Green Austin Updates | Green Austin Homes

Garden Tips and Treasures for Native Plant Gardening and Landscaping for Wildlife

by Martin Byhower, native plant retailer, birding guide, educator

MOSQUITOES!
Welcome to what I hope will become a regular series of articles sharing what I have learned about Central Texas Gardening with Wildlife in Mind. It seems that perhaps the most relevant and helpful topic to start with is dealing with mosquitoes in your Texas yard.

There are an abundance of myths, old codgers’ tales, and pseudoscientific remedies for keeping mosquitoes at bay…yet there are some real solutions!

Myth: Birds and bats eat lots of mosquitoes.

Reality: Mosquitoes are so tiny they just aren’t worth the effort to meet the intense energy budget required for a bird or mammal to fly. BUT…damselflies and dragonflies are GREAT mosquito-eaters!

OK, how do I get these critters to come into my yard?

Well, they probably DO come into your yard if you don’t use toxic chemicals to control mosquitoes! (or other pests.) MOST of the various sprays, powders, and such used by homeowners (or the yard services they hire) contain either nasty and non-specific toxins or short acting repellents. These kill and/or repel the GOOD BUGS too!

You might think that having a backyard pond would bring in the skeeters, and if you have a healthy pond with recirculating water, this will act as a lure for mosquitoes, which will lay their eggs in the water. BUT…the voracious dragonfly and damselfly larvae almost certainly also using your pond will gobble up any mosquito eggs and larvae. And if you have goldfish or mosquitofish in the pond, these will make quick work of mosquitoes at all stages.

Myth: Mosquitoes come from afar to your yard.

Reality: The most problematic mosquitoes breed in your own yard, maybe one neighbor away at most. That is why I love to use targeted, non-toxic products like Mosquito Bits® or Mosquito Dunks®. These contain a protein, made by the bti bacterium, which is harmless to nearly all creatures (including fish) with the exception of mosquito (and black-fly) larvae. I can attest to the effectiveness of this product-it has knocked down the mosquito density greatly in my own yard! Put it in ponds, bird baths, rain barrels, flower pots, watering pots, roof gutters, pet water dishes, tree holes, covered utility holes for your pool or in your lawn-anywhere water accumulates (mosquitoes can even breed in mud!).

Myth: Things you can eat or apply to your body repel insects.

Reality: Mosquitoes are attracted to the Carbon Dioxide you give off, secondarily to odors created by bacteria in your skin operating on your own particular body chemistry. (People who say they don’t get bit by mosquitoes probably do, but just don’t react to the anticoagulants in their saliva.) But you don’t need to stop breathing or sweating to keep them at bay! Rigorous scientific testing shows that nothing you ingest repels mosquitoes, and the only available topical products that last more than a very short period are those containing DEET or Picardin. The latter is still rather expensive; and despite decades of testing, DEET, although it can somewhat alarmingly melt plastic, has never been shown to be harmful to humans, even infants! Citronella and such may work as long as the wind is blowing in the right direction; but what I have found is a good patio fan works even better, as mosquitoes are very weak fliers. When out hiking I find that a 15 or 20% Deet spray works very well, and the new “dry” formulas are a great improvement over earlier ones.

Myth: What about bug zappers and sonic repellents?

Reality: About 1% of what bug zappers kill is mosquitoes; they kill FAR MORE beneficial and harmless ones. They should be illegal! And sonic devices are a scam.

Bottom line: The best solutions are intelligence, vigilance, and working with, rather than against, Mother Nature!

Note From Betty:

I use an all natural formula called Mosquito Beater to repel mosquitoes, gnats, and flies from my backyard. It works well for lawns, patios, gardens, barns, and other outdoor areas. It contains cedar oil, citronella, geranium oil, and lemongrass oil.

Tesla Solar Roof for Sale Now

Solar Roof Elon Musk

Tesla Inc. is now accepting orders for its highly anticipated and aesthetically pleasing solar powered, electricity-generating roofs. The roofs are a mix of generating and non-generating solar tiles to maximize the cost efficiency each roof but both tiles look the same. The tiles are made to create an optical illusion. From street level, they appear to be normal roof tiles but the sun shines from above where a person flying overhead would see the solar cells inside the tiles clearly from the air.

During a conference call with reporters, Musk said that the roofs could be made up of as much as 70% active solar tiles, though most houses would have about 40%. The solar glass tiles will be lighter and stronger than normal roof tiles, and that the roofs will come with a warranty that extends either to the lifetime of the house or to “infinity” — whichever comes first.

