11

Inside this

issue:

Walk on the Wild

Side

2

Coming Events 3

What Would You

Do If.....?

4

Book Review 5

Witches Brew 6

Weed of the

Month

7

Puzzle Page 8

It’s a Jungle Out

There!

9

Yum! 9

Last Word 10

Mark Your

Calendar

10

...for discerning weeders October, 2012

Sometimes being a

champion of ‘Lost

Causes’ can put us

in awkward situa-

tions but that does

not stop me from

trying to make a

difference when I

can.

Our recent non-hurricane-called-Isaac forced

many of us to make preparations that were well-

meant, but mostly not necessary. So be it. Fore

warned is forearmed...or is that four armed??

Whatever.

The shutters were closed, the large plants were

placed on the ground and the patio furniture

found a home in the already crowded garage.

And then these little strays caught my eye.

Momma swallowtail had been busily plying her

stock in trade and had deposited eggs all across

the fennel.

I have been growing fennel for a couple of

years and using bits here and there in the soup

pot. Must admit, though, the plants were look-

ing a little ragged. Supposed to be a perennial

but I don’t think it is long for this earth.

Obviously Mrs. S had been at her work for

some time before we caught her in the act as

there were many eggs and some caterpillars that

were fairly far along in their journey to chrysalis

stage. I figured they would probably survive.

But what if the ‘cane developed and was strong;

how could the critters and their habi-

tat (my stringy fennel) survive?

Uh, Oh! I noticed an egg layer had

been visiting us on more than one

occasion. Here were some little cat-

erpillars. Finally pulled out the Min-

no book, Florida Butterfly Gardening

and discovered the animated bird

dropping was one of the first larval

stages of the Black Swallowtail butterfly.

Ed agreed we needed to do something to try to

help them survive the coming winds so he lifted

the pots from the flower beds and moved them

into the screened porch. The caterpillars would

get some protection from the winds and still

have their greens to grow on.

Let’s see, we had one day of anticipating TS

Isaac and two days of waiting for the torrential

rains to not show up. Only had one or two

squalls through our part of the county. Then a

couple of days taking care of other projects and

finally we moved the pots of fennel and caterpil-

lars back out into the garden where they could

continue to do what caterpillars do. Before the

move, we did a few pictures of the ‘family’. I

was surprised to see there were no more ‘junior’

caterpillars. Everyone was growing up (or out)

without the slightest hesitation.

DON’T FORGET!

You have to log your

hours onto the VMS

system!

HOW TO HOUSEBREAK A HERD OF CATERPILLARS

by Lynn Fabian

22

HOUSEBREAKING cont’d from page 1

One of the juniors was caught in transition. It is always amaz-

ing how creatures without stretchy skins make the transition from

one stage to the next. This caterpillar had attached its aft end to

the fennel stem and began to emerge into the next stage. Sort of

looks like a young girl squeezing out of those oh, too tight jeans.

Must have been something of a relief. Although you can’t see it

well in the picture, the cast off skin looks like a pile of old clothes.

I was happy to see our adoptees had not only survived their trip

to shelter but had thrived. Hope Mrs. S. was as lucky and is still

laying a few eggs here and there.

The sight of a butterfly always brings a little thrill. Such beauty

in such a fragile package. Hope we have lots more swallowtails

next year.

Oh, yes. About the housebreaking. Never mind, can’t be done.

Just sweep it up when all is said and done. Easier than a new pup-

py though.

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE by Linda Meyers

Courtesy of www.wec.ufl.edu/extension

Fall has finally arrived in Florida, and along with cooler days and nights, we get to enjoy new animals migrating and oth-

er fascinating wildlife activity in our area.

Birds

Warbler migration peaks early this month.

Sandhill cranes that nested in more northern latitudes begin to move down to join our resident birds.

Ducks begin to arrive for the winter.

Grosbeaks, warblers, tanagers, orioles, and thrushes begin migrating south for the winter.

Mammals

Flying squirrels will be moving into pecan groves as the nuts ripen.

Black bears are feeding heavily in preparation for winter.

Amphibians

Flatwoods salamanders breed in the first rains of October.

Insects

Monarch butterfly migration nears its peak along Florida’s Gulf coast.

