Galveston Garden Club Announces Fall Programs...

The Galveston Garden Club (GGC) is excited to announce their upcoming Fall 2011 Program of Events. They have a number of interesting speakers covering topics ranging from vegetable gardening to floral design.

Remember - you don't have to be a GGC member to attend! HOWEVER - they do ask that you RSVP to help in planning ahead for adequate seating and refreshments. Just send an email to GalvestonGardenClub@gmail.com with the number of people that will be attending.

 

Of course - all GGC meetings take place at the historic 1847 Powhatan House, located at 3427 Avenue O in Galveston.

Activities kick off at 5:00 pm with a brief social gathering - followed by the program around 6:00. So plan on coming early to enjoy a cool beverage, in their grand home, prior to the start of the program.

Visit the Galveston Garden Club website for additional info... 


 Thursday September 8, 2011
Drought Tolerant Perennials that Won't Freeze
Dr. Don C. Wilkerson, Professor of Horticulture Emeritus
Texas A&M University, College Station

Thursday October 13, 2011
Planting the Fall Garden
Dr. Wm. Johnson, Galveston County Extension Horticulturist
Texas Agrilife Extension Service - Texas A&M University System 

Thursday November 10, 2011
A Visit to Shangri La
Ms. Holly Hanson, Volunteer Coordinator
Shangri La Botanical Gardens
Orange, TX

Thursday December 8, 2011
Holiday Floral Design
Mr. Jim Johnson, Distinguished Lecturer
Department of Horticultural Sciences
Texas A&M University, College Station  

Moonshine Vodka...

This long, hot, dry summer has been a real challenge for landscape gardeners. I've basically decided to "give up" and wait until the weather breaks to start actively gardening again.

The problem is - that leaves me with a little too much free time on my hands. This often leads to strange, costly projects that rarely receive the approval of my wife.

So here's my latest whacked out idea. Making homemade vodka, whiskey or rum (product yet to be determined). My original thought was potato vodka. Why? Because potatoes are cheap and - did I mention this - I'm bored!

So, like any project, I started researching the topic. To my surprise there is a ton of info out there on making moonshine. You can even make a homemade still pretty easily from materials available at Home Depot. 

While conducting my in-depth research, I also ran across this video. That's what sealed the deal!!! These guys are my heroes AND definitely role models for Galveston Island. Substitute Hawaiian Shirts for the overalls and flip flops for boots and I think they'd be right at home here in G-ton.

My moonshine project is awaiting formal approval from Sharon. It's in the queue with my shrimp boat project and my homemade airplane project. I'll keep yall updated on progress towards any of these worthy efforts.

Ivy in Flower...

What does this Henri Matisse collage have to do with Galveston's Lasker Park Neighborhood? I stumbled across the connection on a recent trip to the Dallas Museum of Art.

Morris Lasker

Morris Lasker (1840–1916) immigrated to the US from Germany at age 16. He later settled in Weatherford, TX , joined Col. George W. Baylor to fight the Apache Indians and fought for the Confederate Army. After the war he returned to Texas and by the 1890's was recognized as one of Galveston's most important bankers, businessman, realtor and philanthropists. Among his most notable contributions were the Lasker Home for Homeless Children and the Lasker Playground.

Lasker Playground

The Lasker Park neighborhood, bordered by Avenue M and Avenue L, 51st Street, Avenue S, and 37th Street, is named after the Lasker family.

The Morris Lasker Residence, located at 1726 Broadway, was considered one of Galveston's most historically significant residences. It was built in 1889-1892 and was designed by Nicholas Clayton. This historic building was demolished in 1967 to make way for apartments. 

Albert Lasker

Morris Lasker and his wife Nettie Davis-Lasker had eight children. Albert (the third child), was born in 1880. At the age of 13, he became a reporter for the Galveston Morning News. At the urging of his father, Albert gave up his journalistic career and joined the advertising firm of Lord and Thomas in Chicago, IL. Some 40 years later, Albert Lasker is credited with being the "father" of modern advertising.

Albert and his wife Mary were also active philanthropists. They established the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation to support biomedical research toward conquering disease, improving human health and extending life. Since it was formed, eighty Lasker laureates have received the Nobel Prize.

Henri Matisse

Albert Lasker died in 1952 and his wife Mary commissioned Henri Matisse, whose work she owned and admired, to create a 10′ x 10′ stained glass window for the mausoleum of her recently deceased husband, located in Tarrytown, N.Y. In the last years of his life, Henri Matisse was too crippled to paint and began working with gouache-coated papers, cutting out shapes and having them assembled into large collages. The Lasker piece, titled Ivy in Flower, took the form of one of these collages. However - due to some mis-communication, the commission was rejected and the window was never completed. The collage became the property of Mary Lasker and she later donated it to the Dallas Museum of Art, where it is currently part of an ongoing special-exhibit. 

Henri Matisse died in 1953 and Ivy in Flower is considered by many as his last significant work. 

Visit to the Dallas Farmers Market...

This summer is just ridiculous. I'm tired of the heat/drought and the effort it's taken to keep things alive. I'm also growing weary of discussing water conservation, dead trees and when I can and can't water my yard. Basically we've just hunkered down - trying to make it until the weather breaks.

