![ItsAboutThyme_logo[1] by you.](https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2453/3680390926_a47790c3da.jpg?v=0)
It's About Thyme tel: 512-280-1192 May 6, 2011
Nursery Notes: On sale this week: 20% off all roses; 20% off all
yard art, including animals, arches and trellises; 'giant macho fern baskets'
on sale for $14.99. Tons of gifts in the Gift Shop for mothers who garden.
A few more ideas from Diane Winslow....
Mixed plantings of culinary herbs This is very simple. Just pick a beautiful
ceramic pot or hanging basket, fill with good potting soil, and then plant four
4” potted herbs. Pick some that will cascade from the top of the pot along
with creeping herbs like thyme, oregano and rosemary, and the popular
upright herbs like parsley, sage and chives. Tie a bow around the top of the
pot as a finishing touch.
European basket Start with a nice woven basket with a handle. Place
potted flowering herbs and tropical plants inside. Add some packets of flower
seed, a hand trowel, colorful gardening gloves, some ribbon, and a card.
Rose bush There are some magnificent roses available that bloom all year
and require little attention. Look for the knock out series, and home run.They
will add beauty to the landscape all year. (20% off all roses this week)
_________________________________________________________
Next Sunday's 2 p.m. lecture: Amanda Moon on ‘How to Incorporate
Edible Plants into your Landscape.’ (May 15) Vermiculture Expert
Cassandra Truax returns May 29 to demonstrate 'How to Build a Worm Bin.'
($45 per student). Call 280-1192 to reserve a space. (Limit of 25 students)
________________________________________________________
International Garden Photographer of the Year: these appeared in the
UK's Daily Telegraph this week.... and are worth a visit! garden photos
_________________________________________________________
Wildflower Center Gardens Tour Saturday: 9 - 5 p.m. Visit five private
gardens (plus the Wildflower Center) for $25 - or $6 for each garden.
__________________________________________________________
This week on KLRU's Central Texas Gardener: a chat with Link Davidson
from the Travis County Master Gardeners about water-wise design and plant
Plenty of zinnias, marigolds, purslanes and vinca at the nursery!
May Activities for the Garden
by Chris Winslow
1.Plant flowers: This is a perfect time for flowering annuals and perennials.
Begonias, zinnias, marigolds, moss-roses, purslanes, and vinca are all good
choices. Perennials might include lantanas, salvias, and verbenas.
2 Vegetable garden care: Water deeply to encourage a deep, drought
tolerant root system, especially since it continues to refuse to rain in 2011.
Still time to add a few warm season crops: sweet and hot peppers, okra,
eggplant, and black-eyed peas. Fertilize tomatoes.
3. Mulch: Place around all plants to conserve water and keep the temper-
3. Mulch: Place around all plants to conserve water and keep the temper-
ature around the plant roots comfortable. Mixing some compost with the
mulch will help replace nutrients as the plants grow.
4.Care of roses: Dead-head spring flowering roses to encourage a new
flush of flowers. Apply fertilizer to produce new flowers. Watch for powdery
mildew, black spot and western flower thrip. Treat with organic sprays:
Neem oil and wettable-sulphur.
5 .Move houseplants outside: Put them out for a spring breather. Move
them slowly towards their new light exposure. Too much sun too fast will burn
the leaves. This is also a good time for transplanting.
6. Insect control: All this new spring growth is attractive to every kind of
6. Insect control: All this new spring growth is attractive to every kind of
critter imaginable. Be nice to the environment (and to yourself) and only use
organic sprays. If you have larvae (caterpillars) eating holes in your plants and
trees, look for products that have B.T. as the main ingredient. If sucking insects
like aphids, spider mites, whitefly, scale, and mealy bug are the problem, use
Neem oil or Spinosad.
7. Maintain irrigation: If you own an automatic sprinkler system, it would save
water and money to have it tuned up. Set the controller for deep, infrequent
watering to encourage a deep, drought-resistant root system. Install rain sensor.
8. Fertilize lawn: Use an organic blend with a 3-1-2 ratio. Ten pounds per
1,000 square feet of turf area should be adequate.
9. Feed the birds: With lots of new birds in the area, keep those feeders full.
10. Grow basil: The top herb for the summer months is basil. With the nights
9. Feed the birds: With lots of new birds in the area, keep those feeders full.
10. Grow basil: The top herb for the summer months is basil. With the nights
getting warmer, this wonderful herb should finally have the temperatures it needs
to take off. Happy Gardening Everyone!
____________________________________________________________
