tel: 512-280-1192 Sept 30, 2011
Nursery notes: A big thank you to Chef Norris Sebastian from
Blair House Inn (Wimberley) for showing us how to make delicious
FREE LECTURE THIS SUNDAY: 'Tree Care and Replacement
during a Drought' 2 p.m. by Amanda Moon. Learn how to keep
your trees healthy (or help them recover), and learn the best tech-
niques for planting new trees during periods with little or no rainfall,
such as now. Amanda is a master gardener who has appeared on
Central Texas Gardener. (Oct 2)
Coming next Sun... Renee Studebaker!
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On Central Texas Gardener (KLRU-TV): Sean Watson from the
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center highlights wildflower seeds,
trees and cacti to plant this fall. And a visit to a garden popular with
the three B’s: butterflies, birds, and bees Noon and 4 p.m., Sun.
American Beautyberry: fall berries are borne on arching stems
Tree Ideas for Fall Color
by Chris Winslow
During the upcoming Fall season I predict that many leaves will simply give
up and fall from the trees in exhaustion without turning any pretty colors.
However it’s worth remembering that 2011 is an unusual, bone-dry
year (we hope!) and when planning your garden for the future, it is still
a good policy to think of plants that bring with them a nice splash of fall color.
Texas ash (Fraxinus texensis) This fast-growing tree is much better suited
to our central Texas area than Arizona or fantex ash.It reaches a height of
40 feet with a width of 25 to 30 feet and lives far longer than the other ash
varieties. It doesn’t mind the heat, or alkaline soils, while its water requirements
are relatively low. And this time of year the Texas ash turns red, gold, purple,
and orange. It’s quite a show.
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Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) A fall beauty known also as the maidenhair
tree. This long lived tree is known as a living fossil and dates back far into
prehistoric times before dinosaurs roamed the earth. Ginkgo is well adapted
to our soils and makes a nice street tree between curb and sidewalk. It can
grow to a height of 40 feet and turns a brilliant, incandescent gold before it
drops its leaves. Ginkgo leaf extracts benefit the circulatory system and it is
used in the treatment of headaches, memory loss and depression. Its extracts
represent a billion dollar industry worldwide.
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American Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) A deciduous shrub that
grows 4 to 6 feet, blooms in the spring and summer and has beautiful purple
berries in the fall. Its spring flowers are pale pink to lavender and its fall
berries are borne on arching stems. Although poisonous to humans, its seeds
are a favorite of birds.
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Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) This evergreen shrub or small tree occurs
all over our area. Yaupon can grow to 12 to 15 feet and is happy in both
sun and part shade. It blooms small white flowers in the spring and carries
beautiful red berries through the winter months. This plant is also a favorite
food source for birds. Mockingbirds go nuts over these berries.
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Possum Haw (Ilex vomitoria deciduosa) A deciduous form of yaupon
holly that occurs throughout the region. It loads up with orange to red berries
for the winter months. There is a beautiful specimen on Manchaca Road
(northbound) just before Crockett High School. Possum haw grows to 12
to 20 feet and can be found growing in full sun to part shade.
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Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii) Here is another native with
great fall color. It grows to 12 to 20 feet with a 15 foot spread. It blooms
in the spring with white flowers and is a good source of nectar for wildlife,
and is a good source of seeds for birds. Unlike its east Texas cousin, this
dogwood does well in our alkaline soil and drier conditions.
Happy Gardening Everyone!
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Visit the website at www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the nursery at 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin 78748
