tel: 512 280-1192 Thursday, December 24, 2015
Nursery Notes: Happy Holidays to all of our customers! We
will be closed tomorrow but will be open again on Saturday.
(The newsletter is going to skip a week; the next edition will
be published Jan. 7th.)
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Spatchchocking a Turkey: if you remove the backbone of any
poultry, you are able to flatten the bird, and cook it evenly on a
barbeque set to medium-low. This frees up the oven and, as Mick
Vann writes so eloquently... 'Fewer people in the kitchen are
needed, not more, and fewer slothful menfolk lounging about un-
derfoot would be a relief for that congestion. What could be better
than a herd of guys in their natural element, hovering over a grill
and a bed of coals, watching a big flat bird slowly turning golden
brown.' See attachment for complete article.
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Digital Detox: writer Hannah Kincaid went off-line to reconnect
with nature, family and friends. 'Every potential moment for quiet
reflection was in danger of being interrupted by a strong pull to
comment, like, share or respond.' Mother Earth News
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Central Texas Gardener: Mix Edibles with Perennials. Eat
your garden and feed the wildlife, too! Visit a low-water design
in outdoor living patios. On Sat. at 4 p.m., Sun. at 9 a.m. KLRU
Bring us Some Figgy Pudding!
by Chris Winslow
'Tis the season, and tomorrow's the big day... and I'm sure at
least some readers have sung the carol 'We Wish you a Merry
Christmas' in the past few weeks, which includes the line 'now
bring us some figgy pudding.'
This seasonal pudding dates back to 16th century England, and
back then was a weird mixture of custard, croutons and mashed
figs. (There are lots of recipes on-line.)
One of the great things about living in central Texas is that we
are able to grow fig trees quite easily, and so in the future, if you
want to make a figgy pudding using home-grown figs, it is very
possible! Our winters are mild and our rainfall adequate for them.
(Extra watering is needed during periods of prolonged drought.)
The location that you choose to plant your fig tree is critical. For
best fruit, choose a sunny spot.
Drainage is also important. With poor drainage, figs will suffer
. You can grow them in clay as well as sandy soils.
Here are some fig varieties that do well in the Buda, Kyle and
Austin area:
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Celeste: a small fig that’s brown to purple in color. It is a prod-
uctive and cold hardy tree. The fruit is considered high quality
when eaten fresh, made into preserves, or canned. Celestes have
a ‘closed eye’ that stops insects from entering the fruit. Harvest
season is mid June. Pruning can limit production because Celeste
produces fruit on last season’s wood.
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Alma: a late season producer of high quality, sweet figs. They’re
an attractive golden brown color with amber pulp. Alma has a
closed eye. Harvest late June to early July.
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Texas everbearing: a medium to large size tree, with medium
sized fruit. Its ripens in late June and continues into August,
hence the name ‘everbearing.’ It has a mostly closed eye.
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Brown turkey: medium to large figs with a brown to reddish-
purple skin with an open eye. Good quality fruit. Like Texas
everbearing, ripening occurs from late June to August.
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Whatever you decide on, having a fig tree in the backyard is
always a wise choice. They add sweetness to a healthy diet, and
they are fat free, sodium free, cholesterol free, and high in fiber.
They also add iron, calcium, and potassium. Happy Christmas
everyone! (picture above by Carl Larsson)
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
