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How Do I Love Thee

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The lesson I have thoroughly learnt, and wish to pass on to others, is to know the enduring happiness that the love of a garden gives. – Gertrude Jekyll

 

How Do I Love Thee

Georgette Recker

Somervell County Master Gardener

 

If you believe the messages put out on social media or even just walk through a store and smell the chocolate, you have already realized February is the month for love.  And, although we love our friends and family, our pets, our homes, and even our morning coffee, the theme of this month’s newsletter will be the love many of us feel for our gardens.  Whether they are vegetable, flower, or even rock, our gardens are in need of a little tender loving care this month. The sunny days we experience on and off in February are perfect for zipping up our jackets and stepping outside to assess how best to pour a little loving on our favorite spaces.

 

February Checklist

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February Checklist 

Planning

___ Plan your perennial beds.

___ Plant small to medium sized shade trees for summer cooling on patios.

___ Consider using ground covers in areas where it is difficult to mow or where grass will not grow.

Planting

___ Plant any Spring bulbs that may still be hiding in your refrigerator.

___ Plant by seed: beets, carrots, collards, Swiss chard, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard,

radish, shallots, and turnips.

___ Plant transplants or seed pieces of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Irish potatoes.

___ Sow seeds of corn, eggplant, peppers, and tomatoes in hotbeds or greenhouses.

Care

___ Wipe or wash off leaves of dusty houseplants.

___ Stake newly planted trees if they seem unstable.

Watering

___ Keep an eye on perennials in pots.  They may need to be watered.

___ Maintain moisture around newly planted roses.

Problems

___ Collect and dispose of fallen of yellowing leaves caused by blackspot on roses.

Pruning

___ Remove old, dead growth on perennials.

___ Cut back ornamental grasses to within a few inches of the ground.

___ Use hedge shearers, string trimmer, or lawnmower set at highest setting to shear back overgrown ground covers.

Fertilizing

___ Fertilize greens, such as kale, collards, turnips, and spinach with a 15:5:10 or other 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer.

Month-By-Month Gardening in Texas by Dan Gill & Dale Groom

The Leaves Are Falling?

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The Leaves Are Falling?

Georgette Recker

Somervell County Master Gardener

Autumn is the time of year when leaves wither and fall to the ground.  We expect it, and some of us even look forward to the event. However, if you are noticing leaves dropping from your live oak trees now that we are anticipating spring, you may be having very different feelings.  As Texas is experiencing the ravages of oak wilt, seeing any of our well-loved, prized beauties dropping their leaves to the ground can be concerning especially when we think of live oaks as being evergreen.

Live oak trees are not true evergreens, and it is normal for them to drop their old leaves in spring. Although oak wilt may attack live oaks in late winter or early spring, the symptoms of the fungus are usually not apparent until summer.

http://agrilife.org/plantclinic/files/2010/09/Live-Oak-Leaves.jpg

Signs of normal live oak leaf drop include yellowing of leaves and/or brown or black spots or blotches.  Some leaves may even have veins that turn brown while the remainder of the leaf stays green. While these signs and symptoms may mimic oak wilt, they are typical of a spring time process called senescing – or the dying off of old leaves.

http://agrilife.org/plantclinic/files/2010/09/New-Buds-on-Live-Oak.jpg

There are some things you can look for to determine if the leaf drop your live oaks are experiencing now is normal and healthy.  Check the dying leaves for new buds at the leaf petiole. These new buds will start small then will grow as the older leaves die.  Once the old leaves drop off you should see tiny new leaves develop. Seeing these signs should assure you that your tree is likely experiencing a normal yearly cycle.  If, on the other hand, you do not notice the buds, check for dead branches by breaking a small stem on the tree. If it breaks with a snap and has a brown interior, the branch is most likely dead.  Healthy trees will usually have some dead branches; however, if more than 10% of the branches of a tree are dead, you should seek the help and advice of your county Extension agent.