Recently, we've made a few road trips (check out Chicago in previous posts) including a few days in Dallas - where, by the way, it's even hotter and drier than here!!! Among the highlights of that trip was a visit to the Dallas Farmers Market. Even though it was uncomfortably warm, I was impressed with the number of people out on a Saturday morning buying fresh produce.

Thought you might be interested in some images from our visit...

Do you go to the Galveston West End Farmers Market?

Is there a similar Farmers Market in Houston?

Time to Get Serious About Water Conservation...

The recent restrictions on water use have most Galveston gardeners pretty pissed off. They immediately point to the loophole that allows folks to wash their cars but NOT irrigate their yard. While I agree that is a totally assinine rule, I don't see enough people out there washing their cars to result in a significant water loss/savings. So - although this may be a great topic to debate it has little to do with the REAL problem.

What is the problem you ask?

We don't have a LONG TERM plan for water use and conservation. The development of such a plan requires thought and (wait for it...) PLANNING. NOT just  a knee-jerk reaction to a drought.

This plan may include a number of different proactive elements - including things like;

Requiring all hotels/motels to install low-flow shower heads and water-saver toilets.

Improvements in water delivery/treatment infrastructure (i.e. leaks, bigger pipeline, wells, etc.)

Investment in a gray water treatment and delivery system. (San Antonio has a good model).

Restrictions on Agricultural and Industrial  water use (usually the last thing to go).

AND last but not least - greater emphasis on landscape water conservation.

Improvements in landscape water conservation can be implemented through:

Education (the GC Master Gardeners could handle this one)

Structured water rates (the more you use the more you pay)

Limiting the amount of turfgrass on commercial/residential building permits.

Quit issuing new building permits until we can meet the water demand (OK - I know that one's crazy).

$$$ incentives (there's already a provision in the TX Tax Code to provide rebaits for water conservation).

Of course these are all LONG TERM solutions and we've got our tails in a sling right NOW. So what to do?

I recognize that these latest restrictions have been implemented by TCEQ, not the city. But the COG is responsible for enforcement. So that means we should have some room for "interpretation."

So here are "my" suggestions on how these new guidelines could be realistically interpreted...

First - we can't let all of these newly planted trees die from drought. So Mayor Joe and the Council need to immediately announce that no one will be hauled off to jail for watering their trees using a HAND HELD HOSE.

Next - suspend all turfgrass irrigation. That's the real water guzzler.

Go back to the day of the week restrictions for irrigating landscape beds/shrubs.

LASTLY - make sure we don't get caught with our britches down around our knees the NEXT  time we have a drought.

Oh - BTW. We have lots of good info on landscape water conservation on the Galveston Gardening website.

More from Chicago...

Still enjoying the great weather here in Chi-town. In addition to a trip to the Botanical Garden we also spent a great day in the city. Millennium Park was buzzing with activity and Navy Pier was fun. I kept thinking about the 'possible" similarities between Navy Pier and Galveston's new Pleasure Pier. Right...

 

More Images from the Chicago Botanical Garden...

It's been rainy and cool here the past 2 days. You heard me - rainy and COOL. This is the kind of weather that makes annuals, perennials and other landscape plants POP!!! Here are a few more pics from the CBG.

 Wish I was a better photographer. 

These images don't do justice to the colors.

Greetings from the Chicago Botanical Garden...

Just road our bikes from my brother/sister-in-laws house in Glenview, IL to the Chicago Botanical Garden. Weather = 75 degrees and sunny. Pretty much perfect for the 60 minute ride. I took a bunch of pics but here are just a few to give an idea of how incredible it was. More later.

 

 

 

More later...

Galveston Island Tree Conservancy Needs Your Help!!!

The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy’s (GITC) NeighborWoods Project has been selected by Tom's of Maine as one of 20 finalists for a 50 States for Good sponsorship. This national initiative is designed to support the goodness behind grassroots community projects. Six of the final 20 organizations will be chosen to share in the $150,000 sponsorship fund, including one organization that will be given $50,000!

If selected, GITC will use the sponsorship $$$ to fund the 2011-12 NeighborWoods project. Visit the GITC website for project details.

Here's how you can HELP...

Although Tom's of Maine selected the top 20 finalists, the 6 organizations to receive funding will be selected by an ON-LINE VOTE. To cast your vote, please go to http://www.50statesforgood.com, click on VOTE NOW and select The Galveston Island Tree Conservancy.

Voting will take place from Tuesday, August 2, 2011 - Tuesday, September 11, 2011. IMPORTANT - Participants can vote once (1) per day during this period. So PLEASE - vote often!!!

You can view the running vote totals on the 50 States for Good site. This info will be public until the last week of voting, on or about September 6, 2011. At the completion of the final voting phase, the six (6) projects with the highest vote totals will be declared as the selected projects to receive funding, as determined by the consumer vote.

Help fund the upcoming NeighborWoods project by participating in this effort. Help GITC meet it's 2011-12 goal of planting 700 trees in Galveston Island Neighborhoods. VOTE today (and again tomorrow, and the next day and the next...).

GG