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Issue 10 – Oct. 2016
L E A D E R S H I P President Debra Martin Vice President Thorunn Kelley Secretary Beth Spirko Elect- Michelle Scott Treasurer Theresa Stelzig Elect– Suzy Murray Ex-officio Deborah Holliday Members at Large Linda Lamprect Carlos Valdez Sandra Williams State Directors Betty Rogers Huxley Smith Alt-Karen Easton Alt - Mary Lambert Gazette Editor John Slusarz Parliamentarian Carlos Valdez Hours Coordinator Betty Rogers Extension Office Lisa Martinez
P1 NMG Officers 2016 P1 Home and Garden Show P2 President’s Corner P2 Agent’s Notes P3 Botanical Garden Events P3 Gills Garden Talks P3 Volunteer Opportunities P3 Other Happenings P4 Monthly Meeting P4 NMG Road Trip P4 Fall CEU Conference P4 Birthdays P4 Rummage Sale P4 Aquaponics 206 P4 TX Beekeepers Convention P4 Betty Rogers Note P4 Birthdays P4 John Balcar Cold Crop P4 Robin Arndt P5 Seed Packing P5 É c l a i r T o r t e P6 Biblical Hyssop P7 Magical Butchart Gardens P8 Suggestions/Comments P8 Editors Note / Disclaimers
The 17th Annual Fall Corpus Christi Home & Garden Show has come and gone. For us it was a great show. Nueces Master Gardeners had over well over 800 people stop at our booth area during the three days of the show. When the Kid’s Zone and stage presentations are added to our booth count, we easily topped 1,000 people. Many thanks to all Master Gar-deners and Trainees that contributed their time and shared their horticulture knowledge.
CLICK THIS TO SEE ALL 161 PICTURES
I N T H I S I S S U E
MASTER GARDENER GAZETTE NUECES COUNTY, TX PAGE 2
Howdy,
Here it is October one of my favorite months, why do you ask, well because of pumpkins. I love pumpkins, smooth, rough, white, orange, speck-led. Any and all. When I was young it was a big deal to go to the farm and pick our pumpkins to carve up for Halloween. Of course in Ohio you may have to wear a coat over your costume so we were able to create that Jack O Lantern weeks ahead of Halloween. It was a big family thing. Hot cider, cookies, caramel ap-ples, my brother and me fighting over who had the best and the biggest pumpkin. I was the little sister so you know where that went. I continued the tradition with my kids. Only here in South Texas I found out the hard way do not carve too soon or you will have a melted mess on your front porch. It is still a big deal for my family. My daughter and I are on the search for the big-gest or best pumpkin for our night of fun. We will be first in line at the pumpkin patches and every-one from the youngest to me will have their own to create. I am a purest triangle eyes, punched out nose and crooked teeth. Everyone will be busy scooping and cleaning, drawing the faces or fancy designs, but the best part is when we all go out-side and line them all up, turn out the light and they shine for the first time.
Pumpkin Facts Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family,
which includes cucumbers, honeydew melons, cantaloupe, watermelons and zucchini. These plants are native to Central America and Mexi-co, but now grow on six continents.
The largest pumpkin pie ever baked was in 2005 and weighed 2,020 pounds.
Pumpkins have been grown in North America for five thousand years. They are indigenous to the western hemisphere.
In 1584, after French explorer Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence region of North America, he reported finding “gros melons.” The name was translated into English as “pompions,” which has since evolved into the modern “pumpkin.”
Continued on page 8
B r o n z e o r G r e e n ? My mother ran a small town newspaper, “The Lorenzo Examin-er”. She worked tirelessly each week to gather all of the local news from schools, banks, garden clubs, 4H and even county extension. Immediately after school, I would head to the news-paper office to see what was going on and who would drop in to visit with my mom. We visited with people ranging from meek and mild church goers to wild and rowdy country singers.
Once, while running the routes, we spied a leggy young guy at the local Alsups, talking on the pay-phone. I told my grandmother, “Hey, granny, I think that’s Dwight Yoa-kum”. “No it’s not, doesn’t look any-thing like him”, she replied. I was a block from the office so I ran and got my mom and we went back down to the convenience store. She got out and sheepishly approached the young man and asked him, “Are you Dwight Yoakum?” “Uh, yes mam”, he replied. My mom sat and talked to him for a while; he even took photos reading our little newspaper. Dwight turned out to be a really nice guy. The funny thing was, that on the way back to the office, my grandmother said, “I knew it was him all along”.
