Author Archives: Dallas Garden Buzz

DALLAS WATER UTILITIES 31st WATER WISE GARDEN TOUR OCTOBER 18, 2025

Posted on October 15, 2025 by Dallas Garden Buzz

October 14, 2025

Every fall, I look forward to one of my favorite garden tours—The Water-wise Garden Tour hosted by Dallas Water Utilities and the city of Dallas. There are several smaller organizations that participate, some giving lectures at the White Rock Pump Station (the traditional starting point of the tour). That’s where one picks up the map showing the location of the participating “winners” of this year’s tour. I know in years past Dallas County Master Gardener’s Association has been both entrants and support staff. I’ve lost track of how many years Roger and I have wandered through Dallas, looking at peoples’ interpretation of what water-wise gardening entails.

Years ago, A&M Research Center on Coit Road had a program called Water University. They had examples of homes with all sorts of saving water inside and outside the home. We learned about Rainwater harvesting: how to build rain barrels for the home, rain gardens, etc. All of which we demonstrated at our Joe Field location (thanks to County Commissioner M. Dickey).

Rain barrel courtesy of Water University

When the county closed that location in 2014, we found a new home at Midway Hills Christian Church, located at 11101 Midway Road—thus our name “The Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills.” This rain garden is located near the street on Midway Hills, next to the two cisterns that were put in place shortly after we started gardening there. This noncommercial rain garden would work in most home landscapes. It captures water from heavy rains and is also used to catch overflow from the cisterns.

*2-2500 gallon water cisterns at The Raincatcher’s Garden*

Although our garden is not on tour this year, feel free to visit us at 11101 Midway Road in Dallas, especially on Tuesday mornings when we are working in the garden. We love to share water saving tips.

Water Wise Garden Tour maps of the participating homes will be available at the White Rock Pump Station on Saturday and the information link can be found below.

Some yards or gardens use xeriscaping, while others have lush lawns and gardens. There are innovative uses of hardscaping.

On the 18^th, I am playing tourist to get more ideas about saving water and creating a beautiful yard at home. I always find some new idea to take home to try out.

Hope to see you on the tour. Be sure to take notes or, better yet—pictures!

Cindy Bicking, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2006

Pictures by Starla Willis, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2011

Water Wise Tour Information

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Posted in rainwater harvesting and tagged Dallas County Master Gardener Association, flowers, garden, gardening, nature, rain cisterns, Raincatcher's Garden, travel, Water Utilies Water Wise Tour-Dallas. Bookmark the permalink.

Growing Eggplant in Texas

Posted on October 11, 2025 by Dallas Garden Buzz

October 11, 2025

The Raincatcher’s Garden vegetable gardening team has enjoyed growing several varieties of eggplant.

They have found them to be easy to grow as long as they remain vigilant about controlling the flea beetles with diatomaceous earth.

These long purple eggplants are called amazingly enough long purple eggplant.

Aswad eggplant pictured above is an Iraqi heirloom variety known for its mild sweet flavor.

Mark your 2026 calendar to start eggplant by seed February – mid-March. Transplants should be set out in mid-May through June.

While eggplant may not be your favorite vegetable, it’s nice to harvest something new after summer crops have withered in the heat. There are many varieties and ways to cook eggplant. Tonight, at our house we’ll have eggplant apple quesadillas; find the recipe here.

For more growing information: Easy Gardening-Eggplant

Ann Lamb, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2005 with Beverly Allen, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2018

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Posted in Vegetable Gardening in Dallas and tagged Dallas County Master Gardener Association, Dallas vegetable gardening, eggplant, growing eggplant, Raincatcher's Garden, The Raincatcher's Garden. Bookmark the permalink.

Revisiting A Fairy Tale

Posted on October 9, 2025 by Dallas Garden Buzz

October 9, 2025

Last summer, 2024, I grew Fairytale Eggplant for the first time. It produced adorable little tear-drop shaped eggplants for over three months. During that time, most of the harvest was used for Apple and Eggplant Quesadillas, a simply delicious treat.

For 2025, a new recipe that we’ve enjoyed over the past few months is “Roasted Fairytale Eggplant Salad with Fresh Tomato”. Inchelium Red organic garlic had cured from my late spring/early summer crop, while fairytale eggplants, English cucumber and mint were growing in my garden and ready to use.

It’s now early October and my two Fairytale Eggplants are producing almost double the amount as last year. Here’s an example of what gets harvested every day.

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

Roasted Fairy Tale Eggplant Salad with Roasted Tomato

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Posted in Vegetable Gardening in Dallas and tagged Dallas County Master Gardener Association, fairy tale eggplant, garden recipe, Raincatcher's Garden, roasted eggplant salad. Bookmark the permalink.

