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In this Issue...
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Club News and Announcements
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Be sure to visit the Christmas Trees on display
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in the Greene Room through January 2nd.
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50th Anniversary of the Austin Area
Garden Center Celebration
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by Francis (Frank) Allcorn,
Austin Pond Society
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Keith Taniguchi speaking at the Austin Area Garden Center 50th Anniversary Celebration
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On October 19, 2014, I
had the pleasure of attending the Austin Area
Garden Center's
50th Anniversary Celebration.
It was held at the Zilker
Botanical Garden which is operated by the City
of Austin and the Austin Area Garden Council.
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The Austin Area
Garden Center began with an idea in the early
1960's with only six garden clubs.
Their efforts,
foresight and fundraising 50 years ago led to
constructing the current building that houses
the meeting
rooms and the Chrysalis Gift Shop.
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Today, there are
31 member clubs that comprise the Austin Area
Garden Council with all their ties to
nature and things
that grow.
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| 50th
Anniversary
Plaque | |
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The weather was very nice and was warm but not hot by Texas standards and
even though I did a lot of walking around taking many pictures, it was not unpleasant.
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While the Violet Crown
Garden Club was holding a flower show in the
main meeting room, many different clubs had
information
booths located all over the garden.
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The Austin Pond Society
was very prominently represented with a table at
the entrance to the Garden Center.
Our thanks to those
worthy people for giving up their time.
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Austin
Pond Society
booth
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50th
Anniversary Plant
Sale
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Halfway down the hill in the
Oak Grove area (not far from the Travis County
Master Gardeners' sheds),
the 50th Anniversary Plant Sale was
being held with a collection of booths where
several garden clubs
were selling their wares.
The Texas Bamboo Society was
selling bamboo.
The First African Violets Society sold a
variety of African Violets.
There were daylilies, irises, herbs,
begonias , bamboo and other garden plants.
The couple of times
that I visited, they seemed to be doing a
roaring trade.
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Marion
Alsup, AAGC
President
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At 1:00 pm, Marion
Alsup, President of AAGC introduced a host of
different speakers at the microphone to tell
stories
to the attending visitors of their memories and
connections to the Botanical Gardens.
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The Taniguchi
Japanese Garden
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The Taniguchi Japanese Garden was one of
the featured topics by the speakers.
The legendary Japanese
gardener, Isamu Taniguchi, began work on the
Japanese gardens when he was
70 years old.
Working without a salary,
Taniguchi spent 18 months transforming 3 acres
of rugged caliche hillside
into a peaceful Japanese garden—his
gift to the City of Austin.
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He had a vision of what the garden should
look like and was willing to do the work to make
it a reality.
As one of his grandsons jokingly remarked, there
was a fear that he would die before the garden
was completed so eventually
he had some help to complete it.
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His story was very much in the forefront
with his work building the Japanese Garden
He was fondly
remembered with stories of his personal efforts
with his pick and shovel and trusty wheelbarrow.
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Isamu
Taniguchi
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Other Memories
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Others spoke of their many
memories of times gone past and the joy they
have received over the years in supporting
all the wonderful
gardens that comprise Zilker Botanical Garden.
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Edie Musgrove
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Evan Taniguchi
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Keith
Taniguchi
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Joan
Huntley
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Ed Parken
and Marion Alsup with
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50th
Anniversary plaque.
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Judy
Arnold
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After the
ceremonies, Judy Arnold performed a rousing set
of 60's songs.
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As I took one more stroll
around the grounds before departing,
I could not help but share
the beauty of these gardens and the innumerable
flowers that were still
blooming. Be sure to watch the slide
show linked below for more pictures of the
garden.
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Added to these marvelous flowers were the reminders that Halloween is not far away with the
whimsical scarecrows that provided directions for getting around in the garden.
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The balloon archway was
sponsored by Bamboo Bistro who also provided
food for the many volunteers.
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Thank you Bamboo Bistro!
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by Francis
(Frank) Allcorn, Austin Pond Society
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Frank's
AAGC 50th Anniversary Slide Show
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Editor's
Note: Frank created a wonderful slide show (with
music) of the 50th Anniversary Celebration,
which includes many, many beautiful shots
of Zilker
Botanical Garden and of the plants in bloom.
