Here’s something that we hope will make you smile-a yellow cauliflower, named for its resemblance to the yellow-orange color of cheddar cheese. Developed for its appealing color, this cauliflower contains high levels of beta-carotene and is richer in Vitamin A than white varieties. From a flavor perspective, it offers a slightly sweeter, nuttier taste and retains its vibrant color even after cooking.
If you’re ready to elevate the taste of cauliflower and enjoy it as simple side or an elegant main dish, here’s a recipe that will deliver a palate pleasing experience.
Winter is officially here! The winter solstice has come, leaves have finally turned and fallen, and the Frost Weed has frosted. Never mind that we are alternating between sweaters and shorts. It is winter in the garden. Many older gardening books speak of closing down or putting a garden to bed for this season, but like children waiting to see the New Year arrive at midnight, our landscapes are not truly snoozing.
Our deciduous trees stopped producing chlorophyll. This let us see and enjoy their yellow carotene colors that were previously hidden, instead of just greens. The gorgeous reds and pinks seen across Dallas this year remind us that our autumn was dry, sunny, and certainly stayed above freezing, the conditions needed for the productions of anthocyanins. The mix of colors this year was constantly changing and quite stunning.
But now these trees are bare (my sister refers to them as stick trees) and this slimmed down profile helps to protect them and their branches from wind, snow, and ice. But those lovely leaves still have so much to offer, in one form or another across just about every landscape.
One use involves shredding leaves. This allows us to add that temperature modulating 3–6-inch layer of mulch around our trees and shrubs, or 2-3 for our flowers. That blanket is really appreciated by any newly planted perennials as they settle into their new homes. Extra shreds are perfect for composting. Whole leaves between rows in the vegetable garden keep our feet dry and relatively mud free, while they discourage pesky weeds.
But consider the advantages of doing nothing at all in much of your flower beds and lawns, leaving even a small section of your landscape undisturbed, with plant stems untrimmed and fallen leaves where they fall this winter. Those stems and leaf litter house the insects that will populate, pollinate, and protect our plants next spring. Leaf blowers, rakes, snippers, shredders, and compost heat destroy the habitat our beneficials need this season.
Not all our garden friends headed further south with the monarchs and hummingbirds. They have deployed many clever techniques to survive until spring and summer. Some insects are sheltering in stems, others have headed underground, and some have taken the ‘get small’ approach by wintering as eggs. Cleaver swallowtail butterflies produced their own antifreeze, turning sugars to glycol as an added layer of protection for chrysalis wintering in their cocoons. Despite appearances, life has not deserted our landscapes.
And in our pollinator gardens most especially, we want those insects to survive, to continue to play their garden roles. A fascinating study of the effects of removing autumn leaves can be found here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725004565. To support our diminishing populations of butterflies, bees, beneficial of all kinds, please consider how you can support them as they winter in our yards and gardens. While I don’t want to offer my house as a winter vacation getaway for arthropods and arachnids, I do want them year-round in my landscape outside.
Mary Freede, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2005
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.
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
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.
This is Red Dragon. I was given a few stems in a glass of water by a friend and now it’s being shared.This unknown grass is a descendant of a small plant gathered by my mother near Lake Proctor.Raincatcher’s Garden used to be at Joe Field. I took some cutting of this pink turk’s cap before we left. They continue on!I found this rosemary in a trash pile. It isn’at a particularly good plant but it made me happy to find it and see it growing now years later.A neighbor came by and told me she enjoyed the zinnias in my yard and how much they took her back to her Mother’s garden.Growing a tree from seed reminds us that we can do a lot if we try.
Thank you plant sharing friends:
Jim has grown so many seeds for the plant sale. This is Pride of Barbados, one of his specialty plants. Hope it blooms soon but even if it doesn’t, I am reminded of Jim and all his work for the garden.Mark started these cuttings and generously shared. Be sure to notice Althea when you visit The Raincatcher’s Garden. It has been blooming all summer and thank Mark.
Susan Thornbury, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
Passion vine has been tumbling over my mailbox for years. This summer I experienced the life cycle of the gulf fritillary from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly.
