By Mary Ann Steele, Somervell County Master Gardener

Zinnias fill your summer garden with bright colors of yellow, pink, red, white and orange. These easy to grow annuals are a favorite of many gardeners because of their prolific blooms which make excellent additions to summer bouquets.

Zinnias thrive in hot weather and grow best in a bright, sunny spot. Sow zinnia seeds directly in the ground once the danger of frost has passed. Plant the seeds about 1/2” deep and keep the soil moist during germination. Once your zinnias are established, you will find that these heat loving flowers like their soil on the dry side. Seeds can be started indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost, but handle seeds delicately when transplanting.

Zinnia species grow easily nearly anywhere in the USDA zones 3 thru 8. Try the petite flowering “Persian Carpet”, which blooms in autumnal colors of golden yellow, burnt orange and crimson. If you are looking for large, luscious flowers, you can’t go wrong with classic favorites like “Cut and Come Again” and “State Fair” varieties. Each produce bouquets full of big blooms in colors of bubble gum pink, sunny yellow, deep scarlet, and sunset orange. Zinnias produce blooms through summer and into the fall. Be sure to cut them often to encourage more flowers.

Happy Gardening!

resource:  Organic Farm and Garden magazine

By Tessa Chenoa, Somervell County Master Gardener

One of my favorite parts of gardening is weeding.  I weed differently than most people.  I realize that most of the “weeds” I should be pulling are grasses and forbs native to the ecosystem I’m in.  Instead, when I “weed,” I am pulling anything that doesn’t belong in my ecosystem.  Side by side with the peppers or onions in my garden, yellow wood sorrel thrives.  I almost never pull wood sorrel, as I love to grab a few leaves whenever I wander by.  I love their lemony taste.

Last year, I let a gaura stay among my tomato plants. One. One gaura. Today I am considering how best to transplant about a hundred baby gaura plants to a more suitable location so I can use my square foot bed again.

In my pollinator beds, “weeds” coexist with native plants I’ve bought and paid for or been gifted from friends.  I don’t like to pull a plant I am unfamiliar with until I see what it looks like growing alongside all the rest.  That’s why I have autumn sage and coral honeysuckle giving way to native gum bumelia, which the tiny native birds my land is set aside for so love for nesting.

I never weed out dandelions.  Never.  Why would I throw out such a useful plant?  I love the leaves in sandwiches, its ground-up root makes a tea good for your liver, it has a fanciful name that always makes me smile, and the happiest face of any flower…and I haven’t even gotten to the “old grannies!”  I can certainly do with a wish…or two hundred.

Most of what I do pull out when I weed is grasses – and normally non-native, invasive grasses.  Their runners take over my garden beds and choke all the light from the soil, leaving no room for any of my lovely natives.

So, if I really weed out so few types of plants, why do I love it so?  First, I always feel like Mary Lennox*, clearing the spaces around the struggling bulbs and new plants, giving them space and light to grow.  It’s rewarding to come back a few days later and see that my efforts have made a difference.  

Weeding helps me alleviate stress, too.  Most people would say it’s the fresh air, or the time outside, or even the exertion.  But there’s more.  As I sink my fingers or weeding tool under the root ball of a weed and gently coax it up out of the ground, it gives a very satisfying “pop” as it lets go of the earth. I often think of a frustrating moment at work or an asinine coworker, whose head, at least in my imagination, can be lopped off.  I imagine it makes just such a “pop.”  Fun.

Mostly, though, I love the creativity of it.  Just as in music the silences are as important as the notes, in a garden spaces keep the plants from spilling all over each other in a haphazard, mangled, cacophonous arpeggio played by a 13-fingered pianist. So, weeding creates the rests, the spaces, the room for the blooms to sing out individually.

*from The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Copyright 1911 F.H. Burnett, published by J.B. Lippincott Company

By Merilyn Cranford, Somervell County Master Gardener

If you haven’t heard about the Somervell County Master Gardener Association library, it must be the best kept secret in town. The library is waiting for you to come in and browse all the wonderful reading material on plants, trees, wildflowers, landscaping, etc.

Our library is a treasure of how-to books, encyclopedias for the beginner, and books on problem-solving for those with questions. To find our library, come to the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and ask to browse through our collections.

