tel: 512-280-1192 Dec 9, 2011
Nursery Notes: Christmas sales galore! 20% off off pottery,
including the colorful talavera. 20% off all metal art; $1 off all
bags of mulch. With the cold weather upon us, we have two types
of freeze cloth: 0.5 ounce (for frost protection) for 50 cents per
1' x 12' strip: 1.5 ounce (for freeze protection) for $1 per 1' x 12'
strip./ Lots of veggies, onions and the strawberries are 'looking
fabulous,' reports Chris. / Apologies for the lack of photos in
last week's newsletter. Editor was battling malevolent virus...
and losing. / Work underway on Spring speaker series. If any
readers have ideas for speakers or topics, please drop me a line.
Last Chance for Seasonal Wreath Workshop this Sunday only
at 2 p.m. (Saturday's class has been cancelled.) In this hands-on
class, craftswoman Diane Winslow will guide you through the
process of creating your own beautiful Christmas bay leaf wreath.
Pre-registration required. Fee: $35. Call 280-1192 today.
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New Plants: An American Revolution: Always on the mind of the
keen gardener is: what’s new? More and more, the latest, coolest
plants are coming from the USA - writes Jenny Andrews in the Daily
Telegraph (UK) new American plants
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On Central Texas Gardener (KLRU-TV): Lisa Berdol from Berdoll
Pecan Farm goes nuts with tips on cultlivating pecan trees. On tour,
visit a hillside garden terraced for fruits, veggies and perennials.
Sat: noon and 4 p.m. Sun: 9 a.m. or click here: www.klru.org/ctg/
Pecan Farm goes nuts with tips on cultlivating pecan trees. On tour,
visit a hillside garden terraced for fruits, veggies and perennials.
Sat: noon and 4 p.m. Sun: 9 a.m. or click here: www.klru.org/ctg/
A beautiful Sophora secunifolia, with matching window blind!
by Chris Winslow
One of my favorite plants native to Texas, New Mexico, Arizona,
and as far south as central Mexico, is the Texas mountain laurel.
This deer-resistant beauty is an evergreen flowering shrub or
small tree that can grow to a height of 20 feet. It’s in the bean family,
related to the mimosa, redbud, acacia, and pride of Barbados.
Mountain laurel (Sophora secunifolia) flowers in late winter, toward
the end of February and early March. Its flowers are purple with a
unique grape ‘Kool-Aid’ fragrance. Very intoxicating.
Besides their shiny deep green leaves and gorgeous flowers,
mountain laurels have proven themselves again and again to be
extremely drought tolerant. My laurels at home have made it
comfortably through the 2011 drought without any extra water.
Because of their beauty and this ability to thrive in dry conditions,
mountain laurels are popular and very much in demand as a land-
scape plant here in Hays and Travis counties. They are, however,
quite slow growers, and come with a high price tag.
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To save a little money and have some fun, you can easily grow these
laurels from seed. The ¼ inch red seeds come with a tough seed coat
that needs to be scarified (or weathered) so that the seed will germinate
quickly. There are several different ways to do this.
You can soak them in liquid seaweed overnight, or scratch them on a
coarse concrete pavement. Another way is to sandpaper their surface,
or nick them on a grindstone. All these methods will shorten their
germination (sprouting) time.
Plant 3 or 4 seeds together in a 4 inch pot. Be sure to use a good
potting or seed sprouting mix, and place in a sunny, warm location.
New seedlings should appear in 20 to 30 days.
Water your new seedlings when they are dry. After 6 months the baby
laurels should be ready to transplant into the ground. Pick a place that’s
full sun or partly shaded, and well drained.
Your new laurels should grow a foot a year for the first 3 to 4 years and
somewhat faster as they get older. If you are interested, come by the
nursery and pick up some of my scarified seeds. They’re free to all
customers!
Happy Gardening everyone.
Visit the website: www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the nursery:11726 Manchaca Road, Austin 78748