This fascinating journey captivated me for weeks. On July 25th, caterpillars were covering the leaves and blooms of the passion vine. They looked menacing with their reddish-brown spiked bodies.
But there was one who was unlike the others – It had spikes, but had a white milky covering, and it was hanging in a definite “J” shape from my recently-bloomed color guard yucca stalk.
Excited, I ran to get my phone for a time lapse video, but the location and time that it would take to capture, encouraged a different approach. Pictures were snapped before running errands. Alas, upon returning the caterpillar had created the chrysalis and was unassumingly hanging on part of the stalk right at eye level. Had the caterpillar not been seen, it would have been difficult to recognize the chrysalis, as it looked like the material of the spent stalk. It was unnoticeable, unless it was seen in progress. Upon closer examination, the caterpillar shape was recognizable, and the lower portion was where wings formed.
Every morning began with observations – here are some of them:
1. Check on the chrysalis – no real change for about a week – information suggested that it would remain 5-8 days before emerging. Search for more.
2. Look for caterpillars– spiky, reddish brown color, they came in all sizes from very small to about 1 -2 inches long. They were in every part of the passion vine — plain sight, under the leaves, on the stems, and even in the flowers, but were voracious eaters.
3. Observe the native passion vine being ravaged by the very hungry caterpillars. -As a host plant, its lush vegetation, quicky changed to a sickly mass of stems, stripped leaves and decimated flowers. Nothing to do but watch, the plant would soon regrow.
4. Watch gulf fritillary butterflies deposit eggs on the leaves, quickly flitting away to find another spot to do it again.
5. Cringe as Wasps swoop in and sting vulnerable caterpillars. It was disheartening to view but realized that this is part of the natural process.
The observations of the chrysalis were routine until Saturday morning, August 2nd; – there was a gulf fritillary butterfly with his legs clinging to the chrysalis from which he had just emerged. Not moving much, just drying his wings and hanging out. After a few minutes it began to slowly fly to another stalk, then paused–It’s hard work coming out! After several minutes, there was more movement, brief flights, and then it disappeared into the flurry of other butterflies. The short-lived journey of this Gulf fritillary began (14-24 days).
During my daily walk around, it was noted that two eggs were deposited on the painted wood of my mailbox. The contrasting pale yellow color made it easy to observe. With a magnifying glass and ruler in hand., I peered closer at the eggs. For over a week the tiny egg remained unchanged, but then the color turned to a reddish-brown, becoming the smallest of caterpillars (3 mm) in search of passion vine to devour. They didn’t have far to travel as the native passion vine encircled the mailbox.
Eggs!Tiny caterpillar that emerged with Starla’s manicured nail for perspective.
Checking on the cats became a morning pattern, and I was not disappointed when stumbling on another gulf fritillary emerging. This one was located on a coneflower stem. The wings were still droopy indicating that it had very recently exited the chrysalis and needed to dry. As I watched, another gulf fritillary came, flitted his wings slowly and covered him as he hung to the chrysalis. This behavior mesmerized me. Was it protecting him while his wings were drying out? After a short while, maybe 10-15 minutes, they were in flight and yet another chrysalis was abandoned.
There’s so much I don’t know about this process but seeing it up close and personal reminded me that the wonder of God’s creation is incredibly complex and so beautiful. With our busy schedules this is a good reminder to take time to enjoy nature that is all around and let that inspire and encourage us.
Starla Willis, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2011
“Fresh peaches are nature’s candy”. From an unknown source, comes this quote that my husband embraces fully. It’s especially true at our house around late June to mid-July when those much-anticipated east Texas, Parker County and Hill Country peaches hit the local fruit stands and farmer’s markets. We’ve been known to buy several bushels during that time.
On a recent weekend trip to the deep piney woods of east Texas, we experienced an exceptionally flavorful peach event. Hosted by our dear friends, Sharon and Jason Romano, developers of a stunning place near Overton known as High Hill Resort Community, what could be more appropriate than to celebrate their annual peach-themed dinner extravaganza!
Bushels of peaches from local growers arrived at their doorstep a few days prior to the dinner. The restaurant’s chef had already created the menu so preparations for feeding 64 guests went immediately into action.
