The warm season vegetables are really starting to come in. Zucchini, tomatoes, the last of the snow peas from cooler weather, and a large Japanese cucumber. Perfect for a long weekend veggie salad.
New friends in the garden
We have some new friends in the garden this week- swallowtail caterpillars on our bronze fennel. These little guys start out small . Here is one at the First Instar stage of its life.
It will continually shed it’s skin to continue growing and making room for the next stage of growth. Here is another as a full grown caterpillar.
Gorgeous colors and they are just eating machines. We will keep a look out for chrysalis.
Simply amazing sight…
Every year I find myself completely captivated by a lifecycle that I follow in both my backyard and at the Preschool garden. Both locations have a passion vine which in spring/summer begin to get covered in these other-worldly flowers that smell wonderful and have an appearance like nothing I have ever seen. I could stare at them for a long time and still be fascinated. Passiflora is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants.
The “Passion” in “passion flower” refers to the passion of Jesus. The pointed tips of the leaves were taken to represent the Holy Lance. The tendrils represent the whips used in the flagellation of Christ. The ten petals and sepals represent the ten faithful apostles (excluding St. Peter the denier and Judas Iscariot the betrayer). The flower’s radial filaments represent the crown of thorns. The chalice-shaped ovary with its receptacle represents the Holy Grail. The 3 stigmas represent the 3 nails and the 5 anthers below them the 5 wounds. The blue and white colors represent Heaven and Purity.
But beyond the very detailed and amazing thought behind the symbolism of the flower, I just love when all of the baby caterpillars come out and start chewing away. They can do a pretty good job at taking the vine apart, but that vine usually bounces right back. And the caterpillars, once they grow nice and fat, curl up into a “J” and go into their chrysalis phase.
I never have been there as the butterfly emerges, but it is definitely one of my goals to see it happen.
Wildflowers in bloom at Titan Garden
It has been wonderful seeing the wildflower field colors emerge with these drenching rains we have been receiving. Thought I would share some of the pictures, but I hope many of our River Place families will take some time to walk through the area with their kids and explore the different flowers.
Drummond Phlox
Golden Wave Coreopsis
I expect we’ll see a few more varieties pop out over the next month. Thanks to our fabulous kindergarten, 1st and 5th grade gardeners for helping us get weeds out of our wildflower area so we can get the most from our wildflower plants!
Dragons in the garden
The RPE students work hard when they are in the garden, learning more about science and math and language. But we also like to share a little of the wonderment of the outdoors. Last week, we got to introduce the kids to Snapdragons, which had been planted last winter and had come back. Snapdragons are named because of their resemblance to a dragon’s head which then opens and closes (or snaps) when squeezed on the base of the flower.
The kids LOVED learning about this interesting name and I hope some of these small things they learn are part of the joy of being in the Titan Garden.
Scorpions, cockroaches and spiders, oh my!
With the feeling of spring peeping out every few days, we have been having a blast in the Titan Garden with the 1st graders and kindergarteners. They are noticing more and more green with every visit and the kindergarten students are about due to see their snow pea shoots emerging from the ground. Now you know there’s gonna be some celebrating on THAT day!
But what really might interest you is bugs. Not just any bugs but BIG BUGS. Like this
Now THAT is a cockroach. A Madagascar Hissing Cockroach to be specific.
Huge thanks to Wizzy Brown, our Travis County AgriLife Extension entomologist who visited with all of our 1st grade classes to talk to them about bugs living in the garden and what kind of habitats they might choose. Now we don’t expect to see that giant cockroach walking around, that was really just for thrills. And yes, your kids did pet the cockroach.
Some of our teachers were even brave enough to pet the cockroach. Ms. Phillips even brought her around on her hand to say hi to all the kids.
There was a male and female hissing cockroach that the kids got to see. How can you tell them apart? The male has horns- and a complete lack of sense of direction. 
Wizzie spoke to the students about how bugs contribute to the garden and how we can not assume that all bugs are bad bugs, that many of them are essential to our garden, and to our earth, to ensure that soil remains healthy, flowers get pollinated, and bad bug populations are controlled. Some classes explored around the garden a bit with Wizzie to see if they could spot areas that might be good bug habitats and find plants that would even attract bugs.
Along with our cockroaches, the kids also got to see an Emperor Scorpion, a very large centipede and millipede, and the molted skin of a Goliath Bird-Eating Tarantula. Believe me, the skin was enough to see- I didn’t need to see the whole spider.
Thanks to Wizzie for taking time to speak to River Place students!
Movin’ Up in the Titan Garden
We are moving up in the Titan Garden, and by that I mean making more room for our plants to grow up. Because we like things that climb and are delicious- like snow peas…and cucumbers…and beans. And we like fun things to walk under.
So a few weeks ago we went and purchased two cattle panels, one of our favorite accessories in the garden. They can be used for climbing roses and perennial vines, but we LOVE to use them in the vegetable garden. And we wrap pipe insulation around the edges to make sure they stay soft in case someone bumps into them.
