Can we say,”Vegetable garden envy?”
Thank you to SCMG Mary Ann Steele for the pictures of her gorgeous veggie garden!
by grecker
by grecker
Name: Mary Ann Steele
What year did you become a Master Gardener? 2015
Do you hold a position in the group? Tri-Chair on the Paluxy Heritage Garden project.
Is there a particular gardening book you enjoy? Lasagna Gardening by Patricia Lanza.
What do you enjoy about being a Master Gardener? Learning and spending time with fellow gardeners.
Do you have a favorite plant? Most all flowers, but zinnias are my favorite.
by grecker
I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.
Henry David Thoreau
October and pumpkins go together like garden soil and my fingernails; somehow, you just don’t find one without the other. Pumpkins on doorsteps. Pumpkin patches. Pumpkins in front of stores, and pumpkins growing in gardens. Pumpkin spice has overtaken our food choices in October. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin lattes, and, although I do appreciate her skill at making pumpkin mousse, I do have to disagree with my dear friend about the merits of pumpkin spice coffee creamer and pumpkin spice Pop Tarts!
I love pumpkins. The photo above is of the Seminole pumpkin vines in my garden. They are beautiful, do a great job of controlling weeds, and are extremely prolific producing multitudes of huge, beautiful, delicious, butternut shaped pumpkins. If you haven’t tried this variety in your vegetable garden, you should give them a try next year. Just make sure you give them plenty of room. And while the shape may not make for the best sitting, I am happy to sit just about anywhere in my quiet, simple garden.
by grecker
Garlic
Mary Ann Steele
Somervell County Master Gardener
If you have never tired growing garlic, you have missed a terrific experience. You can’t have too much of this herb. It’s a must for cooking, and it makes a great gift.
Plant garlic in spring to early fall. Buy “seed” garlic with big, firm bulbs from a reputable source. Don’t use garlic from the supermarket as it has been treated to retain green growth. Gently break the bulbs into individual cloves. Plant in rows pushing each clove, root end down, about 2 inches into soft soil. Brush the row back and forth with side of you hand to cover the cloves. Mulch lightly. You don’t need a dedicated vegetable garden. Plant in a sunny spot. Good drainage is a must for garlic, or its roots rot before it gets a chance to grow.
Some old-timers say plant during a full moon in October. “There’s something magical about planting cloves by moonlight.”
When you see your garlic plants sending up flower stems, it’s time to get out your clippers. Cut the curly stem end with the bud, and use the same way you would use a clove of garlic.
Once the stems have started to turn brown, it’s time to harvest. Using a garden fork, loosen the soil then lift the heads out without breaking the stems. Gather in bunches with a few heads in each, fasten together with string or a rubber band, and hang in any airy place to dry.
Besides drying heads, you can preserve garlic by adding cloves to vinegar or by freezing in small containers. Once you begin growing garlic, pesto is only a bunch of basil, a little grated cheese, some olive oil, and a pine nuts away.
If you have a really good crop of large heads of garlic, try roasting some . Using a sharp knife, cut off the top of each head and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in foil and roast at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.
For storage, dig up bulbs when the top half of the leaves is brown. The foliage can be trimmed off or left on.
Elephant garlic have a delicate taste and are more related to leeks than garlic in the allium family.
Different strains and varieties grow better in different climates. Hard neck, Rocamboles, Purple Stripes, and Porcilian prefer cold winters. Asiatics and Creoles like warm climates. Softneck Artichokes, and Silver Skins are easiest to grow and do well in hot or cold climates.
by grecker
by grecker
…the drowsy hum of crickets and other sleepy sounds of the summer day…
~Gerald Raftery (1905–1986), Gray Lance, 1950
Summer has many sounds. A few of my favorites are the din of cicadas in the trees, the whippoorwills at night, and a good summer thunderstorm. Maybe it’s the heat, or maybe it’s simply that I am getting older, but the sounds of summer make me sleepy. Since I am retired, I am up early in the morning and, after my coffee, I head out to my gardens to survey the day, pull the never-ending weeds, and water the multitude of plants that are screaming for a cool drink of water. Then, in for a bite of lunch and usually an afternoon nap. Perhaps I should feel guilty about the lack of inside housework that happens, but I’m simply too sleepy to resist reclining on my bed with a book that will soon be dropped on my chest as I drift off to a land of butterflies, and bees. Summer lulls, summer stills, summer wraps us in a warm blanket, plays a sleepy soundtrack, and invites us to slow down, rest, and dream of beautiful things. In my opinion, the housework can wait!
Georgette Recker
Somervell County Master Gardener
by grecker
Planting
___ If annuals that were planted earlier in the year are looking tired, replace them with more heat tolerant annuals and/or tender perennials.
