Saturday, May 20th bee lovers from all over the globe will gather in Rome, Italy to celebrate bees and their importance. It also serves as a chance to raise awareness of the ongoing increasing threat against them from human activity.
The theme this year is “Bee engaged in pollinator-friendly agricultural production”. One of the featured speakers during the Friday, May 19th pre-event is well-known Texas professional beekeeper, Erika Thompson of Texas Beeworks. She will be speaking on behalf of bees and beekeepers at the United Nations in Rome. The title of her presentation is Saving Bees and Pollinators.
For more information and to register for the webcast, google World Bee Day 2023.
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
To celebrate World Bee Day, we will post another monthly bee article tomorrow.
Mark Jones demonstrating how to dig under the potatoes and lift them out to minimize damage.
These potatoes were hilled up with compost but we did not add any support to keep the compost in place and they peeked out of the soil. The skin became scaly.
Ruth Klein with a gigantic red potato
Ruth Klein and Yuliana Rivas Garcia digging up potatoes
It is fun when the potatoes pop up out of the soil.
We improvised to keep the compost from sliding off after we hilled up the potatoes. The added layers of compost increase yield and keep the potatoes from being exposed to the sun.
Cynthia Jones preparing just over 68 pounds of Red La Soda potatoes for North Dallas Shared Ministries Food Pantry.
Beverly Allen, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2018
Red La Soda and Kennebec potatoes were planted in February
Last week I made one of my favorite seasonal dishes. If you imagined a multi-layered cake enrobed in a sublime chocolate frosting or a deep-dish fruit cobbler oozing with a syrupy filling and the perfect cinnamon-dusted crust, think again.
Instead, I’m especially drawn to the simplicity of a different springtime jewel. Colorful, tasty and nutritious, this one is a winner for me.
Roasted Caprese Salad is easy to prepare and lovely to serve. If you already have asparagus growing in your springtime garden, chances are the other ingredients may be found there, as well. Gather up some cherry, grape or Campari tomatoes, several sprigs of basil and head to the kitchen. For the past few years, I’ve developed a fondness for Balsamic Blooms and Cardinal basil. Both are growing in my garden now. The leaves hold up well using the chiffonade method and maintain their color nicely.
After reviewing the recipe, you might want to follow it, as is, or try my suggestions for adding a little punch to the flavor profile. Once roasted and out of the oven, I like to drizzle the tomatoes with a generous splash of Apple Balsamic Vinegar. Next comes a sprinkling of Fennel Salt with Pollen. Finish the dish with chopped basil and prepare to dazzle your family or guests.
Sheila Standing in Front of her Asparagus Bed
Master Gardener, Sheila Kostelny, graciously shared her asparagus growing tips in a short Q & A.
When did you first plant asparagus in your lovely backyard garden?
“I planted 2-year crowns from Redenta’s in 2014. I believe the variety is UC 157. I lean on the wisdom of Dr. Sam Cotner, Dr. Joseph Masabni and Skip Richter for advice regarding all my vegetables.”
When do you start harvesting?
“I harvest them from about the second to third week in February for about 6 weeks. Then they present foliage that I will use for flower arrangements for the rest of the growing season.”
How long do you expect your asparagus to produce?
“In North Texas, the crowns should continue to produce for 12-15 years. That’s quite a bonus for little effort on our part.”
What do you enjoy most about having asparagus growing in your garden?
“Asparagus are a ‘no fuss’ no muss’ vegetable. They require little and reward you with a sweet, bountiful harvest. What I especially love about them is that they grace your garden in the dead of winter when there is nothing else to bring to the table.”
Happy Growing Sheila! We appreciate your asparagus “tips”.
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
National Wildflower Week takes place each year the first week of May. This weeklong tradition was started in 1987 by The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center to celebrate the beauty and importance of native wildflowers across the United States. If you haven’t taken a “road trip” through the Texas Hill Country this spring, there’s still time to enjoy the profusion of wildflower blooms on the highways, byways and Farm to Market roads of Texas.
Our journey started with a smart decision to head back to Dallas from Austin last weekend by avoiding 135 and choosing, instead, to travel leisurely up 281. From Marble Falls to Hico, the panoramic views of fields blanketed by wildflowers was spectacular. Roadside stops were frequent, as patches of colorful Texas natives caught our eye.
Cattle grazing in and among pastures of bluebonnets didn’t seem to mind the closeness of our visit. Barbed wire fences stretching through the fields of yellow gave testimony to the hill country vistas so typical of our great state. Even the iconic windmills served to remind us to simply slow down and take in the sights and sounds of country life.
