Very good, Tricia.
On Nov 28, 2007, at 11:28 PM, Patricia wrote:
> Texas Gardener's Seeds | The Weekly Newsletter for Texas Gardenersthey
> used my
> hint this week...
> Tricia
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: seeds@texasgardener.com
> To: pdickson@sbcglobal.net
> Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2007 3:00 PM
> Subject: Texas Gardener's Seeds
>
>
> November 28, 2007
> Welcome to Texas Gardener's Seeds, the weekly newsletter for
> Texas
> gardeners. Please do not reply to this e-mail as the sending address
> is not
> monitored. See the bottom of this newsletter for information on how to
> subscribe, unsubscribe, or contact the editor.
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
> ---
>
> Lawns do have a place in waterwise gardening
> By Robert Dailey
> Freelance Writer
>
> You may have heard that turf (lawn) is inappropriate in waterwise
> gardens.
>
> In fact, nothing could be farther from the truth. It's probably
> the most
> misunderstood principle of waterwise gardening.
>
> A lawn does have a place in a garden. Even though it requires
> more care
> and water than many other plants, it's relatively easy to maintain.
>
> There are a number of advantages to planting turf. Some are
> empirical,
> while others may be somewhat subjective. For instance, a lawn helps
> cool the
> local microclimate in the garden. It reduces erosion...something
> anyone who
> lives in dry parts of Texas should be concerned with. Because of its
> texture
> and color, it also reduces glare of the sun.
>
> One of the more subjective reasons for having a lawn in your
> garden is
> that it provides a play area for children and adults.
>
> While any type of groundcover can fulfill most of the needs
> above, turf
> is the only one that can provide a play and recreation area for
> children and
> adults. (It's very, very difficult, not to mention messy, to play
> croquet on
> dirt.)
>
> If you do decide to include turf in your garden, then there are
> several
> things you need to consider. For instance, where do you want your turf
> installed? How large an area do you want? How will it be used? And
> finally,
> during which seasons do you want to use your turf?
>
> At this point, you are ready to limit your turf to the most
> useful
> spaces, and also to decide which type of turf will suit your needs.
>
> The problem that people have with lawns is that they do use a
> lot of
> water. However, if watered properly, and the water is not wasted,
> responsible
> and limited use of lawns can add significantly to the beauty of your
> garden,
> the quality of your life and the environment.
>
> And you can use sprinklers to water your lawn. Just make sure
> that you
> dont use too much water and dont water for too long. Nothing is more
> troubling
> to a gardener than to see runoff from lawns going down a storm drain.
> Too much
> water on a lawn leaches out nutrients, allows fertilizers to get into
> our
> water systems and wastes an awful lot of water. Dont use more water
> than you
> need on your lawn.
>
> Originally published on Suite101.com.
>
>
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
> ---
> Gardening tips
> "When something gets out of control in the garden, such as
> weeds, ground
> cover or invasive plants," writes Patricia Dickson, "I use the weed
> eater or
> mower and cut the plants that I don't want to the ground. Then I take
> newspapers (several layers thick and wet if the wind is blowing) and
> put them
> right up around the plant that I am trying to save. Then I add grass
> clippings
> (about 3 inches deep), and 3 inches of mulch. (I get my mulch from the
> free
> mulch pile at the city landfill.) Then I top dress with mulch that I
> have
> bought. This saves a lot of money, time and resources. One of the most
> important things then is to be sure to keep it damp until the papers
> break
> down with the grass clippings. This will form a mat that keeps the
> soil moist
> and a more consistent temperature. You can keep the edges clean by
> spraying
> Round Up once a month. I have started new beds or vegetable gardens
> this way
> or kept them from being taken over by vinca or ivy or weeds."
>
> Have a favorite gardening tip you'd like to share? Texas
> Gardener's
> Seeds is seeking brief gardening tips from Texas gardeners to use in
> future
> issues. If we publish your tip in Seeds, we will seed you a free Texas
> Gardener T-shirt. Here's a chance to get published and be a garden
> stylist as
> well! Please send your tips of 50 words or less to the editor at:
> Gardening
> Tips.
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
> ---
> Did you know...