My granny and mom both loved plants. Mother had a huge whiskey barrel out in front of her office and each year we would fill it with plants. We tried lots of different things, but the plant
that performed consistently was the wax begonia. The whiskey barrel sat under an awning, which provided shade in the morning and filtered sun in the afternoon; evidently this was just what
begonias liked. The only question now was whether to put in bronze leaf wax begonias or the green leaf variety and if that wasn’t tough enough, then you had to choose a color, red, pink or white. We tried them all, but in the end, the one that always prevailed and provided the grandest display was the green leaf begonia with pink blossoms. Nothing can replace the exciting memories of working with my mom at the newspaper and help-ing her plant the whiskey barrel each year. To this day, each time I see a wax begonia or any other type of begonia, for that matter, I can’t help but think, “Bet mom would love this one!” This past spring, talking on the phone with my mom, she said, “I got me a little greenhouse” and I’m gonna plant me some be-gonias, if I can find any”. Thanks mom, for the great memories and for making me love begonias, but most of all, thanks for be-ing a great, hard-working example for me to follow. Most of all, thanks for loving me, even when I wasn’t very lovable!
My mom, Charlotte Gibbs and Dwight Yoakum
PAGE 3 MASTER GARDENER GAZETTE NUECES COUNTY, TX
See the VMS Event Calendar for a complete and detailed listing of all available volunteer events COMMITTEE/PROJECT CONTACTS - CLICK THIS
BOTANICAL GARDENS, Wednesdays, 7:30 a.m. COURTYARD AT THE GARDEN SENIOR CENTER, 1st Monday, 9:15 a.m. Contact: Betty Whitt 991-5375 FOOD BANK PROJECT “Outgrow Hunger” Tuesdays 7:30a.m. (Except MG meeting day then Wednesday) Contact: Mary Lambert 813-7596 or e-mail her at [email protected] NATURE CONSERVANCY Mondays, 4:00pm & Blu-cher Park 5:00 pm until sundown (Behind the Main Library). Contact: Karen Smith 877-9723 RAY HIGH SCHOOL GREENHOUSE Tuesday MG Workday 9:00-11:00
Wed. Oct 5 - Coastal Bend Cacti & Succulent Society meeting, 7pm, Garden Senior Center, 687-6474 Tue. Oct 11 - Garden Council, 10am, Garden Senior Center, 537-8231 Thur. Oct. 13 - Aquaponics 206 workshop, 1-4pm, Extension auditorium, ($30), 767-5223. See page 4 Tue. Oct 18 - Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardener Association, 10am, 892 Airport Rd., Rockport, 361-790-0103 Thur. Oct. 20 - Fall CEU Conference, 8-2:30, AgriLife Extension & Research, 10345 Hwy 44, ($20) 767-5223. See page 4 Tue. Oct 25 - Education Bus tour to Lady Bird John-son Wildflower Center in Austin. See page 4 Thur. Oct 27 - Bromeliad Society meeting, 7pm, Gar-den Senior Center, 658-8650 Thur. Oct 27 - Bonsai Society meeting, 7pm, Garden Senior Center, 992-0009
All start at 10am unless noted Thur. Oct 6 - Orchidology Class, 7pm Sat, Oct 1 - Saving the Monarchs seminar, Sat, Oct 8 - Making Miniature Gardens seminar Sat, Oct 15 - Moonlight in the Gardens, 5:30pm Sat. Oct 22 - Tamaulipan Thornscrub seminar/nature walk Sat Oct 29 - Propagation 101 seminar
Kids Discover Reptiles & Amphibians, 10-11am and 3-4pm
For the Botanical Gardens 2016 Full Calendar of Events CLICK THIS
M A S T E R G A R D E N E R S M E E T I N G S Tuesday, Oct 18 at Garden Senior Center
8:30 - 11:30am - Members may bring plants and food 10:00 - 11:30am - Combined Executive/General Meeting 11:30 - 12:00pm – Meet and Greet Over Lunch 12:00 – 2:00pm - Annual Plant Auction 2:00 - 3:00pm - Cleanup
A great opportunity to get some wonderful plants at rock-bottom prices - depending on your auction bidding skills.
