Green Austin Texas » Gardening.Landscaping.Nature

Crepe Murder in Cedar Park, Texas

Betty Saenz — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 21:19:29 +0000

Crepe Myrtles in Cedar Park, TXButchered Crepe Myrtles

I love to garden and I love to see plantings that are well nurtured, well taken care of. These photos, taken today in Cedar Park, Texas are the opposite of what I like to see. I, like so many others call this ”Crepe Murder”. The butchering of Crepe Myrtles is also called topping and is not the correct way to prune and nurture this beautiful botanical species. Crepe Myrtles bloom all summer long, providing shade and beauty to our Central Texas landscapes. Crepe Myrtle varieties are available with many different colors of flowers. White, pink, lavender and red are some of the most popular bloom colors. In the winter, their deciduous leaves fall and they allow the sun to shine in. The least we can do is provide them the minimal care they need to live long and healthy lives. Committing Crepe Murder leaves the poor plants in a weakened state, more susceptible to disease, drought and other life threatening and life shortening events. This bad practice not only makes them look like an ugly stump but also makes them bloom less. There are dwarf and semi-dwarf varieties if you want them to stay small. I like to allow the big ones to stretch out their limbs an provide abundant shade for my yard and home. Let’s reward Crepe Myrtles for their hard work and not make them ugly, heart broken and forlorn.

Properly Pruning Crepe Myrtles

To properly prune crepe myrtles, wait until just after the winter freezes are over and before they leaf out in the spring. Do not trim them back to the knuckles. Instead, remove only the weak, twiggy inside branches pruning them naturally. Remove any defective or dead branches as well as branches that rub up against your home or its roof shingles. Remember, crepe myrtles are a low maintenance shrub or tree, don’t make it hard on yourself or the tree. There are many great diagrams and even videos available on line to show you just how to trim crepe myrtles.

Crepe Murder! There Oughta Be a Law!!!

Crepe Murder in Cedar Park, Texas

Economic Benefits of Sustainable Gardens and Wildlife Habitat

Betty Saenz — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 02:32:09 +0000

My TOFGA NWF signs

I am a National Wildlife Federation certified backyard habitat steward as well as a REALTOR® who specializes in green homes. I proudly display my TOFGA (Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) as well as NWF Habitat signs on my yard’s gate as well as display the signs on my table at green events where I serve as an environmental educator. I feel good about this as well as my recycling and other volunteer work for our Earth. I also drive a hybrid Prius near zero emissions vehicle in my Real Estate work in and around Austin, Texas. I do this because I feel it is the “right” thing to do, but are there economic benefits of sustainable gardens and wildlife habitat?

Nativescapes are Sustainable, Beautiful

and Provide Habitat

The works of conservation planner Randall Arendt are particularly appropriate here as well as other observations I have had over the years. Randall Arendt says money grows on trees and that conservation developments that include sustainable greenspaces and wildlife habitat are “twice green”. What he means is that money grows on trees in the sense that trees add value. Even the common production builders know that trees add value so builders can charge lot premiums for treed lots as well as for lots that overlook greenbelt or “wildlife habitat”. By “twice green” Randall Arendt is referring to the fact that green developments are green in an environmental way but also in a monetary way, the properties simply sell for more money AND there are less costs in developing this way. Less grading, less roads and less concrete mean less construction costs while adding more beauty, sustainability and value. Consumers value and therefore pay more for homes in these types of developments.

Native landscapes will only become more and more valuable and desirable as people realize the scarcity of water and the value of wildlife including pollinators like butterflies and bees. I myself once thought Saint Augustine lawns were beautiful. Now, I treasure the “nativescaped” yards that provide food and shelter for wildlife, are beautiful to look at and need little or no watering. Backyard wildlife habitat homes appeal to buyers that love and appreciate nature. If a native landscape or wildlife habitat is done correctly, it definitely adds value by being both beautiful and sustainable. Native trees and other plants will outperform hybrid trees and plants in being able to survive local weather extremes such as drought or floods and not needing replacement.