Tesla has a cost estimate calculator on its website where the curious public can input their address and see the cost of the roof and the amount of cost savings it is expected to generate in energy over 30 years. The calculator includes the amount of any federal, state, or local tax credits customers could receive as well as the cost of a Tesla Powerwall storage battery. The Powerwall battery stores electricity so that it can power a home when the sun isn’t shining.

A down payment of $1,000 is required to reserve your spot on the order list. Roof installations will start in June.

The average homeowner looking to replace a 3,000-square-foot roof with the solar roof could expect to pay about $21.85 per square foot, Tesla said. That price doesn’t include tax credits and applies to a roof that is 35% covered with electricity-generating tiles.

Musk said on the call. “We want to look around at neighborhoods and see roofs that are beautiful and generate energy from the sun.”

A number of financing options to pay the $30,000 to $60,000 cost include personal loans, mortgage refinancing, and home equity credit lines. Financing directly from Tesla will begin in late 2017 or 2018.

4 Tips to Work in Wellness: Your Healthy Office Space

We spend the majority of our adult lives at work. It makes sense to include your office in your health and wellness plan. Unhealthy employees are less productive, and that can hurt the bottom line, too. Here are five tips to maintaining a healthy office for yourself and employees.

1. Select Ergonomic Office Furniture

Keeping your old and uncomfortable office equipment may be easier on the office budget at first, but it can be a real problem for business in the long run. Productivity can suffer along with the aches and pains of your employees.

By choosing ergonomic office equipment, you and your colleagues can feel their best even through long hours. Office chairs should have ample lumbar support, and adjustable height so that the knees can be level with the hips. Keyboards and mousepads with built-in wrist supports can make computer work more comfortable and avoid disabilities like carpal tunnel syndrome. If a new keyboard is not in your future, adding your own wrist rests can add an ergonomic touch to your current computer. If you’re on the phone for long periods of time, a lightweight headset can really save a pain in the neck and shoulder. If you can’t make all these changes at once, simply keep them in mind each time you need to purchase new equipment.

2. Bring More Live Plants to Your Office

There are both physical and psychological benefits to bringing more live plants into your office. With a ratio of 1 plant per 3 employees, air quality can be improved within the office. CO2 can cut in half. There’s also a reduction in the dust, bacteria, and mold that could be inhaled by employees. Dust levels in the workplace can be reduced by up to 20%. Artificial toxins inside an office created by plastics, paint, furniture, carpets, and certain cleaning products can be absorbed and significantly reduced by plants.

A number of scientific studies have shown that adding plants to the workplace reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. By reducing carbon dioxide in the air, plants can help us improve productivity, mental focus, and concentration. Businesses with plants have been shown to reduce absenteeism by 50%.

3. Provide Healthy Snacks and Drinks

Employees are also happier, healthier, and more productive when their office provides nutritious snacks and beverages. Even a solitary entrepreneur from home can benefit from healthy snacks. According to a recent article from USA Today, “when it comes to employee perks, few things are as simply satisfying as free food and drinks”. The grocery delivery service Peapod reports that its top ten orders from businesses are all fresh fruit: bananas, strawberries and apples. Granola, yogurt, and other healthy snacks are also popular. Bringing food into the office actually does improve profits. Employees tend to work more hours and communicate more efficiently. The extra perk also helps attract talented people.

4. Encourage Short Fitness and Workout Breaks

It’s no secret that exercise is a healthy way to boost our energy levels…. so why aren’t more people working out in the office? Start using those small snippets of downtime at work to stay fit. Get up for a stretch and get walking around the office or take the stairs. Fitness bands can turn your stretches into bicep curls right in your office chair. For a bigger workout, wear some body weights under your clothing to transform every movement into exercise. Set aside an area for employees to workout or do aerobics together during their lunch breaks. Exercise improves blood flow and oxygen use while reducing weight. This can improve your focus, productivity, and mental concentration.

We hope that these four tips have given you some food for thought whether you work home alone or in a big office building downtown. Improving your health and wellness isn’t just personally beneficial but can have a dramatic effect on productivity and income for the entire business.

Texas Solar and Wind Property Tax Exemption

Texas has been at the fore-front of renewable energy for over thirty years. Way back in 1978, Texas voters approved a constitutional amendment to exempt solar power and wind turbine equipment from property taxes.

Generally speaking, when you hire someone to install solar panels or a wind turbine, they will request a permit from your local government. This will trigger a new property appraisal. If the solar panels cost $20,000 your property appraisal may go up by the same amount.

