LE TOUR
DES JARDINS
|
PLANTS WANTED – NEEDED!
Le
Tour des Jardins 2004 is just around the corner, May 1 and 2, 2004, and this is
peak time to collect and grow plants to bring to the Plant Sale. The best-selling plants in past sales have
been of a wide assortment, but all have been healthy plants, insect- and
disease-free, potted at least a month ahead, if possible, for development of
good root systems and showing no signs of transplant shock. Healthy plants sell quickly.
Homegrown
pass-along plants are preferred to plants purchased from a nursery. Buyers are
most attracted to plants rooted in rich, loose potting soil without grass,
weeds or yard soil to detract from the plant’s beauty. To sell well, plants
must be clearly labeled with either the common and/or botanical name of the
plant in writing that’s easy to read and won’t wash off when the plant is
watered.
Popular
plants in the Le Tour 2003 Plant Sale were oregano, chives, mints, rosemary,
mullein, feverfew, bee balm and lemon balm.
Other favorites were blackberries, cashmere bouquet, clematis, roses,
crape myrtles, ferns, forsythia, gaillardia, hollyhock, Persian shield, mock
orange, iris, hosta, nandina, montbretia, narcissus, obedient plant, orchids,
sedum, shrimp plant, vinca and yarrow.
Also selling well were canna lilies, spider lilies, ginger lilies,
crinum and daylilies as well as bromeliads, aloe vera, spider plants and an
assortment of bulbs.
All Master Gardeners are urged to donate the plants they
grow best, the plants they’re most interested in having and any plants they
have in abundance. Pass along as many
plants as possible. The more plants
donated and the larger the variety, the more successful our sale will be. So even if your garden has only lawn,
liriope and aspidistra, you have something to donate -- keep the lawn, but pot up some aspidistra and liriope. Everyone has something to contribute. Everyone!!
If seed-sowing is your forte, try All-American selections
like Prairie Sun Rudbeckia or Profusion Zinnias in cherry, orange and white or
try any easy-to-grow seed like cleome, cosmos, marigold, aster, monarda,
ageratum. Summer-flowering bulbs such
as agapanthus, canna, crinum, elephant ear, butterfly ginger, tuberose, rain
lilies and lycoris can be lifted and divided.
Rescue potted Easter lilies after Easter or rescue plants from
construction sites. Ask a neighbor for
cuttings or divisions of anything they have in abundance. Use your creativity and garden talents for
gathering and growing plants to contribute to the sale.
Whether dividing perennials,
rooting cuttings or sowing
seeds, use pots at least 4 inches
in diameter that are new
or that have been cleaned (soak
pots for 15 minutes in a solution of one-quarter cup household bleach per
gallon
of water). Free pots can be picked up in the garage at
the Master Gardener house at RRRS.
Please use the plant registration form that is available at
the monthly Master Gardener general meetings, in The Seedling, and at www.nwlamg.org to help keep track of the
number and type of plants donated.
Because our group is so active and easily racks up so many hours of
credit, hours of credit will no longer be applied per pot. Therefore it is very important to keep track
of the time
you spend getting your plants ready for the sale.
Please deliver the plants and registration form to the Plant
Sale site at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, 3015 Greenwood Road, on
Thursday, April 29, between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Friday, April 30, 2004,
between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
To reduce stress and confusion on tour days, plants will not
be accepted on Saturday or Sunday unless prior arrangements have been
made. Please call me at 865-4594 if you
have any suggestions or questions.
·
Alicia
Cunningham, 2004 Plant Sale Chairman
IN MEMORIAM |
CHILD OF WONDER – AVIS
FOSTER
She
couldn’t have been 73 years old! Her energy was as great as that of any
16-year-old. When we went to San Antonio for the 1998 Master Gardeners
Conference, she had more energy than the youngest of us all.
Her mind was sharp as a tack -she knew not only the common name of
every wildflower, but also the botani-cal name.
She was known for taking her wildflower book with her when she went on a trip
and insisting that the driver stop when there was even a possibility that a
flower she didn’t know was to be seen. Whether it was an “old flower friend” or
a new species, she would become so excited, just like a little child. Nothing
could make her more happy. Her eyes were brighter than those of most
40-year-olds, especially when she talked of her love for native plants. She
knew the secret of living in the present, and she enjoyed all of life’s gifts.
