Color in the Garden
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association I’ve spent quite a bit of time sitting in a comfortable chair on the porch looking out at the back yard and making plans for a landscape redesign. So far I have made a list of plants I have in a wading pool waiting to be planted, […]
Why Plant Annuals
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association I’m still working on my landscape and am having trouble deciding what to do next. I planted a couple of new shrubs, some perennials, and a few veggies and herbs all mixed together in my flower gardens, but I still have some room. Since I planted the […]
Bug of the Month: Orbweavers
By: Sarah Adams Member of the Big Country Master Gardeners This month’s bug is the Orbweaver. Orbweavers are in the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Arachnida, and the Order Araneae. Araneidae is a family of a diverse group of spiders known for their intricate web structures and significant ecological roles. These spiders live around the […]
Pentas for the Win
By Grace Broyles Big Country Master Gardener Pentas, or Egyptian Starflowers, have become a great favorite among the summer gardeners in West Texas, including me, for their easy ways and lots of color in a variety of pinks, including violet, and white and red. They love the summer sun and the heat that comes with […]
Paths, Pathways, or Walkways in the Landscape
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association We have lived in our house for over 20 years, and I think the plans for both the house and the yard have changed at least that many times over the years. The backyard is about 140’ by 140’, and what started out as a wonderful opportunity […]
M – Z Spring Tasks and Tips
Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association I am so excited to see some progress in getting my landscape cleaned up and replanted, and I hope you have taken advantage of the great weather to do some of that in your yard too. I previously provided A through L spring tasks and tips, so now […]
Bug of the Month: Squash Bugs
By: Sarah Adams Member of the Big Country Master Gardeners This month’s bug is the squash bug. Squash bugs are in the Animal Kingdom, Phylum Arthropoda, Class Insecta, and the Order Hemiptera making them a “true bug.” Squash bugs are in the family of Coreidae. Coreidae is a large family of predominantly sap-sucking insects in […]
Guara, the Whirling Dervishes
By Grace Broyles Big Country Master Gardener It’s interesting to drive down the highways and the byways of our county in the early spring to see all the growth along the roadsides waving to us in the Texas breezes. When I discovered that the Guara flowering so beautifully at a local hospital years ago was […]
A – L List of Spring Tasks and Tips
By Jackie Sledge Big Country Master Gardener Association Spring is here! I am taking advantage of the wonderful warm temperatures to clean out flower beds, trim plants, cutback shrubs, and get ready to put the plants that I purchased from the BCMGA Spring Plant Sale in the ground. I am so excited to try some […]
BCMGA Spring Plant Sale
It is officially spring, and that means the Big Country Master Gardener Association Spring Plant Sale is almost here! Last week was a busy, but exciting, time for Master Gardeners as we prepared for this annual event. We came through another summer of record-breaking high temperatures and dry conditions, and many trees, shrubs, and plants […]
