  The Texas Master Gardener program in cooperation with Texas A&M and Texas AgriLife Extension was designed to increase the availability of horticultural information to home gardeners. Being trained by experts in the university system on a variety of crucial topics such as:
A few key items we are held closely to is:
Outside of that, we have Master Gardeners who are better at some things than others. I immediately know who to go to if I have a question on herbs, for example. That person may not know much about perennials though. Its just how we all work together. The Master Gardener program in our county (HUNT) is considered a smaller one compared to counties like Dallas. We still are able to donate around 5000 volunteer hours to our county per year. This is a HUGE savings to our community and state as a whole. We have volunteered by taking calls at our Extension office, made house calls to help diagnose problems and traveled to give presentations to groups. We also can be found teaching school children through JMG at several local schools, churches, and area groups. We also maintain a demonstration garden with plants that are recommended for our area. We are happy to answer questions to those who ask. Its great fun and I am constantly learning something new from our group. We share plants and seeds among each other regularly which makes for a wide variety of plants for everyone. We do all of this as a not-for-profit organization that does all of their own fundraising to pay for many of the programs we offer. I may not know everything about certain types of gardening, but I'm trained to know how to find it. If I don't know, then I pass along my questions to the experts who do. Gardening and everything that goes along with it a lifelong pursuit of learning. That's what keeps it interesting and keeps us growing!  |
Insight Into Being a Texas Master Gardener
Missing My Morning Glories
| I never thought those words would come out of my mouth. I've had Morning Glories as one of my most faithful flowering vines around here that produced an abundance of blue flowers that were show stopping. With reseeding easily from year to year I just knew I would have plenty this year. The joke is on me. I have a couple of struggling vines that came up really late this season and I'm not expecting a show from them by any means. My favorite are Ipomoea tricolor 'Heavenly Blue'*** BLOGGER is not allowing photo uploads today so I will just have to send you to my previous posts: What's Bloomin' 2008 Morning Garden Buzz - 2008 That's just the way it goes sometimes! I am going to make it a point to replant Morning Glories next year. I will be back in business then. |
Hello Summer
| It sure feels like summer has been here for awhile in N. Texas. It's a bit surprising to me for some reason that today is only the first day. The temperatures and dryness levels are the normal we usually see in July and August. But for today we get a reprieve. We're only suppose to get to a high on 91 degrees today and that will feel amazingly nice, especially with the 1/2 inch of rain we got early this morning. Hopefully the plants are refreshed and we will continue to see more rain through tomorrow night. Here's to hoping! High fire risk alerts are all around us right now. The wind has been really strong and hot over the past week, causing everything to dry out at an alarming rate. I've been manning the water hose trying to keep everything alive around here. I'm not going to complain though because we are actually in better condition here than most of Texas. Ranchers are selling off cattle left and right because there isn't any grass growing for them to feed on. Lakes are way down in most of the state where many residents depend on for drinking water. So any rain that comes is way more than welcome here! 
We moved onto this property the last year of the big drought in 2006. We were desperate and on water restrictions. The ground was like concrete and the cracks in the soil were big enough to break a dog's leg if it slid off into them. Moving into our home was interesting that summer. We had quite a challenge in installing our privacy fence in the back yard. We rented an auger to drill the fence posts and it wouldn't go down more than 3-4 inches into the soil. Even trying to soak the ground didn't help. We ended up hiring someone who dug holes for foundations. He had a tractor with a strong auger attachment. The ground was like concrete and dry as a bone 18 inches into the ground. Since then we've had years with plenty of rain and we added a lot of foundation planting and trees. We're hoping that we can maintain everything through this drought. The soaker hoses will be our key to keeping everything alive and use the least amount of water we can. We haven't installed drip lines yet, but that will be in the mix soon as another project we need to do. | ||
Keyhole Gardening
To Glove or Not To Glove
I was reminded the other day about a popular question among gardeners. Do you wear gloves? Many gardeners like to get their hands in the dirt and its part of the fun of it all. While others take pride in the type of glove that is their favorite and they wouldn't garden without them.
