Somervell County Master Gardeners
Paul Dowlearn and his wife, owners of Wichita Falls Landscape, will present a program on Fall gardening and landscaping. This couple is very knowledgeable and entertaining, you will be glad you came! See ya at 6:30 pm, Citizens Center, 209 SW Barnard Street in Glen Rose, just off the east side of the square. Be on time for cookies and door prize registration.
We are just over 2 months into this experiment. I’m trying to remain patient! We haven’t had the typical 100 or high 90 degree temperatures typical for August and September as in most years. For this solarization to work, we need heat! Not that I’m disappointed in our cooler than normal summer, mind you! But this may take more time than I had hoped! You can see by the first picture that nutsedge has most definitely grown under the plastic but it is also dying. I am concerned… Read More →
by Shirley D. Smith, Somervell County Master Gardener One of the main reasons we bought our property in Somervell County was because of a stand of live oaks. We built our house close to these trees and they have given us a lot of pleasure as we sit under them on a summer day and enjoy their shade or just admire their beauty. Grandkids have spent hours climbing their twisted branches. However, after becoming a Texas Master Gardener and attending some classes on how to keep trees healthy,… Read More →
by Elaine Wilshusen, Somervell County Master Gardener A favorite plant of mine is the Texas native, Symphyotrichum oblongifolium, known commonly as Fall Aster. It appears most of the spring and summer as a smallish dark green shrubby plant, disappearing into the background. However, after most other plants have stopped flowering, Fall Aster rewards the patient gardener by bursting into bloom with hundreds of 1″-sized purple flowers with yellow centers. It is deer resistant, plus bees and butterflies love it! Fall Aster is a vigorously growing perennial, growing 2-3… Read More →
Our first CHES (Community Educational Horticulture Sessions) meeting for the Fall season will be held on Monday, September the 11th, at 6:30 pm, at a different location. We will meet at the Texas A&M Extension Office, 1405 Texas Drive, Glen Rose. Shirley Smith and Donna Hagar will present a program on Building a Rain Barrel and Harvesting Rain Water. You won’t want to miss this one!
As you may have read from last months newsletter, we have decided to try a new attempt (for us) to reduce weeds, pests and diseases from our gardens. This effort involves covering the beds with plastic and letting the sun ‘cook’ the soil to remove or reduce these garden plagues! The actual method is called soil solarization. The process sounds simple enough. Remove plant debris, till the soil, cover with clear plastic, leave in place for 6-8 weeks to let the sun do its thing and voila –… Read More →
by Pamela Frye, Somervell County Master Gardener One of my favorite plants is one I just recently learned about called the leopard plant, or Farfugium japonicum. It is a native to most streams and meadows of Japan. The leopard plant is a perennial that produces waxy showy foliage and is a great candidate for shady areas. It is hardy in zones 7 through 10. Leopard plant comes in several different species. The foliage ranges from small to very large, smooth or glossy, and even in a variegated one… Read More →
Submitted by Merilyn Cranford, Somervell County Master Gardener Another hot summer is almost behind us and everyone should be looking forward to cooler weather and Fall time. However, those fantastic gardens that were planted last spring are now looking downright shabby. Daylilies and hostas are starting to look tired, with yellowing foliage and spent bloom stalks. But just because it’s nearly Fall doesn’t mean you have to give up on the garden and wait until spring to clean it up. In fact, this colorful season offers some of… Read More →
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, at 6:30 pm, Citizen’s Center, Glen Rose. Shirley Smith and Donna Hagar will present a program on Building a Rain Barrel and Harvesting Rain Water. You won’t want to miss this one! Have a safe and wonderful summer. Enjoy your garden! August is a good time to stay inside where it’s cool and plan your winter vegetable garden.
I love to garden. I love growing my own fruits and veggies, knowing where my food comes from, what chemicals have, or moreover, have NOT been used on the food we eat. But it doesn’t come without its challenges! Pests, weeds and diseases can show up no matter how much time and care goes into it. I’ve used companion planting, trap cropping, physical removal of weeds and pests, chickens and guineas for bug control, crop rotation, etc etc all in an effort to reduce or control pests and… Read More →
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