tel. 512 280 1192 May 31, 2018
Nursery notes: Our beloved nursery will close its doors for the
final time on Saturday, June 30th. As this date approaches, David
Sargert decided to share an appreciation and some notes about the
folks who have kept It's About Thyme running so smoothly over
all of these years. ❦
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Old Thymers - an Appreciation
by David Sargert
I would like to acknowledge the talent pool that has helped me
learn more and more about what it takes to be a successful garden-
er in central Texas. I am very grateful to them for sharing their
knowledge with me so freely.
Russ Rudd has been in the garden center business for almost 20
years, with 13 of those at It's About Thyme. Russ has been respon-
sible for daily orders, vendor contact, customer service as well as
making sure cash is correct. He is a treasure! 512-965-1507
Jerry Hinton and his son Ian have started 'Austin’s Plant People'
specializing in rare and exotic plants in addition to landscape design
and maintenance. Jerry IMHO is the smartest guy here and has
100% success whenever we play 'name this plant' when a custom-
er brings something to us in a ziplock bag. Jerry would also like to
align with other nurseries in Austin to help them grow. Jerry has been
with us for 6 years and was with Red Barn prior, with a total of
26 years experience. 512-679-4637
Laurie Herselman is a lifelong gardener with one of the most beaut-
iful gardens in the region. Since retiring from being a teacher she
has been helping at our nursery with expert customer service. She
will now spend more time traveling.
Mike Hempel has been with IAT for over 11 years and is a vital
part of the team. Mike picks up the slack when we are swamped
and keeps the customers satisfied. He will be relocating soon to be
closer to family. Thank you Mike for all the help.We will miss daily
the Mike & Russ show ; - )
Kris Kurz is a Master Gardener with extensive landscape exper-
ience. She is seeking alignment with other local nurseries for the
future. 512-297-2680
Rumors abound that Dwight Littleton had the contract for the earth's
first garden somewhere in Eden. This might be fake news? What
I am certain about is that Dwight has shared with me his vast knowl-
edge of local plants and trees including all the lore that goes with
them. You all know him for his heart of gold and his inability to say
'no' to anyone. Dwight has started ThursAMLandscape and is avail-
able for new clients. Dwight is a true peach of a human!
DwightLittleton@gmail.com 512-913-2189.
DwightLittleton@gmail.com 512-913-2189.
(More details of future plans by the nursery's other employees
will be published in next week's newsletter.)❦
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Central Texas Gardener: water-thrifty gardens don't have to be
blah, and designer Nan Sterman shows how to pull together eye-
popping designs with plants, architecture, furniture and accents. On
tour a visit with East Austin Succulents: Saturday 4 p.m. Sunday
9 a.m. KLRU ❦
7 Activities for June
by Chris Winslow
1. Water Early morning is the best time… otherwise most of the
irrigation water evaporates. Deep soaking is best because it gives
the plant a greater reservoir to draw from.
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2. Native tree care This month generally turns out to be pretty hot
and dry. Remember your trees are going to be thirsty too. A small
amount of rain does little to carry moisture deep into the soil.
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3. Mulch This will cool the roots and slow the water loss from ev-
aporation. Mixing your mulch 50:50 (bag-for-bag) with compost,
will add nutrition and relieve stress.
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4. Slow release fertilizers When feeding flowerbeds and turf, be
sure to use an organic-based, slow-release fertilizer. You will avoid
burning plant roots in the summer heat and will have little impact
on our watershed. Foliar sprays with seaweed will also help reduce
heat stress.
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5. Care for your roses The first flush of your spring roses has fin-
ished. The flowering ends of the rose stems have probably formed
hips (seed pods). Cut them off and there will be a new round of
flowering. Also, give them some rose food. Examine them for any
sign of insects, especially spidermites, and treat with horticultural
oil (Sunspray or All Seasons) or Spinosad.
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6. Mow high Cut your grass as high as you can stand. Longer grass
blades will help shade the turf and conserve water. Leave clippings
on the lawn.
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7. Add summer color This is the right time to plant heat-loving
summer color in those empty spaces. Planting in the morning and
evening is best. For summer color, zinnias, purslane, moss rose,
and vinca seem to be the hardiest. Make sure they get enough
water when they are establishing themselves. Happy gardening
everyone! ❦
