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Hello Austin Gardeners!
June is a wonderful month in an Austin garden. In the hottest months it is important that we are thoughtful and deliberate with our city water use, and find ways to utilize rain water. This month we will walk you through creating your own rain garden, a June to-do list, and also which vines are best for central Texas. It is going to be a stormy summer, especially in July and August, so spend your June preparing to make the most of it. Rain gardens not only help utilize summer storm water more effectively, but they also help keep pollutants and chemical runoff out of our Austin wildlife and water system.
Fine tune your garden in June! Happy Gardening!
Tom and the entire staff at The Great Outdoors
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(Above) White-veined Dutchman's Pipevine, the host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail
(Below) The ornate Chihuly Rose, named for renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly
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What to Plant in June:
- Annuals: zinnia, cosmos, sunflower, celosia, penta, vinca, gomphrena, portulaca and other "ice" plant succulents, Mexican sunflower, salvia coccinea
- Perennials & vines: (shade them for a week or so)
- Semi-tropicals like Pride of Barbados
- Tropical plants
- Succulents
- Crinum lilies, cannas, caladiums, gingers
- Ornamental (clumping) grasses like muhly and Mexican feather grass
- Clean up and replant containers-annuals, perennials, herbs, hibiscus, vegetables in larger containers
- Top new containers with a light layer of mulch to conserve water; use decomposed granite, pea gravel or other grit for potted succulents
Edibles:
- Basil, catnip, comfrey, oregano, thyme, rosemary, Mexican mint marigold, mint, lemongrass, lemon balm, lemon verbena, bay laurel
- Peppers (transplants), Malabar spinach, Gynura spinach, cantaloupe, okra, southern peas, pumpkin, watermelon
What to Prune in June:
- Spring flowering shrubs, vines, and roses that bloom only in spring
- Trees: DO NOT prune red oaks and live oaks unless damaged. Coat the wound immediately with paint or wound dressing
- No need to apply pruning paint to other trees
- Dead head flowering plants
- Cut back fall blooming perennials like aster
- Prune spring bulbs only when foliage is brown
- Remove sucker shoots from tomato plants to get earlier, larger fruit
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Saturday, June 8th
Butterfly Garden Party
with Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!
The Great Outdoors is hosting a very special Butterfly Garden Party!
We are thrilled to welcome The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center to the nursery to teach us all we can do to support our native wildflowers, host our Texas butterflies, champion our native Austin pollinators, and spread the good word about Austin's amazing Ladybird Johnson Wildflower center.
There will also be a "flower seed bomb" activity for kids, where they can make their own flower seed balls which they can throw and grow!
Come and enjoy this FREE event and get started with your own Austin butterfly garden
You won't want to miss this free learning opportunity!
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(Below) Medusa's Head Euphorbia, a native to the rocky outcrops and sand dunes of coastal South Africa
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What is a rain garden?
A rain garden is a shallow, vegetated depression designed to absorb and filter runoff from hard (impervious) surfaces like roofs, sidewalks, and driveways. Rain gardens are usually planted with colorful native plants and grasses. They not only provide an attractive addition to the yard, but also help to conserve water and protect our water quality.
How does a rain garden help?
As Austin becomes increasingly urbanized, native landscapes are replaced with impervious surfaces that prevent rainwater from soaking into the ground. Storm water quickly runs off these hard surfaces, picking up pollutants from the land and carrying them to our creeks. This rapidly flowing water also increases the chances of flooding and erosion. The goal of a rain garden is to keep water on the land. Rain gardens, with their shallow depressions, capture storm water and provide for natural infiltration into the soil. This provides water for the plants and helps maintain a constant flow of water in our streams through groundwater. They also help filter out pollutants including fertilizers, pesticides, oil, heavy metals and other chemicals that would otherwise reach our creeks through storm drains or drainage ditches. By reducing the quantity of water that runs off your property, rain gardens help lower the risk of flooding and erosion.
S
ix steps to creating your Rain Garden
Step One: Find the Right Location
- Observe the flow of water off roof tops, driveways or other hard surfaces and place the rain garden where this water collects.
- Select an area on gently sloping land, and calculate the slope of this area. The slope should be less than 10%.
- If possible, pick a place in full to partial sun. Shady locations will still work but the options for flowering plants is much more limited in the shade.
- Make sure that any overflow will not cause unintended runoff to a neighbor's property or other structure.
- If drainage-related problems are occurring (e.g. foundation problems, erosion or flooding), consider placing the rain garden at least 10' away from the structure
- Avoid areas with utility lines. Be sure to call 1-800-DIG-TESS (344-8377) to identify the location of underground utilities - the service is free.
