Cultivate San Antonio Spring 2022

URBAN AGRICULTURE MAGAZINE

Cultivate Exclusive interview with

RAINBOW GARDENS

Check out our updated directory & spring planting guide

Grow for gold at the

Garden Olympics SPRING 2022

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Heads up! It's back by popular demand!

Farmers Market Title Sponsor Get FREE Free Produce Bags from the San Antonio Food Bank

April 23rd - Earth Day Market May 21st - 7 Year Anniversary Market June 18th - Juneteenth / Summer Solstice Market 619 N. New Braunfels, SA, TX 78202

2022

Garden Olympics Join Gardopia Gardens in celebrating education, health, and the environment with the second annual Garden Olympics. The Garden Olympic's purpose is to unite the city around growing food to promote healthy lifestyles and environmental stewardship. Together we can sow the seeds for a healthier, more sustainable, and resilient San Antonio. The Garden Olympics is composed of three signature events that will highlight the good work occurring around the city in the midst of the 21stcentury urban agriculture renaissance!

Spring garden competition a friendly online competition to collect data on urban agriculture in the San Antonio region from 3/20/22 - 6/21/22

Youth Garden Games a one-day event where youth and adults celebrate gardening, health, and environmental stewardship through garden-related activities.

GArden Awards GALA concluding ceremony to honor the urban agriculture individuals and organizations that make San Antonio a greener and healthier city Cultivate SA

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Call The Landscape Cooperative (210) 988-8290 4

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Cultivate SA | Summer 2021 | 19

Table of Contents Cultivate Local 6

Directory

20

Business Feature: Rainbow Gardens

Cultivate Seasons 26

Crop Focus

30

Spring Planting Guide

34

My Garden Story

36

Seasonal Poetry

Cultivate Health & Wellness 38

Decluttering Your Mind

Cultivate Tips and Tricks 40

Worms: The Doctors of Soil

45

A Guide to Propagating Plants

48

Caring for Your Rabbits

Cultivate Community 52

Gardopia Garden’s Spring Garden Olympics Cultivate SA

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The most

Cultivate Local

comprehensive list of local farms, markets, products, and services in all of San Antonio

DIRECTORY

Farms Farmers Markets

GSA Gardens Products & Services 6

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Farmers Markets

8.

The Farm Connection www.thefarmconnection.org 210-674-2642

1.

Alamo Heights Farmers Market

1595 S Main St Suite 120

alamoheightsfm.com

Boerne, TX 78006

210-367-4673

9.

Farmers Market at Herff Farm

255 E Basse Rd Suite 130

http://www.cibolo.org/

San Antonio, TX 78209

830-249-4616 33 Herff Rd

2.

Alamo Ranch Farmers Market http://alamoranchfarm.market

10.

210-446-0099

Boerne, TX 78006 Garden Ridge Market http://gardenridgemarketdays.com

3.

Bandera Market

602-920-9301

https://www.banderamarket.com

19185 FM-2252

740-563-2274

Garden Ridge, TX 78226

11625 Bandera Rd San Antonio, TX 78250

11.

Helotes Area Farmers Market 210-420-4802

4.

Bulverde Market

13222 Bandera Rd.

http://www.bulverdemarket.com

Helotes, TX 78203

830-438-3111 30280 Cougar Bend

12.

Bulverde, TX 78163

Huebner Oaks Farmers Market www.fourseasonsmarkets.com 210-420-0488

5.

Cibolo Grange Farmers & Artisans Market

413 N Main St.

https://www.facebook.com/

Cibolo, TX 78108

CiboloGrangeFarmersMarket/ 210-249-6822

13.

Legacy Farmers Market legacyfarmersmarket.com

6.

Deerfield Farmers Market

210-420-0488

facebook.com/deerfieldfarmers

16103 Henderson Pass

market.satx

San Antonio, TX 78232

16607 Huebner Rd. San Antonio, TX 78248

14.

Live Oak Farmers Market www.facebook.com/liveoakfarmersmar

7.

Encino Farmers Markets

ketonpatbooker

www.fourseasonsmarkets.com

(210) 473-0685

972-884-0680

8151 Pat Booker Rd

22902 U.S. Hwy N

Live Oak, TX 78233

San Antonio, TX 78259

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15.

Local Sprout

2.

www.localsprout.com

www.braunefarmsfreshproduce.com

603-759-9781

830-643-9974

503 Chestnut St

1300 Link Rd

San Antonio, TX 78202 16.

New Braunfels Farmers Market

Seguin, TX 78155 3.

www.nbfarmersmarket.com

210-771-3147

186 S Castell Ave

8990 Hildebrandt Rd

New Braunfels, TX 78130

San Antonio, TX 78222

Pearl Farmers Market atpearl.com/weekend-market

4.

210-212-7260

218 Garcia St

San Antonio, TX 78215 San Antonio Farmers Market Association

Garcia Street Urban Farm www.instagram.com/garciastreetfarm

312 Pearl Pkwy

18.

Brehm Farms Brehmfarms.com

830-629-2223

17.

Braune Farms

San Antonio, TX 78203 5.

(multiple locations)

Granieri Family Farm 210-333-5184

sanantoniofarmersmarket.org

3851 Roland Rd

210-204-7939

San Antonio, TX 78222

100 Jackson Keller Rd San Antonio, TX 78216

6.

Green Bexar Farm http://www.greenbexarfarm.com

19.

San Antonio Food Bank (multiple locations) https://safoodbank.org/our-programs/ farmers-market-nutrition-program/ (210) 431-8342 5200 Enrique M. Barrera Pkwy San Antonio, TX 78227

20.

Spring Branch Market themarketatspringbranch.com 830-709-7262

Farms 1.

Behind the Oaks Farms facebook.com/behindtheoaksfarms 210-793-1027 Greaves Ln Schertz, TX 78154

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512-216-0033 14997 FM 1346 Saint Hedwig, TX 78152

14.

7.

R Farm

The Greenies Urban Farm

rfarmchicksandmore.wordpress.com

https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2020

210-800-4695 1041 Farm-to-Market 2537

/10/16/greenies-urban-farm-to-

San Antonio, TX 78221

demonstrate-agriculture-in-the-city 1543 Sherman

15.

San Antonio, TX 78202

Rising Kale Farms www.risingkalefarms.com 210-843-1962

8.

The Green Microstead

2230 Well Rd

http://www.thegreenmicrostead.com

Marion, TX 78124

210-501-2185 9.

10.

Miller Farms

http://talkingtreefarm.com 210-923-9044

12730 FM 471

6250 Pfeil Rd

Lacoste, TX 78039

Schertz, TX 78154

Miss Scarlett’s Texas Homegrown Grown 30315 Bartels Rd Bulverde TX 78163 MT Rabbitry & Poultry Farm

Products & Services Plant Nurseries 1.

210-827-4686 1610 Co Rd 5714

2.

210-735-0669 922 W. Hildebrand Ave

Parker Creek Farms

San Antonio, TX 78222

parkercreekranch.com D’Hanis, TX 78850 13.

3.

210-551-5828 3007 FM 539 Flooresville, TX 78114

Fanick’s Nursery www.fanicknursery.com 210-648-1303

Peeler Farms Peelerfarms.com

Evergreen Garden Center www.evergreengardentx.com

Natalia, TX 78059

2956 FM 2200

Accent Plant Interior 210-648-1303

sanantoniorabbitsandchickens.com

12.