Non native plants and trees may have a limited lifespan or require lots of extra care such as pruning and excess water. One example is the popular Red Tip Photinia (Photinia fraseri). While it makes a pretty plant it requires frequent pruning or it will grow to a monstrously huge size. Red Tip Photinia provides no food for wildlife and is susceptible to fungus diseases. Wildlife habitat by its very nature is not a well manicured look. In fact, quite the opposite is needed to provide the hiding and nesting places that wildlife need. However, a wildlife habitat can provide both the dense areas wildlife need and still be beautiful when tastefully and artfully designed. Let the plantings get bushy and dens but manicured along the edges, replete with smooth walkways that people of all ages can enjoy. I had one seller who even had a camera installed in a birdhouse in his newly wildscaped acreage lot. The camera was wired into the house so that you could see the bird inhabitants’ behaviors such as egg laying and hatching all from the indoor comfort of their home.

Environmental Education Needed

There are many people who need to be educated as to the value of a native landscape. These are the same people too who need education as to the benefits and quality of a greenbuilt home as well. To the uneducated, a native, sustainable landscape may just look like “weeds” but to the aware eye, native landscapes are exquisitely beautiful because they conserve water and other resources as well as provide habitat and food for wildlife and they add monetary value. There is a segment of the population that fully appreciates the value of greenbuilding as well as natural landscapes that are sustainable and provide habitat for wildlife. The general populace must be educated to fully realize the benefit of both greenbuilt homes as well as the facts about water, wildlife and native landscapes. I am thankful for the education resources we have in the National Wildlife Federation, TOFGA (Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association), the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT), Texas Parks and Wildlife’s “Texas Wildscapes” program, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Randall Arendt, conservation planner, lecturer, author of Growing Greener: Putting Conservation into Local Plans and Ordinances, Envisioning Better Communities: Seeing More Options, Making Wiser Choices and others. If you too want to learn more about the economic and environmental benefits of sustainable gardening practices and wildlife habitats, you might do well to start with these resources.

Central Texas Fall Foilage

Betty Saenz — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 18:43:37 +0000

Leander Texas Red Oak Tree

Some people say we have no Fall in Central Texas. Now I know we don’t have the Fall that exists up in the northeast, however, we do have some Fall color here. I took this photo this morning of my beautiful Red Oak tree in my front yard in Leander, Texas. The colors are vibrant shades of red and orange with a hint of green that won’t linger much longer. Every day the colors get more vibrant and beautiful. I planted this Red Oak tree just a couple of years ago to provide Summer shade for my driveway and in Fall it looks its absolute showiest. There are other plant species in the Austin, Texas area that have Fall color. The invasive species Chinese Tallow and Nandina that have taken over many local parks turn color for Fall. Unfortunately, these are not good plants since they are non-native and invasive. Another tree a lot of builders install in new subdivisions is the Bradford Pear. These turn purplish red in the Fall and bloom white in the Spring. We do have many native Texas species that turn color as well. The Pink Muhly or Gulf Muhly grass Muhlenbergia capillaris looks glorious in the Fall with billowing, feathery purple pink plumes. I have that in my front yard as well. Lost Maples in Vanderpool, Texas is a great park to go explore to see the Uvalde Bigtooth Maple trees but local areas have some color too. I invite you to go explore some parks and natural areas and see some Texas Fall color.

Renewable Energy Roundup Coming Soon

Betty Saenz — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:32:02 +0000

Our beloved annual Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair is coming up soon. Put on by the Texas Solar Energy Society, the Fair is now in it’s 11th year and coming to historic and fun Fredericksburg, Texas September 24th through September 26th, 2010. I go every year and am never there enough time. There is always so much to see, do and learn for people of all ages. Children 12 and under are FREE. Tickets are $10.00 to $12.00 and available at the gate. There are so many booths set up to learn about so much. There are food vendors, talks about any green living topic you can imagine and all at a very reasonable entry fee.

