February

February 2013
McLennan County Master Gardener Association
There's A Party in Your Freezer!
The first week of February is upon
us, and what does that bring to
mind? Super Bowl! There will
be many gatherings and parties
to watch this annual gridiron
battle, and lots of food consumed during the process.
This is a perfect time for party fare using goodies you
have stored in your freezer from bountiful harvests last
summer.
Any self-respecting party starts with snacks, and Barbara
Vance offered a great one. Make her jalapeno jelly and
serve it on crackers or baguettes with sharp cheddar or a
smear of cream cheese. Another tasty appetizer is Lisa
Horn’s Texas Caviar. You could delve into your freezer
for jalapenos, corn and black-eyed peas for that one.
When half-time comes around, and if your guests aren’t
already full, serve them Barbara’s Green Chili Stew. An
alternative would be hearty sandwiches accompanied by
La Madeleine’s Tomato Basil Soup. Be glad you stored
away all those luscious tomatoes you grew last summer.
Every party has to have a sweet ending and zucchini bread
will fill the bill. A good tip is to shred and freeze the
zucchini in the amount called for in the recipe. When it’s
time to bake, just thaw the right quantity.
Here are some recipes from Master Gardeners, friends and
relatives that will take advantage of your freezer stash.
Barbara Vance’s Jalapeno Jelly
( She usually makes this with red, ripe peppers, but green
can be used.)
8 jalapeno peppers
2 medium bell peppers
1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup lemon juice
6 cups sugar
4 ounces liquid pectin
Blend peppers until finely chopped.
Combine the pulp and vinegar. Bring to boil over high
heat and then boil rapidly 10 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
Remove from heat and stir in the sugar and lemon juice.
Return to heat, bring to rolling boil again, then stir in the
pectin and boil, stirring constantly, for one minute.
Skim off foam and bottle in sterilized jars. Makes 6 half
pints.
Lisa Horn’s Texas Caviar
¼ cup chopped onion
1 bunch green onions, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 avocado, chopped
1 cup sweet corn
15 ounce can black beans, drained
1 ½ cups cooked black-eyed peas
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon coriander
8 ounce bottle zesty Italian dressing
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Combine all ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips.
Barbara Vance’s Green Chile Stew
(Barbara says she doesn’t really measure, but these are
approximately the proportions she uses. She adds that this
dish is even better the next day.)
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 pounds pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large onion, chopped
3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 inch cubes
Chicken broth or water to cover, probably about 6 cups
2-3 cups chopped green chilies
1 ½ teaspoons Mexican oregano, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste
Toppings as desired: cilantro, avocado, Monterey Jack
cheese
Page | 1
Brown pork in oil in batches, adding onion to final batch.
Put all pork and onions in large pot, add garlic and sauté a
couple of minutes. A little flour can be added here, if
desired.
Add potatoes, oregano and broth. Bring to boil, then lower
heat and simmer at least an hour.
Bake at 325 degrees 40 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick
inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pans 20 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool
completely.
(Tip: this bread is even better if wrapped tightly and
allowed to sit 24 hours before serving.)
Add green chilies and cook another 20 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
La Madeleine’s Tomato Basil Soup
4 cups tomatoes, cored and chopped
4 cups tomato juice (or part juice and part chicken stock)
12-14 basil leaves
1 cup heavy cream
¼ pound sweet, unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
Lemon juice (optional)
Master Gardener Meeting February
2013
At our February meeting, Charlie Olson will
present Growing Grape Vines in Texas.
Meeting is at noon February 13th at the
Arboretum. One hour Education credit will
be given for attendance.
Combine tomatoes, juice and or stock, in pan.
Simmer 30 minutes.
Puree, along with basil leaves, in small batches in food
processor or blender. Return to pan and add cream and
butter while stirring over low heat.
Garnish with basil leaves.
Linda Deal Kruse’s Zucchini Bread
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
1/3 cup water
2 cups zucchini, unpeeled and shredded
1 cup pecans, chopped
Mix all dry ingredients and set aside.
Combine sugars, oil, eggs, vanilla and water, and then
mix into dry mixture by hand.
Newest Members
Congratulations to our
two
new
members,
Catherine
Cole
and
Marietta Diehl, who
received their certificates
at the January 2013
Master Gardener meeting.
Recycled Pots
There is a good stock pile of pots in all
sizes to start plants for the sale in May
at the Extension Office. Get your pots
to start plants for our annual plant sale.