> Nearly 10 percent of Texas is covered by forest and that
> includes five
> state forests and four national forests.
>
>
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
> ---
>
>
> Upcoming garden events
> Galveston: Festive sights and sounds will fill Moody Gardens at
> the
> sixth annual Festival of Lights November 17 through January 5. This
> whimsical
> celebration will kick off the holiday season on November 17, with
> Santa Claus
> parachuting in to switch on the lights. Festival of Lights is
> celebrated
> Thursday through Sunday November 17 through December 16, and daily
> beginning
> December 17. Transforming its lush tropical garden setting into a
> winter
> wonderland, Moody Gardens will be adorned with more than a million
> twinkling
> lights and dozens of light displays. In addition to experiencing the
> lights,
> guests can also strap on a pair of skates and glide across the ice at
> the
> Outdoor Ice Rink at Moody Gardens. Indoors, visitors can take pictures
> with
> Santa or even gaze upon a giant poinsettia tree. Moody Gardens will
> feature a
> variety of holiday-themed films during the Festival of Lights. Three
> films
> will be playing at the IMAX 3D theater and two films will be playing
> at the
> Ridefilm theater. The Garden Restaurant will feature a delectable
> holiday
> buffet, offered from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Group rates of $20 per person
> are also
> available for groups of 20 or more, and include admission to Festival
> of
> Lights and the holiday buffet. Admission into the Festival of Lights
> is $5.95,
> and tickets to additional attractions including the Rainforest Pyramid,
> holiday IMAX 3D film, holiday Ridefilm, Outdoor Ice Rink and Colonel
> Paddlewheel Boat, can be purchased for only $4.00 each. For more
> information,
> call Moody Gardens at (800) 582-4673 or visit www.moodygardens.org.
>
> League City: The Wednesday, December 5, meeting of the Kemah-Bay
> Area
> Garden Club will feature "Holiday Floral Designs," a presentation by
> Anniece
> Larkins, floral designer. A light lunch will be served. The club meets
> at the
> Amegy Bank, 303 East Main Street, League City. For additional
> information,
> contact Nancy Busko, president, at (281) 332-5294.
>
> Lake Jackson: For several years John Panzarella has hosted a
> citrus
> tasting and open house in his backyard, 404 Forest Drive, Lake
> Jackson, which
> is about 50 miles south of Houston. The next open house will be
> Saturday,
> December 15 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. Taste 40 to 50 citrus varieties
> and see
> different varieties of fruit trees. Panzarella has approximately 200
> different
> varieties of citrus, 50% to 70% fruiting, plus several varieties of
> persimmon,
> sapote, guava, pawpaw, loquat, pomegranate, avocado, papaya, fig,
> peach,
> passion fruit, mango and pecan trees growing in his backyard. You are
> invited
> to visit, taste the citrus, and see one of the largest citrus
> collections in
> the state of Texas and the largest collection north of the Texas Rio
> Grand
> valley. See the giant Panzarella orange and the giant 10 lb. Panzarella
> cluster lemons. You will also have the opportunity to view a
> multi-grafted
> tree which has grapefruits, tangerines and oranges growing on it. For
> more
> information, call (979) 297-2120, e-mail jpanza@swbell.net, or visit
> http://johnpanza.googlepages.com.
>
> Houston: Urban Harvest Fruit Tree Sale will be held Saturday,
> January
> 19, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. A class describing all varieties for
> sale, as
> well as providing vital information on how to plant and care for each
> type
> tree will be held January 5 and 12 (your choice), from 2 to 4 p.m. A
> nominal
> fee of $10 is charged for the class. Register for the class by calling
> Urban
> Harvest. Sale and classes at Emerson Unitarian Church, 1900 Bering Dr.,
> Houston. For detailed information about the sale as well as about
> fruit trees,
> check the Urban Harvest website www.urbanharvest.org.
>
> Tomball: The annual Fruit Tree Sale and Seminar presented by
> Heidi of
> Treesearch Farms will be held at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM2920,
> Tomball, on
> Saturday, January 27. The day begins with a free seminar at 9 a.m. The
> sale
> begins at 10:30 a.m. For additional information, contact (281)
> 351-8851 or
> visit http://www.arborgate.com.