“How lovely yellow is! It stands for the sun.”-Vincent Van Gogh

Posted on September 29, 2025 by Dallas Garden Buzz

September 29, 2025

Along with Van Gogh, who described yellow as “wonderful”, many people associate yellow with feelings of warmth, happiness and positivity. And still others say that yellow’s vibrant, cheerful color evokes feelings of joy, optimism and enthusiasm.

Yellow is one of the oldest colors in history. Cave paintings over 17,000 years old reveal that the yellow pigment from ochre was readily available in prehistoric times. In ancient religions, yellow was considered a sacred color. Like gold, yellow was seen as eternal, imperishable and indestructible. Today, yellow flowers are used in gardens across the globe adding vibrancy and beauty to landscapes in a multitude of imaginative ways.

From the dainty blossoms of French marigolds to the dramatic trumpet-shaped beauty of squash blossoms, yellow flowers add brightness to the garden. And don’t overlook the decorative nature of edibles such as yellow pear tomatoes dangling in clusters like drops of sunshine clinging to the vine.

Whether edible or just enjoyable, bright yellow flowers, fruits and vegetables have a magical way of lighting up our landscapes. Additionally, those radiant blooms attract a host of beneficial pollinators to the garden including bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. So, why not add some late September sunshine to your garden? Let the video photos inspire you to create a natural environment filled with yellow for all to enjoy!

Top Ten Yellow Flowers and Vegetables (Observed/Photographed) in the Metroplex:

Echinacea and Rudbeckia/Black Eyed Susan (Both plants are sometime referred to as “coneflowers” but Rudbeckia is widely known as a “Black-Eyed Susan”)

Main Differences:

*Echinacea flower petals tend to droop and curve downwards. Echinacea features a spiky, prominent central cone that may be green, brown or orange. Leaves are typically smooth.

*Rudbeckia petals usually extend straight out from a flattened or slightly raised central cone. Leaves are described as hairy or fuzzy.

(Rudbeckia ‘Sunbeckia’ Juliana)

Zinnias
Sunflowers
Daylily
Hibiscus
Cannas
Lantana
Yellow Pear Tomatoes
Cucumber and Yellow Squash Blossoms
Marigolds and More (Day Lilies, Calendula, Canna, Dill, Fennel, Gerbera Daisy, Nasturtium, Yarrow)

*Overall, it seems there is an absence of marigolds and a profusion of coneflowers; flower beds once brimming with marigolds have transitioned to the daisy-like look of coneflowers.

*Coneflowers have become soldiers of the landscape. They have an authoritative presence with their strong, upright stems and dramatic, bold color.

*Generally, coneflowers are used as “pocket” flowers. Nestled against large boulders or in “waves” of color in a natural setting, they offer countless possibilities.

*Yellow is an underused color in gardens throughout the metroplex.

*Purple is the most complimentary color to use with yellow flowers.

*The majority of yellow flowers need a minimum 6 to 8 hours of direct sun daily.

From the professionals, some tips for using yellow flowers in the garden:

Fine Gardening-Yellow blossoms carry farther, shine brighter, and remain visible longer in the evening than flowers of any other color except white.

Proven Winners-Yellow is an attention-grabbing color that makes a cheerful statement in the landscape.

Gardening Know How-Yellow flowers/plants as a single color scheme greatly enliven the garden, especially when the area is small or shaded, brightening and enlarging the garden space.

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

Remember fall is a good time to plant!

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Posted in Perennials and tagged Coneflower, Echinacea, flowers, garden, gardening, nature, pollinators, Rudbeckia, yellow flowers to grow in Dallas. Bookmark the permalink.

My Favorite Herb…And a Good Companion

Posted on September 19, 2025 by Dallas Garden Buzz

September 18, 2025

Here’s a hint – with its strong lemony scent and flavor, you’ll find many uses for it in the kitchen. You may have already guessed just by looking at the photo but, yes, the answer is Lemon Verbena (Aloysia triphylla). For over 30 years it has been my very favorite herb. I’ve used it countless times for breads, cakes, cookies, puddings, in savory dishes and beverages. From early spring when it emerges from the ground and sends up those first “shoots”, a fresh sprig goes into my daily glass of green tea. The ritual continues until at least November or whenever our first freeze of the season arrives.

