Archived Newsletter 2013-present

Dog Days of Summer

July 6, 2014 by lheideman

by Bonnah Boyd, Somervell County Master Gardener

This phrase refers to the sultry days of summer. In the Northern Hemisphere the dog days of summer are most commonly experienced in the months of July and August.

The phrase has an ancient astrological origin. The Romans noted that the brightest star, Sirius in the Big Dog constellation (Canis Major) was lined up with the sun during the hottest time of the year. This conjunction was believed to cause the peak heat of summer. The Old Farmers’ Almanac lists the traditional period as the 40 days beginning July 3 and ending August 11.

Many events are often planned during the “Dog Days”. These include dog contests and pictures, parties, sports tournaments at the beach, baseball games and tours, with or without your dog.

If you plan a summer vacation during this time, don’t forget the plants, both indoors and out. Below is a checklist of activities to do for your garden and plants prior to leaving.

Water: Irrigate landscape and garden thoroughly. If you have a vegetable garden, have a neighbor water, as needed. Many containerized plants need watering at least every third day to survive the heat. Group containers together in easy reach of the water hose.

Mow: Mow and trim your lawn the day before you leave. The lawn may need to be mowed a week later, so either be home then or make arrangements for weekly mowing.

Weed: Pull, spray or mulch over existing weeds in the garden and landscape.

Prune: Check roses, perennials and annual flowers to determine if they need deadheading.

Mulch: Mulching preserves water in the soil, reduces soil temperatures, reduces weed populations and gives a fresh look to the garden.

Do a pest check: Check for insects and diseases. Take action to control populations of insects pests that are present. Diseases are less prevalent in the summer, but check for fungal diseases, such as black spot and blight. Apply a fungal spray as needed.

Harvest: In the vegetable garden, harvest all ripe and nearly ripe fruit. Call a neighbor to come harvest for you, if you are going to be gone for more than a week.

Reference: Doug Welch’s Texas Garden Almanac

Unique Plants

October 10, 2013 by Donna Hagar

Submitted by Bonnah Boyd, Somervell County Master Gardener

Looking for an unusual plant to add to containers or in beds? The eyeball plant, a short sprawling annual with copper-tinted foliage and unique golden “eyeball shaped” flowers may be a choice.

Native to South American tropics, Acmella oleraceae (also known as Spilanthes oleraceae, and various common names as eyeball plant, toothache plant, peek-a-boo or paracress) is an herb used to add flavor to a bland diet. The foliage has a pleasant salty flavor that eventually leaves a numb feeling to the mouth. It may have received the common name of toothache plant because of its use as a local anesthetic for gums and teeth. Some sources attribute that common name to the appearance of the flowers that resemble a sore tooth. The flowers are bi-colored red and gold, looking like a yellow olive stuffed with a bright red pimiento “eye”.

This plant is easily grown from seed. Although it can be sown directly outdoors, it is better to start plants indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost, because it will not tolerate frost and requires warm soil to germinate. Seeds should germinate in a little over a week. The plant grows about 12”- 15” tall and spreads 24”- 30”. The flowers are produced on the ends of long stems. A little extra maintenance will improve the plants appearance. Pinch at about 3 weeks after transplanting, leaving 2 sets of true leaves intact. Pinching encourages better branching and a more uniformly shaped plant, but will delay flowering by about a week.

Plant in full sun or very light shade. The plants prefer rich soil and evenly moist, but not wet soil. Irrigate when dry and do not allow the plants to wilt. The plants bloom repeatedly from midsummer to early fall. Use it as a summer flowering container plant for sunny patios.

References: University of Wisconsin – Extension Master Gardener Program

The Prairie Gentian (Eustoma grandiflorum)

August 10, 2013 by Donna Hagar

By Sheryl Kleinschmidt

The Prairie Gentian is the most recent of my wildflower discoveries and will forever remain ensconced in my memory as one of the most outstanding. In early June of this year I was driving along Highway 144 between Glen Rose and Walnut Springs.

As usual, I kept one eye on the road and another searching the rightaway for any sign of life other than the dying brown Bermuda grass so prevalent in Texas’ landscape.

On down the road I went thinking how different things might look if only we could get some rain. Mile after disappointing mile I drove until a soft, lavender color caught my eye.

Thinking I could not have possibly seen what I thought I saw, I turned around at the next available spot and slowly drove back to the point of interest. Yes! Pulling my truck off the pavement, I got out and walked down to the fence line where these magnificent flowers bent to and fro in the soft breeze. Never having seen a Prairie Gentian before, I marveled at their beauty, grace and stamina. Like others of their kind, they belied all reason and grew out of some of the hardest, rockiest dirt one can imagine.

Being on a tight schedule, and without a shovel, I tried desperately to pull up one of the plants. Not going to happen, but a branch did break off which I lovingly took with me and put into water. Three weeks later, this little branch was still blooming and has given me quite an accumulation of seed.

Having the plant in my possession gave me the opportunity to study it and look it up in my Audubon field guide. Along with research on-line, I have learned that the Prairie Gentian grows in the prairies of the southwest USA. All sources say it needs some moisture, but I have since seen it growing in Somervell, Hood and Evant Counties under extremely dry and poor conditions.

Besides lavender (the only color I’ve seen), the Gentian can be pink, yellow or white. It is also known as the Tulip Gentian or the Texas Bluebell. It was formerly called Lisianthus russellianus, and its seed is now being sold by nurseries for use in the home garden. The seeds are light-sensitive and therefore should be broadcast, not buried.

Since the taproot is long, the Gentian does not transplant well. However, this same taproot holds tremendous reserves of carbohydrates which allow it to recover quickly after natural disasters such as prairie fires.

The Gentians I saw were tall flowers—the tallest about 3 feet. Their five petals are waxy and gradually darken as they come together in the center. They resemble a petunia in appearance, but I find them to be more attractive. The leaves are oblong, opposite and approximately 3 inches in length.

Now that the Gentian and I have become friends, I long to see her graceful emergence along the Texas roadways early next summer. Until then, I lovingly guard her seeds, anticipating the day I may have my very own bed of Gentians.