I'm really looking forward to teaching my first fruit tree class of 2017 tomorrow! This one is hosted by Sustainable Food Center. Here's a link to my recent Spectrum news segment about how to prune a pear tree. http://www.fox7austin.com/good-day/228503918-story. This 2 minute segment just scratches the surface of what there is to know about fruit tree pruning but it gets to the heart of it- opening up the canopy of the tree so it gets better airflow. We can also prune fruit trees to control their size and to limit the amount of fruit they make. I have pruned a lot of fruit trees but one of my new year's resolution is to learn more about grape vine pruning. I have a grape vine that isn't making much fruit and I have carelessly pruned it over the last 3 years. I got it from a friend who planted it in her yard and it never really grew much. We transplanted it to my yard and in the process discovered it had some pretty serious problems with girdling roots, so I root pruned it during transplanting. Anyway it is thriving in my yard and looking great but not making a lot of fruit and I think pruning has something to do with it...also my friend forgot what kind of grape it is. We both think Champanel but not sure, so that makes it hard to figure out what kind of fruit it should be producing. Anyway my next fruit tree class is Feb 11 and there is at least one more following that one this spring. So if you want more fruit tree info come to one of the classes! Or schedule a consult with me.
Free Trees for Austin Energy Customers!
I'm an avid volunteer with Treefolks.org, and each year they organize these huge free tree giveaways. Even if you have large shade trees in your yard already don't forget to add some understory trees like Texas Mountain Laurels that provide shelter for birds and early spring flowers for hungry bees. Get more info about the giveaway here https://www.facebook.com/events/1705387286448009/
Come get a free tree on Saturday, January 21 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM at the ACC Highland Mall campus!
Free trees are available for Austin Energy customers, who can bring their ID or utility bill as proof of residence. Available species include Lacey Oak, Mexican White Oak, Montezuma Cypress, Pear, Pecan, Persimmon, Pomegranate, Satsuma, and Texas Mountain Laurel. The trees will be in 5-gallon containers and are approximately 3 – 5 feet tall, depending on the species.
The giveaway is part of the NeighborWoods program, which is a partnership between TreeFolks and the City of Austin to lower summer temperatures and reduce energy consumption by investing in tree canopy cover for Austin area neighborhoods.
WHO: Austin Energy Customers
WHAT: Free Trees for Austin Energy Customers
WHEN: Next Saturday, January 21 from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
WHERE: ACC Highland Mall, Parking Lot D (6101 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX, 78752)
Pear Tree Pruning on Fox 7 Good Day Austin
I'm taping today to promote my fruit tree class for Sustainable Food Center. The segment will air on Weds Jan 11 between 9:30 and 9:50 am on the local Austin Fox morning show, Good Day Austin. I'm pretty excited about it! We are taping out in the Mueller Orchard- if you're in Austin you should visit the Mueller Orchard! It is located between Tom Miller and Manor Rds east of Berkman. I've been consulting on and caring for the orchard for a year now and it's been fun seeing the little trees mature.
Food Preservation Methods
Check out these cool infographics about food preservation. you can use these techniques to get more deliciousness from your garden or to take advantage of a good deal at the farmer's market. Drying is my favorite method because I am an avid herb gardener. Sometimes I tie a rubber band around the stems of the herbs and hang them up to dry in my kitchen. Rubber bands work better than string because the stems will shrink as they dry and fall out of the string. The rubber band can contract to keep holding them. Here in Austin the weather tends to be dry enough that I don't need to worry about them getting moldy. But I do have to worry about cat hair getting on them! So I have a nice little food dehydrator that my brother gave me as a gift. It keeps the herbs clean as they are drying, but I have to be careful not to leave them in there too long or the essential oils, i.e. the great flavors, get cooked right out of them. During the summer I will park my little dehydrator in the sun outside and the herbs dry well in there without having to plug in the machine. Someday I would like to build an actual solar dehydrator but that is way down at the bottom on my to do list. If you like these infographics you can read the whole article here at Fix.com.