Sometime next week we hope to travel down another favorite route, highway 16 from Goldthwaite to the Willow City Loop. It’s a trip we’ve made countless times with each one somehow surpassing our expectations. A necessary stop at Cooper’s Barbeque in Llano will satisfy our hunger for the remainder of the drive. Here’s hoping you enjoy a few images of the scenic Texas hill country.
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
The wildflowers at Raincatcher’s were beautiful this year. We hope you made a “local” road trip to see them on Midway Road.
Here’s a little more information to promote seeds of thought:
We will have annuals, perennials, herbs, peppers, succulents, shrubs, trees, groundcover, bulbs, houseplants, decorative pots, yard art, compost and so much more!!
All proceeds from this sale go to Dallas County Master Gardener Projects.
‘Brilliant Pink Iceberg’ Floribundaand onion chives at Raincatcher’s in the edible landscape
Imagine me and you, I do… I think about you day and night, it’s only right!
Just as the Turtles sang to us in 1967, some things belong together. In the plant world this loving and beneficial relationship is commonly referred to as “companion planting.” You might even have heard the popular expression…” roses love garlic.” Let’s consider several reasons why.
From the New York Botanical Garden
*Members of the onion family such as chives, ornamental alliums and edible onions are rumored to increase the perfume of roses, ward off aphids and prevent black spot. Herbs and other aromatic plants make wonderful rose companions.
According to Birds and Booms
*Garlic protects roses from not only bad bugs, it can also help prevent fungal diseases. Aphids don’t love garlic, they hate it!
The Garlic Farm offers this advice –
*Plant three to four cloves in a circle around each rose bush, and the sulphur present in the garlic will disperse into the soil and be taken up by the roses – making it a less palatable treat for little bugs.
Gardening Know How says –
*Rose lovers have planted garlic, chives, garlic chives and onions in their rose beds for many years. Garlic has been known to repel many pests that bother rose bushes. Garlic chives have interesting foliage, repel some pests and their pretty little clusters of white or purple flowers look wonderful with the rose bush’s foliage.
Seasoned gardeners offer these tips –
Included in the list of rose companion plants are alyssum, lavender, marigolds and parsley.
Be sure to check on the companion plant’s growth habit as to height. In many cases, you might want lower-growing companion plants. Herbs will work well planted in the rose beds but, again, check their growth habits to be sure.
Pairing members of the allium family with your roses helps to ward off aphids with their strong scent and may prevent black spot.
So glad we knew about this dynamic relationship when planting our beautiful rose topiary a few years ago and surrounding it with garlic chives. As you can see from the photo, they seem to be saying… yes, we are indeed happy together!
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
Lenten rose plants (Helleborus x hybridus) are not roses at all but a hellebore hybrid. It was given its name because the flower looks similar to a rose and it blooms in early spring often during Lent. This is another plant that we will have at our annual Raincatcher’s Plant sale on Thursday, May 4th.
It is an evergreen, slow growing perennial and the blooms on the heirloom varieties are downward facing. The flowers are very long lived, sometimes remaining for eight to ten weeks.
Lenten rose thrives in partial to full shade which makes it a good plant for adding color and texture to dark areas of the garden. Try planting it in small groups of 3 to 5 plants (18 to 24 inches apart) or plant along walkways and edging. As you can see from the photo, it looks great planted alongside purple oxalis and holly fern. It is best to keep the soil moist but it can tolerate drier conditions once established.
Lenten Rose foliage with Holly Fern and Purple Oxalis
We hope to see you at our plant sale on Thursday, May 4 from 10 AM to 3 PM. Raincatcher’s Garden is located at 11001 Midway Road, Dallas, Texas on the campus of Midway Hills Christian Church. Raincatcher’s is a Dallas County Master Gardener program and all proceeds from this sale benefit master gardener programs.
Jackie James Dallas County Master Gardener 1993
Come shop the sale on Thursday, May 4th, 10am until 3pm.
Midway Hills Christian Church 11001 Midway Road Dallas, Texas 75229
Bees require both nectar and pollen sources for survival. Each source has a specific purpose, nectar for energy and pollen for protein. Let’s do our part by offering them blooming plants throughout the seasons and help to avoid a feast or famine situation for the bees. Included in this post is a partial listing of nectar and pollen sources along with photos of seasonal plants loved by honeybees. Be proactive and intentionally plant flowers that bloom at different times of the year.
