The UN officially recognizes May 20th as World Bee Day. In their opening statement, we are reminded that “Nearly 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on animal pollination, along with more than 75% of the world’s food crops and 35% of global agricultural land. Not only do pollinators contribute directly to food security, but they are key to conserving biodiversity.”
Here are some of their suggestions for ways that we can do more to help make pollinators a priority:
*planting a diverse set of native plants, which flower at different times of the year
*buying raw honey from local farmers
*buying products from sustainable agricultural practices
*avoiding pesticides, fungicides or herbicides in our gardens
*protecting wild bee colonies when possible
*sponsoring a hive
*making a bee water fountain by leaving a water bowl outside
In celebration of our local honeybees, please enjoy these recently captured photos of the bees busy at work gathering nectar and pollen for the hive!
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
The upcoming DCMGA Garden Tour on May 18 will feature eight beautiful gardens, including the garden of Suzy Renz, as one of the stops on this year’s tour.
Once upon a time, a very conventional house in northeast Dallas had an acre of lawn and very little more than a couple of live oak trees, some unremarkable foundation shrubs, and a tired looking wooden deck in the back to make up what passed for a “yard.” Then along came Suzy Renz, on a house-hunt, who instantly saw the potential for garden greatness at this unique site, and the rest, as they say, has been five-going-on-six years of creating everything you can see at this exceptional property located on Park Branch creek.
Among Dallas Master Gardeners, Suzy is known for her singular originality and creativity in garden and home design as well as her very “green” thumbs. She is known in particular for her “Farmhouse Eclectic” style, influenced by many trips to the Round Top Antiques Fair, where one-of-a-kind objects abound and can become the stars of design vignettes when carted back home. So, unsurprisingly her yard stands out in her neighborhood as a glorious testament to both her distinctive plantswomanship and its marriage to inventive garden design.
At the front of the property the “North Forty” garden, which extends along the street from the driveway to the corner of the block in an ever-narrowing strip, is a fine collection of native and adapted plants that thrive in the full sun exposure. Suzy’s prowess
at choosing the “right plant for the right place” is on full view here, as these sun-hardy specimens—the purple of Coneflowers, the blue of Russian Sage, the azure of Vitex, the yellow of Lantana, the red of Texas Yucca, and so many more—appear completely at home together in this garden space. Large slabs of Oklahoma flagstone form a lazy river pathway that invites strolling and exploring this excellent collection of well chosen plants.
When entering Suzy’s back yard through the custom-made “GARDEN” gate sign, one immediately has the sense of having arrived in a wonderland of personal horticultural and artistic expression, for this is an intensely personal space. The first steps into this special place always evoke a gasp of surprise, because this garden and indeed this house are all about the appreciation of a hidden fifteen-foot deep ravine and the creek that carved it, which are essentially invisible from the street level. A split rail fence of native cedar defines the edge of the wild from the tended garden within and demarcates the fringe of the native woods beyond. The first view of this completely unexpected terrain demands a long pause for wonderment.
Meanwhile, discovery of Suzy’s creative design talents begins with a survey of the top terrace adjoining the back of the house, which she and husband Rob extensively remodeled. Any old galvanized bucket or unusual flower pot can, in Suzy’s hands, become a container for spotlighting annual plantings of various colorful flowers. A whimsical found-object sculpture by local artist Janice Sommerville stands as a sentinel at the back door, part of Suzy’s collection of several pieces by this artist. Other mostly unidentifiable but interesting mechanical objects randomly punctuate the scene here and there. Still other smile-provoking figures, such as the trio of little concrete fisherboys and a welded iron cat whose spine is an old industrial spring, hang out around the swimming pool and exemplify the un-fussiness of this garden.
From the patio just outside the back door a series of switchback steps lead dramatically down the back yard slope to a firepit surrounded by Adirondack chairs in a rainbow of happy colors. Arriving at this convivial destination one has the feeling of having descended into an immersion in green, as the lush foliage of this remarkable site envelops the seating area and indeed the entire back yard.