Happy New Year
In 2017 I am looking forward to enjoying the literal fruits of my labors in my home garden. I harvested at least 50 key limes from my little Key Lime tree this fall and winter. They are fragrant little treasures that make the perfect gin and tonic. I handed them out to my friends who came to visit during the holiday season. I even baked a Key Lime pie with a gingersnap crust!!! I recently planted an 'Orange Frost' Satsuma and with a little TLC I have big expectations for loads of fruit in years to come. This is what brings true joy to my daily life, a feeling of simple pleasure and abundance. Feel inspired? I can help you find some joy in 2017 by adding some fruits, veggies or herbs to your landscape. Please get in touch! 512-217-6955.
Fall herb gardening
Last week my Garden Journeys segment was about building an herb garden for my friend, Sarah. She and I talked for an hour about what kind of herbs she likes and which ones she wants to try. Sarah and her husband are renting their house so tomorrow we are going to plant the herbs in pots so the garden is portable. Most common culinary herbs are Mediterranean plants that like to dry out between waterings so they do well in pots, since pots tend to dry out faster than in-ground gardens. Sarah's herb garden includes Bay Laurel- so she can grab a leaf or two for recipes that call for bay leaves. She will also be enjoying mint and lemon balm iced tea, oregano for Italian dishes and more. While I was shopping for Sarah I also grabbed some shallots and calendulas for myself. I use calendula flowers in salads, as a substitute for saffron and the dried flowers can be soaked in witch hazel to make a healting toner for skin sratches and cuts.
Calendula's cheery disposition brightens my Austin garden every fall, winter and sprinf.
Compost tea tips from Aaron Crenshaw at Natural Gardener
The TWCNews Austin and San Antonio Garden Journeys episodes that I host are only 2 minutes long, so it can be a chalkenge to get in all of the pertinent info. Aaron, the compost tea brewmaster at Natural Gardener, who appeared on a recent interview, gave me his notes to include in my blog to make sure we get all of his knowledge out there! He says-
"It is very important to have consistentcy when brewing commercially. 4 most important variables when brewing commercially:
1. Use rainwater- slightly acidic 5.6-5.8 ph, no chemicals like flouride or chlorine/chloramine, city water can slow bacterial reproduction and in some cases kill off good organisms.
2. Use good quality compost and amendments- different composts have different bacteria and fungi. Inlike the Lady Bug Brand Revitalizer and Fox Farms Soil Conditioner. Along with good compost you need good amendments to help the bacteria and fungi.
3. It is very important to have lots of oxygen and circulation. This will give the organisms plenty of oxygen and food to grow and populate. We use 2 air stones, a circulation pump and an areator for the compost bag.
4. It is very important to check for life and potency before you sell. We use a microscope."
Even though Aaron is brewing commercially these are also all good tips for home gardeners who are dablling in making compost tea at home. I believe compost tea is the answer to many gardening problems so I hope you will buy some from a locally owned nursery or try your hand in making it yourself.
Studio 512 taping today
I am going to be on KXAN Studio 512 again- not sure when it is airing. I'm showing off some "Thrill Fill Spill" hanging baskets - one for part sun and one for shade. The part sun basket has Ponytail Palm for the thrill, vinca and petunias for the fill and silverponyfoot with purple heart for the spill. The shade basket has a corn plant aka dracena for the thrill, coleus for the fill and creeping jenny for the spill. I was inspired by Articulture designs to use dyed reindeer moss around the tops of the baskets in contrasting colors. Should be fun!
Compost Tea at Natural Gardener today
This week's Garden Journeys segment is going to be about Compost tea again... I really believe that compost tea is the answer to many garden problems. I think it can also be a great gateway for people who are trying to wean themselves off of the blue water chemical fertilizers so they can go organic! This time I got an insider's look at the Natural Gardeners BrewHouse! I also got to see how much life is swimming around in the tea by looking at a drop under a microscope. It was amazing to see how much stuff is in just one drop!!! Look for the segment this Saturday on Time Warner Cable News.
Staghorn Fern video
it was really exciting for me to interview John Dromgoole, someone I look up to alot on my career. The segment turned out great and now I have something to say when folks ask me about staghorn ferns!
https://www.twcnews.com/tx/austin/garden-journeys/2016/09/10/meet-the-staghorn-fern.html
Staghorn Ferns at Natural Gardener
Today we filmed the Garden Journeys segment at Natural Gardener in their tropical house. A bunch of people have asked me about Staghorn Ferns and I don't know anything about them. So I decided to interview John Dromgoole, owner of Natural Gardener who is very passionate about these plants. I used to work at Natty G back in 2003, so visiting with John was really a hoot for me. Their tropical house is very cool and the butterfly garden is also totally crazy with flowers now.