You will find books on organic gardening, as well as vegetable and herb gardening and composting. Also, look for books on Native and adaptive plants, such as “How to Grow Native Plants of Texas and the Southwest” by Jill Nokes, along with “Landscaping with Native Texas Plants” by Sally Wasowski and Julie Ryan.

Additionally, you will find pamphlets published by the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and the Native Plant Society of Texas. Further, there are some back issues of Texas Gardener and a few CDs.

Now that the best kept secret is out, you are welcome to use the library material in the meeting room at the Extension Office. So, don’t pass up the opportunity….IT’S FREE!

By Georgette Recker, Somervell County Master Gardener Intern

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” -Marcel Proust

We are grateful for many things in our lives. Home, family, nourishment, friends – all are among the blessings most of us would list if asked. Fortunately, as we move through the years, we continue to fill our baskets, and those baskets become bountiful beyond our greatest hopes. I decided to become a Master Gardener, and for that I am grateful.

Having come to understand that becoming a Master Gardener follows a similar path as a tiny seed, I planted my tiny seed of hope and began to set down roots in the Somervell County chapter of Master Gardeners. Smiles, hugs, laughter, new knowledge, and inclusion have allowed me to feel grounded in the group as my roots have securely anchored.

Even the most inexperienced gardener knows that stems and leaves follow the development of roots. Eight out of ten classes have passed now with only two left before the training period is over. During this time, blessing after blessing have appeared just as the leaves of a plant unfold and reach for the sun. A compliment is given to me, and there is a new leaf. An opinion is asked of me, and there is a new leaf. A joke is shared, and there is another. I learn something about a new friend, and a whole new branch of leaves sprout. I have met so many wonderful, accomplished, and amazing people – Master Gardeners, interns, and teachers. They make me happy. I’m basking in the sunshine of my Master Gardener community, and just like the leaves use sunshine to create nourishment for a plant and send it down the stem to the roots, I am soaking up new people and experiences, and my soul is being nourished.

I am grateful to the people who make me happy. They are the charming gardeners who are making my soul blossom. My basket is overflowing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Try the following tips for less water usage and a healthier lawn this summer:

1. Mow at the upper end of the appropriate mowing height range for  your species of turfgrass.
Taller Grass = Deeper Roots. Deeper roots can improve overall water infiltration and access to water deeper in the soil.

2. Follow the 1/3 Rule. Mow frequently enough to avoid removing more than 1/3 of the total turfgrass mowing height at one time.
Scalped grass is stressed grass.
Stressed grass will be less tolerant to heat and drought, and more vulnerable to other pests or fungal pathogens.

3. Water deeply and infrequently. Try to water to a depth of approximately 6″ each time you water. Watering this way encourages deeper, denser root growth. Again, this can improve infiltration and access to water deeper in the soil.
Turfgrass can typically be maintained by irrigating 1-2x per week to provide between 1″ and 1.5″ of total water during summer months. Be sure to adjust based on natural precipitation.

4. Wait to water when visual wilt is occurring, and do so late at night or early in the morning. Watering late at night or early in the morning will reduce evaporative losses, improve water-use efficiency, and reduce length of overall leaf wetness, which reduces disease potential.

5. Use the Cycle Soak Method.
Because sprinkler precipitation rates usually exceed soil infiltration rates, cycle soaking improves soil water infiltration and reduces runoff by “pulsing” water onto the lawn in small amounts over several hours.

resources: aggieturf.tamu.edu

wateruniversity.tamu.edu

The Master Gardener plant sale on March 30th was definitely a success! We want to thank everyone in the community who braved the cold and windy weather that day to shop or browse. The sale will definitely be an annual event. It was great to visit and share the love of gardening with neighbors.