Avis
was a giver. When we mentioned a plant we would love to have, she would get excited
and tell us that she had one and that she would love to root it for us. I bet most of you have a plant in your
garden right now that Avis has given to you.
Her
spirit was so full of wonder. Can’t you just see that beautiful, precious lady
smiling at you and asking, “Well, how in the world are you?” Somehow I can
feel her saying in our time of grief,
“It’s all over now and I am safe in the arms of God.”
There
is an old saying that what you have loved on this earth with help you home. I
know in my heart that the plant spirits that live in her flowers accompanied
her that night and wrapped themselves in her heart’s cloth. Go out and touch
one of your plants, whether Avis gave it to you or not, and accompany the
plant’s choir in singing her precious soul to heaven.
·
Sue Crow
WORLD OF GARDENING
EVALUATIONS
REPORT
Can
it really have been four months since the World of Gardening Conference? Well,
yes...time collapses back into a routine for those of us who were busily
engaged in this job only a few months ago. Planning is beginning now for WOG
2004. We'll keep you posted and really begin work after Le Tour des Jardins is
over.
The evaluations from WOG 2003 pose some interesting
thoughts. I'm going to paraphrase them here, and if you'd still like to get in
your 2 cents worth, just let me know! We’d love to know what you thought too.
In the evaluations submitted, it's nice to know there was no whining...no BIG
gripes...and really some good information.
The
speakers all received high marks on presenting their message clearly. Penny
McHenry and Adriana Vargo were clearly the favorites, with Carl Schoenfeld
close behind. People weren't too keen on seeing slides of Mexico especially,
but they loved his discussion of rain lilies. (Mine are growing nicely, are
yours?) Connie Cottingham may have lost some of the audience on Sunday morning
(several commenters didn't like Sunday morning sessions), but her low-key style
and message found admirers.
As
far as the real goal that we set goes – education – our evaluations were very
positive, for conference partici-pants felt they had learned a lot and received
what they wanted from the conference. We ranked in the high 40 percent for
program content. Conference goers continue to prefer the group and lecture
format to less structured educational settings such as poster sessions. (I
found it very rewarding to see the happy faces wandering around.) Most people
enjoyed the food too, although some thought it was too much to have
southwestern meals both times. What do you want in the way of food for 2004, people?
Curiously,
people attended the conference who heard about it in the newspaper, on TV, from
word of mouth, by email, the Seedling, and from other Master Gar-deners. We
sent out a BUNCH of literature in the mail. That source of publicity wasn't
mentioned at all! Hmmmmmm. The Registration Committee got high marks for being
friendly, timely in correspondence, and easy to work with. Good job, girls!
You
liked the Highland Center. I thought it worked well too. We're looking forward
to 2004 there. And the Garden Show was a big hit too. People liked the vendor
area and had a great time buying plants. Strangely, some people said they
wanted more vendors selling garden ornaments…and those vendors were the ones
who complained about poor sales. Wonder what we need in the way of garden
decorations? Do you have any suggestions?
Shall
we carry on, then? Just the way we've been at it? 71 percent of respondents
said YES, either continue as is or expand. That's a reassuring number. We're
looking forward to another good conference this October. Keep these dates open,
and plan to attend: October 15, 16, 17, 2004!
·
Lou Osburn
MG ACTIVITIES
|
THE SHADOWS ESTATE
Several
years ago Cultural Crossroads of Minden, Inc., a Webster Parish non-profit arts
and culture organization, established the Shadows estate as a restoration
project. In the spring of 2001, the
Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners accepted as a project participation in the
renovation of the Shadows.
The
Shadows is a historic home and property three miles south of Minden. In the 1800s the Leary family ran the Dixie
Nursery there. Mr. Leary was an avid
horticul-turist, and he propagated a variety of trees, flowers, and edible and
ornamental plants. He raised and sold
these nationally and internationally. The home and outlying buildings will be
renovated to depict what they looked like in the 1800s.
It
is the job of the Master Gardeners to assist in renovat-ing the landscape to
resemble as closely as possible what the grounds looked like then. This entails identifying and rescuing
heirloom plants. Propagation of these plants will also be needed.
At
this point several of our Master Gardeners have participated in field trips and
workdays at the Shadows. Shadows Director
Jan Elshout has led tours of the house and grounds, providing much information
about the history of the place. It is
interesting to see the numbered logs that make up the walls of one of the rooms
and hear the old stories that always accumulate with an old place. My favorite room is the office, which
includes old ledgers, tools and nursery inventories. There is a neat old binder, for want of a better word, that was
used as a salesman’s display. It shows
the different varieties of plants and flowers that were available for sale.