I learned that staghorn ferns prefer bright, indirect light and need protection from cold. The best way to grow them is to tie them onto a piece of wood and surround the root ball with spaghnum moss. Then you can water the moss and mist the leaves with diluted fertilizer. Hanging them in a tree will show the best results. But they need to come indoors in the winter because the cold will kill them as they are native to tropical regions. They are true ferns and reproduce with spores. As the plants get larger you can divide them but John doesn't recommend that because the huge specimine ferns look so amazing! He also told me to check out the huge staghorn fern at Zilker Botanical Garden at the entrance to the garden center. Next time I'm there I will for sure.
I have very happy memories of working at Natural Gardener. It's where I got my start in horticulture in Austin and it's where I started my transition from conventional gardening to organic gardening. I owe a debt to John and the staff there for helping me along the way in my business too. It's a special place that I am always happy to visit! Visit http://www.naturalgardeneraustin.com.
Little staghorn ferns looking for a home
New pitcher plants in the tropical house at Natural Gardener
More staghorn ferns
Passionvine in butterfly garden at Natural Gardener
Articulture!!!(tm)
I got to meet Monique and the crew at Articulture today for the next TWC segment. Check out their web site at http://www.articulturedesigns.com. You should also go to their boutique. I bought an awesome candle and oogled all of the wall hanging plant arrangements, living furniture and house-made ceramic planters at 6405 Manchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78745. I gotta say, As a business owner myself, I was impressed when Monique mentioned offhand that she made sure that Articulture is federally trademarked. Way to be detail-oriented in every way!!!
Art it up, yo!
Table with a desert-scape beneath glass
Wall hangin
I love the colors in this table arrangement
Compost Tea Part 1
This week's Garden Journey was to my backyard to make a batch of compost tea. I am a big fan of compost tea and I am constantly experimenting with new ingredients and different ratios. The idea is to get an explosion of the population of beneficial soil microbes in the compost tea mixture. Each liquid ingredient in the tea provides essential nutrients to soil microbes. The dry ingredients inoculate the tea with different types of microbes. The wormcastings are full of bacteria, the leaf mold is full of fungi and the finished compost will have a variety of other types of microorganisms. Different plants need different types of soil microbes to thrive, so having biodiversity in your tea is key. This backyard science experiement has worked for me in helping beef up weak plants, reverse disease issues and open up dense, compacted soil. The only thing that I have a problem with is using liquid humus, which is dervived from lignite, a type of low-grade coal. I am trying to illimate non-renewable resources from my gardening life, and using liquid humus goes against that principle. The liquid humus feeds fungal microbes so I will have to find something else to replace that. The molasses feeds the bacterial microbes and the fish and seedweed feeds everybody. Here's my current recipe:
4 gallons of water
aquarium bubbler for a small fish tank- I use a brick to weigh down the pumice stone
1 cup each of Fish Emulsion, Horticultural Molasses, Liquid Seaweed, and Liquid Humus.
1 pound worm castings (worm poop- I currently buy this at the nursery but I am planning to get pet worms soon)
1 pound finished compost- I use home made when I have it but I will use any bagged type too
1 pound or a couple big handfulls of leaf mold (leaf mold is just what it sounds like- get some moldy leaves off the ground from a wooded area- you can also use aged mulch, some bagged mulches are aged already)
cloth bags for dry ingredients- old socks, pieces of cloth tied with a rubber band etc will work.
Put the aquarium bubbler in your bucket of water. Add all of the liquid ingredients. Put the dry ingredients inside a cloth bag. Add the tea bag(s) to your liquid. Let it sit with the bubbler running for 24 hours. After 24 hours mix it with equal parts water. Rainwater is best but you can also use filtered water or tap water. It is better to do this imperfectly than to not do it at all. Try to use the finished tea within 8 hours. If you can't use it right away you can leave it in your bucket with the bubbler running and add more of the liquid ingredients every day until you are ready to use it.