This years talks include information on small wind systems, saving water, rainwater collection, city gardening, aquaponics, wild plants, compressed earth block building, Net Zero homes, Geothermal Systems, organic farming and ranching, solar cars, solar cooking, photovoltaic systems, greenwashing and more!! There are natural cooking demos and I guarantee you will learn a lot about many topics. I hope to see you there!! I’ll probably wear my TOFGA, Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners t shirt I got at the fair last year when I joined that great organization. There is usually a ride share set up to share rides to the fair from the Austin Texas Metro Area. I am looking at all the talks now and having a hard time deciding which day to go, I think I will go to all three!!!

My Front Yard Organic Grocery Store

Betty Saenz — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 05:56:53 +0000

Sweet Red Peaches

I just love my front yard organic grocery store. I enjoy picking my own fruits of my own labor knowing they were produced without being sprayed by some harmful chemical and my fruit is not waxed or picked green to gas ripen after shipping in some cold gas chamber. Geez! What has happened to our food supply?! One has to only watch “Super Size Me” and “Food Inc” to understand our dilemma in the United States. That is why I am so happy to grow some of my own. Gardening in Central Texas is not hard. I am no rocket scientist and I manage easily enough. It’s easy to grow some of your own food.

Nature's Bounty

I started my 2010 year with the sweetest, tastiest most melt in your mouth apricots!!! Picking fruit is easy! Next it was the reddest, juiciest, sweetest large red-skinned freestone peaches and also blackberries. For 4th of July we had homemade peach ice cream out of our old White Mountain ice cream freezer. Then on to sweet little figs! Getting a second fig crop now. Yum! I always share some fruit with the birds who visit my National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat yard. Currently it is a great apple harvest. Delightful juicy sweet and slightly tart green apples. The tree was bowing down it is so laden with fruit!! Fresh apple pies baked from scratch this weekend!! Next will be pomegranites. And I always have plenty of herbs – two kinds of oregano, mint, parsley, rosemary, thyme, lemon grass, dill, basil and more…

Luscious Peaches

Next year I bet my nectarine and plums will come into full bloom and subsequent production!! I have some papaya and citrus trees too. And guess what?? I am raising catfish and crappie in my backyard pond. All this organic produce and food on a 60′ cty lot in Leander, Texas, Williamson County. Yippee!!!

Contact the organic gardening REALTOR Betty Saenz to buy or sell a home, farm or ranch. I’ll help you get your own organic garden growing on your own piece of Real Estate!!

Blog on Pickett Trail

Betty Saenz — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 02:14:18 +0000

Pickett Trail Steps

South San Gabriel as seen from the Pickett Trail

Georgetown Texas Pickett Trail

I led a MeetUp group hike yesterday in an area that feels very sacred to me. I love the area because it feels to me like a sanctuary, private, pristine and peaceful. Georgetown Texas’ Pickett Trail is a small trail both in width and length compared to many, with beautiful vistas from rock cliffs overlooking the South San Gabriel River. According to the Georgetown, Texas Parks and Recreation Department, it was named after a rodeo cowboy who was of American Indian and black heritage named Bill Pickett. Pickett was from Taylor, Texas, in Williamson County. Bill Pickett was born December 5, 1870 and passed away in 1932 from injuries sustained from a stallion in Oklahoma. Pickett Elementary School in Georgetown is named after him. Bill Pickett was the very first black cowboy ever to be inducted into the National Rodeo Hall of Fame and was the inventor of bulldogging, also known as steer wrestling.

A Great Hike and Enjoyable Evening

Pickett Trail is an unmarked trail that many people may not know about. We met up at 6:00 pm at the Blue Hole parking lot. We started our hike walking beside Blue Hole and then went into the Pickett Trail. It was so fun. It’s a short trail compared to many and I have hiked it so many times in my life that I hardly have to look down at the path except for those steep stair steps. After our hike three of us swam at Blue Hole and visited. Among our trio was a lady who moved here two years ago from CA.

