Sandi,
How about that Master Gardener course? I am interested, can you post or dmail me a link with where to get more info?
June 8th Austin Nursery Tour Pics
Merae...Call the Extension Office, 854-9600, and ask for the Master Gardener desk. A new class is starting in August. Classes are on Tuesday afternoons. You'll love the classes.
You may ask them to send you information on growing tomatoes, your lawn, fruit trees, or whatever you're interested in. They'll send a packet of handouts on growing anything in Austin area. Also have list of arborists. You name it...there's a printout to send to you!
Found info on new class.....
The 2006 class will begin Tuesday, August 15 and will meet every Tuesday until November 14 from 1 - 5 pm at Zilker Botanical Garden. Cost of the class will be $225. Applicants will be required to attend an information session in order to receive an application. Information sessions will be held at the Extension Office (1600-B Smith Road, Austin) and are scheduled on the following dates:
Monday, May 1 at 5:30 pm
Thursday, May 11 at 5:30 pm
Tuesday, May 16 at 12 pm
Monday, June 5 at 12 pm
Applications must be postmarked no later than June 15. Applicants will be notified of acceptance into the program in early July. For more information, call the Master Gardener Desk at the Texas Cooperative Extension, 512-854-9600 or Manda Rash, Class Coordinator, at 512-918-9609.
Looks like you have two days to apply!!!!
Calvin,
I believe the white CM's are the huge ones. I planted 2 (one on each side of my house) years ago and they reached about 30 feet in 7 years. Hope my memory is correct. There are so many different cultivars of things nowadays that there might be a smaller version of the white.
My son said that the pics I'm sending him a very small. How about the ones I got through to you, Calvin...small or full size? Let me know ...I'll wait and email pics to you tomorrow so they will be correct size.
Sandi...sorry I won't be able to go to Marbridge and It's About Thyme tomorrow....other guys: I have a funeral to go to on Thursday and so had to rearrange all my plans...have an engagement party in Dallas (Roger's son) this weekend....
This message was edited Jun 13, 2006 11:51 PM
Sandi,
I would like info (since you ARE a font of information about gardening!! :) on the Men's (Austin) Garden Club. Are the meetings in the evening, like they were 20 years ago when I first started attending and then dropped out due to kids' activities? Can anyone join or does one have to be recommended? (I'm a teacher of good, moral standing! ha)
Connie.....if they let ME into the Men's Garden Club....weellllll, I think they'll let just about anyone in! It's the Garden Club of Austin now....because of all us pesky women. Mtgs. are the 3rd Thurs. of the month. This month, on the 22nd, we're having a mini staghorn workshop, an ice cream social, and quite a few members are going to demonstrate their hobbies at tables set up around the room. Mtgs are over before 9. Usually there's a great speaker each month. This mtg is a ''just for fun." Members also bring in plants to give away. You can drive here and go with me if you'd like.
Now, I HAVE to go outside and plant the stuff I bought Thursday...and Monday....last call for Cashmere Bouquet and cannas....they're going to plant heaven.....
Sandi.....What time do the meetings start? Around 7:00? I would love to go to the July meeting with you, if the invitation still stands! I'm going out of town early on the 23rd...to my 36th HS reunion...so better not try to go this month!
I can't wait to get some of the unusual color cannas, and I believe the ones you are thinning are the green foliage ones, yes? I saw one a HD a few days ago...beautiful yellow stripped leaves, but almost dead. I was going to beg for a bargain, but forgot in the excitement of getting basketball-sized pitts for 3.50 each!
Calvin...were the pics that got to you full sized? My son says the pics are small, and so I sent myself an experimental, and they were formatted small. I'm working on it, guys. Then will send pics to all who requested. I just recently started using Google's Picassa (one s?) for organizing images and Love It, but don't fully understand it yet.
Hey Y'all, Merae came over for lunch and we shared the Black from Tula for lunch. Also, I sent her home with several lovely plants from the cuttings Sandi gave us!! Merae also brought me a cutting from her coleus that I was drooling over last time I was at her house.
Here she is holding the precious tomato that was delicious.
So cool! (And I love your 'tomato-red' wall I think I see in the kitchen or b'fast area! I have had a red/ orange/brick red wall in every house I've lived in (even rentals!) for...oh...about 30 years! Now I just have a tiny coppery red wall over my wine bar area, but had to have it somewhere. Don't you love it, Michelle?
