may/ inside dirt

Volume 15 No. 3 May / June 2016

Henderson County ExtensionAgent Rick Hirsch passedaway unexpectedly on Sunday,April 24. Rick led theHenderson County MasterGardeners Association withpassion, enthusiasm andvision. He promoted action,education and camaraderieamong the group. Instead ofmaking demands, he led with astyle of authority that felt like awise friend giving advice. Hiswisdom was often sought, andhis counsel was appreciated.

Rick was an entertaining andhumorous orator. He ofteninjected humor into aconversation, and he was alsoquick to compliment. He washighly respected and his words

of praise werememorable to therecipient.

The large majority ofHenderson CountyMaster Gardenerswere taught theMaster Gardenercourse by Rick. Hewas a knowledgeableteacher, with arelaxed style. Rickoften stated that hestarted the HendersonCounty Master

Gardener program reluctantly.However, he soon realized thepotential of the program andbecame its biggest advocate.He was proud of thisorganization’saccomplishments and growth,and had an ambitious vision forits future. He also wouldremind us to keep the programan enjoyable and pleasantexperience as we worked toaccomplish our goals andmission.

Rick was friendly, outgoing,and easy to like, as a leader,and as a person. We will misshim greatly.

Inside DirtIn Memoriam of Rick Hirsch :Teacher, Mentor, Friend

Inside :In Memory of Rick 1

Dream Garden Update 2

The Beauty of Roses 3

Children's Garden News 4

Fermenting the Harvest 5

Spring Cenference Wrap Up 6

Growing Herbs 7

What to do Now 8

Try Something New 9

Plant Sale Success 10

Save the Date ` 11

Upcoming Meetings:Meetings are held at noonon the third Wednesday of

the month at theEast Texas Arboretum1601 Patterson Rd,

Athens TX

May 25th, 2016June 15th, 2016

Henderson County Master Gardener Newsletter

Volume 15 No. 3 May/June 2016


2016 OfficersPresident Lydia HolleyVP Program & Administration Yvonne SparksVP Member & Community Education Linda SchaferSecretary Terri BevansTreasurer Susan StokesHistorian Cherie Tanneberger

Dream Garden Newsby Lydia Holley

Most people, when planning a cottage stylegarden, will add roses to their planting plan.The Dream Garden is no exception. Thereare several types of roses in the Dream

Garden.Let’slook attheclimbersthatgracethisgarden.

Climbingroses add an air of romance as well as drawthe eye up vertically. In the Dream Garden,Lady Banks rose is an early blooming climbergrown along an arbor as a focal point with afeminine statue underneath. Lady Banks,Rosa banksiae, is considered thornless, withminiature blooms. Its blooms are a softyellow, the size of a quarter, with numerouspetals. If growing this rose in your owngarden, be aware that it is a vigorous growerand once bloomer.

The climbing rose Red Cascade is located onthe same arbor, on the opposing side. RedCascade is classified as a miniature climber.

Miniature refers to the size of the roseblooms, not the eventual size of the plant.Red Cascade has cheerful, red, petite, full-petaled rose blooms. It blooms throughoutthe growing season.

Peggy Martin is grown at the entrance gardenof the Dream Garden. This is the famousrose that lived through days of standing saltwater from Hurricane Katrina in the garden ofPeggy Martin. Peggy Martin, the rose,blooms a romantic many-petaled pink with alarge flush in the spring, a smaller flush in thefall, and sporadic blooming throughout thesummer. It is also nearly thornless, and has asoft, sweet scent. When in bloom, it makes abreathtaking view, and a pleasurableexperience to walk through the entrancearbor.

There areseveralotherrosesgrowing inthe DreamGarden.TheHenderson County Master Gardeners inviteyou to come by and see them all!


I growthemajorityof myproducein raisedgardenbeds,althoughI prefergrowing

my herbsin containers on my deck. The herbs that Icook with the most are always right athand. I only have to step out the door tohave a handful of fresh herbs. I haverecently heard thatplanting a containerfull of either parsleyor cilantro ( 5 to 6plants) will retard thetendency to bolt. I'mtrying this out now tosee if it is true.

I use large pots (24"diameter or larger)that I fill with Parsley,Cilantro or Chives. If Ihave a bumper crop ofherbs I either freeze or dehydrate themfor later use. If you do not have adehydrator, you can always air dry yourherbs. Gather the herbs, wash and letdry. Once dried tie the herbs in bunchesand hang in a cool dark place. They willdry in a few weeks.

