companion gardening - travis county master gardeners, austin, texas

In this issue...

In the Vegetable Garden

Peckerwood Gardens

Termites

Cellphone Gardening Apps

Hints from Wolf’s Garden

Designing Small Garden Part 2

President’s Message

G u e s t P r e s e n t e r . . .

Matt Welch on Plants for Sequential Blooms

A Publication of the Travis County Master Gardeners - a volunteer program of Texas AgriLife Extension.

March 2010The Compost Bin

The Compost Bin March 2010

Inside this Issue....

• FebruaryMeetingSpeaker-MattWelch• ThePresident’sMessage• IntheVegetableGarden• HintsfromWolf’sGarden• Termites• PeckerwoodGardenvisit• GardeningCellphoneApps• DesigningSmallGardens(PartTwo)• ComingEvents• 2010TCMGABoard• CompostBinContributors

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On Plants for Sequential Blooms

Do you want year around color in your garden? Planting for

SequentialBloomsbyMattWelchwill help you learnplantswhichwill fill the

colorvoids. He’ll includeexamplesofplants for fullsun,someshadeandfull

shadeconditionswithanemphasisonplantsrequiring loweramountsofwater.

Afterearningabachelor’sdegree inhorticulture fromStephenF.AustinState

University(SFA),MattmovedtoRaleigh,NCtoworkasheadpropagatoratTaylor’s

Nursery, a wholesale grower. After two years working at Taylor’s and

livingatPlantDelightsNursery,aspecialtymailordernursery,Mattmovedbackto

TexastohelpbuildtheRubyMizeAzaleaGardenonthecampusofStephenF.Austin.

AftertwoyearsasAzaleaGardenTechnicianhebeganconstructionofthePineywoods

NativePlantCenter, alsoon theSFAcampus,which fueledhis fascination for

nativeplantsandtheirhabitats,andledtoayearofgraduateworkinplantecology.

Later,MattpartneredupwithgardenwriterGregGrantandgardeningfriendBill

March Meeting Speaker — Matt Welch


JobetobuildNaconicheGardens,aretaildestinationnurseryspecializinginheirloom,

hardy and hard-to-find plants. As nursery/gardenmanager and head of the

landscapedivision,Mattsawthesmallnurserygrowfromflatspotto2acresof

displaygardens,greenhouses,retailspaceand lecturebarnwhichfeaturedguest

speakerauthorsJoeLiggio,FelderRushing,DavidCreech,andGregGrant. Since

movingtoAustin fouryearsago,Matthasmanagedatreefarmandworkedas

manager/special events coordinator at The Great Outdoors. He’s

written many plant articles and given lectures on subjects ranging from

container gardening toprehistoric plants to great bulbs for southerngardens.

Currently, Matt owns Plantsmith Gardens, a garden design/landscap-

ing company he runs with his fiancée Meagan and his dog, Merle.

Please thank Hella Holoubeck for suggesting this topic! Carolyn

Williams deserves the credit for suggesting the first two speakers this year,

CarolAnnSayleofBoggyCreekFarmsandKeithAmelungownerofHeirloom-

TomatoesofTexas.com and Have Spade, Will Travel Landscape & Consulting.

Meetinginformation:Wednesday,March3rd,2010startingat7pm.ZilkerBotanicalGarden


Hello Master Gardeners:

A Message From Your President

Spring Needs to be Sprouting!

Texansdonotappreciatenorarewefansofa longwinter! No indeed,weneed

a sign of the upcoming spring around here…fast! Daffodil and iris blooms,

redbudsandLadyBanksrosesallintheirbeautifulspringcolorswillsoonmaketheir

appearance. Weheadoutdoorstowork innewcompost,plantthoseearlyspring

veggies,pruneandfertilizeourrosesandbreakinournewtrowels.Isthereanything

anybetterthanthesmelloffreshlyturnedsoil?!Yes,gardenersneedspringtime!

Wehaveexperiencedabrutalpastsummer(evenbyoldTexans’standards),a

gloriousautumnwithmuchneededrainsthathavelastedthroughthiscoldwinter.

Now,withspringtimeapproaching,therainsshouldhelpprovideuswithamarvelous

showingofbeautifulTexaswildflowers.Ifyouhaveneverexperiencedthedriveofthe

WillowCityLoop(rightoutsideofJohnsonCity),giveyourselfatreatandplanonitthis

year.YouwillbeamazedatwhattheTexasHillCountrycanprovideinthewayofbeauty!

Another way to celebrate spring is to volunteer for one ormore of the sev-

eralupcomingMarchevents. First is theEastAustinGardenFair, “Gardening

theEarth-KindWay”,onSaturday,March20th. Contact:MandaRash,manda-

[email protected],March27th

andSunday,March28th.ContactCherylMcGrath,[email protected]. Our

greenhousestaff isworkingdiligentlyandcanalwaysuseapairofextrahands

ingettingreadyforbothoftheseevents. Watchfortheirannouncementsasking

forvolunteers. TheDemonstrationGardenattheAgriLifeExtensionOffice isalso

gearingupandlookingforvolunteers.So,springtimeisapproachingandmuchworkis

needed.Allofusneedto“pitchin”andvolunteerwhereverwecantomakeitallwork!


