Category Archives: Gardening News

Community Wildlife Habitat – Coming Soon!

Rapid and large-scale changes to our lands and waters mean wildlife are losing the habitats they once knew. More than half of America’s wetlands that support waterfowl and wildlife have been drained and/or plowed. Habitat fragmentation reduces biodiversity by 13 to 75%.

To combat fragmentation, Wells Branch is partnering with the National Wildlife Federation to become a Certified Community Wildlife Habitat. Every habitat garden is a step toward replenishing resources for wildlife such as bees, butterflies, birds, and amphibians—both locally and along migratory corridors. To secure certification, Wells Branch would need at least 175 homes with the Wildlife Habitat certification.

The basic requirements for the certification are to provide food, water, cover, and a place for wildlife to raise young, and to engage in sustainable gardening and landscaping practices. Examples of food are as simple as having a bird feeder and plants that provide pollen and nectar. Similarly, a birdbath, roosting box, and a rock pile are sufficient to meet the water and cover requirements. Mature trees and host plants for caterpillars meet the places to raise young requirements. The use of compost and native plants in your landscape fulfills the sustainable practices requirement.

If you are interested in this program, Jill Douglass will be presenting at the July meeting of the Wells Branch Garden Guild (Saturday, July 15, 10am at the Recreation Center on Shoreline Drive). You can also visit https://nwf.org/CERTIFY to learn more about the program. Feel free to reach out to me directly at jdzurenko@gmail.com.

 

WB Garden Guild
Landscaping Contest
$100 Prize!

The Wells Branch Neighborhood Association and the Garden Guild are sponsoring a yard landscaping contest for the Spring of 2019.  A one hundred dollar prize will be awarded to the yard voted best landscaped during the Wells Branch Garden Tour on May 18, 2019.  You may nominate your yard for inclusion in the tour by sending photos of your landscaping with your name, physical address, email and phone number to glennoe@att.net by April 20, 2019.  Nine yards will be selected to participate in the tour, with an emphasis on including yards new to the tour, and tour participants will vote to name one yard “Best Landscape of the Tour“.

Join us for the Wells Branch Garden Guild’s 6th Annual Garden Tour!

Raspberries! (at the WB Community Garden)
Raspberries at the Community Garden

Sneak a peek behind the fences and see some of the best and most interesting gardens in Wells Branch.  Take a look at how neighbors are planting to create an oasis in the shade or a sunny paradise.  We’ll visit both vegetable and flower gardens and take away lots of great ideas.  Meet THIS Saturday, May 21, 8:45am at the Rec. Center, 3000 Shoreline Drive,  to carpool.  Departure is 9:00am.  Plan on spending approximately 20 minutes at each garden, have some discussions, then travel to the next location.  If you’re running late, jump in and join the tour at the next site.

Order of Tour:

  1. View new landscaping at the Rec. Center while gathering to carpool to gardens
  2. Tracy Simon • 15036 Babbling Brook • “Improvement”
  3. Patsy Nelson-Farmer • 2302 Rick Whinery • Eclectic, native plants, container and veggies
  4. Elaine Betterton • 14939 Doria • Ecoscape and vegetable garden
  5. Vicky Insalata • 14975 Doria • Bird and butterfly friendly native plants
  6. Jennifer Higgins • 14901 Bescott • Large rock patio, disappearing stream, doggie
    corral
  7. Shelley Palmer • 1709 Gaylord • Unusual natives
  8. Cheryl Gaffaney • 2141 Cervin • Native plants, open back yard with lots of pavers
  9. Don Harrell • 14533 Donald Drive • Xeriscape sun in front, Xeriscape shade in back
  10. Rachel Lebansky • 14904 Yellowleaf Trail • Bee and butterfly attracting flowers
  11. Community Gardens • Corner of Town Hill & Single Trace • Vegetable gardens

Please join us for the Wells Branch Garden Tour!!

Click HERE for MAP and ROUTE.  *Please note: typo in map legend – correct address is 14939 Doria Drive. 

Order Rain Barrels by June 13th for June 20th pick-up!

The Wells Branch MUD and a local manufacturer, Senox, have partnered to bring you good prices on rain barrels that will be delivered right here to the neighborhood for easy pick up.

Rain Barrels 3There are four different sizes of barrels (click on gallon size for info), a 50-gallon, flat back barrel style (available in 6 colors), a 54-gallon completely round barrel (3 colors to choose from) and a really rugged barrel with internal lining to keep things dark: this one comes in 28 colors and two sizes (100 and 250 gallon).  These last two are definitely tanks for the backyard.

Order the barrels by June 13th and pick up on June 20th between 9:00am and Noon at 13905 Thermal Drive. ALL barrels MUST be picked up during the designated time frame. If you are ordering a larger sized barrel and need help getting it from Thermal Drive to your Wells Branch home, contact Daniel White with Venture Crew 1409 at 512-413-0097 or danieltwhite@sbcglobal.net to schedule delivery.  The Crew has offered to handle delivery for a nominal donation to their summer camp fund.

To find more information on the barrels and to order, visit: http://www.wellsbranchmud.com/rainbarrels.

You can get further savings of .50 a gallon of your purchased rain barrel by requesting the water harvesting rebate, find information and the form here: http://www.austintexas.gov/department/rainwater-harvesting-rebates

Please follow the ACC guidelines for rainwater harvesting equipment installation and send in the associated form, find them here: http://www.wellsbranchmud.com/general_information/architectural-control-committee.html