A blue glass bottle tree nestles among a grove of Abelia ‘Canyon Creek’ on the lower terrace level along with smaller blue bottle “bush.” The Abelias along with a dense planting of Junipers on the middle level function as screens of green to conceal the concrete landscape blocks that form retaining walls. These walls serve primarily to hold the house and garden in their proper places, but they also create dramatic changes of elevation as the back yard drops precipitously towards the creekbed below.
While this garden shows evidence of constant attention and hard work on the horticulture, it also manages to look effortless because of the abundance of fanciful, unpretentious decorative elements. Little wonder, then, that Suzy says what she loves most about her garden is the opportunity for exercising the unlimited “process of creating.” Fortunate is she who has found her Happy Place.
Alan Rister, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2005
This is the unlikely story of a woman whose garden was created unintentionally and who, in the process, became a gardener accidentally.
Prior to entering the Dallas County Master Gardener program in 2005 following her retirement, Janet D. Smith confesses that she was completely ignorant of any and all knowledge concerning gardening. Her attempts at home horticulture had consisted of purchasing hanging baskets of seasonal color annuals at big-box stores and “inundating them with Miracle Grow.”
Janet’s back yard had long suffered from a lack of adequately engineered drainage, which caused flooding of her garage every time there was a big rain. She therefore sought out professional help to remediate the situation, and landscape architect Carol Feldman undertook the project, which involved the removal of a large amount of soil from the yard. The drainage problem was solved, but now there was the question of what to do with the excavated soil, for which Janet did not want to incur costs for removal from her property. The solution was to use the soil for the formation of a berm in her front yard.
The unexpectedly large volume of the new berm presented an opportunity for the creation of a garden, and thus, with a planting plan prepared by the landscape architect, Janet began a life-changing voyage of discovery through everything she could learn about gardens and the pollinator insects and birds that play such important roles in sustaining them.
Previously unaware that there exist many plants that come back from their roots every year to flourish and flower (perennials), Janet was delighted to discover that she could be freed from having to replant her new garden from scratch (with annuals) year after year. And the planting plan that had been provided to her did indeed feature mostly perennials, among them many species of plants that are native to our region. From that point, it is fair to say that this neophyte gardener dived zealously into the enterprise of gardening and has never looked back.
It has been a long and great transformation from Janet’s complete lack of gardening knowledge to becoming one of the Master Gardeners’ most respected authorities on best gardening practices and one of our most in-demand public speakers. As she became more experienced as a gardener, she has pursued further education. She completed both the Master Naturalist and Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) programs, and over the years she has become as active in those organizations as she has remained in the Master Gardeners. She has also continued to educate herself by studying topics that interested her most, especially all about pollinators, including local butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.
Janet has been profoundly influenced by the principles of Douglas Tallamy, especially as elucidated in his seminal work Bringing Nature Home: How You Can Sustain Wildlife with Native Plants (2009). This work is a holistic treatment of the interplay of all members of the earth’s biome and how they create its ecology. For Janet, this speaks precisely to the fascinating role of pollinators in the environment, which draws her continuously to study and teach about them through her speaking and writing.
Her evident passion about good horticulture and her enthusiasm for sharing her knowledge with the public has led her to becoming a well-known speaker in the Master Gardeners Speakers Bureau. Since she began her public speaking in 2006, she has given hundreds and hundreds of presentations to garden clubs, community organizations, school groups, and others, not to mention her continual involvement with Dallas County Master Gardeners, North Texas Master Naturalists, and NPSOT programs and projects. She has become so renowned for her particular love and knowledge of butterflies that all she now lacks is a coronation to be known as the “Queen of Butterflies” in Dallas County.