To apply- I just use buckets and watering cans to dump it on the ground. If you are more frugal and patient than I am you can use a pump up sprayer and spray every inch of your yard using just a few gallons. Really one gallon of concentrate mixed with one gallon of water will cover a normal city sized yard with a light mist. I find it more satisfying to dump it on the ground and I just make more all the time. Watering the ground beforehand will help it soak in, but again, it's better to do this imprefectly than not at all so don't get too caught up innthe details. I toss the used tea bags into my compost pile and it really speeds up the compost pile breakdown!
Bucket with aquarium bubbler plugged in- you can see the tea bags and the brick in the bucket. The bottles of liquid ingredients are in the background.
Awesome hanging baskets
Check out the latest Garden Journeys here- create a hanging basket planter usung the thrill fill spill method! http://www.twcnews.com/tx/austin/lifestyles/garden-journeys.html
Haworthia questions from a friend
Screen shots of a text exchange with my bff about Haworthia- a striking succulent houseplant.
Haworthia succulents care watering indoor plants propagation pups how-to
Cool snake!
I met this Texas Rat Snake today while I was working at the Mueller Greenway. He was not scared of me at all. I was definitely startled by him! They can really climb!
Hold me, Thrill me, Fill me, Spill me...
This week on TWC news my Garden Journeys segment is about hanging baskets. In the segment I use a planting design method known as "Thrill Fill Spill". This reminded my hilarious husband, Eric, of that (arguably) sub-par U2 song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me". U2 is my favorite band but that song is pretty silly. So anyway, the "thrill" part is a tall, skinny plant with unusual foliage- something with a lot of impact to conrast the other plants. Well, watch the segment this weekend, or later after I post it on my blog, to find out what the spills and fills are. Other tips for hanging baskets:
1. use baskets only in shade or a spot with morning sun and afternoon shade because they dry out really fast.
2. You can't overdo it. Pack the basket full of plants for immediate impact. If you are using short-lived annuals like the vinca I used you don't have to worry about them getting overgrown because you will only have them for six months tops.
3. Plant the plants so the top of their root balls are an inch or two above the soil level in the basket. Then after you have all of the plants situated you can backfill with more potting soil.
4. Use potting soil for sure. Do not use soil from your yard. It will be too heavy and could cause weight problems for the structure holding your basket.
Finished basket with ponytail palm, vinca, silver ponyfoot and purple heart.
Now I have this song stuck in my head.
Mosquitos suck!
I learned so much from my allergist, Dr Maria Gutierrez, while shooting our segment about mosquitos. Fact of the segment: it's the chemicals in the mosquito saliva that make us feel itchy! A cold pack to soothe itchy bites is an awesome idea. I also didn't know that wearing light colored clothing can prevent mosquito bites in the first place. Since I work outside I get all kinds of bites and rashes all the time, Dr Gutierrez has helped me a lot...especially with my allergy to honey bees and wasps! I'm currently getting immunotherapy shots for bees and wasps to reduce my reactions. I keep a perscription steroid cream on hand to cut poison ivy off at the pass too. It also works on chiggers and helps the bites heal faster since I'm not scratching them all the time. Visit Dr Gutierrez here.
Why do moquitos suck so bad?
Today I am interviewing my allergist for my Garden Journeys segments on TWC news. It was the cameraman's idea after he was bitten a bunch of times earlier this summer. I'm planning t ask her what makes mosquito bites itch and how to care for your bites for a speedy recovery. I'm glad to be doing another indoor shoot so I won't be so sweaty and squinty on camera! I'll post the segment after it airs. If you have Time Warner Cable in Austin or San Antonio look for the segment this Saturday at :46 past the hour and on Weds at :46 past the hour every hour.
Biplane Cocktail at "Austin's Living Room"
Steven Green at the Four Seasons Austin Lobby Lounge showed me how to make a biplane cocktail with blackberries and basil. I love this drink because most Texas gardeners have basil and blackberries ready for harvest in their gardens at the same time in the summer. Mixed with gin, may favorite summer booze and topped with Topo Chico, it takes the edge off the triple digit heat. I can't imaging surviving an Austin summer without Topo Chico. It is as delicious as it looks and I enjoyed a little mid-week day drinking! It would be great for brunch. Learn how to make it here. Steven uses a simple syrup that they cook up in house using fresh blackberries, a big bunch of basil, sugar and water.