To volunteer for future lunches, contact Rita Phillips 991-0750 or email [email protected]
5325 Greely Dr, Corpus Christi, TX 78412 - CLICK FOR MAP
Gills 2810 Airline , 992-9674 10am - 11am Sat. Oct 1 - Inspiring Gardens Of Santa Fe, Kathy Hubner, Landscape Designer Sat. Oct 1 - Enjoy The Wildlife-Attracting Birds & Butterflies To Your Garden, 3pm - James Gill, Owner & Landscape Designer Sat. Oct 8 - Fall Planting For Trees & Shrubs, James Gill, owner, Landscape Designer and C.W. Carpenter Sat .Oct 15 - Culinary Herbs & Edible Flowers, Emily Capule, Flower Farmer & Design Assistant Sat. Oct 22 - Indoor Gardening, Emily Capule, Flower Farmer & Design Assistant Sat. Oct 29 - Halloween Fun-Painting Pumpkins & Trick or Treat Bags, Barbara Tharas, Artist & Sales Associate
OTHER HAPPENINGS THIS MONTH
O N G O I N G P R O J E C T S
Wed. Oct. 5 - #10, Woodies/Herbaceous, BG Wed. Oct. 12 - #11, Propagation, Robstown Wed. Oct. 19 - #12, 11am-4pm, Habitat Gardening, BG Mon. Oct. 26 - #13, Home Vegetable Gardening , Rock-port
NMG TRAINING SCHEDULE - Classes 12:30 - 4:30pm
MASTER GARDENER GAZETTE NUECES COUNTY, TX PAGE 4
F R O M B E T T Y R O G E R S T I P S O N R E P O R T I N G Y O U R H O U R S
As Nueces Master Gardeners (students and interns includ-ed) you are a member of Garden Council. Please plan to attend those meetings. The meeting itself does not count for hours, but if there is a program certified Master Gar-dener’s can count that for CE time. Students and interns do not receive credit but will receive knowledge and make some new friends.
10-03 John Martin 23 10-04 Thorunn Kelley 22 10-16 Dennis Britton 21 10-17 Sue Becquet 16 10-31 Rayburn Walker 26
Nueces Master Gardener Education Bus Tour Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX - Tuesday, October 25 - Seating is limited - Your payment re-serves your seat. Deadline for sign up is October 15. For more info you can contact Thorunn Kelly 361.290.1905
CLICK THIS FOR THE BUS TOUR FLYER CLICK THIS FOR WILDFLOWER CENTER
The Nueces Master Gardeners had their annual rummage sale on Saturday, September 24 and it was a great event. Even the little rain shower managed to only slowed things down for just a little bit.
Very pleased to announce that the one day rummage sale
raised a whopping $1,142.88 and that all of the unsold
items have been donated to the Goodwill store Port Ave-nue.
A special thanks goes out to everyone that sacrificed their precious belongings that made this sale a great success. And a huge thank you to those who gave up their weekend time to assist with the set up, sale and clean up.
Thursday, October 13 - 1:00-4:00pm Texas A&M Research and Extension Center
10345 State Hwy 44, Corpus Christi. Join AgriLife Fisheries Specialist, Peter Woods, for an informative short course on building an Aquaponics system. The workshop has a participation fee of $30, which includes a chance to win an assembled back-yard aquaponics system, will be charged at the door .
C L I C K T H I S F O R M O R E I N F O R M A T I O N
Nueces Master Gardeners celebrating a birth-day this month include the following. The next time you see them be sure that you wish them
H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y !
FALL CEU CONFERENCE
Thursday, October 20 8:30am - 2:20pm
Texas A&M Research and Extension Center 10345 State Hwy 44, Corpus Christi.
Pre-registration required. $20 per person - includes lunch. CLICK THIS FOR FULL INFORMATION
John Balcar submitted this picture of the seedlings that he is going to plant for his cold crop this year.
Texas Beekeepers Association Annual Convention in Belton, TX on Nov 3 - 5. CLICK THIS FOR INFO
For a good related article from the National Wildlife Federation; “Being There for Bees” - CLICK THIS
As you may already know, Robin Arndt’s, Class 24, will be leaving. She is leaving as her husband has accepted a job in Italy.
Buona fortuna, godono e arrivederci.
MASTER GARDENER GAZETTE NUECES COUNTY, TX PAGE 5
É c l a i r To r t e Recipe submitted by Nueces Master Gardener Trainee Paula Silva
Paula served up this fantastic desert at the September 14th joint Training Class and it was an absolute knockout. We insisted that she give us the recipe and now we are sharing it with you. If you have the culi-nary skills, it is strongly recommended you use them to make this, and be sure that you share it with us.
