tel: 512 280-1192 Thurs, April 17 2014
Nursery Notes: We have a nice selection of orchids for Easter: 4"
for $20 and 6" for $30. The roses are looking splendid at the mo-
ment, and we have the best selection of fruit trees in town. Bring in
coupon (from our website) for $5 off any purchase of $30 or more
(some restrictions apply). We still have a fine selection of peppers
and tomatoes, especially for those who lost them in the recent hail
and frost events.
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Cherry Trees from Space Mystery: in 2008 Japanese scientists
sent some cherry tree seeds to the International Space Station.
When they finally planted them on terra firma, they were aston-
ished by the results. Details here: five petals
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A big storm struck the nursery earlier this week, sending a 60 ft
hackberry tree crashing to the ground. There were no injuries or
damage to greenhouses, buildings or the miniature railway - but
sadly the nursery has lost an important source of shade.KXAN
Delicious It's About Thyme honey for sale, from our own bee-
hive in the fields behind the nursery. $8 for a jar.
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Funky Chicken Coop Tour this Sat. If you're thinking of putting
some hens in your backyard, this is a great opportunity to see a
wide range of coops, and also chat with backyard poultry farmers
about egg production, predators etc. (The coop of the editor of this
newsletter is # 4 on the tour. Please stop by.) funky chicken
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Central Texas Gardener: Hands-on gardeners reveal distinctive
personalities and garden visions on this Master Gardener tour. See
how a new gardener on a budget styled up an old yard. Sat. noon,
4 p.m. or Sun., 9 a.m. www.klru
A Guide to Salsa Gardening
by Chris Winslow
It’s simple to create the perfect salsa garden. All you need is to grow
some peppers, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime… and mix them
together in a way that suits your taste buds. Luckily, most of them
grow fairly easily in our Hays County gardens.
Peppers: Plant your favorite type of pepper in a sunny spot in the
spring after the last freeze. The plants will keep producing peppers
all the way through the summer until the first frost of winter.
A clear favorite for salsa is the jalapeno. They come in a number of
heat and size options. If you don’t like your salsa too caliente, choose
the TAM mild jalapeno. For those who like giant jalapenos,
I suggest ‘jumbo Hidalgo.’ Other peppers work well too: chilipetins,
serranos, habaneros, and New Mexico Hatch chilies (Anaheim or
Sandias).
Tomatoes: Plant these at the same time as peppers, after winter’s
last frost.. The most popular for salsa is the Roma tomato. These
are dense and meaty, with low moisture and few seeds. They’re
considered one of the easiest tomatoes to grow, and the plants are
big and prolific.
Onion: Usually started in the fall, onions will produce till the end
of May. After harvest, store them in an airy, dry and cool location
through the summer months.
Cilantro: This would normally be grown in the cooler time of the
year, and presents a challenge in the summer months. As the heat
index rises, cilantro bolts, then blooms and turns to seed. It’s almost
impossible to grow when it’s hot.
Option one for cilantro is to shop for it in the local grocery store.
Option two: grow a little ‘summer cilantro’ (Polygonum odoratum).
This Vietnamese coriander flourishes in our summer heat, and tastes
like cilantro with a lemony flavor. Locally it is called Rau Ram.
Lime: The final addition to our salsa garden. You can grow a Mex-
ican lime tree in a container or plant one in a protected location.
They need to be shielded from winter temperature below the mid-
twenties.
Put the ingredients all together, and you should have a salsa muy
especial, that’s at least ten times more fresh and flavorful than any-
thing you can buy in a store. Congratulations,… and Happy Salsa
Gardening Everyone!
Visit the website: www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the nursery:11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, 78748 Like us
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