You can also dry herbs in your oven. Laya single layer of herbs on a sheet pan andplace tray the in your over at the lowesttemperature setting possible. Checkherbs frequently to determine when dry.Drying time will vary. Temperature settingof 120 or less is best.

Freezing herbs in icecube trays is anothergreat way to preserveherbs for later use.Place a few leaves ofyour favorite herb in eachsection of a ice cube tray, fill with water oreven olive oil. Once frozen pop out yourlittle herb cubes into a plastic bag orcontainer.

Herbs that I have had great success within containers are:

Basil Ocimum basilicumParsley Petroselinum crispum

Chives Allium schoenoprasumDill Anethum graveolensFennel Foeniculum vulgareRosemary RosmarinusofficinalisLemon Balm Melissa officinalisMint MenthaLemongrass CymbopogonLemon Verbena Aloysiacitrodora

Lemon Basil Ocimum × citriodorumSage Salvia officinalis.

I'm surethere are afew moreherbs outthere thatwill grow incontainersand I canhardly waitto get outthere and trythem.

Growing & Preserving HerbsBy Linda Belssner , (HCMG Intern 2016)


Things are alive in the children’s garden. Thepotatoes are growing strong, and though they

were stuntedby a latefreeze, weare hopingfor somepotatoes bythe end ofthe school

year. Whenwe have had time, the kids have enjoyed gettingas many potato bugs off the plants as theycould!! The Kale is taking off, finally! The iriseswere in full bloom, the Verbeena a on a stick isstarting to bloom and the butterflies have foundtheir way back!! We even got to see a fewCalifornia poppies before they lost their blooms.Frank and Susan Stokes, and I have spent the

last 4 weeks teaching the children about honeybees. We were able to show them an observationhive, and show them all of the equipment thatbeekeepers use. I put my bee suit on, which theyfoundespeciallyfunny.They hadmanyquestions,and wereinterestedin all that Ihad to say.We were able to teach them the importance ofthe honey bee.After our first lesson about bees one of theclasses went back and took notes on what theylearned. They drew pictures, they wrotesentences, one reluctant writer wrote 14 linesabout what he learned. I think we are reallyconnecting with many of the children during ourtime with them!

In the coming weeks we willhopefully harvest somepotatoes before school letsout, so the kids can takethem home to share withtheir families. We also plan toput some pepper plants in thegarden and some tomatoes if we can find space.

In the last fewweeks ofschool weare going toschedule avariety ofpeople tocome into thegarden toshare with thechildren different careers that are in thehorticulture field. A farmer, an extension agent,and a plant nursery owner are just a few of thepeople we are bringing in to share theirexperiences with the students. By bringing indifferent people with different careers we hopeto broaden what they think about a the garden

just alittle bitmore.

Afterthat thegardenwillbegin its

maintenance routine where several of us will goout to pull weeds, harvest the vegetables, andkeep things running smoothly. If you are aMaster Gardener and looking for a way to earn afew hours this summer, we would love to haveyou join us!

Children's Garden Report Card : Bee Classesby Jacob Cole (ETBA Ambassador 2016)


Fermenting Garden Treasuresby Janelle Cole (HCMG Intern 2016)Marie Hancock and I recently attended aworkshop at Athen's Organic to learn how toferment with Faith. There were several otherstudents and a few watchers gathered aroundMandy's kitchen!When we arrived, Faith hadcutting boards out and ready,knives, and cabbage awaiting ourlabor!We quickly jumped in and startedchopping the cabbage. You canchop, shred, or dice your veggies,the consistency if completely up toyou! After that, we sprinkledsome salt all over, we used about awhole medium cabbage and 2 tspof sea salt. You can use any NON-IODIZED salt.At this point, you get in there withyour hands and massage thecabbage and the salt so that the cabbage startsto break down a little and release its water. Ifyou like carrots, this is the time to add those, wegrated or sliced carrots to add (about 2 wholeones). Garlic was the next ingredients, a wholeclove or less, depending on your tastes. Thenext ingredient was ginger, and this time weused a microplane to shred the ginger veryfinely. Again, this is an optional ingredient thatyou can leave out if you do not like it.Other common optional ingredients are daikonradish, kohlrabi, kale, chard, peppers, andonions, but honestly you can add any vegetablesyou get from the garden!! Herbs are anotheringredient that you can add, juniper berries, Dillweed or seed, or take your pick!Now it is time to pack your jar! By hand, wescooped everything up and put it into a wide-mouth mason jar. As we went along, we tried totamp down the vegetables so that the liquid levelwould rise up as we went. By pressing down onthe veggies, they release more and more of theirnatural juices, making your brine.At this point, you should make a brine of 1 QTdistilled water (not tap, unless you have a well)and 1 T non-iodized salt. Mix this up and storeit in the refrigerator. If your fermentation liquidlevel ever drops below the veggies, you shouldpour a little brine in. The liquid keeps the