Lemon Verbena Tea Garnished With Freshly Cut Lemon Verbena

Why should lemon verbena be growing in your garden? To start, lemon verbena is considered by some to be the queen of aromatic herbs, myself included. One whiff of its sweet lemony aroma explains why Southern ladies suffering from the “vapors” mopped their brows with a decoction made from its leaves. For this reason, it is sometimes called the Scarlett O’Hara herbs. Growing in our Zone 8 climate, you can expect lemon verbena to easily reach 4 to 5 feet in height when planted in full sun and in good garden soil. Consider placing it toward the back of your garden bed where it will become a nice informal shrub. Also, keep in mind that it tends to ramble off in different directions but can easily be trimmed to the shape you desire. Lemon verbena is a woody perennial that will start losing its slender, elongated leaves in late fall. If heavily mulched, it will survive a moderate winter. However, in the northern part of Texas, it may succumb to temperatures lower than 25° F. Over the years, I’ve lost at least five or more lemon verbena plants during a hard freeze. But once spring arrives, most local garden centers have it in stock. And, thankfully, it is a relatively quick growing plant.

Lemon Verbena Growing Gracefully in My Garden

Recently, I discovered a recipe in one of my 1995 herbal cookbooks that gave me a new appreciation for using lemon verbena with another well-loved herb, Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). In the summer section of ‘Today’s Herbal Kitchen’ published by the Memphis, Tennessee Herb Society, the recipe that caught my eye was Anise Hyssop Lemon Cake with Lemon Sauce.

Anise Hyssop is a pollinator-friendly plant whose blossoms are filled with honeybees

Reading through the short list of ingredients, I learned that anise hyssop was called for in the cake along with lemon verbena leaves in the sauce. Hooray! With both herbs growing in my summer garden, it was time to start baking.

Freshly snipped anise hyssop flowers ready to be chopped and mixed into the cake batter

Once out of the oven, and allowed to cool, it was time to slowly pour the luscious, warm lemon sauce over the top. I tried to imagine how the minty, licorice flavors of the cake would blend with the citrusy, floral taste of the sauce. Should I wait for my husband to come home from work before tasting? After carefully slicing the cake for the “photo shoot”, I yielded to temptation and willfully gave in to that first bite. It was a divine experience. My taste buds were rejoicing at the thought of this wonderfully harmonious combination. A new discovery is usually very satisfying and, in the case of anise hyssop and lemon verbena, I’ve determined that for as long as herbs are growing in my garden, these two “companions” will be there.

Anise Hyssop Lemon Cake with Lemon Verbena Sauce

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

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Posted in Herbs To Grow In Dallas and tagged Anise Hyssop, Dallas County Master Gardener, Dallas County Master Gardener Association, Dallas County Master Gardeners, food, garden recipe, gardening, health, herbs, Lemon Verbena, recipes, The Raincatcher's Garden. Bookmark the permalink.

Dallas County Master Gardener School and Moon Flowers

Posted on September 16, 2025 by Dallas Garden Buzz

September 16, 2025

*Moonflower in my garden. Smells delighful, blooms at night!*

Do you remember the book, All I Ever Really Needed to Know I learned in Kindergarten?

That’s how I feel about the Master Gardener training I recieved in 2005. Although I was raised in a backyard full of horticulture and minored in horticulture at Texas Tech, the Dallas County Master Gardener School and my experiences working in gardens for 20 years with other Master Gardeners have been my grounding influence. Myabe you have been thinking about expanding your understanding of gardening in Texas, if so-see below.

Applications Available NOW for Dallas County Master Gardener School
What: Dallas County Master Gardener School
When: Every Thursday starting January 8, 2026 through April 23, 2026 8:30 AM- 3:30 PM
Where: Dallas County Roads & Bridges Building / District 1 (aka “R&B1”), located at 715 Rowlett Road, Garland, TX 75043

2. Use this link to apply: https://forms.gle/D1aTXZQLL1cK6kwD8
Save and share this flyer with friends who might be interested!

Applications accepted until September 26th for the 2026 class starting in January 2026.

Ann Lamb, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2005

And if you want to know more about Moon flower, click here.

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Summer Finale at the Saturday Farmer’s Market

Posted on September 12, 2025 by Dallas Garden Buzz

September 12, 2025

This past Saturday, September 6^th, marked the end of season schedule for St. Michael’s Farmer’s Market. Like many of our readers, I’ve been attending the Saturday market for years! Getting to meet so many of the vendors and following them each week has always been a delightful experience for me.

People like The Baugh Family (now with two young children) drive in early from Wylie to bring an amazing assortment of east Texas vegetables, blueberries, blackberries and more. But it’s always those juicy, ripe peaches that create the long lines of anxious customers with everyone hoping there will be enough once it’s their turn. Wayne and his wife get up around 2:30am to harvest their magnificent bouquets of freshly cut flowers. Driving in to Dallas from Henderson is about 2 hours but these long-time flower farmers have us drooling over the rainbow of colorful blossoms that are bundled up and ready for purchase.