It will be here before you know it!
Fold in zucchini and pecans.
Pour into 2 greased and floured loaf pans. Batter will be
very thick.
Page | 2
from
Sandy Back
Seeds from Sandy
When winter arrived, it surely
knocked hard on our doors. The
temperatures and moisture have
actually been just what we need at
this time of the year. My hope is that the insects have
been driven farther away and that those deep shrub and
tree roots got a good drink!
some new Superstar plants that I hope to add into my own
landscape.
www.mclennanmastergardeners.org
This web site should sound very familiar to all of us. If
you don’t know, it is operated by our very own Carol
Wood’s daughter, Mary. She does an excellent job of
putting all our Latest Dirt issues, photo albums, upcoming
dates and some wonderful links. I am so grateful to her
for the time she has given to doing this valuable job for us.
Check it out and you will be amazed at the vast wealth of
information you can access.
www.centraltexasgardening.net
As I pondered over what to write about this month, the
obvious topic would be pruning roses. That is what comes
to mind in the month of February, but then I realize that
we have some rose experts in our group and they would be
much better to speak on the topic than myself. I did view
several excellent articles on You Tube about rose pruning
and care. Once I started looking at those videos, I began
clicking away on other great plant sites and decided to
share with you some that I thought were worth you r time.
None of these may be new to you, but merit a new visit if
you have not checked them out in a while. Let me take
this opportunity to say that the very best way to learn is to
talk with other Master Gardeners!! While working at the
Superstar bed, I was walking to the parking lot with a new
member, David Daniel. I found him to be a fountain of
knowledge. Among the things he shared with me are a
web site and its many links owned by a dear friend of his.
It will be the first on my list below of those for you to
check out.
This web site is maintained by our very own Melody
Fitzgerald. It contains a wonderful array of plant bases,
pictures, planting calendars, links and much more.
Melody is a quiet yet reliable gardener with much to share
with all of us. I always enjoy checking out her web site!
www.davesgarden.com
Now is the perfect time to find some new things to add
into your own landscape and try out when spring will soon
be arriving.
This has enough links, resources and plant data bases to
keep you learning for months. As a matter of fact, one of
the largest plant data bases out there. The reason David
told me about it is because I shared with him that many
times we say the name of a plant to others and are not
quite sure we have the correct pronunciation. This plant
data base gives you a pronunciation key which I was
thrilled to find out about.
www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu
This should be a standard web site that we all refer to and
leads you to so many other things to explore. For a few
years past, the plant “buzz words” were Texas Superstars
and EarthKind Roses. It is always fun to go and click on
those to see new plants and trials that are being added.
This is a primary source of education for us all. I found
www.klru.org/ctg/
This is a public education web site for central Texas
gardeners. We can all learn about beautiful plants and
their care, but it is worthless if they cannot survive our
intense summer heat and drought. There is good
information here for our application.
www.txsmartscape.com
This was a fairly new web site that I came across when
checking out others. It seemed to be well thought out,
user friendly and a good source for plants that are
adaptable to our conditions.
Go out and dig (both knowledge and dirt!),
Sandy
McLennan Co.
Master Gardener
Office Re-opens
The Master Gardener office
will re-open on January 29. Office hours are from 1
- 4 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Two
members will staff the office to answer the "ask a
master gardener" phone line and assist walk-ins who
Page | 3
ask for horticultural information. To sign up for the
volunteer service, contact Carol Reinking at
[email protected] or 399-0927. This is one
of the many projects that count as volunteer hours
for certification. Each telephone call and walk-in
count as “contacts” on hours report.
By Barry Vokes
Perhaps you have heard the term
Permaculture, a concept that is becoming
popular. It is about ecological and
environmental design and engineering
based on natural ecosystems. Permaculture is based on
three core beliefs or “tenets”: (1) caring for the earth, (2)
caring for the people, and (3) using any surplus wisely.
Permaculture is about designing “systems” that, with
minimal input, produce a high density of food and
materials. All this must be done in harmony with the earth.
It’s about ecology and sustainable land use.
What is known today as Permaculture is comprised of
elements from several disciplines, which include
sustainable development, applied ecology, organic
farming, integrated farming and agroforestry.