The kindergarten classes came out and planted snow peas at the bottom of these trellises. And then it rained, and rained, and rained. That is Mother Nature’s way of telling us that she likes our choice of accessories.
Pollinator happiness
I was taking pictures in the preschool garden the other day and was watching the bees go crazy around the pumpkin blossoms. They were just so happy. Then I noticed a few of them looked a little weighted down. So I got in close and noticed the bees just covered in pollen all over their bodies and weighted down with full pollen sacks. Check it out!
What happened to that cute little garden???
What happened to that cute little garden you used to take care of Bonnie? The one with all the little hands and feet helping?
Don’t you worry, the little preschool garden is still going strong and we are doing monthly gardening classes. Let me catch you up…last time we posted was in June about the preschool garden and warm season veggies were sprawling. July came and we cleaned up and planted our pumpkin patch for fall.
September started with our wonderful students moving up to their new classes and it was time to come out to the garden. First order of business? Sun protection because no one told Mother Nature that September is the time for cooler weather- at least not here in Texas.
So my friends and I fashioned some sun hats out of newsprint and got on out to the garden.
First order of business- observation and exploration. Those kids wanted to see what was going on since their last visit. And what in the heck was this vine growing in the veggie garden?? So we talked about how cool pumpkin vines are because they have male and female flowers. And what they really like is insects who help them pollinate the flowers. We checked out the female flower with the baby pumpkin on it, just waiting to get pollinated so it can start growing.
Here is our trellis, beautifully covered in pumpkin vines The vines took a late summer beating from the aphids but we just kept giving strong sprays of water to knock them off. Some vines did have to be sacrificed as aphid food for the greater good.
We got about 5 great big pumpkins, 4 of them growing on the trellis. Here they are just starting to turn orange. In fact, one started growing and got caught in between the trellis metal bars so it is now stuck there. Guess we’ll have to take a hacksaw to that one. Perfect prep for pumpkin pie??
We left them up and delayed our cool season garden in order to have the pumpkins on the vine for Halloween but this next week they will be harvested for indoor decoration or pie making, whatever the kids want. Then on to greens and all the other good cool season veggies for the kids.
Support Our Local Independent Nurseries in October
Last night was the first drop of rain my garden has seen this summer. It wasn’t much, but enough to celebrate. To give you an idea of how severe our weather has been this summer and fall, we have had 88 days of 100+ weather. The record until this year was 69. The average is 14. ALL public boat ramps on Lake Travis are closed because the lake is at it’s 3rd lowest level on record.
Picture of Lake Travis low elevation during 2011 drought
(picture from Texas Parks and Wildflife)
So you get it, right? Things are pretty desperate here. And it has been depressing having to choose what plants to try and keep alive, now that we are on stage 2 water restrictions.
But I’m not writing to have a plant pity party this week. This week I want to say thanks to all of our local independent nurseries out there who have held on through this long drought waiting for a time when gardeners feel safe to start and plant again. I appreciate the selection of plants they have and the knowledge they are willing to share. And Pam Penick over at Digging has asked the Austin Garden Bloggers to show our appreciation of these local, independent nurseries. I wholeheartedly join in the cause! Here are some of the plants I have bought from these local nurseries over the years that I cherish in my garden (pictures are from earlier, more lush times in the garden!).
”Macho Mocha” Mangave
Purple salvia- a nice break from the traditional red or white.
Jerusalem sage- a fantastic, drought tolerate, deer-resistant choice
Loropetalum or Chinese Fringe Plant. I’m not a big lover of everygreen shrubs- but this one just grabs me every time I see it with the crimsom foliage. Some varieties have green and white foliage, other’s more green/red combo or more purple.
Lamb’s Ear with Mexican feather grass. These beauties last for years in the garden even in drought conditions.
Confederate Jasmine, also called Star Jasmine- this vine is gorgeous come April when it blooms out insanely. And the smell, oh the smell. I could lay in bed for days just breathing that scent. And luckily it is right outside my bedroom window, so I can- just not for days.
So thank you to some of my favorite nurseries who have supplied me with so many wonderful plants- I’ll be making a trip soon to bring my garden back from the brink. Here are a few of my favorites:
Barton Springs Nursery
I love this nursery because plants are well-labeled, they carry a large stock of 4″ pots which keeps costs down, a huge selection and a helpful staff. In addition, they have a beautiful selection of pots. 3601 Bee Caves Rd. (512) 328-6655.
The Natural Gardener
NG is just a fun place to explore. Although a bit more of a hike down south in Oak Hill for me, I like to go and meander through the display gardens. The staff and set-up of the garden always prove very educational if you need some direction on care of a plant. Plus I love the Ladybug brand of products. 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd. (512) 288-6113. Click for my tour of the Natural Gardener.
Shoal Creek Nursery
This nursery is more convenient to me and I like exploring it when I have some spare time. 2710 Hancock Dr. (512) 458-5909
Red Barn Nursery
The Red Barn is located up north off 183 and they have a very nice selection and a pleasing, sprawling set-up. Vegetables, natives, herbs, annuals, trees, they have it all. 12881 Pond Springs Road (512) 335-8093