The
Ozark Society has started a nature trail that winds around the property. When complete it will be a lovely place to
walk and observe nature at its best.
The under-growth now is full of many different types of ferns, trees,
native azaleas and lizard’s tail. You
will happen upon hydrangeas, nandina and other plant specimens that were grown
for sale and have adapted naturally in the surrounding woods. Along this path you will see a sassafras
tree that has the distinction of being the biggest sassafras tree in North
Louisiana. Dr. Severn Doughty has also
led tours of the nature path and the property across the street from the log
home. He has been instrumental in identifying the trees and shrubs here. You
can still see rows of crepe myrtles that were grown for nursery use on this
part of the property. There is a huge
China fir tree that reminds me of Jurassic Park – it really looks prehistoric!
If, in the future, you have the opportunity to tour this place, please do so. You won’t be disappointed.
The
Shadows Estate Project Committee has participated in some cleanup around the
house and outbuildings. Nursery beds
were also prepared to accommodate cuttings of trifoliated orange trees (stock
used for root stock for citrus) and roses.
Cuttings of hydrangea next to the house have also been taken. Many bulbs will need to be moved and
preserved before the renovation of the buildings can begin. Our committee hopes to accomp-lish this in
the very early spring.
This
is a very important project. Not only
will we be able to be a part of preserving a wonderful piece of history, but we
will gain much horticultural knowledge as we attempt to reconstruct the
landscape. Keep watch for workdays
planned. All are welcome!
-- Glenda Collums
WHAT’S NEW AT THE HOTLINE
1.
For
those of you who may not have heard, the Hotline now has its own space in the Master Gardener room, northeast
corner of the MG house at the Red River Research Station. And we now have our own computer and a new
telephone that has better sound quality, plus space for more of our resources.
2.
Denyse
Cummins’ secretary, Amy Russell, has assembled a resource book that contains
many pamphlets and articles from the lsuagcenter.com web site, plus a detailed index.
3.
In
addition, Amy will help us by pulling and mailing out literature to callers.
Just write the caller’s name, address and name of the literature you want sent
on a slip of paper, give it to Amy and that’s it. She will also maintain the
Hotline scheduling calendar and will
be available to take your calls from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through
Friday. All this now at one location!
4.
Tip:
NOW is the time to get the remainder
of your required Hotline hours, as
there are not too many calls coming in. But they are picking up, and when the
weather gets better and the new class finishes in March the work-load will be
much, much greater and it will be difficult to get the times you want. Of course, any hours you get above the
requirement will count towards your regular hours.
5.
From
Denyse: “Encourage your callers to use our web site. One way to do this is to
say, ‘I can mail this to you and it will get to you in two to three days. Or,
if you want it now, you can get it
off of our web site, www.lsuagcenter.com.’
“
Call if you have questions.
·
Dan Smith, Hotline
Coordinator
GREEN THINGS
|
BEWARE OF
COCOA MULCH
Make mulch out of chocolate? Yes, cocoa bean mulch, made
from the beans used in production of chocolate, is organic, deters slugs and
snails, and gives gardens an appealing chocolatey smell. But it also attracts
and poisons dogs.
Cocoa beans contain the stimulants caffeine and theobromine.
In dogs, low doses can cause stomach upset (pain, diarrhea, vomiting); higher
doses cause rapid heart rate, seizures and death. You already know not to give
your dog chocolate – don’t expose him to cocoa bean mulch either.
About
two ounces of the mulch can sicken a 50-pound dog, and nine ounces can kill
him. Small dogs would be affected by smaller amounts.
If
you suspect your dog has eaten a mulch containing theobromine, contact your
veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (1-888-426-4435).
Better, check the ingredients and avoid mulches containing caffeine and
theobromine.
(From
ASPCA Poison Control Center and www.snopes.com)
POTTER’S BENCH
|
JEFFERSON THE
GARDENER
An experimental horticulturalist, Thomas Jefferson was our
country’s first serious gardener, a man who loved redbud trees and planted them
around his country house, Monticello.