Limited garden space or poor soil? Want a quick easy way to grow your own fresh vegetables? If you think that planting vegetables is too much work then you might consider growing vegetables in hay bales. Hay bales provide a well aerated, disease-free growing medium that is perfect for growing vegetables. Plus, hay bales are elevated off the ground which makes them perfect for the disabled or gardeners who have trouble bending down.
Bale selection is important. Straw, mixed grass or alfalfa hay bales will work just fine for growing vegetables. However, older square bales that have begun to rot tend to work best for this type of gardening. Make sure the fields the bales came from were not treated with picloram (Tordon, Surmount, Grazon P+D) herbicides, since these may stay in the hay and influence plant growth. Place bales where the sunlight strikes the area for as much of the day as possible. Select the area carefully, since it is hard to move the bales once crop production starts. Place bales so the wire runs parallel to the surface of the soil. Do not cut the wire or twine; the bale needs to hold its shape as much as possible. In order for hay bales to be productive they will need special treatment beginning about ten days before planting time. First, keep the bales very wet for 3 days. Then apply 5 ounces (10 tablespoons) of urea fertilizer followed by two more days of intense watering. On the seventh day, apply 2 1⁄2 ounces (5 tablespoons) of urea, followed by watering for another 2 days.
On the tenth day, apply 12 ounces of 13-13-13 fertilizer and lightly water the fertilizer into the bale. On the eleventh day, apply a two to three inch layer of topsoil or potting mix to serve as a bed for the plants or seeds. Then, simply plant your vegetables, keep them watered and watch them grow. Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers and melons will all grow well using this technique.

Source: David Cantrell
OSU Extension

By Georgette Recker – Intern,  Somervell County Master Gardeners

We grow many things in our lives. We grow careers, relationships, children, pets, vegetables, and flowers. We grow in experience, wisdom, and knowledge. We grow up, grow out, and grow older. But, have you ever wondered how a Master Gardener is grown? Although I was slightly familiar with the program and had even attended a few talks and demonstrations, I never really considered how one becomes a Master Gardener until the day I approached an acquaintance and asked how I would go about joining.
You see, I was looking for knowledge and information about growing flowers and vegetables in our new home, and I was looking to find a few friends who had similar interests. I never suspected the reaction I received. “You are ours!” my acquaintance replied, and the journey began.
Before I really had an opportunity to actually sit down and investigate the process I found myself sitting in a monthly meeting of the Somervell County chapter of Master Gardeners. I was greeted warmly and told I needed to apply soon as the training classes began in April. I filled out the application that week, wrote my check, and marched myself into the County Extension office. A quick interview on the spot (really just a getting to know you encounter) confirmed I was indeed qualified to be accepted into the training program.
After a second chapter meeting that centered around an open house and being introduced to a few of the other want-a-bees, as the new faces are dubbed, I was carpooling up the road to Granbury for our first Master Gardener Certification Course.
The training sessions began with the same promise held by an early Spring day. I chose my seat, pulled out my new school supplies and quickly began to feel overwhelmed by the gust of information I was attempting to take in. However, during the morning session I was quickly made aware that my reasons for joining the program were valid, but there is so much more. You see, Master Gardeners are all about outreach and education. So, I was going to grow beyond my own backyard, outward, to become a member of a community where I could learn, educate, and serve. Perfect!
My mood altered slightly as the afternoon session came to an end. I was unsure I really had comprehended a thing. I’d had a good time, grown to know my fellow trainees a bit better, been fed well, and entertained, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe I was too old to learn. Falling into bed that night the small seed of hope and expectation inside me needed more of what all new seeds require. I reminded myself of the warmth and wonderful feelings of fellowship with people who share my interests and passion. I let myself slip into sleep assured I would feel better in the morning.

