Join the Somervell Master Gardeners for our last program of the year, Native Gardens for Pollinators! Monday, October 24, 2022, 6:30pm at the Somervell County Citizens Center, 209 SW Barnard.
Our own Master Gardener, Tessa Ownbey will be describing the native plants and other features needed for creating your own pollinator garden. Learn how to attract all sorts of butterflies, bees and other creatures for a sustainable and interesting landscape!
Tessa is an 18 year certified Master Naturalist, a long time Master Gardener and Master Composter and is NPSOT certified in Landscape Maintenance. Tessa recently retired from Fossil Rim Wildlife Center as Director of Education and now spends her time with her husband on their 17 acres in Bosque County, which they have dedicated to wildscaping for insects, songbirds and neo-tropicals, and as a refuge for their 6 children and 13 grandchildren.
Astronomical Events that Affect Our Environment
We’ve all heard of people who really do plant or harvest their gardens by the moon or stars! Join the Somervell County Master Gardeners on Monday, September 12, 6:30 pm at the Somervell County Citizens Center, 209 SW Barnard, Glen Rose, to hear Robert Slaughter discuss just how astronomical events can and do play a part in our environment!
The Universe and the Earth’s Natural Environment. How do events that occur millions, even billions of miles from the Earth affect our environment? Does the Earth itself affect our natural world? In this presentation, Robert Slaughter will delve into the processes that can change the world we live in, from the Sun, to the Moon, to highly energetic events that occur billions of miles from the Earth. We will look at these and other processes that affect the world we live in.
How Do I Love Thee
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.
The Leaves Are Falling?
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.
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.
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
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.
January Checklist
Planning
___ Increase humidity for house plants by placing on trays of pebbles with water added being careful that water does not touch the bottom of the pots.
___ Plan your vegetable garden.
Planting
___ Plant/transplant perennials, roses, shrubs, and trees. Do not plant right after rainy weather or before a freeze in the teens.
___ Start Spring vegetable seeds indoors.
Watering
___Water perennials as needed only if temperatures have been mild/dry.
___ Thoroughly water new trees after planting.
Pruning
___Cut back and remove dead upper portions of perennials.
___ Prune fruit trees such as apples, pears, peaches, and plums.
Fertilizing
___ Fertilize heavy feeder, cool season vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, and other greens.
Month-By-Month Gardening in Texas by Dan Gill & Dale Groom
From the Gardener’s Kitchen
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.
Garden Gifting
by Jes-c French, Somervell County Master Gardener
The holidays are right around the corner, and now is a great time to start thinking about gifts. For those hard-to-shop-for loved ones, sometimes a gardening gift is just the solution you need. Of course, you can’t go wrong with a Poinsettia or a Christmas Cactus, but I’d like to offer a few different suggestions.
norfolk-island-pine-araucaria_heterophylla
Houseplants are a perfect gift year round, as outdoor temperatures won’t hinder their growth. I’d recommend Geraniums for their beautiful flowers. Another popular indoor plant around Christmas time is the Norfolk Pine. Don’t worry; they make beautiful houseplants, even after the holidays have ended.
For those who are planning a garden, seeds would also make a nice gift. Carrots, turnips, spinach, radishes, lettuce, collards, beets and broccoli are some of the vegetables that can be planted by seeds shortly after the New Year in Somervell County.
An indoor herb garden might make a good gift for those who like to cook, even if they don’t traditionally spend their time gardening. Gardening gifts don’t have to be limited to seeds or plants, either. For the gardeners in your life who learn well from books, contact a Master Gardener to see the gardening library at the Extension Office.
Try Something Different!
by Shirley D. Smith, Somervell County Master Gardener
I have never been afraid to try something different in the garden. In fact, tell me it can’t go where I live and I will more than likely attempt that very plant as soon as I can find it! Gardening is a never-ending search for the different, the fun, the unusual. That’s just one of the many things that makes gardening so much fun.
bat-faced-cuphea
firecracker cuphea
A couple of years ago I tried two members of the cuphea family. I locally found the bat-faced cuphea (Cuphea Ilavea) and a cuphea called Firecracker (Cuphea ignea). The bat-faced cuphea did not make it through the first winter even though I did mulch it fairly well. The taller Firecracker cuphea is still in my garden. It did nothing all summer, but as soon as the cooler weather of fall (finally!) set in, it bloomed and here at the end of November it is still going strong and so pretty. See photo I included. They were both planted on the north side of my house. I will mulch this Firecracker heavily and hope that it will come back next spring. As you can see from the photo, it is healthy and happy and doing very well.