Today, Janet’s beautiful berm garden stands out as an exemplary showcase of smart gardening: the “right plants” (varieties chosen for their optimal adaptation to local climate and soil types) in the “right places” (growing environments best suited for plants’ needs for sun exposure, moisture, drainage, and soil fertility). The notably modest size of the garden and its conversion to an all-perennial palette of plants (with the exception of larkspurs, which self seed) make it inherently easier and more realistic to maintain.
Standing in her colorful garden, Janet says that what she most enjoys about it is observing “the complexity of nature and how it provides us the life we have.” She muses that “this berm changed the direction of my life.” Thus, this pile of dirt has provided Janet with inspiration and purpose. Come to Peavy Road to see where it all began under the hand of a true Master gardener.
Alan Rister, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2005
Raincatcher’s volunteers are waiting for you! Plant Sale today from 10-3.
Annuals, perennials, herbs, peppers, succulents, shrubs, trees, groundcovers, bulbs, houseplants, decorative pots, yard art and so much more available today!
All proceeds go to Dallas County Master Gardener projects. Thank you for your support.
Credit card, check or cash accepted.
Address: Midway Hills Christian Church 11001 Midway Road Dallas, Texas 75229
Ann Lamb, Dallas County Master Gardener, Class of 2005 and picture by Starla Willis, class of 2011
According to the calendar, the first day of spring was Friday, March 20, 2024. Dallas natives know that early signs of spring started appearing in late February. One of the happiest moments for me was when two new additions to my garden in 2023 announced their comeback from winter’s cold. They are now showing signs of an exciting springtime welcome.
*Veggie Green Rose (Planted April 2023) – It has easily doubled in size, producing new buds over the past two months.
*Green Gage Plum (Planted September 2023) – It was thrilling to see both trees filled with delicate white blossoms during the last few days of February, continuing into March. Fresh, new green leaves started appearing in late March and early April. It’s now May and all is well.
*Black Sage (Planted September 2023) Sadly, this one did not survive those few days/nights of below freezing temperatures. But I’m not giving up on growing black sage in my garden. This time I’m trying a different strategy. Last month I ordered four new 4” plants from the same grower in California. Each one was planted in a different location of the garden with varying degrees of sun to shade. I’m encouraged today that all four plants have almost doubled in size. Hopefully, by this coming fall they will all be well established and ready for our unpredictable winter weather.
(Black Sage planted in early April 2024 is thriving)
A recent Savannah Bee email featured their Black Sage Honey and the amazing story of how it thrives in the lower mountain slopes and upper desert regions of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is a fascinating look at what it takes to produce this uniquely flavored honey. Thankfully, I still have a few jars left from my last order!
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
I am determined to convince people to consider planting ornamental peppers mixed in with other plants in their garden beds and in containers in the spring and summer. Most people only consider ornamental peppers as a fall plant and, in fact, this is when the ornamental pepper pots show up in the plant nurseries and at grocery stores right along side the pumpkin patches.
At Raincatcher’s Garden, we have been planting peppers in our courtyard garden for the past two years. They add a lot of interest and color mixed in with perennial and annual plants. What we have found is that the peppers start looking good as soon as they produce their small white or sometime purple flowers. Then, the peppers show up usually starting out green but eventually turning orange, red, purple, yellow, etc. The plants put on a good show all summer but when the cooler nights of fall start, these pepper plants will knock your socks off!!!
We have grown several nice ornamental pepper plants for our plant sale on May 7th. Below, I have copied plant information sheets that we will post at the plant sale. Please check out these delightful plants and think about trying ornamental peppers in your garden this summer. I feel confident that you will be happy with the results.
Black Pearl Pepper
Black Pearl Pepper is an extremely heat and drought tolerant plant. It is so beautiful that All America Selections (AAS) awarded it for its beauty in 2006. It is an effective background plant particularly with silver, white or pastel flowering annuals in the foreground. It also pairs well with light green plants because of its deep glossy black leaves. As the plant matures, the black peppers turn red. The peppers are edible but are extremely hot. The plant is 18 inches tall to 12 inches wide.
