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not it influences the market to the ex-

tent that it has to be addressed.‖

If landscaping took on an extraordinary

tone, such a scale replica of the statue

of King David on the front lawn, the ap-

praisal district would address the item

on an individual basis, Mrs. Moraw said.

Though a normally well-dressed yard

would not be considered in assessing tax-

able value on a parcel, it would bring

more money on the real estate market,

she said.

Patios, even basic flagstone or poured

concrete

attached

to the

house are

taxable.

Gazebos

and decks

are tax-

able as

struc-

tures, as

are green-

houses,

except for

the port-

able,

hooped

green-(Continued on page 5)

L i t t l e R i v e r B a s i n M a s t e r G a r d e n e r A s s o c i a t i o n

March-April 2008 Volume 1 Issue 4

Most Master Gardeners go about the

task of making the world a better place

by applying their knowledge and experi-

ence in ecology, horticulture and land-

scaping with little thought of how such

beautification might impact property

taxes.

Though Master Gardeners likely will

have the prettiest lawns and flowers on

the block, the county’s property apprais-

ers—though they certainly would enjoy

the scenery--will not be paying attention

to perfect landscaping when they assess

property for tax purposes, said Milam

County Chief Appraiser Patricia J.

Moraw.

―We don’t evaluate those types of

things,‖ she said. ―The only time they

would be appraised would be if it served

a use to the property. We classify the

house and value the lot.‖

Property evaluations for ad valorem tax

purposes do not involve appraising yard

treatments, such as fountains, statuary,

sundials, birdbaths, window boxes, orna-

mental windmills, or outdoor furniture.

Location and use influence the appraisal

of the land, Mrs. Moraw said.

―An improvement to the land, which

means you have added trees or made a

water way, may or may not be taxable,‖

she said. ―It’s according to whether or

Milam Plant News

Raisin’ Taxes

Inside this issue:

Harvesting Knowledge 2

Going Green 3

View from the Oval Gar-den

4

April Plant Sale/Upcoming Events

5

The Shade Garden Chal-lenge

6

In Search of Heir Blooms

7

The Almanac Says! 8

Garden Variety/Butterfly Bower

9

How to Use Your Garden Harvest

11

EarthWords staff:

Ann Collins, editor/publisher; Jeanne Williams, editor; Anne Barr, assistant editor and webmaster; and staff writ-ers, Kerri Cunningham, Janice Johnson and Renee Sadler .

Special thanks to:

Mary Waldson-proof reading

Shirley Williams-photography

LRBMGA Contributors:

Susan Humble-article

Master Gardener supporters from Texas Cooperative Extension:

Jon Gersbach, Cheryl Walker, Erica Ortmann, Marcia Felton and Diann Mitchell.

EarthWords is a bi-monthly publication of Little River Basin Master Gardener Association to educate and inspire our gardeners in an entertaining format.

Jon Gersbach, MS

County Extension Agent

Milam County

254.697.7045

[email protected]

The Texas Master Gardener of Texas activities

are coordinated by AgriLIFE EXTENSION,

Texas A&M System. Texas Master Gardener

programs serve all people regardless of socio-

economic level, race, color, sex, religion, disabil-

ity or national origin.

Contact us at:

[email protected]

EarthWords Sweet William by Janice Johnson

Garden glamour such as this

archway is non-taxable.

EarthWords Volume 1 Issue 4

March-April 2008 Page 2

Within the Texas Master Gardener Association, a multitude of opportunities

abound to expand your knowledge in par-

ticular areas that you find intriguing

ranging from rainwater harvesting to

greenhouse management.

Advanced training was contrived to em-

power Master Gardeners with knowledge

and skills required to effectively support

and multiply Texas AgriLife Extension’s

efforts in educational programs.

Training often involves hands-on break-

out sessions to enhance learning. Certifi-

cation generally requires service re-

quirements before credentials are com-

plete.

