October's Monthly Meeting

The Garden Club of Austin Invites you to a Members Appreciation Dinner

October 27th, 2011 at 7 PM

Members must RSVP by October 25th, 2011 To Laura Joseph

We are having a Mexican Fiesta dinner for club members only. Join us for food, fun and fellowship at the October meeting. 

President’s Message

Thanks to Laura, we had a very interesting program at our September 22, 2011 meeting. Elizabeth Cannedy spoke about bluebonnets, bluebonnet seeds were given to club members, and several members displayed books and paintings by renowned bluebonnet artist Porfirio Salinas. Other paintings, magazine wildflower pictures, etc. were also displayed. If you didn’t read last month’s newsletter, look back and read Laura’s article on “Bluebonnet Artists of Texas”. Very interesting!

Our board of director’s meeting will be on Monday, October 24, 2011, and our regular club meeting for October will be on Thursday, October 27, 2011. In lieu of our previous scheduled program, we’ve decided to have a Members Appreciation Dinner. There will be a Mexican Fiesta dinner for us all. This will be for members only and you will need to RSVP to Laura.

I have appointed a nominating committee to get a slate of officers and board members for 2012. They are Norman Wagner, Joyce Fox, Sandi Schmidt, and Carol Kay Johnson. Remember that the nominating committee will try to have at least one person willing to serve in all officer and board member slots to present at the October meeting. Others can be nominated from the floor. We will vote at the November meeting, and new officers and board members will be installed at the December Christmas banquet. Volunteer to serve in a capacity that you would feel comfortable in, or try to serve if you are asked to. We need more participation from more club members to keep everything interesting and moving forward.

I look forward to seeing all of you at the board meeting and regular meeting in October.

Sincerely,
Wilburn

Bluebonnet Presentation

Elizabeth Cannedy gave an informative presentation and planting demonstration about our state flower, the bluebonnet, at our September meeting. We were also privileged to have Cecille Marcato, the Neill-Cochran House Museum Director speak to us. She brought the Mode Walker painting that was instrumental in getting the bluebonnet declared our state flower. Cecille gave us a little of the history of the museum and how the bluebonnet painting was acquired. Our club provided bluebonnet seeds to all in attendance. This is the perfect time to get those seeds planted.

October Climate for Austin

The average daily maximum temperature varies from 86 at the beginning of the month to 76 at the end. The minimum varies from 64 at the beginning to 53 at the end of the month. Extremes are 98 observed in 1991 and 30 in l993. We average about 4 days with a maximum of 90 or higher.

Precipitation averages 3.43 inches but has ranged from a wet 12.31 in 1960 to only a trace in 1952. A maximum 24-hour amount of 7.22 occurred in 1960. On average, precipitation is observed on 6 days during the month with thunderstorms occurring on 3 of those days.

We usually receive about 64% of the possible sunshine, and between sunrise and sunset have 13 clear days, 9 partly cloudy days and 9 days with overcast conditions. The time between sunrise and sunset decreases from about 11 hours 53 minutes at the beginning of the month to 11 hours at the end of the month.
 

Gardening Checklist for October-November

Fall rains and cooler weather have finally arrived (at least for a little while). It makes getting outside to work in the garden a much more pleasant experience than it was during the past several months. Here are a few things to consider doing before the cold weather of winter sets in.
Purchase started plants of pansies, snapdragons, dianthus, flowering kale, and flowering cabbage for attractive winter and spring color in the garden.

• This is the month to plant wildflower seeds.
• A final application of fertilizer can be put on your lawn early this month if you failed to fertilize in September. A ratio of about 3-1-2 is usually recommended, though some think the nitrogen could be higher.
• Now is the time to feed Azaleas and Camellias with bone meal.
• Most vegetables should already be growing in your garden, but spinach, chard, garlic cloves, radishes, snow peas, parsley, and onion seed can still be planted.
• Clean and sharpen all hand tools and cover all metal parts with a light coating of oil to prevent rust before storing for the winter.
• Scale insects on broad-leafed evergreens such as Camellia, Gardenia, Holly, and Euonymus can be effectively controlled by spraying with dormant oil. Do not use oil spray if the temperature is expected to go above 80 degrees.
• Keep checking regularly for aphids and caterpillars on fall flowers and vegetables.
• If you are thinking about planting a new tree in your landscape, fall is a great time to do it. Several local garden centers have very good prices on their trees now.
• Our first winter freeze can come anytime after the end of October. Now is the time to get your winter gear (faucet covers, row covers, etc.) ready for when you need them.
• Don’t start pruning yet. Wait until at least after the first freeze.
• If you’re lucky enough to still have a lawn, now would be the time to apply Corn Gluten to discourage weeds and grass burrs next spring.

Until next month, good gardening! 

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.

Oct 18-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.

Oct 22 -Saturday: Fern Team Workday.

Meet at the fern bed for general maintenance from 9:30 to 11:00 AM. Last workday.

Oct 24 -Monday: TGCoA Board of Directors meeting 7 PM

Oct 27-Thursday: Monthly meeting of TGCoA.

Members appreciation dinner 7 PM Nov 14 -Monday: TGCoA Board of Directors meeting
7 PM

Nov 17 - Thursday: Monthly meeting of TGCoA.

Joint meeting with Austin Cactus and Succulent Club. Speaker will be noted Dallas photographer, Irwin Lighthouse.

Nov 21-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.  

Home Grown Tomatoes

by Guy Clark

This song is brought to you as the special request of Joe Colwell! There’s also a video you may enjoy of Guy Clark singing his song: http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-QzLIjL1u4

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Ain't nothin' in the world that I like better
Than bacon & lettuce & homegrown tomatoes
Up in the mornin' out in the garden
Get you a ripe one don't get a hard one

Plant `em in the spring eat `em in the summer
All winter with out `em's a culinary bummer
I forget all about the sweatin' & diggin'
Every time I go out & pick me a big one

Homegrown tomatoes homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love & homegrown tomatoes

You can go out to eat & that's for sure
But it's nothin' a homegrown tomato won't cure
Put `em in a salad, put `em in a stew
You can make your very own tomato juice

Eat `em with eggs, eat `em with gravy
Eat `em with beans, pinto or navy
Put `em on the side put `em in the middle
Put a homegrown tomato on a hotcake griddle

If I's to change this life I lead
I'd be Johnny Tomato Seed
`Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes in every yard you see

When I die don't bury me
In a box in a cemetery
Out in the garden would be much better
I could be pushin' up homegrown tomatoes