At 6:00pm diners were welcomed to their seats and the “peachy” feast began. Please enjoy reading through the menu and viewing photos of a masterfully curated “Philley Peach Dinner”. Congratulations to Executive Chef, Ryan Dove, and Sous Chef, Matt Frazier, for treating us to a truly memorable event!
And thanks to our friends for sending us back to Dallas with 2 bushels of those summer jewels from east Texas!
Here is a short list of several recipes we will be enjoying over the next few weeks:
There is something transformative about walking under an arbor. It is a marker for some kind of change, possibly an entrance to a new space, or a transition from one area to another— One thing for sure, is that an arbor sets the space apart. Arbors come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials. It’s difficult to understand all the work that goes into putting up an arbor–Only when you see it unfold before your very eyes will you fully see the scope of the project. Thanks to all who take the time, make the plans, and see it to its final position in the garden.
At Raincatcher’s we’ve been reworking an arbor that was first constructed in 2012 as an Eagle Scout Project at Joe Field, a previous Dallas County Master Gardeners site. changes came and we relocated in November of 2014 to Raincatcher’s Garden of Midway Hills. It was reassembled at the entrance to the North Field Pollinator Garden in 2015.
Arbor reassambled late 2015, notice the stark contrast between these 2 pictures. Our pollinator garden was just beginning.The 2015 pollinator friendly arbor with crossvine flurishing on the right and coral honeysuckle on the right.
This arbor served faithfully for several years, supporting multiple kinds of vines, such as passion vine (host plant for gulf fritillary butterfly), crossvine, coral honeysuckle and others added a touch of shade, some color, and best of all, the attraction of pollinators. In 2024(after about 12 years), the elements contributed to the deterioration of portion of the structure. Some of the original posts remained and were used in the new arbor.
Dallas County Master Gardeners and Raincatcher’s project specialists, Jon Maxwell (class of 2015 and Joe Labay (class of 2008) put a redo of this arbor on the to-do list. . Work began in January 2025 – first, devising a plan, then acquiring materials, and then came execution. This entailed many little things that made big differences, such as , measuring twice, or 3x if needed, so they cut once; leveling the wood and adjusting yet again. The original design was enhanced for functional and aesthetic purposes, the base was reinforced in concrete to better withstand the weather; more slats were added to the top, and the posts and beams leveled and adjusted numerous times.
Teamwork in action as speacialists measure and asemble the new arbor at Raincatcher’s.One more step in arbor reconstruction with the goal of enhancing our garden.Jon and Joe, our dedicated volunteers!
It was meticulously assembled after measuring, sanding, painting and placement. Finishing touches included grading the walkway, mulching, adding decomposed granite, placing stepping stones and adding a brick border to complete this garden work of Art. The project took about 5 months, partially due to only meeting once a week on Tuesday mornings. At times, other issues took precedence, or weather altered plans. It has been well worth the wait!
Interns assisted Jon and Joe with border and stone placement around entrance.Awaiting the finishing touches-decomposed granite, stepping stones and the brick border.Voila! French for Texan speak – here it is!
We at Raincatcher’s are grateful for the commitment and expertise of Jon and Joe to make this beautiful arbor a reality.
It is a statement piece that welcomes everyone to walk under it and into a pollinator paradise. Come and stroll through the garden and check it out! We have workers at the garden on Monday mornings and Tuesday mornings; pollinators are more frequent. See you soon!
Starla Willis, DCMG class 2011, Jon Maxwell, class 2015, and Joe Labay class of 2008
Constructive tips:
* Use the best quality materials you can afford. The better the materials, the longer it is likely to last. Cedar is a better choice than treated lumber. Treated lumber, especially the 4×4 posts tend to warp badly unless thoroughly dry, which are hard to find at the box stores. Cedar, while more expensive, will last longer and will not warp. If treated lumber is chosen based on cost, be sure to prime and stain it immediately upon installation.
* Using materials from the existing arbor may save on the costs, but not necessarily time.
* Plan on it taking longer than you expect —projects have a way of evolving.
