NURSERY NOTES: Have you ever met a gardener who said: "I give up!" Somehow through sheer tenacity and/or obstinacy, gardeners keep going, no matter what.
And last year in Austin, the "no matter what" was considerable. First came the Feb. 1 branch-snapping freeze. Then, after a lull in May, along came the 74 day, 100 degree + heat extravaganza.
As I look back, however (as an optimist I should mention!), along comes a bright parade of memories. Visits to Austin Organic Gardeners meetings at Zilker for example. Getting friendly help from people at our city's wonderful nurseries. Watching Plant Wave's Joe Patitucci conjuring glorious music from a various mushrooms at a Central Texas Mycological Society event.
A personal highlight came in the form of a visit to my garden from a Painted Bunting over three days in April — a reward, I like to think, for rewilding part of my garden. A rose-breasted grosbeak and goldfinches stopped by shortly afterwards.
The indomitable spirit of optimism of Austin's gardening community remains as bright as ever, and I look forward to more of the same as the dawn of 2024 arrives today. — Darrel Mayers
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Join
Austin Organic Gardeners on Monday, Jan 8, for a talk by Scott Blackburn (New Garden Road) about "Spring Gardening in central Texas." 7 p.m. at Zilker:
AOG 🌿 "Forest Gardening" is the focus of a class by Reed Burnam at the Natural Gardener. 10 a.m. on Jan 13. TNG 🌿 If you live near Hyde Park, there's a new plant stand at Avenue F and 48th. Organizer Sarah Beck encourages "neighbors, friends, and whoever to swap plants or to leave a donation so I can keep it stocked."
🌿
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Gardening Resolutions for the New Year
Chris Winslow (co-owner of It's About Thyme)
1. The best gardening shears is
Felco 2. Worth every penny. Expensive. Can purchase extra blades. My pair is over 25 years old. ($59 at Gardener's Edge)
2. Put your money in the soil. A $1 plant doesn't do well in 10 cent soil. Do the reverse for success!
3. Do a little gardening chore every day. Don't let the weeds and cultivation build up. The Blue Zones on Netflix points out most long-lived people do a little gardening every day. Fresh air and exercise, as well as eating well, might help you achieve 100.
4. Be happy. Eat more grouper!
1. Buy shade cloth for unpredictable winters and summers. Best to be prepared! Based on the season, it provides shade from extreme heat and cold temps!
2. Plan a spring garden. Understand eating habits and use this time accordingly to plan your garden. Take it up a level, from hobby to necessity.
3. Try to be happy. Understand there are therapeutic powers in gardening, and indulge in it. Be happy with enjoying the fresh air, allowing your body to get natural vitamin D.
Wendy Woodruff (south Austin gardener)
1. Continue to introduce native plants to my garden.
2. Minimize water-usage by focussing on drought tolerant plants.
3. Try plants that I've not tried before. It'll be an experience!
David Sargert, architect: Design-Build Austin (formerly of It's About Thyme)
1. More Annual Flowers. 2023 was a dismal growing year - until December.
2. Popcorn! I've held back on growing corn for a couple of years
3. Mulch, Mulch and More Mulch As I am back to Design-Build full time now, I have less time for "weed pulling ZEN" I'll still weed around the mulch to get centered :-). Happy 2024 to ALL!
Austin Davenport (gardening educator)
1. Integrate more ecological stewardship. How can I cultivate strong cooperators in my garden? What microorganisms can I foster or what specialist pollinator can I aid?
2. I'd like to continue connecting with other gardeners and continue gleaming insights that are relative to our central Texas context. Don't be surprised if you catch me at Sunshine Community Garden geeking out on someone's unique processes or techniques.
3. I plan on immersing myself in other culture's unique plants. I have only scratched the surface of some regional cuisine staples people grow around the world, and diving deeper into African and Southeast Asian plants is on my immediate to-do list!
Margaret Ayer (French horn player / south Austin gardener).
1. I resolve to stay more on top of weeding by doing at least some after every rain event.
2. My fellow gardener Darin's resolution is to stop wasting energy on growing vegetables that he doesn't enjoy eating. He had way too much bok choy this year.
Darrel Mayers (Austin Garden editor)
1. To make the formal parts of my garden more formal, and the wild parts more wild.
2. To stick doggedly to plants labeled VL (very low) water required in Grow Green's excellent Landscape Plants Guide.
3. To hit the books and learn more about the science behind gardening, starting with Robert Pavilis's "Plant Science for Gardeners."
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CENTRAL TEXAS GARDENER:What to do with that narrow strip between your house and the neighbor’s? With sustainable, permaculture techniques, designer Tyaga Welch of Sustainable Humane Earth put it to good use growing fruit trees, vegetables, herbs, and flowers for pollinators. CTG ❦
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January in the Garden
by Chris Winslow
1. Plant a fruit tree. Many fruit tree varieties will arrive in local nurseries this month, and in February and March. Try apples, peaches, plums, persimmons, and pears.
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2. Prepare a spring vegetable garden. I would recommend the solarization method to get rid of weeds. Till your garden with a mechanical tiller or a garden spade and water the area thoroughly. Cover with a clear plastic film and secure the perimeter with rocks or soil. The sun will raise the temperature in the garden soil to levels that will kill weeds and seeds. Allow the film to stay on for a month to six weeks. When removed, your garden will be weed free.
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3. Turn off sprinklers. Automatic lawn sprinklers should be set at a minimum or simply turn them off. (Turf grass is dormant.)
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4. Plant a tree. There is still time. Maybe you purchased a living tree for the holidays. Find that perfect spot, plant it and water it in.
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5. Catalog browsing. Find a comfortable armchair, and get to work! January is a good time to look through garden and seed catalogs to decide on varieties you want to grow this year. Starting a garden journal is a simple way to keep track of what you plant and what has been successful.
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6. Plant asparagus. Now is the time to prepare beds and plant. Three year asparagus crowns will arrive in local nurseries early this month. Beds should be dug deeply and filled with rich organic compost. Three year crowns will put you closer to harvest than seed grown.
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7. Onions are still possible. You still have the opportunity to produce large onions this year. Also you can plant turnips, collards, and radishes. From Rockport, Diane and I wish Austin gardeners a Happy 2024, with bountiful crops and flowers aplenty! ❦