In
his spare time, Jefferson was president. But his political life, as he often
pointed out, was merely “circumstance.” His real passion was gardening. In
1766, he started his Garden Book, a journal in which he recorded all the
details of planting and harvesting, first blossoms, bird study, weather
varieties of plants, the layout of the beds and his many botanical experiments.
Because he kept records faithfully for more than 55 years, the local garden
club has been able to restore his heirloom gardens. He left them a guidebook.
A
champion of exploration, Jefferson sponsored the Lewis and Clark expedition,
choosing Meriwether Lewis because of Lewis’ passion for discovering new plants.
When Lewis and Clark returned from their western journey, notebooks and seed
charts laden, Jefferson planted some of the seeds in his own garden – no doubt
one of his main motives for the exploration. Jefferson’s farm didn’t just
provide an income he badly needed (he died $100,000 in debt); he also used it
to answer his many inquiries about nature.
He
spent 40 years building and rebuilding Monticello, while planting and
unearthing its gardens. There was a sense in which his life in Washington felt
cramped and suffocating, for his galloping mind was harnessed there by cares of
a single nation. At Monticello, he could roam the universe. He claimed that the
17 years of his retirement there, surrounded by a daughter and a dozen
grandchildren, were the happiest of his life.
Mainly
a vegetarian, he considered meat merely a “condiment,” so his vegetable garden
was both a valuable laboratory and an essential larder. Thus he carefully noted
the planting of asparagus, radishes, corn and a remarkable variety of exotic
greens. He grew such new vegetables as tomatoes, cauliflower and eggplant,
acquiring squash and broccoli from Italy, pepper from Mexico and figs from
France.
Cabbages
and beans abounded. He raised sesame for salad oil, grapes for his wine. And he
adored peas. Fifteen types of English peas grew in his garden, and he noted
their harvest in his Garden Book with much excitement. Each year he and his
neighbors competed for the thrill of producing the first peas of spring, and
the winner would invite the others to dine on the new peas.
Jefferson
put the relative importance of the presidency in perspective when he argued:
“The greatest service which can be rendered any country is to add a useful
plant to its culture.” Here are just a few of the plants he likely introduced
to America: Texas bird pepper, heliotrope, Malta pumpkin, upland rice, red
artichoke, American Columbo, Roman watermelon, chaste tree, Marseilles fig,
golden crown-beard, breast of Venus peach, golden-rain tree, Sangiovese grape,
pineapple melon, Tuscany garlic, purple and white broccoli.
The
father of American forestry, he would no doubt be an environmental activist
today, the sort of person denounced by some as a “tree-hugger.” Once, during
his presidency, he is said to have insisted, “I wish I was a despot that I
might save the noble, beautiful trees that are daily falling sacrifice to the
cupidity of their owners, or the necessity of the poor. … The unnecessary
felling of a tree, perhaps the growth of centuries, seems to me a crime little
short of murder.”
Two
months before his death on July 4, 1826, he was still designing treescapes – an
arboretum for the University of Virginia – though at 83, he knew that he would
not live to see its tall spires. “Too old to plant trees for my own
gratification, I shall do it for posterity,” he wrote at Monticello, adding
with endearing poignancy, “Though an old man, I am a young gardener.”
·
May Elizabeth Berry
[Major sources are Thomas Jefferson’s Garden Book, ed. Edwin Betts; Marc Leepson’s Saving Monticello; and Diane Ackerman’s Cultivating Delight: a Natural History of My
Garden. And, of course, Adrianna Vargo, nursery manager of the Thomas
Jefferson Center for History Plants at Monticello, stayed with May Elizabeth
Berry in October.]
KITCHEN SINK
|
WARM FRUIT
SALAD
1
jar (25 oz) chunky applesauce
1
can (21 oz) cherry pie filling
1
can (20 oz) pineapple chunks, undrained
1
can (15 ¼ oz) sliced peaches, undrained
1
can (15 oz) mandarin oranges, undrained
1
can (15 ¼ oz) apricot halves, undrained
½
cup packed brown sugar
1
teaspoon ground cinnamon
Place
the first six ingredients in a slow cooker and stir gently. Combinee brown
sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over fruit mixture. Cover and cook on low 3 to 4
hours.
Yield:
16 servings.
(From
February 2004 Urban Dirt, newsletter
of Harris County Master Gardener Association; this dish was served by Galveston
MGs to Harris County MGs who were visiting Moody Gardens and the Galveston
Extension Office.)