Talking Tree Farm

210-508-1733

facebook.com/MissScarlettsTexasHome

11.

16.

millerfarmsrawmilk.com

4.

The Garden Center thegardencenter.com 210-648-1303 1025 Holmgreen Rd San Antonio, TX 78201

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9.

Peterson Brothers Nursery 210-333-6971 1630 Creekview Dr San Antonio, TX 78219

10.

Rainbow Gardens rainbowgardens.biz 210-680-2394 8516 Bandera Rd San Antonio, TX 78250

11.

SANO Nursery facebook.com/SANOnursery 210-432-4265 285 W Quill Dr San Antonio, TX 78228

12.

Shades of Green www.shadesofgreen.com 210-824-3772

5.

Green Gate Nursery

334 W Sunset Rd

830-372-4060

San Antonio, TX 78209

990 S N Hwy 123 Bypass

6.

7.

8.

Seguin, TX 78155

Bulk Materials

Milberger’s Nursery

1.

Adam’s Supply Co

www.milbergernursery.com

www.adamssupplyinc.com

210-497-3760

210-822-3141

3920 N Loop 1604 E

1434 E Bitters Rd

San Antonio, TX 78247

San Antonio, TX 78216

Nature’s Herb Farm

2.

Adkins Materials

naturesherbfarms.com

adkinsmaterials.com

210-688-9241

210-649-3836

7193 Old Talley Rd #7

10966 US Hwy 87 E

San Antonio, TX 78253

Adkins, TX 78101

Para Para Plants

3.

Barrels for Sale

210-809-2487

barrelsforsale.net

232 Kathy Dr

559-997-3682

San Antonio, TX 78223

2610 S East Loop 410 San Antonio, TX 78222

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Spring 2022

4.

Bitters Recycling Center (Mulch & Compost)

5.

6.

7.

8.

Gardenville (multiple locations)

Website

www.garden-ville.com

(210) 207-6428

210-404-1187

1800 Wurzbach Pkwy,

11601 Starcrest Dr

San Antonio, TX _____

San Antonio, 78247

Buckhorn Soil & Stone

9.

Gretchen’s Bee Ranch

buckhornsoilandstone.net

gretchenbeeranch.com

210-695-1911

830-305-7925

10685 W Loop 1604 N

2745 W Kingsbury St

San Antonio, TX 78254

Seguin, TX 78155

Dabco Stone & Soil

10.

Keller Material

dabcomaterials.com

kellermaterial.com

210-426-6160

210-967-1300

12625 S Zarzamora St

9388 Corporate Dr

San Antonio, TX 78224

Selma, TX 78154

Ewing Irrigation (multiple locations)

11.

Landscape Solutions and Nursery

www.ewingirrigation.com

soil4sale.com

210-828-9530

830-985-3747

1041 N Interstate 35

3059 US-90

San Antonio, TX 78233

Castroville TX 78009 12.

New Earth www.newearthcompost.com 210-661-5180 7800 I-10 East San Antonio, TX 78219

13.

Quality Organic Products www.qualityorganicproducts.com 210-651-0200 15497 Lookout Rd Selma, TX 78154

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14.

Tank Depot

2.

Central Texas Mycological Society

www.tank-depot.com

centraltexasmycology.com

210-648-3866

info@centraltexasmycology.org

2702 S East Loop 410

Circle Acres Nature Preserve

San Antonio, TX 78222

Grove Blvd Austin, TX 78741

15.

Texas Soil and Stone texassoilandstone.com

3.

Central Texas Young Farmers Coalition

210-497-1777

centraltexasyoungfarmers.org

26950 Bulverde Rd

info@centraltexasyoungfarmers.org

San Antonio, TX 78260 4.

Cibolo Creek Nature Center & Farm Cibolo.org

Edible Landscapers

830-249-4616 1.

Compost Queens

140 City Park Rd

https://www.compostqueenstx.com

Boerne, TX 78006

210-640-9468 5.

2.

Eco Centro

Two Hoes Gardening

ecocentrosatx.org

twohoesgardening.com

210-486-0417

210-414-8660

1802 N Main Ave San Antonio TX 78212

3.

The Landscape Cooperative www.LandscapeCooperative.com

6.

210-988-8290

Festival of Flowers safestivalofflowers.com 210-380-3532

4.

Uprooted Gardens

1330 N. New Braunfels

uprootedgardens.com

San Antonio, TX 78209

210-842-5613 7.

Food Policy Council foodpolicysa.org

Education & Advocacy

210-365-7175 1.

Bexar County Master Gardeners /

18202 Main Ave

Agrilife Extension

San Antonio, TX 78212

bexar-tx.tamu/edu 210-631-0400

8.

Garden Volunteers of South Texas

3355 Cherry Ridge #212

gardeningvolunteers.org

San Antonio, TX 78230

210-251-8101 1254 Austin Hwy San Antonio, TX 78209

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9.

Gardopia Gardens

16.

San Antonio Seed Exchange Library

gardopiagardens.org

facebook.com/groups/sanantoniosee

210-478-7292

dexchange

619 N. New Braunfels San Antonio, TX 78202

17.

San Antonio Stockshow and Rodeo sarodeo.com

10.

Green Space Alliance

210-225-5851

greensatx.org

723 AT&T Parkway

210-222-8430

San Antonio, TX 78219

108 E Mistletoe Ave San Antonio, TX 78212

18.

San Antonio Water System gardenstylesanantonio.com

11.

National Center for Appropriate

210-704-7297

Technology

2800 US-281

ncat.org

San Antonio, TX 78212

210-265-3905 118 Broadway

19.

Sowing Strength sowingstrengthsatx.wixsite.com/sowing

San Antonio, TX 78230

Strength-satx 12.

318-426-6109

Native Plant Society of Texas npsot.org/wp/sanantonio npsot.sanantonio@gmail.com

20.

Texas Nursery and Landscape

2809 Broadway

Association

San Antonio, TX 78209

tnlaonline.org grow@uprootedgardens.com

13.

Palo Alto College alamo.edu/pac

21.

Yanwana Herbolarios

210-486-3000

Yanawanaherbolarios.org

1400 W. Villaret Blvd.

210-872-8005

San Antonio, TX Feed & Seed 14.

San Antonio Botanical Gardens sabot.org

15.

1.

Alamo Feed

210-536-1400

210-733-8211

555 Funston Pl

2230 Blanco Rd

San Antonio, TX 78209

San Antonio, TX 78212

San Antonio Herb Market Association

2.

Bulverde Feed

sanantonioherbmarket.com

bulverdefeed.com

866-923-2226

830-438-3252 29110 US-281 Bulverde TX 78163 Cultivate SA

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3.

David’s Garden Seeds

8.

davids-garden-seeds-and-products.

nbfeed.com

com

830-625-7250

davidsgardenseeds@outlook.com

810 TX-337 Loop

5029 FM 2054

New Braunfels, TX 78130

Poteet, TX 78065 4.

Locke Hill Feed lockehill.com

New Braunfels Feed

9.