The Texas Master Gardener website,

and agenda for various programs, pro-

vides brief descriptions of specialty ar-

eas:

Rainwater teaches rainwater

harvesting basics, including a

rainfall simulator, the nuts and

bolts of collection systems and uses; how

to build a rain barrel and wildlife wa-

terer; materials for gutters, down-

spouts, filters, tanks and distribution;

rainwater for wildlife and birds; rain

garden basics; landscaping and water

gardens with rainwater in mind; water

quality and water testing; and a tour of

various rainwater collection installations.

Propagation instruct the rudi-

ments of plant sexual and asex-

ual propagation, seed production,

budding, grafting, layering, plant division,

techniques and tools of the trade.

Oak Wilt outlines fundamentals of

tree and disease biology and extent

and control in Texas; trenching and

injection practices; problems in oak

trees; and diagnosis of oak wilt.

Junior Master Gardener focuses

on ―growing good kids‖ by igniting a

passion for learning, success and

service through a unique garden-

ing education; cultivating a love of plants

and gardening while fostering leadership

and community service in youth across

Texas; plus ideas for establishing a suc-

cessful partnership and cultivating com-

munity support.

Entomology means insect identifi-

cation, ecology and management;

biting and stinging insects; inte-

grated pest management and pesticide

safety; butterfly gardening; photogra-

phy; greenhouses and interior-scapes;

Southern plant diagnostics; insect col-

lection; preservation and curation of ar-

thropod samples; in addition to fire ant

biology and control.

Greenhouse Management imparts

such information as basic

greenhouse equipment, con-

struction, supplies and materials; green-

house culture including media, potting

techniques, irrigation management and

fertilization; propagation including basic

seed propagation and propagation by di-

vision, layering and cuttings

Earthkind means the preservation

and protection of valuable natural

resources using research-proven

and environmentally friendly practices.

It combines the best of organic and tra-

ditional gardening and landscaping princi-

ples with goals to reduce the volume of

water, fertilizers and pesticides used in

the landscape, and reduce the volume of

yard waste entering landfills.

Harvesting knowledge By Janice Johnson

Garden wisdom

One of the healthiest

ways to gamble is with

a spade and a package

of garden seed.

– Dan Bennett

Little River Basin Mas-ter Gardeners’ Specialists in their Fields:

Rainwater Harvesting

James Anderle

Katherine Bedrich

Susan Humble

Jim O’Donnell

Sandra O’Donnell

Barbara Rinard

John Rinard

Propagation

Connie Anderle

Junior Master Gardner

Renee Sadler

Oak Wilt

Paul Unger



By Jon Gersbach, Milam County agent for

Texas AgriLife Extension, Ag and natural resources

eration, etc., and the plants take

it up and use it to produce oxygen

for us to use. It’s nature’s ulti-

mate air filter.

We discussed Switch grass, a

plant that is becoming extremely

popular as a potential to increase

the carbon sequestration process,

Panicum virgatum L, or Switch

grass. It is a plant that is very

easy to grow, has a home range of

all contiguous 48 states as well as

Canada, grows on a variety of soils

and sites, and is an excellent na-

tive plant choice for wildlife

cover, livestock forage, and soils

conservation.

The tentative plan for the re-

search is as follows- the research

teams at Blackland will propagate

tillers of Switch grass in pots to

be planted in mid-May. The volun-

teer will receive three pots to be

planted somewhere in their gar-

den, landscape, or property, 1 me-

ter (~39 inches) apart, allowed to

grow. At the end of the growing

season, myself and any willing vol-

unteers, will come out annually

and "harvest" the biomass pro-

duced by the plant. Blackland

researchers know how much car-

bon one pound of dried Switch

grass biomass sequesters from

the atmosphere.

After cutting, a simple weigh-

ing, and recording, the biomass

will be either returned to the vol-

unteer to add to their compost

pile, or potentially taken with the

researchers to be used in other

research projects such as cellu-

It is time for the Little River

Basin Master Gardeners to "Go

Green!"

We have all heard it. Going

Green seems like everyone is do-

ing it. Especially anyone in the

public sector. Many of you have

been doing it, for various reasons,

for years. Recycling, conserving,

reusing. Now as the price of en-

ergy continues to go up, and as

the results of our impact begin to

be more fully understood, it has

become time to "clean up.‖

Now, the purpose of this arti-

cle is not to discuss global warm-

ing and polar ice cap melting. It

is to discuss an amazing opportu-

nity to be involved with some ex-

citing new applied research that

will not only make a positive im-

pact now, but will begin to shift

some paradigms in our own com-

munities, but potentially state,

nationally, and globally.

