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Winter Gardening

February 9, 2022 by grecker

By

Tessa Chenoa Ownbey

“From December to March there are for many of us, three gardens – the garden outdoors, the garden of pots and bowls in the house, and the garden of the mind’s eye.” -Katherine S. White

Dreaming of spring, I wander through my garden, admiring the dead stalks -some still standing straight and firm, others folded over onto the ground like hunched old men – that I left there for the use of native bees. Those stalks I had to pull – the sunflower stalks in the way of the mower, for instance – are laid gently beside my “lazy man” compost pile. I imagine the chance of each stalk being laden with tiny developing native bees, turning over in their sleep, pulling the covers up around their chins against the cold. I wonder if their feet are cold like mine. I curl my collar up around my chin.

The paths through my vegetable beds are straight, all 90 degree angles, beds exactly 8’ x 4’, not including the 2’ beds that run the length of the deer fence, and the beds that are holey and abandoned water troughs, dragged home from wherever I can scavenge them. The cilantro and bunching onions are green and welcoming; the rosemary smells just as sweet as ever as I brush my hand across and through it. I love that smell, and think of planting more of it – maybe a border along the back porch? Then I imagine Olive, my young Labrador pup, yanking each one out of the ground, and decide perhaps to wait another year. I love both animals and plants, and sometimes it is hard to hold space for each – both in the physical and in my heart. They compete so. My chickens, for instance, were banished to Georgette’s house years ago for the sin of plucking every young plant I sowed in the driveway flower bed faster than I could buy them. But the dogs – dogs trump plants today. The rosemary will stay in the garden, and the cottage style backyard of my dreams will wait until this pup matures.

Having walked the vegetable garden and inspected the dead stalks, the bright winter rosettes burgeoning with life, and the herbs and carrots waiting to be harvested, imagining the rotation of crops this spring, I walk the twisting path of my pollinator wildscape, delineated by native limestone I set in place myself, the work back-breaking, but as satisfying as a jigsaw puzzle, each rock edge set neatly against the one next to it, just so. I realize I left the fairy toys lying about the stumpery again this year, and resolve to go get a box and store things away again so winter won’t fade the spots from the fairy giraffe or decay the glue that holds on his fairy wings.

More dead stalks here, of course, and I again think of the bees, then check my bee houses. Last year’s slots are empty, with holes chewed through the packed mud where the bright, new bees emerged to see the sun for the very first time last spring. This year’s slots are still hard packed, the mud smooth and tight. I think again of infant bees, swaddled as we swaddle human babies. I imagine them humming contentedly in their sleep.

Shivering, I walk to my husband’s shop, quickly checking my Meyer lemon tree, overwintering there alongside an antique Radio Flyer full of potted succulents. My house is small, and though I was able to bring in three pots of aloe vera and a fairy garden in a hypertufa pot I made with Bev, these had to take refuge out here, where I hope they will stay warm enough to last until the warmth of spring. Some kind of caterpillar has lunched upon the lemon leaves, but is now long gone – the bitten edges are brown, not newly green. I’m glad I didn’t catch him. I would have had to decide his fate, and who wants that?

Truly cold now, I run back to the house – I knew I should have taken a jacket, but never want to take the time to grab one – there in the kitchen is the fairy garden I was thinking about. It always makes me smile…the little house, just fairy sized; the succulents so carefully chosen; the memories of figuring out hypertufa with Bev and of including in it the marbles left from my sons’ childhood.

The mail is laid on the counter, and I pause. There is my uncle’s catalog – Territorial Seed. I turn and hit the button on the Keurig, grab a notebook, a pen, the catalog, a blanket, and curl up in a corner of the couch to plan my seed order.


Note: Katherine S. White (see quote above) was a writer and the fiction editor of The New Yorker Magazine from 1920-1960. As such, she introduced the world to the writings of Vladimir Nabakov, John Updike, John O’Hara, John Cheever, Ogden Nash, Mary McCarthy, James Thurber, Marianne Moore, and E. B. White, who she later married. She had a passion for the writings of nurserymen and seed catalogs, which she claimed were her favorite reading matter. Inspired by them, she wrote a series of fourteen columns on gardening and gardening history for the magazine. After her death in 1977, her husband, author E.B. White, published these articles as a collection in a book called Onward and Upward in the Garden.

Filed Under: Newsletters

Welcome to February!