Ramirez Feed ramirez-feed-store.edan.io

210-691-2351 4927 Golden Quail Ste 105

210-977-8993

San Antonio, TX 78240

3819 Nogalitos St San Antonio, TX 78211

5.

King Seed Co dkseeds.com

10.

210-661-4191

Rudy’s Feed rudysfeedstore.com

4627 Emil St

210-223-2832

San Antonio, TX 78219

1801 Nogalitos St San Antonio, TX 78225

6.

Mini Ranch Feed miniranchfeedstore.com

11.

210-628-1535

St. Hedwig Feed sthedwigfeed.com

10103 Moursund Blvd

210-667-1346

San Antonio TX 78221

540 E FM 1518 S St Hedwig, TX 78152

7.

Moore’s Feed mooresfeedandseedstore.com 210-532-6328 3721 Flores St San Antonio, TX 78214

12.

Strutty’s Feed struttys.com 830-981-2258 28630 IH 10 Frontage Rd Boerne, TX 78006

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13.

Wildseed Farms wildseedfarms.com 830-990-1393 100 Legacy Dr Fredericksburg, TX 78264

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Green Space Alliance Garden Directory

1.

Alamo Heights Community Garden

5.

403 Ogden Ln.

1706 Pinn Rd.

San Antonio, TX 78209

San Antonio, TX 78227 6.

2.

Cable Elementary Community Garden

CIELO Community Garden

Beacon Hill Community Garden

10226 Ironside Dr.

1133 W. Gramercy Pl.,

San Antonio, TX 78230

San Antonio, TX 78209 7.

3.

The Circle School Just Love Garden

Bethany Community Garden

217 Pershing Ave.

500 Pilgrim Dr.

San Antonio, TX 78209

San Antonio, TX 78210 8.

4.

Collins Community Garden

Blessed Sacrament Academy

200 N. Park Blvd.

Early Learning

San Antonio, TX 78204

Sensory Garden 1135 Misson Rd. San Antonio, TX 78210

9.

Dellview Community Garden 1902 Vance Jackson Rd San Antonio, TX 78213

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Spring 2022

10.

11.

12.

Denver Heights Community Garden

18.

Gardopia Gardens

300 Porter St

619 N. New Braunfels Ave.

San Antonio, TX 78210

San Antonio, TX 78202

Doral Club Community Garden

19.

Gilbert Elementary Community Garden

7750 Culebra Rd.

931 E. Southcross Blvd.

San Antonio, TX 78251

San Antonio, TX 78214

Eastside Sprouts/Ella

20.

Green Bridges Community Youth Garden

Austin Community Garden

4114 SW Loop 410

1023 N. Pine St.

San Antonio, TX 78227

San Antonio, TX 78202 21.

13.

High Country Community Garden

Eco Centro Community Garden

16418 Cypress Park St.

1802 N. Main Ave.

San Antonio, TX 78247

San Antonio, TX 78212 22.

14.

International Community Garden

El Dorado Community Garden

4242 Bluemel Rd.

2606 Prima Vista St.

San Antonio, TX 78240

San Antonio, TX 78233 23.

15.

Jardín de la Esperanza

Garcia Street Urban Farm

2806 W. Salinas, San Antonio

218 Garcia St.

TX 78207

San Antonio, TX 78203 24.

16.

Jardín del Barrio

Garden of Hope Therapy Garden

2121 SW 36th St.

2303 SE Military Dr.

San Antonio, TX 78237

San Antonio, TX 78233 25.

17.

Jardín del Sol

Gardens of St. Therese

400 N. Frio St.

906 Kentucky Ave.

San Antonio, TX 78207

San Antonio, TX 78201 Cultivate SA

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26.

Jefferson Community Garden

33.

2350 W. Gramercy Pl.

285 Oblate Dr.

San Antonio, TX 78201

San Antonio, TX 78216

34.

27.

Oblate School of Theology Gardens

Olmos Park Terrace Community

Labor Serena Community Garden

Garden 201 W. Mandalay Dr.

1246 Chalmers Ave.

San Antonio, TX 78212

San Antonio, TX 78211

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

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Lakeview Community Garden

35.

Pittman-Sullivan Community Garden

1202 Plaza Lake Dr.

Dakota St. & S. Palmetto Ave.

San Antonio, TX 78245

San Antonio, TX 78208

Landa Library Gardens

36.

Reconciliation Oaks Community

233 Bushnell Ave.

Garden8900 Starcrest Dr.

San Antonio, TX 78212

San Antonio, TX 78217

Mahncke Park Community Garden

37.

River Road Community Garden

330 Funston Pl.

E. Huisache Ave. & Allison Rd.

San Antonio, TX 78209

San Antonio, TX 78212

Mainland Square Community Garden

38.

Roosevelt Justice Community Garden

Mainland Sq. & Pavilion Pl.

Mitchell St. & Mission Rd.

San Antonio, TX 78250

San Antonio, TX 78210

Mission Library Community Garden

39.

Roots of Change Community Garden

3134 Roosevelt Ave.

1416 E. Commerce St.

San Antonio, TX 78214

San Antonio, TX 78205

40.

41.

Southtown Community Garden

43.

Terrell Heights Community Garden

1012 S. Presa St.

670 Greenwich Blvd.

San Antonio, TX 78210

San Antonio, TX 78209

Spicewood Elementary Community

45.

YWCA Olga Madrid Teen Garden

Garden

503 Castroville Rd.

11303 Tilson Dr.

San Antonio, TX 78237

San Antonio, TX 78224

42.

Sutton Oaks Community Garden 2818 I-35 N. San Antonio, TX 78208

For inquiries about the Green Space Alliance garden network of community gardens, please email us at community@greensatx.org. To learn more about Green Spaces Alliance, you can email us at info@greensatx.org or call our office at (210) 222-8430.

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Local Garden Feature

RAINBOW GARDENS HIGHLIGHTS FROM GARDOPIA GARDEN’S PODCAST GROWING OUR FUTURE WITH URBAN AGRICULTURAL ENTHUSIASTS, STEPHEN LUCKE AND BRANDON KIRBY

Rainbow Gardens, the 2021 winner of the Best Nursery in Gardopia Gardens’ Gala Awards, is one of San Antonio’s leading garden centers. Boasting two beautiful locations, Rainbow Gardens sells fruit trees, plants, seeds, fertilizer, pots, and anything else you need to grow healthy crops or house plants. Gardopia’s Stephen Lucke spoke with Rainbow Gardens’ Brandon Kirby to learn about the nursery and its sustainability and education efforts. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

SL: How did you get into gardening?

BK: I grew up on a farm on the Balcones Escarpment between Boerne and San Antonio. It was a satellite growing operation for Rainbow Gardens, our family business. I was raised with the “hippie mentality” of being good stewards of our environment. I would take long nature walks with my dad and he would point out all the different plants and give the Latin names and I would basically roll my eyes.

As I got older, though, I realized that I really love plants and the environment and I got jazzed about it.

SL: I didn't get into gardening until I was older either, but I was also on a farm from a very young age. I think it’s interesting to see how and why people gravitate toward nature and the garden. How did Rainbow Gardens get started?