Ornamental Pepper Pot
These three ornamental pepper plants look great together. The top pepper plant is Wicked Ornamental. It starts out purple and turns a beautiful color of red as it ripens. This would be the “thriller” plant in the pot. The pepper on the left is Santos Orange. This pepper starts out green and turns bright orange. It would be the “filler” plant of the trio. The bottom plant is Hot Pops Purple. It starts out purple and fades to orange and is the “spiller” plant in the container. Or you can create your own ornamental pepper pot by combining any of the peppers above with the Black Pearl or the Orange and Red Ornamental Pepper which will have an abundance of upright peppers.
The allure of having a greenhouse is something that some gardeners dream of – a place to overwinter plants, start seedlings, and have workspace. How does this become a reality? First of all, determine your goals and ideas. Do your homework and decide if it is a project worthy of the investment of your time, money and efforts?
About the time Fall arrives and freezing weather makes its appearance, ads for greenhouses start flooding inboxes and social media sites. It seems like a good idea to have a place to store tender plants that can’t handle it outside during our coldest temperatures of January and February. Another bonus is the ability to provide a head-start for seedlings to sprout before they are planted in the garden.
There are a variety of styles, sizes, price points as well as optional accessories to consider – from heavy plastic, glass or plexiglass partitions, to brick surrounds, and various mortar and glass options, ranging in cost, size and function. A greenhouse can also be labor intensive, and impractical for those who don’t have the time, ability, or manpower to maintain it properly.
The preferred space needs to be of adequate size for your garden needs, level and in a sunny to mostly sunny location. Water needs to be close and the ability to heat, cool and monitor the space is an important consideration.
Dreaming of a place to overwinter my plants caused me to inquire online. My available location was not ideal-the space was not adequate and the prep and the assembly was more than daunting (in so many ways). Ultimately, the amount of time, effort and money to be invested caused me to pause, rethink and determine that installing a greenhouse was not my best move. However, a well-utilized greenhouse is much more than just a storage space for tender plants.
While contemplating this, Raincatchers’ acquired one that would be optimal for our North Garden. It was transported to the property and the plans for putting it into seedling production began to unfurl. It took about two months to get the “new to us” greenhouse relocated and in working order. The “team” at Raincatchers’ has spent many man hours preparing it for use, leveling the site, setting a brick floor on decomposed granite, anchoring the greenhouse against the strong Texas winds, building multiple two-tiered seedling tables, installing a solar powered cooling fan, and initiating water and electrical hookups. Maintenance will be ongoing.
Seedlings have now been started for our many vegetable beds and they appear to be very happy in their controlled environment. Note: vegetable seedlings are started and then set out into our gardens at the proper time.
If you are thinking about acquiring a greenhouse, either by purchase or building it yourself – the best of luck to you! Hopefully, you now have an idea of the reality of the effort to produce a functioning greenhouse and can make an informed decision It can be very useful and an asset to your gardening efforts; whether starting vegetables, flowers or show plants, or just over wintering your houseplants or tropicals.
Friends helping move our greenhouse.Joe at work, brick by brick.Many hands make light work.Bricks donated by Tig and fetched by Mark-thank you!Jon and the greenhouse floor-Jon keeps us level.Don, washing brickspre-installation.The greenhouse installation has been a true team effort with many hands involved-thank you!
A gardener’s considerations for Installing a greenhouse:
Manpower to construct the unit (most come in sections that require construction)
$$ Cost (from a few hundred dollars to several thousands)
Overall Size and Options
Site selection –
Sunny to mostly sunny location
Ground leveled for structure
Anchoring against the wind
Inside Flooring (Hard surface with the ability to drain) several options Shelving options (Water resistant)
Storage options (Greenhouse supplies)
Heating and Cooling Capability, i.e., a solar operated cooling fan
Electrical Considerations
Water Availability (For plant watering and seedling misting)
Shade Capability (For the long, hot sunny days)
On-going Upkeep (several hours a week)
Construction Permit (If required)
Starla Willis, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2011 with input from Jon Maxwell, Class of 2015
If these are the kind of plants and garden pictures you like to see, you will want to save May 7th for our plant sale and May 18th for the Dallas County Master Gardener Garden Tour. All these pictures were taken at The Raincatcher’s Garden last week.
