tel: 512 280-1192 Friday, Oct 4 2013
Nursery Notes: Jerry's Top Five Picks for the Week: American
beautyberry 1 gal $7.99 2 gal $12.99. 2. Fall asters 1 gal $7.99
2 gal $12.99. Blue plumbago 1 gal $7. 99. Lots of fall grasses
including pink muhly 1 gal $7 99 3 gal $19.99. Duranta 1 gal
$7.99 2 gal $12.99. Lots of Fall veggies also in stock.
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Do-It-Yourself Fire Pit Designs: maybe we're getting carried away,
with a cold front arriving this weekend... but soon we'll all be in our
yards, enjoying conversation around the firepit. From the ingenious
folks at Curbly - 14 different design ideas. curbly
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Coming soon.... Bee Keeping 101, and the Art of Honey Spinning
11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Saturday Oct. 26. presented by Central Texas Bee
11 a.m. - 3 p.m., Saturday Oct. 26. presented by Central Texas Bee
Rescue. Classes at 11:30 am and 1:30 pm. They'll be spinning honey
from the It's About Thyme apiary in their special trailer, and offer
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Central Texas Gardener KLRU TV. In-studio interview with
Nathan Unclebach from Hill Country Water Gardens. On tour,
designer Russell Womack gives an old garden a new look with
native plants. Sat. noon, 4 p.m. or Sun. at 9 a.m www.klru
Snapdragons: these winter hardy beauties should be planted now
for a showy late winter and spring garden
October in the Garden
by Chris Winslow
1. Prepare grass for winter Now is a good time to fertilize the lawn.
This feeding will help the roots through winter dormancy. Inspect
and treat for brown patch – a disease common with cooling, moist
weather conditions.
2. Plant fall-flowering perennials Look around and see what’s
blooming this fall. Some good choices are Mexican bush sage, pine-
apple sage, Mexican mint marigold, Copper Canyon daisy, and fall
asters. Also check out fall blooming ornamental grasses. Tops on
my list are coastal, big muhly, and maiden grass.
3. Plant a tree Choose from central Texas’s great selection of native
and adapted shade and ornamental trees. Plant one of the many oaks
or elms for shade. Or add color to your late winter and spring season
by planting a redbud, mountain laurel, orchid tree, flowering peach
or pear, or Mexican plum.
4. Plant a vegetable garden Now is the time for broccoli, cauli-
flower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts from transplants. Easily grown
from seed are collards, spinach, carrots, radishes, lettuce, mustard
and collard greens, beets, Swiss chard, spinach, and turnips. Garlic
and shallots (multiplying onions) can be planted now with short day
onions just around the corner in November.
5. Plant snap dragons These wonderful, winter hardy flowers should
be planted for a showy late winter and spring garden. They almost
guarantee a Yard of The Month sign in April. Other bedding plants to
choose from are dianthus, violas, pansies, stock and flowering kale,
and cabbage.
6. Harvest basil and make pesto and also plant some winter-hardy
culinary herbs. Rosemary, oregano, parsley, cilantro, sage, thyme,
and chives love winter and can provide fresh cut herbs for the kitchen.
7. Plant winter grass seed: if you have a bare spot or would like to
get rid of a muddy patch, sow some rye grass or fescue. Rye grass
can also be planted in a vegetable garden area to provide green
compost in the spring and soil aeration. Elbon rye seed can also be
planted over winter in garden areas plagued by soil nematodes (a
disaster to tomatoes).
8. Plant wildflowers These need to be planted now. They will grow
leaves and stems while the days are short during the winter and will
flower in the spring as the days get longer.
9. Plant fall bulbs For spring flowers, some of the best choices are
daffodils, grape muscari, tulips, jonquils, ranunculus, anemones,
hyacinths, and narcissus. When planting, remember to add a little
bonemeal to the root zone for some slow release organic nutrition.
Happy Gardening Everyone!
Visit the website: www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the nursery:11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, 78748 Like us
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