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BK: Rainbow Gardens began as a small garden center in Harmony Hills in 1976. My father Frank partnered with George Beer who was a Depression-era businessman and something of a mentor. George was savvy. He had seen the economy go up and down. They had a heck of a time at first and left that location two years later for Hollywood Park Gardens Center near Thousand Oaks and 281.The name changed to Rainbow Gardens in 1980, and we opened a second location on Bandera Road in 1985. There was a big houseplant boom and a renaissance in gardening in the 70s; people were conscious of the earth. A lot of garden centers were started around then. I think there were as many as 35 in San Antonio at the time. But they fell out of favor in the 80s and 90s, into the 2000s. Nobody was talking about gardening.

SL: It's so interesting. There used to be so many garden centers. Now, maybe there's 10 or 15 prominent ones. I hope that we're on an increase again.

Everytime I go to Rainbow Gardens, it's packed.

BK: I stepped into the industry right before the pandemic started. It was sleepy in 2018 and 2019, and then things suddenly changed.We’ve seen a ton of new people interested in gardening. I think, given the circumstances of the pandemic and how resiliency is on our minds, a lot of people have a renewed interest in plants. With people stuck at home, they were looking for a way to connect with nature. People found you could bring plants into your home and create your own oasis, maybe in your backyard, if you had one, or in the sunniest window in your apartment. Plants are like pets, but not as demanding. These “new” gardeners are all learning, wanting to know, “How do I grow vegetables here?” “What fruit trees work here?” “What kind of flowers can I bring in?” People have also taken a greater interest in the local ecosystem. “How do I bring butterflies or bees to my yard?” “What plants are good for birds?” It’s super cool to see the community of San Antonio rally around this.

SL: You're right about the pandemic.

We got so many calls for gardens. It's a silver lining. We needed a wake up call about our health and our environment. We're nowhere near where we need to be but we have the opportunity in this time to be that change.

You mentioned resiliency gardens.

What is a resiliency garden?

BK: When the pandemic first began, food scarcity was on everybody's minds. If you walked into the local grocer, you saw empty aisles, and it wasn't just fresh food that was gone but also shelf-stable food. People were panicking and realizing how fragile our supply chain is and seeing that they relied on being able to go to the store and buy what they needed.

We saw that breakdown.

My marketing team and I asked how we could increase awareness of food resiliency. We took the idea of the Victory Gardens that were promoted during World War I and II. Millions of Americans helped the war effort by turning front yards, backyards,

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Spring 2022

schoolyards, and vacant lots into vegetable gardens to avoid food shortages. People were encouraged to plant beans, squash, tomatoes and food you could can for the winter. Now we were fighting our own good fight against this pandemic. We wanted to encourage people to be more resilient so we went to local media and talked about it. I think the concept of self-sufficiency and sustainability has grown through the pandemic.

Sustainability doesn't mean turning your front yard into a huge garden. It means planting a couple fruit trees or having a couple tomato plants and pots in your backyard to help supplement your food supply and to feed yourself nutritious food that our bodies crave.

SL: We're still in the pandemic and we're also in a climate crisis. A lot of people can feel depressed or anxious about what they can do. Gardening is a great activity to take as a small step.

It's not going to save the world, but if everybody produced a percentage of their food then we could really start to make a big cultural change. Your educational programs are helping with that. Tell us what you’re doing.

BK: When I first started, I realized, we've got a great organization with lots of intelligent people who know gardening. But for a lot of people gardening is still a mystery. Our vision is to get the information out of our heads and into the heads of our community members. We started a blog to write down as much information as we could. The intent was hyper-local in how to be successful in a San Antonio garden. “Garden” being a broad term meaning annual beds, perennials, trees and shrubs, or maybe house plants.

GARDENING IS WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE - ANYTHING WITH ROOTS. From the blogs, we started doing more Facebook-type posts–one-minute videos and quick reads. Recently, we got our video program off the ground and are doing extended videos for more in-depth knowledge. We're continuing our in-person seminar program as well, though we’ve realized that just because you can't attend in person doesn't mean that you shouldn't have access to that knowledge so we're working on transcribing those classes to blogs or videos.

We're also creating an augmented customer service program. You can always ask us a question and we’ll answer it to the best of our abilities.

But we’re also sticking with the QR codes that the pandemic got people accustomed to. We're taking our knowledge and gardening guides and condensing that information for access through QR codes in the nursery. If you're standing in our tree yard and you want to know how to plant a tree but you don't see anybody to ask, there's a QR code you can take a picture of. You get your question answered, and at the same time, we're reducing paper and being conscious of the environment. You can take this digital guide home and share it with your friends or family creating a digital rather than a physical footprint.

SL: I love it, man! You are adapting and evolving. You started Rainbow Gardens and nearly 50 years later you’re still staying up with the times.

You mentioned hyper-localism.

Why is it important to have garden centers with this knowledge?

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BK: It's really important to educate our customers and the community about what actually grows here and what doesn't. San Antonio encompasses three climate zones.

North of town, you might be in a completely different zone than you are south of town. and within those zones, we have microclimates. Your neighbor might be able to grow a cool tropical hibiscus on the front porch but you can’t because of the orientation of the sun. I have a friend in King William who has a beautiful citrus tree and an avocado tree right there in downtown. Meanwhile, I can't grow those north of town. There's not a one-size-fits-all solution. You have to be hyperlocal and aware of which plants will or will not grow in your yard. We try to educate every customer and to figure out what they are looking for and whether that's actually going to work for them.

SL: Y'all are doing some great work. Is there anything else you'd like to highlight?

BK: The city of San Antonio has been great, sponsoring programs to facilitate greener spaces, and we're really proud to be a part of that. We've got a city that supports pollinator gardening. and SAWS WaterSaver coupons for drought-resistant plants help alleviate some of the water stress on the land. We’re committed to the community and want to empower individuals to work with organizations like Gardopia Gardens to alleviate food insecurity and bring knowledge to local schools. San Antonio is growing quickly and we've got a great opportunity to put beautiful plants in our yards to really make San Antonio a green city and a model for other cities.

You can find tons of gardening information through our website, blog posts, Facebook, Instagram and on our YouTube channel as well as everything that is happening at Rainbow Gardens. But I recommend you just stop in to say hello and to take a walk to connect with nature.

It’s like a park here. We're gearing up for spring right now and unloading trucks as we speak. We've got over 5,000 roses coming in late March when you can smell the scent of rose wafting through the air.

Its hard to have a bad day at the garden center.

Rainbow Gardens has two locations.

They are open Monday through Saturday from 9 to 5; and Sundays from 10 to 5.

8516 Bandera Road, 210-680-2395 2585 Thousand Oaks210-494-6131. www.rainbowgardens.biz

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Cultivate Seasons

Crop Focus Food for thought with an up-close look at a seasonal fruit, root, bean, and green.

Tomatillo History Tomatillos are from Mexico and were first domesticated by the Aztecs around 800 BCE. The plant was brought back to Spain with the conquistadors in the 1500s and 1600s where it spread across the continent. Tomatillos arrived later in Asia, increasing in popularity in India in the 1950s.

Health Benefits Tomatillos are a great source of Vitamins A, C, K, and B3

Growing Tip Tomatillos grow similar to tomato plants. Plant your seeds about a week or two after you plant your tomatoes.

Plant at least two together to encourage cross pollination and healthy growth!