Bigthanksgoouttotwoofourmembers:BeckyWaak,computerguru,whoworkedtireless-

lyonseveralprojectsregardingourmembershipreportingformsandrosters.AlsotoMike

McGiffin,Speakers’Bureau,whohasworkeddiligentlythroughnumerouslongmeetings

toupgradeandupdateourspeakers’outreachprogram.JobwelldoneBeckyandMike!!

Savorthesweetsmellofspring’searlydelights,volunteertohelpourorganization

andenjoyyourgarden.

HappySpringtime!

CarolynWilliams,President

HeadsUp!AfterTheAprilMeeting...GardentoGardenPlantExchange

Hatetothrowawayallofthoseextraplantsthathavesproutedinyourgardenordoyoujustwanttoexchangethemfornewplants?Potupyourextrasandbringthemtotheplantandgarden-relatedexchange,whichwillbeheldimmediatelyaftertheAprilmeeting(nextmonth.)Makesureyourplants,seedsandcuttingsarewelllabeled.Ifyouhaveextragardenmagazines,therewillbeplentyoftakersatthemeetingalso.

Don’t forget to bring plastic bags, boxes or flats to take your new plants home.Baggiesandlabelsarealsoneeded.Weneedsomevolunteerstostayandhelpwithclean-up,too.Also,pleaseplantotakeanyofyourextraitemsbackhome.

Wealsowant tosayabig“thankyou!” toRoxaneSmith forheadingupthismostpopularplantexchangeforthepastfewyearsandforkeepingitgoingsoefficiently.

LizCaskey&FrankieHart

The President’s Message Continued...


It’sgotime,vegetablegardeners!

InMarch,wegenerallyseenighttimetemperaturesinthehigh40’sandlower50’sand

daytimetemperaturesinthe60’s–perfect“workinginthegarden”weather.Andmore

importantly,ourlastfrostusuallycomesthismonth,

andsoiltemperatureswillbegintowarmupwhich

meansquickergerminationandgrowth. Ifyour

garden space is limited, now is a good time

to harvest most of your cool-season crops

to make room for new plantings. Turn the

soil and mix in a 1-2” layer of compost,

removingweedsasyougoandformingasmooth,

levelsurfaceforplanting.Onehalf tothreefourthscupof

gardenfertilizer(like15-5-10)canbeaddedper10’ofrow;

ifyouareusinganorganic fertilizer(like8-2-4or6-2-2)

doubletheamountsince it is lower innitrogen.Theseare

general recommendations; a soil test is the bestway to

determineyour soil’s specific fertility requirements.Once

youhaveyourgardenbedpreparedandreadytogo,takea

momenttostandbackandcontemplateyourwork.Afreshly

preparedgardenbed,amendedwithorganicmatter,soakingupthe

s u n s h i n e a n d t e e m i n g w i t h

microbesisthefoundationforasuccessfulgardenseason!

Heat-loving vegetables like okra, sweet potatoes and Southern peas should be

plantednextmonth,butmostwarmseasonvegetablescan,andshould,beplantedthis

In The Vegetable Garden

By Patty Leander


monthastheydon’ttakethescorchingheatofaTexassummerverywell.Thekeyto

asuccessfulspringgardenistoplantearlyandharvestbeforetheinfernotakeshold.

Wehavebeenknowntohaveablastoffreezing

weathereveninApril,sobepreparedtoprotect

youryoungplantswithrowcover,sheets,hotcaps

orboxes.Tomatoes,peppersandeggplanttakea

longtimetoreachmaturityandshouldbeplanted

fromtransplants,buttheotherspringcropscan

easilybeplantedfromseed.Transplantsshould

behardenedoffbygraduallyexposingthemto

theoutdoorenvironmentovera4-5dayperiod

before planting in the garden.Water them in

withadilute fertilizer. Ifyoufeel liketakinga

gamble,seta fewtomatotransplantsoutearly

inthemonth;wrapthecageswithplasticorrow

covertoprotectfromcoldweatherandstrongwinds.

Check out the ‘Gardens and Orchards’ heading of

the Central Texas Horticulture website, http:aggie-

hor t i cu l tu re . tamu.edu/ t rav i s / i ndex .h tm, fo r

recommended vegetable varieties and planting dates.

I f you planted onions in January, be

sure to keep them watered and weeded;

potatoes that were planted in February should be

hilled up this month with soil or mulch. Weeds are

In The Vegetable Garden Continued...


abundantthis timeofyear,especially ifweareblessedwithrain.Theycompete

withourvegetableplants forwaterandnutrients,sopullorhoethemandthrow

theminthecompostbinbeforetheyhaveachancetoproduceseed.Alsoaddspent

plantmaterial fromyourgardenandfruitandvegetablewaste fromyourkitchen

–this isagoodwaytominimizeyourpersonalcontributiontothecity’s landfills.

Coming Events

Cool Plants for the Shade Garden

Friday, April 9, 9:00-11:00 am

DemonstrationGardenatAgriLifeExtensionOfficeofTravisCounty

1600BSmithRd.,AustinTX78721

CoolPlantsfortheShadeGardenisafreein-the-gardendiscussion.Seesomeoftheshade

lovingplantsgrowingandlearnaboutotherperennialsandannualswhichrequirelimitedsun.

