tel: 512-280-1192 Aug 12, 2011
Nursery Notes: Texas sage plants on sale! Green cloud, heavenly
cloud, rio bravo, and silverado. Reg. $24.99 On sale for $14.99
Huge selection of fall tomatoes ( celebrity, Phoenix, red cherry large,
Tycoon, patio, and bhn 444 ) & fall peppers: bell sweet, serrano,
jalapeno grande, red and yellow scotchbonnet, red and chocolate
habaneros, tabasco, chili piquin, Italian frying peppers, African bullet
peppers, Thai, and ghost (naga-cobra) peppers.
____________________________________________________
A buffalo roams... at the Wildflower Center. Tuesday's Statesman
reported an American Buffalo had escaped from its south Austin
owner, and was wandering through the native grass fields of a 16 acre
restoration project... to the joy of the staff there: buffalo
_____________________________________________________
On Central Texas Gardener (KLRU) this week, a profile of the
productive gardens of Eastside Cafe, and Patty Leander tells viewers
how to prepare a fall vegetable patch. Sat. noon and Sun. 9 a.m or
gardeners to show your love for the terrific CTG team by phoning in
a pledge, or you can donate on-line here:
Blossoms of the beautiful heat-lovin' chitalpa.
Drought-Tolerant Stars
by Chris Winslow
In this current 'Great Heat Wave of 2011,' my lot in life has been set:
water all day long at the nursery, drive home …. and more watering.
With all these hours spent holding the hose, I’ve had ample time to
reflect on which plants are doing the best during these dry months.
Top Seven Trees: 1. Monterrey oak 2. Texas persimmon, 3. Texas
mountain laurel 4. Chinese pistache 5. Chinquapin oak, 6. mesquite,
7. chitalpa. They all thrive on little or no water at all. They were
established trees when I moved to the property in 2001, and all are
native except the Chinese Pistache and the chitalpa – which I find
loaded every day with a profusion of flowers that the hummingbirds
love. (see photo above)
Top Ten Perennials & Grasses: 1. Mexican feather grass 2. maiden
grass 3. muhly grass 4. blackfoot daisy 5. lantana 6. thyrallis (golden
showers) 7. Salvia gregii (cherry sage) 8. Mexican bush sage 9.
Copper Canyon daisy 10. esperanza.
Showiest plant of all: Pride of Barbados. Flowering daily throughout
the summer, they are providing the butterflies with much needed nectar.
Herb stars: 1. Rosemary 2. Mexican mint marigold 3. Garden sage
4. Mexican oregano.
Superstars! Yuccas and agaves. No water – no problem. I planted
an Agave americana (century plant) out by my front gate 3 years ago
and without any extra water it has turned into 15 plants!
Top Annuals: 1. vinca-periwinkle 2. purslanes 3. moss-roses
Another list: South Austin landscaper Jerry Hinton offered me his
list of favorites: Mexican mint marigold, Mexican oregano, Mexican
feathergrass, santolina, dwarf Barbados cherry, thyrallis, silver bush
germander, yaupon holly, silver ponyfoot, and Gregg’s dalea.
Happy gardening everyone!
Visit the website at www.itsaboutthyme.com Visit the nursery at 11726 Manchaca Road, Austin 78748
