New Members Transferred to Smith County
Lenka Johnson
Welcome to these folks who have moved into our area.
Lenka Johnson – Comes from Montgomery County. Her e-mail address is Lenka_7@msn.com
Stephen Purdy
Stephen Purdy – Comes from Tarrant County. His e-mail address is spurdy06@sbcglobal.net
TX Master Gardener Association Awards for 2019
The following are the awards that Smith County Master Gardener Association received at the Texas Master Gardener Search for Excellence Awards Program in the Large Category (100-199).
1st Educational Program – 2019 Library Lecture Series
1st Outstanding Individual – Steve Farrell
2nd Outstanding Association
2nd Project – 2019 Home Garden Tour
3rd Written Education – 2019 Calendar/Garden Guide
Congratulations and a big thanks to everyone who worked on the awards!
Smith County won an award in every category submitted.
Texas Blue Bells – Eustoma exaltum russellianum
Written by Dr. William C. Welch – Professor & Landscape Horticulturist
Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A & M University
Go to Texas Blue Bells for an interesting read, complete with pictures.
East Texas Plant Evaluations
Dr. Brent Pemberton conducts annual ornamental plant trials on a wide range of plants. The annual field day was scheduled for June 25, 2020 at the Overton AgriLife Research Center, but with consideration for the Covid-19 virus, the 2020 field day was cancelled.
To hear Dr. Pemberton’s comments, go to: https://flowers.tamu.edu/field-day/
Don’t miss the *VIRTUAL TOURS OF CURRENT 2020 TRIALS
(A series of videos filmed on 18 and 19 June 2020 featuring tours
of the Overton Trials with Dr. Brent Pemberton)
Texas Superstars for 2020 – Watch – Texas Superstars video
Lucky Star Deep Pink are among penta varieties named Texas Superstars.
Brent Pemberton, Ph.D., AgriLife Research ornamental horticulturist, Overton, said pentas are a Texas-tough landscape ornamental annual plant that offers a range of sizes and colors throughout summer. “We have an established Texas Superstar, but we want to update the promotion because new colors and new characteristics have been added through breeding over the years,” he said. “Pentas have a very broad appeal, in the market, so we want gardeners to know what is available to them now.”
Cupcake, Muffin, Rio Grande series purslane named latest Texas Superstar releases.
Cupcake, Muffin and Rio Grande purslane series were named Texas Superstars because plants show so many good characteristics, said David Rodriguez, AgriLife Extension horticulturist, San Antonio.
“All these new selections bloom better, longer and are more heat resistant,” Rodriguez said. “They represent all the best qualities you can find in purslane.”
Tidal Wave Red Velour Spreading Petunia latest Texas Superstar release.
Tidal Wave Red Velour Spreading Petunia has been named the latest Texas Superstar release based on its superior performance across the state, according to Mike Arnold, AgriLife Research horticulturist, College Station.
The Red Velour joins the tough, durable Tidal Wave petunia series.
A time-tested Lone Star favorite – Blue Daze – has been added to the list of Texas Superstar plants.
Brent Pemberton, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research ornamental horticulturist, Overton, said Blue Daze has been a long-time ornamental favorite of gardeners and landscapers and deserves the designation.
Blue Daze is a heat- and sun-loving, low-spreading tropical plant used as a summer annual, Pemberton said. The variety provides gardeners and homeowners summer-long flowers of a beautiful sky-blue hue.
“It’s a true-blue flower and a long-established Texas gardening staple,” he said. “Blue Daze is very popular because its claim-to-fame blue color is a coveted color in the flower world.”