Passalong Plants – Part 1
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association Early one morning not long ago I was sitting on my back porch watching the sunrise and solving the problems of the world – or actually the problems of my backyard. As I looked around at the flower beds and thought about the plants in each one, […]
Who is the Big Country Master Gardener Association?
The Texas Master Gardener Program is an educational volunteer program sponsored by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service of the Texas A&M University System. According to their website, Master Gardeners are members of the local community who have an interest in horticulture. They are enthusiastic, willing to learn and help others, and communicate with individuals as […]
Glowing Moonflowers
By Grace Broyles Big Country Master Gardener Moonflowers are gorgeous flowering plants for the night garden, and beautiful hunter-green ones to add interest in a front flowerbed during the day. The white trumpet-like flowers open in the evening to glow all night long and wilt as the new day dawns. But the plant itself stands […]
Cicadas
By: Kristel Usener Member of the Big Country Master Gardeners When I walk outside and hear the loud, intense sound of cicadas, it brings so many fond memories of summer. This month’s bug is the cicada. Cicadas are in the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta and the Order Hemiptera. The order Hemiptera is the […]
Chaos Gardening
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association Something grabbed my attention the other day when I was reading an article about gardening and different types of flower, herb, and vegetable beds. Chaos Gardening. My first reaction was shock because I thought someone had peeked over the fence and been surprised by what I call […]
Mandevillas, If You Please!
By Grace Broyles Big Country Master Gardener Looking for color in the hot days of summer? Well, I have a plant for you! The Mandevilla! The species was named in 1840 for a British diplomat and amateur gardener, Sir Henry John Mandeville. He was sent a specimen by another man who discovered it in […]
Watering Tips for Containers
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association I’m a huge fan of gardening in raised beds and containers of all kinds – pots, buckets, and grow bags. Why? Well, here are a few of my reasons. I keep large pots and grow bags on plant dollies with wheels so they have good drainage plus […]
Dealing with Hot, Dry, Windy Weather
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association It’s hot. Very hot. It’s dry. Very dry. And it’s windy. All the time. The temperature in my car seems to be stuck on over 100 degrees, the air conditioner in the house runs almost nonstop day and night, and the feral cats are so hot that […]
Scorpions
By: Kristel Usener Member of the Big Country Master Gardeners This month’s bug of the month is the Scorpion. Scorpions are in the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Arachnida, and the Order Scorpiones. Scorpions’ preference is a dry habitat, so it is no wonder they are common in our area. They can be a nuisance […]
The Portulaca Family
By Grace Broyles Big Country Master Gardener So, what do we call those vibrant and colorful flowering plants that are showing their glory in our flower pots and garden beds in the last few weeks? They are Moss Roses! They are in the Portulacaceae family of plants, some with round and plump fleshy leaves, others […]
