Here in Texas, if you’ve been waiting, and hoping, for your lawn to start growing this spring and return to its former lush green splendor, it’s probably safe to say that if it hasn’t started growing yet then it’s just not going to happen. Last summer’s record breaking temperatures, the severe drought we are still facing, and the watering restrictions most of us are still under have combined to make this a very difficult time to maintain a lawn in Texas and many other areas of the country.

Turfgrass covers almost 2 million acres of land in the state of Texas. It’s unclear exactly how many lawns died, but the Texas Forest Service recently reported that some 5.6 million urban shade trees were killed by our record drought last year.

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Options
If your lawn is one of the many to have died, you basically have three options available to you besides leaving what once was your lawn in its current state as a sort of tribute to the dust bowl. Restore it to its previous state with new sod or seed. Replace it entirely with non-turgrass alternatives such as gravel, mulched beds, or patios and pathways. Or you can reduce it by incorporating areas of mulched beds and hardscape into your yard along with a smaller amount of turfgrass. Look at this as an opportunity to rethink your entire home landscape design and modify it to not only save water, money, and maintenance time, but to make it look the way you always wanted it to look.

Make a Plan
Start by making a diagram of your landscape and garden plan. If you have the original survey from when you bought your house, make a copy of it and use that as a starting point. If not, just make a rough sketch of the footprint of your home. Draw in existing landscape features, and planned lawn and garden areas. Indicate which way is north and make note of any shady or poorly drained areas.

When planning new landscape, it’s sometimes easier to go back out in your yard and envision your ideas where you may want to put them. Remember to not just consider how existing trees and shrubs look now, but how they will look when they get larger and more mature. Decide which views and nearby sounds you what to screen, and which views you want to accentuate. Take into account each window that looks out onto your yard and place an attractive view, or privacy screen as needed.

Make it Fit Your Needs
Think about what you will be doing in your yard. If you have young children and pets you will need more open lawn. If the kids are grown and you are a gardener, then plan for more space to grow vegetables and flowers. Decide how much time and effort you want to put into maintaining your landscape. Plan for a more elaborate landscape design if you really enjoy working in the yard. To minimize maintenance, consider a simple landscape design utilizing smaller lawn areas, more mulched areas, native plants, pathways for heavily traveled areas, borders around beds, the use of more perennials and less annual flowers, flowering trees and shrubs for color, and an irrigation system. Lay a garden hose on the ground in the shape of a proposed bed to help get a better idea of how it will look.

Choose Plants and Turfgrass
When choosing plants, consider their sunlight and moisture requirements and group plants with similar requirements together. Think about each plant’s form, texture, and growth habit both when new and as it matures and also throughout each season. It’s always a good idea to have some seasonal interest in the yard all year long.

Lantana flowing from an urn in a mulched bed

Don’t Worry
At this point, the thrill of coming up with a new landscape design is probably slowly being replaced with the dread of the time, money, and effort it will take to complete the entire project. It’s always a good idea to make a master landscape plan for your entire yard, but that doesn’t mean that you have to do it all at once. Start with a small area, and as time, finances, and weather permit gradually chip away. Enjoy yourself, and get help when you need it.

In my next post we’ll take a detailed look at selecting, planting, and caring for each type of turfgrass, and how to bring all of the pieces together to take your landscape plan from paper to the soil of your yard. So for now, get out there and make your landscape plan. By making a plan, choosing the right plants, trees, and turfgrass, and taking it one chunk at a time, you can achieve that coveted “Yard of the Month” sign, plant and grow enough vegetables to feed your family, or just lower the amount of time you need to spend working in your yard. It’s up to you… but I’ll be here to help.

According to a North Carolina State University study, a proper layer of mulch will result in a 10 to 25 percent decrease in soil moisture loss due to evaporation, help keep the soil aerated by reducing soil compaction from rain hitting directly on the soil, and reduce water runoff and soil erosion. The insulating qualities of mulch help keep the soil at a more uniform temperature by keeping it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

Types of Mulch
Mulch falls into one of two main categories, organic mulch and inorganic mulch. Organic mulch would be material such as pine straw, bark nuggets, wood chips, compost, grass clippings, or even layers of newspaper. Organic mulch will usually decompose over time and will need to be replenished regularly. Examples of inorganic mulch are gravel, rocks, pebbles, recycled glass, recycled tire mulch, and landscape fabric. This type of mulch typically does not decompose over time so need only be placed once.

How Much
Mulch should be applied to a depth of about 2 to 4” and extend out to cover as much of the root zone as possible. For trees, mulch at least 3 to 6’ out from the tree. Be sure to pull mulch back 1 to 2” from the base of plants and trees to prevent rot.

Mulch Use Calculator
Check out The How Do Gardener Mulch Use Calculator to calculate how much mulch you will need to cover an area based on its length, width, and the depth of mulch desired.