Length: 4-minutes
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Click on
the image to the right to view Frank's show.
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50th Anniversary Slide Show
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Fond
Remembrances from a Far Away Friend
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A note from Charlotte
Cranberg, former AAGC Corresponding Secretary
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October 17, 2014
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When I
first came to Austin 45 years ago I went to
Zilker Park and discovered the
Austin Area Garden Center.
I was
surprised and overjoyed to find that dozens of
garden clubs met there and held shows and
operated the
center in partnership with the city of Austin.
I found a
gardener's dream….a home for us, which I think
may be unique.
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Charlotte
Cranberg with Best in Show -
Azalea
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I've
never found anything like this anywhere I've
traveled. We
should all be grateful to the garden club
members who built this building years ago and
formed a
partnership with the city.
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Isamu Taniguchi, a small, energetic
gentleman, was building the garden in those
days,
literally with his own hands, always willing to
stop and answer questions.
45 years have seen many changes,
but I hope Austin never loses this treasure.
This is one of
the treasures that makes Austin different.
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When I came to Ponte Vedra Beach near
Jacksonville, Florida, I immediately looked for
garden clubs
and gardens. I
found many beautiful gardens including a
botanical garden, but no central source for
garden club
information.
With the help of Google, I found 4 clubs:
Bonsai, African Violet, Orchid and a federated
club, all meeting
in different places.
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There is no single home for all the
garden clubs and gardeners.
This makes a huge difference in the
ability to bring people to the mentally and
physically healthy
pursuit of horticulture.
Bringing the clubs together to
exchange ideas and promote gardening and love of
nature is a feather
in the cap of the "Crown Jewel of Austin"
Zilker Botanical Garden.
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Let's never lose it.
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from Charlotte
Cranberg, former AAGC Corresponding Secretary
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Interested in
Learning More About the History of Zilker Park?
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"Hidden
Zilker"
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"Hidden
Zilker"
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by Katey Psencik, KVUE
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Katey Psencik, a reporter
for KVUE, has done a report on "Hidden Zilker
Park" including a lengthy tour of
Zilker Botanical Garden.
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She did a wonderful job
with it and we thought you would be interested.
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Swedish Cabin Rededication
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by Margaret Russell, Zilker
Botanical Garden Manager (PARD)
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Sunday, October 26, 2014
was the date for the unveiling of the newly
refurbished Swedish Log Cabin built in 1838 and
moved to Zilker in 1965.
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The cabin now sits on a
solid foundation with drainage directed away
from the cabin.
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New windows and new
chinking will keep the interior clean and dry.
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| Barbara
Pate speaking at the Swedish Cabin
Rededication | |
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The interior of the cabin
was displayed with great pride.
Many visitors attended the
unveiling, including several members of the
Swedish Heritage Society who wore authentic
Swedish fashions.
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Our thanks to Barbara Pate
and the members of the Swedish Heritage Society
for all their support!
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by Margaret
Russell, Zilker Botanical Gardens Manager (PARD)
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History of the Western Trails Garden
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Submitted by Judy Kirksey,
Western Trails Garden Club
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The Western Trails
Garden Club, organized In July l962, was
affiliated with the
National Council of State Garden Clubs
to advance gardening, civic beautification,
and promotion
of ecology especially in the neighborhood of
Western Trails and Western Trails Estates.
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Members sponsored a popular
Christmas Lighting contest each year, giving
plaques in categories such as:
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- Best Overall House and Yard
- Best House Front
- Best Decorated Door
- Best Religious Door
- Best Religious Scene
- Best Window Display
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(Unfortunately, the lighting contest was cancelled in 1973 because of utility shortages.)
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Western
Trail's Contributions to the Community
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The Western Trail Garden
Club has a long history of civic beautification.
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Mrs. Lady Bird Johnson
thanked Club President Mrs. Ernest Foster on
behalf of the members who planted two Golden
Rain
Trees on the shores of Town Lake.
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Each year on Arbor Day
the members donated a tree to schools and
educational facilities.
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One year a Kentia Palm in a beautiful container was presented to Manchaca Branch Library.
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A Silver Leaf Maple Tree went to Bedicheck Junior High School.