This solar and wind property tax exemption will eliminate that extra property value for tax assessment purposes. This means you will not pay any additional property taxes for installing solar or wind power, but you must file the form between January 1st and April 30 to avoid the additional taxes.

Here’s the Solar and Wind Powered Devices Exemption application, also known as Form 50-123: https://www.comptroller.texas.gov/forms/50-123.pdf Fill it out and send it to your local county tax appraisal district before April 30. Do not send it to the State of Texas or the Comptroller.

News on the Garey Ranch Property

The Good Water Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists is having its first chapter meeting for 2017 this Thursday, January 12th.

The presentation and discussion will be regarding the Garey Ranch gift to Georgetown and how it will be developed. This ranch is a 525 acre property located on Highway 2243 just east of Ronald Reagan Blvd. It was donated to the city by Jack Garey and his late wife, Cammy Garey. Mr. Garey is a retired attorney and property developer. The ranch includes 2 man-made lakes, various natural springs, and a 6,000 square foot Tuscan-style villa.

Join us as we hear Georgetown Parks and Recreation executive Dave Melaas explain the city’s plans and hopes for this land. We want to learn about the development and preservation plans and what NPSOT’s role might be in identifying the native plants on the property.

We will meet in the Hewlett Room, upstairs in the Georgetown Public Library at 7 p.m. Arrive early and pick up a package of some native plant seeds from our seed board or visit with other early birds. Free and open to the public.

Presentation on “Invasives in Texas”

Presented by: Dr. Hans Landel

Join the Texas Master Naturalists Good Water Chapter meeting on Thursday, January 26, 2017, 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Free of charge and open to the general public.

Dr. Hans Landel has conducted over ten years of field research, including studies of endangered wildlife species. He has worked with the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center since 2015 as the Invasive Species Program Coordinator and oversees the Center’s work combating invasive species, which includes managing the “Invaders of Texas” citizen scientist program, providing invasive species training to the public. He manages the Texas Invasives.org website, a central database about invasive plants and other pests in a statewide Invasives Mapping Project with the National Park Service.

Dr. Landel develops and administers workshops on how to identify and track invasive species that affect state landscapes, produces online educational materials and the monthly “iWire invasives” newsletter, and collaborates with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Texas A&M Forest Service and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Before joining the Wildflower Center, he spent more than 15 years teaching university courses ranging from basic biology and wildlife management to natural history, marine biology and fieldwork. He has experience with GIS, field mapping, plant and animal surveys, and radio-tracking. He has performed field research in the U.S. and abroad, including on endangered species in China and the Philippines. He has also volunteered on habitat restoration and rehabilitation projects and given educational presentations with local environmental groups in the Seattle, Washington area. He is presently a member of the Travis Audubon Society.

Dr. Landel received a bachelor’s degree in zoology from the University of California – Davis and a doctorate in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana.

Location: Williamson County, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office meeting room, 3151 SE Inner Loop, Georgetown, TX 78626 (map) (business hours phone 512- 943-3300).

Schedule: 6:00 pm Social Time with light refreshments; 6:30 pm a short business meeting & announcements; followed by the program at 7:00 pm, and usually ending approximately 8:00 pm.

Visit the GWMN website http://txmn.org/goodwater/

Master Naturalist meetings are free and open to the public. Non-members are encouraged to attend and learn how Texas Master Naturalists are involved in Williamson County.

Dark Sky

When city dwellers look up at the night sky, a few stars might be visible. What if you could see billions? Your eyes would just trail on forever without resetting. Is this even possible? With the right lighting you will be amazed just how far your vision can take you. During the day, we can see the world. After hours, we should be able to view the galaxy. After all, we are part of it. The stars and planets should be there when you look for them. The trouble isn’t on their end though as we put in urban lighting to block the view. An epiphany such as this one can change the way we live when the right people get involved. Welcome to Dark Sky where the human perspective on sky watching is as original as the Milky Way.

The International Dark Sky Association‘s objective is to educate the public and create dark sky communities where applicable. One example is Dripping Springs. Here they passed a city ordinance limiting the use of artificial light. In addition to eco-friendly lifestyles, they’re bringing the community together in the process. With the advent of modern convenience our lives have become essentially devoid of back porch star gazing. Taking a few helpful hints into consideration, we can return to our roots beneath a canopy of stars. This is precisely the purpose of Dark Sky.