Tomatillo Salsa Ingredients

6-8 Tomatillos 1/4 Cup of chopped onion 2-3 Cloves of garlic 2 Chopped jalopenos 1/4 Cup of cilantro Salt and lime juice to taste

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 450 and husk and rinse your tomatillos Roast for about 10 minutes Once done, add everything to a blender and pulse until desired consistency Add water, a tablespoon or two at a time if too thick Enjoy with tortilla chips!

Fun Fact!

In some areas of the US tomatillos are considered an invasive species.

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Beets History Beets originate from the Mediterranean where they were first grown by the Greeks and Romans. We have accounts from Aristotle and his students describing beets and their red coloring. Originally, beets were used for their edible leaves. By the 15th century the crop spread across Europe and people started cultivating them for their roots as well.

Beets were brought to the Americas

by Europeans and they became well known in the area by the 1800s.

Health Benefits Beets have significant amounts of potassium, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C.

Growing Tip Beets prefer an open, sunny area.

While they can grow in the cold, make sure your plants don’t freeze.

Also make sure to keep the soil moist to avoid splitting.

Beet Hummus Ingredients

1 medium sized beet 1 1/2 cups chickpeas 2 Tablespoons water 2 Tablespoons olive oil 2 Tablespoons tahini 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and roast the beets until tender, about 30-35 minutes.

Remove from the oven, peel, and chop.

Add to a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Enjoy with baby carrots, pita chips, or spread on a baguette

Fun Fact!

Beets were used as an aphrodisiac by the Romans

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Pole Beans History They originated in the Andes and were grown throughout the Americas for thousands of years. The Aztecs and Incas grew and ate pole beans. It is believed that Columbus brought the crops back to Europe where they quickly spread across the rest of the world.

Health Benefits Pole beans are high in calcium and Vitamin K.

Growing Tip Make sure you have a good trellis or pole as these beans can grow 10-15 feet tall! Plant seeds about an inch apart after the final freeze.

Easy Pole Beans Ingredients

1 LB of pole beans with ends removed 3-4 cloves minced garlic 1 Tbsp of butter Lemon juice Salt and Pepper

Preparation

Bring a pot of water to boil and boil the beans for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and saute the garlic for 1-2 minutes.

Add beans and stir.

Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.

Fun Fact!

National bean day is on January 6th every year.

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Enjoy as an easy side dish

Collards History Collard greens originate in the Mediterranean and were grown primarily by the Greeks. They spread to the British Isles in the 4th century.

Collards did not arrive in the Americas until the 1600s where they came with the first African slaves. As collard greens were one of the only crops slaves were allowed to grow for personal use they spread quickly, especially in the South where they became a traditional food. After the Civil War poor whites also began to consistently eat collard greens.

Health Benefits Collards are extremely high in Calcium, anti-inflammatories in the form of omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin K, and antioxidants in the form of Vitamins C and E and manganese.

Growing Tip Collard greens do well in sun with well-drained soil. Plant 18-24 inches apart and keep the soil moist.

Vegitarian Southern Collard Greens Ingredients

2 Lbs collards deribbed 3 Cups vegetable broth ½ Onion diced 1 Tbsp olive oil 1-2 Cloves minced garlic Salt, Pepper, Red pepper flakes

Preparation

Saute garlic and onions in olive oil over medium heat, about 2-3 minutes.

Add collard greens and cook for another minute.

Pour in vegetable broth and season according to taste.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat,cover, and simmer for about an hour.

Fun Fact!

The name collard comes from the Old English word colewort, which means “cabbage plant.”

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Growing Connection In The Garden

By Alicia Dominguez

T

he novelty of having a vegetable garden was a strong motivation eight years ago after our son Dominic had just completed his undergraduate degree in Environmental Science. He mostly wanted to use what he learned in college. “Every backyard needs a garden,” he said.

Dominic insisted a vegetable garden was necessary for his parents’ physical and mental health. Why not start a garden! And so, we began. While he was busy assessing a suitable location for our vegetable bed, I thought about how this project would connect my son and me. Indeed, human connection was the sweet cherry tomato on my freshly grown green salad.

Season after season, the abundance of our red tomatoes, purple eggplants, bright green basil, and sweet onions needed to go somewhere. Many of our spring and summer season

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harvests were divided up and happily distributed to my extended family and co-workers. With every small lunch bag of cherry tomatoes I shared, I felt a connection grow with my work friends. There was always room to chat about garden dreams and eating healthier; every colleague had their own unique story. I learned about family food traditions and hopes of achievg their small gardens.

A friend enthusiastically shared how she spent time at her father-in-law’s farm. The more she spoke about learning to drive a tractor, the greater her expression of joy grew. She smiled and laughed, showing her pleasure in seeing the rows of plowed earth. I could see her happiness in joining her family in their love of agriculture. Roxy, another co-worker, spoke about her grandparents’ garden; her childhood memories overflowed. Every seed,

every plant, every gardening season was a sweet tidbit of her youth and time spent with her grandparents. The gift of my cherry tomatoes gave me the pleasure of connecting with each co-worker, but more importantly, my colleagues inadvertently connected with their past or dreams of the future.

The vegetable patch transformed over time. For eight years, Dominic recommended what to plant and how much to grow. Each spring, our garden beds were filled with broccoli and cauliflower heads; the other beds contained various assortments of tomatoes and basil. While my husband and son tended the garden, my attention shifted to our two-yearold granddaughter, Olivia, or Livy, as her parents call her.

Olivia is my joy. Walking with her in our backyard fills me with love.

Fortunately, the thrill of Olivia’s visits on Sunday is reason enough to visit our garden. So, we do. Before we know it, Olivia has become a fan of homegrown cherry tomatoes, which she gathers at a moment’s notice.

“In my mind, I remember seeing lackluster plants.

But in Olivia’s eyes, there is only success.”

Olivia rekindled in me the love of harvesting our vegetables. During the summer and fall seasons, Olivia and I pick tomatoes, wash them, and eat them on our backyard patio. As soon as the broccoli and cauliflower are ready, Olivia, Grandpa Coco, and I take her basket and gather the fresh, beautiful green and cream-colored vegetables. In Grammie’s kitchen, she knows there are always fresh cherry tomatoes to snack on. Though Covid kept our family from restaurant visits, we, and most importantly, Olivia, continued to flourish and look forward to visiting Grammie and Coco’s garden in the spring.

This past December, Olivia and I spoke about the tomato and pepper plants she now grows at her house.

According to Olivia, “Our garden is growing. We water the plants, and I check on them every day.” In my mind, I remember seeing lackluster plants. But in Olivia’s eyes, there is only success.

We now have three grandchildren– an even greater reason to continue planting our garden. Eight years later, our vegetable garden continues to be the source of our physical and mental health, but more than just tomatoes, eggplants, cauliflower, and broccoli, it’s a gathering place of love and adventure.

