tel: 512-280-1192 Aug 19, 2011
Nursery Notes: 20% off all 1 and 3 gallon native plants and grasses.
Get your fall garden off to a great start with compost and mulch, on
sale this weekend, $1.00 off per bag. It's time to plant broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and spinach. We have lots to choose
from in 6 packs for $3.99. We also have a fine selection of
tomatoes and peppers.
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New Stage 2 Water Restrictions start Sept. 6th. Watering will be
allowed only 1 day per week. No more charity car washes, fountains
or water offered in restaurants. (Handheld watering still ok.)
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Soaker hoses: they don't cost very much, and can offer an effective
solution to getting much needed water to the roots of your trees.
From the L.A. Times, a helpful article: soaker hoses
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On Central Texas Gardener this week (KLRU), Tom chats with
author Cheryl Hazeltine about the changes in local gardening since
the 1980s, and a visit to the garden of recycler Michael McNichol.
Malabar spinach is 'easy to grow and loves warm weather'
New Season Coming Soon!
by Chris Winslow
August continues to be quite the challenge for gardeners and farmers,
and pretty much everyone else in this land without rain. However
last Saturday brought with it a mini 97 degree cool wave – and for
me it brought a sense of hope. I noticed a little spring in my step
as I went about my chores at the nursery – and I realized that we are
almost half way through August. . . and just around the corner lies a
new season.
The last week of this month signals the planting season for all of our
wonderful fall vegetables. The brassicas can be planted from this
week to the end of October. This family includes broccoli, cabbage,
cauliflower, turnips, collard and mustard greens, kohlrabi, and
Brussels sprouts.
There is still time to pull off a fall tomato and pepper crop if you go
with transplants instead of seed. There’s also enough time to plant
snap beans,cucumbers, and summer squash from transplants or seed.
Starting in September we can plant radish, carrots, and Swiss chard.
Lettuce and spinach varieties can be planted by mid-month.
For those gardeners who miss growing spinach during the hot summer
months, there is a great little vine called Malabar spinach (Basella
alba) that is easy to grow and loves warm weather.
Although not taxonomically related to spinach, its leaves are a tasty
substitute. Often called red spinach or creeping spinach, this fast
growing vine is rich in vitamin A and C, iron, and calcium. It’s low
in calories, high in fiber, and can be eaten raw as a leafy green in
salads, steamed, wilted, or used in soups. (We have some 4" pots
for $1.50.)
Please water your trees. On the way to work, I see the truly sad
effects of the drought and heat. Too many of our native trees are
shedding their leaves early to survive. What’s tragic is that many
won’t make it to next spring without much needed rain.
Happy Gardening everyone.
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Recipe for Malabar Spinach Dal, a 'high protein, vegan heart-
warming dish loaded with nutritious greens,' can be found at
Sailu's Kitchen:
Visit the website at www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the nursery at 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin 78748