Use a Border
Rather than just having a mulched bed go right up against your lawn, use a border of stones, metal or plastic edging material. This will make for a distinct outline for your mulched area, keep weeds and grass from growing into your beds, and make trimming the grass along the bed edges much easier.

Free Mulch?
Well, mulching sounds like a good idea, but what about this whole “free mulch” thing? Did you ever wonder what happens to the tree limbs and branches that the power company trims back from power lines, or the empty glass bottles that are picked up from all of those recycling bins you see curbside on garbage day? Here in Austin, and in many cities across the country, they are processed into various forms of mulch and made available to the public for little or no cost, usually at the city dump or recycling center.

Tree waste is shredded into traditional wood mulch, and the collected glass waste is crushed into small pieces and tumbled with course sand until the edges are smooth and there are no more sharp points. Some facilities sort the glass by color, and others mix glass of all colors together to produce an attractive multi-colored glass mulch.

Here in Austin, you can get as much wood mulch as you can load into your vehicle for no charge. If you load glass mulch yourself, it is also free, or for $9.67 you can have a worker in a Bobcat load a ton of glass mulch in one quick dump. Not a bad deal, a ton of mulch for the same price as a few bags of mulch purchased from the store.

Get Creative
Try putting different types of mulch in different beds and pathways in your landscape to add interest. Glass mulch makes an interesting and attractive addition to your home landscape, but its unique properties afford an opportunity to get creative. Try replacing that narrow strip of grass between the street and the sidewalk with glass mulch. I decided to form up my own custom concrete stepping stones, in sizes ranging from 1’ by 1’, to 1’ by 2’, and embed a layer of glass mulch into the top of the wet concrete to provide a one of a kind look for a pathway.

Summary
Mulch can be applied any time of the year. It can consist of a wide variety of materials with many different textures, colors, and looks. Other than a little elbow grease, it can often be applied for little or no cost. Check with your local municipal waste management facility or recycling center for free mulch in your area. Mulch is a great way to spruce up your landscape and protect your plants. Choose mulch with the look and the price that suits your needs and put some down this season. You’ll be pleased with the way your landscape looks and the way your plants and trees thrive.

Native plants are flowers, plants, trees, shrubs, vines, and grasses that have grown in and adapted naturally over time to a particular area based on that area’s soil conditions, typical rainfall, elevation, general climate, and weather conditions. They are an excellent way of introducing color, texture, and variety into your home landscape with plants that are easy to care for.

Benefits
Native plants offer many benefits over other traditional, but non-native, varieties. Among these are reduced irrigation needs, reduced pesticide use, reduced fertilizer use, resistance to pests and disease, and energy conservation. In essence, since they are able to grow and thrive on their own, you won’t have to put a whole lot of extra effort into caring for them once they are established.

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I really like working in the garden; I find it relaxing to be out in nature and focused on whatever gardening task I happen to be working on. But let’s face it, we all know the meaning of the phrase “too much of a good thing.” By using native plants when ever possible, you can spend less time maintaining your landscape, and more time enjoying it.

Key to Success
The key factor in successfully integrating native plants, or any plant for that matter, into your home landscape is to chose the right plant, for the right purpose, that is adapted to the right part of the country. A native plant that is ideally suited to growing in shade in Seattle will probably not do well in full sun in Phoenix.

Irrigation and Fertilization
Native plants are used to “taking care of themselves” when it comes to their irrigation and fertilization needs. Because they are so well adapted to a particular climate, and the typical fluctuations in temperature and rainfall that occur over time, they do best without heavy supplemental irrigation and fertilization. We all sometimes get an “itchy trigger finger” with our garden hoses when we are out in the yard watering our plants. But over watering and fertilization will kill a native plant much faster than a regional drought.

Reduced Pesticide Use
Just as native plants are well adapted to a certain area, each area of the country has its own “native pests.” The pests and the native plants have been trying to eat or repel each other for a long time. They have eventually reached equilibrium where either a given native plant is not damaged at all, or very little, by these pests. Which means that you typically don’t have to use pesticides on them.

Energy Conservation
You may be wondering how a native plant can help with energy conservation. After all, you can’t plug your toaster into your Oak tree. But, by properly placing native trees, shrubs, and vines in your landscape, you can significantly modify the micro-climate around your home to make it more energy efficient and lower your utility bills.

Your Roof
Large trees that shade the roof of a house can reduce the temperature in the house by as much as 8 to 10 degrees. By using native deciduous trees, trees that lose their leaves in the winter, you get the best of both worlds. Shade from sun in the summer, and sunlight reaching your roof in the winter will help in keeping it warm.

Your Air-conditioner
Use smaller trees and shrubs to provide shade for outside air-conditioner units. Just be sure not to obstruct the airflow, and to leave room for service access. A study by the American Refrigeration Institute shows that this practice can reduce the temperature inside a home by as much as 3 degrees.