This seminar is free and open to the public. It is presented by the Travis

County Master Gardeners Association, a volunteer arm of the Texas AgriLife

ExtensionService inTravisCounty.For information,seehttp://www.tcmastergar-

deners.orgorcalltheTravisCountyMasterGardener’shelpdeskat(512)854-9600.

In The Vegetable Garden Continued...


Partofplanningourgardenisdeterminingwhichplantsthrivewhenplantedtogether

orperhapswhichplantsmighthelprepelbugs,fungus,orotherproblemsthatconfront

thegardener.Ilovetheideathatthesewonderfullivingthingshavepropertieswe

canusetoenhanceourgardens.Therearedifferentkindsofcompaniongardening.

Themostcommoncompaniongardeningtechnique isdeterringpests. Simplyby

plantingarowofstrong-smellingplantsnexttoarowofvulnerablevegetables,youcan

wardoffmanypestssuchaswhiteflyandaphids.Alliums(leeks,onionsorgarlic)mask

thesmellsofsweetersmellingvegetables,suchascarrotsandsaladleafcrops,anddeter

pestsfromattackingyourvegetables.Alliumsalsopreventfungalinfections,soarow

ofonionsplantednearstrawberrieshelpspreventstrawberriesfromdevelopingmold.

Basil and marigolds act as a natural insect repellent when planted among

tomatoes, helping to ward off whitefly. We have planted a new variety of

marigold at the greenhouse this year that is supposed to repel

nematodes. Wehopeallofyouwill testthisnewvariety. Andthen it’ssaidthat

nettlesattractcabbagewhitebutterflies,keepingthemawayfromthebrassicacrops.

Didyouknow that tomatoandasparagusareadynamicduo? There’s some-

thing about asparagus that tomato hornworms don’t like, and asparagus

beetlesavoidtomatoplants.Plantthemtogethertoridbothcropsoftheirdeadliest

enemy. If you can’t keep tomato hornworms out of your tomato patch, try

planting some dill nearby as a trap crop.

Hornwormslikedillbetterthan

t o m a t o e s , a n d t h e y ’ l l

g o e a t t h a t i n s t e a d .

Hints from Wolf’s Garden - Companion Gardening

By Becky Waak

Tomato hornworm caterpillar Manduca quinquemaculata parasitized by Braconidae wasp larvae. Photo by Stsmith


Hints from Wolf’s Garden Continued ...

For a list of some of the plants that grow well together,

visit http://www.companionplanting.net/ListofCompanionPlants.html.

Mostplantshavecertainodorsandrootsecretionsthatrepelcertain insects,but

somehavemorethanothers. Plantsthatareuniversally“unappealing”to insects

includemarigolds,chrysanthemums,chives,onions,garlic,basil,horseradish,mint,and

nasturtiums.Themoreyouhaveinyourgarden,thefewerpestsyou’llhave.Besure

tocheckthecompanionplantinglistaboveforplantsthatarenotcompatibleaswell.

Eventually natural predators and parasites will arrive at the feast you’ve

provided.Beneficialinsectsareawonderfulorganicwaytolimitthedamageofpests.

Plantingbrightly coloredflowersnear your cropswill attract awide variety of

insectstothegarden. Attracting ladybugsand lace-

wingstoyourgardenwillhelpreducedamagefrom

aphids. Thepredatorswill lay their eggs on your

plants. Thesewillhatch into larvaewhichcaneach

eat up to 150aphids per day. Of course another

benefit of planting flowers is that more

bees visiting your garden will result in more

pollinationwhichwill leadtobiggeryieldsofvege-

tables. Toattractbeneficial insects,plantcandytuft,

cilantro,sunflowers,lavender,Echinacea,Phacelia,and

buckwheat. Above:Alliumcepavar.proliferum(WalkingOnion)

Sourcesofthesecompaniongardeningideasinclude1,001GardeningSecretsby

GayleK.WoodandtheEditorsofFC&APublishing;andthewebsites

CompanionPlanting.netandGrowVeg.com.


Home Invading Termites

By Wizzie Brown

Inspecting Your Home for Termites

Whiletermitesmaynotcometomindforgardeners,itiseasytokeepaneyeoutfor

signsofthedamagingpestwhileyouclearareaspreparingforspringplanting.

Therearethreemaintypesoftermitesthatcancauseproblemsforhomeowners

inCentralTexas- formosantermites,subterraneantermites(Fig.1)anddrywood

termites. Whilethesetermiteeachcomewiththeirownspecificsetofproblems,

thefirstproblemhomeownersneedtotackle isrealizingthattheyhaveatermite

infestation.

Fig1.Subterraneantermiteworkersandsoldiers.

Toolsandequipmentyoumayneed:

• Flashlight

• Icepickorscrewdriver

• Ladder


Termites Continued ...

• Afloorplanofthestructure(clipboard&pencil)

Signsofinfestation:

• Presenceofshelter(mud)tubes(Fig.2)-lookslikeamud-likesubstanceof-

tengoingupthefoundation;activetubeswillhaveworkersand/orsoldiers

inside

• Swarmertermites-termitesswarmatdifferenttimesbutswarmershave

fourwingsofequalshapeandsize,nopinchedwaist(differentiatesthem

fromants)andstraightantennae

• Wings-termitesoftenswarmtowindowandleavetheirwingsbehindonthe

sill

• Damagedwood,sheetrock(Fig.3),etc.-wooddamagecanbehiddenunder

paint,wallpaper,etc.;termitedamagedwoodoftencontainssoildeposits

Fig2.(aboveleft)Shelter(mud)tubegoingupafoundation.Fig3.(aboveright)Sheetrockdamageduetotermites.

