Austin Gardener Published Monthly By The Garden Club of Austin, in Austin, Texas

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1 1 Published Monthly By The Garden Club of Austin, in Austin, Texas July 2011 Volume 48 Number 7 JULY PROGRAM: ICE CREAM SOCIAL with PLANT SHOW AND TELL Are you ready for an evening of fun and fellowship? If so, bring your dessert stomach to the July meeting and fill it up with cookies and ice cream. If you signed up to bring cookies, ice cream, or ice cream toppings, please try to arrive by at least 7:00 p.m. If you didn t get signed up, but want to bring ice cream, cookies or toppings, please do! Those who bring ice cream should also bring a scoop with your name on it. Our ice cream social will start shortly after 7:00 p.m. As most of you know, we usually do not have a featured speaker for our July Ice Cream Social. Instead, we do something totally different and fun! Barbara Wagner has suggested we have Show and Tell again, as it s been a long time since we last tried it. So this month you, our members, are asked to be the presenters at a Great Gala Show & Tell. Please bring one of your favorite plants, or an interesting or unusual plant, and give us a few minutes presentation. Do not be shy, we re all friends! Let us know why this particular plant is a favorite. Give us the growing requirements, general information about it, and describe the bloom if it s not in season. If you can tell us where you got it and how long you ve had it that would be great. Everyone loves to see new...or tried and true heat resistant...plant introductions. You don t have to stand up in front of the group if you don t want to. Just set your plant, or a stem of it, in front of your spot and the curious will find you! If you have a favorite or unique growing tip or technique that you could demonstrate in a few minutes, that would also be a great addition to our 'Show & Tell'. It s going to be a fun evening. What could be better...friends, ice cream and plants? See you there. Looking Forward To The August program will feature Carol Hudson speaking to us about her trip to the Chelsea Flower Show. She will have many photos and interesting stories for us. In September we will have Liz Cannedy as part of our State Flower of Texas Celebration. She will speak about the beloved blue bonnets of Texas. Dr.Larry Noblick, a native palm expert, will travel from Miami to wow us with his presentation in October President s Message Can you believe that half of 2011 is already gone? Here we are in July and have just celebrated our nation s birthday on July the Fourth. I always love to go to Round Top, Texas, which this year held the 161st annual 4 th of July celebration. It s considered to be the oldest continuous Fourth of July commemoration west of the Mississippi. Round Top, and the surrounding area, is where my ancestors settled when coming to America from Germany. I especially enjoy going there, because I feel that I have roots there. Texas Highways magazine featured Round Top in their July, 2011 issue. If you subscribe, or get a chance to read the story, do so. It also gives information on other very interesting and exciting things going on in or near Round Top. Near Round Top, is Shakespeare at Winedale where plays are being performed through the summer season. The Lutheran church at Round Top, and the two story home with historical markers, was built by Carl S. Bauer, my great-great-great grandfather. The home is believed to be a replica of the Bauer family home in Saxony, Germany. Anyway, I hope that each of you had a special place to celebrate and that you had a safe and meaningful holiday. Hope that all of you were able to attend the Sunday Stroll at Laura Joseph s home and gardens and the gardens of Scott Stewart last Sunday. Beautiful homes and gardens, wonderful refreshments, garden demonstrations, a vintage clothing style show, a showing of vintage hats, a 1955 Chevrolet to see, and of course, the Purple Martins. Thanks Laura, for putting all this together for all club members and guests to enjoy. The Purple Martin babies and parents are having a hard time dealing with the extreme heat and severe drought conditions that all of us and all living creatures and plants are trying to deal with. Luckily June 22, brought a little over 4 inches of rain to the La Grange area and as much as much as 5 inches near Schulenburg. Certainly every drop is welcome, but, this still leaves us in a very severe drought condition and with still our usually two hottest and driest months to go. So, as I ve been saying all year, let s all continue to pray for rain! Remember that our regular meeting in July is on Thursday, July 28. This meeting will be our annual ice cream social. The program will be Show and Tell featuring our own members presenting their favorite plants. Also check the calendar of events in this newsletter for correct times and dates of all meetings and activities. Hope to see you there. Sincerely, Wilburn Hackebeil

