Name that Butterfly/Moth! See Page 17 for I.D. answers

INSIDE THIS EDITION:

April 2017 Calendar 2

Presidents Corner 3

Squash Bugs 4

Veggie Guy 5

Greening of our Palate 6

Earth Day 7

Plant Sale 8

Herbal Forum 15

Spiritual Takes 16

Answers to Butterfly ID 17

This and That 18

Announcements 23

What’s Happening in Your Yard 26

Bell County

Master Gardener

Association

The Blooming Bell

April 2017

1

8

4

2

6

5

7

3

2

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 April

Fools

2

3

4

5 Work Day 8 am*

Burger

Wednesday 10:30

6

7

8

9

10

11

12 Work Day 8 am*

Plant Swap 8 am

General Meeting-

State Awards

Application/Bulb

Chipping10:30 am

Social time-10 am

13

14

15

16

Easter

17

18

Taxes

Due

19 Work Day 8 am*

New Class Field

Trip

20

21

1st Graders

Field trip to

BCMGA

22

Earth

Day

23

24

25

26 Work Day 8 am*

BOD Meeting 9 am

27

Ag

Safety

Day

28

29

30

Upcoming events: Graduation, May 10 Fall Plant Sale, September 30.

* in the event of rain, there will be NO Workday. Remember to record volunteer/education hours.

Photo of Blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium angustifolium by Terrie Hahn

April 2017

3

The President’s Corner

I would like to take this opportunity to give a

huge thank you to Terrie Hahn for the support she

has given to the BCMGA as editor of the Blooming

Bell for many years. This will be her last BB, after

which she turns it over to Sylvia Maedgen. I’m posi-

tive that Sylvia will do a great job, even though Terrie

will be a tough act to follow. THANK YOU, TERRIE!!

The memorial ceremony for Frances Idoux at

the Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Medical

Center healing garden not only allowed us to remem-

ber Frances, but to also see the results of the hard

work done by the team led by Kathy Love in re-

designing and planting much of the garden. New

class interns Rebecca Burrow and Breanna Care did

much of the design work required to enhance the gar-

den and create seasonal color. There are over 30

BCMGA members involved in caring for the garden to

help keep it maintained and watered. We commented

at the ceremony that Frances coordinated with God

that day to make it rain so the garden would grow to

become even more beautiful. Thank you to everyone

who has been a part of making this healing garden

not only a place to help children and their families, but

a place that we can be reminded of Frances’ vision in

creating this healing garden.

Speaking of thank you’s, Kathy Love has done

another outstanding job putting together the Spring

Plant Sale. There were approximately 750 people

who attended our sale this year. Many customers

and members commented how much nicer the new

display tables were compared to the wooden tables

we have previously used. The new tables also al-

lowed us to use shade canopies to provide protection

to the plants. There were very few plants remaining

at the end of the sale, and some of them can be re-

turned to the vendor. There were many BCMGA

members who assisted in all the various stages of

planning, coordinating with vendors, grounds cleanup,

setting up, and of course helping on sale day. The

addition of gardening presentations for the public and

demonstrations on planting a citrus tree and rainwater

harvesting provided even more educational opportuni-

ties to the public. Your wonderful support makes me

proud to work with all of you.

Thanks to Gary Slanga and Charles Newsom,

we now have a 75” television hanging in the educa-

tion building that we will use for presentations. The

BOD approved the purchase, but Gary made it hap-

pen and Charles engineered the installation. It pro-

vides a much clearer image and should enhance our

viewing pleasure. Come to the monthly meeting on

April 12th to enjoy this new tool for our membership. I

will be away for that meeting, but Mary Ann Everett

will do a superb job leading the meeting.

Finally, the FIRST EVER TMGA Turfgrass

Specialist Training Program will be hosted by the

BCMGA on April 6th & 7th. Lots of effort has gone into

making this training a strong addition to the line-up of

TMGA Specialist training programs. Gary Slanga has

been the primary coordinator, but his committee

members have all worked hard in developing this pro-

gram. We need to start now to write this up for the

TMGA 2017 Educational Program award. That’s it

for this month.