TOTAL TIME: Prep: 20 min. + chilling (30-40mins.) Bake: 30 min. Ingredients
1 cup water 1/2 cup butter (no substitutes) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 eggs 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 3 cups cold milk 2 packages (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix 1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed 2 to 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup (I melt dark chocolate to drizzle over)
Directions In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour all at once and stir un-til a smooth ball forms. Remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition (This is an important step). Continue beating until mixture is smooth and shiny. Spread into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° for 30-35 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack 30+ minutes. If desired, remove puff from pan and place on a serving platter. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until light. Add milk and pudding mix (will use less milk than the directions on pudding box); beat until smooth about 2 minutes. Spread over puff; refrigerate for 20 minutes to set. Spread with whipped topping; refrigerate. Drizzle with melted chocolate or chocolate syrup. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12 servings.
S E E D PA C K I N G F O R L E A R N I N G TO G R O W
On September 14th, twenty one Nueces Master Gardeners and Trainees showed up at 9AM at the Botanical Gardens to put together vegetable seed packets for both our Learning to Grow Program in the fall garden beds at local Nueces schools and for the garden beds of the Healthy Community Garden program. In a short time they were able to assem-ble just under 1,000 seed packets that morning. A job well done and thanks to all that participated.
MASTER GARDENER GAZETTE NUECES COUNTY, TX PAGE 6
Which plant is the Hyssop of the Bible? Submitted by Nueces Master Gardener Rosemary Plank
Thorunn Kelly asked me to do a propagation presentation for the Master Gardener August, 2016, meeting which I gladly did. I finally have a documented 20 hours needed for the propaga-tion specialist training.
During a recent trip to the Mediterranean and visiting Pompeii, Rome, and Barcelo-na, plants that have been part of our existence since antiqui-ty were identified. Herbs grown by the surgeon of Pompeii in 49 AD, and in by the ancients before Christ were everywhere. Creating an antiquity garden using these plants would be so fascinating!
Hyssop, a plant in common to the gardens visited, was one of the several plants that would be appropriate for an antiq-uities garden given its' Biblical and medicinal referencing by Pliny, who died in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 49 AD, and others in centuries past.
I found that Biblical hyssop was not Hyssopsus officinalis, a plant fre-quently referenced as Biblical hyssop. This finding begged the question of the title of this article and appears important for two reasons; 1.) con-ceptually for propagationists desir-
ing to grow a specific plant when there is uncertainty, and 2.) specifically for the individual desiring to follow Biblical religious traditions.
A bit of research identified that hyssop was used as a medic-inal plant prior to the Middle Ages (Sanders, 1997) and that "The Holy Hyssop" (Kahn, 2009), is a plant still used for He-brew religious rituals, (Andrews, 1961) , and remains used both medicinally and for culinary purposes in current times as it was used by the ancients (Mercola, 1997-2016). Hys-sopus officinalis, Capparis spinosa, za'tar (generic name for family of related Middle Eastern herbs, Origanum maru, Majorana syriaca, Trachyspermum ammi and others are sold or identified as Biblical hyssop (Andrews, 1961; Fleisher & Fleisher, 1988; Gigot, 1910; Masterman, 1915; Old Do-minion University, 2007). Given these multiple plant choic-es, how does the individual choose which plant to grow if "biblical" hyssop is desired? What scientific evidence exists that influences the propagationists choice?
Fleisher & Fleisher (1998) hypothesize that a plant essential oil, identified as a carvacrol chemotype of the plant Majora-
na syriaca (M. syriaca), is the hyssop of the Bible. Reviewing key data related to biblical Hebrew rituals and the Talmud, hyssop with secondary names (i.e. stibium hyssop) were eliminated due to lack of characteristics identified in historic literature as specific to biblical hyssop. Za'atar type plants (oregano, hyssop, thyme, savory) were included as high pos-sibilities for being the hyssop of the Bible. Matching specific flavor, smell, and healing properties identified historically was essential to specific plant identification. Previous stud-ies identified by Fleisher & Fleisher (1998) found that plant oil composition, primarily high carvacrol and thymol per-centages, was specifically related to plant taste, smell and medicinal value.