How is the Black's taste different...or is it just the wonderfully exotic color?
I took new pics (what did we do before dig. cameras and puters??) of the front bed this morning after planting the new Bonanza Barberries this week for needed Chartreuse color in front. I still have 3 spaces...for 3 Mugo Pines that I'm waiting for DH to buy...he always has 'friend' who is going to get things cheaper and bigger and better. haha...I'll find them in some "get rid of things before the 110 degree weather" sale and then plant.
Connie
And here are the Heavy stepping stones I lifted last weekend and almost got a heat stroke!
The flat rock here is where I'm thinking about placing the big blackish-green ball...yes? but don't want it to roll down to the street and kill someone! :)
This message was edited Jun 14, 2006 3:47 PM
Connie,
awesome stonework and garden. I'd love to come see it in person. Wow. beautiful.
Bryan owned this house before we got married. It was all white. Everything..white. So I like color and somehow convinced him to paint the color Red Red Wine. We agreed on the wall above the cupboards in the kitchen and all the way around to the wall that turns into the living room (including the fireplace area) and stopped there. We continued in a Pecan Sandy color thru out the rest of the living room and other side of the kitchen. We like it a lot and thanks for noticing. Bryan then put white crown molding up and it looks great.
I think the black tomatoes taste a little more smokey? Or maybe not? All I know is it was tastey. Less acidic tasting than the reds maybe? I saved seed for the Black from Tula. YUM. The color is exotic!
Michelle
This is what the inside of the BFT looks like...
Wow, Connie, your garden looks awesome! I buy ONE plant specimen.....you buy 15!!! Would love to see the yard. It must be fabulous. Love the color combinations. We had company for dinner, and afterward some neighbors dropped in to finish off the dessert and libations. Was fun, but I had to clean up...and now it's late..and I just got dishwasher going.
I love your rock work. I think the hard scape is the most important part of the landscape. If the hardscape is effective...you can get away with helter skelter plantings (which I do). I change color combinations each year....whatever mood strikes me at the time.
Not sure when I'll get to nurseries. We have to go to lake for Father's Day weekend. Gonna be soooooooo hot. Will make my trek into Marble Falls to see what's being dumped at HD and WalMart in plant depts.! then there's a nursery called Devil's Backbone right outside Mbl Falls. Will go there too.....
Bigbubbles, I wanted to let you know that I uploaded a few of the pics of your yard to my Flickr site. I didn't check first, I hope you don't mind. If you do, please let me know and I'll take them off right away. I really wanted to share them around. Wish I'd taken more pics. I could have spent a long time with the camera in your yard, but some of my near-and-dears have been telling me it's asocial to spend hours with my butt in the air and my eye glued to the camera taking pictures of a leaf. Anyway, here's the link, let me know if you want 'em removed. ^_^
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ampy/
Well, MIchelle and Sandi, I'd love to have you here (since you asked!) one day for lunch! My gardens are nowhere near finished...except for the front bed I just posted--and it still lacks the Mugo Pines I'm waiting to get for a bargain at Red Barn!--but what a good excuse for a get together! And...I always like to pick people's brains for ideas!~
ampy, really great pictures on your site. wow. are you a professional photographer? You must have a macro lens to get that close up? I keep bugging my DH to get a macro for our camera. You are quite talented! And those Sungold maters...yummy hu? They are DH's favorite so far.
Michelle
Hey Connie, I'd love to meet you at RB one day and have lunch with you and Sandi down at your place to check out your garden and stonework. It is all so gorgeous.
That's a great idea, as some people find it hard to find the house since it's in Old Lakeway. We could meet at RB while it's still cool...(like when they open!!) and then I can lead you to my house for lunch. What days are open for you after July 4? I have a party on July 5 and am going to Lubbock to help DD move on 11-13, but after that all calendar is clear, except for Tuesdays, which is my "in Austin" day. Ampy, you are welcome too..and Merae! I guess Nivlac is working now...
Sandi thanks for getting that information for me. I don't think I can swing getting off of work that soon, but believe me I will be letting the boss know I am interested. Connie, your garden and stonework is awesome. You have quite a talent there. Magnificent looking.
Michelle, you had to post that pic, didn't you! Remind me to get you back on that one. ha ha. I will let you take another one if you share another tomato with me. I went on and on and on to DH last night about how good that tomato was. I had to show him the pic of it.
It was sooooooooooooo good.
Blessings to you all.