Your Wall
For exterior walls that receive severe summer sun, try using a vertical trellis, about one foot away from the wall, with a native vine growing on it. This will allow air circulation behind the trellis, the foliage will block the sun in the summer, and when it dies back in winter, will allow the sun to reach the house to help keep it warm.

Resources
Your local Cooperative Extension office is always a great source of information, not just about native plants, but about any plant, tree, vegetable, turf grass, or general gardening question you may have for your region. Check out my March 2011 article with links to the Cooperative Extension office for each state.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The University of Texas at Austin, has an excellent web tool in their Native Plant Information Network for finding the native plants that are specific to each state, and recommended for various purposes.

Summary
Native plants make an attractive and easy to care for addition to any home landscape. You don’t have to tear out all of your existing grass, trees, plants, and shrubs to enjoy them. Try different varieties and locations to find what works best in your yard. Remember, once they are established, to just let them take care of themselves, and you can just sit back and enjoy.

Rose Rustling
You’ve probably never heard those two words used together before. They conjure up images of an outlaw in a black cowboy hat. Having decided that cattle were just a little too large and smelly to steal, he instead grabs his six-shooter and a pair of pruners, pulls his bandana up over his face, and heads off to rustle some roses from the neighboring ranches instead.

Quite to the contrary, a “rose rustler” is really the good guy in the white cowboy hat, riding in at the last minute to rescue long forgotten rose varieties. Scattered all across the country in old cemeteries, on abandoned homesteads, around old barns, along fences and back country roads are roses that have survived for decades. These “found” roses are hardy survivors and prized for their beauty and history.

Unlike our villain in the black hat, rose rustlers have strict rules of etiquette. When an old/new rose is spotted, care is taken to identify ownership, ask permission to visit the site, and ask permission to take a cutting for propagation. Information is usually gathered from the owner on how long it has been there, who planted it, and the plant’s blooming cycle.

A newly found rose is given a study name that usually relates to where it was found or the original owner. They are often identified as a known rose variety, but many go unidentified and thus permanently take on their study name. “Georgetown Tea”, “Highway 290 Pink Buttons”, and “Caldwell Pink” are just a few examples.

Antique Roses
Along with these “found” roses, many other “Old Garden” “Heritage” or “Antique” roses, many introduced into the U.S. before 1867, are being rediscovered. They are prized for their beauty, ease of growth, heat and drought tolerance, and adaptability to a wide variety of soils.

Research Proven
Horticultural experts at Texas A&M University have conducted an extensive eight-year field research study on these roses. During the study period, no pesticides were applied in order to evaluate their resistance to disease and pests.

Full Sun
All roses require “Full Sun” to thrive. Click on the “Tool Shed” menu above and then click on the “Sun or Shade” tool. Here you will find definitions, and graphical representations to help determine what areas of your yard are in Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade, or Dense Shade.

Air Circulation
When planting roses, it is important to place them in a location that has good air circulation and to plant them at their recommended spacing (ex. 4’ apart). Good air circulation around your roses will help to prevent fungal diseases.

Soil
Although these roses will grow in almost any soil, ranging from well-drained acid sands to poorly aerated, highly alkaline clays, they will really thrive in well-drained soil that has been amended with plenty of organic matter or compost.

Deadhead
No, we’re not back in our cowboy analogy. Deadheading roses is the act of cutting off the spent rose flower blossom once it has finished blooming and lost all of its petals. Deadheading helps encourage the rose plant to produce new flowers.

Know Your Zone
Each rose variety will grow in a certain range of “Plant Hardiness Zones” (ex. Zones 4-9). Be sure to check which zones each rose will grow in. Use the “Plant Hardiness Zones” tool in our “Tool Shed” menu above to learn about Plant Hardiness Zones and to find which zone you live in based on your zip code.

Summary
The table below shows several varieties of roses along with their characteristics. With the large variety in sizes, shapes, growth habits, colors, and fragrances these roses offer, you are sure to find at least one to fit your landscape. Use them in mass plantings, as specimens, in containers, to cover an arbor, to hide the doghouse, or as an extremely effective barrier to “varmints” of all sizes.

Plant some and enjoy them today. And maybe, just maybe, a long, long time from now, a rose rustler will discover them still growing right where you planted them.

