The Texas City Garden Club’s Wildflower Project is now underway. The Wildflower seeds have been planted. The location of the project is on the left side of the hill as you drive up towards Skyline Drive (near the propeller). With the help of the Texas City Parks and Recreation crew, Texas City soon will have wonderful place to view native Texas Wildflowers with a mixture of annual and perennial wildflowers that will provide flower color almost year around. The seed mixture includes Texas Bluebonnets, Baby’s Breath, Blue Flax, Evening Primrose, Coneflower and many more. A Wildflower Project sign will be placed soon to mark the “Spot of Beauty”.
Mark Clark (Texas City Parks and Recreation)
Pours Wildflower Seeds into blower
As cooler weather approaches…hopefully SOON ~ If you are like me, you are getting excited about starting your Fall Garden! My pepper plants will carry over into fall, as well as my beans. You will start seeing fall vegetables in our local stores and nurseries. Be sure to include those herbs too. It’s the prime time to plant herbs that grow very well in areas with milder winters.
You can plant an assortment of your favorite cool-weather-loving herbs in a pot to keep within reach of your backdoor. I will be planting those that I use the most – parsley, chives, thyme and cilantro. These are fast growing herbs, that keep growing as you pinch off what you will use in your kitchen.
Some of my favorite fall vegetables that I have had success with are Broccoli, Georgia Collards and Kale. These plants can withstand the cold and even frost. I like them because the more you harvest what you need…the more they grow!
Broccoli belongs to the cruciferous vegetable family, which includes kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, collard greens, and turnips. These mini trees are notorious for being pushed off the plates of kids (and adults) around the world, but broccoli’s s one of the healthiest veggies you can find. If you or your kids are not big fans of broccoli, you might have to experiment a little in the kitchen ~ roasted, steamed or fresh ~ to find the right taste for you.
Just one cup of broccoli provides over 100 percent of your daily need for vitamin C and vitamin K and is also a good source of vitamin A, folate, and potassium.
Greens are a southern favorite that is high in calcium. Plant now for a fall to winter harvest. A relative of cabbage, broccoli, brussels sprouts, this a little like a cabbage that doesn’t make a head.
If you have not tried kale yet, now may be the time. Packed with nutrients, it is one of the world’s healthiest foods. Kale has more nutritional value than spinach. One cup of cooked kale has over 1,000 percent more vitamin C than a cup of cooked spinach.
Curly kale is the most commonly available type. It is usually bright green, dark green, or purple in color. It has tight, ruffled leaves that are easy to tear. Kale grows well in the cooler winter months, which makes it a nice addition to your garden. My garden usually produces so much, that I’m able to share with friends and family.
You can start your Fall Garden by attending and purchasing your plants at the next Galveston County Master Gardeners Plant sale on October 12 at Jack Brooks Park (Galveston County Fairgrounds) on Hwy 6 from 9 am to 1 pm. A plant overview will be given at 8 am at Pickett Hall by the arena. Thousands of plants will be for sale including citrus and fruit trees, bulbs, vegetables, herbs, and perennials, all perfect for growing in the area. The Master Gardeners also have an abundance of Amaryllis bulbs. Get there early as these sell fast.
Also being offered at the sale is The Sanguinelli Blood Orange which is known for its wonderful taste. It offers hints of orange, pineapple and vanilla.
The Texas City Garden Club meets the 2nd Wednesday of the month (September – May) at 10:00 a.m. During the months of September, October and November, we will meet at St. George’s Episcopal Church, 510 13th Ave N., at the corner of 6th Street and 13th Avenue. The meeting will be in The Hope Center, which is the building closest to 6th Avenue. New Members always welcome!
The Texas City Garden Club will host our annual Holiday Gift Shop Saturday, November 23, 2019 at the Nessler Center. Booths are still available. If you would like to participate, please contact Nancy Heard at 409-948-8497 or 409-771-5697. Garden Club members are already planting succulents that will be for sale at the Holiday Gift Shop.
That’s all for now ~ Keep Growin’ and Diggin’! Stay tuned for more good news from The Texas City Garden Club.
~To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow~
