tel: 512 280-1192 thursday, october 29, 2015
Nursery notes: we have some beautiful dill in stock in 4.5" pots:
$3.59 - buy one get one free. / Fall chrysanthemums on sale
for $5 (reg. $8). 2 gal salvias on sale for $9.99 (reg. $14.99).
Now is the perfect time to plant trees, and we have lots of oaks
in stock: red oaks, Monterrey oaks, live oaks, burr and chinquapin
oaks. 5 gal - $35, 15 gal $125, 30 gal $250. / Assorted tropicals
also on sale: bleeding heart vine, tropical hibiscus and variegated
tapioca plants all $10 each (reg. $20). Happy Halloween!
The Martian - a Movie for Gardeners. When botanist Mark
Watney (played by Matt Damon) is abandoned on Mars by his
crew following an accident, he turns to his botanical skills for
survival, and creates the first vegetable patch on Mars. In theaters
all over Austin. The Martian
Black Beauties for Halloween: 'I like to punctuate a garden bed
with velvety darkness,' writes Michelle Slatalla. 'Nothing cuts the
sweetness of all those frothy whites and blues faster than a black
flower.' A photographic celebration of 10 film-noir flowers includ-
ing black peonies (above) Gardenista
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'Think of Plants as Individuals:' Beans locate their poles by echo-
location, the mimosa shrub has a memory-span greater than that
of a bee … New discoveries in botany support an older idea of
plants as individuals – active agents in their own life stories, writes
Richard Mabey in The Guardian.
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Central Texas Gardener: A look at some drought defiant plants,
and a feature on a a family who repurposed a lawn to grow food
and attract wildlife. On Sat. 4 p.m., Sun. at 9 a.m. KLRU
A Good Winter for Gardeners
by Chris Winslow
Well, possibly the weathermen might be right. They are calling for
a cooler and wetter fall and winter for our central Texas area.
Up till now, the 'cooler' part has been a little off. It's been running
10 degrees above average throughout most of October. As for the
wetter part, last weekend, the rain finally arrived.
Saturday morning my rain gauge was at 4 ½ inches and on Sunday
it had risen to 7 inches total. Wow! Am I glad I installed that new
French drain on Thursday and Friday.
Well, let’s get to gardening. Our vegetable Guru Dwight says this
winter is going to be awesome for vegetable gardeners.
First on his list is the crucifer (Brassica) family which contains
most of our fall and winter favorites. That group has broccoli, cabb-
age, kale, Brussels sprouts, mustard, collards, cauliflower, Chinese
(Napa) cabbage, kohlrabi (pictured above), bok choi and pak choi.
Although easy to grow from seed, starting this late in the game,
transplants (seedlings) are the best option. Easier to grow from seed
are lettuce, carrots, leeks, and beets.
Now is the perfect time to plant garlic which needs cooler weather
to bulb for spring. Multiplying onions and shallots are best planted
as bulbs.
Starting in early November, our favorite Texas short day onions
should be available. Look for Texas 1015 yellow, Southern Belle
Red, Sweet White Bermuda, Cajun Red (more pungent), and
yellow Granex (Vidalia type).
Well, this should be enough to keep us busy. Find a sunny, well
drained spot for a garden and get to tilling or turning. Add some
organic compost and a little Lady Bug 8-2-4 and you will be off
to a great start. Happy gardening everyone!
Please contact newsletter editor Darrel Mayers (pictured above)
with any ideas for articles or interesting links:
internationalrain@yahoo.com
(hitting 'reply' to this email won't work)Visit the website: Its About Thyme facebook
Visit the nursery: 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, 78748
