Work is preceeding on phase1 of the butterfly garden at Our Lady of Sorrows parish. One bed has been planted and is awaiting edging while the second bed is prepared for planting. Thanks to all who have helped with the project so far.
Linda
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
More Berries
Got about another gallon of dewberries today. The cobbler seems like a real possibility but I fear it will turn out like Charles and Pam's grandson's berries. The Cobbler may not last until the next meeting on May 12.Joe
We weeded the Hope garden in class
Sometimes weeding can be done with a tiller. We only had 1 hoe and a shovel and fingers. Nancy
Cobbler
The Master Gardener Class all agreed that a Dewberry or Blueberry Cobbler would be exceptional.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Dewberry
Dewberries are ripe in our area of the county. For the first time in my life I think I beat the wild animals to the berries.Joe
Friday, April 25, 2008
Please have on all brochures.
Texas Master Gardener programs serve all people regardless of socioeconomic level, race,color,sex,religion,disability or national origin.
We need to have a statement like that above on all of the association brochures.
Joe
We need to have a statement like that above on all of the association brochures.
Joe
CCMGA web page
http://grovesite.com/page.asp?o=mg&s=cc&p=194372
There is much work to be done on the web page but it is a good start.
There is much work to be done on the web page but it is a good start.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Info from Emma - we need to get her on the blog
Hi Joe. . .
I came across this information and wanted you to know about it, if you
didn't already, to pass along to others that have an interest in Native
Plants.
Hosted by the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center
Price is steep, but it really sounds interesting.
http://www.npsot.org/
http://pnpc.sfasu.edu/brochure.pdf
4th Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference
May 28-31, 2008
Nacogdoches, Texas
Regards,
Emma
I came across this information and wanted you to know about it, if you
didn't already, to pass along to others that have an interest in Native
Plants.
Hosted by the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center
Price is steep, but it really sounds interesting.
http://www.npsot.org/
http://pnpc.sfasu.edu/brochure.pdf
4th Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference
May 28-31, 2008
Nacogdoches, Texas
Regards,
Emma
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Colorspot color
Tom explained to us that they have expermented with musics impact on plant growth. Turn your volume up and you can hear the music. I understood that jazz music stunted plant growth but plant growth (and productivity) was quite good with the Latino music.
Enjoy
Charles
A great education for all trainees was enjoyed at the Colorspot nursery in New Summerfield. Guide Tom Geddings was a extremely knowledgeable of the industry from Texas to Michigan. He's glad to not have to deal with the snow. Also, watch out for the noise from the hail cannon. There were every kind of flower and color you could imagine.More details to follow ...
Charles
Monday, April 21, 2008
Trees for free?
Kathie and I loaded a sample of most of the trees we have been growing and headed out to peddle them this morning. After not having any luck at all, we decided to give them away to CCMG's. A couple of members are coming out tomorrow morning, but any day except Friday will be allright. Wayne
Garden Time is here
It is that time of the year again TO PLANT Here are some tip‘s to help out.
Information from the President…
Please be sure to note the following on your calendars:
Garden Tours: Saturday, May 3, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Special thanks to Keith Billings, Kathy Moak and David Daniel for sharing your talents in preparation for the upcoming Association events!
We will need at least a dozen volunteers to man the four homes on the tour. Please consider lending your time for this great cause.
Thanks to everyone for all you do to make our Association a success!
If you have any questions, please call us.
Steve and Helen Keller
903-586-9881
Dirt-Cheap Landscaping
Tips and tricks to make your gardening dollars stretch
Thrifty garden aficionado and conscientious shopper Marianne Binetti offers these tips, tricks and innovative ideas to make your gardening dollars stretch.
1) Instead of buying pricey topiary forms, use inexpensive tomato cages. Simply tie the legs together by using a plastic-coated wire or twist-tie.
2) Make your own compost by collecting fallen leaves in a large plastic bag. Poke holes in the bag to allow air flow and store the bag where it won’t freeze over the winter. By spring you’ll have a bag full of rich soil conditioner
3) When planting large containers, fill the bottom with crushed aluminum cans before adding potting soil. Most plants’ roots won’t reach to the bottom of large containers, and using cans as filler will make pots lighter
4) Use recycled pipe or conduit piping from surplus stores to create sturdy custom stakes for your garden plants. Even better? Try an inexpensive expandable curtain rod – it will grow as your plants grow!