February 2, 2022 by grecker

Filed Under: Newsletters

Community Education: Robin Blood – 1.31.22

January 31, 2022 by grecker

 

TONIGHT!  PLEASE JOIN US AT 6:00PM! TONIGHT!

 

Are you new to Somervell County and wonder just how you are supposed to garden in our rocky, cactus filled soil? Or do you just need some inspiration for something special in your landscape? Maybe you want to turn your efforts into more sustainable methods?

Mark your calendars for Monday, January 31, 2022 at 6pm at the Somervell County Citizen’s Center, 209 SW Barnard, Glen Rose, as the Somervell Master Gardeners will be hosting Robin Blood from B. Blumen Flower Farm. Robin will explain how she turned a cactus field into cut flower farm in just a few months all while maintaining sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. B. Blumen Flower Farm in Godley is a no-till, chemical and pesticide free business growing beautiful fresh cut and many edible flowers for the public.

Check out Robin’s work at B. Blumin Flower Farm at https://www.bblumenflowerfarm.com/

Filed Under: Newsletters

How Do You Know?

December 20, 2021 by grecker

 

My gardening friend gave me a plant.
She says “You CAN’T kill this, I’m sure that you CAN’T”.
It looks so perfect in that cute little pot.
You think to yourself, ‘she says I CAN’T kill this…
well really, why not’?
Upon closer inspection you decide she is right,
Its perfect perfection means it can’t be alive.
But alas, a real gardener would never bow low
to give a fake plant.
But how do you know?
As you drive away with your plant in the seat,
You dare to reach over and rub a green leaf.
YES, it does have that rubbery feel.
I CAN’T kill this plant because it is not real.
Now that’s resolved and
you’ve shopped the last store.
You go to your car and open the door.
You throw your purse in and it lands on the plant.
That’s how you know you CAN,
though your friend says you CAN’T.

Valerie Freund
Somervell County Master Gardener

 

Filed Under: Newsletters

Weeding Tips

November 16, 2021 by grecker

Mary Ann Steele

Somervell Master Gardener

We all know them, but we don’t love them.  Weeds, the despised plants that creep into our flowerbeds and scatter across our lawns, can be tackled more effectively when you know what you’re dealing with.  You’ll never be able to completely rid your yard of these plant pests, however, preventative steps and early removal before they take deep root or go to seed will help you limit how much time you spend weeding later in the season.

Follow these tips to make weeding less of a chore. 

Aim to start weeding early in the spring.

Weed when the soil is moist. It’s essential-and much easier- to pull whole plants by their roots. Try to do it right after a rain, but if that’s not possible, first give the bed a good soaking then weed the next day.

Weed on a dry sunny day. The weeds you remove on a sunny day will shrivel in the sun. Hoe annual weeds on a sunny day making sure to sever the plant from its roots.  If weeding on a cool, overcast, moist day, collect and remove weeds from the garden.

Protect yourself!  Wear tough, well fitting gloves. Consider nitrite or latex-dipped gloves found at garden centers or automotive or paint stores. Invest in a kneeling pad or knee pads to make weeding more comfortable and to keep clothes cleaner.

Use chemicals as a last resort.  Herbicides can be effective on mature plants. Some herbicides attack grasses only and are good choices for flowerbeds.  Other herbicides are “non-selectives,” so they kill every thing they touch. FOLLOW ALL LABEL DIRECTIONS EXACTLY! Repeat application may be necessary to kill mature weeds.

Herbicide options:

  • Burning or horticulture vinegar – these post-emergence options are most effective on newly sprouted weeds, particularly annuals, without a tap root.  Neither method should be used on lawns.  Burning with a flame weeder should be done only on moist, calm days to prevent fire from spreading.  Vinegar based herbicides require special handling because of the high concentration of acid which can burn skin and eyes.
  • Pre-emergence herbicides – if you have a severe weed problem, applying a pre-emergence product on you lawn or flower gardens in early spring helps prevent weed seedlings from growing before they germinate, but it allows established perennial plants to grow. Pre-emergent herbicides will not kill established weeds.
  • Post-emergence herbicides – For tenacious enemies like poison ivy or brambles, selectively and carefully spray or brush on a foliar herbicide on a non-windy day following the label’s directions.  DO NOT place weeds killed by a chemical herbicide in the compost bin!

Some annual weeds are: henbit, chickweed, prostrate spurge and ragweed.

