By Ty Purcell

In January of 2011 I purchased some carrot seed with the intent of planting them in my garden.  That didn’t happen.  However, my three year old son really wanted to grow carrots thanks to a Curious George™ cartoon he had seen.  So, in late October, I apprehensively set out to plant carrots with my son’s help.  My belief was that carrots would be hard to grow.  I also anticipated them freezing due to planting them so late.  Happily my conceptions and beliefs about our carrot planting adventure were not true. (more…)

By Audrey Gillespie

Ain’t life grand?!   I hope you will take the time to meander with me a little while today down a few side paths.  Just for today, let’s put down the pruning shears and quiet the lawn mowers and just celebrate the new life spring heralds in.

Early spring has always been my favorite time of the year.  I love the slow, progressive awakening of all the different plants.  The glory of the blooming Bradford pear trees would be lost if they were not juxtaposed against the barrenness surrounding them.  The first asparagus spear or wildflower bloom or touch of green in the trees all seem to me to be the first notes of a marvelous symphony of life, wonderful gifts from God. (more…)

Wednesday February 22nd promises to be an exciting day at the 2012 Texas Farm and Ranch.  In addition to all the other Expo events the Big Country Master Gardeners and the Big Country Master Naturalist will be presenting a day long Backyard Gardening Seminar.  The seminar will cover topics such as plant selection, pest management, landscape design, vegetable gardening, rainwater collection and simulation, making a rain barrel, and trying to understand El Nino and La Nina. The seminar runs from 8 am to 4 pm. Cost is $20 before Friday February 17th, $30 after that date and at the door.  The fee includes lunch.  Call the Taylor County AgriLife Extension Office at 325-672-6048 for more information.

Backyard Gardening Seminar Flyer and Registration Form

By Audrey Gillespie

Home landscaped with Firewise principles that survived a fire. US Fish & Wildlife Service photo

With the devastation wildfires have left in their wake this year, I thought “firescaping” would be a good topic for this space.  First, however, I need to correct a serious error.  Due to a miscommunication, the last horticultural extension article was credited to me.  The wonderful column on gardening with children was actually written by Cheryl McCormick.  Cheryl has been recognized as a past Texas Master Gardener of the Year because of her willingness to invest herself in the lives of local children through the Junior Master Gardener program.  Thank you, Cheryl!  I apologize for the error. (more…)

Sometimes you feel like a nut …. If you like pecans make plans to come to the 2011 edition of the Big Country Pecan Management Seminar. The always entertaining presenters Martha Alice Spraberry and John Begnaud will present pecan management tips that are sure to intrigue and inform. Mrs. Spraberry, Agrilife Extension Agent – Family and Consumer Sciences, will discuss Pecan Handling and Storage while Mr. Begnaud, Agrilife Extension Agent – Horticulture (retired), will cover pecan tree management for 2012. Call the Taylor County Agrilife Extension office at 325-672-6048 with any questions. Hope to see you there!

Big Country Pecan Management Seminar on Facebook

By Audrey Gillespie

Maybe you want to save money on the products you buy to use in your landscape or garden without sacrificing quality. Maybe you want to spend less time on garden chores. Maybe you are concerned about environmental issues. Maybe you just want to know how to help your landscape survive the current drought. Enter Earth-Kind landscaping. (more…)

By Audrey Gillespie 

      This is a bittersweet time of the year for gardeners as most of our garden and landscape plants get ready to sleep until spring.  Leaves fall, foliage turns brown, blooms disappear.  Then again, pollen counts go down and we have more leisure time.  After the nightmare year we have just experienced, both we and our yards need some time to rest and rejuvenate for what is predicted to be a repeat of this year.  (more…)

By Audrey Gillespie

“Low-maintenance” is usually at the top of most homeowners’ wish list for their landscapes. Typically only needing one good hair-cut a year, ornamental grasses fit the bill nicely. Fall is the time of year for most of them to shine, too. Drive around and see how beautiful ornamental grasses can be. The bank on the corner of S. 14^th and S. Willis is a great example of the beauty, grace, and movement grasses can lend a garden bed.

Drive around to see for yourself how others are using grasses to beautify their landscapes. Unlike most other perennial plants, spring is the best time for planting. You can use the time now to plan and to prepare the soil for planting. Tilling in three inches of organic compost will improve any kind of soil, as will adding a three-inch layer of mulch as a top dressing.

Ornamental grasses come in a variety of sizes and shapes and an impressive array of colors. Let me introduce you to a few: (more…)

Join the Big Country Master Gardeners and Vegetable Specialist Betty Sims at the Abilene Public Library on Tuesday, October 25th as they show you how to prepare your gardens and yards for the fall and beyond.  Learn about raised bed gardening, soil and bed preparations, vegetables and herbs that do well in the Big Country, and when to plant them.  Betty will also cover Spring vegetables so you can get a head-start when the time comes.

If you like – visit the event on Facebook and tell us you are attending!    Big Country Master Gardeners: Fall Garden Seminar

By: Audrey Gillespie

I’m a fanatic gardener. I have shopped for roses on days when I had to brush snow off the tags to find the one cultivar I just had to have. Appointments have been missed because my “few minutes” in the garden turned into hours. Like the mail carriers, neither sleet nor snow has deterred me, but this past summer utterly defeated me. You can tell just by looking, too. Eden after the curse. (more…)