Under 2 feet: Bachelor’s Button, Blue Daze, Celosia, Coleus, Dwarf Cosmos, Dahlberg Daisy, Dusty Miller, Gaillardia, Gomphrena,
Lantana, Marrigold, Mexicn Heather, Ornamental Pepper, Periwinkle, Portulaca, Purslane, Lady in Red Salvia, Scaevola, Wax Begonia, Zinnia
Over 2 feet: Butterfly Weed, Canna, Cigar Flower, Coasmos, Four-O-Clock, Hardy Hibiscus, Mexican Sunflower, Rudbeckia, Salvia such as Mealy Blue Sage, Shrimp, Plant, Sunflower
___ If you can find them at nurseries, plant Salvias now. Many will put on a display of flowers in the fall.
___ Take a look around your property to decide if a shade tree would be desirable to plant this coming fall.
___ It’s time to plant the first of the fall vegetables. Vegetables to plant in August: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, bunching onions, cabbage, cauliflower, Swiss chard, Chinese cabbage, collards, cucumbers, lima beans, mustard, snap beans, Southern peas, peppers, Irish potatoes, rutabagas, shallots, squashes, tomatoes, and turnips.
Care
___ Stake or tie up annuals and perennials that have become overly enthusiastic.
___ Trim longer stems from hanging basket house plants to encourage new growth in the pot, or coil stems into pot for a fuller look.
___ Trees and shrubs may be showing signs of heat stress. Keep them deeply watered and mulch the area around them.
___ Take up vegetable crops that are finished and add them to you compost pile. If you won’t be replanting the area, make sure to mulch 4-6 inches. (Do not compost tomatoes that have southern blight.)
Watering
___ If plants start to look wilted, you have waited too long to water. Keep an eye on the weather!
___ Water vegetables as needed, not on a timer or schedule. Don’t wait for rain!
Problems
___ Don’t let the summer heat keep you from weeding you garden. Work in early morning or in the evening when it is a little cooler. Drink lots of water, wear a hat, and wear loose fitting clothing that keeps you covered from the sun. A thick layer of mulch should help keep the weeds at bay. If that is too late in your garden, plan on adding mulch as soon as the weeds are removed.
___ Blackspot continues to be a problem for roses. Keep dead and yellow leaves cleaned up around the base of the rose bush.
by grecker
When it comes to garden tools it seems we all have one or two that we use on a regular basis. Whether it be the length of a handle, the curve of a blade, the weight, or the way it fits in our hand, there is just something about using a tool that is right for you. One of my favorites is called a broadfork so named for the broad width of the tines not the width of the person using it-although if you know me, you know! The fork is not an everyday tool, but when it comes time to clean up a garden bed it is a valuable asset.
One of my favorite tools.
A broadfork is used to loosen and aerate the soil while it also loosens weeds. After harvesting vegetables and removing the spent plants, my soil is usually packed down. I like to throw some compost on top then broadfork the area in both directions. This practice leaves the soil loose and ready to for the next planting.
Step down on the top until the tines are sunk into the soil.
After pushing it down into the soil, you pull back on handles.
The broadfork leaves the soil light and fluffy.
My husband and I debated for a few years as to whether or not a broadfork would work in our garden. After giving it a try, we have found that not only is it perfect for our raised beds, but we also use it in the beds we are working to create on top of our limestone soil. We are not able to push the tines in very far (only and inch or so in some places), but it helps break and loosen the soil before we add compost and mulch.
Broadforks and big, heavy, and relatively expensive, and they are arguably not for everyone. We, however, love ours, and it has become a trusted and well-used part of our gardening routine.
by grecker
by grecker
Name
Donna Hagar
What year did you become a Master Gardener?
Joined the Somervell Master Gardeners as an associate in late 2005, took the training and certified in 2007.
Do you hold a position in the group?
Currently hold no office. Member of the Paluxy Heritage Garden Committee. Past President (2015) of the Texas Master Gardener Association.
What are your gardening special interests?
Vegetables, herbs, native plants
Is there a particular gardening book you enjoy?
While not specifically gardening, Wildflowers of Texas by Gayata Ajilvsgi began my obsession with native wildflowers and is by far my most well worn book!
Have you had a particular gardening success?
When we first moved to Somervell County in 2005, I would walk our roads and collect wildflower seeds. I scattered them into our landscape and many are still here.
What do you enjoy about being a Master Gardener?
The friendships and camaraderie with people who share a love of gardening. I enjoy being able to continually learn from fellow gardeners and from educational opportunities provided through the Master Gardener program. I enjoy being able to give that knowledge back through the programs and gardens at the local level.
Do you have a favorite plant?
Ha, depends on the day and season! Today it would be bluebells but always daisies!