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Greetings!
This fantastic spring weather has got us in a party mood! Please join us this Friday for our Friday the 13th Happy Hour! We'll start the festivities at 4:00pm with live music, free Buffalo Bayou 1836 Copper Ale on tap, and our usual bottled beer, wine and special sangria for sale. Our plants are 13% off too, after 4:00pm. Have a beer, play a game of horseshoes or just sit a while in the spring evening -- it's the perfect season for it.
 | | It's still a Friday... |
We finally got all the new pottery unpacked and I think you'll love it. There are two, new softer shades of blue and teal green, along with a rich warm red glaze. And every week, it seems like there are more and more trucks unloading tons of spring and summer color.
 | | Teal Green Pots |
Don't forget -- Sunday is our Herbal Tea Garden class taught by horticulturist Diana Liga. We're pleased to be able to offer the Flor de Jamaica plants for sale but our supply is limited. If you're interested in growing it, pick some up soon. The calyxes for tea are harvested in the fall.
Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the email -- many of our fruit trees are on sale through the end of the month or while supplies last. Everyone has room for at least one little fruit tree...
Thanks for signing up for our email newsletter! Come see us soon! |
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Compost
Does it seem like people are always going on and on about the virtues of compost? Compost, or more properly humus, is the nutrient-rich end product of organic decomposition. When you add compost to your garden, you're also adding organisms like bacteria, fungi, protozoa and beneficial nematodes, as well as food for those organisms. Adding compost helps improve soil structure allowing oxygen and water to move properly through your beds. It seems like a paradox: adding humus to your soils improves drainage and the ability of soil to absorb water so whether you have heavy clay soils or sandy soils, you'll benefit from adding compost.
 | | Compost. Black Gold. |
Here's a list of the different kinds of compost we currently carry:
Acidified Cotton Burr Compost has long been used in Southern states to loosen heavy clay soils. This compost also contains sulfur, a very long-lasting elemental acidifier. This product is 100% organic and rich in protein, and since it is not wood-based, will not tie up nutrients in the soil as it breaks down. This is a good, basic compost product.
Flower Bed Conditioner is a blend of composted cotton burrs, cattle manure, feather meal, cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal & sulfur. It's very finely screened to a maximum particle size of 1/4". This blend of compost products provides a complex of different food sources for soil microbiology, enhancing growth (alfalfa) and inhibiting fungal disease. This is a top-of-the-line compost product.
Composted Cattle Manure has been leached to reduce salt content while retaining high nutrient levels. It has been aerobically composted at temperatures approaching 160° for over four months and has very little odor. Composted cattle manure is a natural fertilizer and a food source for soil organisms. This is a good, basic compost product.
Mushroom Compost is a byproduct of mushroom farming and contains composted straw and manures. It is a 100% organic product and is a good basic source of soil nutrients and natural fertilizer.
Handcrafted Humus Compost from The Ground Up is a locally sourced, 100% organic compost product derived from lawn and yard trimmings. It's not as finely screened as Flower Bed Conditioner but is a complex source of humus and natural fertilizers. This is a top-of-the-line compost product.
Get in the habit of adding organic matter to your soil whenever you add plants and you'll be on your way to rich, friable soil that not only drains well but retains water when needed.
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Herbal Teas
Herbal teas are simply plant-based infusions, usually not from the traditional tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Some herbal teas are non-caffeinated and some have aromatherapeutic or healthful uses.
One of my favorite teas is Agua de Jamaica or Hibiscus Tea. If you've ever had Red Zinger tea, the rich, ruby-red color will be familiar. It tastes just a bit like cranberry! This tea is made the dried calyxes of a special hibiscus called Flor de Jamaica or Hibiscus sabdariffa, which we are now growing at Papershell. It flowers in the late summer & early fall, often just before the first freeze.
Here's a sneak peak at the plant, which should be ready to sell in a few weeks. Meanwhile, here's a recipe for the tea.
 | | Flor de Jamaica |
Want to learn more? Come to the Herbal Tea Garden class this Sunday, April 15 at 2:00pm. Horticulturist Diana Liga leads this informative seminar on growing plants for infusions. The class is $10 and participants receive a coupon for 15% off their garden center purchases that day.
Call us at (281) 232-4485 or email for more information!
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Fungal Problems in Lawns
It's that time again -- cool nights and a bit of moisture can reawaken sleeping fungal problems in lawns and gardens. By now, you've probably seen some blackspot on roses and maybe some fungal problems on fruit trees. But keep an eye, too, on your lawn. Last year, the unfortunate drought helped keep fungal problems at bay, but this year, they may return with a vengeance. Here's what to watch out for:
Take-All Patch is commonly found in St. Augustinegrass after heavy spring or summer rains, but can also appear in Bermudagrass or Zoysia. The first symptoms are a yellowing of the leaves, along with a folding of the blades along the midrib. Later on, as the disease progresses, the turf thins out dramatically in irregular patches. Weeds often invade the dead areas and the problem seems worse in sunny areas, rather than shady areas. Take-All Patch is a disease of the roots -- you'll see black or dark brown roots and relatively healthy leaves. In fact, the grass runners will pull easily from the ground, because the roots are dead. Read more about Take-All Patch in this Texas A&M document.