Wheretolookoutside:


• Foundationofthehouse&otherstructures-Lookformudtubes(Fig1)or

cracksinthefoundation.Anylocationswherethefoundationiscoveredwith

soilshouldbenoted.Soilshouldbemovedawayfromtheareasothe

foundationisexposed.

• Attachedporches(Fig.4),patios,etc.

• Areaswherepipespenetratethestructure(ACunits,gas&electricservices)-

Lookforwooddecayandmoistureproblems.

Fig4.Attachedporch

Wheretolookinside:

• Door&windowfacings(Fig.5),baseboards,hardwoodfloors-Lookforwood

damage.

• Ceilings-Lookforwaterdamage.

• Foundationcracksorexpansionjoints-Lookfortermitesormudtubes.

• Plumbingareas(Fig.6)-Ifnobathtrapexistsinstallaremovablehatchso

thisareamaybeinspectedperiodically.

• Attic-Lookformudtubes,waterleaks,rottingwoodorwaterdamage.



• Pier&beamareas(onpier&beamhomes)-Lookaroundpiersformudtubes

ordamage.

Fig5.Debrisonawindowsill.

Ifyouarenotado-it-yourselfperson,thencallapestmanagementprofessionalto

inspectyourhomefortermites.

Formoreinformationorhelpwithidentification,contactWizzieBrown,TexasAgriLife

ExtensionServiceProgramSpecialistat512.854.9600.Checkoutmyblogatwww.

urban-ipm.blogspot.com

Fig6.Shelter(mud)tubegoingupplumbing.

Theinformationgivenhereinisforeducationalpurposesonly.ReferencetocommercialproductsortradenamesismadewiththeunderstandingthatnodiscriminationisintendedandnoendorsementbyTexasAgriLifeExtensionServiceortheTexasAgriL-ifeResearchisimplied.Extensionprogramsservepeopleofallagesregardlessofsocioeconomiclevel,race,color,sex,religion,disability,ornationalorigin.



Master Garden Field Trip to Peckerwood Gardens

By Manda Rash

Thedaywasbrightandsunnyandtheairwascrispandcool…itwasabeautifulday

foragardentour.Atotalof18MasterGardeners(15fromTravisCountyand3from

WilliamsonCounty)weretreatedtoaveryspecialafternoonatPeckerwoodGarden.

J o hn Fa i r e y who has developed this

garden over the last39years talkedwith

us about the his- toryofthegardenand its

d e v e l o p m e n t . Whenhefirstpurchasedthe

property near Hempstead in 1971 he

set about to plant a more traditional

gardenthat focusedonazaleasandcamellias. Followingadevastatingtornado in

1983andaplantfindingexpeditiontothemountainsofMexicoinJuly1988,hisentire

conceptchangedandthegardenbecamewhatisknowntodayasPeckerwoodGarden.

The majority of the plants are rare and unusual specimens that were found

in the United States, Mexico and Asia. Many of these plants are now

available innurseriesbecauseoftheworkofJohn,LynnLowreyandmanyothers.

Plantmaterialisintroducedtothegardenataveryearlyageandonceestablishedisnot

pamperedwithregularwateringorfertilizing.Manysectionsofthegardendonothave

irrigation at all. Peckerwood Garden is fortunate to have neutral soil that

you can actually dig in (wouldn’t it be nice?!) and the garden receives on

average of 46 inches of rain. However, like Austin they can receive all of

their rain in a very short period of time and gomonths withoutmuch at all.

Somespecimenswerelostthiswinter,othersweredamagedbutwillsurviveandmany

didjustfine.Theyuccasandagaveshadsomeseriousdamageandwereintheprocess


ofbeingcleanedup.Someplantswillbeomittedfromthegardenbecauseoftheir

performance, which of course,

makes room for another plant-

ing opportunity. Chris, our

fabulous guide, told us that one

very large palmwill be removed

tomake way for an acacia tree.

IhadvisitedPeckerwoodonespring

acoupleofyearsagosoitwasvery

interesting to see the garden in

winter. A few specimens were

actuallybloomingincludingafloweringapricot(thefruitisediblebutitisnotverytasty)

accordingtoChris.Evenindormancythegardenislovely.Atthistimeofyear,youcan

truly see the “layers” of the landscape from ground covers to

shrubs/small trees and large trees. You really get a sense of the

Peckerwood Gardens Continued ...


overallplan.Itisstunninglybeautiful.

Followingourgardentourwewereallowedtoshopfromtheirselectionofagaves,

yuccas,palms,sedumsandmuchmorethattheyhadpropagatedfromtheplantsin

thegarden.Icamehomewith4lovelyspecimensincludingacactusthatisreally

spineless.TheyareverytinynowbutIsawoneoftheolderplantsinthegarden

andknowthatIwillenjoywatchingitgrow.

IfwehaveanopportunitytovisitPeckerwoodGardenagain,Ihopethatsome

of youwhocouldn’tmake this tripwillwant togoalong. Thegarden isonly

open by invitation and hosts some open days throughout the year. To learn

more about this garden, visit the website at www.peckerwoodgarden.com.