During a Master Naturalist

tour of the Blackland Research

Center, Dr. Dennis Hoffman, who

does work primarily in the field of

water quality, approached me.

However, they also are interested

in the science of "carbon seques-

tration", a term I was unfamiliar

with, but a process we all know

happens, just because it does.

We remember from week one

Botany 101 that plants need car-

bon dioxide to carry out photo-

synthesis. They get this carbon

from the air. The carbon comes

from many sources - animals, de-

composition, cars, electric gen-

losic ethanol

production and

energy genera-

tion. I am ask-

ing each Mas-

ter Gardener

to consider

participating in

this applied

research.

Please let

me know as soon as possible if you

are willing to put in a plot. It also

does not have to be a monoculture.

Salvia and Indiangrass can be

planted along with it to provide

wonderful wildlife habitat for but-

terflies, birds, rabbits, and provide

nest building materials, etc.

Also, if you know of any other

individuals or businesses in the

community that would be interested

in being a part of this exciting op-

portunity please let me know as

well. I will be sending an email with

the growth characteristics as well

as some other items surrounding

the planting, care, and process of

this project.

Master Naturalists, 4-H mem-

bers, area schools, businesses, indi-

viduals, and the county and city gov-

ernments will all be welcomed to

become "Carbon Gardeners" and

install their own "Carbon Garden".

Plans are in the works to make

yard signs for participants. Fact

sheets will be dissiminated to ex-

plain the impact that your three

switch grass plants are making in

reducing our footprint for

generations to come.

Jon Gersbach

CEA-ANR - Milam County

Going Green



View From the Oval Garden Ann Collins, President

Ann Collins, Little River Basin

Master Gardener Association

President.

From The

President’s Desk

Nineteenth Century English nov-elist Anne Bronte wrote: ―But he

that dares not grasp the thorn

should never crave the rose.‖

At this time of year, I begin to

crave my roses. Everything is so

drab and just on the verge of

emerging spring. Warm days fool

me into thinking spring is just

around the corner. I want to plant

all those seeds I have ordered or

bought on a whim.

Do y’all do that too? I have to

restrain myself when I pass any

seed display. I will have one of

these, and one of those and maybe

that one, too.

Sensible, restrained thinking has

no place at all in the mind and life

of a gardener. Therefore, I tell

myself, ―Go ahead and get it.‖ This

plant might just be the one thing

that will make my garden special

this year.

As I was cleaning my beds in

preparation for the new spring

plants, I sadly found a few dead

plants. One of my Belinda’s Dream

roses was dead as a stick. I did not

know one could kill a Belinda’s

Dream. I wonder what happened to

it.

Did the gophers get the succu-

lent roots last fall and did not no-

tice. I absolutely LOVE that rose.

The blooms are just spectacular,

the scent is positively intoxication

and it is so dependable. I would

love to plant a hedge of them

around my chicken house. In these

damp, warm days of winter, the

odor can be a bit overwhelming.

Well, back to the nursery. I

think I could keep them in busi-

ness all by myself.

When everything is dormant, I

always find just the spot for

about six more pink Fairies. They

can be tucked in anywhere. This

winter mine seemed to be more

ragged looking than usual but the

ones in the Triangle Demonstra-

tion Garden do not look all that

wonderful either. So, I guess

they will do their thing and be

just as pink and lovely as usual.

Wishing for spring never

makes it come any faster. I won-

der why I continue to long for

spring.

The yellow rose border around

the ―Texas Porch‖ looks better

than any of the others. They are

totally protected from the north,

and west so they always put on

new growth first. I think I will

try cutting them back a bit

sooner this year than those that

are more exposed to the ele-

ments. I dislike having to cut off

those lovely dark red leaves and

even some buds.