Glossary of Color Terms To help get your layout in order in your garden
analogous - colors such as orange and yellow that are adjacent or near each other on the color wheel. Analogous colors are considered pleasing and harmonious and help lend a blended, unified look to the garden.complementary - a color that's opposite another on the color wheel. Red and green are complementary; so are blue and orange. Complementary colors intensify each other, making each other "pop." Use them to create focal points, to highlight a particular area of the garden.cool - a color that's in the blue-purple range of the color wheel. Exception: cool colors such as blue can appear warmer if they contain some yellow. Cool colors such as blue, lavender and violet can make a small garden appear larger.monochromatic - a color scheme that uses different shades of the same basic color. Using monochromatic colors in the garden lets other factors such as texture and form become more important.polychromatic - a color scheme that uses a lot of different colors. Gardeners who want a little bit of everything in a spontaneous sort of assortment may not want to position colors in any certain way. Others may want to put analogous colors together, then systemically create a flow of color that makes easy transitions between the color groupings.value - the relative luminosity--or lightness--of a color based on how much white it contains. Yellow has the highest value, followed by orange, green, red, blue and violet.warm - a color that's in the red-orange-yellow range of the color wheel. Exception: warm colors such as red can appear cool if they contain some blue. Warm colors appear closer in the garden.
Letter from Keith Update on the new class
Where has the time gone, here it is April and my planting beds still need weeding and the vegetables still need planting. I think Erma Bombeck had a quote about that! 2008 has started off with a bang for Cherokee County Master Gardeners. The new officers are off and running and our association is growing. Five new master gardeners form the 2007 Master Gardeners Class has joined the association; Claude Menard, Emma Hill, Bettye & Nate Grimes, and Keith Billings. Two new members joined in March having moved form West Texas to Beautiful East Texas; Michele Melton and Nedra Turner. We welcome them all and wish good gardening to each.
We have had three regular monthly meetings and each has been packed with business and interesting presentations. Committees have been busy with reviewing and proposing changes in the Bylaws, potting plants and planning for the April 19th Plant Sale, planning field trips, organizing the May 3rd Garden Tour, and participating in the Texas Trash Off, designing a newsletter; just to mention a few of things going on. Several members have already got a head start on their education hours by attending the East Texas Spring Landscape and Garden Conference and several members have plans to attend the Henderson County Spring Conference in Athens. Now, don’t tell me we haven’t been busy! Can I use this as an excuse for not having my tomatoes in the ground?
THE NEW CLASS INFO
The 2008 Master Gardeners Class is small with five members, but they are a very active group. They began class on January 10th and are about half way through the course. The class planted the HOPE Garden with lots of beautiful tomatoes, three varieties of squash, two varieties of bell peppers, jalapenos, and collard greens. (Collards with jalapeno and country ham, brings back lots of fond memories). They participated in the Texas Trash Off and at least one trainee has taken on a design project for a community butterfly garden, (ambitious for a trainee). I’d encourage each of you to drop by any of their meetings and share your experiences and knowledge (gardening that is) with them. I have found them to be the most inquisitive group!!
Three members have invited us to have a meeting at their gardens or at least to come by for a visit with show and tell after the regular business meeting. This should be lots of fun and a good opportunity to share battle scars and TALL or short garden stories. We’ll schedule these visits during the cooler months of the year and the tomatoes will already be harvested.
Well, I planned to get the tomatoes in the ground this afternoon since they are begging for some room for the roots and the class had a few left over and generously offered them to me. But guess what! It thundering!! I think I’ll try to beat the rain and the newly planted tomatoes will enjoy a nice drink or I’ll have frizzy hair.
.Volunteer Opportunity
Garden Tours: Saturday, May 3, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Notify Keith Billings or Steve Keller if interested in Helping for MG hours
Guide to Selecting a Garden Mulch
How Much Mulch?
Mulch is usually sold by the cubic yard, and that can leave gardeners scratching their head when trying to figure out how much to buy.
Here’s the easiest way:
1. First, find out the size of the area you want to cover in square feet. This is easy; just multiply the length of your garden by the width.
2. Next, decide how deep you want your mulch to be, in inches. A couple of inches is usually sufficient.
3. Now multiply the size of your garden in square feet (#1) by the depth of your mulch in inches (#2).
4. Divide the number you get in #3 by 324. This is the number of cubic yards of mulch you will need to cover your garden.
If you're looking for a way to save lots of time in the garden, look no further. Mulching your flower and vegetable beds will drastically reduce the amount of time spent weeding, watering and fighting pests. Mulch also improves the appearance of your garden, and keeps dirt from splashing up on your flowers and vegetables when it rains.