Georgetown and Central Texas Consequences of Growth

We have so many people moving here to Texas and the Austin, Texas as well as Georgetown, Texas area. I welcome all to our state as a Native Texan. I just worry about the population growth’s effect on the environment, both from people migrating here as well as our native Texas population’s growth. I saw trash on the trail at a few spots and this horrifies and saddens me. Normally it is so pristine and that is part of what I love.

Pickett Trail Signs

There is no sign making the trail, nor any signage along the trail. I would hate to have to put signs that read “No Littering $500. Fine”. What can one do? So I blog, hoping somehow, someway consciousness will be raised. Besides the no littering signs that I hope never need to be posted, I want a sign showing that the trail is named after Bill Pickett, to honor the memory of him. After all, it is named after him and he was a famous rodeo cowboy and Texan.

Pickett Trail Invasive Species

There are some areas of the Pickett Trail almost totally taken over by invasive plant species. Among the worst there is ligustrum but there is also a lot of nandina. Invasive species gradually take over the landscape and may choke out existing species. The existing native species belong in the natural ecosystem which provides food and habitat for native animal life. The City of Georgetown, and or volunteers need to clean the invasive species out of Pickett Trail and Blue Hole Park. Perhaps the Williamson County Chapter of the Native Plant Society, Texas Master Gardeners or Texas Master Naturalists will take interest in this area.

Resources:

Books

Land of Good Water: A Williamson County Texas History by Clara Stearns Scarbrough
Guts: Legendary Black Rodeo Cowboy Bill Pickett by Cecil Johnson

Williamson County Chapter of the Native Plant Society The Williamson County NPSOT is very active. I have been to some meetings and events. NPSOT does research and works in conservation of native plants and their habitats. The group meets on the second Thursday of every month at 7:00pm at the Georgetown, TX Public Library second floor meeting room.

Texas Master GardenersThere is a Williamson County Texas Master Gardener program that meets monthly at 6:30pm at the Williamson County Extension Service Office, 3151 SE Innerloop Road, Ste. A in Georgetown, Texas. The meetings are open to the public.

Texas Master Naturalists learn about natural resource conservation and provide leadership in management of natural resources and natural areas. Texas Master Naturalists volunteer teaching the public, removing invasive species and other activities.

Keep Austin Beautiful is a very active non-profit in the Austin, TX area. (512) 391-0621
Keep Texas Beautiful is the statewide organization
Keep America Beautiful is the nation wide non-profit program that ran the television ad campaign above.

Contact Betty Saenz REALTOR SRES, GRI, EcoBroker to see homes or other real estate in the Georgetown, TX area or anywhere in the Austin Metro Area. (512) 785-5050

5 Green Construction Methods That You Can Adopt

Betty Saenz — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 20:33:24 +0000

Green buildings are making headlines and it’s not for the shade of the paint that’s used on their walls“ they’re being talked about because they’re built using energy-efficient methods and sustainable materials, and because they promote eco-friendly lifestyles. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, green buildings emit 35 percent less carbon dioxide and use 35 percent less energy than conventional buildings. While you may not be able to achieve these exact statistics when you set out to build your home, there are ways in which you can adopt green measures to make your home more eco-friendly. A few easily followed green construction methods are:

Buy locally: You may not be able to pick and choose eco-friendly options for all your building materials, but you do have the option of buying those that are available locally or at locations near you. This helps save on transportation energy and costs. Also, the materials are available cheaper because they’re not imported or transported from other locations within the country. So you’re not only going green, you’re also saving costs as a bonus.

