View this email in your browser In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt. Margaret Atwood, "Unearthing Suite" WESTBANK COMMUNITY GARDEN NEWSLETTER MARCH 2017 WHAT TO PLANT IN MARCH GARDENER SPOTLIGHT From seed: Beets, Carrots, Endive, Kale, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Parsnip, Peas, Radish, Rutabaga, Spinach, Turnips From plants: Artichokes, Asparagus, Asian Greens, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chard, Collards, Lettuce, Mustard Greens, Onion Sets, Seed Potatoes, Shallot Bulbs, Spinach HELLOS & GOODBYES Name: Wenyun Wang (plot #2) 1 of 5 4/3/17, 4:33 PM
Subscribe Share Past Issues Jane Dunham (plot 2) has moved out of the immediate area, so she is ceding complete control of the plot to her long-time co-gardener, Wenyun Wang. Thank you for all you've done for the garden, Jane! Please visit often. Also, Paula Tuttle (plot 4) is stepping away from the garden to devote more time to the Central Texas Master Naturalists. She has expressed interest in volunteering her group to help us out on future garden work days, so this is not goodbye, just a see-you-later! Courtney Odom, a relative newcomer to Austin from the Pacific Northwest, has taken Paula's place. Welcome, Courtney! PARTY TIME! Mark your calendars - our next garden get-together will be in the garden on Saturday, March 25th at 1pm! Bring a snack to share if you are so moved. Let Alex know if you have anything you would like to add to our agenda. Hometown: China My favorite thing to grow is: spinach. If I were a vegetable, I would be: a sweet potato. My favorite drink is: water. My dream garden project would be: a weed-free garden. The most exciting place I have visited has been is: Banff National Park in Canada. If I won the lottery, I would: travel. My perfect day would include: a walk around Town Lake. My favorite movie is: The Notebook (based on the book by Nicholas Sparks) One of my hidden talents is: sorting through stuff. 2 of 5 4/3/17, 4:33 PM
Subscribe Share Past Issues NAME THAT PLANT This wildflower is a very common sight in Central Texas in early spring. It can range from white and cream through reds and pinks, and all the way to nearly black! Part of its name is derived from the last name of the Scottish botanist who sent samples of the plant back to Great Britain after his expedition to Texas in the early 1800s. Think you know? Be the first to email Alex at alex@westbanklibrary.com with the correct name and win a $10 gift card to Barton Springs Nursery! And the winner of February's Name That Plant contest is Michael Shevory, a long-time library user and recipient of our garden newsletter. For being the first to know that this plant was a loofah (most commonly the two species Luffa aegyptiaca and Luffa acutangula), Michael wins the gift card! Michael has been growing loofah for years, and its combination of lush foliage and big, brilliant yellow flowers that flourish during our punishing summers always draws raves from his neighbors. Michael gifted me with a jar of loofah seeds, and I've planted several in each of the pergola corners - hopefully by summer the pergola will actually provide us with some shade. If you would like to try growing loofah, help yourself to the seeds, which I've placed on the shelf in the shed. But be sure to scarify the seeds first or they will 3 of 5 4/3/17, 4:33 PM
Subscribe Share Past Issues FRIENDLY REMINDERS Keeping the grass trimmed is the communal responsibility of all gardeners. The weedwacker, extension cords, eye protection, and extra string spools are kept in the shed. The closest outlet for the extension cord is on below the left side of the alcove window of the library, near the staff parking lot. If you want a refresher on how to use the weedwacker, please ask Alex or a fellow gardener. Thank you! Newsletter contributions welcome! (Recipes, growing tips, photos, articles, etc.) Send to alex@westbanklibrary.com. To communicate with your fellow gardeners, use the listserv address friends @westbankgarden.org. not germinate. Michael recommends the Emory board method: roughly scrape each seed until the white underneath is visible. Check out this very large anole sunbathing in the garden! Sent in by Lori (plot 14). WISH LIST I've updated our Amazon wish list again. Check it out if you would like to donate a needed item to support our gardening and beekeeping endeavors! If you do, please let Alex know so she can be on the lookout for the delivery. And let her know if you have requests to add. 4 of 5 4/3/17, 4:33 PM
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