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In 1977 trees and shrubs were planted on the grounds of the new Williams Elementary School,
where one can see these mature trees and plants today.
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For the Porter Junior High Parent Teachers Association Western Trails Garden Club purchased
chrysanthemums and daffodils for $31 for the seventh and eighth graders to plant in their courtyard and around
their flag pole in 1973.
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In the same year members worked on 25 exhibits of cactus, the club flower.
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Members created a tray of favors – pine cone turkeys with feathers – at Thanksgiving for Monte Siesta Retirement Home.
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Many creations were presented to the Children's Hospital Foundation.
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Members also assisted with the Sears Roebuck Foundation Award and added a book annually to the Austin Public Library.
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In July 2009 a donation was made to the Summer Fan Drive for Family Eldercare.
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Then Western Trails Garden Club unsuccessfully petitioned Crockett High School to offer a two-year Horticulture Course
to students who would then earn four credits toward graduation.
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Western Trail's Support of the Austin Area Garden Council
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Marcella Wilson, Meg Phelps, Molly Hill, Alice Puryear, and Linda Ray have served as docents even before
the Docents of Zilker Botanical Garden was formed as a club.
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Many members worked in the Gift Shop as volunteers - cleaning the building, answering the telephone,
assisting the public with the names of plants in the garden, and pricing and purchasing merchandise.
It was Irene Shlapak, Council President, who wrote a thank you to the club for reporting their hours,
which she submitted to PARD.
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On December 9, 1997, when Mayor Kirk Watson and Council Member Gus Garcia re-dedicated the
Garden Center, Marcela Wilson, Meg Phelps, and Molly Hill represented Western Trails Garden Club.
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In 2008 Dinoland provided many more facets of volunteerism for club members even after
Horticulturist Valleri Edelbrock presented a Community Service Award for their volunteer contributions
in 1994.
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And Don't Forget the Zilker Garden Festival
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Past President Linda Ray,
who also served as Chairman of the Zilker Garden
Festival, has been Chairman of the
Kid's Corner for over 20
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At Kid's corner, children have the opportunity to:
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build bird houses,
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fashion butterfly wings,
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have their face painted,
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receive balloons,
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select live plants to take home,
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and become involved in the festival where many activities are enjoyed and many garden related
items are sold.
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Zilker Garden Festival Kid's Corner
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Even today Chairman Linda Ray and club members are devoted to the Children's Garden,
where they plant lamb's ear, bird of paradise, snapdragons, bat face, shrimp plant,
butterfly and peacock irises, elephant ear, fox-tail ferns, cockscomb, frog fruit, and anything else
they can find with an animal name.
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The Western
Trails Garden Club meets in the Austin Area
Garden Center Main Auditorium on the 4th Monday
of the month
at 7:00 pm, from September to May.
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Submitted by
Judy Kirksey, Western Trails Garden Club
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The Texas Bamboo Society
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a chapter
of the American Bamboo Society
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Submitted by Carole
Meckes, President of the Texas Bamboo Society
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The Texas chapter of the
American Bamboo Society was organized in 1992 by
Herb Hillery and joined
the Austin Area Garden Council (AAGC) the
same year.
There are many benefits for garden clubs to
become members of the AAGC, such as having a
place for
monthly meetings and also for having a location
to hold our Annual Texas Bamboo Festival -
which is held now
held in the month of September.
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The objectives of the American Bamboo Society are to:
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Provide information of the identification,
propagation, use, culture and appreciation of
bamboos.
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Promote the utilization of a group of desirable
species for distribution to public gardens
and to the general public.
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Provide plant material for research in the
taxonomy, propagation, and culture of bamboo
species.
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Support bamboo research in the field.
President Caroles Meckes also serves as a Director-at-large on the American Bamboo Society board.
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The Texas Bamboo Society is very active with:
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Grooming the bamboo groves at the Taniguchi Japanese Garden
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Holding fund-raising plant sales at ZBG
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and manning
information booths at seasonal Home and Garden
Shows.
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| Groomimg
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Grove | |
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| Fall
Plant Sale at
ZBG | |
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| Austin
Home and Garden
Show | |
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The Texas Bamboo Society
is a membership group.
