tel: 512 280-1192 thursday, september 10, 2015
Nursery Notes: 25% off bougainvilleas: we have some beauti-
ful Juanita Hatten specimens (pink): reg. prices 1 gal. $9.99, 2 gal
$16.99, 3 gal $24.99, hanging baskets $19.99. The winter veggie
starts are arriving: kale (redbor, winterbor, dinosaur), cilantro,
Brussels sprouts, bok choy, cabbage, Florida mustard, arugula,
collards, swiss chard, spinach and strawberries. / 'Tis the last week
of the 25% Palm Tree Sale. / In model train news - the Hadean
heat of the Texas summer has damaged the track, and it's going be
a few weeks before it is up and running again, report the engineers.
How to Plant a Milk Crate: Would you like to grow a 'crate to
plate' garden? It turns out that milk crates are the perfect size for
growing vegetables and herbs in a container garden. Writer Jodi
Torpey shows how it's done: Vegetable Gardener
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Aromatic Water: 'In Colombia, there are almost endless ways to
make this delicately flavored infusion,' write the editors of Edible
Austin. 'Our favorite, of course, is the one that uses fruit peels and
leftover pieces rather than whole, fresh fruit.' Agua Aromática
United Airlines flies on Agricultural Waste: 'Cars powered by
old french-fry grease are old news. The newest trend in biofuel?
Agricultural waste. This year, United Airlines will begin flying
regular passenger flights on planes powered by leftovers from
the farm,' reports Dan Nosowitz in Modern Farmer
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Central Texas Gardener: How do organic techniques improve
homegrown food? Gardens help a high school keep students at
risk for graduation. On Sat., 4 p.m., and Sun. at 9 a.m. KLRU
Sun-Lovin' Bougainvilleas
by Chris Winslow
If you're looking for a strikingly beautiful flowering plant that
loves our hot and dry summers, look no further than bougainvillea.
Named after the French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville
who discovered it during a stop in South America in 1768, bougain-
villea is known for its wide varieties of colorful flowers - which can
be white, pink, red and purple, and many shades in between.
Like the poinsettia, what gives bougainvillea its color are the showy
leaf-like bracts surrounding the inconspicuous, small white flowers.
Flower forms are both singles and doubles, with some varieties
showing more than one color on a single bush. The variety called
Surprise has both pink and white bracts and is very showy.
Bougainvilleas need at least 6 hours of direct sun, and rich, well-
drained soil. They like to dry out between waterings.
Because they are tropical, bougainvilleas need winter protection.
It's best to grown them in containers with premium potting soil.
With a balanced fertilizer, you can have them in bloom through-
out the summer and fall.
The key to keeping them alive for the following spring is to trim
them back during the winter months and keep them from freez-
ing weather.
If you want to plant them in the ground in the Hays/Travis County
area, a southerly, sunny wall is the perfect location. Driving around
south Austin, I've spotted many beautiful specimens in this location.
An added attraction - butterflies love bougainvillea flowers. Also,
if you live in a neighborhood with deer, you'll find that mostly they
don’t seem to like them.
Bougainvilleas also can look beautiful in hanging baskets. My fav-
orite variety is Juanita Hatten. Dark red in full sun, Juanita is a com-
pact and free-flowering, a perfect fit for a 12-inch basket.
Spice up that deck or entryway. Bougainvillea can sure make it
happen. 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