Starla Willis, DCMG class of 2011, Jon Maxwell, class of 2015, and Joe LeBay class of 20
Meet the 2025 Pollinator of the year, the Hoary squash bee.
As much as I love bees, the squash bee has escaped my notice. Thankfully, pollinator.org has selected this bee as its 2025 pollinator of the year.
Honey bees are generalists while squash bees rely almost exclusively on squash and gourd pollen to feed their young. They are expert foragers on the squash blossoms of pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, zucchini and gourds of the Cucurbita Family.
Squash bees are large and bulky like bumblebees, but are more similar to honeybees in their coloring. Compared to honeybees, they have rounder faces and longer antennae.
Sunrise is the best time to be in our Texas gardens and that’s when you might find a male squash bee darting from squash flower to squash flower in search of mates. The females are busy pollinating and build undergound tunnels to store squash pollen and nectar for their offspring.
Why do we need to focus on pollinators?
Our efforts make a difference, and pollinators need our support. I have read that one in three bites of food can be attributed to the work of our pollinators. There is a lack of interest in backyard biodiversity and planting to provide for pollinators. Miles of boxwood bushes and plastic lawns do nothing for bees or butterflies. Even flowers like periwinkles do not provide pollen, so we need to be more intentional and protective of pollinators and select and provide for them. Doug Tallamy reminds us” plants are not just for decoration, plants are vital ecological entities that do so many things.”
Start small, your backyard can become an oasis for you and our pollinators. If you need help, call a Master Gardener or visit our garden, The Raincatcher’s Garden, at 11001 Midway Road in Dallas. There are many good books and native plant lists available.
Ann Lamb, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2005
To learn more about honeybees, one of our favorite pollinators, buzz over these articles.
The famous words refer of course not to a person but to the V8 Ford. Just out for a bit of fast driving–those were different days–gas was so cheap and all and the roads less crowded. But now the lesson. The Ford going as fast as it can is passed by Madeline in a Coupe deVille!!
Let’s leave it there for a bit.We need to get back to gardening
In your work at the Master Gardener projects do you get the feeling you must work hard non stop. Do you feel like you couldn’t possibly enter hours for volunteering which weren’t totally filled with your hard best effort?
Lisa collecting seedsVolunteer hard at work in The Raincatcher’s Vegetable GardenJoe and Jon constructing the Raincatcher’s pergola
Do you ever feel that no matter how hard you are working its not quite good enough and maybe others are working harder–or better?
Do you ever feel that even though you do feel you are working hard that what still needs doing seems endless?
Master Gardeners hard at work, tending to the compost.Dedication, hard work and nurturing!Garden labor makes a difference.
Is there ever a feeling of discouragement that creeps in before you even start to work ?
Sometimes we need to take a step back and do a little thinking.
We all need to find fun and joy in your garden work or honestly what is the point?
We need to work hard–yes! But we also need to take little breaks. Sure we need to rest or backs–and knees –and hips–we could go on and on. But also to rest our minds and spirits. We need to take time to connect with our friends–and maybe make some new ones. We need to look around and forget about the weeds for a few minutes and see the beauty and the good things.
Alot needs doing–it does but chances are those things aren’t going anywhere–take time to think about what has been done. Realize and appreciate that our work makes a difference to the garden–to others–and to ourselves.
The physical breaks are essential. The mental ones are too.
Sharing the joy of new plants.Lunchtime at the garden!Master Gardeners taking a well deserved break!
Without breaks–without connection to others–without appreciate and joy the whole point of gardening is lost.
With these breaks we can keep going while avoiding unnecessary injury or worse yet–burnout.
We all know people that it has happened to. Let’s not let it happen to us
Naturally we must end by going back to the V8 Ford.
Remember what happened–a little break–a little water–and ” she caught Madeline at the top of the hill”
Now we cant go too far with this lesson.
Madeline sounds like a bad girl who isn’t going to change so the catching may be a waste–all the Ford’s hard work too.
But we can change we can take time to rest-recharge–rethink-and keep the joy in gardening and in our lives.
Susan Thornbury, Dallas County Master Gardener Class of 2008