>
> Tyler: The 15th annual East Texas Spring Landscape & Garden
> Conference
> will be held February 16, from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the Tyler
> Rose
> Garden Center, 420 Rose Park Drive, Tyler. Featured speakers include
> Dr. Jerry
> Parsons, Joe Novak, Aubrey King, and Tim Lanthrum. Topics include
> "Texas
> Superstars in Your Garden," "Secrets of Successful Vegetable
> Gardening,"
> "Gardening for a Lifetime," "Landscaping with Texas Native Plants,"
> "Common
> Problems with Small Engines and How to Prevent Then," and "Calibrating
> Sprayers and Spreaders." Cost: $15, which includes lunch. For
> additional
> information, contact Keith Hansen at (903) 590-2980 or
> khansen@ag.tamu.edu, or
> visit http://EastTexasGardening.tamu.edu.
>
> Houston: River Oaks Garden Club will host its 73rd annual Azalea
> Trail
> Friday through Sunday, March 7, 8 and 9 from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. each
> day.
> Azalea Trail, 2008, will celebrate the 51st anniversary of Miss Ima
> Hogg's
> gift of her beautiful home and gardens, Bayou Bend, to the Museum of
> Fine
> Arts, Houston. The trail will feature four private houses and gardens,
> as well
> as Bayou Bend, Rienzi and the River Oaks Garden Club Forum of Civics
> Building
> and Gardens. Tickets for seven admissions are $15 before March 7 and
> $20
> during the trail. Single admissions are $5. For additional
> information, call
> (713) 523-2483 or visit http://www.riveroaksgardenclub.org.
>
> Tomball: The Arbor Gate will host its third annual Rose Festival
> March
> 8. More than 100 varieties of old and antique roses will be available,
> as will
> guest speakers and informative booths. The Arbor Gate is located at
> 15635
> FM2920, Tomball. For additional information, contact (281) 351-8851 or
> visit
> http://www.arborgate.com.
>
> Burnet: The Highland Lakes Master Gardener Association will
> sponsor the
> 10th Annual Hill Country Lawn and Garden Show, March 22, from 9:30
> a.m. until
> 4 p.m. at the Burnet Community Center on E. Jackson in downtown
> Burnet. The
> show features garden-related vendors, a children's booth, a raffle, and
> seminars. Admission is free. For more information, visit
> http://hillcountrylgshow.com or call Paula Montandon, Show Chairman,
> at (830)
> 693-0163.
>
> Kilgore: Northeast Texas Organic Gardeners meets at 1 p.m. on
> the first
> Wednesday of each month at a new eco-farm in Kilgore. If there is
> enough
> interest, we will also start a Sunday afternoon monthly meeting. For
> more
> information, call Carole Ramke at (903) 986-9475.
>
> League City: The Kemah-Bay Area Garden Club meets the first
> Wednesday of
> each month at the Amegy Bank, 303 East Main Street, League City. For
> additional information, contact Nancy Busko, president, at (281)
> 332-5294.
>
> Allen: The Allen Garden Club meets on the first Thursday of each
> month
> at 7:30 p.m. at the little blue-gray house located at 102 N. Allen
> Dr., Allen.
> For more information, visit www.allengardenclub.org.
>
> Austin: Austin Organic Gardeners meet at 7 p.m. on the second
> Monday of
> each month at the Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin. For more
> information,
> visit www.main.org/aog.
>
> Rockport: The Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group, founded in March
> 2003,
> meets the second Wednesday of each month, with the exceptions of June
> and
> July, to discuss all aspects of using and growing herbs, including
> historical
> uses and tips for successful propagation and cultivation, meets at 619
> N. Live
> Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport at 10 a.m. Sometimes they take field
> trips and
> have cooking demonstrations in different locations. For more
> information,
> contact Linda (361) 729-6037, Ruth (361) 729-8923 or Cindy (979)
> 562-2153 or
> visit www.rockportherbs.com.
>
> San Antonio: The San Antonio Herb Society meets at 7 p.m. on the
> second
> Thursday of each month at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New
> Braunfels
> (corner of Funston & N. New Braunfels). For more information on
> programs,
> visit www.sanantonioherbs.org.