I personally am a glove wearer. I have a type for every application and I wear them until they fall apart. Here's my take on gloves:
Rose pruning, thorny branches and heavy work where a good grip is important. I keep a pair in my car to carry cinder blocks and building materials home. I never fail to have an occasion when they've been important to have around. My hands aren't always the strongest and the leather gloves give me that extra help I need with grip also. Oh, and I will take my chances dealing with a snake with these also.
Pulling weeds is the main reason I love these gloves. Getting a more form fitting glove such as these helps with accuracy in getting the weeds next to plants without grabbing part of the desired plant with it. I feel like I have surgical precision when using this type of glove. The added rubber grip allows me to pull weeds with much less effort and keeps my hands from getting as tired.
Good for all purpose gardening applications. I plant flowers and pick vegetables using these. They provide the needed protection from insects I need. Organic gardening can leave you with spiders, wasps and bees hidden in garden beds. They are there to help and its hard to see them sometimes. Having on a pair of gloves helps me to reach in with a bit more confidence that I'm not going to get bitten or stung. They wash up easily and are extremely comfortable to wear.
I use these for a wide variety of applications. I carry buckets, pick up boards and deal with animals using these. I like the band that fits snug around my wrist with these. If I place my hand in something with fire ants in it, I stand a chance of knocking them off before they crawl inside my gloves to sting me. I buy these gloves in bulk because I go through at least one pair a day. I often have to change them out a couple of times in a day if I get them too muddy or nasty. They wash up beautifully and are ready for the next time I need them.
I have a bag that I keep my gloves in ready to go. I like this because if I wear one glove out I can easily pair it with another and not miss a beat. Each type of glove has its place in my daily gardening chores. I'm also thankful when my husband compliments my hands and can't tell that I work outside each day with them. No calluses here and I can thank my gloves for that.
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Freezing Berries
Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - June 2011
| Another month has come and gone and its again another much anticipated "Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day". A day that is hosted by May Dreams Gardens each 15th of the month. Everyone posts what is blooming in their yard at that time. June is another exciting month of blooming. Here is what is blooming in my yard:
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Gardening in North Texas
Having come from farm country in Illinois to the wilds of Texas was quite an adjustment to my thinking of how to garden. Thinking of vegetable gardens as a huge spring planting event followed by a slow growing season that extends through a big portion of the summer. It was and still is where my mind automatically wants to go in planning. Its been hard to get used to for me so I thought I would pass on some tips to non-native Texans wanting to garden here. I can only give an account for North Texas, so if you live in other parts of the state you will have to contact your local county Extension office for planting dates.
Vegetable Gardening:
- There are two short gardening seasons. One is spring, the other in fall
- Cole crop vegetables like broccoli tend to bolt faster if planted in the spring garden because our soil heats up so fast.
- Spring planting starts as early as late-January to early-February which includes onions then potatoes, broccoli, lettuces, peas. Warm season plants like tomatoes and peppers are best planted at the end of March.
- Varieties of vegetables chosen need to be suited for shorter growing seasons.
- Tomatoes can be a challenge to grow here. Temperature changes seem to be the culprit to tomato production. If our temperature here doesn't stay mid-range long enough we miss bloom set time. If it gets too hot too fast the plants nearly shut down as far as growth. Tomatoes don't like it too hot. With the late spring freezes we've had over the past few years, special care needs to be taken to protect plants that are prone to freezing.
- Fall planting starts as early as June and that's only to direct sow tomato seeds. Most of the warm season vegetables aren't planted until late July into August. The rest follows all the way to October for cool season vegetables.
- Watering gardens is required. The rain nearly shuts off in June and doesn't really pick back up until September. Drip irrigation and soaker hoses are some of the best methods because there is less evaporation and it wastes the least amount of water. Overhead watering will do, but it makes plants more prone to diseases.
- People here report that fall vegetable gardening is preferred because of insect issues being reduced.
- Guide for growing vegetables here Aggie Horticulture Home Vegetable Gardening and a nice printable vegetable guide.
Having a bit of foreknowledge of what to expect helps to better prepare for each season. Each region has its unique challenges and it doesn't hurt to get familiar with some seasoned gardeners or your local master gardening program for more information.
What are your gardening challenges for your area?