Let’s minimize the jargon and focus on what this really
means. Common applications of Permaculture are found
in housing design and construction, landscape design and
rainwater harvesting. Housing design is a good starting
place, for some of the designs are really interesting and
clever. It does not necessarily mean you must live in a
Hobbit house. A good design might use passive solar and
will site the house to take maximum advantage of seasonal
weather changes. In our hot climate it will keep the direct
sunlight off your windows as much as possible. Gutters
and downspouts channel rainfall into collection tanks. A
well designed, energy efficient house does not have to
look unconventional, though some owners seek that look
for the bragging rights.
There are a dozen Permaculture design principles: (1)
Observe and interact. We can learn much by observing
natural systems; (2) Capture and store energy. That can be
tricky; (3) Ensure a yield. Make sure that your effort
results in a useful reward; (4) Self-regulation and
feedback. Use a disciplined approach and accept
constructive criticism; (5) Use renewable resources.
Minimize consumptive behavior and dependence on nonrenewable resources; (6) Produce no waste; (7) Look for
patterns in nature and society. Then, design around those
patterns; (8) Integrate your design so that everything
works in harmony; (9) Small and slow solutions using
local resources produce more sustainable outcomes; (10)
Value diversity, which is found all around us in natural
systems; (11) The most interesting events occur at the
edges or margins – the interface between things. The
edges often produce the most valuable and productive
elements; (12) Change is inevitable, so embrace it and
deal with it creatively.
Permaculture design begins with natural patterns. There
are patterns all around us. Think of wave patterns or the
movement of the planets around the sun. How about
alternating current or heartbeats? Those are all examples
of patterns. Develop an awareness of the patterns that
surround us, and consider them in your site design.
A mature ecosystem has a complex series of relationships
between its components. Those components include trees
and the understory, ground cover, soil, fungi, insects and
animals. A food forest contains up to eight generally
recognized layers: the canopy, lower tree layer, shrubs,
herbaceous plants, root crops, soil surface, vertical layer
of climbers or vines, and fungi.
In Permaculture design, the edge effect in ecology is
especially important. Designers maintain that an intense
area of productivity is found at the edges or margins.
Think of the seashore, for example. Edges are also an
important landscape design principal. In Permaculture
design, this can be created by using spirals in the herb
garden or designing ponds with wavy shorelines to
increase the edge. Among the most productive edges are
those between woodlands and open fields.
Designers plan zones to organize the various design
elements. Zones are numbered from zero to five, with zero
being the house, one being the area immediately
surrounding it, used for plants that require frequent
attention (e.g., kitchen garden). Zone two is the place for
perennials (beehives, compost bins, etc.). Zone three is for
growing main crops. Zone four is a semi-wild forage zone
(e.g., a wood lot). Zone five is a wilderness area with little
or no human intervention apart from observation.
Within a Permaculture design landscape one might find
agroforestry, which combines trees and shrubs with crops
and livestock. Forest gardening is a sub-set of
agroforestry. Food forests are fascinating and worthy of
study. Hugelkultur is frequently used in Permaculture. As
keyhole gardens gain in popularity, they will likely be
utilized, and bio-char also fits in well.
Other Permaculture concepts include natural building,
with emphasis on sustainability, rainwater harvesting and
Page | 4
sheet mulching. It’s about living in harmony with nature.
With seven billion people on the planet, we probably need
to think seriously about doing that pretty quickly.
Educational Opportunities
Water Conservation Seminar Featuring Rainwater
Harvesting
February 16, 2013, 9:30am to 2:30 pm
Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Dr., Bryan
Texas
Taught by Billy Kniffen, a water resource
specialist with A&M.
Pre-Register to attend: $45 per person - includes handouts,
snacks and sandwich lunch buffet. Registration : Preferred
by February 11, 2013.
Forms: Information and registration form is available at
www.brazosmg.com .
Seed Starting and Simple Propagation class at Bonnie’s
Greenhouse
January 26, 9:00- 10:00 (may run over).
The cost is $20.00, which includes all
supplies. Students will leave with seed
starting kit - seeds included, tray of cuttings
and handouts. Class size limited to 10.
Terrarium class—Bonnie’s Greenhouse
February 2, 9:00-10:00 Price depends on items you buy.
You can bring your own container or she will have some
for sale. Plants are $2.00 each. They sell a kit for $7.00
each that includes everything for the base of the terrarium
Some suggestions: Hobby Lobby has a few, jars, WalMart has brandy sniffers and some other types in the craft
department.
There will be handouts. Class size is limited to 15.