Fish

Redfish and trout move up creeks and rivers in north Florida.

Fall spawning of the red ear sunfish.

Large mouth bass are active in cooler waters.

Plants and Trees

Plant trees and shrubs, like holly and dogwood, that produce berries to feed wildlife. Blazing star, summer farewell and

other wildflowers bloom in the pine uplands.

33

32nd

Annual

FLORIDA MASTER GARDENER

CONTINUED TRAINING CONFERENCE

October 1-3, 2012

Clearwater Beach Hilton

Clearwater Beach, Florida

Limited Commercial Landscape

Maintenance Pesticide License

October 9th

7am to 3:30pm

Green Industries Best Management

Practices

October 25th

8:15am to 3:15pm

44

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF......?

Recently, we asked our members to submit answers to three

questions.

If money, time, and space were no object, I would add

__________ to my garden/landscape.

Interesting that hardscape items featured so prominently. Addi-

tional help came in a close second. Although if someone does get

a maid, butler, baker, AND gardener....we are moving in with

that person. Water, either saving it or using it as a feature was

also a popular item on the wish list.

The one class that I enjoyed the most in school was

__________.

Another eye opener. We evidently have a lot of folks who should

be able to do the fertilizer calculations based on the number of

math fans. Do have to admit that Lunch was my favorite class

ONLY when they had mystery meat. Yup, I was a fan of it.

Quick! Without thinking about it, you are stranded on a de-

sert island, name one book that you’d want to have with you.

Another unique gathering. It does seem that we have quite a

few folks who lean towards the practical as well as some really

heavy reading!

Thanks to: Bob Bayer, Pat Collins, Sylvia Cowen, Mike Crow,

Andy Donatelli, Shari Farrell, Judy Fitzhugh, John Hipp, Mari-

lyn Koser, Linda Meyers, Jane Montgomery, Sandie Olsen,

John Palm, Ed Smith, Marg Stewart, Carol Strom, and Faye

Todd for responding! See if you can match up the responses to

the person! No, we aren’t telling :)

For November, we’re going to be asking our members to pro-

vide something that they are thankful for. You’ll be able to list

your family and friends but you ALSO have to list SOME-

THING—a THING that you are thankful for.

A gardener Landscape help Walking paths

Koi pond A pergola or

covered porch

Terracing and addi-

tional retaining walls

Love State of the art

greenhouse

A pergola

Hardscape—a half

circle arbor to

frame the pool

(after the pool is

fixed)

In-ground tank to

collect rain water

Lake, pool, bayou

Maid, butler,

baker, gardener

An orchard Permanent landscape

service

A large water fea-

ture designed by a

landscape

architect

Pergola and a

wood privacy

fence

Physics History Math

Math History Psychology

Math Biology Lunch

Psychology Mechanical

drawing

Geometry

Astronomy Greenhouse

management and

operations

French and

Bacteriology

Ethics and

organic chemistry

(yes, I’m weird)

Art

The Prophet by

Khalil Gibran

Crossword puzzle

book

Gone With The Wind

Unbroken by

Laura Hillen-

brand and A Land

Remembered by

Patrick Smith

The Bible How to Survive on a

Desert Island

The Bible I could say The

bible but if I’m

going to be stuck

on an island by

myself I’d want

Tom Brown’s

guide to wild ,

edible and medic-

inal plants

Atlas

Lord of the Rings Robinson Caruso Pride and Prejudice

How to Survive on

a Desert Island

Special Forces

Survival Guide

You can’t have just

one book!

A book that de-

scribes all benefi-

cial plants on the

island for health

and wellness

The Bible

55

BOOK REVIEW by Ed Smith and Marg Stewart

Ed. Note: Ed Smith had mentioned a book to me and since I thought the subject was interesting, I asked him to write a review on

it. Thank you Ed! I’m still waiting on my copy to arrive. And since it is October, the month of ghouls and goblins, we just had to

add a little eerie installment as well.