vegetables from beingexposed to the air and goingbad. As long as there isliquid covering them they

will be fine.For 5-7 days youleave your jar on thecounter to ferment. It wassuggested to have a bowl under itsince the liquid may bubble over/outat times. There are some people whosuggest leaving the fermentation evenlonger, up to 6 weeks. I havepersonally left it in a cabinet, madesure it was under the liquid, for 3months and the sauerkraut waswonderful! One tip that I had notdone before, but will from now on wasto write down what you put into your

jar, and tape that onto the jar. Thiswill help if you love it, to create it again, or if youdon't like it, to know what not to do again!After our class, I came home and grabbed a verylarge Kohlrabi from my garden, chopped upsome garlic that we grew, added a cabbage thatwas bolting, and included some carrots andfennel. My concoction is on the counter and Icannot wait to try it!!

Once your jars are done fermenting, you canplace them into your refrigerator and they aregood indefinitely. As long as you watch theliquid level and top it off if it needs more withyour extra brine, these fermented vegetableswill last for a very long time!!

Fermenting has been around for about 6000years. In Asian and European cultures famileshave been fermenting for what seems like ever.They store these mixtures for up to a year toallow a even deeper ferementation. So, getcreative thissummer and trysomethingnew!! Yourtaste buds maylove it and it issuper healthyfor your gut aswell!!


2016 Spring Conferencea Success!

Anyone who was near theFirst United Methodist

Church on March 31,2016 wouldhave seen the crowds and activity that wastaking place there. The 2016 Spring Conferencepresented by the Henderson County MasterGardeners was well attended and a BIGsuccess. Following eight months of planning theconference was an evening full ofgreat information about native plants in Texas.Thespeaker, Dr. David Creech, director of SFAGardens and the East Texas Native PlantCenter, shared his vast knowledge when hedelivered his presentation titled, “The Natives

AreRestless!”, tomore than230 personsinattendance.Theparticipants

were treated to numerous slides of Texasnatives and descriptions about their use in agarden. In addition, the silent auction with morethan 100 items and the live auction of nativeplants brought by Dr. Creech generated fundsthat will allow theHCMG tobring manyeducationalprograms to itsmembersand to thecommunity.

A specialthank you goes out to all who bought tickets,purchased a sponsorship and donated silentauction items. Also, a very big thank you goes toall the Master Gardeners that sold tickets,solicited sponsors and silent auction items aswell as the MG who worked on the committeeand assisted the day of the conference.

The 2017 Spring Conference is now beginningthe planning process. Any offers of assistancewould be greatly appreciated.

Spring Conference SuccessBy Yvonne Sparks

IngredientsGarden cucumbers, scrubbed in very cold water (7-8

small/med cucumbers)6 cups water ( preferably distilled or purified)1/4 cup canning salt (important canning salt)1/4 cup vinegar5 tablespoons minced garlic1/8 cup minced onion., dried1 teasponns mustard seed15 spigs fresh dill8 whole peppercorns(I added one jalapeno, sliced)

Directions

In a large pan add water and salt, bring to a boiland let cool to room temp.

Scrub your cucumbers and slice.Place all other ingredients and cucumbers in air tight

container, pour liquid over top making surethere completely covered in brine and store inrefrigerator.

Ready in 5-7 days

Refrigerator Picklesby Janelle Cole (HCMG Intern 2016)


The Beauty of RosesBy Lydia Holley (HCMG President 2016)

Ah, the merry, merrymonth of May. The

favorite month for so manygardeners. It is one of my

favorite months, too, because that’s when myroses begin to bloomagain. Most gardenershave a favorite type ofplant. Mine is roses. Igrow roses from severalclassifications in mygarden - old gardenteas, chinas, noisettes,shrubs, climbers,Austins, and even a fewhybrid teas.