Master Gardener, Janet Smith class of 2008, became a regular this summer with her west Texas pecans. What a special treat! And new to the market was Honey Apple Farm in Canton, Texas. This small, family owned and operated farm produces a variety of artisan honeys. They are also passionate about strengthening the bee population by providing tips on planting a bee garden and going chemical free.

My end of season trip to the market on September 6^th was bittersweet. While some of the vendors will return for a one-time only October appearance, we’ll have to wait until May 2026 for the weekly schedule to resume. Until then, I’m thankful for the bountiful blessings given to us by the farmers, flower growers, beekeepers and more whose hard work provided us with fresh, flavorful food this summer. I’ll be first in line to welcome them back next May.

Looking back through one of my herb cookbooks, I landed on a recipe that had been “tabbed” many years ago but never prepared. Things were about to change. Jerry Traunfeld wrote “The Herbal Kitchen” in 2005 as a handbook for incorporating fresh herbs, from his own herb garden, into everyday home meals. I would be using fresh tomatoes from the Saturday market to prepare his recipe for Tomato Bread. From my own garden, freshly picked basil and thyme along with cured garlic from late spring would supply most of the ingredients.

Let me go on record as declaring that this new recipe exceeded my expectations. And for those of you who already have your autumn tomato crop in the ground, please give this incredibly delicious dish a try. You might want to serve it as an accompaniment to salad, soup or with any grilled meats. I’ve made the recipe three times in the last month and shared it with family and friends. Everyone agreed that this is an exceptional way to enjoy fresh juicy tomatoes!

Start with chewy cubes of Italian-style bread drizzled with olive oil then topped with minced garlic and “torn” basil leaves. Finish with juicy, sliced tomatoes and a generous sprinkling of fresh thyme.

Tomato Bread Recipe here !

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

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Posted in Recipe and tagged Dallas County Master Gardener Association, Fall Tomatoes, Farmer's Markets in Dallas, Homegrown tomatoes, Raincatcher's Garden. Bookmark the permalink.

Growing Figs in Texas

Posted on September 6, 2025 by Dallas Garden Buzz

September 6, 2025

Dig a hole through time and you will hit a fig tree’s roots. Figs are one of the oldest cultivated plants.

Figs are interesting little fruits but not in the traditional sense. The structure of the fig is a called a syconium, a fleshy sac lined with tiny flowers inside. When you eat a fig, you’re technically eating hundreds of tiny inverted flowers that bloomed inside the syconium.

The word “fig” comes from the Latin ficus
There are over 700 species of fig trees worldwide
Figs grown in the USA are self pollinating but in other countries pollination is provided by fig wasps which crawl into the fig, complete their mission and then die inside the fruit.
Figs conatin fiber, copper, potassium, maganese, vitamin K and other nutrients
Plant your fig tree in full sun in soil with good drainage, mulch regularly and monitor moisture needs

My experience with growing figs started with a fig tree propagated by Master Gardener, Jim Dempsey. It was planted in my backyard about 10 years ago. Every year I have looked up into my trees large, deeply lobed leaves longing for figs. The winter storm of 2021 nicknamed “Snowmagdeddon” caused the tree to die back and it would be several more years of waiting and hoping as it recuperated.

Finally this year my family tasted the fruit! About 12 pounds of figs were harvested from our Celeste fig tree. We let it grow to a height of over 20 feet. Rather than try to protect the tree from birds with a net or other artificial means, we let the birds eat the fruit in the branches way up high leaving the rest for us. There’s nothing like the taste of a fig eaten at peak ripeness from your own backyard tree.

*Our Celeste Fig Tree, note the neighbor’s two story chimney for height comparison.*

Another personal story: My son and wife and three little children moved to a new house last year. They have a “Texas Everbearing” fig tree. To my great delight, my grandchildren are eating figs from thier own tree. Imagine me walking into their kitchen and seeing figs on their high chair plates. Surely this is tender hearted beauty!

Ann Lamb, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2005

Extra figs were made into Fig Jam!

More Fig Facts here

Fig Fest

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Posted in Fruit Trees, Uncategorized and tagged celeste fig tree, Dallas County Master Gardener Association, Dallas County Master Gardeners, faith, food, garden, gardening, growing figs in Texas, nature, Raincatcher's Garden, Texas Everbearing fig. Bookmark the permalink.

Overcoming The Summer Doldrums

Posted on August 30, 2025 by Dallas Garden Buzz

August 30, 2025

Have you been feeling somewhat listless or despondent over the last few weeks? Are you experiencing a period of inactivity or lack of energy? If so, you are not alone. It may be that those summer doldrums have many of us in a wearisome summer slump!