 | | Take-All Patch |
Your first, best bet to control Take-All Patch is cultural. When available, use ammonium-nitrogen fertilizers. Don't overfertilize -- heavy use of nitrogen fertilizers contributes to the problem. Maintain a neutral pH if you can -- last year's drought may have elevated your pH levels a little bit. Spread acidified cotton burr compost to help correct the imbalance. Raise the blade on your mower to the proper height - 1-1.5" for Bermudagrass and 3" for St. Augustinegrass. Right now the best solutions for Take-All Patch are organic. Try improving cultural practices and if necessary, inoculate with Actinovate or treat with Eagle Turf Fungicide.
The other common lawn fungal problem is Brown Patch. Brown Patch is a disease of the leaf blades and stems and is common in St. Augustinegrass, Bermudagrass and Zoysia. Excessive use of high-nitrogen fertilizers also contributes to this problem. Brown Patch first appears as small, circular brown patches in the lawn, which quickly grow to form large irregular dead areas. Usually the damaged turf will recover when the air is drier or the temperatures are higher. You'll often see the green grass growing inside the large area of dead grass. Because the roots aren't generally affected, it is hard to pull runners out from the ground. Read more about Brown Patch in this PDF from Texas A&M.
 | | Brown Patch |
As with Take-All Patch, your first line of defense is good cultural practice. Make sure your drainage is okay, and you don't have areas of standing water after a rain. Inoculate with the organic solution Actinovate or attack with Eagle Turf Fungicide, a conventional solution.
 | | Actinovate, natural soil inoculant |
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Please stop by and visit! Have a glass of world-famous lemonade (or a beer!) -- we'd love to meet you!
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Barrow
Papershell: A Garden Gallery
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Friday the 13th Happy Hour!
Friday, April 13
4:00pm-???
Live music from Bobby Mitchell, free Buffalo Bayou 1836 Copper Ale & our famous lemonade, bottled beer, wine & sangria for sale, 13% off plants after 4:00pm, horseshoes, dominoes, etc. Come party with the plant people!
The fun is free...
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Watercolor Painting Part 3 Saturday April 14 9:00am-1:00pm Artist Michael Vollmer leads this 4-part watercolor painting workshop, designed for students of all skill levels. The classes will address landscape composition, balance, hue, creating textures and much more! Take one class for $35 or register for all four for $125. Reservations required: call (281) 232-4485 or email us to sign up.
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Herbal Tea Garden Sunday April 15 2:00-3:30pm Learn to grow your own herbal teas throughout the year! There are many tasty caffeine-free teas that you can grow naturally in your own garden. Learn to grow and prepare them! This class is taught by horticulturist Diana Liga and is $10. Participants receive a coupon valid for 15% off that day's garden center purchase. Reservations suggested: call (281) 232-4485 or email us to sign up.
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Watercolor Painting Part 4 Saturday April 21 9:00am-1:00pm Artist Michael Vollmer leads this 4-part watercolor painting workshop, designed for students of all skill levels. The classes will address landscape composition, balance, hue, creating textures and much more! Take one class for $35 or register for all four for $125. Reservations required: call (281) 232-4485 or email us to sign up.
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Paper Art: Tibetan Prayer Flags Saturday April 21 1:00-4:00pm A tradition in Tibet for centuries, prayer flags, or Lung ta (literally wind horses) are believed to carry our compassion to the four directions- and bring happiness, long life, and prosperity. In this workshop, you'll make your own prayer flags with abaca, a banana tree fiber from the Philippines, mixed with some recycled paper and plant materials. We will dry the flags on sheets of glass to create a smooth surface on which to write, draw, or paint your prayer. While drying, we'll attach sticks, cords, and tiny bells to complete our Lung ta. Artist Lee Steiner leads this workshop. This class is $30 and reservations are required: call (281) 232-4485 or email us to sign up.
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Home Canning: Vegetable & Tomato Products Saturday April 28 3:00-4:30pm Preserve the bounty of the spring and summer garden! This is the second in a four-part series on food preservation, led by Master Gardener and Cook Extraordinaire Anne Ondrusek. In this class, we'll go over preparing vegetables and tomato products in the home kitchen. Topics may include juices, sauces, salsas, vegetables & soups. This class is $10 and reservations are suggested: call (281) 232-4485 or email us to sign up.
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Hours Monday: Closed Tuesday through Saturday: 9:00am-5:30pm Sunday: Noon-5:30pm Email us at elizabeth@thepapershell.com. Visit our website, thepapershell.com. Call us at (281) 232-4485. |
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| Save 30% |
Selected Fruit Trees on sale! Choose from apple, peach, pear, Asian pear, plum, persimmon, pomegranate, fig and avocado! Limited to stock on hand - no special orders. Got a friend who doesn't get our email? Please feel free to share this coupon with her!
| Offer Expires: April 30 or while supplies last
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