HOE! HOE! HOE! Issue # HOE! HOE! HOE! August 2012 GRIMES COUNTY MASTER GARDENER’S NEWSLETTER VOLUME 8, ISSUE VIII IN THIS ISSUE Officers for 2012 Upcoming Events” President: Jennifer Corzine Vice President: Kathy Laughlin August 1 12:00pm – 5:00pm Health and Safety Secretary: Kathy Denning Fair at the First Baptist Church in Navasota Treasurer: TBD August 14 9:00am Monthly Meeting Committee Chairs Joe Floyd will present “Moths” Administration: TBD Timekeeping: Kathy Denning September 11 Field Trip to Chappell Hill Awards/Social: Linda Jolly Lavender Farm (details to follow) Children’s Activities: Jennifer Corzine Communications: Nicky Maddams October 9 6:30pm Fall Social – home of Ann (Mentor: Helen Quinn) DeWitt; Potluck and BYOB Class: Jennifer Corzine/Kathy Laughlin Texas Superstars! Co-op: Fred Vesperman November 13 9:00am Monthly Meeting Anderson Beautification: Janeth Nevill Grace Smarsh will present “Bats” Publicity: Peggy Sloan What does it take to be a Superstar? Fundraiser: Kathy Denning December 7 Christmas Party at Martha’s Go Texan Landscaping: Mike Arden Bloomers County Fair Judging: Linda Jolly Texas AgriLife Extension MG Coordinator: TBD Secretary: Sandra Curl Newsletter Editor: Nicky Maddams Article submissions, photos and information due by the 20th of each month Send to: [email protected] Get to Know Your Fellow Master Website: txmg.org/grimes Gardeners! Email: [email protected] Visit with Helen Quinn and Kat McMullen HOE! HOE! HOE! | Issue # 2 August Vegetable Planting Guide Plant today through - Where would you go on your dream vacation? Aug 1 Eggplant**, Melons, Okra, Peppers, Iceland. Pumpkin and Tomatoes** Aug 15 Cucumbers What is your favorite flower and tree? Do Aug 20 Sweet Corn you grow them? Aug 20 Squash (Summer & Winter) Aug 20 Romaine Lettuce Flower: Himalayan Poppy Tree: Sweet Aug 31 Peas (Southern, Edible Pod) Chestnut Don’t grow them, wish I could! ** Use plants rather than seed Where is the prettiest garden you have ever been to and what made it so? Use protective floating row cover to help reduce heat and viral infection, and also to Wakehurst Place, W. Sussex, England . th provide a little shade to young plants. History (16 c), plantings, landscaping, walled garden. What restaurant do you go to more than any other? A Monarch Tag & Release will be held at noon next to the learning center. Erick’s Mexican MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Located at the Walker County Extension What is your favorite season? PLAN AHEAD FOR PLANT SALES location at: 102 Tam Rd, Huntsville, TX. Spring, Summer, Winter, Fall – wherever I’m Two of our neighboring counties are holding at, I love them all! their fall plant sales. Why are you a Master Gardener or Intern? The Montgomery County Master Gardener Association holds three plant sales each year. I was born gardening, in a country of The next plant sale is the 2012 Fall Plant Sale gardeners, and wanted to learn more about on Saturday, October 13th. gardening in this challenging area. What is the closest you have been to a An informative Pre-Sale Program will be natural disaster? presented from 8:00am to 9:00am, with the sale following from 9:00am – 1:00pm. When I was about 20 I was due to go to (then) Yugoslavia for a vacation. Three days The Pre-Sale Program will be presented by before I was to fly out there I dreamed Tom LeRoy, Montgomery County something told me not to go so I canceled. Horticultural Agent and will highlight the Two days later the town was destroyed by an plants in the sale, plant selection and planting earthquake. In September 2010 I was in information. Christchurch, NZ right after the main earthquake, and experienced heavy The plants for sale are selected by Master aftershocks. Gardeners as plants that perform well in the Montgomery County area. These Master Gardeners will be on hand to provide When was the last "back to nature" information, answer questions, AND load experience you have had? your plants into your vehicle. Clothing unnecessary (optional) bathing on HELEN QUINN Located at the Montgomery Extension Office, beaches in Spain. Ditto at Hippy Hollow near Austin TX. 9020 Airport Road, Conroe, TX. Where were you born and how long have you lived in Texas? Where would you like to go that is "off the Bring your own wagon – they do provide beaten bath"? some, but often run short. London, England; 30 yrs this time around Nepal and the Himalayas And the following weekend, our fellow Where is the farthest you have traveled Master Gardeners in Walker County are from Texas? What do you love the smell of? holding their Third Annual Butterfly Festival and Plant Sale on October 20, 2012 from New Zealand Freshly tarred roads, leather, sandalwood 8:00am to 2:00pm. HOE! HOE! HOE! | Issue # 3 Plant bluebonnet and other spring wildflowers. They must germinate in late