tel: 512 280-1192 thursday, april 23, 2015
Nursery notes: 5 different types of avocado set to arrive Friday,
including Joey, Lula and Arizona Haas: 3 gal. for $49.99. Bougain-
villeas from $9.99 - $59.99. Superfooods in stock: goji berry plants
3 gal, $34.99, blueberries Tifblue and Misty, $24.99. Also 4 types
types of blackberries: $9.99 - $24.99. / This week the number of sub-
scribers to our newsletter hit the 2,000 mark So thanks to all for
your support, and please send any article ideas to me at this email
address: internationalrain@yahoo.com. (Hitting 'reply' to this email
will not work!) - Darrel Mayers (editor)
Container Gardening: free lecture this Sunday at 2 p.m. given by
Amanda Moon. From the basics to more creative expressions, how to
fully utilize container plantings in your yard, on your porch and inside
your home or office.
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Cure your own Olives: the season for harvesting olives may be a
long way off - but if you're interested in curing your own when the
time comes, then a visit to Instructables' easy-to-follow guide is a
good idea. All you'll need is some kosher salt, an egg, and water.
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How to Start Seeds: 18 confidence-building tips: don't rush, don't
be cheap, and don't use any old potting soil... is just some of the help-
Nursery Profile: As a 3-year-old growing up in Arkansas, horticult-
urist Jerry Hinton's earliest memories were of his parents' garden that
rested on top of a cliff overlooking the Ozark Mountains. 'I was just
a little guy in diapers!' he recalls. Throughout his life trees and native
plants have been his passion, and over the years he has taught him-
self by poring over research and field reports from Texas A&M, and
by reading the works of experts like Neil Sperry. His favorite shade tree:
Monterrey Oak. Favorite cacti? 'This is cruel! Impossible to answer!'
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Central Texas Gardener: Meet some plants that pack lots of nectar
and pollen and which beneficial insects they invite. On tour, a rocky
garden dazzles with dimension from curbside to patios: Sat., 4 p.m.
The writer in front of his beautiful Mission olive tree (Olea europaea)
Olive Trees for Central Texas
by Chris Winslow
It has taken me a few years to realize the amazing gifts that olive trees
offer us as gardeners here in central Texas. I planted one six years ago
in a fairly large raised bed at my nursery. Since then this wondrous
evergreen has grown to over twenty feet in height and width, and has
provided beautiful silvery foliage throughout the year.
I now understand that olive trees can decorate our gardens as beautiful
ornamentals, as well as providing olive fruit for our tables or for mak-
ing oil. My favorites? Mission and Arbequina.
Spanish missionaries introduced Mission olives to California in the
17th century. These Spanish settlers also brought the trees to Mexico,
and to what is now South Texas. They are the only North American
varietal listed by the International Olive Council.
Missions are highly drought-tolerant thanks to a sturdy and extensive
root system, can handle the cold down to 8 to 10 degrees, and are per-
fectly suited to our alkaline soils. Mature trees can reach a height and
width of 30 to 40 feet.
Mission olives are thought of as flavorful for eating at the table, and
are good for making oil as well.
Arbequina olives are somewhat smaller trees, but they grow fast and
reach production at an early age. Introduced to Europe from Palestine
in the 17th century, they are predominately grown in Spain. Arbequinas
have gained rapid popularity in California and Texas because of their
early production and their high yields of healthy anti-oxidant rich oils.
Their oil flavor is considered very mild. (We have lots of arbequinas
in stock: $49.99 for 3 gal. $150 for 10 gal.)
Arbequinas flourish in our area. They enjoy our alkaline soils and
thrive in our long, hot, and generally dry summers. Their mature
height is about half that of the Mission olive with a spread of 12 feet.
Please come by to see our magnificent olive tree, and you'll see how
beautiful they can be. Happy Gardening everyone!
Visit the nursery:11726 Manchaca Road, Austin, 78748 Like us
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