the Austin Garden | december in the garden | new owners for Barton Springs Nursery |

A new era for Barton Springs Nursery: after 30 years of running one of Austin's most beloved nurseries, owners Conrad and Bernadine Bering are passing the torch to current manager William Glenn, and Amy Hovis of Eden Garden Design. "We are deeply honored to carry on their legacy," said William - whose writing has appeared in the Austin Garden. We can continue to expect the extraordinary range and depth of plants that this west Austin treasure offers - but there are also plans for a large tropical plant greenhouse, more workshops and classes, and even a coffee shop. ❦

Hand-pressed flowers: skilled gardener and ceramist Frances Palmer offers a primer on how to decorate a card with dried botanicals using a special flower press (Microfleur) in a microwave oven. New York Times, Microfleur -$57 ❦

Winter Planning: read up, catch up, and get out, urge writers Lise Funderburg and Linda Hagen. "Plants may go dormant in winter, but people don’t have to." Winter is the perfect time to revisit existing designs and reconsider plant palettes. (photo: Ney Museum gardens last Sunday - d.m. )

Garden Design ❦

Green veggie stirfry: from the wondrous east Austin Johnson's Backyard Farm comes this timely recipe, calling for onions, cabbage, broccoli, snap peas and edamame. Johnson's Backyard ❦

Please help us turn Hancock Golf Course into beautiful open parkland in central Austin, open to all. Here's the link to a petition to sign: Hancock Conservancy Poll. ❦

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Central Texas Gardener: To help test the regenerative benefits of fire on their "Half-Pint Prairie," students and professors at UT called in experts from the Wildflower Center and the Austin Fire Department to help out. CTG Blog❦

Amaryllis by Linda Anderson for the Austin Garden

December in the Garden

by Chris Winslow

1. Replace summer annuals with winter bloomers if the frost has burned them. Top performers are dianthus, flowering kale, flowering cabbage, pansies, snapdragons, violas, and stock. Add some rich compost and bone and blood meal to the soil to give the new plants a boost.

2. Plant bulbs: There is still plenty of time to plant those spring flowering bulbs. Look for narcissus, daffodils, tulips, anemones, ranunculus, jonquils, and muscari.

3. Cut back perennials: If the frost and freezing weather has damaged the tops of your flowering perennials, cut them back to just above ground level and mulch with compost and pine-bark mixed. This will conserve soil moisture and keep the roots healthy and warm.

4. Choose a living Christmas tree: This is the season to bring a tree indoors for the holidays. Why not choose a living one that you can add to your landscape in January. Some good choices: Allepo pine, Arizona blue-ice cypress, deodar cedar, blue point juniper, and Italian stone pine.

5. Rake leaves: Get outside, do some raking and inhale some of that lovely chilly winter air. Remember, un-raked leaves can damage your lawn, especially if they become wet.

6. Start a compost pile: Please don’t send those leaves (mentioned in 5) to the landfill. Use them to build a great big compost heap.

7. Move tropical plants inside… or they will die. Mandevilla, plumeria, philodendron, ficus, bougainvillea, and hibiscus will all perish if allowed to freeze. Put them in a garage or greenhouse, and provide as much light and ventilation as possible; water when dry throughout the winter. If you can’t carry them in, have some row cover (freeze cloth) close at hand.

8. Care for fruit trees: Spray them and look after them. Rake all leaves from around the base. Spray with dormant oil to kill scale insects. This should also be done on scale-infested shrubs. Inspect burford holly and euonymous, as they are prone to this.

9. Buy a little rosemary tree (trimmed). They are a delight, and make nice table decorations for Christmas. After the holidays, dig it into your culinary herb garden as a center point.

10. Rest on your laurels: On those super cold days when it’s too cold to be outside, curl up by the fire and reflect on your successes of the past year… and dream up some plans for 2021. A bigger vegetable patch? Chickens? A koi pond. An evergreen screen against the traffic? A moon garden? Endless possibilities. Happy gardening everyone! ❦