Recently in around Austin Category
6:11 PM Wed, Sep 16, 2009 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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I really meant to take pictures today (tomorrow I promise!) because my jaw dropped when I saw my garden this morning.
Those inches of rain we got last week, along with the cooler temperatures, have turned it around! The seeds have germinated, and there are flowers on the eggplants and tomatoes that I nearly gave up for dead!
I'll share photos tomorrow.
In the meantime, want to spread your love of gardening to local schools? The Sustainable Food Center has School Garden Mentor Training on September 26. For $20, you'll learn how you can get started. Click here to find out more.
12:18 PM Tue, Jun 09, 2009 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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I absolutely love when people talk to me about gardening. It's so satisfying to see my friends, colleagues... even strangers!... light up when they tell me about their successes in the garden. Recently, one of KVUE's photographers, Lex, shared this photo from his balcony garden.
Lex says he first got this cactus 4 years ago and it was in pretty bad shape. He nursed it back to health, and it is now 7 feet tall and blooming for the very first time. The really cool thing? It only blooms at night.
Lex took these photos one night using a long exposure, and the flowers are striking!
Do you have a garden you're proud of? Share your photos on KVUE.com and leave a comment to let me know about it!
5:22 PM Mon, May 11, 2009 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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Hey folks, I know we all want our lawns and gardens to be lush and green, but mandatory watering restrictions are in effect in Austin now, and it's important we follow them.
I spotted two houses just on my block blatantly violating the watering restrictions today. For one thing, no one should be watering with a sprinkler between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Secondly -- single-family homes should not water on Monday at all.
We're trying to conserve water so we don't run out down the line. It's that simple.
Have a question? Go to the City of Austin's site for information about when to water. They also have an online reporting form for letting them know who's violating the rules.
12:49 PM Tue, Jan 20, 2009 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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I just wanted to update a post I published last week about my search for kid-safe plants.
On Friday, I received another call from a Travis County Master Gardener -- this time from a woman who had previously volunteered in the garden for the Ronald McDonald House in Houston. She made several suggestions right out of the Austin and Central Texas Grow Green Guide, saying they would all be good choices around toddlers.
Here are her suggestions:
- Purple Coneflower
- Ruellia
- Sage -- all kinds
- Copper Canyon Daisy
- Shrimp Plant
- Winecup
- Yarrow
- Verbena
So, it looks like I have a few options to offer the teacher, in addition to the Mexican oregano and other herbs I already came up with.
4:18 PM Wed, Jan 14, 2009 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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I've taken on a project for my son's school, and I've run into a bit of an issue.
My son's teacher asked for suggestions of plants for an area in the backyard that is shady, and the current residents are a little leggy and worn out. I immediately said yes because my head was floating with all these ideas about shade-tolerant natives that would be beautiful year after year, and possibly even attract wildlife to the garden.
But then my husband brought up a really good point. It's not just thorns and brambles that need to be avoided -- it's poisonous varieties too. Those beautiful berries, petals and leaves could be really dangerous for 2-year-olds who are used to pulling and picking leaves in their reach.
Uh-oh. I threw out my list and started doing research. Herbs are fine, but I want to include some shrubs and perennials to the area too. What to do?
I searched through my books and on the internet. One site wrote that most Central Texas natives are poisonous in some way. I found list upon list of poisonous plants -- all with a disclaimer that the list was by no means all-encompassing.
I called the Travis County Master Gardeners for suggestions. I left a message on their answering machine and am still waiting for a call-back.
I guess this isn't going to be as easy as I thought.
Of course, I'm still considering herbs such as Mexican oregano, chives, rosemary -- the usual suspects.
So far I have picked out a few that appear to be good choices -- I can't find documentation that they pose a danger, but I'm still looking.
1. Inland Sea oats
2. Columbine flowers
UPDATE - Thursday
A nice woman from the Travis County Master Gardeners desk returned my call today. She told me she had been doing some research on my request and that she was having trouble finding information, too. She called to let me know that she had forwarded my request on to an ag extension agent, but that it might take a few days for them to get back with me.
She also said that she thought my request was quite reasonable, and that someone should have a list of plants that are safe to have around small children, rather than just lists of what to avoid.
So we'll see what comes of that....
3:10 PM Tue, Jan 13, 2009 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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Are you someone who notices when plants bud out or bloom. Have you ever said, "That tree leafed out later last year."
Now you can help scientists track the impact of climate change on plants in your own backyard. I was just thumbing through a recent gardening magazine when I saw a blurb about Project BudBurst.
Participants sign up to watch a particular variety of plant, and then record their observations.
The site encourages participants to choose plants in their backyards, schoolyards, workplaces or neighborhoods, and there are even activities for school kids.
The site walks you through the steps after that -- you basically just observe the plant throughout the season.
I don't have access to any of the plants on the Project BudBurst plant list, but you can choose to observe anything else that is accessible. I was thinking about using the giant pecan tree in my backyard. Anything that helps people understand more about the natural world is worth the extra effort for me.
3:07 PM Wed, Jan 07, 2009 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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Rainwater barrels are great for helping to break the dependence on the outside faucets for watering your plants. I have one right now and would like to add more.
If you've been wanting to reduce your outdoor water use -- this weekend is your chance!
Rainwater Harvesting and Waterwise Gardening
January 10 - 10am to 12pm
Zilker Botanical Garden
The event is free from the Travis County Master Gardeners Association.
2:18 PM Thu, Jul 10, 2008 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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I love the idea of community gardening, and lately, I've been reading more and more stories about people seeking out local farmers, local gardens, and learning to garden on their own.
A BBC story about a community garden in Detroit caught my interest today.
How cool is it to start a garden on "wasteland" and give food to the needy people nearby?
It's not an isolated effort.
There are community gardening programs across the country, including right here in Austin. One of the most notable organizations is the Sustainable Food Center -- one of several groups in Austin that works in the community to promote sustainable and organic food production.
I first became aware of this organization as trips to the downtown and Triangle Farmers' Market became a twice weekly occurrence for my family. (The SFC runs both the downtown and Triangle farmer's markets.) I made a commitment ages ago to provide the freshest organic ingredients for my son that I can afford, and fortunately, I can continue to do this through the farmers' markets.
Considering how poorly my garden has been doing, I haven't been able to cut back on buying fresh fruits and veggies. Hopefully, my fall garden will do much better.
10:36 AM Mon, Apr 07, 2008 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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Aziz Laurent sent this photo in of a Century plant in the garden that is about to bloom.
Apparently this agave is about 10 years.
"I shall send a photo of the flower once it has opened," Laurent wrote.
I'm looking forward to that. Century plants are really impressive plants to begin with, but when you add that bloom stalk, it's just amazing.
I wouldn't say the bloom is all that beautiful in the traditional sense, but the magnitude and the time it takes to bloom make it gorgeous in my opinion.
Can't wait to see that photo, Aziz.
4:05 PM Sun, Mar 09, 2008 | Permalink
Cindy Brummer
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I just got the heads up about a garden event that looks like it should be really cool... A Passion for Plants: An East Austin Garden Fair is a free event with gardening demonstrations, plant advice and even a plant giveaway.
It takes place Saturday, March 15 at Govalle Park, beginning at 10 a.m.