If possible, consider using an organic mulch. Organic mulches are those that used to be living material, such as bark, straw, leaves, grass clippings and pine needles. These organic mulches improve the soil by adding nutrients as they decompose and encourage earthworm activity. Organic mulches aren't perfect, though. If you have problems with rodents, you may want to choose an inorganic mulch. In very moist climates, organic mulches may hold too much moisture. The excessive moisture will encourage slugs and snails, and may even cause the stems of your plants that come in contact with the mulch to rot.
Q. What is Organic Gardening?
From Marie Iannotti,Organic Gardening Basics - Getting Started with an Organic Garden
A. The short answer is that organic gardening means not using synthetic products, including pesticides and fertilizers. Ideally, organic gardening replenishes the resources as it makes use of them. Like feeding depleted soil with composted plants, or planting legumes to add nitrogen to an area that had been planted with heavy feeder. The bigger picture involves working in cooperation with nature, viewing your garden as a small part of all the natural system.
Here are some basics to get you started with organic gardening:
What is Meant by Organic Matter?
Organic matter is decaying plant and animal waste. It includes everything from compost, grass clipping, dried leaves and kitchen scraps to manures and fish heads. Organic matter is used as a soil amendment or conditioner. It can be worked into the soil of a new garden or used as a top dressing or mulch in an existing garden.
If interested in Organic Gardening , Read the next issue for more information on the subject.
It is that time of the year again TO PLANT Here are some tip‘s to help out.
Information from the President…
Please be sure to note the following on your calendars:
Garden Tours: Saturday, May 3, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Special thanks to Keith Billings, Kathy Moak and David Daniel for sharing your talents in preparation for the upcoming Association events!
We will need at least a dozen volunteers to man the four homes on the tour. Please consider lending your time for this great cause.
Thanks to everyone for all you do to make our Association a success!
If you have any questions, please call us.
Steve and Helen Keller
903-586-9881
Dirt-Cheap Landscaping
Tips and tricks to make your gardening dollars stretch
Thrifty garden aficionado and conscientious shopper Marianne Binetti offers these tips, tricks and innovative ideas to make your gardening dollars stretch.
1) Instead of buying pricey topiary forms, use inexpensive tomato cages. Simply tie the legs together by using a plastic-coated wire or twist-tie.
2) Make your own compost by collecting fallen leaves in a large plastic bag. Poke holes in the bag to allow air flow and store the bag where it won’t freeze over the winter. By spring you’ll have a bag full of rich soil conditioner
3) When planting large containers, fill the bottom with crushed aluminum cans before adding potting soil. Most plants’ roots won’t reach to the bottom of large containers, and using cans as filler will make pots lighter
4) Use recycled pipe or conduit piping from surplus stores to create sturdy custom stakes for your garden plants. Even better? Try an inexpensive expandable curtain rod – it will grow as your plants grow!
Glossary of Color Terms To help get your layout in order in your garden
analogous - colors such as orange and yellow that are adjacent or near each other on the color wheel. Analogous colors are considered pleasing and harmonious and help lend a blended, unified look to the garden.complementary - a color that's opposite another on the color wheel. Red and green are complementary; so are blue and orange. Complementary colors intensify each other, making each other "pop." Use them to create focal points, to highlight a particular area of the garden.cool - a color that's in the blue-purple range of the color wheel. Exception: cool colors such as blue can appear warmer if they contain some yellow. Cool colors such as blue, lavender and violet can make a small garden appear larger.monochromatic - a color scheme that uses different shades of the same basic color. Using monochromatic colors in the garden lets other factors such as texture and form become more important.polychromatic - a color scheme that uses a lot of different colors. Gardeners who want a little bit of everything in a spontaneous sort of assortment may not want to position colors in any certain way. Others may want to put analogous colors together, then systemically create a flow of color that makes easy transitions between the color groupings.value - the relative luminosity--or lightness--of a color based on how much white it contains. Yellow has the highest value, followed by orange, green, red, blue and violet.warm - a color that's in the red-orange-yellow range of the color wheel. Exception: warm colors such as red can appear cool if they contain some blue. Warm colors appear closer in the garden.
Letter from Keith Update on the new class
Where has the time gone, here it is April and my planting beds still need weeding and the vegetables still need planting. I think Erma Bombeck had a quote about that! 2008 has started off with a bang for Cherokee County Master Gardeners. The new officers are off and running and our association is growing. Five new master gardeners form the 2007 Master Gardeners Class has joined the association; Claude Menard, Emma Hill, Bettye & Nate Grimes, and Keith Billings. Two new members joined in March having moved form West Texas to Beautiful East Texas; Michele Melton and Nedra Turner. We welcome them all and wish good gardening to each.