Cutting new buds is a difficult

task. I simply cannot do it. So,

the bushes get quite leggy and

look terrible in the heat of sum-

mer. I need something Texan to

plant around the base of the

roses this year. The spot gets a

great deal of shade in the sum-

mer, so I never have much suc-

cess with it. I would love a bright

yellow coreopsis or some rud-

beckia. Last year I found a lovely

silk wreath of rudbeckia. Yes! I

did say, ―silk.‖ Somehow, it satis-

fied my longing.

My ―Monster‖ rose, with the tiny,

delicate pink roses-- that smell so

divine one would want to eat them--

on the arbor of the deck has grown

to unbelievable proportions. I

never would have thought a climb-

ing Cecile Burner could get that

big. This rose is like Plantzilla in

the children’s book we used in the

Junior Master Gardener program

last year. I do not think it has

eaten anyone, yet. The more I cut

it back, the more it grows. This

plant is attached to the arbor with

heavy-duty tie-downs for securing

things in trailers, three of them!

I need to find something a bit

more attractive before long. How-

ever, then maybe the rose will just

cover them up. I do hope everyone

is looking forward to spring and

maybe doing a few practical chores

instead of useless dreaming.

Happy gardening to everyone.



houses covered with plastic sheeting,

Mrs. Moraw said.

―Your other greenhouses are taxable

and they are taxable whether they are

commercial or if they are sitting in

your back yard,‖ Mrs. Moraw said.

―Why they tax one and not the other,

was a move through the Legislature.

The main reason I have always heard

was because one is temporary and one

is not.‖

Trees are factored in appraised

value if they are orchard plantings for

the production of fruit and nuts, and

would be considered in the same cate-

gory as agricultural land, where corn

or hay crops are cultivated, she said.

Trees planted individually for land-

scaping, although they may produce

fruit, are not appraised, she said.

The Texas Property Tax Code pro-

vides an appraisal method for assess-

(Continued from page 1, ―Raisin Taxes ) ing the value of trees on special prop-

erties, specifically ―high-dollar lake

lots and high-priced developments,‖

Mrs. Moraw said. ―We do not have

those types of properties here.‖

Master Gardeners assured that

they are not raising taxes along with

plants as they make their corner of

the Earth a better place, may find

that property appraisal rules in Texas

have some interesting aspects. In

some areas of the Lone Star State,

such as parcels being snatched up for

development in the Hill Country, the

view the residents would enjoy from

their front porch, is assessed by prop-

erty appraisers. Meaning homes that

face an unencumbered view of a spec-

tacular Texas sunset would bring a

higher property appraisal than a house

of similar worth that faces an auto

junk yard, simply because the occu-

pants would not enjoy the same view,

Mrs. Moraw said. Fortunately, in Milam

County, those sunsets are free.

4th Annual Plant SALE: Saturday, April 12th

9:00a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Triangle Demonstration

Garden in Cameron

Still need ... Trees

Shrubs

Ground-cover

Seedlings

Plants of all sorts

Perennials

Annuals

Succulents

Natives

Seeds

Garden crafts/art

Contact:

Debbie Harris:

([email protected])

Or Dorothea Vickers

([email protected] )

Which elements are taxable?

Sitting areas of this design are not considered a patio therefore they are non-

taxable. The greenhouse in the background is taxable.

Don’t forget our March

and April meetings:

March 19, 10:00 am at

the Cameron Chamber of

Commerce. Program will

be Bamboo by Kinder

Chambers

April 16, 6:00 pm at the

Milano Methodist Church.

Program will be Flower

Arranging by Martha New-

man

http://us.f431.mail.yahoo.com/ym/[email protected]://us.f431.mail.yahoo.com/ym/[email protected]



felt that we needed to avoid disturb-

ing the roots of the post oaks as much

as possible.

All of the soil in this area was turned

several times with compost and ground

up leaves incorporated. It is black land

and soil testing showed it only needed

a small amount of nitrate, approxi-

mately .4 pounds per 1,000 square

feet.

Research

Never having built a shade garden, I

knew virtually nothing. I purchased

three books: The Complete Shade

Garden by George Schenk, Gardening

in the Shade by the Editors of Horti-

culture, and an Encyclopedia of Shade

Perennials by George Schmid. The sec-

ond one was the one that I found the

most helpful, but all of them are good

research books to have in your library.