Step Two: Test the Soil
- When soil is saturated (after you've irrigated or it has rained,) dig a hole 6" in diameter and no more than 12" deep in the area you'd like to put the rain garden. (Ideally, you want to be sure there is at least 12" of soil above bedrock)
- Insert a ruler and fill the hole with water up to the 6" mark
- The water should absorb in less than 24 hours. If there is still water in the hole after 24 hours, then the area is not suitable
- If the soil passes this infiltration test, then you are ready to build your rain garden!
Step Three: Calculate the Size and Shape of your Rain garden
- Through observation, locate the roof area or other impervious surfaces that will contribute runoff to your rain garden
- Use a tape measure to estimate the size of the area. This doesn't require climbing on the roof! Standing on the ground, measure the footprint of the area you are interested in (the area taken up by your house if you were looking down from above)
- Once you have estimated the length and width, multiply the two measurements to get the area of the impervious surface in square feet
- Finally, divide this area by 6. This calculation tells you how large the rain garden should be to hold 1" of runoff in a rain garden that is 6" deep (see options below)
| Impervious Surface Area (sq. ft.) |
Rain Garden (sq. ft.) |
Size Options (ft. x ft.) |
| 200 |
33 |
3x11; 4x9 |
400
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67 |
5x14; 7x10
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600
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100
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5x20; 8x12
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800
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133
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6x22; 10x13
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1000
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167 |
6x28; 10x17 |
Step Four: Rain Garden Construction
- Once you feel confident your garden is well-placed, lay out the shape using string or tape to define where to dig
- Now you are ready to dig!!!
If the yard is fairly level, dig out the garden to a depth of 6"
If the yard is on a gentle slope, you may need to dig out soil from the upslope area to construct a small berm (mound of compacted soil) at the down slope side of the garden
- Maintain a depth of 6" throughout the bottom of the rain garden. A string level can help you maintain a consistent depth
- Slope the sides of the rain garden using a shovel
- Level the top border of the basin. You can use the top of the existing lawn, an earthen berm or landscaping material (like stone or timber). This will distribute overflow evenly across the perimeter of the rain garden
- Loosen the soil in the bottom of the rain garden to a depth of 3". Cover the loosened soil with compost so the soil is ready for planting
- If water flows quickly into the rain garden, you will need to construct a "splash pad" to guide the water to the rain garden. Splash pads are typically constructed with rock and extend 2 to 3' from the point of entry. 1 to 2" gravel or river rock is often a sufficient size for splash pads
Step Five: Plant Selection and Installation
- Select plants that have a well-established root system (containerized plants instead of seed). Research shows that deep-rooted plants (like native bunch grasses), absorb the most pollutants and help the soil hold more water
- Although rain gardens receive more moisture than surrounding garden areas, it's likely that drought tolerant plants will be the best choice in central Texas. It's wise, however, to avoid plants that need exceptionally well-drained soil (e.g. rosemary or desert plants)
- Trees and shrubs are generally encouraged in rain gardens except in areas where their roots may clog drain pipes
- After plants are in the ground apply mulch to the exposed soil to retain moisture and discourage weeds. Avoid using mulch that will wash away. Coarsely shredded hardwood mulch, pecan shell mulch, larger and sizes of decorative stone can be attractive, stable options.
Step Six: Maintenance
- Water plants until they are established
- Limit fertilizing, most native plants do not need it
- If your rain garden is located near a gutter downspout or roof valley, consider adding rain barrels or cisterns so you will have an extra store of water to irrigate the rain garden plants during dry weather. Austin Water offers rainwater harvesting rebates
- Observe the performance of your rain garden over time to make sure it functions as planned. If the water remains for longer than 2 days, gently break up any surface crust in the top 4"- 6"
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(Above) Giant Grammatophyllum Broga Tiger orchid in our gift shop
(Below) Duchesse de Brabant rose in the rain
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Harvesting Rain with a Barrel
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Come in and ask us about rain barrels (restocking soon!) and rain harvesting, and how we can help you get set up with your own system.
Your barrel should be installed in an area in which it is convenient to use, and an area near where the water is currently being directed. For homes without gutters, look for valleys in the roof-line and areas underneath which have disturbed soil or mulch. Installing the barrel here will ensure it is filled during a rainfall event. Make sure all openings except the faucet are covered with a mesh or vinyl screen to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.