LOOKING TO LEARN MORE OR summer or early fall, develop good root REVIEW WHAT YOU ALREADY systems, and be ready to grow in spring when the weather warms. Plant seed in well- KNOW? prepared soil, one-half inch deep, and water thoroughly. Picking flowers frequently A free workshop entitled Gardening 101 is encourages most annuals and perennials to being offered in Brazos County on August 21 flower even more abundantly. from 6:30pm - 8:30pm at the Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan, TX. It is time to divide spring-flowering perennials, such as iris, Shasta daisy, oxeye, Dr. Joe Masabni: The milder days of fall gaillardia, cannas, day lilies, violets, liriope, This Comanche water lily is one of Helen’s create an ideal gardening environment for and ajuga. favorite things in her garden both the vegetable garden and the gardener. Make your selections and place orders for This presentation will provide tips for spring-flowering bulbs now so that they will preparing and planting a fall vegetable garden, arrive in time for planting in October and What is your favorite ice cream? with information on recommended vegetable November. varieties,Garden suggestionsChecklist forfor Julyharvest-August and Blue Bunny anything preparation, and organic techniques for soil Don't allow plants with green fruit or berries building2012 and pest control. to suffer from lack of moisture. What chore do you absolutely hate doing? Dr. William C. Welch, Professor & Landscape A late-summer pruning of rosebushes can be beneficial. Prune out dead canes and any Anything called a chore. weak, brushy growth. Cut back tall, vigorous CHECKLIST FOR AUGUST What electronic gadget could you not live bushes to about 30 inches. After pruning, without? apply fertilizer, and water thoroughly. If a Trim off faded flowers on crape myrtles to preventive disease-control program has been encourage later re-bloom. The more modern Unfair question!!! You know I love my maintained, your rose bushes should be hybrids of the old-fashioned Lagerstroemia gadgets (electronic and canine) – if it came ready to provide an excellent crop of flowers indica and L. faureii have larger, more down to keeping one thing it would probably this fall. conspicuous panicles of flowers, but these have to be my camera. often tend to turn to heavy seedpods which It is not too late to set out another planting Are you a social butterfly or do you prefer discourage reblooming later in the season. of many warm-season annuals, such as solitary endeavors? They can be cut off, if practical. marigolds, zinnias, and periwinkles. They will require extra attention for the first few Evaluate the volume of water delivered from About mid-way but enjoy both. weeks, but should provide you with color lawn sprinklers to ensure healthy, stress-free during late September, October, and Name one wonderful childhood memory grass during the heat of the summer. One November. involving gardening. thorough watering which will deliver one inch of water at a time is better than several Establish a new compost pile to Planting snowdrops on my pet bunny’s grave more shallow sessions. The amount of water accommodate the fall leaf accumulation. and watching them bloom the next spring. available through flower bed sprinklers may be checked by placing several shallow pans Dr. William C. Welch, Professor & Landscape What would you say is your garden style? among shrubs or flowers Horticulturist, Texas AgriLife Extension Service (Country, cottage, formal, sculptural, etc.) Caladiums require plenty of water at this I have no style. No, I have no particular time of year if they are to remain lush and garden style!! I plant what I want, where I active until fall. Fertilize with 21-0-0 at the want. I mix colors and plant flowers with rate of one-third to one-half pound per 100 Deep summer vegetables and herbs. My style has to be square feet of bed area, and water dog, bird and butterfly friendly and provide thoroughly. food for me too! I’d really rather not have Prune out dead or diseased wood from trees is when laziness mosquitoes, fire ants and weeds, but I and shrubs. Hold off on major pruning from suppose they are all there for a purpose too! now until midwinter. Severe pruning at this time will only stimulate tender new growth prior to frost. finds respectability Sow seeds of snapdragons, dianthus, pansies, calendulas, and other cool-season ~ Sam Keen flowers in flats, or in well-prepared areas of the garden, for planting outside during mid- to-late fall. HOE! HOE! HOE! | Issue # 4 It was bred by Dr. Sam McFadden of Somerville, Texas and will tolerate alkaline application of good design principles. soils. The ‘Lord Baltimore’ variety is a rose Participants may take the four courses in TEXAS SUPERSTARS ® mallow with stunning saucer like red flowers any sequence.