Early on I realized that post oaks be-

ing deciduous gave me a wider selec-

tion of plants. For instance, maybe I

could plant things that bloom before

the leaves come out – like daffodils.

Additionally, I learned about the

varying degrees of shade: light or dap-

pled shade, open shade, me-

dium shade or deep shade. My

area is somewhere between

dappled and open. Dappled is

bright enough that full-sun

plants will grow (I haven’t

tried any yet). In open shade

the light is bright, but not

direct sun [The definitions of

shade come from Shade Gar-

den by The National Home

Gardening Club which I only

recently received.] I found that

many times the staff of good

nurseries are also an excellent

source of information .

Construction and Planting

In order to define my spaces I had

two tons of river rock hauled in.

Their smooth, round surfaces en-

hanced the feeling of peace and

serenity that I was trying to

achieve. I moved a wooden glider

from the deck to the shade garden.

I then made a path from the side

door of the house to the glider us-

ing large flats pieces of limestone.

These have a natural outer, color-

ful layer that turns blue-green

when wet. (I only have seven and

wish I had more.)

When I started planting, I ini-

tially settled on begonias for some

color and a variety of ferns with

different heights and textures.

Among the types of ferns that I

used were: holly, asparagus, horse-

tail, Japanese painted, and maiden-

hair. A few hostas were inserted

along with coral bells. I also planted

daffodils, dwarf iris, and dwarf day

lillies as a test. Would they get (Continued on page 8)

When I moved into the old Flynn

house almost thirty years ago,

the landscape consisted of: a row

of photinia in front of the house;

three rows of althea on the east

and west sides of the lot; and a

bed of cannas.

I enjoy being surrounded by

beautiful flowers and foliage, but

not the gardening work neces-

sary to have them. Slowly over

the years hedges and flowerbeds

were put in place, making an attrac-

tive setting for a lovely old house.

One area remained untouched.

Between the driveway and the

fence was a ―natural‖ space full of

overgrown cherry laurel that

reached approximately 8-feet to 10

-feet high, nandina, and briars. The

only efforts made towards mainte-

nance were to trim the tops to

keep them at a reasonable height.

Having recently earned my Master

Gardener certification, I felt

something needed to be done.

Site Preparation

Getting rid of the vegetation in

the area was complicated by the

presence of three large post oak

trees-- each approximately 75-105

inches in circumference. We, mean-

ing me and my hard working garden

helper – mostly him, began with a

chain saw, loppers, shovels, and a

spading fork to remove the un-

wanted plants. The complication

occurred because in digging up the

roots--which sometimes were mas-

sive for these well-established

plants--we used only hand tools. I

The Shade Garden Challenge by Susan Humble

Before the Master Gardener’s Touch



Pioneers to Central

Texas left behind a living

legacy. Each spring, it is

easy to find these gifts

growing up in unlikely

places: a gorgeous bed of daffodils

growing in a roadside ditch; ceme-

teries abloom with iris; and day-

lilies springing up in a hay meadow.

Since spring is the time when

these antique beauties debut each

year, now would be the time to take

note on where these plants are lo-

cated for future reference. Hope-

fully, this would lead to the pres-

ervation of this unusual gift.

Plants, the great-grandchildren

of the hearty bulbs our predeces-

sors planted in their gardens and

cemeteries, are being lost because

of neglect, grazing, herbicides, and

land use practices.

Most of these legacy plants were

brought here by the early settlers

and were planted on their home-

steads. Post WWII saw a move-

ment off the farm and the aban-

In search of Heir-Blooms

donment of small homesteads, pre-

cipitating the loss.

I n the spring one can drive

around the country side and ob-

serve plants growing in seemingly

out of place locations. The plants,

including an abundance of crepe

myrtles, and iris, mark the old

homesteads that often have left no

other trace other than the legacy

plants.

If these plants are so hearty as

to bloom each spring in the wake of

droughts, floods, freezes, and on-

slaughts of grazing animals, these

garden gems definitely qualify as

garden treasures.