MCMG Attendance 1-9-13
Sandy Back, B.L. Barnes, Mark Barnett, Bonnie
Bellanger Dick Bellanger, Tom Burr, Ralph Calhoun
(intern), Ila Jean Carouthers, Catherine Cole, David
Daniel, Lynn DeMuynck, Marietta Diehl, Archie
Dillard (intern), Patricia Dillard (intern), Kim
Daugherty, Eva FitzGerald, Melody Fitzgerald, Xan
Foulks, Cindy Geletzke, Penny Gifford, Brenda
Golubski, Judy Haller – Intern, Joan Harmon –
Intern, Margaret Henson, Melody High, Peggy
Holcomb, Carolyn Hughes – intern, Missy Kinder,
Cynthia Krzywonski, Monica Marks – intern, Patricia
Marlin – intern, Sherry Matthews, Louie McDaniel,
Barbara Mesinger, Elizabeth Milam, Gerry Milnor,
Andrea Moore, Georgia Peterson, Ernie Petru, Anne
Plasek, Robert Powers, Art Renking, Carol Renking,
Sharon Romano, Janet Schafer, Judy Schmeltekopf,
James Seale, Jr., Ann Sefcik – intern, Rita Self –
intern, Jan Serface, Della Sester, Betty Tawwater –
intern, Mary Lou Trice, Barbara Vance, Barry Vokes,
Jo vonRosenberg, Ramona Watson, Dorothy
Whitehead, M.J. Whitehead, Carol Wood
Guests: Nancy Davis from Mexia, Charles Watley,
and Ray Spradling.
11 Interns at the meeting, 49 Members, 3 guests
Growing Potatoes
Mid-February is time to plant
potatoes. They are fairly easy to grow
here in Central Texas. Eating freshly
dug potatoes from your own garden is
a treat.
Prepare your potato bed by digging it out to a depth of at
least ten inches – more is better. Purchase certified seed
potatoes and choose your potato varieties wisely. There
are early season, mid-season and late season varieties, the
difference being the length of time from emergence to
maturity. This ranges from about 75 days (early) to 110 or
more days (late). If you cannot find certified seed
potatoes, you can purchase organically grown potatoes at
the grocery store and plant those.
The early to mid-season potato varieties do not need
“hilling” after planting, because they will generally not
grow additional tubers upward. These are so-called
“determinate” varieties. If you are planning to grow your
Page | 5
tubers in a potato box or in piled up tires, you want a
variety that matures in 110 days or later, and that’s where
you will find the “indeterminate” potatoes that continue
sending out lateral shoots and forming tubers when you
add mulch or loose soil as the plants grow upward.
Divide each seed potato into pieces, each with one or
more “eyes”. Place them on a baking sheet or newspaper
for at least three days until the cuts form a callus. Then
you are ready to plant. Don’t forget to feed your potato
plants.
Other: 48
Urban Garden Coalition
Downtown Farmer’s Market
BIG Conference
Misc Work
Meetings Travel
2.5
32
10.5
2
1
HOURS FOR THE MC LENNAN CO. MASTER
GARDENERS FOR THE YEAR OF 2012
JANUARY 1 – DECEMBER 31 2012
You will probably have good luck with early to midseason potato varieties. Keep in mind that you need 110 or
more days for late season (indeterminate) potatoes, and
once summer heat arrives they will stop growing. Yukon
Gold is a good choice (about 100 days). It’s a determinate
variety. If you choose a mid to late season variety (e.g.,
Red LaSoda) consider shading the plants from the direct
sun once the heat arrives. That should give them a better
chance to mature.
VOLUNTEER HOURS
EDUCATION HOURS
CONTACTS
CONTACTS MEDIA
MEETINGS ATTENDANCE
MCLENNAN COUNTY
HOURS January 2013
These Hours Listed Below Are Included in the Above
Totals.
All Hours Have Been Rounded Off.
MASTER
GARDENERS
VOLUNTEER HOURS
383.5
EDUCATION HOURS
38.5
CONTACTS
2530
MASS MEDIA CONTACTS
195,974
(The hours listed below are included in the above
totals.)
