KVUE Austin Gardening Adventures

Covered in dirt = Good day gardening

2008-05-12T20:57:21Z

It's that time of year again... the time of year when I can spend just about all day outside in the yard, pulling up this... planting that... shaping the earth with my own two hands.
And this year... I have more help.
Yesterday (Sunday), I lathered Luke and myself up in sunblock and we headed outside to take advantage of the unusually cool day. We explored, we pulled up some weeds... then we settled down with shovels, wheelbarrow and bags for a project I've wanted to tackle since moving into my house more than 3 years ago -- digging up the grass in the little strip of land between the public sidewalk and the street.
My square-blade shovel is supposed to do wonders for taking the lawn out... but I've never had luck with it. My husband thinks I don't have enough body weight to use it efficiently... I figured I was just a weakling. After about 30 minutes of struggling with it, a neighbor took pity on me and loaned me a landscaping pickax. The weight of the ax made the difference in pulling up the grass, and Luke and I worked for hours.
He has a little spade that's just his size, and he would put dirt on the shovel and run and dump it in the wheelbarrow.
Sometimes he would put the shovel head on the sidewalk and run up and down, listening to the sound of the scraping metal and yelling as loud as he could.
We stopped to eat watermelon and 'ooh and ahh' at the bugs unearthed in our work. We saw a grub, and watched it crawl its way back into the earth. We saw a really cool spider, and it popped its legs out and began running all over the sidewalk -- causing my son to scream with glee. We watched butterflies chase each other and beetles crawl through the dirt.
By the end of the day, both of us were covered in dirt and sweat. Luke's bath water turned brown the moment he stepped into it... and I was very grateful for my shower later that night. I was sore and achy from the weight of the ax, but I couldn't help but think that it had been a very fun day with my son... and maybe -- just maybe -- he learned something. I know I did... he made me notice all the stuff I normally don't notice when I'm outside and showed me how important it is to stop and enjoy.

Look what I found in the garden

2008-05-02T21:16:16Z

I was checking out some of the vegetable garden beds in the front yard the other day when I spotted this in the grass....
I think this is a black swallowtail butterfly, which would make sense... I just saw its caterpillar feeding on the dill not two weeks ago.
Gosh, it was gorgeous.
And huge! It was nice to be able to examine it pretty closely for a few minutes before it took flight. The queen and monarch butterflies never let me get close.
So, the appearance of the black swallowtail means my efforts to diversify the butterfly visitors have so far been a success!

Feelin' the Earth Day energy

2008-04-22T18:30:29Z

Today is one of those days I long to be outside in the garden rather than working. It's overcast and warm, but not blazing hot... so it's a good time to be weeding or planting or something that adds green to the yard.
Ahhh... in a perfect world, right?

This weekend, we decided to celebrated my husband's new job with a trip to my favorite local nursery, and I actually managed to restrain myself from bringing home everything I saw.
Since my seed-starting efforts were flat, we picked up more seedlings to fill in the last remaining spaces in the garden -- cherry tomato, verde tomatillo, watermelon, 2 summer squash and cantelope. MMMMMmmmm...
And check this out, since we've been harvesting and eating the chard, the remaining leaves have gotten huge! They're gorgeous!

Next weekend, I'm hoping to start on a long-planned and long-procrastinated garden project. I often mow the lawn, and I REALLY hate mowing between the garden beds in the front. My plan is to dig up the grass for paths rights around the beds and fill in the space with decomposed granite. Eventually, I would like to put a short fence around the garden just to dress it up a bit, but that's way down the line. I figure it will take me weeks of digging before I should even order the DG.
I should have some very strong arms by the time I'm finished digging, too.

Cool caterpillar

2008-04-15T17:34:25Z

I was sitting on my front porch last weekend, eating watermelon, when I noticed some drooping branches on some dill that bolted in the front garden bed. I examined the plant a little closer, and was delighted to find at least three fat and happy caterpillars chomping down on the dill.
I have planted tons of things in the front specifically to attract butterflies and their larvae, so I was really excited to see the caterpillars. It was also a really cool opportunity to show my son real caterpillars.
I'm not really sure what kind of caterpillars they are. I did a quick scan of What's that bug? and found an photo that looked really similar of a black swallowtail butterfly caterpillar, which I don't recall seeing in the yard last year. I've ruled out Monarch, Queen and Hackberry, which I've seen in the garden before.
If you know what it is, write in a let me know!

Bloom of a century

2008-04-07T15:36:57Z

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.