2 2 JULY CLIMATE FOR AUSTIN The average daily maximum temperature varies from 94 at the beginning of the month to 97 at the end. The minimum varies from 73 at the beginning to 74 at the end of the month. Extremes are 109 observed in 1954 and 64 in l970. We average about 28 days with a maximum of 90 or higher. Precipitation averages 2.04 inches but has ranged from a wet in 1979 to zero in A maximum 24-hour amount of 5.46 occurred in On average, precipitation is observed on 5 days during the month with thunderstorms occurring on 4 of those days. We usually receive about 75% of the possible sunshine, and between sunrise and sunset have 12 clear days, 13 partly cloudy days and 6 days with overcast conditions. The time between sunrise and sunset decreases from about 14 hours 5 minutes at the beginning of the month to 13 hours 37 minutes at the end of the month. Norman Wagner The Garden Club of Austin President Wilburn Hackebeil 1 st Vice President Laura Joseph and Steve Reynolds 2 nd Vice President John and Joyce Fox 3 rd Vice president Johanna Dickhut and Adam Preble Secretary Liz Stansfeld Treasurer Annie Hackebeil Historian Carol Kay Johnson Newsletter Editor Norman Wagner and Sandi Schmidt AAGC Representative Wilburn Hackebeil Directors: Term extending through 2011 Lauren Eischen Rainee Freeman Term extending through 2012 Billie Passmore Irene Franco Term extending through 2013 Christie Rodgers Joe Defoe The Garden Club of Austin, Inc. was established in 1953 and is currently affiliated with The Gardeners of America/Men s Garden Clubs of America (TGOA/MGCA), the Southwest Region of MGCA and the Austin Area Garden Council. Meetings are open to the public and held in the Austin Area Garden Center on the fourth Thursday of the month except for November (the third Thursday) and December (an awards banquet on the second Thursday). Membership inquiries should be directed to our treasurer, Annie Hackebeil at Questions or comments concerning the newsletter should be sent to the editors at brsch07@gmail.com Gardening Checklist for July-August Outside work this time of year should be confined to early morning hours (before noon) or after 6:00 in the evening. If at all possible, avoid being out in the sun during the hottest part of the day. If this isn t possible, be sure to protect yourself from harmful ultraviolet rays with sunscreen, and for good measure, wear a broad brimmed hat. Don t forget to take frequent rest breaks and drink lots of water. Things you could be doing if ambition strikes include: * Water lawns and gardens only when needed, giving a thorough soaking rather than frequent light sprinklings. Be sure to obey the City of Austin rules for lawn watering. Minimize water loss by doing your watering in the early morning when the humidity is high and winds are generally light. * Removing faded flowers from plants (deadheading) before they set seed will keep them growing and producing more flowers. A light application of fertilizer every 4 to 6 weeks will also be helpful. * Check plants and flower beds for mulch. Replace or add where needed. * Watch for and apply early control for summer insects and diseases to prevent a build up or spread. * Caladiums require plenty of water at this time of year if they are to remain lush and active until fall. Fertilize with a high nitrogen fertilizer like and water thoroughly. * Keep a close check on recently planted plants. Inadequate root systems combined with drought can be devastating. * Check your lawn mower. Be sure the blade is sharp. With hot weather here, the mower blade should be in its highest position. * Start working on your fall vegetable garden. Spading and/or tilling in compost and otherwise getting your garden ready for planting should begin now. Tomato and pepper plants for the fall garden could be set out in early August (plan to shade them for a few days.). Okra and winter squash should be planted by late July or early August, followed closely with green (snap) beans and cucumbers. Plan to set out broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower plants in late August or early September. * Keep an eye out for powdery mildew, especially on crepe myrtle. A formula using 4 teaspoons of baking soda and onehalf teaspoon of dishwashing detergent mixed into a gallon of water and sprayed on the affected plants generally controls it. Or better yet, start a regular spraying program, which will prevent it from occurring in the first place. * Going on vacation? Here are a few suggestions to keep lawn and garden looking nice while you are gone: a. Mow your lawn and water it thoroughly before leaving. Your lawnmower should be at its highest setting. b. Apply mulch to all areas of your flower and vegetable garden. c. Cut back annuals and perennials to encourage new growth and flowers for your return. d. Arrange to have your yard watered as necessary while you are away. If you will be gone more than a week or ten days, you probably should have someone mow your lawn. That should be enough to keep you busy. Just remember to take it easy. You are more important than your garden. Norman Wagner