For those with a gutter system installed, you will need to reduce the length of your downspout as needed. Some can be shortened easily by removing a screw or rivet. Others will need to be carefully cut, using a hacksaw or reciprocating saw with a blade manufactured to cut thin metal.
Downspout extensions, elbows, or adapters may also be necessary to divert rainwater into your barrel.
This PVC version is flexible and can easily be bent towards the barrel opening. There are many other options as well which can be purchased to match the material and color of your existing gutters. Many p
eople like the look and interest that a rain chain provides. Just be sure that your new downspout or adapter does not rub or damage your vinyl mosquito netting.
Make sure your vinyl screen stays intact to prevent mosquito breeding.
Drill 3-4 vertical holes going from the lip edge to the outside of the barrel to encourage the top of your barrel to drain.
Cover your supply hole or leave your barrel's faucet in the open position in early Spring when Oak, Pecan, or other tree's are producing catkins near your gutters or barrel. (This is only for a short time and will prevent acidification and yellowing inside your barrel)
Tips for storage container placement and use include:
- Make sure your barrel is installed so that it is level and secure. A base of decomposed granite, gravel or other aggregate helps prevents soil erosion around the barrel.
- Elevate your barrel to take advantage of gravity flow; for example, place them at the higher end of a sloped lot or set them securely on top of a sturdy base like cinder blocks.
- Put watering cans and containers near plants or at the end of downspouts.
- Consider hiding containers in an unobtrusive place or behind a structure, screen and/or plants.
- Because smaller cisterns are easy to handle and camouflage, place several of them around the site to be irrigated.
- For large landscaped areas, connect several tanks to increase storage capacity.
- If rainfall exceeds storage capacity, provide alternative storage for the excess or direct it to overflow in a safe manner, away from your foundation.
Here we have provided the application for the City of Austin Rainwater harvesting rebate:
References:
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Butterfly Gardening in Austin: Herbs
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Butterfly season is upon us! Mark Gibbs is here to help you create a butterfly garden that will host and feed our graceful winged friends throughout their life-cycles, from egg to radiant butterfly.This week we cover perennials! Passionflower, salvias, lantana, gaura, mistflower, milkweed and more! Learn about guarding your butterflies from the wind by using tiers and which perennials work best for Austin butterflies. Stay tuned for our next video about butterfly gardening with Herbs!
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Organic Pest Control in Austin
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The weather has warmed up and the rains are crossing Texas, and you know what that means: PESTS! Mark Gibbs has the organic solutions for your plant pest problems. Ditch the harsh chemicals, which are bad for you and the environment. The Great Outdoors carries lots of safe alternatives to harsh pesticides and we would be happy to help get rid of unwanted insects!
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(Above) Fuji apples after an Austin rain storm
(
Below) Close-up of a 'Little Gem' Magnolia blossom
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- Cypress Vine: attracts hummingbirds
- Hyacinth Bean: attracts various pollinators
- Morning Glory: attracts pollinators
Perennial
Perennial vines that freeze to the ground in winter
Cut them back and they grow from the roots in spring)
- White-veined Dutchman's Pipe: larval food for the pipevine swallowtail butterfly
- Rangoon Creeper
- Giant Dutchman's Pipe
- Passion Vine: many butterflies nectar on the summer to fall flowers; the leaves are larval food for the Gulf fritillary butterfly
- Coral vine: bright pink later summer to fall flowers attract bees, butterflies, and other pollinators
Perennial vines that are deciduous, but sprout spring leaves on existing trunks
These vines lose their leaves in winter but maintain their structure. They will re-sprout from existing stems and trunks.
- Trumpet Vine
- Virginia Creeper
- Wisteria
Evergreen
- Coral Honeysuckle: native winter bloomer to attract early pollinators
- Cross Vine ('Tangerine Beauty'): native early spring bloom to attract pollinators and hummingbirds
- Fig Ivy: good for shady spots
- Star Jasmine: spring to late spring bloomer; very fragrant and very attractive to bees and other pollinators
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Ask us how to Help get rid of Mosquitoes!
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FREE Vegetable Garden Planting Guide in our store!
Thanks to Skip Richter and Patty Leander from the Travis County Extension Service for compiling this chart.
We have these handy 5" by 7" cards in our veggie and seed departments. Best of all they are FREE!
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TAKE 20% OFF ONE ITEM
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Bring in this coupon and we
will take 20% OFF the regular price of any one item.
Offer Expires 07/08/2019.
Excludes Music of the Spheres Windchimes and Barmah Hats. Limit one coupon per visit.
*newsletter
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The Great Outdoors Nursery | 512-448-2992 |
GreatOutdoorsNursery.com
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