The decision to grownumerous roses in mygarden is one I have never regretted. I haveroses in every area of my garden. The color,

scent, and beauty are overwhelming at times.That’s when I fall in love with my garden allover again.

There are roses that never need pruning, rosesthat are diseaseresistant, and rosesthat stay short whileothers climb high.Roses bloom over along period of time,bloom in variouscolors, take full sun(something I have anabundance of), areeasy to grow (if youfind the right rose),and some remainevergreen throughout

the winter months. They can providebeautiful bouquets or rose hips for tea.(http://henderson-co-tx-mg.org/about-us/publicity/Rosy-Cup-of-Tea-Jan-5-2016.pdf)

If you love roses, or if you would like to knowmore about low-maintenance roses, you willwant to come to Mark Chamblee’spresentation on roses Thursday, June 16, 6:00p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the First United MethodistChurch, 507 N. Broad, Chandler, Texas. Youwill also want to learn about the newlyencroaching rose rosette virus, how tocorrectly spot it, and what to do should yousee it in your own garden.

HCMGA traditionally provides several freepresentations to the public during thesummer months, known as our SummerSeries. Look for additional information aboutupcoming Summer Series presentations. Theseries provides information on variousgardening topics, but they are all designed sothat you will fall in love with your own garden.

PLAY IN THE

DIRT.

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What should you be doing NOW in East Texas?

MayClean out your Compost Bin.

Fill In Bald Spots - sow a cover crop to improve soil.

Sow and Transplant. You can sow or transplant beans, black-eyed peas, Crowder peas,cantaloupe, squash, melons, pumpkins, cucumbers, sweet corn, okra, hot weather lettucemixes, tropical greens, basil, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and sweet potatoes.

Flower Power - plant annuals (asters, cleome, coreopsis, cosmos, flowering tobacco, marigold, petunia,sunflower, Tithonia ("Mexican sunflower") and zinnias)

Pruning Preparation. Prune flowering trees and shrubs after they bloom, and then spread a fresh inch ofcompost followed by mulch.

Ravishing Roses - fertilize them, and dead head for increased flowering

Time For Softwood Cuttings. Make cuttings of old-fashioned roses (modern ones are patented). Cut stemabout 1 foot long, discard last 3-4 inches.

Veggie Bugs - monitor bad and good bugs, squash the bad.

JuneMix That Compost. Turn those compost piles you made this spring, mixing in the spent pansies and boltedlettuces. Check your fall piles—you may find some black garden gold ready to use by the end of the month

Feed Your Vegetables. Sidedress veggies with a soluble organic fertilizer, compost tea, organic granular, orgenerous topdressing of good worm castings or compost.

Healthy Herbs. Leafy herbs like basil will start to flower. When you see the first signs of flowering, harvest thetop. Pesto time!

Happy Harvest. Keep harvesting your tomatoes, cukes, squash, peppers and other fruiting crops, or they willlose interest in producing and put their energy into seed.

Watering Tips.Water your plants during dry spells, and don't forget your pots, planters and containers.Watering in the cool of early morning or late afternoon is most efficient. The key point is to be sure that 1-3 cm(1/2-1 inch) of water a week gets to your vegetable garden and other demanding plants.

Replenish your mulch!

Lawn Tips. Do not fertilize tall fescue now. Keep it mowed high, at 3 1/2 inches (about 8 cm) so it can out-compete weeds. Mow before the grass gets above 5 inches (12 cm) tall. Plan to water your fescue regularly.


Try Something Newby Bob Erickson

For

those of

us who

like to

grow

some of

our own

edibles,

the

price of

some items on a per ounce basis can be

staggering. Some of the most expensive items

we buy are the herbs and spices we use

perhaps not daily but somewhat regularly. If we

could grow our own…

So why not try. There are three items that you

might consider trying. They are all native to

the India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh area and

thus are considered to be tropical. With our

Zone 8 climate, we have a decent chance of

growing a tropical except for our winters. They

would need to be brought indoors or into a

greenhouse for protection during our variable

but cold winters.

The three items are all botanical relatives fromthe unpronounceable family of Zingiberaceae

whichincludesGinger

(Zingiber officinale),Tumeric (Curcuma longa),and Cardomom (Elettariacardamomum). Ginger andTumeric are both grownfrom and for their rhizomes.Basically, you plant them in a potwith good potting soil, keep them damp, andonce a year you harvest new rhizomes toreplant or use in the kitchen. Talk about lowmaintenance!