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Spring Poetry

by Patrick Harvey

s

cattering of blossoms

calling us back outside bushes and boxes in second floor windowsills raising their little flags

s

of yellow and scarlet pring is for black earth

under our fingernails and on the knees of jeans every seed is a prayer

stitched into tattered green announcing to the world that life has returned and fiesta is coming

kneel and make a miracle green stained-glass sunlight shines through the arching window of returning leaves swaying to processional hymns from dashboards of passing cars

s

pring rain on the sidewalk

is different somehow unlike cold winter rain

the city wakens

perfume of fresh-turned earth

from cold dark dreams of winter

and the promise of life

blinks at new sunlight

ours was a long winter

streets come alive with music

months spent huddled inside

festival of a reborn sun

waiting for the moments when rain is a blessing

everywhere life pushing up through clods and cracks in busy sidewalks the Mother revealing gifts wrapped in tissue of bright green emerald treasure littering lots and landscapes gathering the sun like jewels set in place by jewelers with dirty knees

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inviting us outside

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Cultivate Wellness

Mental Health Chat Spring Cleaning: Steps to Declutter the Mind

By Kendalle Wexler, MS, LMFT-Associate Supervised by Dr. Katrina Cook, PhD, LMFT-S Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the number of thoughts you have in a day? These thoughts may be about house tasks, school assignments, work projects, financial planning, and so on. When thoughts clutter our minds, we may experience difficulty in making decisions, completing typically simple tasks, or even managing a conversation with others. The good news is that you are absolutely not alone. Here are five quick easy strategies you can use to declutter your mind and tidy up your mental space.

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1. Write It Down Sometimes when we have thoughts floating abstractly through our mind it can be particularly distracting and difficult to remain present. Having a journal to quickly jot down thoughts as they come up throughout the day can help to organize them in a concrete and visual manner. Seeing your thoughts written down allows you to more easily create a paced-out plan to address them and ease their intensity on your psyche.

2. Organize Your Space Your environment impacts your internal processing. If your physical space feels chaotic to you, that is likely to be mirrored in your mental space. Your home does not have to be pristine with labels and categorical systems in order for you to achieve mental clarity. If that is helpful for you, lean into it. Otherwise, I simply advocate

that you take note of the energy of your space. How do you feel when you’re in it? Organize your space in a way that promotes feelings of peace for yourself and mental tranquility.

This will look differently from person to person.

on your favorite forms of movement— dancing, stretching, yoga, sports, etc., and utilize movement as a way to release built up energy. Pro tip: It never hurts to pair your favorite song with your movement of choice to really get those endorphins washing over your mental space.

3. Move Your Body Energy is stored in the body and our thoughts can take on the form of energy. Have you ever felt a sudden flutter of anxiety when you start to think about a task you’re running behind on? That flutter is a form of energy seeking an outlet.

Movement can be that outlet. Reflect

4. Connect With Nature When you feel overrun by your thoughts, you may also feel somewhat stuck in your head with a limited ability to view things outside of your immediate reality. Getting outside and connecting with elements of nature can be helpful in shifting your focus from intrinsic stress to external rejuvenation. Let the sun shine on your face, watch the leaves of a tree blow in the wind, and get your hands dirty planting fresh produce.

Did you know that there are sources of serotonin in soil? Capitalize on this free source of serotonin and utilize nature to interrupt your thoughts and dip into a natural cleanse.

5. Check In With Yourself Ask yourself why anxious or stressful thoughts are present and what obstacles you’re experiencing that inhibit their resolve. The thoughts are there for a reason and are likely important to you, which is why they are so persistent. Have an honest conversation with yourself to explore the meanings associated with these thoughts and what resources you have to work with–not against–them to lead to resolution.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of strategies to deal with intrusive thoughts. I encourage you to start small. Take inventory of what is shaping your thoughts and explore for yourself which approach, or combination of them, works best for you.

What strategy will you use this spring cleaning?

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Cultivate Tips and Tricks

Worms: The Doctors of Soil

By Megan Lowder

F

o r d e c a d e s , c o nve n tional methods of tackling problems have taught us to treat the symptoms rather than look for their causes.

That headache may be a symptom of dehydration, but the quick fix is to take an ibuprofen. The same tactics have been used in conventionalgardening. Conventional gardening is all about bug control. How do I get rid of cucumber beetles? How do Iget rid of caterpillars? For many decades, we’ve relied on the use of pesticides, which has evolved into “natural” pesticides in organic gardening. In an attempt to kill one type of bug, we kill them all–not only the bugs we can see, but the microorganisms as well. Rather than diagnosing the root cause of the problem, we spray pesticides on the leaves of a plant to kill the bugs.

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The answer to h e a l t hy

and nutritious plants is in the soil. Soil is the plant’s immune system, its food source and protection. Without good soil, plants can’t thrive and bugs attack the weakest link (usually the leaves??). The bugs are a product of what we’ve been sold to kill off the bugs, but in the garden world of poison treatments, only the strongest survive. It’s not the ladybugs or the praying mantids that live despite the poison. It takes decades to turn soil into dirt. Luckily, it doesn’t take as long to amend the soil, but it is a process that does take time. This is where worms come in! Worms are the doctors of soil health. Soil is alive and it needs tending, just like a pet. Soil must be fed food that it likes, it needs to be protected and kept in balance.

The first step to

restoring life back to the soil isadding a microberich tea– most popularly called “worm tea”. These new microbesneed to be protected and kept alive. They also needsomething to eat in their new home. This can be done by “mulching” the soil. This aerated layer gives the microbes protection and a food source to decompose. As the microbes break down the mulched layer, nutrients are added to the soil from the decomposed material.

Healthy soil also calls for fungi. I bury mushroom blocks in my garden to encourage mycorrhizal fungi and I get the bonus of? gourmet edible mushroom fruits in my garden. Even if you don’t catch the fruit in time to consume them?, your garden “pets” will love to eat the mushrooms, which will add further to your soil health.

Now that

you’ve added your micro decomposers to your soil, the indicator of balance in your soil will be worms. Worms are soft, vulnerable, and only thrive in a perfect environment. Their health is a gage of the balance of your soil health. Worms can be kept outside the garden in a bin, or inside the garden in a pod-like dug out. Efficient Earthling offers both of these worm-related services as well as consultations.

You can find them on Instagram or Facebook @efficientearthling.

Adding microbe-rich worm tea is

proven to show immediate results. But replenishing? soil health takes years of care and after that, it still must be maintained. Gardening should never be without bugs. There should be a balance of good bugs and bad bugs.

But bad bugs won’t be attracted to weak plants. Their immune systems from the healthy soil will be so strong that the bugs won’t be able to attack any weak points.

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THANK YOU, CLEMSON VID INTERNS, FOR HELPING US GROW! Clemson VID Interns For the past two issues, Clemson University's Visual Information Design interns have helped us develop the magazine's visual appearance, including its new logo, fonts, colors, and the illustrious article designs. Thank you for being part of the Cultivate team-we appreciate you!

Our incredible team of VID interns includes: Morgan Schumacher, Jacquelyn Roberts, Allison Sudlow, Lily Bui, Salvatore Costanzo Special thanks to Sarah Costley & Cameron Bushnell for supporting the VID and Cultivate collaboration!

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Become a Program Sponsor

By sponsoring or donating to Gardopia on an annual basis you are directly supporting programs that address unhealthy lifestyles and environmental degradation. Over 80% of every dollar goes directly into boots and shovels on the ground! From academic programming to community outreach, your company's donation sows a tangible impact for positive change, Corporate and Individual giving is a critical piece of the equation to help alleviate some of our communities' toughest challenges. As a grassroots local non-profit, we are able to expose your brand In non-traditional ways that can create new pathways towards future customer engagement. Help us grow a healthier San Antonio and market your brand at the same time!