My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey by Jill Boyle Taylor Ph.D. ISBN 0452295548 An important book for all those who have friends and family that you care about and that should include all of you. It provides a better understanding of what really happens to a stroke victim and it is written by the patient. Although this is not a horticultural presen-tation it does make an interesting reference to “the garden of your mind”. ( Be careful what you plant there ) To provide clarity she has included two chapters explaining the anatomical details of brain function. This, you would expect from a neuroanatomist however if this proves daunting, you may skip over these without losing the real meaning of her story.

Dr. Jill Taylor, a specialist in the field of neuroanatomy, was in a very unique position to analyze her own stroke at the very young age of 37. At the time of the stroke she was doing research at Harvard’s Brain Bank. She was living alone, with no suspicious medical histo-ry, when it became apparent her brain was not responding in a normal way. This is her story.

As you read her book visualize yourself or a loved one in a similar predicament and you will learn to look at a stroke victim in a new way. She explains the communication diffi-culties most often encountered and NO, talking louder does not help. Words have to be deciphered by a damaged and slow to respond network. Understanding the sound of the word does not correlate to knowing the meaning of it. The brain becomes slower in its response and forms new pathways to old stored memories. Many other areas of proper care and recovery are detailed from the perspective of a trained specialist. I know of no other work of this caliber.

After years of recuperation her work in brain research continues but with a much deeper understanding . She now knows of the deep inner peace we can experience when the information seeking portion of the brain is quieted. Dr. Taylor considers her stroke a blessing as it has so greatly expanded her knowledge which she wishes to pass along to you. You may also be interested in viewing her presentation at TED Conference. Just search her name at www.ted.com.

Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother & Other

Botanical Atrocities by Amy Stewart is not a who done it book, nor is it com-

pletely blood thirsty. Well, maybe just a teeny bit.

The contents of this book are in alphabetical order by the common name of some

of our, shall we say, less than welcome botanical buddies. Each section includes

legends and stories of what happened with each plant (one example includes kill-

ing off two priests at dinner—accidentally). There are also wonderful wood-cut

type drawings of each plant. Descriptions, symptoms, and other information is

also included.

The author also included a really well done bibliography that includes helpful

information on additional books you may want to check out if you want more de-

tailed information on poisonous plants.

The book is published using a unique brownish paper, making the volume appear

to be very old. I noticed a few people had mentioned that it was a bit difficult to

read due to that. I personally thought it was a nifty touch. Also found several folks

who had a problem with the format of the book when viewed on an e-reader so be

aware they may not have fixed the technical problems in that venue.

So, if you want a unique book for the ‘haunting’ holidays, check out Wicked

Plants—just be sure to remove it from your coffee table prior to having a dinner

party!

66

Some interesting facts about several of the “wild” ingredients:

Northern Rough Green Snake - non-venomous, adult size 22-32” in length, slender

bright green snake with a cream to yellow belly. Found in mixed hardwood and bottomland

forests as well as hardwood hammocks. Because of its arboreal behavior, it prefers densely

leafed trees and shrubs often at the edge of fields and around ponds. Feeds primarily on in-

sects found on the leaves and stems of trees and shrubs. Their eggs are laid in mid to late

summer, with 3-12 hatchlings. When disturbed it typically ceases all movement and will

sometimes sway to mimic the movement of the surrounding wind-blown foliage. There are

no other native green snakes in Florida.

Central Newt - these amphibians are 2.5-4” in length. They are found in the central states

and along the Gulf Coast and southeastern coastal plain. They have olive dorsal color, black-

spotted yellow belly; red dorsolateral spots sometimes edged in black. The life cycle of newts

is complex, having both an aquatic and a terrestrial stage. The skin secretions of central

newts are quite toxic. Courtship and breeding are accomplished in the water by the aquatic

adults. Females attach the eggs to water plants. Following successful incubation, externally-

gilled aquatic larvae emerge from the eggs. Developmental durations in all stages of a newt’s

life—egg, larvae, eft and adult—are highly variable and are at largely dictated by ambient

temperatures. Central newts have the ability to regenerate tissue including limbs, jaws, eyes

and other organs, making them the subject of research in the field of regenerative medicine.