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However, we encourage
volunteers and non members to join us every 3rd
Saturday of the month,
at Zilker Botanical Gardens from
9:30 am to noon - in the Taniguchi Japanese
Bamboo Garden/Grove
to learn more about our group and what
we do.
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It is the
opportunity for people to get involved with the
cleaning of the grove at Zilker
to help rejuvenate, learn
about bamboo species, and responsible
propagation.
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| Join
Us! | |
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For More Information:
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For updated events listings:
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Also check:
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Submitted by Carole Meckes, President of the Texas Bamboo Society
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Time to Prune
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by Rachel Matthews, Heart of
the Hills Garden Club
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Well, it seems hard to
believe that winter is near and our summer
temperatures have finally cooled down.
So now is the time
for many of us to think about pruning.
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One prunes one's trees
and shrubs when there will be the least stress
on the plant material.
That means during what passes for
"winter" here in Central Texas, the plants are
sleepier then,
less sap flowing and less growth
happening.
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Plan Ahead
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I like to plan ahead when I
can.
You should try to take
pictures of your trees and shrubs in the summer,
when they are at their fullest.
It can be much easier to
actually see what you garden looked like in
summer rather than trying to remember.
You will see features
that you cannot see during the winter.
Compare your photos to
the bare branches in front of you in January and
see if it isn't handy to have that reference!
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Do you have fruit trees? See how they've grown since last year.
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Are there branches that are shading other beds?
Consider pruning them this winter.
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How about those hackberry trees?
Do you want to encourage them?
Or are they currently shading something you'd rather have in sun?
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Shadows
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Shadows are longer this time of year.
That's the optimal time to really explore the shadow play in your yard, but it isn't too late.
I am always amazed that a two foot shrub can cast a 4-foot shadow!
Go out in the early morning and the late evening and see how the shadows stretch.
Take a few photos.
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Reasons to Prune
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Think about why you will be pruning the plant material.
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Do you want to develop a certain shape or form?
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Do you want to encourage it toward or away from a certain area?
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Are you hoping to control height? Add shade?
Whatever you reasons to prune, now is the time to consider getting started.
Next spring and summer you will see the results of the time you spent pruning now.
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by Rachel
Matthews, Heart of the Hills Garden Club
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| Club News and
Announcements |
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Blue Santa Visits the Austin Pond Society
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| Blue
Santa with the Austin Pond Society (Hint: Santa
is behind the lady with the light green
jacket.) | |
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The Austin Police
Department's Blue Santa visited the Austin Pond
Society's
November general meeting and holiday party.
Pond Society
members had brought gifts for underprivileged
kids that Blue Santa
will distribute this holiday season.
Founded in 1972,
this year Operation Blue Santa will serve over
5,000 families.
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information on how you can help Operation Blue
Santa, you can call
512-974-Blue (512-974-3583), or visit
their web site at http://www.bluesanta.org/.
They can always use donations and need
volunteers to help deliver the
presents. |
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Merry
Christmas from Blue Santa!
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Winter Plant Shows and Sales
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| December
2014 |
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Austin Herb Society Holiday Bazaar
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Tuesday, December 2, 9:30 am - 12:00 noon
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Austin
Area Garden Center Auditorium
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Spice
Up Your Holidays at the Austin Herb Society
Holiday Bazaar
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Shop for sweet and
savory breads, fragrant spice blends and
extracts, herbal soaps,
jewelry, and other handcrafted
goods at the Austin Herb Society's annual
Holiday Bazaar.
AHS members and sponsors will offer
products ranging from hand-thrown pottery to
herbal teas
and aromatherapy and skincare products.
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Also featured will
be original artwork, herbal scrubs and mists,
glass plate flowers and vintage
fabric aprons, honey,
jams and relishes.
Gifts for everyone on your list will
include baskets, home-sewn items, tea
accessories,
holiday greeting cards, Rosemary
cookbooks, herb-themed tote bags and pottery
plant markers
crafted by members.
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are invited to enjoy herbal refreshments while
listening to yuletide tunes and
maybe even
receiving a relaxing chair massage!