DWARF SHRUB
Souvenir de St. Anne's	Blooms: Spring, Summer and Fall Size: 3’ tall x 3’ wide Spacing: 5’ apart on center Fragrant: Outstanding Plant Hardiness Zones: 6-9
The Fairy	Blooms: Spring, Summer and Fall Size: 3’ tall x 4’ wide Spacing: 6’ apart on center Fragrant: No Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9
SMALL SHRUB
Georgetown Tea	Blooms: Spring, Summer, and Fall Size: 4’ tall x 4’ wide Spacing: 6’ apart on center Fragrant: Yes, tea like Plant Hardiness Zones: 7-9
MEDIUM SHRUB
Belinda's Dream	Blooms: through all warm months Size: 5’ tall x 5’ wide Spacing: 7’ apart on center Fragrant: Moderate Plant Hardiness Zones: 5-9
Knock Out®	Blooms: Spring until first frost Size: 5’ tall x 5’ wide Spacing: 6’ apart on center Fragrant: No Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9
CLIMBING
New Dawn	Blooms: Spring Size: 15-20’ tall x 10’ wide Spacing: 12’ apart on center Fragrant: Yes Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9
Sea Foam	Blooms: Spring, Summer, and Fall Size: 8’ tall x 4’ wide Spacing: 6’ apart on center Fragrant: No Plant Hardiness Zones: 4-9

Imagine that it’s a crisp, clear, sunny spring morning. You just woke up, grabbed a fresh hot cup of coffee, and are walking out to the driveway to admire that new car you just bought. And why not admire it? You worked hard for it. You spent all winter researching different models and planning your purchase. Plus, you just spent a few hours yesterday washing and waxing it.

Suddenly you stop dead in your tracks. “What the…!” You notice bits of broken glass on the ground near where the side window used to be. And there, sitting in the driver seat with a bunch of loose wires in his hand and a smirk on his face is that teenager from down the street. You’ve seen him hanging around the street corner. You’ve heard from neighbors of the trouble he’s caused them. But you never thought you’d catch him red handed trying to take something of yours.

That’s pretty much how you feel when you go out to your garden and see a bunch of pill bugs eating your strawberries, a stinkbug sucking on one of your peaches, or a grasshopper gnawing on your lettuce. To paraphrase that infamous Sith Lord, “Take your pesticide, Strike down the cabbage looper with all of your hatred, and your journey to the dark side will be complete.”

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Integrated Pest Management
Fortunately, by utilizing a technique called Integrated Pest Management, we can control pests in our garden without making our backyard a nuclear waste dump. According to the Department of Horticultural Sciences, and the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M University, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for the home vegetable garden consists of four key strategies:
1) Plant genetic resistance to pests and disease
2) Biological control (the use of one organism to control another)
3) Environmental and cultural (favorable for the plant, unfavorable for the pest)
4) Chemical

Plan Ahead
IPM starts before you even plant your garden. Choose vegetable varieties that are resistant to pests and diseases or that will continue to grow and produce vegetables in spite of pest damage. Your state Cooperative Extension system is an excellent source of information on vegetable varieties that do best in your area. Check my post from March 2011 for a listing of, and links to, the Cooperative Extension agencies in each state.

Healthy Plants
A healthy plant can better survive pest damage and ward off disease. Place your garden in an area that receives at least 6-8 hours of full sunlight each day. Ensure that the soil in your garden is high in organic matter and drains well. Consider using raised beds. Water your plants deeply and regularly, but don’t over water. To help prevent plant diseases, always water early in the morning so the foliage will have a chance to dry during the day. Consider drip irrigation. Many pests live, and eat, on the underside of foliage. Sometimes just spraying the affected area with a garden hose will at least temporarily wash them off.

Keep the Bugs Out
Keep your garden clean and weed free. Always remove any dead or diseased foliage from your plants, and remove weeds and plant debris from your garden as they can harbor pests. Consider covering your plants with floating row covers. A floating row cover is a lightweight fabric that can be purchased from your local garden supply store. The fabric allows rain, and 85 to 90% of sunlight to penetrate. It can protect your plants from wind damage and offers some moderate frost protection as well. Be sure to uncover your plants when they are flowering so that bees and other pollinators have access.

According to the AgriLIFE EXTENSION, Texas A&M System, an estimated 70% of all plant problems are caused by cultural practices rather than insects and diseases.

Lizard on a potato plant

Biological Control
Biological control is the use of one organism to help control another. Most pests have natural predators or parasites that can help to keep a pest population in check. Introducing companion plants into your garden can provide a desirable environment for these beneficial predators and parasites. Some companion plants may exude natural chemicals that repel pests. Other companion plants can even be used as a trap crop, a plant that the pest is more attracted to than your vegetables.

Identify the Problem
There are more than 30,000 species of insects found in Texas alone; fewer than 100 of these cause problems in vegetable gardens. These insects come in a vast assortment of sizes, shapes, and colors, and can fly, walk, crawl, or dig their way into your garden. For any given insect species, its appearance and often its mode of transportation will change dramatically as it progresses through its life cycle.

The key to proper identification, and successful control, of pests is early detection. Pests can migrate to, or reproduce in your garden very quickly and in large numbers. If possible, make it part of your daily routine to spend time in your garden each morning. It’s a good time to see how your plants are growing, water your plants, inspect your plants for any signs of pests, and if you’re lucky harvest a few fresh vegetables.