Ong, Dr. Mark.  “Live Oaks Dropping Leaves.”  Texas A & M Agrilife Extension.  Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab, 24 March 2008  Web. 3 February 2020.  

Meet the Gardeners

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This month begins a chance to meet the Somervell County Master Gardeners.  Each month the newsletter will highlight one member and help you get to know who might be sneaking around the county pulling weeds and gathering seeds.  We are a fun group comprised of many different personalities, but we all have one thing in common.  We love to garden! If you’ve ever thought about joining the group, stay tuned.  There will be more information in the coming months.

 

Meet the Gardeners

Name

Cyd Brown

What year did you become a Master Gardener?

2019

Do you hold a position in the group?

Secretary, Director for Texas Master Gardener Association

What are your gardening special interests?

Using native plants in landscaping.  I also think plant propagation would be very interesting; l want to learn how to reproduce beneficial native plants I already have and propagate them to increase their abundance.

Is there a particular gardening book you enjoy?

My sister recently gave me a book, “Plant Propagation” from the American Horticultural Society that should prove to be interesting. I refer to “Native Texas Plants” by Sally and Andy Wasowski and “How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest” by Jill Nokes on a regular basis.

Have you had a particular gardening success?

Not yet. The house beds and landscaping are just getting started; although I have gotten two mountain laurel seeds to sprout.

What do you enjoy about being a Master Gardener?

I enjoy learning new things about gardening and plants and I enjoy the company of my fellow Master Gardeners greatly.

I also enjoy “digging in the dirt”. I always feel better after weeding, planting, etc.

Do you have a favorite plant?

I love gardenias and grew some in North Carolina. I probably won’t grow any here because of the different climate.

 

Two Favorite Natives

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Shrubby Boneset

If you’ve ever taken a close look at shrubby boneset, you can see why butterflies (and moths and hummingbirds) are so attracted to it: It’s basically a floral landing pad. The dainty blooms of Ageratina havanensis form welcoming clusters, and the spindly tendrils along their edges even seem like a safety fence or built-in railing. Their alluring scent and stores of nectar literally sweeten the deal — especially at a time when migrating Lepidoptera like monarchs need a serious snack break. In fact, shrubby boneset is one of our top five fall nectar plants for powering the monarch migration!

 

Four-Nerve Daisy

Four-nerve daisies,  (Tetraneuris scaposa var. scaposa), are well-suited to Somervell County, because they do well on rocky ledges and bluffs.   They’re also  one of  only a few species that blooms all year long, given suitable conditions.  Add it along a sunny border to bring cheer to your garden, and don’t forget to move in for a close-up: The ray flowers on this daisy, also known as “hymenoxys,”  have striking, dark purple veins on either side.

 

 

 

 

From the Gardener’s Kitchen

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 Pumpkin Bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3 cups sugar                                                        2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup oil                                                                3 1/2 cups flour

4 eggs                                                                    1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups canned pumpkin                                   1 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 cup water                                                      1/2 tsp. ea. ginger and cloves   

                                                                                1 cup coarsely chopped pecans           

 

Cream oil & sugar in large bowl.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well.  Mix in the pumpkin.  Mix the soda with the water, then add alternately with the other dry ingredients until the mixture is smooth. Stir in pecans.

Can be baked in one large bundt or plain tube pan  or (2) 9×5 loaf pans. Other smaller size pans should be filled only half full.  Spray pans with Pam (or other brand of “non-stick” spray)

Bake at 350 degrees.  Large pans need about 90 minutes.  9×5 loaf pans take about 60-70 minutes.  Smaller pans need a little less time.  Just be sure bread is done – should be starting to pull away from sides before you take it out of oven.  Cool 15 min.  Run knife around the edges, and bread should come right out of pan.  Allow to cool completely before you wrap it.

Since this is a moist bread, it spoils rapidly and should be stored in the refrigerator.  Serve cold. Or warm a few slices in the oven/microwave.  Good when spread with butter, jelly, cream cheese, etc.