Changing of the Guard

- Terrie Hahn

This the last Blooming Bell that

I’ll be editing for you. I’ve en-

joyed working on The Bell and

hope you’ve enjoyed reading it.

It’s just two months shy of seven

years that I’ve been doing this

and we’ve had many, many tal-

ented photographers and writers during that time

to help make The Bell a good publication. I thank

all of you for taking the time to contribute and to

read The Bell.

Sylvia Maedgen will be taking over as Editor as of

May. She has a lot of experi-

ence and I know will make

the The Blooming Bell some-

thing you can all be proud of.

Starting next month, please

send your stories, announce-

ments and photos to her at:

txgrammy4@outlook.com

4

Squash Bugs

- Wizzie Brown, Travis County AgriLife

Extension Entomologist

Squash bugs are shield shaped insects that reach

about 5/8 of an inch in length. These insects are grey

to brown and adults have fully developed wings, while

nymphs (immatures) have wing pads. Eggs are ellip-

tical, reddish-brown, and laid singly but in clusters

(usually on the underside of the leaves or along the

stems).

Squash bugs

overwinter as

adults in pro-

tected areas.

They emerge in

spring to search

out cucurbit

plants where

they mate and

lay eggs. Eggs

hatch in about

10 days and

nymphs take about a month to reach adulthood.

There can be 1-2 generations per year and life stages

overlap. Squash bugs like to hang out near the crown

of the plant, under leaves, or other protected areas.

The insects hide and scurry for cover when disturbed.

Late in the growing season, when vines are dying,

adults and nymphs often congregate on the fruit.

Nymphs die with freezing temperatures while adults

find protected locations.

Squash bugs feed on squash, pumpkin, melon and

other plants in the cucurbit family. They have piercing

-sucking mouthparts that are inserted into plant tissue

to suck out juices. Damage appears as yellowing of

foliage that eventually turns brown. Younger plants

have more problems with heavy infestations of

squash bugs and feeding can lead to wilting and pos-

sibly death. Squash bugs may also feed on develop-

ing fruit causing it to become scarred.

To help manage squash bugs, inspect plants for eggs

on a regular basis and squish eggs before they hatch.

Create traps using wood boards or newspapers;

check traps each morning and kill any bugs found.

For vining squash, trellising can provide fewer harbor-

age areas for insects to hide. Use row cover to pro-

tect plants from squash bugs and remove the cover

during bloom to allow for pollination. Remove old

plants after harvest is complete and clean up debris to

reduce overwintering sites.

Insects can be handpicked or vacuumed from the

plant. If a pesticide is needed, look for less-toxic ac-

tive ingredients such as insecticidal soap,

azadirachtin (neem) or horticultural oils for smaller

nymphs.

For more information or help with identification, con-

tact Wizzie Brown, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Service Program Specialist at 512.854.9600. Check

out my blog at www.urban-ipm.blogspot.com

The information given herein is for educational purposes only. Reference

to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding

that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by Texas A&M

AgriLife Extension Service Extension or the Texas A&M AgriLife Research

is implied.

Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic

level, race, color, sex, religion, disability, or national origin.

Wizzie’s Wonderful World of Insects

5

The Veggie Guy

Get Those Spring

Vegetables Planted - Wayne Schirner

Hopefully we won’t have another temperature drop

below freezing, but most of us remember the April

Easter Sunday a few years back when we actually

had snow on the ground (for a few hours anyway.) I

haven’t completely put away my frost cloth, just in

case.

Time to get those

warm season veg-

gies into the garden.

Tomatoes should be

transplanted by mid-

April, at the latest, or

they won’t produce

much before the hot

weather causes

them to stop flower-

ing and setting fruit.

Nothing is more frus-

trating than having

wonderful tomato

plants but no toma-

toes. Cucumber and

green beans are also much better when they ripen in

warm rather than hot temperatures.

I plan to give summer squash a chance again this

year, but I have built separate 2’X2’ raised beds to

accommodate their huge leaves and sprawling growth

habit. These smaller beds will also make it easier to

cover them with a fine mesh insect netting to keep out

the moth that lays eggs that become the squash vine

borer. Once my squash has male and female flowers,

I will open the netting in the early morning to allow

pollinators access to the flowers, then replace the net-

ting in late morning. Sounds like a lot of work for

something readily available to purchase, but the varie-

ties you can grow can’t be purchased at the local gro-

cery. I encourage you to try something new for this

summer.