Carvacrol and carvacrol oils (Baser, 2008) have scientifically been identified as having antimicrobial, antitumor, analge-sic, anti-inflammatory and other health related properties. The amount of carvacrol is directly related to the degree the positive medicinal, taste, and odor, properties are present. Using established scientific procedure, Fleisher & Fleisher (1998) analyzed essentials carvacrol oils and thymol of ran-domly sampled M. syriaca wild populations in all regions of the Holy Land where a developed plant population was found. Homemade/commercial za'atar spices were ana-lyzed using the same processes. Essential oil content of > 70% was the plant characteristic leading to the M. syriaca (carvacrol chemotype) was the hyssop of the bible given all characteristics (taste, smell, carvacrol percentage and me-dicinal value) were present. The areas where the variety of M. syriaca grows with >70% carvacrol are Wadi Tufhah, Wa-di Irabah, entrance to Wadi Rutig, Wadi Shabaiyeh, and Gebel Musa known as Mt. Moses or Mt. Sinai. Interestingly, Mt. Sinai M syriaca values on Mt. Sinai, where the Bible states Moses delivered the Law to the people, has higher values of carvacrol than any other area (>85%).
A name change from M. syriaca to Origanum syriacum occurred in June of 2008 (USDA/ARS, ND). M. syriaca/Origanum syriacum is an Israeli flow-er (Modzelevich, 2005-2016) and herb commonly used for nutritional/
medicinal/ritual purposes. Either herb, given classification as a carvacrol chemotype, is appropriate for growing what is known as Biblical hyssop. Origanum syriacum is considered the true za'atar herb of choice when Biblical Hyssop is de-sired (Belsinger, 2010).
Given the above, I thought it would be great if we could taste the differences between Origanum syriacum and Hys-sopus officinalis plus grow a few other seeds that were iden-tified grown during ancient times. A seed packet was dis-tributed during the meeting with four 'ancient' seed types. It would be fun to see if they grow!
Full article with references - CLICK THIS
Hyssopus officinalis
Origanum syriacum
MASTER GARDENER GAZETTE NUECES COUNTY, TX PAGE 7
M a g i c a l B u t c h a r t G a r d e n s S u b m i t t e d b y N u e c e s M a s t e r G a r d e n e r J e s s i c a L a t i m e r
Last month I finally got to Vancouver Island to see Magical Butchart Gardens. They have been in existence for over 100 years and are now a National Historic site of Canada. So, here goes with the background history of these Gardens.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the Butcharts bought property on the Tod Inlet, which is on Vancouver Island
about 20 miles north of Victoria. The family quarried the limestone on the prop-erty for the cement business. In doing so, the quarry left a huge hole in the family property, as the limestone deposits were exhausted. Jennie Butchart, who had been the chemist for the company, decided to start a garden to fill the gapping earth. She had tons of top soil brought in to cover the limestone, and the Sunken Garden was started. She had a vision and that vision continues today as The Butchart Gardens. Her husband supported her along the years and had his own hobbies that complimented hers. By the 1920’s the Gardens were visited by 50,00 people a year.
The Gardens that followed were the Japanese Gardens on the seaside by the inlet, an Italian garden in the area that had been the family’s tennis court, and a Rose Garden. The Gardens now have a restaurant in the original house.
The Gardens have been passed down to family members. Initially, the Butcharts gave the gardens to their grandson Ian, on his 21st birthday, in the 1940’s. He went off to WWII, and came back to resurrect the things that had gone into decay, and started many new attractions to the gardens, the Ross Fountain, and the Christmas displays. He and his wife, Ross, who was classically trained, added sum-mer productions, with singing and dancing adding their talented children to the productions, Christopher and Robin. Christopher added the firework displays in the summers, and now Robin owns the gardens, after Christopher’s death.
The topography of the Gardens is in a sheltered valley, giving it a Mediterranean-like climate. The water supply is self sufficient with reservoirs and wells. Rain water is also collected off the vast parking lots. All of the water features use recirculated water. The rainfall is about the same as CC, and the temps. range from 41 to 80F, with the extremes from 14 to 97F. The Gardens are in the 8B or 8A geological zone, whereas we are 9.
The Butchart Gardens uses IPM, integral pest management, using cultural, mechanical, biological and chemical con-trols. They also use tea compost and feel that it has been very helpful to suppress plant diseases. They also constantly test the soil, mulch heavily, and apply nematodes to keep their lawns green. With the Gardens now receiving almost 1 million visitors a year, they recycle cardboard, glass, metal and paper and beverage containers. They also are changing over to LED light fixtures. They also print their map of the Gardens in 21 languages because of visitors from all over the world.