Arboretum: 35.5
Superstar Garden
Trailside Garden
Schools:
14
21.5
72.75
Cedar Ridge Elementary
Woodway Elementary
65.5
7.25
Ag Office & MCMG: 213.75
Ag Office
Ag Office Landscape
MCMG Clerical
News Publishing
Plant Sale
Gardens:
165.5
4
16.25
24
4
13.5
Crawford Garden Club (speaker)
Hewitt Community Garden
MHMR Garden 7
2
4.5
ARBORETUM
TRAILSIDE GARDEN
DOCENT TOUR
CHILDREN’S FAIR
HERB GARDEN
CACTUS GARDEN
ROSE GARDEN
SUPERSTAR BED
GARDENER’S GATHERING
6279
3265
96,538
872,168
718
757
109
17
426
33
1
34
64
57
MISCELLEANOUS HOURS SPENT ON OTHER
PROJECTS
NEWS PREP. AND PUBLISHING
290
CLUB PREP. AND ACTIVITIES
199
MASTER GARDENER CLERICAL 1,337
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
69
HEWITT COMMUNITY GARDEN
39
_CAMERON PARK ZOO
145
BIG CONFERENCE
197
MC GREGOR DEMO. GARDEN
148
CEDAR RIDGE SCHOOL
596
MHMR
58
MHMR HOTAN
47
WOODWAY SCHOOL
172
MLK WALK AMERICA
2
AG – OFFICE
487
AG- OFFICE LANDSCAPING
298
--
----
Page | 6
MISC. LANDSCAPING
ST. PAUL’S CHURCH
URBAN COALITION
WALMART CHILDREN’S
PLANTING
MISC. CHURCHES
PLANT SALE & POT RECYCLING
RAPOPORT ACADEMY
WORLD HUNGER RELIEF
SPRING VALLEY SCHOOL
J.H.HINES SCHOOL
INTERN CLASS PLANNING
TRAVEL
UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL
DOWNTOWN FARMER”S MARKET
BRIGHT STARS
3
3
51
37
10
389
1
2
44
56
407
288
12
117
18
Emeritus Master Gardeners
In December 2012, four former members of the
McLennan County Master Gardeners were
designated as a Texas Master Gardener Emeritus.
Three of the four were in the 1998 intern training
class.
Cecil Davidson and Judy Tye were
posthumously given the designation. Cecil died in 2004
and Judy, who had been president of the McLennan Co.
organization in 2002, died in 2011. Vic DuPart, also of
the 1998 class but resigned this year, was cited for his
volunteer service and presidency of the local master
gardener association in 2003 and 2004. James Bays, an
intern of the 2004 class, resigned for health reasons this
year and was recognized for his many contributions of
plants to the plant sale as well as building items for the
Carleen Bright Arboretum.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
February 2013
Date
Activity
Contact
2/5&6 B.I.G. Conference Events Ctr.
Various times each day
Carol Wood
2/8
TX Superstar Bed weeding,
rose trimming, 8 a.m.
Jennifer Rich
2/9
Downtown Waco Farmer’s
Penny Gifford
Market, 8-8:30 set up, 1pm depart
2/15
Woodway Elementary planting
and harvesting 12:30-3:00 pm
Cedar Ridge Day in the Garden
7:45 am to 3:15 pm.
2/19
Melody High
Sandy Back
Minutes—McLennan County Master Gardener
Monthly Meeting, January 9, 2013
[Followed by “Cacti and Succulents” program, Steven
Lovecky, (1 hr.edu)]
Whitehall Center, Carleen Bright Arboretum
The meeting was called to order at 12:05 p.m. by
President Sandy Back, and all were welcomed to the first
meeting of the year, including the Interns in attendance.
Later, Ray Spradling and then Nancy Davis and friend,
Charles Whatley, were introduced as guests. Printed
copies of the minutes from the December 2012
meeting/party were handed out and read by members as
they arrived. Jan Serface moved that they be accepted,
Robert Powers seconded and the minutes were approved.
Barry Vokes, treasurer for 2012, announced that the books
for that year had been closed and that on January 7, 2013
an audit of the financial records was satisfactorily
concluded. Sherry Matthews, treasurer for the upcoming
year, presented the 2013 budget for approval. Gerry
Milnor moved to accept the budget and Jim Seale
seconded. The budget was accepted.
Eva FitzGerald agreed once again to prepare the 2013
Yearbook; however, due to the proposed by-laws changes
and the required vote on those changes, the yearbook will
not be available until March.
Penny Gifford, in charge of the Master Gardeners booth at
the Farmer’s Market, spoke about our increased exposure
to the public now that Master Gardeners will have a booth
every month, usually on the second Saturday of the
month. Volunteers are needed to help with timely
demonstrations. Contact Penny for more information and
to volunteer.
A seminar on rainwater harvesting and other water
conservation ideas will be conducted in Bryan, TX on
Saturday, February 16, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at a
cost/person of $45. Contact Ila Jean Carothers for more
information, and register with Sandy Back before
Monday, February 11, 2013.