Master Gardeners have dis-

cussed developing a plan to pre-

serve these disappearing plants,

which have shown to be quite hardy

by their continuing existence. A

group could be organized, and a

Master Gardener who has a high-

level of inspiration as well as a good

working knowledge of these plants

would make a good team leader.

Be creative with fresh or dried herbs and spices, and you’ll never miss the salt.

Stir dill weed into nonfat yogurt and make a sauce; use it for a cucumber salad or on poached salmon.

Mix ground allspice, cinnamon, or cloves into sweet potatoes or winter squash for a hint of sweetness.

Add minced fresh gingerroot or ground red pepper to fire up an Oriental stir-fry.

Create your own seasoning blends. Oregano, rosemary, savory, marjoram, basil, and thyme make a nice Italian mix.

The project would involve

enlisting the aid of landowners to

notify Master Gardeners in the

spring upon the emergence of pos-

sible legacy plants, our visiting

the site to identify the plants. f

a legacy plant is identified, mark

the site because six months later,

after all foliage has disappeared

and with the owners permission

we would return and dig up the

bulbs, replanting half in the same

location and removing the remain-

der to two different sites for

propagation.

The goal is to preserve these

plants and eventually have a nurs-

ery stock from which these plants

can be disseminated to many loca-

tions for preservation in our mod-

ern yards and gardens, and ulti-

mately passed down to future

generations of gardeners, like the

living legacy bequeathed to us by

our fore-

runners.



sufficient light under the Post

Oaks to store what they need to

return a second year?

Results

Overall, I am pleased with how

the garden turned out. It is a rest-

ful place to sit with a cup of coffee

or a glass of wine. The first year

was a good start, but more plants

need to be added this spring to

make it fuller. The begonias

thrived and bloomed profusely. The

hostas did not grow well; they

merely survived. The coral bells the

same. Of the ferns, the holly, as-

paragus, and Japanese painted grew

well, especially the asparagus. The

maidenhair did not survive. The

horsetail was moderately success-

ful. The daffodils bloomed as did

the day lillies and dwarf iris . It

remains to be seen if they stored

enough nutrients to return. In mid-

February, the daffodils came up.

I added four more coral bells.

The plants are small but the leaves

are attractive. Hopefully they will

(Continued from page 6, ) grow and spread out as they be-

come established. I want to add

more ferns. TemBel Nursery in

Temple has a wide assortment and

a knowledgeable staff. I plan to

increase the number of asparagus,

horsetail, and Japanese

painted, and try some

new ones, too.

I have added two

books to my library for

ideas on new plant se-

lection: Ultimate Per-

ennials for Sun and

Shade from Garden

Gate and The Shady

Border, a Brooklyn Bo-

tanic Garden publica-

The Almanac Says! By Janice Johnson

pepper plants, pumpkins, spinach,

Swiss chard, and tomato plants.

Sweet corn should be planted by

the middle to end of March, while

mid-March to early-to-mid-April is

the best time to plant beans, cu-

cumbers, eggplant, muskmelons,

squash, sweet potatoes and water-

melon. Leek can be planted until

mid-April and okra should be

planted from mid-April to June 1.

tion. It has been a fun learning ex-

perience. My next goal is to learn

the proper names for what I have

in my garden. Shouldn’t be too

hard, right?

Areas for rest

and relaxation

As we welcome spring we’ll be

spending a lot more time in our gar-

dens with the busy planting season

upon us. The 2008 Southern Edi-

tion of The Old Farmers Almanac

recommends specific date ranges

for outdoor planting.

The Almanac suggests planting

the following by early to mid-

March: broccoli, Brussels sprouts,

cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, col-

lards, endive, kale, lettuce, parsley,

According to the Revised Edition

Month-By-Month Gardening in

Texas by Dan Gill and Dale Groom,

March is the time to seriously be-

gin planning your warm-season

flower beds. Some seeds can be

direct-seeded now, including cle-

ome, cosmos, Dahlberg daisy, mari-

gold and rudbeckia; once the shoots

come up remember to cover them if

nighttime lows are predicted to go

below the low 30s. To keep cool-

(Continued on page 10)



A photo accompanies most plants

discussed in the book. All descrip-

tions include pertinent information

about shade, water, and disease

propensity. Plant diseases are illus-

trated in photographs.