Vegetable IPM website
Here is a link to the Integrated Pest Management for the Home Vegetable Garden website, http://vegipm.tamu.edu/. This site will help you identify an insect, both pests and beneficial insects, by its name, a picture, the type of damage it’s doing, or by the vegetable it’s damaging. It also offers different methods of controlling the pests.

Chemical Control
The mention of chemicals to control pests often conjures up images of someone in a HAZMAT suit pumping barrels of highly toxic substances all over your vegetables. But many pesticides are derived from natural substances and are approved for organic gardening usage. The toxicity level of a pesticide is rated by its Lethal Dosage (LD50) Value. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, An LD50 is a standard measurement of acute toxicity that is stated in milligrams (mg) of pesticide per kilogram (kg) of body weight. An LD50 represents the individual dose required to kill 50 percent of a test population. Because LD50 values are standard measurements, it is possible to compare relative toxicities among pesticides.

The lower the LD50 dose, the more toxic the pesticide. A pesticide with an LD50 value of 10 mg/kg is 10 times more toxic than a pesticide with an LD50 of 100 mg/kg. The table below shows the LD50 levels of several chemicals.

Pesticide Acute Toxicity by LD50
Source: Montgomery County Texas Extension

Chemical	LD50 Rating
Nicotine	55	MOST TOXIC
Dursban	163
Sevin	246-500
Diazinon	300-850
Orthene	866-945
Ryania	1,200
Rotenone	1,500
Aspirin	1,200-1,750
Malathion	2,800
Table Salt	3,500
Spinosad	3,700-5,000
Sabadilla	5,000
Glyphosate	5,600
Benomyl	> 10,000
Neem	> 10,000
Insecticidal Soap	> 10,000
B.T.	> 10,000
Pyrethrum	> 18,000	LEAST TOXIC

Summary
Do your best to prevent pests before they can do a lot of damage. Attract beneficials to your garden. Have patience. All gardens have at least a few pests. Monitor outbreak areas before you spray. Know your pest. By properly identifying the pest and its current stage of development, the appropriate pesticide can be chosen. Choose a pesticide that kills only the pest and not beneficials.

Trying to use “the force” or a “light saber” to keep pests out of your garden probably won’t work. But a little hard work and a well-planed Integrated Pest Management program will go a long towards ensuring a bountiful garden harvest.

—Abraham Lincoln, Speech at the Wisconsin State Fair, 1859

Unless you haven’t eaten in the past several months, or you already grow all of your own produce, you’ve probably noticed that food prices have been rising dramatically. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index Data for March 2012, the Consumer Price Index for fresh vegetables purchased for home use rose 4.5 percent from the same time last year. According to the USDA, the average cost to the U.S. consumer of Lettuce is up 8.1%, and Potatoes are up 12.1% from 2010 to 2011. Recent USDA data also shows that the price of grains such as corn, wheat, rice, and soybeans has increased 234% since January 2002.

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Let’s take a look at the two major indexes used by the government to measure changes in price over time.

The Producer Price Index (PPI)
The Producer Price Index (PPI) measures the change over time in the selling price received by domestic producers for their goods. An example of this would be the price that a farmer receives when he sells the potatoes he’s grown to a grocery store.

The Consumer Price Index (CPI)
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures change over time in the price paid by consumers. In our example, the price you pay for those same potatoes when you buy them at that grocery store.

Something to Consider
Here’s something to think about. The retail price (CPI) of fresh table stock potatoes rose 14.2% from March 2010 to March 2011. That’s a large increase. But, the PPI for fresh table stock potatoes rose 65.7% over the same period. That means that while the grocery store paid 65.7% more for potatoes than they did the previous year, they are only charging you 14.2% more.

For whatever reason, the REAL price of those potatoes is not yet being passed on to you. It could be that out of the shear kindness of their hearts the grocery store has decided to take a huge loss on potatoes and many other products. More likely, if the cost you were asked to pay for potatoes suddenly increased 65.7% the next time you went to the store, you’d probably just do without potatoes. Imagine if your entire grocery bill were to increase 65.7% tomorrow. What would you do?

The point being, there are still plenty of price increases already in the “pipeline” just waiting to be gradually added to your grocery bill.

Reasons Why
There are four long-term trends that are contributing to our skyrocketing food prices: Population, The Value of the U.S. Dollar, Oil Prices, and U.S. Biofuels. Severe weather in various parts of the world over the past year also played a role.

Population
Populations in developing countries are increasing rapidly. These same countries, mostly China, India, and Brazil are experiencing increased urbanization and an expansion of their middle class. This means that there are more people, fewer of them growing their own food, and more of them with money to spend on new and diverse foods. China’s soybean imports have risen sharply and now account for more than half of world trade. Year-to-date U.S. potato exports to China alone increased 37% from March 2010 to March 2011.