“There are over 250 species of Cupheas, which include annuals, short lived perennials and small shrubs. Most are native to Central and South America. Cupheas bloom from spring through fall, and are excellent plants for attracting hummingbirds to your garden, as well as stunning additions to your butterfly garden.” The Garden Helper.
These plants are winter hardy to USDA Zones 10-12. Somervell County is in Zone 7. So you might want to grow the bat-faced cuphea as an annual,
plant or houseplant. In the garden, both of these are best grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun. They will tolerate part shade. They are easily grown from seed started indoors 10-12 weeks before last spring frost date. They tolerate high summer heat (I can attest to that!) and also tolerate some drought, but perform best with regular moisture. Plants can become leggy as the growing season progresses, in which case stem tips may be pinched as needed to maintain good plant form. If grown in containers, plants may be overwintered indoors in bright, sunny locations with temperatures in the 60s and reduced watering. Plants may be propagated from tip cuttings in the fall for overwintering. It is generally best to start new plants each year. The above description would apply to the Firecracker cuphea except I do leave mine in the ground and just mulch it. So, if we have a mild winter I expect to have the Firecracker come back.
Happy gardening!
Acorns and Acorn Flour ©
By Dr. Christine Morgan, ND, PSc.D.
Did you know that there is a nutritious food source literally dropping from your trees each fall? In fact, unless you are a squirrel, you may even see this food as a nuisance. But guess what? Acorns are edible!!
Alas, the lowly acorn was not always seen this way. Historical sources suggest that some of the world’s earliest civilizations ate acorns. In fact, the word for “oak” in Tunisian translates to “meal-bearing tree.”
Although acorns, which contain healthy fats, protein and minerals, found their way into many Native American foods and are the main ingredient of a traditional Korean jelly recipe, most people today shy away from eating them. Why? Anyone who has ever sampled a raw acorn can tell you. They taste bitter because of naturally occurring chemicals called tannins.
The secret to eating…and enjoying acorns…lies in removing the tannins. When you complete this process, you can produce a subtly flavored flour that works well in all kinds of baking recipes and even as a coffee-like beverage.
How to remove the tannins
The first step to removing the tannins is to select only ripe, brown acorns. Avoid green, blackened or mildewed acorns. Then remove the caps and boil the acorns for about 10 minutes. You will need to strain out the brown water and boil the acorns again in fresh water. Repeat this process three to four times until the water looks clear and the acorns can be easily shelled. This is the “work” that most people are unwilling to do to use acorns as a food source, but more and more people are looking for alternative food sources to increase variety in the diet which is important for true health.
Now that the tannins are removed, it is time to dry the acorns. First shell them. Spread the acorn nuts on a baking sheet and place them in a preheated 200*F. oven. Leave the door slightly ajar so moisture can escape. Let them dry until crunchy. You now have acorn nuts!
To make acorn flour
To make acorn flour, the process is a little different. Shell after the boiling process (leaching) and let freshly leached acorns dry out a bit on the counter. Grind slightly moist leached acorns in a blender or food processor. Spread the meal out on a tray and let dry at 200*F. in an oven until dry…or in a dehydrator at 105* until dry. Then re-grind the dry meal in the blender or food processor again to make a fine flour. Store ground flour in an airtight container on the counter or it can be frozen for longer storage use.
Acorns add a nutty, slightly sweet taste to recipes. You can use them as a substitute for chickpeas, peanuts or macadamia nuts. (Put them in banana nut bread or zucchini bread!) You also can use them to make acorn butter, which you can use instead of peanut butter or almond butter. You also can add them to salads, soups and stews for flavor and nutrition.
You can substitute the acorn flour in any recipe that uses wheat or other gluten-free flour, but keep in mind that acorn flour products will have a crumbly texture. If you prefer a spongy texture to your cookies or bread, you will need to mix in some other flour with your acorn flour, or increase the liquids in GF recipes with other flours.
Acorn Coffee
Another option is make acorn coffee. Now, this drink will not perk you up in the morning since acorns do not contain caffeine, but it is a pleasant beverage, especially in cold weather.
Place pieces of soaked (leached) acorns on a baking sheet and roast them in the oven at 400*F. for about 30 minutes. When the pieces are dark brown in color and have a pleasant roasted (not burned) aroma, they are ready.
Add one tablespoon of roasted acorn pieces per eight ounces of boiling water. Let the mixture steep for five to 10 minutes. Reheat if needed. Then you can add your regular coffee condiments or drink the acorn coffee black. Enjoy!