Left:Chris,ourtourguideatPeckerwoodGardens

A Celebration of Urban Birds

Saturday, March 6, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

AustinNature&ScienceCenter,301NatureCenterDrive

Learnall abouturbanbirdsandcelebrate theiramazingpres-

ence inourcity!Manyon-going fun, familyactivities through-

outtheevent includingbirdwalks,biodiversitysurvey,birdtalks,

citizensciencebirdcounts,birdofpreydemonstration,kidsbird

drawingandmore.Pleasecomejointhefunandbringyour familyandfriends!

Visit www.keepaustinwild.com for more information or call 512-

327-8181 ext. 29 or email [email protected] Presented by

Austin Parks and Recreation Department and Travis Audubon Society.

Peckerwood Gardens Continued ...


RoadTripViaComputerThisMonth—UsingGardening“Apps”

I’ve heard of smartphone applications or “apps” to perform functions, such as

calculatetips,butInever imaginedthattherewould

be one that could helpmewith gardening! What

isanapp?It’s is funorusefulsoftwarethat, inthe

caseof thisarticle,workswithan iPhoneprovidinga

specificfunctionorinformation,suchasweather,sports

orgames.Thecostvaries,buttherearemanyfreeapps.

I’ve researched some iPhone/iTouch apps and dis-

cuss them below. These apps do not work with

othertypesofsmartphonehardware,butyoushould

beabletodoawebsearchfortheappsthatfityour

device.Manyoftheseapplicationsmaybesimilartothose

availableontheiPhone,butwillnotbeexactlythesame.

Togetstarted,Iusedkeysearchwords inthe iTunes

appstore like“garden,”“wildflowers,”“gardendesign,”and“Texasgarden”tofind

listsofgardeningapps. Fromtheonesthat lookedpromising,I thencheckedthe

reviewsandasampleoftheappappearance.Ifoundthereviewstobeveryhelp-

ful.Forinstance,reviewsforoneappthatIwasinterestedinindicatedthattheapp

frequentlycrashed.Ididn’treallywanttopayforthat,butImightcheckitoutlater,

inhopesthattheproblemiscorrected.Anotherappwasratedonly2outof5stars,

withmostpeopleratingita1star.Onceagain,I’llkeepthatappinmindforlater,

hopingforabetterproduct.Iwasalsolookingforanapptohelpmelandscapesome

Cellphone Gardening Apps

By Liz Caskey


ofmybeds.Ihadheardthatthereweresomethatletyoutakeapicturewithyour

phoneandthen“tryout”plantsfromadatabasebyinsertingthemintothepicture.

Unfortunately,theappsIfounddidnotreceiveveryhigh

ratings,soonceagain,Iwillpostponepurchasingthem.

ThesearetheonesIchose:

Floral Envi Free (free) Thisapphasbeautifulphoto-

graphsofflowersand isveryrelaxing. Unfortunately,

itwasalsoanadfortheFloralEnvi,whichisnotfree.

AllOrganic($.99)Thisapplistsrestaurants,storesand

farmersmarketsthatfeatureorganicitems.Sixteencit-

iesarepreprogrammed,butitallowsyoutosearchbyzip

codeandcitytoo.Italsoincludesanawesomesoilcalcu-

latorinthe“tool”section.Onceyouselectthelength,widthanddepthtobefilled,thesoil

calculatorwillfigureouthowmuchsoilyouneed.Ahandyshoppinglistpageisalsoincluded.

Garden Ideas ($.99) This app includes videos, narrated by Rebec-

ca Kolls, on topics such as “Growing a Pizza Garden,” “Creating a Bamboo

Trellis”and“GrowingLettuce inaPot.” Thevideosare funand includeprojects

thatIwouldtry inmygarden. Hopefully, theywilladdmorevideos inthefuture.

iLocate Gardening Supplies($.99)Thisismyfavoritegardenapp.Ilovetostopandsee

nurseriesincitiesthatIvisitandthisallowsmetoenterazipcodeandgetalistofshops

inthearea.Iwishitwouldprovidealittleinformationabouttheshops,sincesomedidn’t

seemtofitthegardeningtheme.Also,therearesomelistingsthatdonotappeartoberetail

businesses.Itprovidestheaddressandphonenumberandallowsyoutoviewthebusiness

Gardening Apps Continued...


locationonthemap.Note:thereisalsoaniLocatePlantsapp,butIdidnotpurchaseit.

Master Gardener($.99)-Ihavebeentryingtofigureouthowtoputtogetheradatabase

oftheplantsinmygardensandthishandyappseemstobetheanswer.Itallowsyouto

namethegardenandcatalogyourplants.Ithasadatabaseof30,000plants,withuseful

information.Unfortunately,becauseoflicensingproblems,theywerenotabletoincludea

pictureofeachplant,buttheappallowsyoutotakeapictureofaplantanduploadit.Inad-

dition,itincludesato-dolist,whichcanbelinkedtoeachgarden.Italsoprovidesajournal.