Tomatoholic, sungolds are my favorite too! So far those are ripe, and a few supersweet 100s, and yellow plums. Last night we tasted the first off out not-very-prolific-so-far Snow White Cherry bush. David (who hates tomates) pronounced them 'surprisingly, not too icky'. They're his favorite so far.
Thanks for the compliments! I'm not even close to professional, or even skilled ametuer...for every postable photo, there's a ton of unusable fuzzy crap. Th camera, actually, is a decent point-and-shoot, a Canon Powershot A95. I want an EOS camera in the worst way, this this little guy does come through for me pretty often.
Ampy...you come back anytime...we just won't watch you with your butt in the air......Went to your site to make sure it wasn't going to be like the one that's featured in the editorial section today....whew. Flattered that you found something interesting in our garden. What kind of camera do you use? Mine doesn't do close-ups well.
Ampy...I just visited your photo site and would totally agree that you are Talented with a capital T !!!! and...I noticed that you and David have such fun with taking pics! (The one of him lying on a stone is cool!) I too love photography but know next to nothing about it...I just try to buy a good automatic camera and let it do the work for me! The camera you are dying for --I think--is one where you have to do all the settings, yes?
Did you read the posting abov e that you are welcome to come have lunch at my house in a few weeks?...read the above postings.
Sandi...we apparently were at Ampy's site at the same time...why didn't you holler if you saw me???? :)
connie, thanks for the invitation. Yall work out all the details and let me know when you are doing it and I will let you know if my work schedule will allow it.
ampy, wow. great pic's! I have fun taking pics but I am no good at it.
I'm pretty open so far after the 4th. so Connie, just let us know!
Merae, the picture of you holding the Black from Tula is adorable! I picked 2 Stupice today and I see a few Sweet 100's and Sungold about ready too. My Black Krim are getting close as well as a Red brandywine. I'm very anxious to eat the Red BW as I've heard that BWs are the best tomato ever.
Ampy, you need to tell David that hating tomatoes is pure gardening blasphemy! LOL!
Michelle....I absolutely LOVE tomatoes and often buy those 'grape' ones to just snack on like fruit / candy!!! (I think we talked about this while sitting at Whole Foods the other day!) If you would like to bring some of your babies (whether large or small maters) for us to slice and have a "tasting" during lunch, that would be fun!
Okay,
It has been awhile since I have gotten a chance to jump online.
Hello to everyone! I have only gotten a chance to skim through the thread....... did I miss something? AMpy Fantastic photography Are you a hobbieset or "do it for a living"? Everyone who commented on the X-scaping----- Tanya says you guys( oops- Gals) have me pegged. I really don't want to X things out, just use natives to cut down on watering bill. I have lots of comments to the already posted threads so I will try and scroll back and forth to add them later if not I will just pick up from here.... okay?
I have been working dillegently on the backyard, inspired by ya'll know who's backyard.... Thank you bubbles. I have gotten some progress but you wouldn't know it yet. Family came into town and was able to share the tours pics, they were amazed at the beautiful scenery. :)
Tanya finally got pics downloaded from cellphone. They really aren't of us but of the scenery at each location. I adding them into this thread.
Here they are:
Take care ,
calvin
another:
sorry I think this was already posted
This message was edited Jun 15, 2006 11:09 PM
and:
Calvin...looks like I'm fixing lunch for whoever want to come from our NT group...I know that's too far for y'all to drive for lunch, but just wanted you to know that y'all ARE invited. We haven't set the date yet...Sometime in July....and some of us will be at Red Barn the minute they open that morning...and then come to myhouse for lunch that I'll fix...just hang around...probably inside because of the HEAT!!! ha
COnnie let me know when, I'll try and schedule it.
Connie, I would love to come to see your garden and have lunch. Let me know when....July is a fairly free month, except for weekends. See you all at Red Barn soon! DH used Photoshop to 'stitch' together pics of the backyard. Came out pretty good, not distorted, except the yard looks huge...he's still refining it, I guess.
Sandi
Well, I do think we were tallking about a week day, again. This is actually not trying to put together another NT...someone else was going to do that. ha
I think we''ll just meet at Red Barn (since someone suggested it)....would be forced to do some shopping....ha...and then I'll lead to my house. It's not even 1/2 done, but I could use some suggestions.