Garden-Based Learning

Classes, workshops, and courses

Community Volunteer Days

Urban Agriculture Magazine

Quarterly series highlighting city growers

Farmers Market Cultivate SA

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Weekly @ Gardopia and Partner Gardens Seasonal @ Gardopia, and monhtly @ The Pearl

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How to Raise Plant Babies: A Guide to Propagating

by Georgiana Wells

Starting plants from seeds is only one way to add to your garden. Propagating, whether from cuttings, dividing, or growing succulents from pads, can quickly yield mature plants.

While it may be more complex and intimidating than working with seeds, this guide can help you get started making plant babies. Not all methods will work for all plants, so it is best to do some research to determine which one is appropriate for the plant you want to replicate.

Cuttings Tomatoes, rosemary, spider plants, and crepe myrtle are among the best options to reproduce from cuttings. Soft stem plants should be actively growing when replicated, and hardwood trees or shrubs should be dormant. Select mother plants that are healthy, free from insects or disease, and large enough to withstand trimming.

For soft stems, the preferred method is placing the cutting in water to stimulate root growth. To start, gather a clean, sharp knife, a tall, thin container that can hold water for each cutting you plan to create, and enough water to fill the containers.

Once your tools are in place, locate a stalk or branch that has at least three to four leaves. Make a diagonal cut just below a node or bump in the stem. Immediately place the cutting in the container and fill with water to just below the bottom leaves, at least several inches. Within a few days roots should appear. Change the water

when it becomes cloudy. When the roots grow to about four inches, it is time to transplant your cutting.

Use loose potting mix and carefully transfer the cutting to a container that has adequate drainage. Place the container in a spot where it will get Cultivate SA

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filtered light at first, such as a window sill or outside in partial shade. Water daily until new growth appears, then slowly taper off to an appropriate watering schedule. Once your plant is on a manageable watering schedule, the container can be moved to your preferred sun/shade location for the plant, or it can be transplanted into a permanent location.

To propagate hardwood, you will need a clean, sharp knife, rooting powder, a container with drainage holes that is filled with potting soil, and a pencil to make an appropriate sized hole. To begin, make a diagonal cut below a node on a branch, about four to six inches long. Remove any leaves that may be present. Use the pencil to poke a hole in the soil slightly bigger than the diameter of the cutting. Dip the cut side in the rooting powder and then place it in the container. The cutting should be about two inches deep in the soil. Carefully press the soil around the cutting to ensure that it stays

upright. Keep the soil moist and store the container in an area with filtered light. Covering the top with a plastic bag or other dome, like the top half of a soda bottle, can help create a mini greenhouse that will retain heat and moisture. Remove the cover once leaves appear. At this point, roots have developed and the cutting is ready to be transplanted to a larger container. If possible, avoid any drastic changes in watering, temperature, or light conditions for the first few months to minimize shock.

Division Dividing can be done with a root bound plant, or one that has put out pups, or babies, such as aloe. To divide, you will need work gloves, a clean, sharp knife, containers with potting soil for the new plants, extra soil to fill in the container that the “mother” plant is in, and rooting powder. To start, gently remove the plant from its current container. For shallow-rooted plants like aloe, pups will often start to fall off as you turn it around. Slowly roll the plant on a flat surface and remove the outer pups.

Once the mother plant is at an appropriate size for its original container, return it and add soil to fill in. Dip the root side of the pups in rooting powder and carefully place in the prepared containers. Water regularly and keep in indirect light for at least two weeks or until roots form.

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Plants that grow by rhizomes, such as foxtail fern, can be divided using the same method. Carefully remove the mother plant from its container and loosen the soil around the root ball.

Starting from the base of the plant, slowly separate one section off while trying to preserve as many intact roots as possible. When separating, it may be necessary to either make a clean cut to disentangle roots or break them carefully. As soon as a section is free, carefully place it in the container and cover all the roots with potting soil. If desired, add rooting powder before adding soil. Keep the plant moist and in filtered light for the first week or two until there are no signs of shock.

Pads Succulents can be propagated from pads or leaves. Fleshy varieties such as jade or nopales are the best candidates. You will need work gloves, containers with cactus soil mix, rooting powder, and a tray that can be used for drying the pads.

To start, select healthy, intact pads that are plump and show no signs of damage. Carefully remove the entire pad and set on the tray for two to three days so a callus forms. Once the pads are ready, moisten the soil.

Dip the calloused end in water, then in rooting powder. Place it in the soil at about a 45 degree angle. If the leaf is curled, place the pad curled side up. New leaves and roots will form at the base within two to three weeks.

Water sparingly to mimic normal cactus conditions.

Starting plants from cuttings can be an exciting way to add to your garden or replicate special plants for loved ones. Spring is the perfect time for growing and experimenting with new techniques. Whether propagating with cuttings or growing from seeds, trial and error is the best teacher.

Happy gardening!

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Caring For Your Rabbits

By Sherry Lim

R

abbits are becoming popular pets and are great additions to your livestock and homestead life. They make good companions, are low maintenance and quiet, and can be potty-trained. Rabbit droppings can be used as natural fertilizer and hold four times more nutrients than cow manure. Whether you get a rabbit as a pet or for a homestead, there are a great many reasons to own a rabbit. Here is what you need to know.

Choosing Your Rabbit From California Pen rabbits to Holland lops to Flemish Giant rabbits, all rabbits have their own unique personalities and qualities. Ranked from low to high temperament, these are common rabbits seen in Texas: American Fuzzy lops, Holland lops, mini lops, Dutch, lionheads, Harlequins, mini Rexes, Dutch lops, Netherland dwarfs, and Flemish Giants. I highly recommend meeting your pet rabbit beforehand to gauge its personality. I have met California Pen rabbits that are highly temperamental, but I have also met California Pen bunnies with sweeter personalities than Holland

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lops. When selecting your rabbit, keep in mind that the bigger the rabbit the more waste it will produce and the more food and space it will need. Check to see if the rabbit is sickly looking with any crusting or residue around the eyes, ears, and nose as this is an indicator of other problems. Keep in mind that rabbits can live anywhere from 5 to 12 years and can be a long-term commitment.

Habitat The cage size for your rabbit is very important as you do not want your rabbit to be sitting in its waste. For a smaller rabbit, a cage that is at least 24 by 36 inches is recommended.

Having a grate underneath your rabbit’s feet will allow feces to fall right through, which can later be used in compost or as fertilizer. Unlike cow or horse manure, rabbit manure is a cold manure. This means that it does not need to be cooked in compost and can be used straight away on plants. Pet rabbits should not stay in their cages for long periods of time.

Letting the rabbit roam free outside or inside to get daily exercise will ensure your rabbit stays healthy and happy.

Rabbits are temperature sensitive and are usually comfortable from 55F to 85F.

Litter Box If your rabbit is free-roaming and indoors, set up a litter box. This can be filled with hay, newspapers, pee pads, or anything that can absorb the rabbit’s urine. I use a rabbit toilet

with Timothy hay placed on top of the grate. Anything that falls through I use in compost. Rabbits instinctively keep their waste in one area and usually in corners. Adding a few of the rabbit’s droppings into the litter box will encourage the rabbit to use the litter box. Don’t be alarmed if you see droppings that look like soft blackberries. Rabbits have two types of droppings: pellets and cecotropes.

