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Greetings!
Happy June! We had quite a May at Texas Discovery Gardens.
Thank you for supporting us through your donations to the DonorBridge Web site May 20. North Texans gave more than $4 million in one day to 353 area non-profit organizations.
We will know the total of donations to the Gardens in June. See the press release sent out by the Communities Foundation of Texas here.
We also enjoyed a successful Butterfly Plant Sale thanks to our hardworking volunteers and sponsors. More than 50 volunteers worked out in the rain and humidity to make this our most sucessful Plant Sale!
A special thanks to the companies that donated organic gardening products for us to sell:
Bradfield Organics
Green Lake Nursery
Nature's Guide
Maestro-Gro
Preservation Tree Services
Rabbit Hill Farm
Ron's Organic Dynamics
Soil Mender
Happy Gardening,
The staff at Texas Discovery Gardens
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June Events
Rained out? Come back for our plant sale one more evening!
When: Thursday June 4, 2009. 5 pm to 7 pm.
We have organically grown host and nectar plants available one more evening. If you were rained out or just found some more space to fill in your garden, stop by our greenhouse Thursday evening!
Winged Jewels: Dragonfly Workshop When: June 13, 9 am to noon
Discover the amazing lifecycle of this highly beneficial insect. You can find more than 75 species of dragonflies in Dallas. See many of them during our annual workshop, which includes a tour of Texas Discovery Gardens and Fair Park in search of dragonflies. The workshop is led by Omar Bocanegra, a biologist with the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
Registration required. $25/$20 for members.
Bug Hunt! Garden Walk When: June 20, 10 am to 11 am
Discover bugs in their living rooms as we hunt in the soil, under leaves, and on bark. See familiar ones you might find in your backyard and learn about new, colorful creatures.
Program appropriate for ages 2 and up. Garden Walks are free with paid garden admission. $3/adults; $1.50/children 3-11; $2/seniors 60+
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June Gardening Tip: More Mulch
If you've finished planting your garden for the summer, remember to mulch! Mulching your gardens increases water retention and keeps the soil temperature cooler longer in the summer.
Better veggies. If you want to extend the growing season for tomatoes, make sure to mulch around them. Some larger tomato varieties stop producing fruit when the soil temperature reaches above 80 degrees Fahrenheit--usually around the first to the middle of July in Dallas.
Mulching the soil helps it stay cooler longer. Plant cherry tomatoes like "Sweet 100" to supplement your larger varieties; they will produce through the heat of the summer.
Other summer veggies, like okra, peppers and squash, thrive in the heat. They still benefit from mulch's temperature and moisture regulation.
Made in the Shade. Another gardening trick is to plant veggies in afternoon shade, which will keep them cooler a little longer. That's true of many plants, including natives, during hot Dallas summers. Fewer Weeds. Mulch also helps weeds from popping up through the soil. It's a great addition to an organic garden.
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In Cultivation ...
"Merrell Week: Get Stuff. Give Back. Get Outside."
 Buy shoes and give back to Texas Discovery Gardens at the same time! On June 19 through 21, Merrell will donate $5 per pair of their shoes sold at Dallas' Whole Earth Provision to Texas Discovery Gardens. The money will fund our EarthKeepers® Children's Education program, which gets thousands of DISD students outside each year to experience organic gardens and backyard wildlife. Stay tuned for details!
We have a special offer from our friends at Calloway's Nursery. Print out this coupon and use it at your nearest Calloway's.
Calloway's: success in the garden made fun and easy. Visit any Calloway's Nursery in Dallas/Fort Worth and enjoy the season's beautiful blooms and enticing fragrances.
Play in the dirt: volunteer at Texas Discovery Gardens! We welcome new EarthKeepers volunteers to assist with children's programming. Talk to Blake if you're interested in teaching butterflies, bugs and botany to local children.
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