My favorite tree

2008-04-02T20:29:00Z

A friend of mine was wandering around my yard recently, looking at all the shrubs and trees I had planted and asked me -- "Which one is our favorite?"
I pointed to the tree pictured on the right, the one I named "Eve." It's an Eve's Necklace -- a delicate tree native to Central Texas with blooms that look like necklaces that only last a few short days in the spring.
When I planted "her" just a few short years ago, she was tiny. The tree barely reached my stomach. Now it stands much taller than me, but her branches still sway softly in the wind.
Every time I go to my favorite nursery to buy a tree, I consider another Eve's Necklace. (I only don't because I love variety in the garden.)
Eve's Necklaces can be hard to find, but they are recommended for planting in the Austin area. They have very light water requirements once established and are very tough in droughts (just don't expect much growth).
I was worried last summer that all of our rain would hurt her, but the tree took advantage of that rare year by doubling its size in just a few short months.
Wow!
Eve is planted in my backyard, and is shaded part of the day by the giant pecan tree -- and it makes an excellent understory tree.
One day, when the tree grows much larger, we plan on building a bench under Eve, so we can enjoy her shade and her brief blooms.

At least the green beans look good

2008-03-31T19:17:52Z

One of the garden beds is right outside my bedroom window, and I did a double-take the other morning when I cracked open the blinds.
"Andy! Did you see the beans and peas sprouted?!"
"Yeah! You hadn't noticed yet?"
I guess I hadn't. I have been so bummed at my third losing attempt at starting seeds indoors that I have been avoiding my garden of late... only lingering long enough to make sure the rain didn't wash anything away.
SIGH.
Well, the beans and peas have encouraged me. I planted some of each in two different place in the yard, in an effort to hedge my bets. I did the same with several herbs and leafy greens... testing different configurations to see what works.
Since my seeds didn't do much, we bought a small number of transplants -- peppers, tomatoes and tomatillos. I knew we weren't done with the cold, so I tented them, and almost everything is thriving. A tomatillo was obliterated by the wind and a tomato looks like its suffering, but I'm pretty pleased.
In fact, the chard I planted last fall is huge and beautiful, and we're eating chard nearly every night. Plus, I can't wait to harvest the garlic in the next couple of months, because the tops are giant!
My next step is to mulch all the beds to help keep the weeds down. I really like using cedar shredded mulch, because it breaks down nicely and has fewer weeks. It hasn't been essential so far, but the heat is on the way!

Springtime in Austin

2008-03-14T18:30:53Z

This is my favorite time of year, especially in Austin. Early spring. The elm trees are bursting with bright green leaves, but the pecans are still bare. The red buds are gorgeous shades of pink and the mountain laurels fill your nostrils with the enticing scent of grape bubblegum.
I fell in love with spring in Austin years ago as a student, because spring meant school was almost over, but also because it felt like everything was alive. It's intoxicating, that feeling. It makes the hair stand up on my arms, and I tend to slow down and take a renewed look around at nature and my garden.
I haven't done much gardening to speak of recently, except tend to the seedlings and check that the plants outside are warm and watered. But each evening lately, I have been making the rounds in my garden, taking mental notes of what needs to be done and making sure each and every plant has what it needs.
The plants I have been most interested in lately are the young trees, especially the ones just planted -- Mexican plum and Texas red bud. Both are just now showing signs of bud-break. I had been a little worried because so many other trees have already bloomed.
I was really excited last weekend to see the Kidneywood well on its way to leafing out, and my husband and I both stood on the sidewalk admiring the larger mountain laurel, which has one gigantic bloom.
Yep, everything is coming alive.
I plan on doing some outside garden maintenance this weekend... clearing away the leaves that helped keep everything warm through the winter and composting the dead stuff. I also plan on hardening off the seedlings and planting a few outside -- under cover of course. I was thinking of trying some tomatoes in the ground and some in pots, just to see how they do.
And I've have a request from my family to plant strawberries. Well, I'll guess I have some reading to do.

Cool garden event

2008-03-09T21:05:31Z

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.

Garden Event: Sunshine Gardens plant sale

2008-02-29T21:05:53Z

Tomorrow is the Sunshine Gardens benefit plant sale. It's a great place to find tomato, pepper and other vegetable plants for really good prices. I definitely recommend getting there early if you go... it starts at 9! Check out KVUE.com's event calendar for more gardening events.

What is this bug?

2008-02-13T13:12:23Z

Name this bug!

My son found one of these as he was pulling chard in the garden this past weekend. I didn't think much of it at the time -- except to point out its color and explain that it was an insect -- until my husband spotted another one on the olive tree we were pruning.

I did a little Internet searching, and "Assassin bug" kept popping up as an option, but I don't think it is.

]]> In the photos I saw online, the assassin bug varieties had black thoraxes and heads with red abdomens. but this bug is all read with little white spots, rimmed in black. I also didn't bite, as some assassin bugs will do.

So here's my question... what is it? So far, I haven't noticed any damage to the plants -- just the bug. And I don't plan on using any controls to target the bug. Well, unless you count trying to keep the plants healthy and happy as a control.

Family gardening connections

2008-02-11T18:34:52Z

Luke helps water the newly transplanted seedlings.

I decided I wanted to pot up the tomatoes into slightly larger containers this weekend. The seedlings were as tall as the containers, and we're now about a month away from the last average freeze in Austin (March 15).

Looking back, I could have definitely waited. The roots weren't as well developed as I expected. But I tend to either act too late or too early when it comes to gardening, so I'm taking my "leap before I look" gardening habit in stride.