Pellets are usually dry and round.

Cecotropes are blackberry shaped and soft. These are meant to be eaten by the rabbit. This process is called coprocaphy and ensures the rabbit absorbs needed nutrients from its food.

Bunny-proofing Some rabbits like to chew on wires and wood especially baseboard, molding, and carpets. Using baseboard guards and blocking off certain areas will help limit your rabbit from chewing on furniture. Not all rabbits chew on household items, just be sure to keep wires and tasty wood away from your bunny.

Food and Water To keep your rabbit healthy and disease-free, provide fresh, clean water every day. Although rabbits have strong immune systems due to their advanced intestinal tract, contaminated water that has been sitting out can weaken their immune systems. Rabbits don’t need much when it comes to their basic foods since they are vegetarian. Pellets versus hay versus something else?

100% Timothy hay pellets are perfect along with dry Timothy hay or other hays and fresh greens to help keep their teeth the perfect size. A rabbit’s incisors constantly grow just like a human’s finger nails. These four

front teeth can grow 5 to 6 inches in just one year so it is important that your rabbit has something to keep them the right size such as pieces of untreated wood, dried hay, or even clean cardboard. Keep the rabbit’s pellets fresh and out of the open or it can get stale, wet, or exposed to rodents. I purchase Timothy hay pellets at my local feed store in the 50-pound bags and keep them in a large airtight container. Rabbit food that is mixed with dried fruits and nuts is unnecessary and can cause your rabbit’s teeth to get cavities and to rot faster, especially its molars, shortening the rabbit’s lifespan.

Grooming Rabbits are naturally very clean. They clean themselves just like cats. On rare occasions, rabbits may need a little bath because of accidents, but generally bathing a rabbit is unnecessary. Clipping rabbit toenails is a must since their toenails grow just like their teeth, and trimming is recommended every two to three weeks with a pair of human or dog nail clippers.

kill your rabbit if not treated. Rabbits can be neutered or spayed to help control their temperament and to help keep them in good health. Without spaying or neutering, rabbits may spray when they want to mark territory. This leaves an unpleasant smell and is sometimes difficult to clean up. Spaying and neutering is usually recommended at four months. There are currently no required vaccines for rabbits; however, vaccinations are available, particularly for myxomatosis and viral hemorrhagic disease.

Overall rabbits are very intelligent animals that can form bonds with their owners. Whether you want to leash train your rabbit or keep them for your homestead, rabbits are a gentle and fun addition to any family.

The Vet Rabbits will show signs that they are sick and in need of a veterinarian who specializes in rabbits. Symptoms of a sick rabbit are lethargy, change in appetite, teeth grinding, head tilt, or difficulty breathing. A very common bacterial sickness called snuffles causes rabbit’s eyes and nose to become runny. Snuffles usually last a couple of weeks and the rabbit is back to normal. In more severe and rare cases, infection can set in and can

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Find us at the Pearl Farmers Market on Saturdays from 9a - 1p with Talking Tree Farm 50 |

Instagram / Facebook - @EfficientEarthling

Spring 2022

Shown: Golden Oysters growing with Cardoons.

Recycled Mushroom Blocks Now Available at Gardopia!

You can grow delicious, culinary mushrooms in your garden, build healthy soil, and also keep organic matter out of the waste stream. IT’S A WIN WIN

Tell your garden pals, follow us, visit our website to become a member or to make a donation.

LEARN HOW TO GROW MUSHROOMS AT:

CentralTexasMycology.org/GARDOPIA Cultivate SA

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Cultivate Community

San Antonio Garden Olympics to Focus on Urban Agriculture

By Elise Urrutia This spring from March 1 through March 19, with the push of a button, San Antonio gardeners and urban farmers can help sound the alarm about the power of growing your own food.

As a part of the annual San Antonio Garden Olympics, the second Spring Garden Competition challenges citizens to record their home grown gardening activities. “The goal is to gather data to increase our understanding of how much food San Antonians are producing in their own back yards or on their community garden plots,” says Stephen Lucke, CEO of Gardopia, a local non-profit dedicated to stemming the tide of hunger in our city.

The competition is part of an ongoing initiative to measure harvests from homes, communities, schools, and urban farms.

After registering their urban plots on the Gardopia website, gardeners and farmers will compete in the olympics by recording their harvest data through June 21. The competition is open to families, school groups, individuals, businesses, and communities.

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planet. Right now San Antonio has no clue how much food is being produced or consumed within the metro area.

The first step for us is to begin gathering this information,” says Lucke. Next, Gardopia hopes to create an action plan to increase resources for urban agriculture. The effort ultimately aims to improve nutrition by providing better access to local food, which in turn increases job opportunities, keeps local funds in the region, and even encourages tourism.

On a larger scale, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the City of San Antonio Climate Action Plan both have reports that detail the need to increase food security to address unhealthy lifestayles and environmental degradation.

Since graduating in 2012 with an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and a masters degree in nutrition from Incarnate Word University, Lucke has put his professional energies into the

health and wellness of San Antonio.

He hopes that San Antonians will register their local harvesting efforts and participate in the effort to learn more about what San Antonians are growing.

“When people grow food locally, we get reconnected to our diet and nature,” says Lucke. “Since the inception of the Standard American Diet, released in the 1980s, the population’s health has steadily been declining. Cardiovascular and obesity-related diseases especially impact impoverished communities.

Growing food on a small scale can have a large impact on these issues.

When we increase the education and practice of holistic land stewardship, we gain biodiversity, reduce carbon emissions, and improve stormwater management and air quality. We also increase job opportunities and grow our local economy.”

Gardopia is a nonprofit organization dedicated to erasing food inequity in San Antonio by working to increase accessibility to fresh produce and implementing strategic intervention programming in schools, businesses, and community organizations. The organization provides programs and services to educational, commercial, and residential communities, providing tools, materials, and best practices to ensure their sustainability.

Two additional components of the Garden Olympics will be the Youth Garden Games, to be held on April 23, and the Garden Awards Gala, on August 10.

The Youth Garden Games aim to increase youth activity in gardening through a field day focused on garden-centric activities. Last year the Games were piloted with one school and are expanding this year to include more schools. Typical field day games, along with some innovative garden and STEM-based activities, will give students new skills to get them excited about gardening in their homes and communities.

Activities will require a variety of skills, challenging all of the senses and many aptitudes.

The Awards Gala will recognize San Antonio’s varied gardening efforts, including best community garden, pollinator garden, and farmers market, among others. The gala will also honor the many organizations that help to incorporate urban agriculture into the fabric of San Antonio.

Stephen Lucke, founder and CEO of Gardopia, explains the purpose of the Garden Olympics: “This is a great time of year to get involved in starting an edible garden. We want to spur the momentum by rewarding growers for helping us collect data on food production. We will be collecting data on produce, eggs, and diversion of food waste. We are targeting four sectors—residential, community, school, and commercial. We invite San Antonians to join us by registering their gardens on our website. It’s simple to do and will have a great impact.”

More information on the Youth Garden Games and the Garden Awards Gala will be available on our website soon.

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