Scorpion - flattened, crablike animals with 10 legs and fleshy tail ending in an enlarged,

upturned tip that bears a stinger. They are 1-4” in length, normally live outdoors, but will

invade homes and buildings. Scorpions sting when provoked or disturbed. Their venom is a

neurotoxin, a dose is usually insufficient to prove fatal to an adult human. The site of the

sting will be sore and swollen. Most active at night, they feed on insects, spiders or similar

small animal life. They are cannibalistic and readily eat their own species, and females often

eat their own young. There are several species that occur in Florida.

Turkey Vulture - these large eagle size birds are 25” tall and weigh 3.5-5.3 lbs. with a wing-

span of 72”. They are blackish brown with red head and legs, tips of bills are white, and un-

derside of wings are lined in gray. Turkey Vultures are scavengers and in some areas they are

considered valuable for their removal of garbage and disease-causing carrion. They live in

landfills, pastures, or wherever they can find sources of carrion. Highly social, they fly to-

gether in small groups. At night they often gather in large roosts. Usually silent, when feed-

ing or at the nest, they hiss or grunt. The female will lay 2 whitish eggs placed without nest or

lining in a crevice in rocks, hollow tree or in a fallen hollow log. Vultures will defecate on

their legs to keep themselves cool. If threatened with attack, they will disgorge their stomach

contents.

Eastern Screech Owl - a small, woodland owl. There are two color phases, a gray phase

and a reddish-brown phase. The iris is bright yellow and the bill is gray-green, with tufts of

bristly feathers around its base. A nocturnal bird, with activity beginning after sunset. The

Eastern Screech Owl flies fairly rapidly with a steady wing beat. They rarely glide or hover, but may fly with erratic movements,

when maneuvering through wooded areas. When threatened, this owl will stretch its body and tighten its feathers in order to look

like a branch stub to avoid detection, but will take flight when it knows it has been detected. Their diet includes rats, chipmunks,

squirrels, shrews, bats, moles, large flying insects, birds, fish, snakes, lizards, soft-shelled turtles, frogs, toads, salamanders, cray-

fish, snails, spiders, earthworms, scorpions, and centipedes. Breeding season is from mid March to mid May. They nest almost ex-

clusively in tree cavities, with enlarged natural cavities being preferred. No nest material is added, and the 2 to 8 (average 3-5) eggs

are laid on natural sawdust on the floor of the cavity.

MASTER GARDENER’S WITCHES BREW by Linda Meyers

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Fillet of bright green snake,

in the caldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of cat-tails and tongue of hog.

Moldy potatoes and scorpion’s

sting,

Lizard’s leg, turkey vulture's

wing,

Rabbit fur and tail of rat,

Crumpled straw garden hat.

Withered claws from things that

bite,

Shredded leaves and gardenias

white.

For a charm of powerful trouble,

Rotten tomatoes froth and bubble.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Dead flowers, dried up weeds,

Spider’s web and tallow tree seeds,

Add fertilizer it’s odor foul,

Then stir it well with a garden trow-

el.

Cool it with a screech owl’s blood,

Then the charm is firm and good.

Strain it. Drain it once it’s mellowed,

through a cheesecloth, aged and

yellowed.

Store it. Pour it ‘neath the stars,

into dirty mason jars.

Last add some sugar so it’s sweet,

Serve to members next time they

meet.

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

William Shakespeare

77

Weed of the Month by Jenny Gillis

Torpedo Grass, Panicum repens

Torpedo Grass, Panicum repens, is a species of grass known by

many common names, including torpedo grass, creeping pan-

ic, panic rampant, couch panicum, wainaku grass, quack grass,

dog-tooth grass, and sometimes, bullet grass. It has been

called "one of the world's worst weeds." Seed was imported

from Africa or Asia in the late 1800’s by the United States De-

partment of Agriculture to

grow as a forage grass for

cattle. Torpedo grass loved

growing in the US – espe-

cially in Florida! It was de-

liberately planted through-

out southern Florida and it

easily escaped cultivation.

Now it has become one of

Florida’s most serious

weeds! However, Torpedo

grass is not listed on Feder-

al or Florida’s Noxious

Weed List - yet. Torpedo grass grows well in shallow water and

marshy areas and it was thought it would be good for stabiliz-

ing river and lake banks. But it quickly outgrew Florida’s na-

tive vegetation and by the early 1990’s it had overtaken more

than 70% of Florida’s public waters. The denseness of floating

mats impedes water flow in ditches and canals. The dense

grass restricts recreational use of sandy coastal habitats and

shoreline areas of lakes and ponds. Torpedo grass is also a ma-

jor problem for the sod, citrus and golf course industries. Now,

homeowners are beginning to find it growing in flower beds

and lawns.

