On January 14th, ARMA’s board selected Ballenger Construction’s bid of $5.2 million to build the project.

Ground was broken on the project on March 11th and should be completed by late September. Nearly all work is being done at night to minimize disruptions to traffic. As of early July, the work was about 40% complete, with some delays due to unusually wet weather this Spring.

For a complete report, click on the link below…

http://www.texashighwayman.com/us281ss.shtml

Fall and winter are slow in the garden, or so some think. There’s actually a lot to do, especially here in central Texas.

Plant trees, shrubs, perennials, bulbs and wildflower seeds. Planting in the fall or winter allows the plant’s root system to get established well before the temperatures rise. Even though the top of the plant may die back after it’s planted, the roots will still grow, and in the spring the plant will start vigorous growth.

Top-dress your lawn and flower beds with a thin layer (1/4 – ½”) of compost. Healthy soil leads to healthy plants. The nutrients from the rich compost will wash down into the roots during the winter/spring rains and your plants will thank you in the growing season to come. Top-dressing helps your lawn by decreasing thatch, increasing fertility levels, and introducing some beneficial organisms that will help your lawn’s soil long-term.

Add mulch to your flower beds. Mulch is extremely important in this area. It helps: stabilize the soil temperature throughout the year, decrease soil evaporation, reduce weeds, reduce evaporation, reduce soil compaction and it is usually more aesthetically pleasing. Caution: do not mulch right around the base of trees or shrubs; this encourages rot and attracts insects.

Start a compost pile! This is a great way to recycle your grass clippings, leaves, coffee grounds and more. You can buy a compost bin or make a container easily at home. The end result is home made compost that will enrich your garden.

Prune your trees and shrubs. Most trees are dormant in the winter, which is the best time to trim them (unless it is a winter/spring bloomer – then trim after bloom). If pruning oaks, pruning spray should ALWAYS be used to prevent the spread of oak wilt. Trees other than oak don’t need the spray; it actually inhibits the plant’s ability to heal from the cuts.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Exterior Innovations has the experience and the knowledge to design, install and/or maintain your landscape. They also provide reasonable consultation rates to those who just need direction or like to do it themselves. They are fully licensed, degreed, and have references available.
(830) 885-7767 or (210) 274-3529

Fire ants were accidentally imported in the 1930’s from Brazil. Having no natural enemies here, they have spread quickly across the southern part of the U.S.

In addition to their painful stings, fire ants kill lizards, small birds and even small mammals. They are frequently attracted to electrical wiring and breaker boxes, causing damage and creating a fire hazard. There are many methods for dealing with fire ant mounds, ranging from poisons to phorid flies (which inject eggs into live fire ants). The challenge is that a single acre can hold hundreds of fire ant mounds. Also, even if you managed to clear your property of fire ants, colonies from surrounding areas would quickly move back in.

Fire ants are here to stay, but it is possible to reduce their numbers greatly on your property. See the box ‘How to Kill Fire Ants’ on this page for some ideas.

More Information:

• Texas Imported Fire Ant Research and Management Project - Fire ant information from Texas A&M .
• Taking the Bite out of Fire Ants - University of Texas researchers battle fire ants with phorid flies.
• Wikipedia: Red imported fire ant
• In Texas, Fire Ants Are a Force to Be Reckoned With - Article from the Washington Post.