Mr. Sperry also includes instruc-

tions on caring for the sick plant

and recommends a list of products

to use. Procedures, such as tree

pruning, have easy to follow dia-

grams and instructions. The text is

not all-dry reading. The reader will

become acquainted with Mr. Sperry

through his writing, since he makes

commentaries on subjects such as

Texas gardeners will discover this

fantastic reference guide is an ex-

pansion of the first edition, follow-

ing the same format for delivering

horticultural information.

In the landscaping section, Mr.

Sperry yields basics followed by

details, covering trees, shrubs,

vines, and ground covers, advising

readers everything needed to know

about flowers.

Since the book is specific to

Texas, Mr. Sperry lets the reader

know what can and cannot be grown

in Texas, in each particular climate

zone.

BROWSING THE BASIN Veterans Memorial Park

Butterfly bower

our backyards, provided we beckon

them with the proper landscaping.

Little River Basin Master Garden-

ers put out the butterfly welcome

mat at a public garden in 2005 by

crafting a small, rock-encircled cor-

ner garden, shining in full-sun splen-

dor with such fragrant, nectar-

producing butterfly favorites as

Acanthus Red, Cigar Bush, Copper

Canyon Daisies, Firecracker Bush,

Pink Guara, Lantana, Mexican Bush

Sage, Mexican Marigolds, Purple

Cone Flowers, Butterfly Bush, Phlox

Pink, Plumeria Blue, and salvia

dressed in purple and red.

Last year, Little River Basin Mas-

ter Gardeners placed a sign in the

park to document the plot to human

visitors because butterflies have

been dropping in for two years.

The garden was placed in the southwest corner away from the

play for obvious reasons, plus it

gets full sun and is a more private

area, said Sandy Braswell, a Master

Gardener who worked on the but-

terfly garden project.

(Continued on page 10)

If the Veterans Memorial Park

butterfly garden in Rockdale laid

out a guest book, there probably

would be documented touchdowns

of such Lepidoptera aristocracy as

Spicebush Swallowtails, Red Admi-

ral, Mourning Cloak Zebra Long-

wing, Gulf Frittilary, Sulphur

Southern Dogface, Pipeville Swal-

lowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, Silver

Spotted Skiller, and the magnifi-

cent Monarch.

In Texas, where everything is big-

ger and better, some 430 species

of butterflies have been docu-

mented, and could come a-callin’ to

.Neil Sperry’s Complete Guide to Texas Gardening , 2nd edition By Renee Sadler

GARDEN VARIETY Book Reviews

338 pages. More than 338,000 first

editions sold. 400 new illustrations;

400 new plants, and 500 new photo-

graphs

"tree-topping"—when you cut off

top of a tree as if you were giving

it a buzz cut—a practice that he

despises.

Neil Sperry’s reputation as a

horticultural writer and broad-

caster has won him

recognition both

statewide and na-

tionally.

Butterflies all flutter up and kiss each little buttercup at dawning-- From the song ―Carolina in the Morning‖ by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz



―The ground was so hard that I

had to bring in a disc and box blade

to break it up,‖ Sandy said.

The city of Rockdale donated

eight yards of sand and provided a

hidden water connection. Gardeners

imported eight yards of compost and

blended soils with a tiller. Lin Perry

donated rocks that surround the bed

to raise the patch and give good

drainage for the water-thrifty

plants.

Hubert Penny was a helper on the garden, Sandy said.

―After the soil was prepared and

ready, which took about a week,‖

Sandy recalled.

Basin Gardener Jim Gober was ex-

tremely helpful with flower choices,

all low water, low maintenance, na-

tive, full sun flora.

(Continued from page 9, ―Butterfly Bower‖) ―The main thought of the arrange-

ment was to do a mirror image on

both sides as noted in the first

planting,‖ Sandy said. ―But as we all know, plants die and get replaced.

