This subject has been on my heart to share. So many folks come out from the city to the country in order to "do whatever they want to without restrictions". Most people are aware of their neighbors and don’t trespass onto their neighbors property. However, some are trespassing on their neighbors in a very serious way. If you are target practicing with firearms or hunting with firearms and your bullet goes past your fence line, you are breaking the law and could be in very serious trouble. If your bullet crosses the fence of your neighbors you have committed "Criminal Trespass". I don’t think that many folks even give that a thought. I have had neighbors in the past in another county that would actually shoot over my fence line to shoot Doves or Whitetail Deer. We need to be more careful about where and how we shoot or hunt. So be very careful and more respectful of your neighbors and realize what the consequences might be.

The Heat is Extreme

The heat has already been shattering record temperatures and June just arrived. Well we know what to do in the garden and how to protect our plants.

Are you mulching your vegetation? Our plants, shrubs and trees need at least 3-4 inches of mulch this time of year. Warning: Don’t allow the mulch to touch the base of the plants as it can cause a disease problem. Mulch not only helps maintain the moisture in the soil but it keeps the plants cooler in this heat and the real heat to come in August. What type of mulch is best? Well that is really a personal preference. I prefer Ashe Juniper (Cedar) for mulch as I have plenty of it, bugs don’t particularly like it, it stays in place and it gives me an excuse to remove Ashe Juniper from my place.

As our plants enter this stressful time of heat and producing fruit we need to fertilize. We can do that by side dressing the plants with fish emulsion, seaweed extract and our ever-dependable compost tea (liquid humate). Products that promote this are Medina Plus, Lady Bug products all are available at your favorite gardening center if they are not available ask for them.

Pinch back (dead head) blooms: Chrysanthemums, Mexican Marigolds, Geraniums, and the like. This action promotes more blooming and keeps your plants looking pretty for the neighbors to envy.

Start cutting your lawns higher throughout the Summer as it promotes deeper root system for the grass and it will be healthier and use less water. Bermuda grass should be cut around one inch, Buffalo grass two and half inches, St. Augustine three inches and Zoysia approximately one inch. The turf experts recommend these levels of grass heights. Warning: Never cut more than one third of the grass at one time.

Wild Wind

Where in the world has all this wind come from? I have not seen such windy conditions as we have experienced in the last 18 months in my life. I used to say "If we had more wind I would get me a wind generator for our home" then I would laugh because we did not have enough wind. Now I am second thinking that opportunity. The wind further dries out our already dry lands. For those of you who have experienced that getting rare element called rain, it is drying that up faster than we want and the creeks, lakes, ponds are all falling.

However, remember, we are One Day closer to the next rain!

New Farmers Market

Have you experienced the Farmers Market in Marble Falls? Well for those who had Tee times on Saturday mornings or their "Honey Do" list was too long to go to the Saturday morning Farmers Markets here is a real opportunity to be a hero. Now on your way home on Wednesday afternoons you can go by the Farmers Market in Marble Falls, located at 105 East 1431 FM west side of town in the front lawn of the St. John’s Catholic Church. Please contact John Clark at www.marblefallsfarmersmarket.com Don’t forget other local Farmers Markets such as Burnet on the Square in Burnet Saturdays 9-1. The folks that grow veggies, fruits, and flowers that we cannot all grow are the local vendors. As a good friend of mine has said "The easiest and best way to garden is with the checkbook at a farmers market where you can find all that makes you happy".

Pond Tour

If you want to see tranquility and peace in your yard just add a water pond or water feature of almost any kind. Here is a great opportunity to see how the experts have done theirs. The tour for Liberty Hill, Georgetown, and Bertram will be on June the 11

Till Next Month!

Keep your souls and your soles in your garden!

Remember the True Master Gardener: Jesus said, "I am the vine; my Father is the Gardener." John 15:1

Have questions or comments? Contact Bill Luedecke at The Luedecke Group Realtors, P.O. Box 1632, Bertram, TX. 78605 (no Post Office in Oatmeal) or email bill@texasland.net. For additional gardening web sites, go to his web site; www.TexasLand.Net and click on links.

th. The hours are 9am till 5pm. The pond and garden in Bertram belong to the Goodes, Marilynn and Kert; tickets are $5 for their pond or $15 for the tour (if purchased ahead) or a cost of $20 the day of the tour for the whole tour. For more information please call Kert or Marilynn at 512-355-2374. This tour is in Williamson, Burnet, and Travis Counties. KLRU Central Texas Gardener will have more information about the Austin Pond Society Tour on their June 4th show at 12Noon and 4pm.