Cardamom, on the other hand, is more like ashrub and is grown from and for its seeds. Theplantcangrow toten feettall andbeginsbearingseeds inaboutthreeyears.Cardamom and Ginger like low light levels(shade) while Tumeric prefers sun to lightshade.

The key, once again, is our winters. They don’tdo well when the temperature gets into thethirties. Moving them into a sheltered andwarmer area will enhance the probability ofsuccess. You can finger Ginger rhizomes in thegrocery store. Pick one with signs of life onthem. Tumeric and Cardamom are moredifficult. Indian grocery stores might haveTumeric rhizomes while Cardamom seeds areavailable from several seed outlets.

Try something different. Let your taste buds beyour guide. Why not?


They came by the

hundreds and left the

same way. What did all of

this coming and going?

They were the more than

1500 plants at the HCMG

plant sale held on April 23rd

2016. The sale was a wonderful success; it was

our best year yet. To be able to make such a

statement, several conditions have to be met.

Since the event is a fund raiser, the financial part

has considerable importance and it is great to be

able to say that several thousands of dollars were

raised.

Yet, fund raising is just one aspect of the

event. I believe that two other factors are just

as important. The first is the interaction

between Master Gardeners and our customers.

Sharing our knowledge about horticulture with

our customers is crucial. Helping them learn

about plants new to them or helping them find

the right plant for their situation makes our sale

stand out. No other plant sale I have ever

attended has had this level of customer service.

If you are a

plant

person,

hardly

anything

tops being

able to

discuss

plants with

other plant

enthusiasts. Another great part of the sale is

being able to promote our organization. I know

of at least two customers that I directed to the

information table because they were interested

in the Master Gardener program.

The second factor is the interaction between

Master Gardeners. We not only learn about

plants from each other, we get to know each

other better. This event is one of a few that

allows us

a chance

to visit

over a

period

of time.

It

especially helps me to get to know our newer

members.

I am so thankful for the number of people who

chose to attend the sale (145 sales tickets were

written) and for the fabulous compliments they

bestowed upon us about the quality of the plants,

the attractiveness of the sale floor, and the

reasonableness of our prices. I am also so

thankful for the professionalism of our members.

Not only do we work well together, the plants

that our members contributed had obviously been

raised and cared for with pride.

Finally, I am grateful that we all were able to

see and

visit with

Rick

Hirsch. I

think he

was

pleased

with our

efforts.

So sad to

think that this will be the last time.

Plant Sale Wrap UPBy Jean Brewton (Plant Sale Committee Chair)


Beautiful Low-Maintenance Roses for Your

Landscape

With Mark Chamblee

Thursday June 16, 20166:00 – 7:30 PM

First United Methodist Church507 N Broad St.

Chandler, TX 75758

We are very pleased to announce our 2016 Summer Series #1 presentationwith speaker Mark Chamblee of Chamblee’s Rose Nursery. He will bespeaking on how easy it is to grow low-maintenance roses in your landscape.There are so many beautiful colors and styles to choose from. Which willwork best for you? Climbers, floribunda, hybrid tea and EarthKind - comehear from the expert just how easy it can be.

Mark Chamblee is a Texas Master Certified Nursery Professional through theTexas Nursery and Landscape Association and holds a Business degree inAccounting from the University of Texas. Currently, Mark serves as a TexasNursery Landscape Association Chairman. Mark and his wife, Sharon,owners of Chamblee's Rose Nursery, reside in Mineola, Texas.

Stay tuned for Summer Series #2 and #3!!

Save the Dates:Henderson County Master Gardeners

Summer Series #1By Linda Schafer

Upcoming HCMG Meeting

Henderson County

Master GardenerFall Program

Sept. 8, 2016

POLLINATIONSpeakers & Topics

Bill BaxterTexas A&M

Importance of Pollination

Robert ColeEast Texas Beekeepers Assoc.

Honey Bees

Carol ClarkMonarch Watch

Monarch Butterflies

Time:6-8pm

(doors open at 5:30)

This is a FREE event.

Location:

Senior Citizen Center

3344 HWY 31 EastAthens, Tx 75751

May 25, 2016Growing Grapes in East Texas forWine

Marnelle deWit Durrett from Kiepersol EstatesWinery

June 15, 2016Photography in the GardenVera Reece from TVCC

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