It was an extremely hot summer

and the focal point Bottle Brush

Tree died right off.‖

Rob Mcghee, former owner of

Premier Irrigation put in the water

system, ―with a remote battery

operated timer to water

three times a week early in

the morning so as hopefully

no one will know where the

sprinklers or timer are lo-

cated,‖ Sandy explained.

Bonnie George, Anne Barr

and Connie Roddy have done

an excellent job of keeping

the garden beautiful and

weeded and labels on the

plants, he said.

season annuals looking neat and to

encourage continued flowering,

deadhead the flowers often, espe-

cially on annual phlox, calendula,

dianthus, pansy, snapdragon and

sweet pea.

Weeds will thrive this time of

year so it’s important to keep beds

well mulched (at least three inches

of mulch). Summer-flowering bulbs

should be planted and existing sum-

mer bulbs should be divided and

transplanted. Faded flowers and

developing seedpods should be re-

moved from faded flowers of any

spring-flowering bulbs that are to

be kept for bloom next year. Per-

ennials should be transplanted and

(Continued from page 8, ―The Almanac Says!‖)

divided by the end

of March to help

prevent trans-

plant shock. Con-

tainer roses may

be planted

through March;

planting them in

April will cause

the roses to be-

come established

while blooming.

May the re-

wards of your

work during these

months be a boun-

tiful harvest and

colorful, beautiful

flowers!

March April Broccoli Sweet Corn

Brussels sprouts Beans Cabbage Cucumber Carrots Eggplant

Cauliflower Muskmelons Collards Squash Endive Sweet potatoes Kale watermelon

Lettuce Parsley Pepper

Pumpkins Spinach

Swiss chard Tomato

Direct Seeding of

cleome, cosmos, Dahlberg daisy,

marigold and rudbeckia

―It probably would have been

better to have put it in during Oc-

tober to give the plants time to

develop before the summer but the

selection of plants would have not

been there,‖ Sandy said.

Words of wisdom from a veteran

butterfly gardener: ―Always get

the soil ready and moist before you

buy that beautiful plant.‖

Photography by Shirley Williams



We’re on the Web :

http://grovesite.com/mg/lrb

President - Ann Collins

Past President - Jackie Thornton

1st Vice President - Katherine Bedrich

2nd Vice President - Sandra Dworaczyk

Recording Secretary - Bonnie George

Corresponding Secretary - Renee Sadler

Treasurer - Susan Humble

Historian - Mary Waldson

Board Member- Debbi Harris

L i t t l e R i v e r B a s i n M a s t e r

G a r d e n e r A s s o c i a t i o n

HOW TO USE YOUR GARDEN

HARVEST

Gardens are not made by singing,

―Oh, how beautiful,‖

and sitting in the shade.—

Rudyard Kipling

Green Chile Salsa

2 Cups Chopped tomato

2 Cans 4(oz) Chopped green chil-

ies, drained

1/4 Cup Diced Onions

2 Tbsp Minced, fresh cilantro

1/4 Tsp Sugar

Combine all ingredients in

a medium bowl; stir well.

Cover and chill salsa at

least 2 hours.

Yield: 3 cups.

2 Egg Plant, Small, sliced

5 Tbsp Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar

2 Cloves Garlic -- Crushed

1/2 Tsp Cumin -- Ground

1/2 Tsp Coriander -- Ground

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

1/2 Cucumber -- Thinly sliced

2 Tomatoes, ripe -- Thinly sliced

2 Tbsp plain nonfat yogurt

Parsley , flat leaf -- Chopped

salt and pepper

Preheat the broiler. Brush the eggplant slices

lightly with some of the oil and cook under high

heat, turning once, until golden and tender .

Cut into quarters

Combine the remaining oil, vinegar, garlic,

cumin, coriander and lemon juice then season

with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Add

the warm eggplant, stir well and then chill for

at least 2 hours.

Add the cucumbers and tomatoes. Transfer to

a serving dish and spoon the yogurt on top.

Sprinkle with parsley.

4 servings

Spiced Egg Plant Salad

"The Heart Healthy Cookbook", Oxmoor House Inc., Copyright 1992.

―World Cook’s Collection, Mediterranean Kitchen, Jacqueline

Clark and Joanna Farrow, Barnes & Noble Books, 2002

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