Low Water Use Landscape
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association The population in the Big Country is growing as well as the population in the entire state of Texas. Having more people leads to a higher demand for our natural resources, such as water. As a result, we see higher water rates as well as more water […]
Walking Sticks
By: Kristel Usener Member of the Big Country Master Gardeners An insect that you probably have walked by and not even noticed–the bug of the month is the Walking Stick. Walking Sticks are in the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta and the Order Phasmida. The ordinal name, Phasmida, is derived from the Greek phasma, […]
It’s Fall, Y’all
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association It’s fall! Actually, the first day of fall this year was officially Sunday, September 22, 2024, but the temperature hasn’t always felt like fall since that date. I just checked the weather forecast for next week, and I’m happy to report that the highs will be in […]
Gayfeather
By Grace Broyles When the browns and grays of late summer get dreary, we are often blessed with several rainstorms that liven up our landscapes and the terrain of West Central Texas with color. Among the colors are the vibrant purples of the Texas Gayfeather, also called Texas Blazing Star. This fall it seemed a […]
It’s Time for the Fall Plant Sale!
By Jackie Sledge, Big Country Master Gardener Association Happy October! We are finally having some days of lower temperatures after surviving sweltering temperatures and strong winds during the summer. We were very fortunate to have had rain recently, and the grass and plants that had just been hanging on started growing and blooming again. We […]
Crickets
By: Kristel Usener Member of the Big Country Master Gardeners Crickets, crickets, crickets! The bug of the month is the cricket. Crickets are in the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta and the Order Orthoptera. This is the time of year (late summer and fall) that adult crickets become especially abundant around businesses and homes. […]
Planting for Success
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardner Association I have been checking out my landscape and feeling a little – or a lot – defeated with the way it looks. I watered, I weeded, I added mulch, and I talked to the plants, but I still had plants that didn’t survive the hot, dry summer […]
Fall Obedient Plants
By Grace Broyles Big Country Master Gardener Wanting some color and height in your late summer/fall garden? Or some cut flowers for a vase in your kitchen window or dining room table? Then it’s the Fall Obedient Plant that could fulfill your desires. This native wildflower is rarely seen around our area of West Texas, […]
Passalong Plants – Part 2
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association I recently wrote the first part of an article about Passalong Plants, plants or seeds shared with friends or other gardeners who will give them good homes. (If you haven’t read Part 1 of this article, it is available on the Big Country Master Gardener Association’s website […]
Dragonflies
By: Kristel Usener Member of the Big Country Master Gardeners This month’s bug is the Dragonfly. Dragonflies are in the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta and the Order Odonata. I wanted to learn more about these amazing insects because there recently has been an increased population in my garden. There are about 3,000 known […]