A few perennial weeds are: bindweed, dandilion and nettle. 

It’s not easy, but  it’s nice to hear that there are simple ways to get rid of weeds. But the fact is you will always have to keep weeding if you have a lawn or garden. Keep these keys to weed eradication in mind: prevent weeds from sprouting, destroy weeds quickly if they do sprout, and pull and discard weeds before thy bloom and make seeds.

Filed Under: Newsletters

Community Education: Composting – 10.04.21

September 19, 2021 by Donna Hagar

Monday, October 4, 2021 at 6pm at the Heritage Park, Farr House and Paluxy Heritage Gardens.

CompostingCome and join the Somervell County Master Gardeners as we welcome our fellow Permian Basin (Midland/Odessa) Master Gardener, Cindy Olive teach all there is to know about composting! Cindy has been gardening most of her life, has been a certified Master Gardener over 12 years and has composted for many of her gardening years. 

Cindy will cover all the bases of composting; think Why, Where, What and How! Learn how you can save money, improve soil health, reduce waste and conserve water with these simple composting methods! We have compost bins already set up and in use, so you can see first hand how the process works!

Cindy will also cover a variety of composting techniques, the various types of composting bins, troubleshooting and even touch on vermicomposting (worm composting).

Composting is for everyone, young and old, avid gardener or even houseplant enthusiast. And it’s environmentally friendly so come and learn how to do your part!

Filed Under: Newsletters

Somervell County Master Gardeners Class of 2021

September 2, 2021 by grecker

Class of 2021

The Somervell County Master Gardeners are excited to introduce our new members Mary Collier, Victor Eichhorn, Valerie Freund, and Ray Wheeler.  They are a wonderful addition to our group!  The interns completed a 50 hour course, and are currently working toward their 50 hours of volunteer work to earn the title, Texas Master Gardeners.  Mary, Victor, Valerie, and Ray have taken on the refurbishing of the landscape at the Historic Farr House at Heritage Park.  The house is located next to the Master Gardener’s Paluxy Heritage Gardens.  Stop by and check out the wonderful work being done.

Filed Under: Newsletters

Small Space – Big Yield

July 19, 2021 by grecker

Mary Ann Steele

Somervell County Master Gardener

 

If you don’t have the space for a vegetable or fruit garden, consider the possibility of container gardening.  A patio, deck, balcony, or doorstep can provide enough space for a productive, attractive display.

The benefits of container gardens extend beyond bushels of fresh produce.   When growing in these closed system environments, you can manage soil and pests.  A container garden is a sure way to introduce children to  the joys and rewards of vegetable gardening.

Container gardens can serve as easy to manage closed systems but they are prone to certain problems:

  1. Tall spindly plants – caused by insufficient light or excessive nitrogen – remedied by moving the container to a sunnier area or reducing feeding intervals.
  2. Plants yellowing from the bottom – caused by excessive water – remedied by reducing water intervals and checking for proper drainage.
  3. Plants wilting – caused by poor drainage and aeration – remedied by increasing drainage holes.
  4. Marginal burning of leaves – caused by leaching the container with tap water.
  5. Plants stunted in growth – usually caused by low temperature or low phosphate – remedied by relocating the pot to a warmer area or increasing phosphates in fertilizer.

A repurposed bathtub, old water or feed trough – just about any vessel can work as a container but it needs to be sized correctly and must drain well.

As a closed system, a container can sustain only so many plants.  It’s important to limit the number of cultivars based on your pots  and the eventual size of the plants.

The container’s size will be determined by the plant grown in it.  Shallow rooted crops, such as lettuce, peppers, radishes, and herbs, need a container at least 6 inches in diameter with an 8 inch soil depth.  Bushel baskets, half barrels, wooden tubs, or large pressed paper containers are ideal for growing tomatoes, squash, pole beans, and cucumbers.

Containers should drain well so the plant’s roots, which require both air and water, don’t drown or become water logged.  All containers, whether clay, wood, plastic, or ceramic, should have an adequate number of holes in the bottom for proper drainage.  Setting the containers on a solid surface, such as a cement or patio floor, reduces drainage so raise the container 1 – 2 inches off the floor with blocks of wood to solve the problem.  Also, adding 1 inch of coarse gravel to the bottom of a container can improve drainage.