The Value of the U.S. Dollar
Since there are more dollars being printed, each of these dollars is now worth less and it takes more dollars to buy something. As the value of the dollar decreases, our cost for food goes up. The potato you just bought from the grocery store is still just a potato. It is no different than the potato you bought from that same grocery store last year. An ounce of gold is still an ounce of gold, no different than an ounce of gold purchased last year. As the value of the dollar goes down compared to other currencies, the cost to purchase that same potato goes down for purchases made with another currency. Exports of our beloved potato increase and there are fewer potatoes for domestic consumption.

Oil Prices
We have all noticed the sharp increase in the cost of gas at the pump. These increases raise the production and transportation costs in the agriculture sector. It costs our farmer more to fuel his tractor and more to transport his potatoes from the farm to the grocery store.

U.S. Biofuels
Besides being used for human consumption, corn is the major feed component used in the beef, chicken, pork, and dairy industry. The price of a bushel of corn has increased 56% since 2009. This past year 36% of all corn produced in the U.S. was used for the production of ethanol. That is corn that will not be available for food production. Ethanol has created an artificial market for corn according to economist Bill Lap of Advanced Economic Solutions.

Aren’t Things Getting Better?
Well, if you have small children in the room, you may want to cover their ears or have them leave before reading on. Here are just a few statements from The USDA Agricultural Projections, February 2012. “The U.S. dollar is projected to depreciate through the next decade.” “China and India together account for 37 percent of the world’s population.” “U.S. retail food prices rose faster than the general inflation rate in 2011 and are projected to do so again in 2012.” “The depreciated U.S. dollar since 2002 and its continued decline through the projection period makes U.S. agricultural exports increasingly competitive in international markets.” “World market grain prices are expected to remain well above historical levels for the next decade.” “U.S. ethanol demand for corn and EU biodiesel demand for vegetable oils, holds prices for corn, oilseeds, and many other crops at historically high levels.” “Employment gains are projected to be slow, with high rates of unemployment lasting for a number of years.”

Conclusion
I’m not an economist, a statistician, a financial advisor, or a fortune-teller. This is just how I see things from here in my garden. But as for me, the next time I think about investing in something, it will probably be another potato plant in the garden, or an extra can of corn from the grocery store before the price goes up another 51%. As you can see, having a vegetable garden really is as good as gold.

Consider these tips from the design experts at Lowe’s to help transform your space into a welcoming outdoor oasis. With just a few easy outdoor home improvement changes, you’ll have the best patio on the block.

Mix functional furniture
The line between indoor and outdoor design is blurring. You can coordinate the style of adjacent indoor and outdoor rooms, since you and your guests will likely spend time in both. No matter if you have a large outdoor deck or a simple small patio, many affordable, stylish outdoor furniture options are available from allen + roth. Set up furniture with flow in mind, grouping pieces together to encourage comfort, conversation and a view of nature.

Add colorful accessories
Incorporating rugs, outdoor pillows, candles and other accessories in vivid colors or fun patterns can really make your outdoor space come alive. Pick three to four colors for your scheme and stick with those colors throughout your design choices. Some of the season’s top hues include rich reds, vivid blues, soothing neutrals and garden-inspired greens. Metal accents are popular as well, so look for decor with gold or silver detailing for a design that’s modern with a tropical flare.

Incorporate a fire pit
An outdoor bonfire likely evokes pleasant memories of the past, so incorporate a fire pit into your patio space so your whole family can enjoy time together roasting marshmallows, telling stories and gazing at the stars. Today’s modern fire pits are both stylish and useful, adding a cozy ambiance while warding off the chill on cooler nights. Plus when the seasons do change and fall brings with it lower temperatures, you can still enjoy the beautiful outdoor space you’ve created because you’ll be comfortably warm. Remember to look for options that have a removable screen, so you can open when needed for cooking and then close to keep the fire safely contained.

Create privacy
Just because you’re outdoors doesn’t mean that you don’t want a bit of privacy from neighbors or passersby. The good news is it’s easy to create boundaries to your space by using a pergola or outdoor curtains. These options tie in nicely with other outdoor design trends and can give just the right amount of privacy, creating your own outdoor “room” in which to enjoy the long, sunny days.

Light the night
Lighting can really make your outdoor space come alive once the sun goes down. Add depth and intrigue by “lightscaping” from different sources. Consider putting up string lights that provide a magical setting that is sure to dazzle guests long after darkness falls. Add an intimate wall lantern next to the patio door or eco-friendly LED garden and path lights to add a soft illumination to outdoor space.