We have had three regular monthly meetings and each has been packed with business and interesting presentations. Committees have been busy with reviewing and proposing changes in the Bylaws, potting plants and planning for the April 19th Plant Sale, planning field trips, organizing the May 3rd Garden Tour, and participating in the Texas Trash Off, designing a newsletter; just to mention a few of things going on. Several members have already got a head start on their education hours by attending the East Texas Spring Landscape and Garden Conference and several members have plans to attend the Henderson County Spring Conference in Athens. Now, don’t tell me we haven’t been busy! Can I use this as an excuse for not having my tomatoes in the ground?
THE NEW CLASS INFO
The 2008 Master Gardeners Class is small with five members, but they are a very active group. They began class on January 10th and are about half way through the course. The class planted the HOPE Garden with lots of beautiful tomatoes, three varieties of squash, two varieties of bell peppers, jalapenos, and collard greens. (Collards with jalapeno and country ham, brings back lots of fond memories). They participated in the Texas Trash Off and at least one trainee has taken on a design project for a community butterfly garden, (ambitious for a trainee). I’d encourage each of you to drop by any of their meetings and share your experiences and knowledge (gardening that is) with them. I have found them to be the most inquisitive group!!
Three members have invited us to have a meeting at their gardens or at least to come by for a visit with show and tell after the regular business meeting. This should be lots of fun and a good opportunity to share battle scars and TALL or short garden stories. We’ll schedule these visits during the cooler months of the year and the tomatoes will already be harvested.
Well, I planned to get the tomatoes in the ground this afternoon since they are begging for some room for the roots and the class had a few left over and generously offered them to me. But guess what! It thundering!! I think I’ll try to beat the rain and the newly planted tomatoes will enjoy a nice drink or I’ll have frizzy hair.
.Volunteer Opportunity
Garden Tours: Saturday, May 3, 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Notify Keith Billings or Steve Keller if interested in Helping for MG hours
Guide to Selecting a Garden Mulch
How Much Mulch?
Mulch is usually sold by the cubic yard, and that can leave gardeners scratching their head when trying to figure out how much to buy.
Here’s the easiest way:
1. First, find out the size of the area you want to cover in square feet. This is easy; just multiply the length of your garden by the width.
2. Next, decide how deep you want your mulch to be, in inches. A couple of inches is usually sufficient.
3. Now multiply the size of your garden in square feet (#1) by the depth of your mulch in inches (#2).
4. Divide the number you get in #3 by 324. This is the number of cubic yards of mulch you will need to cover your garden.
If you're looking for a way to save lots of time in the garden, look no further. Mulching your flower and vegetable beds will drastically reduce the amount of time spent weeding, watering and fighting pests. Mulch also improves the appearance of your garden, and keeps dirt from splashing up on your flowers and vegetables when it rains.
If possible, consider using an organic mulch. Organic mulches are those that used to be living material, such as bark, straw, leaves, grass clippings and pine needles. These organic mulches improve the soil by adding nutrients as they decompose and encourage earthworm activity. Organic mulches aren't perfect, though. If you have problems with rodents, you may want to choose an inorganic mulch. In very moist climates, organic mulches may hold too much moisture. The excessive moisture will encourage slugs and snails, and may even cause the stems of your plants that come in contact with the mulch to rot.
Q. What is Organic Gardening?
From Marie Iannotti,Organic Gardening Basics - Getting Started with an Organic Garden
A. The short answer is that organic gardening means not using synthetic products, including pesticides and fertilizers. Ideally, organic gardening replenishes the resources as it makes use of them. Like feeding depleted soil with composted plants, or planting legumes to add nitrogen to an area that had been planted with heavy feeder. The bigger picture involves working in cooperation with nature, viewing your garden as a small part of all the natural system.
Here are some basics to get you started with organic gardening:
What is Meant by Organic Matter?
Organic matter is decaying plant and animal waste. It includes everything from compost, grass clipping, dried leaves and kitchen scraps to manures and fish heads. Organic matter is used as a soil amendment or conditioner. It can be worked into the soil of a new garden or used as a top dressing or mulch in an existing garden.
If interested in Organic Gardening , Read the next issue for more information on the subject.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Tomatoes Will Need Support
There are about 10 tomato plants at the H.O.P.E. vegetable garden that will need support in about 10 days. If any one has an extra cage or stake it could be put to good use there.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tree Bench Photo Needed
I am in need of a good digital photo of a tree bench to accompany an newspaper article. I know of no tree benches in Cherokee County. If anyone has a photo or knows of a near by place where I could take a photo please let me know.
