April Newsletter from Tom's Thumb Nursery & Landscaping

APRIL 2019

April Business Hours

Monday - Saturday 9am to 5:30pm

Sunday 10am - 4pm

Avenue Q Entrance

Introduction

In this newsletter you will find..

Seasonal Ideas and Information for April
Enjoying Edible Flowers
Landscape Department: Before and After
Seaside Casual Furniture 2019
Olivia's Coupon
A Visit to our Garden Boutique
Create a Beautiful Garden

Seasonal Ideas & Information for April

The following are a list of activities to consider for your April gardening:

Vegetables & Herbs - Largest Variety On The Island! If you are buying your vegetable and herb plants from us, then you know that you are getting the very best! Texas Organic Vegetable Gardening by J. Howard Garrett and C. Malcolm Beck is a guide to growing edible plants the natural way. You will find this for sale in our book nook.

Brandywine

Heirloom

Black Cherry

Heirloom

Scorpion Pepper

Poblano Pepper

Hatch Pepper

We are so pleased that more and more customers are adding these beneficials to their garden. Ladybugs will take care of that aphid problem you have on your milkweed and other plants.

OUR GARDEN IS BLOOMING !

THE HUMMERS ARE COMING (Hummer Migration News!)

Prepare your garden by planting some of their favorites!

Penta

Hamelia

Bottlebrush

Duranta

Lantana

Salvia

We have a large variety of Succulents in our Greenhouse!

Galveston County Master Gardeners Educational Programs:

follow this link 2019 Gulf Coast Gardening for April

Enjoying Edible Flowers

Click here - 10 Best Edible Flowers - Southern Living

Quick tips for preparing edible flowers:

Harvest in the morning for longest lasting blooms.
Look for and remove any insects hiding in the blooms.
Gently rinse flowers.
Choose flowers that are free from chemicals, like one's you grew from seed. Purchased plants may have had long-lasting chemicals applied to them.
The green sepals that hold the flower together at the base of the flower can be bitter, so consider removing this part, depending on how you will be using the flowers. Removing the sepal can leave you with a palm of petals, rather than a flower.
If you aren't using the flowers right away, cut enough stem to place them in a cup or vase of water or place the blooms in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Nasturtium Pesto

Try adding nasturtium leaves from your flower garden! Nasturtium adds a fresh, peppery kick to your pasta, pizza, or even eggs!

Ingredients

1 cup packed nasturtium leaves and stems, washed and dried
15-20 basil leaves
4 garlic cloves
½ cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
½ cup or more of extra virgin olive oil
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ teaspoon salt
½ tablespoon lemon juice

Directions

Add all ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, scraping the sides periodically to fully incorporate ingredients. Add more olive oil for desired consistency.