And I did! As the week rapidly cruised toward the next meeting date, I found myself sharing information I had been given. My lucky, and very patient, husband got to be the recipient of many mini lectures concerning plant development. I had learned, and armed with new knowledge I became anxious to share.
In the days following that first training session, the small, tentative seed of hope and expectation inside me soon began to be nourished by information, smiles, encouragement, food, and yes even a few hugs. The members made me feel truly welcomed and were more than ready to include me in their meetings and projects, and I began to feel grounded in my decision.
I began to understand that just as a plant progresses from a tiny seed to a productive part of nature, a Master Gardener follows the same path. Seeds are planted in the soil where they receive protection, warmth, water, and nutrients. Seeds rely on the soil to provide stability, and they hold in themselves some whisper of hope and expectation. I felt the same.
Newly planted seeds eventually begin to crack open and out pushes the root. The meristem at the tip of the root makes new cells, and those cells divide and grow. I joined in an expedition to acquire plants for the SCMG plant sale. The zone of elongation follows the meristem as the root develops and is where the new cells continue to grow and increase in size moving the root through the soil. I arrived early in the morning of the plant sale and helped set up then worked throughout the morning selling, meeting new people, and spending time getting to know the other members. In the developing root, and behind the zone of elongation, comes the zone of maturation where the cells change and become the specific tissue that absorbs water and minerals from that water and start to move water and food throughout the plant. I joined in to help remove weeds and plant new shrubs and flowers at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. Root hairs are found on the outside of the root and take in water and nutrients. I took in smiles, confirmation, laughter, and yes, more food. And finally, there is a root cap at the very bottom of the root that protects the meristem and sloughs off cells as the root continues to move through the soil. My new friends are protecting me with kindness as I slough off all those doubts and insecurities that plagued me early on in my journey.
How do you grow a Master Gardener? I am beginning to understand and will keep you updated as I continue to grow and develop.

The Somervell County Master Gardeners will hold a Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, March 30th starting at 9am. The location will be the same as last year, the parking lot of First United Methodist Church Family Center on Barnard Street. There will be a varied assortment of perennials, annuals, hanging baskets, and vegetables. Plan to arrive early for the best selection!

 

By Tessa Chenoa Ownbey, Somervell County Master Gardener

March 12th

This is the week of the year that I wander around my garden, seemingly purposelessly.  I know it looks purposeless because my husband always asks me what I’m doing.

My wanderings are not completely without purpose, though.  My garden plans are made and committed to graph paper.  Seeds are accumulated, and I’m on the fence about the weather.  It’s my week for inventory.  I see the onions and the daylilies are up, and everything I trimmed back last month is springing forth new life…except that thing.  I wonder what that was.

I note that my natural rock borders are a little out of whack, and that it’s time to start on the next section, so I will need to go talk to my neighbor, who wants me to take away some of his limestone that I crave for my borders.  I have run out of the right size pieces on my own property.  Unless I use dynamite.

I contemplate which raised bed I am going to add into the drip system next. Probably bed #2. This implies that it is only the second one I have done, but actually Beds #1 and #3 are done, as well as old beat-up cattle trough #1.  I am about to drag old beat-up cattle trough #4 to the garden to be planted this year.  The donkeys were complaining that it no longer holds water.  Which makes it ideal for my purposes.

I note that my husband did mow down the blind prickly pear in the yard that I asked him to avoid.  And the donkeys have eaten the native honeysuckle that grew through the fence into their pasture, but the rest is doing great! The passionflower in the front yard is climbing well, but that in the garden has completely disappeared and I wonder if it will recover this year from the gulf fritillary caterpillars that overgrazed it last year. I see a rosemary bush that I want to move soon – perhaps near the yard gate; somewhere sunny.

A phoebe insists on being heard.  They are not my favorite bird.  To me, they don’t seem to be saying, “phoebe, phoebe.”  They sound like a squeaky toy being squeezed over and over again.  But I do notice that the bluebird house in the garden already has inhabitants and the start of a nest.The hummingbirds are not here yet, but I can see from the maps that they are getting close.

I think maybe I will move my “lazy-man’s” compost pile outside of the garden gate where the neighbor’s chickens, that prefer my land to his, can help me turn and aerate it. Although I am a Master Composter, this is still my favorite method of composting.  I turn it whenever I am in the mood, maybe a few times a year…but it seems to me most natural – a slow breaking down of the materials through the seasons.

I contemplate where to build my own chicken coop, since I can’t depend forever on the generosity of the neighbor’s chickens to turn my compost and be my entertainment.  And where to build the rabbit run, since I covet those little round bullets of nitrogen for my garden, as well.

My mind wanders back to the planting, and I decide to wander down the hill to see if the mesquite tree is budding.  Lord knows I’m not depending on the weather man.  No, the mesquite tree hasn’t budded yet, but that’s okay.  I have junipers to fell this afternoon, and the porch containers to fill with lemon grass and other herbs if I can find some down in Clifton.  The mesquite tree urges caution, and I listen, but in my heart spring has already sprung.