Grow an herb garden
There’s nothing that adds the flavors of summer to food like fresh herbs. One of today’s top trends is to have a container garden so you always have your favorite herbs on hand to freshly pick. Popular herbs that are easy to grow include basil, chives, cilantro, dill, fennel and mint. When planting, use containers that complement your outdoor design. Vintage styles that feature aged patinas are very popular this year.

To organize your ideas and keep track of outdoor projects, create a MyLowe’s profile at www.lowes.com/MyLowes. Develop and store your wish list in MyLowe’s to help transform your drab deck into a stylish patio that just begs for you to kick up your feet, enjoy a cold drink and converse with family and friends.

Springtime is when deer damage is most noticeable, particularly as plants awaken from months of dormancy and prepare to bloom. Deer are the poster critters of natural adaptability. As suburbia has encroached on their wild habitat, deer have adjusted easily, finding plenty to eat in residential landscapes.

“In the early part of the 20th century, the deer population in the U.S. was less than half a million animals,” says Greg Ecsedy, owner of Bobbex Inc., which manufactures deer repellent. “Today, estimates place the deer population at between 15 million and 20 million animals that cause about $1 billion a year in damage to farms, gardens, yards and timber.”

“We know that deer will eat more than 500 different types of plants, so there’s a good chance that something you’ve planted will appeal to them, and you can bet they’ll eat it,” Ecsedy says.

Since deer need to consume a high volume of calories to survive – bucks weighing 125 to 250 pounds need 4,000 to 6,000 calories per day – their foraging can cause significant damage to suburban landscapes. Deer seldom travel alone, so a small herd can devastate a neighborhood quickly. Deer’s close proximity to people over the course of time has dulled their natural fear, so it’s quite common to see multiple deer nonchalantly noshing away – right outside your window.

Deer’s adaptability stems from their capacity to learn. Homeowners can defend their landscape by putting deer’s natural learning ability to good use. Deterrents that convince the deer your yard is no longer a desirable dining destination can successfully protect your home environment from these foraging foes.

Several methods can be effective in deterring deer, including the use of repellents like all-natural Bobbex Deer Repellent. Common solutions include:

* Deer Repellent – Deer rely heavily on their sense of smell to assess the desirability of an area for feeding, and to alert them to danger. Disrupting their sense of smell can disrupt their sense of security, which is why scent-based repellents often prove effective. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station gave Bobbex a 93 percent protection index – second only to a fence, at 100 percent, for effectiveness. The repellent uses ingredients that blend the scents of putrescent eggs, garlic, fish, clove oil and other proteins, so it smells and tastes awful to deer. It’s environmentally friendly and safe for animals and your family.

Apply it in almost any weather, it dries clear, won’t wash off after heavy rain or burn plants and grass. Bobbex Deer Repellent is available online at www.homedepot.com and in garden retail stores. To learn more, visit www.bobbex.com.

* Deer Deterrent Devices – Motion-activated noise makers and lights can scare deer off for a short time. Deer’s movement in the yard can activate motion lights at night, scaring them away, during the day you can use motion-activated sound. It’s likely, however, that deer will become acclimated to both tactics over time, and the sound and motion might not have an effect on them.

* Deer Fence – Fencing is considered the only surefire way to keep deer out of a garden, but keep in mind that deer have been known to jump 10-foot fences, and many communities restrict the height of fencing. You may not be able to put up a fence high enough to keep deer away – plus, fencing might not be practical and can be costly.

* Deer Resistant Flowers – Another option is to grow plants that deer don’t like. A hungry deer will eat just about anything, but you may have some success by planting deer-resistant flowers and plants like catmint, hellebore, yarrow, fuzzy lamb’s ear, and cleome near the plants you want to protect.

“Gardening on a rural acreage with a large deer population proved challenging in all seasons until we discovered Bobbex Deer Repellent,” says garden writer Jan Patrick. “We like that the same product we used to protect our shrubs and dwarf conifers in winter also effectively protects the summer garden. The fertilizer value of Bobbex is an extra plus.”

It’s that time of the year again. Time to plant tomatoes here in the Central Texas area!

One of my earliest childhood memories comes from a time when the milk, the bread, and, where I grew up, the potato chips, were delivered to your front doorstep. It was a time when the local grocery store only had fresh produce that was locally grown and was currently in season. Apples from China, or lettuce from Chile were about as common as carrots from the Moon. For me, that meant a long cold winter waiting and longing for the first fresh homegrown tomato of the season. Once that first tomato was ripe, we’d carefully pick it, wash it, and cut it into thick slices that were lovingly placed between two pieces of white bread with nothing more than just some mayonnaise, salt and pepper. It makes my mouth water just thinking about it.

No home vegetable garden is complete without a good crop of tomatoes. The tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is a warm-season crop and one of the most popular, and easily grown, vegetables in the country. Once you’ve tasted a fresh picked tomato from your own garden, you’ll wonder what those bland, waxy, tasteless red orbs are that you’ve been getting from your grocery store produce section.