The stuff that goes into the container, the plant media, delivers all the water, nutrients, and physical structure and support that your plants need to grow vigorous roots, stalks, leaves, and fruit.  Unfortunately, soil from your yard isn’t a good choice.  A fairly light weight mix is needed for container gardens.  The growing medium will need an occasional water soluble fertilizer boost.

With your seeds, containers, and growing medium prepared, it’s time for the fun part: planting your produce patch.  Read the back of your seed package to determine when to sprout your seeds and how many hours of sunlight they need.

After planting, gently water the seeds being careful to not displace them.  As the seedlings pop and start to grow, thin them out so they have plenty of room to grow.

Container gardening makes it easy for everyone to grow produce.  Whether you have a few pots of fresh herbs on your window sill or a patio filled with flats of tomatoes, eggplants, squash, and pole beans, any space with warm sunshine makes a great place.  Before long you will be hunting for sunny spots for even more pots.

Garden Wisdom

“For all things produced in a garden, whether of salads or fruits, a poor man will eat better that has one of his own, than a rich man that has none.”

John Claudius Loudon

Scottish Botanist (1783-1843)

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Newsletters

Meet the Gardeners

July 10, 2021 by grecker

 

My name is Merilyn Cranford and I have found being a Master Gardener to be a wonderful learning
experience. I have gained many friends along the way who enjoy ‘digging in dirt’. However, my first
gardening teacher was my mother. She always loved being in her gardens and seeing the fruits of her
labors as she watched one season blend into another.

From her instructions, I learned that a healthy garden begins in the kitchen. She saved coffee
grounds which she buried in her flowerbeds to improve the soil. Also, table scraps always found their
way to her garden.

So from year to year as my husband and I moved from place to place, I tried to remember and copy
what I learned from her. My mission was to have something growing/blooming around the house.
Therefore, in December 2000, we moved to a new home in Glen Rose and I had to start from scratch.
Needing a lot of help, I finally got around to signing up for a master gardener training class in 2007.

Well the rest is history as I have been a member of the Somervell County Master Gardeners Association now for 13 years including a number of years when I served as a secretary.  It has definitely been an enjoyable experience as I have made many friends and have learned enumerable tips and short cuts.  One of the fun things I learned to do was to regrow a poinsettia plant so it would sprout leaves that eventually turned red the second year of growth.  I truly surprised myself at the results.

So, if you are looking for a gardening group to join, come check us out.  We meet at 10am the third Wednesday of each month at the AgriLife Extension Service.  Come join us.

 

 

Filed Under: Newsletters

Microclimates

July 3, 2021 by grecker

Shirley D Smith

Somervell County Master Gardener

 

 

Have you ever heard the word “microclimate” and wondered just exactly what is that?  You may have some vague idea but just have not taken the time to do the research to find out exactly what it means.  I accidentally found my microclimate at my house, and it has been a great place to protect some of my plants this winter.

Here is a really simple definition I found:

A microclimate is the local climate difference of a small area within the surrounding area and can offer different growing conditions in the larger USDA Hardiness Zone.  The conditions of microclimates are determined by plant orientation and exposure to heat, light, water, and wind.

Because of lack of space, I could not move all of my potted outdoor plants into my garage for the winter.  There is an area just outside my kitchen dining area that gets the west sun and always seems to be warm or hot, depending on the season.  It is also right next to the outside wall of the house so it is protected from the wind and absorbs lots of winter sun. As an experiment, I tried placing in that area 3 geraniums (that bloomed), a mountain laurel I am growing from seed, a spider plant, a color guard yuccca, and 1 chrysanthemum.  They were doing great.  When the forecast arrived that “snowmeggedon” was headed our way I made room and moved them into my garage.  They are now back into my microclimate and doing well.

Since doing research for this article, I am now looking at my property with an eye to crating spaces that might grow plants I would not have otherwise tried.  I have a large stand of oaks near my home and that would be a great place for hostas and other shade-loving plants.  Do you have an area that is moist a lot of the time?  Think about a water garden or a bog garden there.  The south side of your house gets lots of winter sun so it might be a great place to put more tender seedlings until ready to put in your veggie garden.

I have a desert garden that gets the full hot summer sun.  Because I have put only plants there that are sun and heat-loving, they do well.  Being a successful gardener takes thought and planning  and a lot of just plain old luck sometimes!

Happy gardening.

Filed Under: Newsletters

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