  • If using fresh pumpkin from your garden – use 2 2/3 cups pumpkin. Eliminate the water.  Mix soda with other dry ingredients.
  • For a lower calorie bread that’s just as good:  substitute 1 cup applesauce for the oil, cut the sugar to two cups.

Next CHES Meeting

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The Community Educational Horticulture Sessions have been suspended for the summer, but go ahead and mark your calendar for the second Monday in September, the 11th.

Shirley Smith and Donna Hagar will present a program on Building a Rain Barrel and Harvesting Rain Water.

Have a safe and wonderful summer.  Enjoy your garden!

Favorite Plant – Jerusalem Sage

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by Shirley Smith, Somervell County Master Gardener

I love trying new and different plants.  But, I do make sure they are either native to Texas and/or adapted for growing in this area.  One particularly good find is Jerusalem Sage.  The botanical name is Phlomis fruticosa.  Some common names are Satiny Wormwood, Mugwort, and Silvermound Artemisia.  I have had mine in the ground for about 3 years and it has done well.  I garden south of Glen Rose and have “good” soil to a depth from 8” to 24” before hitting white rock.  This plant has done well in this soil.

It grows in full sun.  I gave it supplemental water the first year (when I could remember!) but after that it has been on its own.  It has done well and blooms so prettily in the late spring/early summer.  Then (and this is a plus), when it is finished blooming the flowers dry up and even they are interesting so I just leave them on the plant.  Also, it is a pollinator magnet.

Here is all the information you might need to make a decision about using this in your landscape.  One thing I LOVE about this plant is that the deer leave it alone!

Jerusalem Sage

  • Botanical Name:Phlomis fruticosa
  • Plant Type:Perennial
  • Light Requirement:Full Sun
  • Water Demand:Low
  • Landscape Use:Deer Resistant, Focal Point/Specimen Plant, Rock Garden
  • Ornamental Value:Yellow
  • Native/Adapted:Adapted
  • Wildlife Value:Butterflies, Birds
  • Season:Summer
  • Deciduous/Evergreen:Deciduous
  • Plant Form:Upright
  • Plant Spread:3′
  • Plant Height:3′

 

Happy gardening!

 

Sources:

TexasSmartScape

USDA Plant Database

CHES – Monday, May 8th

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This Monday, May 8th, the CHES

program will be on Water Well Conservation,

including understanding your well

and touring a mock well.

                             Karen Siddall is bringing a demonstration trailer with a mock well, so people can understand

                             the different water table levels and the types of soil and rock we are dealing with here.
                             Her excellent presentation also explains how pumps work.
                             Don’t miss this opportunity to understand your important part in water conservation! 
                             Come to the Citizen’s Center, just off the east side of the square, 209 SW Barnard,
                             at 6:30 pm, to enjoy this informative program.

Master Gardener Training

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CALLING ALL GARDENERS…

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office of Somervell County, along with the Hood and Johnson County Extension Offices, will be offering a Master Gardener Training starting in March 2017.  If you are an avid gardener or someone who enjoys learning about horticulture this is a great opportunity.  Training topics will include in-depth classes on plant diseases, soil fertility, trees, grasses, vegetable production, irrigation, organic gardening, entomology and more.

You may ask yourself what exactly is a Master Gardener?   A Master Gardener is an individual who has completed extensive training and has served the community by sharing their gardening knowledge through the activities of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.   They are enthusiastic, willing to learn and to help others, and are able to communicate with diverse groups of people.  What really sets Master Gardeners apart from other home gardeners is their special training in horticulture.  In exchange for their training, persons who become Master Gardeners contribute time as volunteers, working through their Extension office to provide horticultural-related information to their communities.

If you think the Master Gardener Program may be for you, contact Zach Davis at the Somervell County Extension Office by emailing zadavis@ag.tamu.edu or call 254-897-2809. The fee for the 2017 Master Gardener training is $150, this includes Master Gardener Training Manual, field trip fees and all other training fees.