New Central Texas-oriented gardening book focuses on water conservation
AgriLife Extension, Travis County Master Gardeners address gardening ‘from drought to deluge’
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Travis County Master Gardeners Association have released the 2020 edition of From Drought to Deluge: The Resilient Central Texas Garden, a guide on creating gardens that can handle the soil, water and temperature challenges of Central Texas.
Book contents and conservational focus
The focus of the 154-page updated edition is water conservation, and topics include plant selection, irrigation and soil management tips for each of the three major Central Texas geologies — the Edwards Plateau, the Blackland Prairies and the Post Oak Savannah Flood Plains.
“The principles and tips outlined in this book were written especially for gardeners in Central Texas, but they’re also easily translatable to any region and would be helpful to any gardener,” said Daphne Richards, AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Travis County. “It provides a wealth of information on ways to approach gardening and landscaping with a more conservation-focused mindset.”
From Drought to Delugefocuses on xeriscaping principles, which deal directly with drought and water conservation, garden planning and design theory. It also contains information on turfgrass selection, plant selection and placement, irrigation techniques, rainwater harvesting and garden maintenance. The table of contents include:
- Introduction: Gardening in Drought and Deluge.
- Soils: The Key to Resilience.
- Planning and Design for Drought to Deluge.
- The Concept of Practical Lawns.
- Plant Selection and Placement.
- Irrigation and Rainwater Harvesting.
- Maintenance and Management, which includes a garden calendar.
- Additional Resources.
“Some of the information in this book first appeared in the publications Xeriscape Landscaping in the Austin Area, Xeriscape for Central Texas and Creating a Drought-Resistant Garden in Central Texas,” Richards said. “The Travis County Master Gardeners Association has built upon the dedication, expertise and knowledge of the original authors of these publications and combined it with the valuable contributions of new authors to create a more comprehensive resource for gardeners in Central Texas.”
Copies of this publication can be ordered through the Travis County Master Gardeners Association website.
What the Travis County Master Gardeners Association does
The Travis County Master Gardeners Association is the volunteer horticultural organization of AgriLife Extension in Travis County. The association holds free or low-cost public programs on gardening and food preservation topics at various locations in the county throughout the year.
“These interactive programs help the public get more joy and productivity from their gardens, troubleshoot problems and develop environmentally sensitive gardening techniques,” Richards said. “Programs cover topics such as rainwater harvesting, seasonal vegetable gardening, lawn care, tree maintenance, native and adapted plants, propagating plants and much more.”
Richards said a sustainable approach to gardening is one of the ways residents can soften their impact on the local environment and contribute to the long-term health of their community.