Local Harvesting Seasons
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| Apples On The Tree by Jeanette ONeil |
Looking out at my apple and pear trees this morning reminded me of trips to the orchards as a kid. Back then and still is, its normal to be attuned to what is in season. Talk spreads around the community about what orchards are ready and if someone has pecans or flats of strawberries for sale. Seasons of strawberries, peaches, blueberries, cherries, apples and all are well known. Plans are made around the different harvest times and about how the food is going to be preserved. Jams, jellies or freezing the fruit for pies and cobblers are all taken into consideration. Oftentimes much of it is shared with neighbors and family around there. Nothing goes to waste.
I've had the privilege of picking fruits and nuts in orchards and from neighbor's yards. Sometimes all it would take is a promise of cherry pie to an elderly neighbor for a chance to pick cherries from their tree. It was a good trade off for all of us. Beating the birds to the ripe cherries was always a challenge and made us work as faster and not take a day for granted. We worked quickly and picked every cherry we could possibly reach in that huge cherry tree. We were supplied for an entire year if the harvest was good.
Trips to the apple orchard were always interesting. With the different varieties of apples we needed to be taught which ones were ripe and which ones weren't. Green apples weren't always an indicator of it not being ripe, but you sure didn't want to pick one that wasn't ready. I remember learning how to watch were I stepped also because honeybees loved the overly ripe apples that had fallen from the trees. It made for quite a bit of excitement the day one of the bees got stuck in my hair. My poor uncle tried to get it out and the stinging commenced before it was over. The poor honeybee didn't survive the chaos.
Another fun trip was to a place called, "Blueberry Hill". We loved going there. Blueberries are some of the easiest fruit to pick there is. Mature bushes are within arms length for picking with zero thorns. With my whole family picking it wasn't long and we had plenty for the year. Taking them home and flash freezing them was our favorite.
Good memories and a love for eating whole fruits started because of all of this. Harvest time is something I still eagerly anticipate even though I've had to adjust to the change of moving to Texas and its different seasons. For here blueberry and blackberry season is upon us. My plans to go to a local blueberry farm are in the mix so hopefully I can have enough for the year. The freshness of the fruit and cost comparison to grocery stores make picking your own a winner all around.
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| This is a chart for ALL of Texas!! |
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We've Come A Long Way
One thing about blogging about our happenings here is that you get to look back and see how far you've come. It seems like from a day to day basis that we are always in an uphill battle trying to undertake a huge project or fix something that's come up. I've been looking through some older pictures and here is what I found.
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| Fall 2008 |
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| Spring 2011 |
Of course we are still working to finish out many of the areas, like in front of the shed, under the willow tree and also build an arbor for the wisteria to grow over. Its all time, money and materials. It does encourage me to see photos like this. The willow tree has really grown and our field of a backyard is feeling more cozy and useful. We are hoping to replace more of the lawn with raised beds as time goes.
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Smart Gardening
| I love efficiency. With limited time and resources, smart planning helps to maximize what you can do and reduce waste. I study urban garden design because it forces people to be more creative with smaller spaces. When you can make a space efficient and pleasing to the eye then in my opinion you've succeeded. These urban practices can be applied anywhere, whether you live in the city or in the country. Patti Moreno from Garden Girl TV is one of my favorite designers of efficient gardening. She does a great job of presenting ideas that we all can apply somewhere in our own backyards or apartments. Today I'm sharing "Raised Beds In The City". You can adapt her design ideas to meet your needs. I like the chicken houses she's built to fit perfectly on top of the beds. I've seen this done for rabbits also. Its practical design that I think can be carried out into the later years of life when strength and mobility start to become challenging. |
Gulf Fritillaries Are Back!
| I have been eagerly anticipating the arrival of the Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae incarnata aka as the Passion Butterfly this year. Although it is called a Fritillary, its not closely related to true fritillaries. The range of this butterfly extends from Argentina to the coast of San Francisco. Passion vine is their host plant to lay eggs on and then the caterpillars eat the leaves of the plant. Its a good thing that passion vine is vigorous because some years the Gulf Fritillary caterpillar has eaten in to the ground. |
This Got My Attention!