For more
information, contact Kate Alsobrook, (512)
451-8360, or visit http://www.austinherbsociety.org/. |
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The
Porcelain Arts Club of Austin
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Saturday,
December 6, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
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Austin Area Garden
Center Auditorium
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Travis County Master Gardeners Winter
Presentations
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Travis County Master Gardeners, in association
with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension,
holds many events throughout the year. You can
visit their web site at: http:/www.tcmastergardeners.org
for more information on their upcoming workshops
and presentations. |
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Saturday,
January 10, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon
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"Home
Fruit Production"
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Zilker
Botanical Garden
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Presented by Joe
Posern, President of Travis County Master
Gardeners Association
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Saturday,
February 7, 10:00 am to 12:00 noon
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"Roses"
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Zilker
Botanical Garden
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Cher Groody will talk
about roses.
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| Zilker Botanical
Garden |
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Zilker Botanical
Garden |
Adult Austin
Resident |
$2
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Children (3-12)
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$1
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Admissions:
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Adult Austin
Non-Resident |
$3
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Seniors (age
62+) |
$1
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| December
2014 |
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| November
22 - January 3,2015 |
| Holiday Tree
Display in Greene Room |
| Tuesday
December 2, 9:30 am - 12:00 noon |
| Austin Herb
Society Holiday Bazaar |
| Saturday,
December 6, 10:00 am - 4:00 pm |
| The Porcelain
Arts Club of Austin Exhibit and Sale |
| Sunday,
December 7, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm |
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Afternoon in the Garden
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Early Close at 3:00 pm for Trail of Lights
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| Sunday,
December 21, 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm |
| Afternoon in
the Garden |
| December
24-25 |
| ZBG closed for
Christmas Holiday |
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| January
2015 |
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| January
1 |
| ZBG closed for
New Year Holiday |
| Saturday,
January 10, 10:00 am - Noon |
| Travis County
Master Gardeners "Home Fruit
Production" |
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| February
2015 |
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| Saturday,
February 7, 10:00 am - Noon |
| Travis County
Master Gardeners "Roses" |
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| March
2015 |
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| Saturday,
March 28 and Sunday, March 29 |
| Zilker Garden
Festival |
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| Events
scheduled at the Zilker Botanical Garden-Austin
Area Garden Center are always posted, and kept
updated, on the Calendar of Events page on
the web site. |
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The Chrysalis Gift Shop at Zilker
Botanical Garden
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Where can a
visitor purchase post cards, cookbooks, jewelry,
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puzzles,
Gatorade, framed prints, and unique gifts?
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Drive to Zilker Botanical
Garden and shop at The Chrysalis Gift Shop,
where your
shopping experience will be satisfied with
such great gifts
as Remarkable Plants of Texas, The Garden Guide,
Food by Design from the Violet Crown Garden
Club, New
Braunfels Garden Club Cookbook, books about
trees, butterflies, snakes, or dragonflies.
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| The
Chrysalis Gift
Shop | |
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Then there are cool
towels, shopping bags that can be stuffed inside
themselves to form a ball that can be attached
to a purse,
tee shirts, very special Austin gifts for the
person who has everything, beautiful jewelry,
night lights of nature,
boxes that look like flowers.
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Bring your birthday
child along and let him shop for himself in the
children's section for wooden snakes, dinosaurs,
puzzles, books,
cardinals that sing their song, or
perhaps he will purchase a framed nature print
for his room.
It is all there and some of the items are
fashioned here in Austin by Austin artists
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DONATE A BRICK TODAY!
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| The
Walk of
Friends | |
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Austin Notes
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Read
More...
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KLRU's "Central Texas Gardener"
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KLRU's
"Central
Texas Gardener" |
This weekly
gardening show is a rich source of information
for all Austin and Central Texas gardeners.
Check out
their weekly show schedule for topics and air
times, the "To Do List" for monthly gardening
tasks, and much more...
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| Read
reviews from visitors to Zilker Botanical Garden
on Yelp.com. |
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4½ stars
out of 5 makes our garden sing!
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"Down the
Garden Path" is a publication of the Austin Area
Garden Council, Zilker Botanical Garden.
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Contact us at
news@zilkergarden.org
with comments or suggestions. |
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| ©2014
Austin Area Garden Council, Zilker Botanical
Garden
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| http://www.zilkergarden.org/ |
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