|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dear (Contact First Name),
Well, it's warming up out there, and many Austin gardeners are starting to make that summer shift from frolicking among the flowers to hunkering down for the heat! This is the time you can make or break your garden, so remember a little care goes a long way. Besides the obvious need for more water, your plants could probably benefit from a good mulching to help hold that water in the soil.
We've got a lot coming up here at the nursery this summer including our first ever Ultomato Homegrown Tomato Tasting, a great way for our veggie gardening customers to show off their produce and their creativity, and maybe even win a gift card!
We are also proud to offer our first summer camp for kids! Earth Sprouts is coming up in July, so check out the details below and get the kids signed up for some summer fun and learning!
We hope you enjoy this month's newsletter, and we always welcome your feedback. Thanks for your time, and as always, thanks for making the Great Outdoors your home for all your gardening adventures!
Tom Tinguely
President |
|
June Abundance
By Jill LaVigne, Veggie Grower Extarordinaire
It's June, it's hot with a capital H, but there are heat loving veggies that can be planted now. Okra has got to be the most striking plant for the vegetable garden. It gets 3'-6' tall, has large tropical leaves, and beautiful yellow flowers. Okra is actually related to hibiscus. Okra needs to be picked every day or two since the pods become inedible fast. Once the plant has produced mature pods it will slow down production, so pick, pick, pick. If you have a space with a fence or trellis try southern peas, like black-eyed peas and purple hull. Watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, or unusual heirloom melons can be planted now. Keep in mind, melons are vines and need space. I grow cantaloupes up 8 foot cages. Watermelons are too heavy to trellis unless you make little melon hammocks. Melons are susceptible to powdery mildew and spider mites, but the biggest and messiest problem I've encountered is raccoons. It's pretty disappointing to walk outside, smell sweet melon lofting in the air, and then see chunks of orange confettied all over the yard. Varmint cooties be damned, I still ate a piece.
If you need a leafy green fix in the summer there are a number of summer greens to try. We carry seeds for amaranth, beetberry, lamb's quarters, Malabar spinach, huazontle, and golden purslane. A lot of the summer greens can become summer weeds if you allow them to go to seed, so keep an eye on them. Lamb's quarter grows wild in my backyard, and is tasty sautéed with onions and olive oil. But be careful harvesting weeds for culinary adventures. Be sure you know what's what. Last year I tried growing sweet potatoes with no success. Sweet potatoes are related to morning glories so I planted mine on a trellis. It turns out sweet potatoes send out roots form their stems, producing tubers. So it's important that those stems actually touch the ground. I'm trying them again this year, giving them room to roam. If you feel really adventurous, plant your own peanuts. Use organic, unsalted, raw ones from the grocery store. Shell them and pop them in the ground. The interesting thing about peanuts is that after the flower has been pollinated the stem bends and buries the flower underground where the peanuts grow. The first time I harvested peanuts I was so excited I ate them straight from the ground. Yuck, I would stress roasting your peanuts first. June is also the time to start tomato and pepper seeds indoors.
A garden is a lot of work with planting, weeding, pest control, and watering. Then you reap your harvest, but it does not end there. What do you do with? It's not like you'll be able to harvest only what you need when you need it. Around the middle of May it starts with squash and beans. I planted 10 summer squash seeds this spring and as of this article I have picked 85 lbs of squash. But hold onto your hoes, June is when the garden really kicks it up, churning out gobs of tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplants. In the past I gave my surplus away or (I hate to admit) threw it in the compost pile. Since reading Barbara Kingsolver's book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, my husband and I are trying to grow the bulk of our vegetables. Now our surplus is dinner. If I pick four tomatoes, two yellow squash, and an eggplant that's dinner. It does not matter if that was what I harvested the day before or the day before that. You need to be creative so you don't feel like you are eating the same thing every day even though you are eating the same thing every day. Each season I'm scrolling through the indices of my cookbooks looking for whatever I have an abundance of. Google is great too for looking up recipes you think might exist. Rosemary cookies? Yes. Can you bake cucumbers? Yes. If you can make carrot cake can you make beet cake? Yes. Whenever I'm stuck without an idea for dinner I make chili or a vegetable curry. These two dishes can contain almost any vegetable my garden turns out. My last batch of chili had squash, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and the last of my carrots and beets in it. (Chili purest are probably shuttering right now.) The other great thing about chili and curry is they are a good way to hide veggies past their prime. That pepper that's looking a little wrinkly, it's still ok for chili. That squash that's feeling a little squishy, it's still ok for chili.