Connie....are you on a laptop somewhere? I thought you were in Dallas today. If you are....see if you can get to Redenta's nursery. They have cool perennials. I just got a coupon from them for a big sale there. There's more than one location. When I was up there last yr for the Master Gardener conf., we did some major damage to the credit cards there and at Northgate.
yes...DH's laptop, and I'm so slow on them! :)
Where is Redenta's??? I'm going there as soon as I get directions!!
I'm at the Mariott's Res. Inn at the Speedway exit...or just before...Exit 65
DH is golfing with son''s future f-in-l...and I'm just sitting here with nothing to do as I planned to tan by the pool and it's sprinkling!
This message was edited Jun 17, 2006 10:47 AM
there's one on W. Arkansas Ln in Arlington, 817-451-2149 and one on 2001skillman st. in Dallas,214-823-9421. best to call and see what location is closest to you. they'll give you directions. ask at the front desk too. we used Lucidog's notebook of places to go...even had maps! had a caravan of vehicles following us around, and my "navigator" barking thru the cell phone to others when we were about to exit! Was a fun weekend. As I was the driver, I have no idea how I got to where I did....I just followed the navigator's instructions. I liked Redenta's because they have a list of 50 plants that they grow each year that are cool. And they sell out of 'em quickly....
Go to www.redentas.com....see what you can find...forgot you had access....duh...
Sandi...just called Redenta Gardens and as of June 1, they are now Tinker Grove Gardens. They are 45 minutes from me, so I'm going to try Calloway's in Ft W. I'm also looking up Bluestem...I think they have lots of grasses that I love!
I'm off to Calloway's....will report later.
Sandi, I just talked to John, the owner of Bluestem, and he's one nice guy! They are not really an open-to- the-public" nursery but their number was mistakenly placed in the regular nursery area of the yellow pages instead of 'wholesale.' They are working on propogating right now for the business in the fall...I'll contact later for a "by appt only' opening' during the fall...
That's weird, I just got card from them days ago. Also, it's North Haven, not Northgate that we liked......Have fun...we're off to check out rain tanks....
Sounds like you are having a dandy time in big D Connie! I love Dallas. I used to live there in 95-96 back in my advertising days.
Nice rain, hu Bubbles? It is steamy out there now. I went out to check on the maters and make sure they were all okay, and boy is it humid. So this is weird...my yellow iris that gets part shade in the back beds...well, one of them is blooming. I thought iris only bloom in the spring?? It sure is pretty anyway.
I had to take pictures of my maters this morning since it was raining and I didn't feel like doing Bryan's suggestion of scrubbing toilets! haha. I had picked some of the maters greenish in between storms this morning so they wouldn't crack. Here they are spread out:
L to R: Super Marmande, Black Krim, Red Brandywine
Stupice, Hard Rock, Sugary
Sweet 100's, Sungold
I am about to try a Black Krim. Have not had one yet. I'll be saving seed from it and the Red BW if anyone wants some.
Michelle
Those are gorgeous tomatoes! You definitely need to enter the garden club flower and veggie show. I'm seein' blue ribbons!!!
Well...since it was raining and we didn't feel like traveling the Highway of Death....290...in the rain, we went to Lowe's out on Bee Cave. The guy parked next to us showed us the orchids he'd just bought. 'Told him I was unimpressed as I'd killed more expensive plants than those. He said the $14.99s were $1. and the $26.99s were $2. Long story short......bought 6 lg and 8 sm. (I'm gonna kill 'em, I know). Then I found 2 cordylines in 3 gal for $2. I bought 6 gerber daisies for .50 in qt. size. 'And blk and bl salvia gal for $1. 'And Goldilocks Gloriosa Daisies in 3 gal for $2. Also found a pineapple guava (not on sale) that I'd wanted. Then....we had to take 'em all home. While having lunch, I mentioned that maybe the other Lowe's might be having a sale....Bruce said, "let's go before it rains." And they had some tropicals that were supposed to be half price, but rang up at 75% off...so back I went for a few more. Then DH cut me off untill I planted what I already have. Home again, he got tired and took a nap so I took his truck and went back to BeeCave store and bought 6 ''somethings'' that are only marked 'Pacifica Mix' Patio Performer. they were in 3 gal, $2. each. I'll have to post pic to get ID. Hope they're not deer food 'cause I wanted to plant them out front on side yard. Was a fun day...for me, not so much for Bruce! We're off to dinner.
We had 2" in the rain gauge this morning. Wind was fierce for a while.