![ItsAboutThyme_logo[1] by you.](https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2453/3680390926_a47790c3da.jpg?v=0)
It's About Thyme tel: 512-280-1192 March 4, 2011
Nursery Notes: We have all kinds of peppers, and hybrid and
heirloom tomatoes; huge selection of basil including lots of the ever-
popular sweet basil: also, broccoli, spinach, cucumbers, and summer
and winter squash. Plenty of seascape strawberries. Hanging baskets
of geraniums, petunias and exotic begonias. Finally, some beautiful
winter hardy palms (see article below): Mediterranean fan palms,
and windmill palms. Please come by for a visit. One of our nursery
team members (pictured above) will be happy to help you!
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Spring Speaker Series starts next Sunday (March 13) at 2 p.m with
a lecture by master gardener Dwight Littleton: 'How to Create a
Productive and Beautiful Raised Bed Garden. (Free)
On March 20: 'Guided by Nature: an intro to the principles of natural
landscape design, with a focus on native plants and water conservation,’
by Caroline Foley, Diamondscape Landscaping
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The Orchid Show: on Broadway: Opening tomorrow at the New
York Botanical Gardens, 300 'divas' of the plant world on display.
Comments one of the organizers: “The orchids are the stars. We know
how to deal with their persnickety nature. They’re flashy. They command
and demand attention. But when everything is just right, they absolutely
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Exciting news from KLRU about a film this Thursday: Wildflowers|
Seeds of History, a visually stunning one-hour documentary, premieres
on March 10 at 7 p.m. This is a labor of love by Central Texas Gardener
producer Linda Lehmusvirta who 'travels the back roads of history
On CTG this week: tomato tips from Renee Studebaker and a profile of the
teenage gardeners at Urban Roots. Saturday, noon and 4 p.m. Sunday 9 a.m.
Despite their name, Mediterranean fan palms aren't bothered by the cold.
Early Spring Notes
by Chris Winslow
Brrr! Last month’s low temperatures begged the question “Why is
Oklahoma so interested in central Texas that it has sent its weather
to visit us two winters in a row?”
My winter vegetable garden has taken it on the chin.
Lettuce was fried to a crisp and the onion tops were burnt back to
the ground, ‘though they are showing some welcome signs of new
green growth.
The only plant to survive and indeed flourish through this bitter cold
has been the triple curled parsley. That’s definitely good news for the
black swallow-tail butterfly larvae, which will now have something
tasty to eat.
For the second year in a row my palm trees show signs of burn, but
have made it out alive. The Mexican and California fan palms
(Washingtonia filifera and robusta), the Pindo palms( Butia capitata), and
the Canary Island Phoenix palms (Phoenix canaryiensis) all show signs
of winter foliage burn. However their tops should re-grow by mid summer.
It’s the same story with our sago ‘palms’ (Cycas revoluta ). I’m just
going to trim the brown foliage off and they will grow a new top
when the weather warms up.
The only two palms that have made it through the last two winter cold
spells unscathed have been the Mediterranean fan palm (Chamaerpos
humilis) and the Windmill palm (Trachycarpus excelsa).
For those of you tired of trimming your palms every spring, always a
difficult and unpopular task, these two are the ones to look for. The
Mediterranean fan palm can reach a height of 10 to 12 feet and grows
in a cluster. They make beautiful specimens and screens. The windmill
palm grows a solitary trunk to 15 feet in height. Their trunks are furry
which gives them the name ‘monkey palm.’
It feels like spring is around the corner. If you haven’t planted your
potatoes or applied corn gluten for summer weed control – time is running
out.
I have noticed that the early birds have been out scouting the tomato
varieties for spring. There is quite a buzz going on about a new tomato
release this year called Tycoon. This is a determinate tomato that grows
large firm fruit with high yield potential and heat set ability, and it has a
ton of disease resistance built into it.
Looks like a good season on the ground. Boy am I excited!
Happy spring gardening everyone
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