>
> Dallas: The Rainbow Garden Club of North Texas meets the second
> Sunday
> of each month at 2 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Meetings are held at
> member's
> homes and garden centers around the area. For more information, visit
> www.RainbowGardenClub.com.
>
> Denton: The Denton Organic Society, a group devoted to sharing
> information and educating the public regarding organic principles,
> meets the
> third Wednesday of each month (except July, August and December) at
> the Denton
> Senior Center, 509 N. Bell Avenue. Meetings are free and open to the
> public.
> Meetings begin at 7:00 p.m. and are preceded by a social at 6:30. For
> more
> information, call (940) 382-8551.
>
> Seguin: The Guadalupe County Master Gardeners meets the third
> Thursday
> of each month at the Texas Cooperative Extension Bldg. at 210 E. Live
> Oak at 7
> p.m. For more information, phone (830) 379-1972 or visit
> www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org.
>
> Fort Worth: The Organic Garden Club of Forth Worth meets at 7
> p.m. on
> the fourth Tuesday of each month except July and December at the Fort
> Worth
> Botanic Gardens main building. Refreshments are served. For more
> information,
> call (817) 274-8460.
>
> Dallas: The Dallas Organic Garden Club meets at 6:45 p.m. on the
> fourth
> Thursday of each month at the Fretz Park Recreation Center, located at
> the
> corner of Hillcrest and Beltline Road in Dallas. For more information,
> call
> (214) 824-2448 or visit www.dogc.org.
>
> Arlington: The Arlington Organic Garden Club meets from 7 p.m.
> until 9
> p.m. on the last Thursday of each month (except November and December)
> at the
> Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center Street, Arlington. For more
> information,
> contact David at (817) 483-7746.
>
> If you would like your organization's events included in
> "Upcoming
> Garden Events," please contact us at Garden Events.
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
> ---
> Doug Welsh's Texas Garden Almanac
> Doug Welsh's Texas Garden Almanac is a giant monthly calendar
> for the
> entire state a practical, information-packed, month-by-month guide for
> gardeners and "yardeners." This book provides everything you need to
> know
> about flowers and garden design; trees, shrubs, and vines; lawns;
> vegetable,
> herb, and fruit gardening; and soil, mulch, water, pests, and plant
> care. It
> will help you to create beautiful, productive, healthy gardens and
> have fun
> doing it.
>
> $26.63 plus shipping*
>
> Order by calling 1-800-727-9020 or order on-line.
>
> *Mention Texas Gardener's Seeds when ordering by phone during
> the month
> of November and we'll waive shipping charges. (Discover, MasterCard
> and Visa
> accepted.)
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
> ---
> Fiber row cover valuable year-round
> Grow-Web encourages plant growth and development, and also
> provides
> protection from insects, birds, diseases and frosts. It is also air
> and water
> permeable and allows for ventilation. Grow-Web provides excellent
> protection
> to seedlings when applied directly to the seedbed.
>
> $30.64 per 12.3' x 32.8' roll (includes shipping!)
>
> Order by calling 1-800-727-9020. Not available through on-line
> bookstore.
>
> (Discover, MasterCard and Visa accepted.)
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ------
> ---
>
> Texas Gardener's Seeds is published weekly. Suntex
> Communications, Inc.
> 2007. All rights reserved. You may forward this publication to your
> friends
> and colleagues if it is sent in its entirety. No individual part of
> this
> newsletter may be reproduced in any manner without prior written
> permission
> from the publisher.
>
> Missed an issue? Back issues of Texas Gardener's Seeds are
> available at
> www.texasgardener.com/newsletters.
>
> Publisher: Chris S. Corby ? Editor: Michael Bracken
>
> Texas Gardener's Seeds, P.O. Box 9005, Waco, Texas 76714 ?
> www.TexasGardener.com
>
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Island Jim
Southwest Florida
27.1 N, 82.4 W
Hardiness Zone 10
Heat Zone 10
Sunset Zone 25
Minimum 30 F [-1 C]
Maximum 100 F [38 C]
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