Over 1 million plants are brought in every year for the spring plantings. Some of the ones that were in bloom in August, were: Abutulion, Acanthus, Yarrow, Monkshood, Agapanthus, Ageratum, Amaranthus, Anemone, Angelonia, Shap-dragon, Arum, Aster, Astible, Begonia, Tuberous begonia, Barberry, Brugsman-sia, Calceolaria, Canna, Chelone, Celome, Clerodendrum,Corydalis, Cosmos, Co-toneaster, Crocosmia, Dahlia, Delpinium, Dierama, Foxglove, Joe Pye weed, Milkweed, Fuchsia, Chilean rhubarb, Heliotropium, Daylily, rose mallow, Hosta, Hydrangea, Lace cap hydrangea, PeeGee hydrangea, St. John’s wort, Impatients, Lantana,
Continued on next page
J u s t A N o t e F r o m Y o u r M a s t e r G a r d e n e r G a z e t t e E d i t o r
Editor: John M. Slusarz Phone: 361-939-0505 E-mail: [email protected]
Glorious fall has finally arrived. Cooler days and awesome nights are at our threshold. If you haven't already done so, cast out the remains of your summer annuals and crops. The remnants of your summer plantings can make good fodder for your com-
post pile. If you have any questions about composting, contact one of our composting specialist; they will be glad to inform and help. Many beautiful, and delicious, plantings have been awaiting the moderating weather; take advantage and sow your cool weather gardens. And lastly, there is good news or bad news - it is time to do all that heavy outside work that you have been putting off all summer because of the heat and humidity. ITS FALL !!
Kevin O. Gibbs, CEA-Horticulture—Editor: John M. Slusarz
Disclaimer - The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employ-ment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife. The information herein is for informational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the un-derstanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Master Gardeners is implied.
MASTER GARDENER GAZETTE NUECES COUNTY, TX PAGE 8
Individuals with disabilities who require auxiliary aid, ser-vice, or accommodation in order to participate in any exten-sion event are encouraged to contact their County Extension Office at 361-767-5217 at least one week in advance of the program in order for proper arrangements to be made.
Contact for general information and name, address or phone num-ber change please contact the office at:
Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Service ATTN: Horticulture Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service 710 E. Main, Suite 1, Attn: Horticulture
BIDHAL
M a g i c a l B u t c h a r t G a r d e n s - C o n t i n u e d f r o m p r e v i o u s p a g e
Ligularia, Lobelia, Sweet alyssum, Nicotiana, Geranium, Penstemon, Phlox, Obedient plant, Castor bean, Rodgersia, Rud-beckia, Mealycup sage, Scarlet sage, Sedum, Coleus, Goldenrod, marigold, Tibouchina, Spiderwort, Toad Lily, Verbena, Zinna. The Gardens do not label their plants, as they like the feel of a home garden, and that labeling would take away that personal feeling. The Gardens are very “showy,” but the beauty of the trees with the landscaping shrubs is also stunning.
My favorite flower display were the Dahlias. My Dad grew dahlias and always won first prize at the Hockley County Fair in the Texas Panhandle on his dinner plate dahlias. I also used dahlias as my wedding flower from my Dad’s garden. Fun-ny, how those memories of life linger on as we grow older, much like Kevin’s sandplum jelly that his Mom made .
Now, I have told you a little about the Gardens, but I cannot really describe the Gardens beau-ty. Please go to Butchart Gardens, A Year at the Garden, on youtube.com and watch the video. I promise the colors are not exaggerated. You will also find great photos on their website.
C L I C K T H I S T O G O T O B U T C H A R T G A R D E N S W E B S I T E C L I C K T H I S T O S E E T H E V I D E O – A Y E A R I N T H E G A R D E N
Continued from page 2 - Presidents Corner
Pumpkins are low in calories, fat, and sodium and high in fiber. They are good sources of Vitamin A, Vitamin B, potassium, protein, and iron.
The heaviest pumpkin weighed 1,810 lb. 8 oz. and was presented by Chris Stevens at the Stillwater Harvest Fest in Stillwater, Minnesota, in October 2010.
Pumpkin seeds should be planted between the last week of May and the middle of June. They take be-tween 90 and 120 days to grow and are picked in Oc-tober when they are bright orange in color. Their
seeds can be saved to grow new pumpkins the next year.
Carving pumpkins into jack-o’-lanterns is a popular Hal-loween tradition that originated hundreds of years ago in Ireland. Back then, however, jack-o’-lanterns were made out of turnips or potatoes; it wasn’t until Irish im-migrants arrived in America and discovered the pumpkin that a new Halloween ritual was born. I do not think carving turnips or potatoes would have the same effect on my front porch. Happy October. Happy Fall and Happy Halloween.
