PRESIDENT’S CORNERIt’s over! Thank you all for the hard work you’ve done for our Fall Plant Sale and the Plant Sale Redo. It was a great success. Now we have a short break before we start all over again. I’ve really enjoyed the rain we have gotten in September. They are teasing us that we may have a wet fall and winter. I say teasing because I’m really tired of long term forecasts that never seem to pan out. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to have a wet fall and winter. After the heat and drought we have had this summer it would be most welcome. I will even accept the weeds that are an inevitable result of rain. As I sit here at my computer I’m watching those loving and sharing hummingbirds fight over the feeders in my backyard. I have lots of birds this year but have not had to fill the feeders the way I have had to in the past. The difference? I now have many hummingbird plants in the backyard. I was reading Ernie Edmundson Schertz’s article in the Rockport Pilot on what plants are must haves for hummers. I have them all! Having flowerbeds full of blooming plants takes much of the pressure off the feeders. It also makes it easier for me since I don’t have to wash and fill the feeders as often. Autumn is my favorite season of the year. The weather is getting cooler and we can enjoy being out in our gardens again. It’s time to find a place in our yards for those plants we didn’t plan on getting at the plant sale. I tried not to, really I did, but I bought some plants, but for the first time in a very long time I pretty much only bought what I really needed (notice I said, pretty much). That’s not to say that I won’t look at the plants we have left over from the Plant Sales and think about buying some of them. I think one of the requirements for becoming a Master Gardener is a virtually uncontrollable need for more plants. We move plants around, we tuck new ones in spaces that may not be big enough but not to worry because, like I said, we move plants around. I’ve already got an idea about moving some plants in the backyard and I only planted them this summer! Let’s hope that the prognosticators are correct and we get lots of rain. It would be great to fill up the pond! Friendly Faces, Lots of Plants, Must Be the 2014 Fall Master Gardeners Plant SaleFrom the smiling invitation to come in and select your plants,
To grabbing a wagon to fill with plants, and exploring,
And getting information about growing plants, |
OCTOBER NEWS ARTICLES
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To finishing up at the Cashiers table with a lot of plants,
A lot of people (364) had a lot of fun and enhanced their gardens at our last sale of the year.
Thank you all for your support, plant lovers, Master Gardeners, and especially our new Interns, that contributed to the success of the sale. OCTOBER GARDENING TOPICAgriLife Research Putting Designer Potatoes On the Menu To Boost Consumption A decline in overall potato consumption has Texas A&M AgriLife Research breeders working on “designer” spuds that meet the time constraints and unique tastes of a younger generation. Dr. Creighton Miller, AgriLife Research potato breeder from College Station, explained “Potatoes are an important delivery system for nutrients to humans. So what we are doing now is developing unique varieties that have a tendency to appeal to the younger set with high income who are willing to try something different. This has contributed to an increase in consumption of these types over the russets, which are still the standard.” One selected Best of Trial at Springlake this year is BTX2332-IR, which is a round red potato. And the traditional russet potatoes will always be a mainstay, as they are used primarily for baking and French fries. Also in the trial is the standard white skinned variety with white flesh used for chipping purposes. One type is a small potato. “One of the reasons for the popularity of the smaller potato is with both spouses working, the amount of time required to prepare potatoes becomes an issue with some people, With the small potatoes, they can be microwaved very fast and be on the table in a hurry.” Other varieties catching more attention are red potatoes with yellow and white flesh and the purple skinned potatoes with yellow flesh, he said. The tubers with yellow flesh contain compounds that are antioxidants, and that appeals to the health-conscious consumer, Miller said. “So in addition to having the unique appearance, they are healthier potatoes to eat. And this year, Miller also has specialty potatoes with splashes of red and yellow on the skin that have a yellow flesh. “These are referred to as gourmet potatoes and that niche is receiving more emphasis lately,” he said. “These are generally boiled and add unique color to the plate when served.” But Miller was quick to say the russet potato is still the primary emphasis of the program, and a new russet being grown by the Barrett’s will soon be released for commercial production. Written by Kay Ledbetter, Texas AgriLife Extension Service Excerpted from Texas Gardener’s Seeds, September 24, 2014 |
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