Dripping Springs is honored to be known as the first International Dark Sky Community in Texas. This is accomplished by installing outdoor security lighting to reflect away from the moon and stars ensuring the wonders of the cosmos such as meteor showers and constellations are still visible.

The Dark Sky program teaches us a lot of irreplaceable lessons namely the value of preserving the horizon’s beauty and protecting the purpose of the stars. The night sky is nature’s navigator provided free of charge. Take away from the systems put in place eons ago and you subtract from the environment hindering productivity of the nocturnal creatures whose habitat and survival depend on the bigger picture. The raccoon or possum both see the world through a midnight lens. Their lives are built after the sun goes down. As nature would have it, they need the night simply to carry on.

We can talk about light pollution, but until we define it we’re lost as far as making the necessary changes. Dark Sky illuminates our world with knowledge literally empowering individuals through the understanding of preservation by presenting the choices homeowners can make to ensure they’re not taking away from the night time ecosystems. After all, we’re living under one sky.

Texas Amphibian Watch at Austin Pond Society

Monday Evening July 18th 2016 at 6:30pm Mark Klym of the Texas Amphibian Watch will be the guest speaker at the monthly Austin TX Pond Society meeting held just off MoPac at 2220 Barton Springs Road in the Zilker Botanical Garden’s Austin Area Garden Center meeting room. This is a good match of two great organizations because many Texas ponds become hosts of many Texas Amphibians. The meeting is free and open to the public if you’d like to join us!

Austin TX Leopard frog — Leopard Frog in my yards pond in Leander Texas, just north of Austin TX

Did you know that amphibians are bioindicators that can tell us when our environment is becoming uber toxic? Kind of like the canary in the coal mine, amphibians have permeable skin and malformed limbs in local amphibians can be a barometer of the true condition of our environment. If you can’t make it to the meeting don’t worry, you can get information about the Texas Amphibian Watch by calling 800-792-1112 x 8062 or at the Texas Amphibian Watch web site

Crepe Murder in Cedar Park, Texas

Cedar Park TX Crepe Myrtles — 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

Crepe Murder! There Oughta Be a Law!!!

Austin Texas Christmas Traditions

Christmas traditions and customs vary from family to family and land to land. I enjoy reading about many different traditions in Texas by reading the book “Christmas in Texas” by Elizabeth Silverthorne. My Austin, Texas forefathers came to east Travis County from the Småland, Sweden area about 1870 or 71. Småland is the land of IKEA, which we now have in the Austin area at 1431 and IH 35 in Round Rock, Texas. Growing up, I became familiar with dishes like Ostakaka, a Swedish cheesecake type dish served with Lingonberries. Lutefiskis another Swedish dish that I made for my grandmother and we ate at Christmas gatherings. I remember buying the fish for the dish somewhere around my grandmother’s house at 608 Texas Avenue in Austin, Texas at a neighborhood grocer that is no longer there. Now the only local place I know to buy Lutefisk is Quality Seafood Market on Airport Blvd. We also had my grandmother’s homemade rolls and bread. I miss those days with my parents, grandmother and other Swedish Austin area relatives. Pictured are my mother’s handpainted Swedish candleholder set that I set out at Christmas. The book “The Swedish Texans” by Larry E. Scott is a great book about the immigration to Texas from Sweden that began in 1848.

New Sweden Church at 12809 New Sweden Church Road, was organized in 1876 and is is steeped in Swedish tradition. The church’s copper spire is 104 feet high and has been an Central Texas Austin area landmark close to Manor, Pflugerville, Elgin and Taylor, Texas since the 1800’s. December 24th at 7:00pm they are holding the Christmas Eve Candlelight service and Christmas Dawn at 7:00am they hold the Julotta candlelight program. I love history and geneology as well as old historic buildings and homes. I hope to attend one or both of these services to touch my ancestry as well as enjoy a local historic landmark. Turns out that my great, great grandfather Gustaf Ax aka Corporal Ax and his wife Johanna Swenson Ax were the first to be listed in the New Sweden church book. I find it interesting to research local history about relatives from so long ago that I never knew. New Sweden, Texas back in those years was a thriving community full of local businesses. Now it is more desolate farmland and the site of the Pflugerville Solar Farm.

The United States is a wonderfully diverse land full of many wonderful cultural traditions and foods. Whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Kwanza, or none of the above, I’d love to hear what special traditions, dishes and buildings are part of your family’s celebrations. I’d also love to hear about other cultural events in the Austin area that you enjoy. Please comment using the form below.