Gardening News and Updates ($.99) This fun app helps you to stay

current onblogsand tipsand trends in thegardeningworld. I never seem to

take the time toaccessgardenblogs,so I’mexcited tonowhave themreadily

available. Thisappallowsyouto includea linktoyourfavoriteblog.Unfortunate-

ly, iPhonecannotalways loadtheblogpages,dependingonthesizeand/orhow

theblog is formatted.However, it includesanoptiontoopentheblogontheweb.

Otherappsthat looked interesting,butIdidn’tbuy include:MyLiteflashlight, for

working late in the garden; Botanical Interests (one of the top rated garden

apps), a seed company with tons of information and

beautiful pictures and Audubon Texas Wildflowers.

Hopefully, this will inspire you to check out apps

that will help and inspire you in your garden.

Gardening Apps Continued...


For smaller gardens - Keep things small!

Scale down ponds, benches, sculpture to sizes that fit the garden. The same

impactcanbemadewithsmallerscaled itemsaswithgrandioseones.Tomake

smaller scaled itemsappearevenbigger - paint thembright colors likeyellow,

orangeorred.An8-personpatioset(withoversizedumbrella)thatfillstheentireback

garden isavaluableaccessoryforpartiesbutnotappropriateforsmallgarden life.

Useacoupleofcaféorbistrotablesfortwoinsteadsothatthere’sroomtogarden.

An Abelia is a great shrub for a small garden. It has these wonderful glossy

evergreenleavesandbeautifulpinkishwhitebell-shapedbloomsformostoftheyear.

Manage your resources and use space conservatively

Space is a precious commodity in small gardens so be restrictive about how

yougive it out. Toughdecisionsmayhave to bemadeaboutwhichplants can

realisticallyfit intothegarden.Avoidthe“therealwaysroomforonemoreplant”

syndromeorsticktoannuals.Yesthereisoftenlotsofroomjustafterplantingbut

notwhenperennials,shrubsortreesreachfullsize.Usingspaceconservativelymeans

thatyoumayhavetomakesacrificesandtakeyour favoritetreeorshruboff the

plantinglistbecausetheyare“ground”hogs.Realizingthefactthatthegardenhas

restrictionsandsomeplantswon’tmakethecutisakeystepinsmallgardendesign.

Apromisingtrendinthenurseryindustryhasbeentobreedplantsforsmallerareas.

Adaptingthegardentoholdminiatureversionsofyourfavoriteplantsisagoodsolution.

Consider all the seasons

Likelargegardens,smallerareasshouldreflectallfourseasonsandmakethemostofeach

one.Planforsomethingofinterestduringallthemonths.Anarrowfrontgardencanhave

Designing Small Garden Spaces (Part Two)

By Anne Van Nest


tulipsandnarcissusthatareacolorfulstarttotheseason.Coleusandothergroundcover

annualscanfollowthroughthebeginningofthesummeranddrought-tolerantGazaniasfor

theendofthesummer.Snapdragonsanddianthuscancarryonintothewinterwithpansies.

Use layers

Consider the upper storey tree layer, themid layer of shrubs and the ground

level layer of perennials, annuals and bulbs. All three of these layers can hold

plants.Themostaction is inthe lowest layerthatcanhaveadifferentshowfor

every season. Consider using perennials as groundcovers to increase the

excitement in the garden. Don’t waste space on boring traditional groundcov-

ers in a small space when so many other small stature plants will do better.

Look at forms

Plantsthatgrowlowandwidearehighlyprized inthegardenbuttheytakeuptoo

muchvaluableground levelspace.Plants likethis thatare lowandwidearenot

goingtoallowformanylayers.Reachfortheskyandchoosehighandwideinstead.

Use borrowed views and landscapes

To take advantage of anything that you can— think about what you can use

that isbeyondthegarden.Oneeasytip istouseyourneighbor’streesaspartof

your landscape. Design your garden as if the space were bigger. Just a small

opening,bigenoughforoneperson, isall that isneededtoopenupadramatic

vistaviewofsomeoneelse’slandscape.Halfthefunispretendingthatitisallyours.

Use plants as screens

Smaller city gardens have more unwanted views to contend with than larger

gardens. Ugly buildings, nosy neighbors, noisy highways, power lines, signs,

parkinglots,thelistgoesonandon.Useplantstoblockoutthesight(andreducethe

Designing Small Garden Spaces Continued ...


sound)fromtheseuglyviews.TalluprightperennialssuchasSalviaalongadriveare

verygoodatblockingaviewofaneighbor.Otherplantslikeornamentalgrassesand

Dwarfclumpingbamboowillalsocreategreatlivingscreens.

Use colors to your advantage

Smallamountsofboldreds,yellowsandorangeshaveahuge impact.Usecool

colors in a narrow space or along the perimeter to make the garden appear

largerthanitreallyis.Coolcolorsrecede,whilewarmcolorscomeforward.Balance

thequantitiesofcolor,becausea littleyellowgoesa longwayespecially inasmall

garden.Alsorememberthesmallerthespacethefewerthecolorsthatshouldbeused.

Use several mediums

Think about the number of different constructionmaterials that are in a small

garden. Having diverse materials such as stone, wood, brick, metal, and

ceramicisfineuptoapointbutdon’tusetoomanydifferentones.Smallgardensare

usuallynotlargeenoughtoholdmorethanthreeofthesetypesofmaterialscomfortably.