 I was walking over to my car in the driveway the other day and spotted these mounded holes in the ground between my house and driveway. My heart nearly leaped out of my chest thinking about what they possibly could be. Everything from some sort of aggressive yellow jackets, giant termites to whatever else was big enough to call that hole a home. I stood there there for what seemed to be an eternity waiting to see what went in and out of any of the holes and if they were aggressive. I wondered also how I was going to get away if they didn't fancy me hovering over whatever these things were. All I know is I was a bit scared. After a bit a of waiting a larger bee flew into one of the holes. It looked like a cross between a bumble bee and a honeybee. It had fine stripes on its abdomen and was mostly built like one but much larger. It never even cared that I stood within a couple of feet of the entrance to its "home". I just needed to find out what these were and if they were harmful. After some research I found it is called a Miner or Digger Bee. Its a common name given to many varieties of solitary bees that burrow into the ground. Its a beneficial insect and should not harm us. Whew! The one pictured in the link above is the one that I found that looked the closest to the ones here. I couldn't get a good picture of the buggers, so I'm at a loss for that. It would nice to have a high speed camera for times such as this. Upon further reading I found out they really like "lean" areas of your yard where its fairly dry. They usually will only stick around for 6 weeks or so while they raise their young and then leave. I'm happy they are here to help because I can use all of the help I can get |
Veggie Garden Update
Summer is moving along at quite a fast pace now. The 95+ degree temps we've had this week are a prelude to months ahead. Its warmer than it should be already, but it seems the garden is hanging in there with some hand watering and frequent visits by me. I am concerned now that this will be another difficult grasshopper year ahead. I've seen them start to pour out of my herb garden, especially the mint. (or maybe they just like nice breath, *wink*) I'm sure the purple martins will have plenty to eat around here this year. I'll have to keep monitoring the situation as the growing grasshoppers see what all they can eat in my garden.
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| Herb garden of left. Veggie garden on right. |
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| Butternut squash blossoms If everything goes ok with the butternut squash, I better start looking for recipes for them. There are tons! |
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| Gardening in a tub works great. Here is a grape tomato plant with contender green bean plants. Companion planting green beans with tomatoes helps pump nitrogen into the soil that the tomato plant needs. |
Later in the week I will talk further about growing tomatoes. It seems to be a plant we've all had questions about from time to time.
Life's Too Short For Problem Plants
This was a statement I heard a couple of years ago from a veteran master gardener. I was taken aback a bit when I heard it because I thought that's what we're suppose to be able to do. We are trained in how to deal with problems, but first and foremost we try to avoid them in the first place. That is the key. Many of us are plant collectors and we like to enjoy our plants, Collecting plants often times makes for large garden areas to care for so problems plants have to go.
Its kind of like going into your closet and seeing a piece of clothing that doesn't fit right, causes problems or just makes you feel bad to look at it. It takes up space and doesn't add any spark to your wardrobe. You just need to say goodbye to it and pass it on. You then free up space for something that does work for you. Gardens are the same way.
This year I've had a draw the line on a particular plant. I would say the name of the plant, but it was a gift from one of my gardening friends and it just has been trouble in my yard. It may work for someone else, but here it seems to be severely prone to powdery mildew and it reseeds prolifically. It just doesn't make me smile anymore and it needs to go. I've been digging this plant up for days on end and I am so very much looking for a replacement for the area it occupied.
Today I'll highlight roses:
Roses seem to be a plant that people often feel like they can't get to grow right. They love them, but can't get past the black spot, powdery mildew, yellow leaves and poor blooming. The problem is not the gardener is most cases, the problem is the variety of rose they've chosen. Unless you are a rosarian with knowledge on how to prevent these issues, you're best to go with proven cultivars for your area.
In Texas we use the Earth-kind™ Roses list tested and proven by Aggie Horticulture and AgriLife Extension as trustworthy choices.
In the northern U.S., Buck Roses are a line of roses tested over the years by Dr. Griffith Buck of Iowa State University. These would fit the bill for more cold hardy cultivars. A nice .pdf publication here on them.
A common rose that I like that grows many places is the Knock-Out Rose™.
Backyard Makeover
In case you haven't learned this about me, I am not a fan of mowing a lot of grass. Some yes, but if its a problem area I say its time for it to leave. This is the entrance into my backyard. Its narrow and is basically a pass through to the bigger part of our backyard. With some sweat and a strong back I now have an entrance into my backyard that I am pleased to walk through. No more dragging the weed eater and push mower through here.
BEFORE:
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| This is from an angle looking from upper deck straight at the entrance |
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