According to the USDA, tomatoes are low in Sodium, and very low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol. They are also a good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium, Phosphorus and Copper, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Potassium and Manganese.

Tomatoes can be grown either from seed started indoors, or from transplants purchased at your local garden center. This is now prime tomato planting time here in Central Texas as our planting season runs from March 15 to April 10. There is usually a large selection of transplants available at reasonable prices this time of the year, and transplants are usually the easiest way to start your tomatoes. Select healthy plants that are 6 to 8 inches tall. Check to be sure that the transplants are not root bound. That is, that they don’t have a large amount of roots poking out of the bottom of the pot.

It’s really too late to start tomatoes from seed for this growing season, so wait until this coming fall or next spring to do so. To start your own tomato plants from seed, plant the seeds in a light, seed starter type, soil mixture at least 4 to 7 weeks before they are to be planted outdoors in your garden. One week before they are to be planted, harden-off the tomato plants by placing the potted plants in your garden to gradually expose them to increased amounts of sunlight.

Tomatoes come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and varieties and are classified as being either determinate or indeterminate. Determinate varieties stop growing once the plant sets fruit and the entire crop is produced all at one time. Indeterminate varieties continue to grow and set fruit as long as the temperature permits.

Tomatoes do best in well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter and with a pH in the range of 6.2 to 6.8. They require at least 6 hours of sunlight per day. Although tomatoes love warm weather, once daytime temperatures rise above 95 degrees, nighttime temperatures stay above 85 degrees or fall below 55 degrees, tomato flowers will no longer set fruit. If you tried to grow tomatoes last year, you’ll remember that it turned real hot, real early on in the year. That’s why you were lucky if you were able to get any tomatoes at all from your plants. It turned hot so early in the growing season that the plants were not able to set fruit.

The Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Williamson County recommends the following tomato varieties for our area. Listed next to each variety is the average number of days to harvest after planting for that variety.

Standard
Big Beef – 73
Black Krim – 80
Celebrity – 70
Early Girl – 57
First Lady – 66
Sunmaster – 74
Yellow Stuffer – 76

Cherry
Juliet – 62
Sugary – 60
Sweet Baby Girl – 65
Sweet Olive – 57
Sweet 100 – 60
Yellow Pear – 78

Paste
Roma – 78
Viva Italia – 72

An excellent way to encourage a vigorous root system on your tomato plants is to lay the plant on its side when planting. Dig a hole that is as deep as the transplant root ball is wide. Next dig a shallow trench just below the surface to bury the transplant’s stem in. Leave the top 3 to 4 inches of the plant sticking out of the ground and pile a little bit of dirt under this part to angle it slightly upward. Be sure to carefully trim off any leaves that are to be buried. Within a few days the plant will be completely vertical.

If left to their own devices, tomatoes will grow only so tall before they fall over and grow along the ground. This encourages disease, poor fruit production, and is not an efficient use of space. Use stakes or cages to help support your tomatoes and keep them growing upright. Place the stake or cage in the ground shortly after planting to minimize possible root damage. If using stakes, they should be about 6 feet tall and the tomato plant should be loosely tied to the stake at 10-inch intervals to support the plant.

Tomatoes need about 1 to 2 inches of water per week. A good way to help keep them from drying out and wilting is to put a 2-inch layer of mulch around each plant. If you don’t have adequate rainfall, water them once or twice a week. Consider drip irrigation as it conserves moisture and avoids getting the plant’s foliage wet, which can cause diseases. Fertilize your plants once every week or two with an application of a balanced fertilizer.

Tomatoes are relatively hardy but are affected by several insects and diseases. Hornworms are 3-inch long curled caterpillars that cut plants off at the soil line, chew 1/4’’ holes in pods or seeds, and occasionally chew leaves. Apply a Bacillus thuringiensis based insecticide to control them. Whiteflies are small, whitish insects that may be found in masses on the underside of leaves. Hose off the underside of leaves to knock off aphids or apply an insecticidal soap. Neem oil, sulfur, and other fungicides can be used to help prevent blossom-end rot. Deer or bird net is always a good idea, once the plants have set fruit, to keep our furry and feathered friends from enjoying our tomatoes before we do.

Harvest tomatoes when they are fully ripe. If you harvest them while they are still green, they can be allowed to ripen over time in the house. Keep unripe tomatoes in a well-ventilated area at room temperature until they are ripe. While fully ripe tomatoes can be kept fresh in the refrigerator for several weeks, never store green tomatoes in the refrigerator.

I don’t think I can really do too much to bring back the good old days of milk and bread being delivered to your front door. But, by following these tips, you should be able to enjoy that first fresh tomato from your garden in about 60 to 80 days from now. So, get out there, get a hold of some tomato transplants, and plant them now. Enjoy your gardening and enjoy your harvest.