Focus on textures

Lookattheamountofcoarseandfinetexturesthatthereareinthegarden.Coarsetexturescome

towardtheviewerandclosein.Whilefinetexturesexpandthegardenbymakingitseemlarger.

Use magic

Thinkaboutusingshinysurfaces,mirrorsandreflectiontoexpandtheareaandmake

itlooklarger.Thereflectionofplantsonwatercangreatlyenlargethefeelofagarden.

Use angles

Angles can be used to make a garden appear larger. A small garden

between two buildings can appear at least two times larger because of the

angles used in the centre. The journey to the end of the garden will take

longerand theviewwillbemore interestingwhenanglesare incorporated into



thedesign.Anothergarden illusion tip is tohidepartof thegarden fromview.

Plant intensively

Considerthegoodoldgardeningtraditionofmixingplantgroups.Putannuals,perennials,

vegetables,shrubsandvinestogetherinthegarden.Smallgardensdonothaveroomto

keepeverythingseparate.Besidesthesurpriseoffindingvegetableswithperennialsisquite

fun.Imaginethesurpriseoffinding‘BrightLights’Swisschard,rosesandrosemarytogether.

Companionplantingaside,puttingannualswithvegetablesmakesaestheticallypleas-

inggardens.

Goodbye Lawn, Hello Garden

Smallgardensdon’thavethespacetowasteonlawns!

Prune to your heart’s content

Learntosculpttokeepplantsinbounds.Sometimesthisistheonlywaytogrowwhat

youwanttogrowinthespacethatyouhave.Pruningshrubsdoesnothavetobedull

geometricshapes.Trysomefunbytrimmingarosemaryintoaseal(completewithball).

Use prospective

Narrowapathasitretreatstomakeitappearthatthedistanceisgreater.Makethe

journeyinterestingalongtheway(nomatterwhatlengththepath).Hidetheendofthe

pathfromviewtoincreasethemysteryaboutwhatmightbearoundtheturnofthepath.

Plant vegetables above ground

No space for a vegetable garden then grow them in containers. Now

vegetablescanbegrownwheretheyhaveneverbeengrownbefore.Ifyoudon’t

have room for the full sized version of a vegetable, grow the miniature one.

Design using all the vertical spaces

Buildings,walls,andfencesareexcellentspacesforaddingplants.Usewindowboxes,

wallbagsandhalfpotstogrowplantsinmid-air.Alsoconsidervinesonafenceorwall.



Eachonetakesuplessthan1footofgroundspace.Espalieristhetechniqueofgrowing

andtrainingplantssothattheyareflatagainstawallorfence.Itisagreatspacesaver.

Sotodealwithasmallareaandstillhavearewardinggarden,useallyourspace

wisely.Useboththehorizontalandverticalsurfaces.Don’t thinkasmallgarden is

a liability.Gardening incontainersopensupmanypossibilities.Growplantswhere

theyhaveneverbeengrownbefore.Most importantly,becreativeandhavefun.

Coming Events

4th Annual A Passion For Plants: An East Austin Garden Fair

Saturday, March 20, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm

GovallePark,5200BolmRoad,justEastofAirportBlvd.

GovalleParkwillonceagainbethesiteofAPassionforPlants:AnEastAustinGardenFair on the last weekend of Spring Break. The theme of the fourth annual fair is“GardeningtheEarth-KindWay”.ThisFREEpublicgardeningeventwillfeaturehands-ondemonstrationsofhow todigagardenbed,harvest rainwater,grow fruitsandvegetablesorganically,createwildlifefoodandshelter,startplantsfromcuttingsandseeds,andhowtocutbackonchemicalsthatharmourenvironmentandourselves.Come for the free advice fromour on-site experts to answer all of your gardeningquestions,fortipsonlivinghealthierandhappier,andforfuneducationalactivitiesforkidstogetthemoutinnatureinyourownbackyard!Visitourboothsandgetafreeplant!GetreadyforSpringwithallthefreeinformationyouneedtostartyourownEarth-Kindgarden,whetherit’soneplantinapotorawholeyardfull,andthenrelaxwithafreemassage!

HostedbyTexasAgriLifeExtensionService,TravisCountyMasterGardenersAssociation,theSustainableFoodCenter,theGreenCornProject,andtheHolisticEducationandHealthNetwork.

CalltheTexasAgriLifeExtensionServiceat854-9600formoreinformation



Coming Events

DIY Pond Building

Wednesday, April 28, 7:00-9:00 pm

ZilkerBotanicalGarden

2220BartonSpringsRd,AustinTX

Alwaysdreamtofalittlepondinyouryard?Notonlycanyouhaveonebutyoucan

build-it-yourself.Comeattendthisfreeseminarandlearnstep-by-steplessonsonthe

basicsofbuildingapondyourself.Thisseminarwillhelpyoudeterminethesupplies

andequipmentneededforthejob,gatherinformationaboutpondplants,anddeter-

minewhichfishwilldowellinyourpond.Inaddition,hearinstructionsongeneral

pondmaintenance,installingpondlightingandhowtopreventunwantedcrittersin

yourpond.Thisseminarisfreeandopentothepublic.ItispresentedbytheTravis

CountyMasterGardenersAssociation,avolunteerarmoftheTexasAgriLifeExtension

Service inTravisCounty.Formoredetails,seehttp://www.tcmastergardeners.org.


ComingEvents Continued...