We’ve all, no doubt, spoken those words many times over the years. However, for the first time, my curiosity motivated me to do a little investigating into the meaning of “doldrums”. Much to my surprise the doldrums are for real! In oceanographic terms, they are a part of the ocean near the equator abounding in calms and light shifting winds.

In the early 19^th century, the word doldrums came to be applied to certain tropical regions of the ocean marked by the absence of strong winds. Sailing vessels, depending on wind propulsion, struggled to make headway in these regions, leading to long, challenging journeys.

While the exact etymology of doldrums is not certain, it is believed to be related to the Old English dol, meaning “foolish” – a history it shares with our adjective dull.

Click here for a much more scientific and very fascinating explanation from NOAA

If you are like other gardeners waiting for the winds to “pick up”, here are a few refreshing ideas to help you navigate through the summertime blues! One of the most delightful ways to celebrate the hot, sticky last few weeks of summer is found in the herb garden. When I’m in search of a culinary treat, summer herbs seem to have the answer. Let’s look at a few of the heat-tolerant, dependable standouts that satisfy the craving.

Whatever your preference, vibrant flavors ranging from sweet and floral to savory and pungent can be found in herbs that persevere through the high heat and icky humidity of summer.

Offering aromatic qualities from minty and citrusy to earthy and woodsy, consider these flavor profiles to suit your preference:

*Sweet and floral: basil, lavender and anise hyssop

*Citrusy: lemon verbena, lemon balm and French sorrel

*Minty: various mints (spearmint, ginger mint, peppermint, etc.), nepitella, oregano and thyme

*Earthy: sage, rosemary and thyme

*Pungent/Spicy: chives, papalo, French tarragon

Enjoy the simple pleasures of growing and harvesting summer herbs. Some of the most satisfying ways for using fresh herbs are found in sprinkling, scattering and tossing over fruits, salads, vegetables and desserts for a delectable finish. Other than a quick trip to the grill, bake free is the best way to savor the gifts of our summer gardens. Use freshly gathered herbs to elevate your food from tasty to irresistible!

Here are a few ideas for a cool ending to summer:

Grilled Peach and Blueberry Salad with Fresh Mint

Peaches grilling in a nonstick grill pan

Creamy Chilled Cantaloupe Soup Garnished with French Tarragon and Blue Borage Blossoms

Yellow Pear Tomato Salad with Red Rubin Basil, Nasturtium Blossoms, Basil Pesto and Mozzarella Pearls

Yellow pear tomatoes growing in my August garden

Creamy Chilled Cantaloupe Soup with Ginger

Grilled Peach and Blueberry Salad

Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008

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Posted in Recipe and tagged Chilled cucumber soup, Dallas County Master Gardener Association, Dallas Farm to Table, food, garden recipe, grilled peach and blueberry salad, health, Raincatcher's Garden, Recipe, recipes, vegetables, yellow pear tomato salad. Bookmark the permalink.

There is always something there to remind me.

Posted on August 28, 2025 by Dallas Garden Buzz

August 28, 2025

Why do gardeners keep going? Its hot—get up really early start to work to beat the heat—and find the mosquitos got up earlier.

Work hard on weeding feel successful–turn around–and find more weeds.

Wonderful to have so many flowers–until its obvious many flowers mean alot of deadheading.

Sometimes the problems pile up. It can be easy to forget the blessings gardening brings. Of course there is the functional fitness aspect–digging those weeds is actually a good thing. Fresh air and sunshine help the body and the mind.. Just being needed by the garden can be seen as a burden–but really its a blessing to be needed.

But remember another aspect of gardening that brings lasting joy. That is the way our plants and gardens connect us to others.

Some of our connections are to friends and family that we see regularly. Those who share successes –and some failures—and sometimes plants. Others are gone now but the plants they shared long ago ensure that they are not forgotten. Somehow they are not gone at all but with us still as we garden.

This was the first plant I ever had, well, a descendant, of course. I was about 6 years old. My mother and I were visiting one of her friends. She had Ghost plants in a huge iron kettle used by generations before to heat water over a fire and wash clothes. The plants spilling out of the kettle, now used as a flower pot, enchanted me.

So for sure–gardening is hard work somehow conditions never seem “just right” too hot too cold too dry too wet–it all happens. And we have to get out there anyway.

But don’t just work. Pause and take a step back every so often. Think about all the people and all the stories that surround your plants.

Then you will remember why you keep gardening. Remembering will lift you and bring joy to you even in difficult times.