The Bluebonnets of Texas
By Grace Broyles Big Country Master Gardener The last frost, hopefully the last landscape-whitening frost, of West Central Texas up at my home on a bit of the Edwards Plateau last Monday morning, showed me where the Texas Bluebonnet plants are located by our daughter’s grave. I am ecstatic. The little five-fingered fan of green […]
Identifying and Attracting Texas Butterflies – Part II By Kathy Feagan Big Country Master Gardener Little Yellow (Pyristia lisa, (previously classed as Eurema lisa)) are a pale to light yellow (with a little orangish tint) with a narrow black border and two small dots, and have a large pink to rust colored spot, often missing […]
Butterfly Part II
Identifying and Attracting Texas Butterflies – Part I
By Kathy Feagan Big Country Master Gardener Monarch (Danaus plexippus) are mighty migrators (flying up to 3,000 miles per year) whose caterpillars only eat milkweed, which is where the Monarch lays her eggs. The lifespan of Monarchs is 2-6 weeks, although the last generation of the year (usually in August) can live up to 8-9 […]
Forsythia, Heralding Spring
By Grace Broyles Big Country Master Gardener Whenever winter nears the end, I keep my eyes peeled for the first sign of spring color. And although it’s technically not spring yet, the first colors have appeared! The yellow of the early daffodils, and the pinks of Japonica. Along with the golden yellow of the Forsythia. […]
The Therapeutic Garden, and… Do I Need One?
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association Do you ever feel tired, worn out, frustrated, stressed, or overwhelmed? Are you being pulled in multiple directions? Do you need a break? Do you want to get away for a little while? I think we have all probably felt that way at some point in time, […]
2025 – It’s the Year of the Garden!
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association Many of us have a word for the year, and we concentrate on it for the entire year. It helps us focus our energy and gives us a sense of purpose. For me personally, it helps ground me, and also helps me prioritize what I have to […]
Monarch Butterflies, Texas’ State Insect
By Kathy Feagan Big Country Master Gardener Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are important pollinators that are well known for being the State Insect of Texas and for their long-distance migration and . . . their recent declines. The monarch butterfly, with its beautiful black and orange markings, is one of the most recognizable butterflies in […]
Meet the Big Country Master Gardeners
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association I recently wrote an article about the Big Country Master Gardener Association and the upcoming 2025 Intern Training Class, and now I want to add some additional information to it. I talked with several Master Gardeners and asked why they wanted to attend the Master Gardener Intern […]
Happy New Year!
Start With Resolutions and a Plan for 2025 By Jackie Sledge, Big Country Master Gardener Association Happy New Year! Welcome, 2025! But what happened to 2024? What happened with my 2024 Resolutions and Plans? What do I want to do in 2025? I opened the notebook where I had jotted down several New Year’s Resolutions […]