Heart O' Texas Orchid Society's 39th Annual Orchid Show & Sale,

"Easter Orchids"

April 3rd & 4th, 2010

ZilkerBotanicalGardensCenter

2220BartonSpringsRoad,Austin,TX78746(512)477-8672

Show&PlantSale:10:00am-5:00pmSaturday&10:00am-4:00pmSunday.

Thisyearweareveryproudtopresentthe39thAnnualOrchidShowhere inAus-

tin.OrchidsareMotherNatureatherbest,socomejoinusandcheckoutall the

beautifulorchidsthatwillbeondisplay.Therewillalsobehundredsofblooming

orchidsforsale,aswellashelpfulinformationforgrowingthesebeautifulplantsfrom

vendorsandsocietymembers.NeedflowersforEaster...orchidsarebecomingone

ofthemostpopularflowersintheU.S.,sowhynotgetanorchidthisyearforthat

specialoccasion.Admissiontotheeventisfreeandthepublicisencouragedtoattend.

For a complete schedule of events, or for more information, please

contact: Geoffrey Frost, 1011 Strickland Drive. Austin, TX 78748-4847

Te l ephone (512) 413-3199; e -ma i l geo f f r ey l f r o s t@ya-

hoo.com), or v is i t our web-s i te: ht tp://www.hotos.org/

53rd Zilker Garden Festival

March 27-28, 2010

ZilkerBotanicalGarden

2220BartonSpringsRoad,Austin,TX78746(512)477-8672

SupporttheTCMGAbybuyingyourZilkerGardenFestivalticketsfromJoePosernatthenextmeetingonly$3each($5atthegate)Volunteersstillneededtofillmanypositions.ContactCherylMcGrathfordetails.


ComingEvents Continued...

Gardening For Butterflies and Hummingbirds

Friday May 7, 2010, 1:00 - 2:30 pm


1600BSmithRd.,AustinTX78721

Gardening for Butterflies & Hummingbirds is appropriate for anyone

wantingto incorporatethecorrectplants intothegardentoattract thesebeau-

ties into your surroundings. Learn plant foods sources, host plants, and

nestingplacesforthemostcommonbutterfliesandhummingbirdsinCentralTexas.

This seminar is free and open to the public. It is presented by the Tra-

visCountyMasterGardenersAssociation,avolunteerarmof theTexasAgriLife

ExtensionService inTravisCounty.For information,seehttp://www.tcmastergar-


How To Create a Wildlife Habitat

Saturday May 22, 2010, 9:00 - 11:00 am


1600BSmithRd.,AustinTX78721Learnhowtoattractbutterflies,birds, insects,toads,etc.byutilizingplantswhich

createfood,cover,placestoraiseyoungandwater.AMasterNaturalistvolunteerwill

leadthediscussion.Thisseminarisfreeandopentothepublic.Itispresentedby

theTravisCountyMasterGardenersAssociation,avolunteerarmoftheTexasAgriL-

ifeExtensionServiceinTravisCounty.Forinformation,seehttp://www.tcmastergar-



CarolynWilliams,President

MandaRash,ImmediatePastPresident

RosalieRussell,VicePresidentforPrograms

VickiBlachman,Co-VicePresidentforEdu-

cation

BonnieMartin,Co-VicePresidentforEdu-

cation

CherylMcGrath,VolunteerCoordinatorfor

Projects

SherrillNilson,Co-VolunteerCoordinator

forTrainees

PatMokry,Co-VolunteerCoordinator for

Trainees

SusanJung,Secretary

MartyBerdan,Treasurer

JanetNewton,MembershipDirector

DorothyAkin,GreenhouseManager

ChrisGiaraffa,GreenhouseManager

VickiOlson,GreenhouseManager

JoePosern,AustinAreaGardenCouncil

Representative

JoKautz,StateCouncilRepresentative

Tommie Clayton, State Council

Representative

*ThepositionofDirectorofPublications

remainsopenPastPresidents(Non-voting):

BillBaldwin

BillBoytim

SusanCashin

TommieClayton

SusanDecker

DonFreeman

MandaRash

PeggyStewart

BeckyWaak

WillWalker

TRAVIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENER ASSOCIATION

2010 EXECUTIVE BOARD


ThisissueoftheCompostBinhasbeenpublishedthankstothecontributionsofthefollowingTravisCountyMasterGardenersandWizzieBrown-TexasAgriLifeExtensionService...

ContributingWriters:

©2010TravisCountyMasterGardenersAssociation512-854-9600Visitthewebsites:www.tcmastergardeners.organdhttp://travis-tx.tamu.edu

EditorandLayout:AnneVanNest

Webmaster:PaulaMiddleton

WizzieBrownLizCaskeyPattyLeanderMandaRashRosalieRussellAnneVanNestBeckyWaakCarolynWilliams

The End... Time to Get Gardening!

ExOfficioMemberoftheBoard

(Non-voting):

TexasAgriLifeExtensionTravisCounty

HorticultureAgent

DaphneRichards

1600-BSmithRoad,Austin,Texas78721

[email protected]

companion gardening - travis county master gardeners, austin, texas

Education

demonstration garden

peckerwood garden visit

azalea garden technician

zilker garden festival

zilker botanical garden

native plants

east austin garden fair

garden writer greg grant