True gardners can’t pass up two things-plant sales and garden tours. As you will see in the information below these pictures, you have the opportunity to make plans for both!
Iris borderDill blooming in front of our grapesBlue Salvia in the Color WheelA big dill!Hardy Amaryllis
The Raincatacher’s Plant sale is May 7th. Information is right here.
If you’ve been to Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills anytime during the past two weeks, a seasonal spectacle may have caught your eye. Everywhere you look, from the Edible Landscape/Courtyard area extending out to the north garden, pathways are filled with the sight of spring blooming pink poppies.
Move in a little closer and listen carefully for a soft humming sound. As you might have guessed, honeybees are busy at work foraging for pollen from the abundance of poppies that share these garden spaces with our herbs, vegetables and wildflowers.
Are you wondering…why are honeybees so attracted to poppies? As the late Robbin Thorp, native pollinator specialist for UC Davis in California so succinctly stated…” they’re not there for the nectar – they’re there for the pollen”.
Poppies should be considered as a quintessential plant for pollen production. And honeybees are one of the chief pollinating agents. A deeper dive into the world of poppies gives us some interesting information regarding pollen.
It is true that honeybees are attracted to poppies for pollen only. The reason why is that the inflorescences of all poppy species lack nectaries, thus no sugary nectar available to pollinators. Flowers, however, are packed with pollen-bearing anthers. Because pollen is the honeybee’s main source of protein, collecting it is a necessary task. Once collected, it is used for brood development and to feed the young larvae. And, fortunately for the bees, scientists have found that poppy pollen is remarkable clean, containing few fungi or mycotoxins.
Come visit our garden and take time to stroll the garden paths filled with poppies. Expect to be mesmerized by an eye-catching explosion of frills. Early morning and late afternoon seem to be the optimum time to experience the honeybees in action. Don’t be surprised to see as many as four or five honeybees foraging frenetically within a single flower.
(Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills…Our “field of poppies!)
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
The kiosk in the north garden at Raincatcher’s Garden has been somewhat ignored over the years. We felt it would be a good opportunity to give people visiting the garden some useful information about events happening at the garden, as well as plant details. It was time that the kiosk served some purpose!!! The first poster that was added to the kiosk was information about our blog, Dallas Garden Buzz. Hopefully, visitors to the garden will use the QR code and find a wealth of plant information, beautiful garden photos and great recipes. Another flyer was added to announce our annual plant sale coming up on Tuesday, May 7, 2024
One of our main missions as Master Gardeners is to be a resource for gardening knowledge to the community. We will be using the kiosk to do this by posting a monthly plant information sheet featuring one of the plants in the garden. Not only will visitors be able to read the plant information but they will also be able to stroll through the garden trying to locate the plant on the flyer.
Below is the first “Plant of the Month” information sheet that is currently posted in the kiosk. Hopefully, this will be the first of many!!!
Chinese Ground Orchard
The Chinese Ground Orchid is a perennial bulb in the orchid family that grows to a height of 1 – 1½ foot with a 1 foot spread. It is a shade plant that does well in morning sun and afternoon shade but it will also grow in full shade. The blooms last for about 6 weeks and the foliage looks like a palm tree seedling when not in bloom. This tropical plant does well as a ground cover or growing under a tree and is a good choice for a container in colder climates. The Chinese Ground Orchid spreads by rhizomes and is easily propagated by divisions. This beautiful plant is blooming in the courtyard now.
Jackie James, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 1993
DALLAS GARDEN BUZZ 