September 1, 2026
September 30, 2026
September Updates
September Greetings Community
Please ensure you are distributing this blog to all your gardeners!
In this edition of the Community Gardens Program Blog, we have our Community Gardens Program Blog debut announcement, orchard maintenance plan updates, Roots and Wings festival information, and a pollinator/plant relationship to share!
Newsletter Transitioning to Blog
We now are transitioning from a newsletter to a blog that will live not in email, but on the City of Austin Community Gardens Program webpage! This will allow language access in many different languages that the city’s website hosts through their translation button in the upper right corner of the webpage. We will also now have a blog to house our previous newsletters and each month’s blog in the archive on the blog page.
Training Follow Up
Orchard Maintenance Plan Training
It was so great to see so many gardeners at the online Orchard Maintenance Plan Training. Big shout out to Walker Pickens at Tree Folks and Kirsten Schneider with APR Urban Forestry for educating us on how to maintain our orchards and report tree care to the city. As a follow up for all those who attended and could not make it, to obtain your Orchard Maintenance Plan template, please email the Community Gardens program at communitygardens@austintexas.gov
You are only required to fill out/update an annual Orchard Maintenance Plan if your garden has fruit trees or is planning on planting them in the coming year. Your Orchard Maintenance Plan must be updated and approved before planting any new trees.
Education/Events
Roots and Wings Festival 2026 -
Saturday, October 17, 2026–Sunday, November 1, 2026, across Austin!
If you missed the deadline to apply for a grant this year, sign up here to stay on top of information for next year!
Roots & Wings Festival Interest Form
We are so happy to see four of our community gardens associated with the City of Austin Community Gardens Programs, are hosting events during the Roots and Wings Festival. We highly encourage you go get inspired by visiting of these gardens hosting an event. Please check out the event information below and/or see their events and more with the Event Finder | Roots and Wings Festival.
Oct. 17 | 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Grand Meadow Community Garden and Food Forest Kickoff
Hosted by Friends of Grand Meadow
Registration is required to attend.
Come put down roots with us at Grand Meadow Park! Our new park is now open so please join us for the official kickoff of our community garden and food forest. Get your hands in the soil with the first community garden planting, create something with us at our art activity, and learn how you can stay involved as the garden and food forest grow. There will be food, live music, and activities for all ages.
Grand Meadow Neighborhood Park
8022 Thaxton rd
Austin, TX 78747
Find directions on Google Maps.
Oct. 24 | 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
From Seed to Spoon, and the Pollinators that help along the way!
Hosted by Adelphi Acre Community Garden
From a tiny seed planted in the soil to the delicious food on your spoon, every bite that we take connects us to the natural world. Join us at Adelphi Acre for a celebration of the cycle of food and the incredible pollinators that make it all possible. In case of rain, this event will take place on Nov. 7.
Adelphi Acre Community Garden
3701 1/2 Adelphi Ln
Austin, TX 78759
Find directions on Google Maps.
Oct. 24 | 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Patterson Park Community Garden Fall Festival
Hosted by Patterson Park Community Garden
Bring the family to Patterson Park Community Garden as we celebrate our annual Roots and Wings Fall Festival! Enjoy crafts for kids, a Monarch butterfly puppet show, and live music for all ages, explore booths and activities led by local experts and organizations about trees, native plants, fungi and more, connect with neighbors and discover ways to nurture a thriving environment and community, and don’t miss our Dia de los Muertos ofrenda while you’re there!
Patterson Park Community Garden
4200 Brookview Rd
Austin, TX 78722
Find directions on Google Maps.
Oct. 24 | 3 p.m.–6 p.m.
Nature Music and Aztec Dance
Hosted by Civic Arts
As part of the Nature Festival & Spooktacular event, come celebrate the sun, the seed, and the season with Nature Music & Aztec Dance: a free afternoon of music, dance, and art! The day opens at 3pm with Aztec dancers honoring the rising sun in a performance of drums, movement, and regalia that connects us to the light and warmth every living thing depends on. A local DJ keeps the music going with a set of songs about trees, water, birds, and the natural world. In the event of rain, this activity will be moved indoors.
North Austin Community Garden & YMCA North Austin
1000 W Rundberg Lane
Austin, TX 78758
Find directions on Google Maps.
Pollinator/Plant Relationship of the Month
September's Pollinator/Plant Relationship of the month is all about one of the bushiest legged pollinators out there, the Morning Glory-Digger aka Crooked-legged bee (Ancyloscelis apiformis) Apiform Morning glory-Digger (Ancyloscelis apiformis) · iNaturalist. Its genus name Ancyloscelis literally means crooked-leg. This genus houses about 20 species of bees native to the Americas ranging from Argentina to the southern portions of the United States. This particular species of bee has been observed to have a close relationship with the native Alamo Vine plant (Merremia dissecta), which can be a great plant for erosion control as it is drought tolerant and spreads quickly via rhizomes.
As seen in the picture above, the males use their wide legs to avoid falling into the Alamo vine flowers. As they brace themselves on the petals, they drink the nectar and look for potential mates within the flower. Males have been observed to fly in figure eight patterns around flowers they suspect of being frequented by potential females. The bees tend to ground nest around shaded areas close in proximity to each other and water. While closely associated almost entirely with the Alamo Vine, these bees have also been observed to frequent Esperanza flowers (Tecoma stans).
Photo credit to Mika Geiger, Photo 701802471, (c) Mika Geiger, all rights reserved, uploaded by Mika Geiger · iNaturalist See more of Mika’s observations on iNaturalist.
Keep your eyes peeled for invitations to upcoming events, including the Annual Garden Potluck this November.
For more information on the Community Garden Program, or follow ups from the blog, contact communitygardens@austintexas.gov.