What if you are like my husband and plant thirty tomato plants, or your ten squash seeds turn into 85 pounds of cucurbits? Then recipes that call for a lot of one ingredient are a must. Tomato sauce is an easy way to dispose of some poundage. I like to make a simple bruschettta. Peel and seed tomatoes, cut into chunks, and toss with lots of garlic and fresh basil. Let sit for a few hours then serve with hard crusty bread. For your crop of cukes, try making a chilled cucumber soup or serve with tomato and feta. I blanch large batches of green beans then mix with minced garlic or onion, herbs, oil and vinegar. Every batch can be different. Try adding tarragon or capers, walnut oil or flavored vinegar, toasted nuts or salad dressing. Chill and eat as a side salad for the next few days. My favorite summer squash recipe is Barbara Kingsolver's disappearing zucchini orzo. It is on her web site www.animalvegetablemiracle.com. If these recipes don't make a dent in your surplus try freezing. Last year I stewed batches of tomatoes and froze them Later in the winter they made for some great chili. Squash and eggplant can be prepared in a dish, say chili or curry, and then frozen. Green beans are easy, just blanch them first. Can you freeze cucumbers? Google says yes, as long as they are in a brine.
In the Great Outdoors gift shop there's a book called Keeping the Harvest. It has instructions for drying, pickling, and canning. I have a hand-me-down food dehydrator which I want to try okra in this summer. Canning I'm a little scared of. I don't trust myself not to create jars of botulism. As for pickling the closest I've come is to put slices of cucumbers in a left over jar of pickle juice. But there is always next season and I have come along way from just letting things rot on the plants.
-June 13th The Great Outdoors is having a tomato tasting soiree.
- if you having any recipes you would like to share, please add them to the comments. Thanks
|
|
Earth Sprouts!
Summer Gardening Camp with
The Great Outdoors
Get the kids out of the house and into the garden! This July we're offering our first ever
gardening and environmental leadership summer camp for kids! Join us for a fun filled week of learning, gardening, music and art.
Concepts and process of local food culture, garden ecology and environmental awareness are introduced in an experiential learning environment. Creative hands-on activities include lessons in composting, beneficial bugs, water systems and seasonal growing cycles for Central Texas. Environmental education integrated with visual art, music, yoga and movement creates an expressive, fun and holistic approach to learning.
July 13 - 17 ages 4-6
July 20 - 24 ages 7-10
8:30am - 12:30pm
$220 per child
Cost includes a healthy organic mid-morning snack, Earth Sprouts T-shirt, and age appropriate children's gardening kit. Because of our commitment to keep the camp open to all children, we are willing to offer a sliding scale fee for qualifying families.
For more information visit our website at www.gonursery.com or e-mail
earthsproutssummercamp@gmail.com
Meet our camp leaders:
and
Emily Fitzgerald
Meagan O'Donnell Emily Fitzgerald
Meagan O'Donnell graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2002 with a Bachelor of Art in Geology and minor in Education. She quickly began a career as a water quality consultant and local food advocate in Southwestern Colorado. In 2006, she returned to Austin with her family to refocus her lifework on creating local food culture and grassroots environmental activism and education. She served as the Executive Director for Austin's Green Corn Project, a nonprofit dedicated to building organic food gardens for people in need. She also loves yoga and will graduate from Yoga Yoga's Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Program this August. When she's not in her garden, the yoga studio, or playing with her five-year old daughter, Eden, she's in the kitchen cooking for the people she loves.
Emily graduated with a degree in Visual Art and a minor in Human Development from Prescott College in Northern Arizona. Emily is a world traveler, artist, educator, freelance photographer and active gardener. In 2006 she published her first book, Sacred Spirits: Women's Wisdom. This spring she served as a Green Teens instructor, teaching environmental education and installing organic gardens, in schools for Keep Austin Beautiful. Her work experience ranges from teaching gardening and art in rural Asia to developing and implementing media and ecology curriculum for two nationally recognized nonprofits in San Francisco. A native Austinite, she is thrilled to be back home among family and friends.
|
|
June's Gardener of the Month Scott Stewart is  Gardening on the Edge
An Austin Paradise That's Groomed With A View
by Matt Welch
When some of the staff here suggested we interview Scott Stewart as our June Gardener of the Month, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical. After all, despite the fact that Scott is a nice fellow and a great customer, none of us had actually ever seen his garden, so it seemed risky at best. But I had a hunch we would not be disappointed; not only has Scott bought perhaps dozens of carts of plants over the years, he just has that presence, that aura of a great gardener. Worst case scenario, I thought, we would find out where all those great plants ended up, and after my visit to his garden I can safely report they couldn't be in better hands.
Instant Revival
The first thing that caught my eye as we pulled into the circle driveway was the largest bottlebrush tree I'm sure I've ever seen. The second thing was another one, equally colossal, both planted near the entrance of a tasteful stucco and tiled Spanish Revival home perched at the back of a cul de sac. As I began to explore the front gardens in a horticultural trance, seeing more and more giant tropical plants, I suddenly realized the bottlebrushes were simply the two biggest bread crumbs in a trail that was leading me to one of two conclusions: either Scott covered his entire garden in greenhouse plastic every winter, or I was standing in the midst of an impossibly warm microclimate. After all, according to Scott the gingers, the eight foot tropical bird of paradise, and giant peace lily adorning the front of his home were all left outside, both in pots and in the ground, all winter without a bit of frost damage. Peace lily? Outside? I've seen lots of tropical annuals perennialize here in Austin, but even in the mildest winter there should at least be some frost burn on such tender plants as these. Something about this place just didn't make sense, and as Scott led me around the side of the house I aimed to figure it out. The garden was beautiful, to be sure, and a fitting tropical frame for the Spanish style home of a transplanted Miami resident...but how the heck could he grow house plants outside year after year? Had he sold his gardener's soul to some dark and ultimately vengeful horticultural demon? Was his home perched atop some sort of volcanic vent that could blow at any moment? Poltergeist? Ancient Indian burial ground? I had so many questions.