3 3 Some members might be interested in our martin numbers this year. Steve Barnick, who was out on the lot Sunday, writes a weekly report and sends to me and all the volunteers at the Virginia Avenue Sanctuary. Below is the latest report. Laura Joseph Landlords, The fledge count at the sanctuary continues to be a dismal affair. Of the 25 birds we had remaining last week only 5 were estimated to fledge. We have 16 young remaining in the nests and they all look healthy thanks to last weeks rain and totally awesome efforts by Dr Sumner to keep them alive. Here are the totals: 379 eggs laid, none counted 207 young hatched, 16 remaining 58 birds fledged In a couple of weeks the birds at the sanctuary will all leave and we can transfer this data to PMCA. It will be interesting to see how other landlords in the Texas area did during this season. I will attempt to get that information later in the summer and post it to y'all. I heard tell that the bulk of the birds are congregating near Highland Mall in anticipation of the migration back to Brazil. There is also a rumor that they take a short vacation near Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana to relax, fatten up before making that trek. Heck it makes perfect sense to me...just wonder how hard it is to fly with those shiney beads around their necks...:) Regards, Steve Purple Martin Update P.S. It was a tremendous learning experience for Laurie and me working with Dr Sumner and all the landlords at the sanctuary. Although the numbers this year are a bit low the potential for success was only a few rain storms and a half dozen cooler days away from a really good year. For me that is enough incentive to be ready for next year! MARK YOUR CALENDARS The following events are of direct interest to the membership of The Garden Club of Austin. All events are at the Austin Area Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden at 2220 Barton Springs Road unless otherwise noted. Additional gardening calendar information may be found every Saturday in the Life and Arts Section of the Austin American Statesman. July 19 - Tuesday: Third Tuesday Lunch Bunch. About 11:15 AM at Luby s Cafeteria located at the southwest corner of Mopac and Steck Avenue. All members are invited to attend. July 23 -Saturday: Fern Team Workday. Meet at the fern bed for general maintenance from 9:30 to 11:00 AM. July 25 -Monday: NO Meeting for TGCoA Board of Directors this month July 28 -Thursday: Monthly meeting of TGCoA. Program: Ice Cream Social with Plant Show and Tell 7:00 PM Social, 7:30 program.. Aug 16- Tuesday: Third Tuesday Lunch Bunch. About 11:15 AM at Luby s Cafeteria located at the southwest corner of Mopac and Steck Avenue. All members are invited to attend. Aug 22 -Monday: NO Meeting for TGCoA Board of Directors this month. Aug 25 Thursday: Monthly meeting of TGCoA. Carol Hudson will be our speaker for August on the Chelsea Flower Show. Aug 27 -Saturday: Fern Team Workday. Meet at the fern bed for general maintenance from 9:30 to 11:00 AM. Now There s Proof... Gardening Makes You Happy! Anytime I have a few spare minutes, I m drawn to my garden. I know that I can always find something that needs my attention, but also I find beauty in the tiniest of blooms. After being outside working or poking around a short time, I feel rejuvenated. My garden needs me and I need my garden! Now there s scientific proof that the effects of being outdoors and exercising are good for your health. An article in Scientific American magazine sited a research study conducted by scientists at the University of Essex in the UK. Exercising is already known to make people happier, and so is being outdoors. So the scientists wanted to combine both and study people who exercised outdoors. A group of more than 1200 participants that spanned ten studies took part in the research that included gardening, country walking, and sailing. Those in the study then rated their mood and self-esteem. With as little as five minutes outdoors, both exercising and walking participants reported significant improvement in both mood and self-esteem. Those participants with mental disorders seemed to have improved the most. Just five minutes, you say? That s right. It s the first study that has actually been able to evaluate the amount of time it takes to positively change your attitude when you re outside! Sandi Schmidt (Next Month...How gardening makes you smarter...)

4 4 A few photos from the Sunday Stroll Photos by Sandi Schmidt

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