The transplanting became a family activity... with my husband making the pots with our pot-maker and newspaper, me putting the seedlings in their respective containers, and my son scooping dirt. He actually did a little more "playing" than gardening, but that's what it's all about right? Later, he helped me water the plants before we took them back inside to their respective window and lights.

]]>

It's easy to make pots with old newspaper.

Each of the tomatoes was planted fairly deep to encourage long roots. The challenge will be to keep them watered, since the newspaper lets the moisture escape more quickly than plastic.

And if every one of them makes it... we will have way more plants than will fit in our garden. I've already alerted our friends that we will have spare tomato plants to share.

Woo-hoo!

Cool crops

We go through a lot of onions while cooking at my house, so when I spotted a handful of Texas 1015 bulbs at the nursery, I couldn't resist. I packed them into the beds designated for the cool crops and garlic, and shared the remaining with some friends.

I also spent an hour or so planting more spinach, the remaining chard seeds, parsley, dill and endive into a garden bed that was vacant most for the winter (after the demise of the beans and tomatoes). I'm hoping they will be going strong by the time the pecan tree leafs out and begins shading the area part of the day.

Guess what I also finally planted! Flowers... or, rather -- flower seeds. I finally scraped back some soil and sprinkled some native Texas wildflowers in a portion of lawn destroyed by weeds and Bermuda grass. I also dug up some dead weeds in front of the garlic bed, planting Mullein and Texas Hummingbird Sage. It's all about making a thriving eco-system, right?

Tiny tomatoes transplanted

2008-02-08T00:41:43Z

This morning, in the few minutes I had before leaving for work, I checked on the little seedlings still going strong on a table in my office.
They look great... very strong. I've even spotted tiny sprouts in the seed sprouting soil that had been barren for so long.
It was time to thin out the tomatoes. Their second set of leaves have been growing for more than a week.
Carefully, I chose the weaker of the two plants and pulled it out of the pods one by one... but instead of tossing them, I transplanted them into the empty pods that had not sprouted anything.
I'm anxious to see if they take.

Still growing strong

2008-01-28T20:17:30Z

Well, my little seedlings are looking really good, right now. I am forgoing a picture for this update because they don't look a whole lot different than they did last week.... just a little taller.
The peppers and the eggplant have sprouted for the most part and the sage finally decided to germinate. Yay!
Interestingly, about four rows of seed cells have not sprouted, and I'm wondering if it has something to do with the soil I used. I had seed-starting soil for most of my seeds (courtesy my FAVORITE nursery). But I ran out and picked up another seed-starting mix from another nursery. I planted about four rows of seeds in it and that stuff hasn't grown ANYTHING yet. HMMMMMM....

]]> No matter... I fed the rest of the seedlings with a mixture of water and liquid seaweed over the weekend and plan to keep feeding them about once a week. I've also had to make sure I give them more water, because the little plants are soaking up everything they can, and the soil is drying much faster.
I expect to thin the seedlings soon, because many are starting to develop their second set of leaves. Once that happens, I'll remove the less vigorous seedlings from each cell so the strongest can grow without competition.
Grow seedlings, grow!

Tiny green leaves

2008-01-21T19:50:47Z

Most of the tomatoes have already sprouted

A few hints of green have popped up in the seed flats I planted a couple of weeks ago. And I was very excited and relieved to see them.

It means my seed-starting system is so far working, and on the good stuff, no less. Most of the tomato seeds I planted have germinated and they appear to be growing stronger. I'm also seeing signs of growth in the hodge-podge tray of vegetables I planted.

The only downer for me is the last tray -- sweet peppers and eggplants. Still nothing. But I have hope. The sage is also taking a while to sprout, and maybe the peppers and eggplant also take their sweet time.

Having the seeds inside where I can see them everyday has helped me make a habit out of checking on them and watering them. I take a water bottle with room temperature water and spray each seed "pod" 10 times once a day. Then I rotate and shift each tray so they don't stay in the same place on the table the entire time they grow.

The seedling are less likely to grow at wonky angles looking for light.

Definitely don't want wonky.

]]> The fluorescents are doing a great job of keeping them warm, too. Not one is showing signs of being too hot or even burned.

Yep... so far so good.

New additions

I stopped by my favorite nursery over the weekend to bring a new tree home. I ended up buying two new trees and two new shrubs -- typical Cindy.

I decided I wanted to plant a Mexican Plum tree in the back yard, near the pecan tree, to replace the horrible bushes we took out when the fence went in. It should bloom in the spring, need little water once established, and make a good understory tree.

I also brought home a Texas Kidneywood, because its blooms attract hummingbirds, butterflies and bees. So I planted it near the vegetable garden in the side yard. We also brought home two of a Viburnum variety that blooms in the winter... they went in near the kidneywood.

A friend also wanted to re-home an Esperanza (Yellow Bells), and that also went in the front so it can soak up some sun.

New plants... just couldn't resist.