On Mon, 07 Jul 2003 21:09:12 GMT, "Texensis"
wrote:

There was a passing mention of failed attempts in the garden and also
new things to be learned but, if there were answers given or shown, I
missed them. I'd be interested in knowing what was tried and didn't
work and what was new to be learned for someone new to gardening in
Austin ...... enquiring minds want to know


Not just new to Austin gardening, but to gardening is two agricultural zones
warmer than where I lived in USDA Zone 6b, to Dallas, 7a, to Austin, 8b.

I suppose you could say when I lived up in Dallas I planted azaleas after seeing
them in their utter glory in the Park Cities in Dallas. What I didn't know was
that, there was a strip of soil about a mile wide from upper Denton County to
probably a county lower than Dallas County which was very acidic. As was soils
in Tyler.

Oh, I made mistakes with certain roses, plants which thrived in sun up north
could barely take morning sun down here. The vast differences in habitat for
the wildlife and coming from living on the water on Long Island, to inland Texas
where 4 of Texas' ten regions meet.

I don't recall if that was actually on the show, but I did make mention of the
vast species which are naturally occurring here because of the richness of not
only four regions meeting, but the corridors which connect them. There are
species which will only really thrive INside of the corridors, some can move
about one side to the other and down the center of the corridors...it can get
complicate with phenology and how things work, why they work and when.

I am working on a book which will be sort of a manual for northerners who move
south. Not just to Texas, but the whole south. I suppose it will be geared
toward Texas, particularly where we are now in and around Austin. I have no
idea when it will be finished, but I have the title in mind and I am gathering
information and forming opinions and giving it a fair shot. It's not a fast
process.

Victoria