Use energy efficient devices: Buy appliances that are Energy Star rated and which save electricity and energy. They may cost a little more initially but your recurring expenses are much lower than usual. Invest in refrigerators, washers, driers, ovens and other appliances that consume less energy, CFC bulbs instead of fluorescent tubes, and fans instead of air conditioners. Set the thermostat to normal levels so that your home is not too hot or too cold. Use natural light when you can by building large windows that face east. Also invest in a solar panel for most of your energy needs if it is cost-efficient.

Use recycled/recyclable materials: If you’re going to use wood for your windows and other building needs, choose options that are salvaged or recycled. Similarly, other materials like plastic, glass, aluminium and steel are available in the recycled forms. When you use recycled materials, you’re also able to recycle them again when you improve or remodel your home a few years down the line.

Make your home eco-friendly: Fresh water is fast becoming a scarce commodity, so when you build a home, install a facility to harvest and filter rainwater. Also, set up a system where your shower water is automatically recycled and diverted to your lawn sprinkler and to water your plants.

Maintain what you’ve built: And finally, once you begin to live in your home, adopt eco-friendly measures like recycling your trash, using your garbage disposal correctly, closing faucets tightly and repairing leaky ones immediately, switching off electrical and electronic appliances when not in use instead of leaving them in the standby modes, and keeping your home neat and tidy.

This guest post is contributed by Nicole Adams, she writes on the topic of construction management degree She welcomes your comments at her email id: nicole.adams83@gmail.com

Greening Austin Homes 1house at a time

Betty Saenz — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:26:18 +0000

How do you help those in need and help the environment at the same time? 1house at a time is a great organization that helps Austin, Texas homeowners in need avoid foreclosure on their homes by lowering their utility and food bills. High utility bills often represent a family’s second highest expense. Homes chosen for projects receive energy efficiency upgrades and other projects to save money and help our Earth. This month’s project happens March 13TH from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Projects include removing the old refrigerator, washer and dryer and replacing then with energy efficient units. A rain gutter system with gutter guards will be installed as well as a rainwater collection cistern. A garden will be installed to help provide healthy food at low cost.

Texas Metal Cisterns and Green Zone Home are helping in this month’s event.

Texas Metal Cisterns in business since 2000 can be reached at (512) 565-0875

Green Zone Home, 8868 Research Boulevard
Austin, TX 78758 (512) 467-0005 Green Zone Home provides home energy consultations.

1 house at a time is a project of A Nurtured World

Won’t you consider helping a family in need by volunteering 4 hours of your time? If you are not able to personally help at the site could you help with a donation?

Learn more about retrofitting your home, rainwater collection and GREEN Austin Homes

Birding Around Austin Texas: the Williamson County TX Audubon Group

Betty Saenz — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:20:40 +0000

Betty Saenz, member of Williamson Audubon Group

If you live in the northern part of Austin, Texas or even elsewhere, the Williamson County Texas Audubon Group (WAG) is a great organization to further your interests in nature and or birds. I just retuned from a Williamson Audubon Group meeting at the New Church on County Road 245 in Georgetown, Texas. A large crowd, including myself, were entertained by guest speaker and local, award winning wildlife photographer Greg Lasley. Mr. Lasley said he has had his photos published in over 100 books and magazines which include American Birds, Texas Highways Magazine, Wildlife Conservation and many more. His book, Texas Wildlife Portraits was available for purchase and signing. Mr. Lasley’s book is available for purchase on Amazon.com Mr. Lasley showed many photographs of various birds and other Texas wildlife on 2 huge screens so all attendees could see them well. Listeners could hear the Lesser Prairie Chicken recording on his i Phone while looking at its photograph. Lasley said the Lesser Prairie Chicken with their orange sacks on the side of their faces can still be seen roaming in the wild in the northeast Texas Panhandle. Many Native American tribal dances mimic the Prairie Chicken. Other photos included the Screetch Owl, Inca doves, a golden cheeked warbler with its bright yellow head and namesake cheeks, black capped vireo, wild turkey, yellow throated warbler, Least Bittern, and the beautiful Painted Bunting. Painted Buntings have a bright blue head, red throat, bright green below the head and an orange belly and back. Mr. Lasley also had photos of females and immature males which both looked a drab green. He said it takes 2 years for the male painted buntings to mature into their bright colored plumage. I have not yet seen one in the wild but long to! Mr. Lasley has had some interesting experiences on his wildlife adventures. He spoke of a ranch owner who fed wild Harris’s Hawks store bought kidney off of a mesquite tree on his ranch. There were pictures of a Wood Duck with can be seen on Town Lake (Ladybird Lake) and a white tail hawk as seen in McAllen, Texas in the valley. There was 1 soaring adult white tailed hawk as well as a nest of fluffy, downy babies.

