spring starflower (Ipheion uniflorum) under snow, look at the same plant two days later!

Defying the law of late freezes, I spent last weekend clipping until my pruners screamed for mercy. Even as I swore I’d get rid of some of this stuff and have less work, I was adding to my new plant list. No logic here, none at all.

Although I’m waiting until I finish clean up to venture to the nurseries, I did succumb to this Carex morrowii ‘Aurea-variegata’ (variegated Japanese sedge). I’ve admired it for a few years, and after seeing its performance on a recent garden scout, I decided to replace the dead Agave celsii with it.

One thing I’ve learned is that the spot makes all the difference. In the very shady rental house side, columbines rot after a few seasons. Last year, I planted one in the front bed under the yaupon, where it gets morning shade and a late afternoon blast of sun. It’s gleeful.

Sweet story for you: one night I was digging up dandelions in the side yard for the bunnies’ appetizers. A woman and her little boy (3 or so) crossed the street and pointed at the leucojums (Leucojum aestivum).

Thinking that the little boy wanted a flower, I snipped it with my fingers. He regarded it in awe in his tiny hands.

Then the mother pointed. I was going to cut another, but she scrabbled at the soil: what she wanted was a division. I ran to get the trowel and unearthed one for her. I asked her to leave her name and address in the mailbox and I’d dig up more when I had the shovel. “No,” she said, “One is enough. It will grow.”

That is for sure. My past divisions will form a certified hedge around the cat perch in a year or two.  This cat is Sam, by the way.

Since this is Pledge time for PBS stations to raise money for our favorite shows, this week please check your local schedule for a CTG you might have missed.

On March 13, I hope that KLRU viewers will join Tom, Daphne, the Travis County Masters Gardeners and me from 4-5:30 p.m. for our CTG Spring Special!

Until next week, Linda

Freeze-damaged succulents; east Austin snow; Garden Posse

February 25th, 2010 Posted in From the Producer, narcissus, snow | 7 Comments »

What a difference 48 hours makes!

On Sunday, the sun was glaring down on this Narcissus ‘Grand Primo.” By late afternoon, all the bulbs were drooping from the heat.

Two days later, it was drooping for another reason.

Narcissus ‘Sweetness’ is flowering in the den and crape beds. This heirloom jonquil from 1939 has reliably returned for two years for me.

Spring star flowers (Ipheion uniflorum) are showing up with gusto!

Along with their pastel blossoms, I like their strappy, low profile winter foliage along pathways (or even in them).

They’re a good way to fill in spots where the perennials are cut back, too, especially outstanding in masses. You can order bulbs in fall but I’ve also gotten transplants spring and fall at local nurseries.

Here’s my surviving Agave celsii in the snow. It’ll make it this time. I’ve already cut back the freeze-damaged leaves. The agave and irises have grown so much that I’m moving the irises later to give the celsii breathing and visual room.

Since emails about freeze-damaged agaves and aloes arrive daily, this week on CTG, Tom meets with Jeff Pavlat from the Austin Cactus & Succulent Society. Jeff brought along examples to help identify what’s truly gone and what just needs some pruning and time.

This one’s gone. Probably an Agave titanota.

If you’re looking for cold hardy agaves, check out his comprehensive list for details. And get more information, including events and meetings, at the ACSS site.

Here are two events to get personal advice and to add or replace succulents and cacti. The Austin Cactus & Succulent Society holds its spring show and sale on April 10 & 11. The San Antonio Cactus & Xerophyte Society holds its show and sale April 22-24.

On tour, Ed Fuentes and I spent an afternoon and evening with The Garden Posse. This passionate, energetic group of gardeners scouts out neglected spots and turns them into gardens overnight.

In some cases, like the Cherrywood garden they install the night we taped, the neighborhood group asked for their help. While we were taping, neighbors strolling by or riding bikes raced home and came back with tools from their sheds to help. In a church garden, the parishioners were so thrilled that they named each watermelon as it ripened! Mainly, the Garden Posse is reaching out to their community and doing what they can to make it better, one little plant at a time.

Over the years, I’ve watched independent projects, neighborhood strips, and school gardens come and go. Some are ephemeral and quickly return to their Bermuda grass roots once the team leaders move on to other endeavors.

At the same time, I know that each one made a lasting impression. A child takes the memory to adulthood and plants a garden. A neighborhood starts to borrow ideas to try at home. As the Garden Posse says, they know some of these gardens won’t be around forever. But the philosophy that they’re planting is one that will.

I thank Marshall Escamilla from The Unbearables for allowing us to use his original music compositions!

This week, Daphne explains what “woody perennial” means, and John Dromgoole has great tips for planting and maintaining your container plants.

Another great event, on March 6: Celebration of Urban Birds. This is a family fun event with bird walks, bird talks, kids’ bird drawing, and more. Check out our Events calendar for more details.

Remember, you can always watch CTG online!

Until next week, Linda

Design basics, Sharing Nature’s Garden on tour

February 18th, 2010 Posted in From the Producer | No Comments »

Last week a couple of gardeners commented that their crinums had never bloomed. Take heart!  These guys can be as slow as mountain laurels and Mexican plums. In fact, it was so long before this crinum bloomed that I’d forgotten what it was.

In 2002, I got it at Zilker Garden Festival (March 27 & 28 this year) with a bunch of other small-sized bulbs. I loved the foliage, but never saw a bloom until last summer. But once they’re established, you can count on flowers every year. It’s worth the wait! These are plants for the long-term.

This week, Daphne has encouraging words for the Red Bird of Paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima) that may not look too great right now. She advises to make sure you get this species, since it is hardy to the teens.

And, even when it doesn’t freeze back, she recommends cutting it down every year to encourage lush foliage and more flowers. Since I got a sneak preview, I clipped mine last weekend.

Also, I did some refreshing clean up, made plant lists, and roamed around looking at everything. I came up with a few ideas, but I sure wish I could just start over!

I know lots of gardeners feel the same way at times. So, this week on CTG, designer Ginger Hudson joins Tom to help wrangle our perspective with a few concepts and a fresh eye.  She illustrates some common issues and how to approach them.

Later this spring, check her blog for details to get her book: A Handbook to Landscape Maintenance for Central Texas Gardens

Ginger also teaches garden design classes at the Austin Museum of Art where you can make a site plan yourself to start your first garden or renovate an old one.

She’s also teaching at the Wildflower Center’s Go Native U this spring for ideas to design with native plants.

On tour, see how Diana Kirby of Sharing Nature’s Garden took a shovel to the yard that came with her house to give it her garden style.

I love her blog that puts us shoulder to shoulder with her as she tackles new challenges, from ornamentals to vegetables, and front yard deer.

How could I resist a chance to share her philosophy with CTG? Along with her fervent love of plants, Diana wants to create a place of refreshment, fun, and discovery for her family and friends, which includes the wildlife she wants to invite over, too.

Since it’s not too late to start tomatoes from seed (though get on it soon), John Dromgoole shows us how. For those transplants you’re aching to plant, just be ready with rowcover or plastic, like this. A frost can damage them for good, and later, you’ll wonder why they’re not producing. Check out our Events calendar for Sunshine Community Garden’s fabulous vegetable & flower sale on March 6 and the Master Gardeners’ free vegetable gardening workshop on March 13.

Until next week, Linda