Poppy feastBee borrowing from BorageRue Bee buried in a Blackberry blossomClose up on Coreopsis Bees like Okra blossoms
Annuals
*Alyssum
*Basil (especially African Blue and Cinnamon)
*Cockscomb
*Fuchsia
*Larkspur
*Love-in-a-Mist
*Mexican Sunflower
*Moss Rose
*Snapdragon
*Stock
*Sweet Pea
*Zinnia
Perennials
*Anise Hyssop
*Fall Aster
*Borage
*Clovers
*Columbine
*Chrysanthemums
*Scented Geranium
*Lambs Ear
*Lavender
*Mallows
*Scabiosa
*Shrimp Plant
*Statice
Vines
*Black-eyed Susan Vine
*Cantaloupe
*Clematis
*Cucumber
*Gourds
*Honeysuckle
*Jasmine
*Morning Glory
*Passionflower
*Pumpkin
*Squash
Shrubs
*Azalea
*Barberry
*American Beautyberry
*Boxwood
*Butterfly Bush
*Cherry Laurel
*Cotoneaster
*Crepe Myrtle
*Fire Thorn
*Flowering Quince
*Hydrangea
*Spirea
*Viburnum
*Weigela
*Wisteria
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
Pictures by Starla Willis, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2009
Mealy Blue Sage (Salvia farinacea) is a low maintenance, perennial plant that is native to Texas and Mexico and is heat and drought tolerant. It is a 2 – 3 foot sprawling plant that forms a mound as wide as the plant is tall. Its upright growth and showy flowers make it ideal for the back of a perennial garden. The leaves have a grayish cast which makes a good contrast to the green foliage of other plants.
Mealy Blue Sage has numerous flowers on a terminal spike and it requires at least 6 hours of sun for optimal growth and flower production. The stunning purple-blue flower spike brightens the landscape and attracts pollinators to the garden. Once the flowers are spent, it produces a small, papery capsule that some birds enjoy as food. The plant will reseed itself after established and the seedlings can be easily transplanted to other areas of the garden. This plant will grow thicker and will flower better in the fall if cut back in mid-summer
This is yet another fabulous perennial plant that we will have available at our plant sale at Raincatcher’s Garden at Midway Hill Christian Church (11001 Midway Road, Dallas Texas 75229) on Thursday May 4th from 10 AM – 3 PM. Hope to see you there!!!
On a typical Sunday morning following church, my husband and I can be found enjoying brunch at our favorite local bistro. A few weeks ago, was no exception. Parigi is owned by a dear friend of ours who, in “oh so chic” Parisian style, never fails to greet guests with a petite tabletop centerpiece of fresh flowers.
Taking a seat at our usual window table, we were mesmerized by the small but stunning floral display in front of us. Our server smiled as we inquired about the apple-green petals with bronze tips resembling a rose but tightly connected in a lettuce-type formation. Her answer was and short and simple… “I only know that it is called ‘Veggie Greenrose’.”
Brunch was delightful and relaxing but once in the car, a google search took me to a source that provided the best explanation. Here is an abbreviated version of what I learned.
Our admiration was for a unique rose known as Green Rose, thought to be a descendant of Old Bush, a two-hundred-year-old form of Rosa chinensis viridiflora. China roses are extremely hardy and well suited to Zone 8. One grower observed that many winters, in Zone 8, the Green Rose never loses its leaves but remains a vibrant green with a tinge of red.
While the buds on Green Rose bloom like any other rose, when open, there are never any petals. Interestingly, the rose bloom is made up of sepals on top of sepals followed by more sepals. Characteristic of its design, the sepals usually come together to form the “holder” of the flower. This holder is called a calyx, but the Green Rose never makes a true flower. Without a flower, there is no seed and no next generation of the plant.
Thankfully, gardeners throughout the years who held Green Rose in high esteem, chose to take cuttings that were graciously shared with family and friends. Today, this rose exists due to the kindness and love of these special admirers.
However, locating a source for Green Rose can be challenging. Once again, thanks to the internet, Mountain Valley Growers in Squaw Valley, California had them in stock. I ordered three small plants. Joyfully, my order arrived two weeks ago.
Following their instructions, Green Rose spent a few days acclimating to our climate. After a carefully selected location, it is now growing in my garden. And my dear friend and fellow master gardener, Ann Lamb, agreed to grow one of the plants in her garden. We plan to compare their growth over the next few months and eventually start taking cuttings to share with family and friends.
Ann and Linda with our beginner Green Roses
It is enchanting to consider a diminutive and wonderful rose that first appeared as early as 1743 in the area that later was named China. Even more intriguing is the fact that, at one time, it was forbidden for anyone outside of the Forbidden City to grow this rose. It was the sole property of the emperors!
Emperors aside, Ann and I have no walls or thoughts forbidding anyone to grow a beautiful rose that should have a place of honor in any rose garden! Let us know if you would be interested in having a cutting someday.
Linda Alexander, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
We have several rosarians amongst our Master Gardener crowd. Has anyone grown the Green Rose? If you have, send us a picture.
DALLAS GARDEN BUZZ 