The grass can grow to about 3 ft. tall with flat, stiff, sometimes

folded, leaf blades – possibly covered with a waxy or whitish

coating. Torpedo grass produces seed heads but the seed does

not germinate well in Florida but it spreads easily by the

speedy growth of the “torpedo” shaped root tips – hence the

name.

Controlling Torpedo Grass is not easy. Digging it out is nearly

impossible. If the roots or fat rhizomes are cut each one will

grow – even tiny pieces produce new plants!

The Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants at the University of

Florida, IFAS, has studies underway to find an effective biolog-

ical control, but they are not available yet.

This is the current recommendation to get rid of Torpedo:

“Unfortunately, there is not much you can do when torpedo

grass gets established. It is a grassy weed, and once it gets go-

ing there is no control. A broad weed control such as Roundup

or Nature's Avenger will kill torpedo grass after a couple of

treatments but will also kill your lawn grass!

Chemical: (*note...use the highest % of the weed killer availa-

ble... possibly found at a farm store or "pro" supplier! But fol-

low the directions, carefully!)

Be really careful using around water! Use a plastic bottle to

apply directly to the Torpedo - rather than a spray that will

over-spray onto waterways or on desirable plants.

"Glyphosate has been the most effective herbicide used to con-

trol Torpedo Grass. A 2 to 3% solution of

glyphosate (Roundup, etc.) is very effective.

Imazapyr (Arsenal, Chopper, Habitat) is also

very effective at 0.5 to 1% solution.

Be sure to include a non-ionic surfactant

( such as Concentrated Dish Liquid, or Hi

Yield Spreader Sticker) at 0.25% (10 mLs or 2

teaspoons per gallon of spray solution). These

herbicides are systemic (move throughout

plant tissue) so care must be exercised to

minimize off-target damage. In addition,

Imazapyr has soil activity, so care must be

exercised around sensitive species such as oaks (Quercus

spp.).

Torpedo Grass is most difficult to control when partially sub-

mersed in water. Regardless of habitat conditions, multiple re-

sprays may be required for complete control.”

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep387

88

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Puzzle Page courtesy of Sandie Olsen

99

The dog days of summer are gone (thank goodness!) and the

glorious days of fall have finally arrived. The cooler temps,

lower humidity and an actual breeze make you want to get

outside and get your hands dirty. But beware, it’s a jungle out

there and the small things out there, they pack a powerful

punch! The small things I am referring to are slug caterpillars.

Many of you remember the tale of my first encounter with a

slug caterpillar. For those of you who haven’t heard the story,

the abbreviated version is that I ended up in the Milton ER

with heart attack symp-

toms. What really hap-

pened was that I had

been envenomed by a

slug caterpillar, the Puss

Caterpillar or Mega-

lopyge opercularis to be

specific. Actually, to be

even more specific, the

shed skin of a puss cat-

erpillar! Since then, I

have found these in my

yard and in my brother’s yard in Largo, FL. If you find one,

DO NOT touch it and DO NOT touch anything you use to

touch it.

In addition to the Puss, I have found other slug caterpillars in

my yard, which is no small feat as they are only about an inch

long. Last year while hanging doors, I found a Crowned Cater-

pillar (Isa textula) on my gut-

ter . This year’s find was a

Hag Moth Caterpillar

(Phobetron pithecium) on the

gate latch.

The common factor (at least

in my yard) seems to be oak

trees – it is a food source for

all of these. And, these are

not the only offenders. Au-

burn University has a great

article called “Stinging Caterpil-

lars A Guide to Recognition of

Species Found on Alabama

Trees” available at http://

tinyurl.com/9lmkxo5

So remember, while you are out

there enjoying Florida’s best

gardening season, be careful, it’s

a jungle out there.