Among the non-bird photos was a jackrabbit, coyote, Mexican ground squirrel, armadillo, Pallid bats roosting, an alligator at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, a painted damsel fly, a black saddlebags dragonfly, a blue faced ring tailed dragonfly, an Ebony jewel wing (black) dragonfly, a wolf spider carrying its babies, a flame skimmer dragonfly, a Toothpick grasshopper, a long jawed spider with a dusty dancer damselfly caught in his web, a beautiful red Mayan dragonfly, a praying mantis photo taken through a Macro lens, a South Texas Queens butterfly, a migratory American Snout butterfly, a Banded Peasant dragonfly, a Rock Rattlesnake, a Luna Moth in Luling, TX, a Texas horned lizard, a Texas Spiny Lizard, a red-eared slider turtle, a Texas tortoise and a 6 foot Texas Indigo snake which are known for eating rattlesnakes. This goes to show that most birdwatchers, like myself, are nature lovers. Many of his photographs were very unique and artistic showing just an animals head, part of a tortoise’s shell or only a section of a Wild Turkey’s plumage.

My 25 minute drive from Leander, Texas to Georgetown, Texas and back was nice down the new section of Ronald W. Reagan Boulevard (Parmer Lane). It felt like you were miles and miles from nowhere since there was no traffic. You can join the Williamson Audubon Group (WAG) by signing up on Meetup.com

April 12. 2010 at 7:00pm at the NewChurch Georgetown, TX the Guest Speaker for the Williamson Audubon Group will be Richard Kostecke, PhD of The Nature Conservancy. I am amazed at how much the people in this group know about birds. I am hoping to be able to identify all the birds in my Texas backyard! In looking at my personal, signed copy of Greg Lasley’s Texas Wildlife Portraits, I think I can almost narrate through most of the book after the presentation tonight. Hopefully I can hold my grandkids attention that long! LOL

Contact me at (512) 785-5050 or by e-mail to learn more about the Williamson Audubon Group or about buying or selling a home, lot or ranch in the Williamson County or Austin area.

Austin Texas’ Green Garden Program

Betty Saenz — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 05:13:52 +0000

I am jealous. Everything’s in Austin…Sometimes, to someone who cares about the environment it seems that way…I live in Leander, Texas, Williamson County because of the affordability of homes and the Leander ISD school system. I am trying to help the City of Leander to encourage greenbuilding and green yards. My yard meets the criteria for Austin’s Award Winning Green Garden Program yet I am not a City of Austin water customer so I can’t share my yard in that venue. The City of Leander gets the water from the same place, Lake Travis but we buy it from Leander, not Austin. Part of being a Texas Organic Home is to have a green yard. By green I do not mean a huge, water hungry synthetic yard but a water conserving, sensible and beautiful yard that is safe for humans, pets and wildlife due to lack of synthetic chemicals. “Synthetic” yards use non-native plants and grasses from some rainforest that do not jive with the Austin/Central Texas climate. These plants drink too much of our water and may be invasive and take over our wild spaces.

Call or e-mail me and I’ll help you learn more.

signed, a Native Texan and aspiring Master Naturalist, Citizen Gardener, and Master Gardener.