Thanks
Joe
Thanks
Joe
Monday, April 14, 2008
Color Spot Nursery Tour - Tuesday April 22
The 07/08 Class will be touring Color Spot Nursery - Troup on Tuesday morning April 22. (formerly Powell Plant Farm) . We will leave the Woodmen of the World Building at 9 a.m. Please plan to park at the back of the building. The photos are past classes making the tour. Ware clothing that will be comfortably for a mile walk. Joe
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Nice time in Athens
We enjoyed seeing you folks in Athens. Nice places, I think Cherokee Co. needs a place like that.
Bulb Hunter was intereting and I learned a good bit. His prices are a little high. Think I am going digging around vacant houses at $45 / bulb for some of them.
Joe-send Fran the addy for the plants and I know that a thank-you will be sent to them.
See you guys Monday. SFA plant sale tomorrow and I am going down.
Wayne look up that Miscanthus giganteus-got you one potted up now.
Bulb Hunter was intereting and I learned a good bit. His prices are a little high. Think I am going digging around vacant houses at $45 / bulb for some of them.
Joe-send Fran the addy for the plants and I know that a thank-you will be sent to them.
See you guys Monday. SFA plant sale tomorrow and I am going down.
Wayne look up that Miscanthus giganteus-got you one potted up now.
Bamboo at 7 days old
Niney-seven inches at seven days and still growing, probably up to sixty feet! And the snowball vibernum is in full bloom.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
H.O.P.E. Vegetable Garden
The 07/08 class planted at H.O.P.E. today. Best I recall 13 rows have been planted. Yes, the south most one is very short. If rains don't come our way in the next day or two, someone will need to put about a pint of water around each plant. I will be out of town. The weathermen seem sure rain is on the way but just in case... At present there is no hose at H.O.P.E.
My records show about 27 volunteer hours have gone into the garden all ready. With a little weed control effort, it will be a beautiful productive vegetable garden.
I would like to see two thank you letters go the the folks at Bonnie Plant Farm. The gave many of the plants for the project. It would be great to have one from Master Gardeners and HOPE.
Joe
My records show about 27 volunteer hours have gone into the garden all ready. With a little weed control effort, it will be a beautiful productive vegetable garden.
I would like to see two thank you letters go the the folks at Bonnie Plant Farm. The gave many of the plants for the project. It would be great to have one from Master Gardeners and HOPE.
Joe
Monday, April 7, 2008
Wild Flower
Known to many as Louisiana Phlox Phlox divaricata can be seen along the road sides of Cherokee County this week.Propagation
Description: Propagate by division seed or softwood cuttings (rooted stem) taken in late spring.Seed Collection: Not Available
Seed Treatment: Cold-moist stratification.
Commercially Avail: yes
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Third day!
This is day number three. Our Grancie Graybeard (Old Man's
Beard) is in full bloom as seen here.
Beard) is in full bloom as seen here.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Another Good Gardening Blog
http://earthkindnews.blogspot.com/ is a blog Master Gardeners in Texas may wish to visit from time to time.
April 8 Class Meeting to be at H.O.P.E. Garden
The good folks of Bonnie Plant Farm have donated vegetable transplants for the H.O.P.E. garden. The 07/08 class will be there about 9:15 Tuesday morning April 8. They will prepare the last rows and do some planting. All CCMGA folks (Association not Club) are invited to take part. We will be putting plastic mulch on some rows. Volunteers are needed to demonstrate seed bed preparation, transplanting and the watering of transplants. Bring your tools and ware work clothes.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Fastest growing plant?
Spring is here! This gaint bamboo culm emerged last night. We will try to watch and measure the growth each day for a while. Wayne and Kathie
Tyler Men's Garden Club"A Garden Club for Working Men and Women Gardeners"
Mr. Bill Cook asked that you note the 2008 Tyler Men's Garden Club Plant Sale will be held Saturday April 26 in the East Pavilion(Farmer's Market Shed) at the East Texas Fair Grounds. The sale will be from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. "rain or shine".
Texas Trash Off
The Texas Trash Off is this Saturday, April 5th. We will meet at the Texas Highway Department parking lot at 8 AM. We have not confirmed that we will have the Community Service workers available so we need to have a good show of volunteers. This is the required pick up in our agreement with TXDOT. This activity should take only a few hours. The time counts toward volunteer hour requirements. See you there!
Unknown plant?
Can anyone identify this plant? If so, I'll give you a rooted cutting at next meeting. Wayne
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