In other announcements, Sandy Back read a portion of the
letter of resignation sent that day by Rachelle Kemp.
Rachelle and Randy Kemp were long time, much valued
members whose schedules no longer fit the time demands
of Master Gardeners.
Sandy also spoke of the software update for the MCMG
website to be purchased by Carol Woods’ daughter, Mary,
who had access through her school to the software at a
reduced rate. Mary has maintained our website for some
time.
Page | 7
Upcoming projects and volunteer opportunities were
printed on the back of the meeting agenda. They will also
be emailed to everyone courtesy of Barbara Vance and
Peggy Holcomb. Both suggested that members might wish
to challenge themselves by trying different activities from
time to time in order to learn more about what some of the
other Master Gardeners do. It would be a chance to work
with different members and gain new skills as well.
Barbara Vance also spoke of the proposed changes to the
by-laws which will be voted on at the February meeting.
Only members may vote, but Interns were encouraged to
participate in the discussions. Members were asked to stop
at the back table when they leave and pick up a copy of
the proposed by-laws changes. For those absent and for
the Interns a hard copy will be sent by U.S. Mail. Sandy
Back clarified that none of the hours requirements were
changed at all. Master Gardeners are still required to
perform 12 volunteer hours, get 6 hours of education,
attend 3 meetings and pay annual dues of $12.00, and she
urged everyone to get an early start on those requirements.
She also reminded us that those who stay for the program
after the meeting today will get 1education hour.
Following Julia Khoury’s example of service in keeping
track of our hours and contacts, Brenda Golubski has
stepped forward to take up this challenging duty. She also
intends to help each of us learn how to input our hours
information online once the website designed for that
purpose is ready. In the meantime, Brenda prepared a
form that we are to use when turning in our information to
her. These have been emailed to everyone but are also
available on the back table. The 25th of the month is the
deadline, but Brenda hopes members will also send in
their information anytime they do an activity,
New member certificates were given today to Catherine
Cole and to Marietta Diehl. They were congratulated for
their accomplishments.
Carol Woods provided information about this year’s
B.I.G. Conference (Blackland Income Growth) at the
Heart of Texas Colosseum on February 5th & 6th, and a
sign-up sheet was circulated for those wanting to work a
shift at the conference. Doug Quicksall and Jene Hering
are in charge of the Master Gardener participation.
From Barry Vokes we learned about the TMGA (Texas
Master Gardener Association) delegates and alternates for
2013. President Sandy Back and Ila Jean Carothers are
delegates, and vice president Jeanette Kelly and Linda
Burchfield are alternates.
input from all the members. Melody also wants to be told
if anyone does not receive their newsletter.
When asked about what would happen to the recipes
turned in at the December 2012 meeting/party, Sandy
Back expressed a desire to have them put into a Master
Gardener cookbook.
Della Sester volunteered to
undertake the project, and Pat Dillard offered to help.
Anne Plasek asked if the cookbook could possibly be
ready to sell at this year’s plant sale.
Finally at the end of the meeting Sherry Matthews asked
for donations to the Benevolence Fund by any wishing to
contribute.
Sandy Back reminded everyone of the “Cacti and
Succulents” program by Steven Lovecky that would
follow the close of the meeting. She adjourned the
meeting at 12:50 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth Milam, Secretary
Tips from Master Gardeners
Plastic chicken
wire has many
clever uses in the
garden. It can be
used to keep cats
and other animals
from digging in the
garden. It works
great on a slope to
control erosion
before your plants
develop mature
roots to hold the soil in place. It is sold in rolls, just like
chicken wire, but can easily be cut with scissors. Despite
this, it lasts for years out in the weather. Melody
Fitzgerald has some used to control erosion that is still in
place after almost 20 years. Below, you can see it used to
keep armadillos out of Melody’s garden. Just peg it down
and cut holes for the little plants. These holes can be
enlarged over time as your plants grow.
This is your section. Please send your tips for
gardeners to Melody or Linda. We want your ideas!
Our newsletter, The Latest Dirt, is now being published by
Melody Fitzgerald and Linda Kruse and they hope to get
Page | 8
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day at
Cedar Ridge Elementary
Master Gardeners helped the children learn more about
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Peace, and Service on MLK
Day of Celebration in the Cedar Ridge School Garden.
The children learned about plant parts, then crafted a
peace sign using the things they learned about.
Stories and history lessons about Dr. King
Page | 9