the Austin Garden | 40% sale at Cultivate | magnificent Kingsbury Commons opens |

Big plant sale Our south Austin friends at Cultivate are slashing prices until July 18. 40% off all plants. If you haven't visited this fine nursery yet, now might be the time. Even other nursery owners are impressed. Commented John Dromgoole of the Natural Gardener: "Nice, nice people, products, nursery, energy. . . these ladies 'walk the talk.' It's got that old Austin vibe. And it's hard to find that anymore. I enjoyed it, and you will too!" (Plus it's a short drive from the old It's About Thyme Nursery.) Website. inventory ❦

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Johnson's Backyard Garden is hiring: ten positions are open, including head grower, CSA coordinator, tractor operator and delivery driver. Some are at their Austin Hergotz Lane farm, and some in Garfield, 10 miles east of the airport. Jobs ❦

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Austin Organic Gardeners: join herbal expert Nicole Finkelstein (Herban Austin) at 6 p.m. on Mon. July 12 for a talk on medicinal herbs, herb cultivation, and companion planting. Details: Herbs; Nicole interview: Voyage Austin ❦

Kingsbury Commons: this new, magnificent natural space has opened up at the south end of Pease Park with plenty of log climbing for the kiddos - log swings, log climbing frame, and even just a pile of logs. So much great work by Ten Eyck Landscape Architects and kudos too to the architect-geniuses at Mell Lawrence for their giant orb treehouse.

To get in you enter about 20-feet up, and there's an intricate weaving of ropework which allows you to lie back and stare at the sky - a little like a James Turrell skyspace. Or if you're a kid, you can just bounce and run around. It's a thrill ; - ) Photos above and below were taken on Tuesday morning. Kingsbury Commons ❦

Support the Austin Garden! This newsletter relies entirely on donations from readers. Please consider making a donation today. Many thanks ; - ) PayPal ❦

Central Texas Gardener: Is that backyard bug a cicada killer wasp or an Asian giant hornet? Why do millipedes and pillbugs come inside? What is a doodlebug? Entomologist and educator extraordinaire Wizzie Brown has all of the answers about insect life in central Texas. KLRU ❦

Old Oak Tree: artist Linda Anderson's painting of an ancient oak at her friend Carol's ranch - with many 'evil eye' pendants attached to keep dark forces at bay. These are more often seen in trees in Turkey and Lebanon. ❦

Hancock golf course-to-park: there's no kite-flying or picnicking upon the great lawns of this central golf course right now. But there could be. Please join us to help heal the land and open up what will someday be a crown jewel in Austin's park system. (painting: Linda Anderson) Hancock Conservancy ❦

The Periwinkle Family

by Chris Winslow

A large group of plants, which provide brilliant spring, summer and fall color in our landscapes, is the Apocynaceae family, more commonly known as dogwort or vinca. The most popular plants in this family are the vinca-periwinkle annuals, and the oleanders.

Periwinkles are used a lot as summer bedding plant color, and oleanders – which are mostly evergreen shrubs – supply a great show of summer color and lend a tropical feeling to the landscape.

Here are a few ideas for some other plants in this family. Many perform well in our intense summer heat. But remember, they are tropical and need protection in our winters.

Plumeria
This is also known as frangipani. It is most famous as the flower used to make leis in Hawaii. (photo above)

They have leafless stems up to 2 inches thick with long slender leaves mostly at the tips. In Australia they are called dead man’s fingers because of their stems’ leafless appearance and color.

Their flower color ranges from white to pink, yellow, and red. Plumerias are most fragrant during the evening and night to lure insect pollinators.

And I must say, they are incredibly fragrant. I’ve kept a variety for years that I call pina colada because of its heavy coconut scent.

For gardeners they are easy to propagate from sections of their stems. Just take a section, and allow the ends to dry or form calluses before sticking them into good potting soil.
In the warm time of the year they will root in a few weeks and begin to grow a new top.

Protection in the winter can be minimal. Just keep them above freezing. They can last through the winter in a garage or a cold room. When they have gone leafless and dormant, remember to keep them dry.

Butterfly weed
This is one of the leading butterfly attractors in our central Texas landscape.

This perennial plant grows to 3 to 4 feet and has beautiful orange and red flowers. They are an important source of nectar for bees and butterflies, and a food source for the larvae of monarch butterflies.

Luckily for us gardeners, they bear their seed in pods that can be easily saved. The seeds have silky filaments, which are spread by the wind. This wonderful plant will begin showing up everywhere in your garden.

Mandevilla
This vine, in the periwinkle family, can develop spectacular flowers in the heat of summer. Full sun is what they like best. One gardening manual I came across said 110 degrees and full sun is O.K.

Mandevilla is available in white, yellow, pink, and red. One of the largest flower varieties is called Alice Dupont, a pink form. The genus was named after Henry Mandeville (1773-1861), a British diplomat and gardener.

Allamanda
Also known as buttercup flower, this is a native of Central America. This shiny green-leafed shrub will grow to 3 feet and adds a tropical look to the landscape. Often it is used around swimming pools to add a splash of color.

It can be found in white, purple, yellow, pink, and orange. This bush needs protection in the winter. It can be easily grown as a pot or tub plant and brought in when the temperature drops.

For those who like to collect unusual house plants, look for desert rose (Adenium obesum) and Madagascar palm (Pachypodium lamerei). These unusual and exotic house plants, both within the dogwort family, are easy to grow and make for showy, conversation pieces. ❦