Then I stepped into the back yard and completely forgot where I was.
Whoa
In a garden, timing is everything. The best garden designers think about how a garden will unfold itself to the visitor, and employ various tricks and techniques to ensure a space presents itself in the right order, at the right time to maximize the viewing experience. Winding paths, stepping stones, bridges, and partial screening can all be the type of enhancing obstacles (when well-placed) that can serve to lift the visitor out of his comfort zone and cause a pleasant disorientation as garden rooms reveal themselves. Such an obstacle presented itself to me as I rounded the corner of the house and went through an iron gate into Scott's back yard. My attention was immediately grabbed by a crystal clear pond sprawling lengthwise across the path, with no bridge to cross. Instead, there were limestones emerging from the water like mini islands, flat on top and spaced for stepping. With camera in one hand and note pad in the other, I had to focus to avoid slipping into the drink, but upon reaching the other side I looked up and was more than amply rewarded. The pond crossing served to keep my eyes on the ground until I was out of the jungle-like foliage lining the path and standing square in the middle of the sprawling patio, where I could fully experience the visual climax of this garden: a yawning, panoramic view of downtown Austin in all its skyscraping glory, framed by live oak boughs and dense tropical greenery. Between me and the city was a swimming pool, water spilling over its furthest edge, blurring the border between pool and skyline, creating the illusion that we were not just overlooking the city but floating over and toward the city. If memory serves, the word that escaped my mouth at this point was a low, guttural "WHOA", followed by prolonged silence. Scott led me down a path around and beneath the infinity edge of the pool, where the water splashed into a small grotto hanging over a hillside almost steep enough to be called a cliff.
Happy Plants
As we toured the garden I noticed many plants thriving that until now I've been convinced were difficult to grow in Austin's chalky alkaline soils. My first assumption was that Scott is diligent with sulfur or liquid iron, because I've just not seen Japanese maples and gingers do quite so well here before. His secret, I found out, is as simple as it is perplexing: Dillo Dirt, applied whenever he builds or replants a bed, and a once-annual liquid feed across the garden. Since his nutrient regime does little or nothing to remedy the soil's pH chemistry, I am left to assume his plants, like everyone else who comes to the garden, are just happy to be there. Every specimen looks perfectly tended, and it's obvious this is the work of an accomplished gardener, but to listen to Scott his gardening successes are more serendipity than skill, including the most spectacular example of giant Ligularia tussilaginea I have ever seen (see picture). Some of Scott's favorite plants to work with are of course gingers, split leaf philodendron and hardy bamboo palm (Chamadorea radicalis). Scott also has quite an affinity for the ancient group of plants called cycads, which include the more common Sago palm and cardboard palm (neither of which are true palms, but vaguely resemble them). The garden is punctuated with these architectural relicts of the plant kingdom, adding a prehistoric feel to the place.
 When I finally looked away from the breathtaking view, I noticed his garden was breathtaking too!
Feature of the Black Lagoon
After our dizzying stroll through the back yard, I assumed the tour was over: front yard, back yard, done...right? Wrong. Since the house sits at the back end of a cul de sac and on the top of a hill, and he owns a wide swath of property surrounding the house, it's kind of like he has two back yards. Or a big back yard and an almost as big side yard. Regardless, we still had an entire garden room to explore, an area I like to call the Black Lagoon. The Black Lagoon is just that, a giant, deep and dark koi pond tucked into the side of his steep hillside garden. You have to walk down a few steps made of limestone boulders to reach the pond, which is surrounded by plantings of tropicals and aquatic plants. Also in this part of the garden I found an impressive and spiny specimen of Kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra), maybe ten feet tall and emerald green. Now that I've seen several of these trees thriving in Austin, including a giant at Zilker Botanical Garden, I'm convinced everyone should grow this bizarre plant. It single-handedly catapults the most mundane garden into downtown Weirdville, which around here is a plus. In the shade of the Kapok grows an impressive toad lily (Tricyrtis hirta), a lavender summer beauty that's showing up more and more in Texas gardens, but is by no means common.
It was time to leave, so I took a few final pictures and thanked him for his kindness and hospitality. His garden home is truly a sight to behold, and the microclimate he has learned to benefit from is quite remarkable. At long last we could connect the gardener with his garden, a luxury I wish we could afford with every customer. Thanks to Scott Stewart, Great Outdoors' Gardener of the Month.
 Scott next to the biggest, happiest Ligularia I've ever seen! | |
|
|
|
We hope you are enjoying our monthly newsletter, if there is a topic you'd like to see us write about, please let us know. We are your locally owned, independent Austin business and we thank you for your patronage!
Sincerely,
Tom Tinguely
The Great Outdoors |
 2730 S Congress Ave
Austin, Texas 78704
512-448-2992
www.gonursery.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
