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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 Page 2
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
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 3
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
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 4
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!
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 5
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...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 6
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
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 7
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...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 8
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...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 9
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
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 10
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.
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 11
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
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 12
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:
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 13
• 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.
Termites Continued ...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 14
• 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.
Termites Continued ...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 15
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
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 16
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 ...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 17
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 ...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 18
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
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 19
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($.99)Thisismyfavoritegardenapp.Ilovetostopandsee
nurseriesincitiesthatIvisitandthisallowsmetoenterazipcodeandgetalistofshops
inthearea.Iwishitwouldprovidealittleinformationabouttheshops,sincesomedidn’t
seemtofitthegardeningtheme.Also,therearesomelistingsthatdonotappeartoberetail
businesses.Itprovidestheaddressandphonenumberandallowsyoutoviewthebusiness
Gardening Apps Continued...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 20
locationonthemap.Note:thereisalsoaniLocatePlantsapp,butIdidnotpurchaseit.
Master Gardener($.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...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 21
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
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 22
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 ...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 23
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
Designing Small Garden Spaces Continued ...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 24
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.
Designing Small Garden Spaces Continued ...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 25
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
Designing Small Garden Spaces Continued ...
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 26
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.
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 27
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.
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 28
ComingEvents Continued...
Gardening For Butterflies and Hummingbirds
Friday May 7, 2010, 1:00 - 2:30 pm
DemonstrationGardenatAgriLifeExtensionOfficeofTravisCounty
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-
deners.orgorcalltheTravisCountyMasterGardener’shelpdeskat(512)854-9600.
How To Create a Wildlife Habitat
Saturday May 22, 2010, 9:00 - 11:00 am
DemonstrationGardenatAgriLifeExtensionOfficeofTravisCounty
1600BSmithRd.,AustinTX78721Learnhowtoattractbutterflies,birds, insects,toads,etc.byutilizingplantswhich
createfood,cover,placestoraiseyoungandwater.AMasterNaturalistvolunteerwill
leadthediscussion.Thisseminarisfreeandopentothepublic.Itispresentedby
theTravisCountyMasterGardenersAssociation,avolunteerarmoftheTexasAgriL-
ifeExtensionServiceinTravisCounty.Forinformation,seehttp://www.tcmastergar-
deners.orgorcalltheTravisCountyMasterGardener’shelpdeskat(512)854-9600.
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 29
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
The Compost Bin March 2010 Page 30
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