It’s a Jungle Out There! By Stacey Taylor

Puss Caterpillar

Crowned Caterpillar

Hag Moth Caterpillar

YUM! By Karen Harper and Marg Stewart

With Fall here and the holidays fast ap-

proaching, how about a few yummy addi-

tions to those festive get togethers?

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Cake. This recipe

answers the question as to what could be

better than a warm slice of coffee cake on

a crisp Fall day. Go to http://

tinyurl.com/8uzfujd and check out this

easy recipe.

And since we’re focusing on pumpkin,

how about a batch of Pumpkin-Chocolate

Cheesecake Bars? Go to http://

tinyurl.com/8jkjm76 .

Last but not least, for the best of all

worlds, chocolate, cheesecake AND

pumpkin, go to http://

tinyurl.com/9xb2jtv to check out this

heavenly Chocolate-Glazed Pumpkin Pie

Cheesecake!

Warning! Serving deserts like these may

result in guests staying longer!

1010

Your member site:

www.ocmgamembers.org

The Foundation for the Gator

Nation.....An equal opportunity

institution.

LAST WORD Marg Stewart

Have pictures or an idea for

an article?

Send it in!

Articles and pictures are

always welcome.

My husband and I recently watched a documentary on the Shakers. I’m still amazed at the quality and beauty of their buildings, furniture, and everyday items that they produced. One of their sayings resonates with me, “Do your work as though you had a thousand years to live and as if you were to die tomorrow.” Shakers believed that work was a form of prayer and everything they did and made should be done in that manner. So I started pondering the past few days. I’ve been determined to have the backyard , ripped out, cleaned up and thoroughly prepped for early planting. Thankfully, I had some help for the heavy lifting portion. That help did come at a price. When a non-plant per-son is helping a plant-person, you will have the inevitable (a) discussion as to why the really ‘pretty’ plant had to be yanked (it was a weed) and (b) plants that weren’t supposed to be yanked were occasionally sent to the compost pile. In the long run, the yard did get fin-ished (well finished for the time being). I’ll be facing fewer tasks later on as a result of all this work. My housework suffered a bit and I know happy hubby is seriously doubting whether it will be done before I leave for the Conference. I still have errands to run, things to get accomplished….rush, rush, rush. But wait a minute, perhaps the Shakers were on the right track. “Do your work as though you had a thousand years to

live…” is the beginning portion of the quote. I did some searching and found that Shakers believed (and practiced) that their work would contain no wasted effort and would strive for perfection. They perceived that their work was to be accomplished as productively as possi-ble with diligent attention to the details of the task at hand. So, perhaps, the key to getting through these next few days isn’t the AMOUNT that gets done, but paying attention to the QUALITY of what gets accomplished. The last part of the quote, “…as if you were to die tomorrow,” does hit home. Would I really want anyone to see the laundry not put away? Would I want the trash cans not empty, the carpets not swept? Heck no! It wouldn’t hurt to take 30 minutes in the morning to do some of the ‘quiet chores.’ Just looking around I can see what could be done in those 30 minutes that would impact the whole rest of the day. In this day and age of everything hav-ing to be fast, fast, fast, wouldn’t it be better to make sure it was done right? Who knows, slowing down a bit and paying attention to the details just might result in projects taking less time and less effort because they’re done right the first time. You know? I think those Shakers were on to something. Who knows—I might actually get the housework done, the errands run, and then thoroughly enjoy time in the hammock without worrying about chores that are left undone.

Marg Stewart—Editor

Shari Farrell, Karen Harper

and

Linda Meyers—Co-Editors

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

General Membership Meeting—October 12th @ 9am. Extension

Annex, Ft. Walton. CARPOOLING IS A MUST!

General Membership Meeting—November 7th @ 9am. Extension

Office, Crestview (we hope in the new building)

General Membership Meeting—December 5th @ 9am. Shalimar

Baptist Church. This will be a VERY short meeting followed immediately by our

Christmas Party!

Keep in mind that new Board member elections will be coming up as well as the

2013 budget will be presented. We look forward to seeing you at the meetings!

ANSWERS TO PUZZLE PAGE: (1) The last person too the basket along with the

egg. (2) He was a lighthouse keeper. (3) Take the 2nd glass and pour the contents

into the 5th glass. (4) Simple, all the others were women!