Vining crops grown on a trellis not only save space,

but they also keep the crop away from critters on the

ground that like to burrow into the fruit. Some garden-

ers use livestock panels as a trellis, but I like to use

nylon netting because it is less likely to damage the

vines rubbing against it. There are many suggested

ways to support heavier fruit, like cantaloupe, but I

have been told that if the fruit starts developing on the

trellis, its stem will automatically grow stronger to sup-

port the fruit. Mike Butts is helping me this year in the

SFG demonstration bed at the extension office and

we are planning to try growing some cantaloupe on a

trellis this year.

There are many recommendations about how to fertil-

ize your growing crops. In the Square Foot Garden-

ing method, 1/3 of the soil mix is compost, and that is

replenished with more compost after every harvest. I

add enough compost to keep the soil level with the

top of my raised beds and I have not found it neces-

sary to add additional fertilizer by following this

method. If you are following a traditional gardening

method, consult aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu for spe-

cific recommendations on different crops.

Take steps now to make your summer gardening eas-

ier. Mulching reduces weeding when the weather is

hot, while drip irrigation systems can make summer

watering easier and more efficient. I just completed

the Irrigation Efficiency Specialist training program

and would be more than happy to help you design a

drip irrigation system that works for your garden. All

you have to do is ask.

Remember, gardening is cheaper than therapy, AND

you get tomatoes. Have fun in your garden.

6

The “Greening” of our

Food Palate

- David Hubbell, “rookie” gardener

Last month I mentioned growing up with

canned greens. And, those who grew up with canned

vegetables know why it was hard to get kids to eat

them with “gusto.” Fortunately, Green Giant, Bird’s

Eye, and other companies began marketing frozen

vegetables. It was a marked improvement. Ah, how

our food options have changed.

Although Birdseye is credited with the process

for freezing vegetables in 1924, they don’t really be-

come a significant part of home meals until after

WWII, especially with more and more families replac-

ing ice boxes with refrigerators with the small freez-

ers. Yes, as a child, we had an ice box replenished

periodically when the ice man and his tarp-covered

wagon came through the neighborhood. Around

since 1925 in print media, the Jolly Green Giant (Ho!

Ho! Ho!) helped sell frozen vegetables through the

new home “appliance” – the television -- beginning in

the late 1940s.

Depending on where people were raised, their

pre-War green vegetables were usually peas, spin-

ach, cabbage, lettuce, green beans, and broccoli. Of

course, I grew up in the South with some occasional

okra and collard greens. Others had asparagus,

Brussels sprouts, mustard greens, and artichokes.

Today, we are not limited to just these pre-War green

staples. Our food palate now includes bok choy,

leeks, broccolini, kale, kohlrabi, Swiss chard, alfalfa

sprouts and other green delights. We can even eat

radish leaves and carrot tops. Many of these we can

grow in Central Texas.

Check out the “10 of the Healthiest Vegetables

You Can Eat” at http://www.rd.com/health/healthy-

eating/healthiest-vegetables/. You will find that six of

the ten vegetables listed are green. So, whether you

buy them or grow them, you can certainly enjoy the

many varieties of greens that are now a part of our

food palate.

Wildflower Quiz

- Terrie Hahn

If you like the quiz on the cover on this Blooming

Bell, take a look at the Newsletter Archives on

our website and go to the April, May, June and

July 2014 issues of the Bell. You’ll find the cov-

ers of three of these issues with photos of wild-

flowers found by MG’s with answers in the next

issue as to what they are. If you’re stumped as

to which wildflowers you have in your yard, take

a peek at these issues and maybe you’ll find

your answers!

http://txmg.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/bell/

files/2010/10/April-2014-BB.pdf

http://txmg.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/bell/

files/2010/10/May-2014-BB.pdf

http://txmg.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/bell/

files/2010/10/June-BB-2014.pdf

http://txmg.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/bell/

files/2010/10/July-BB-2014.pdf

7

- Marjorie Gillmeister

"Wolfgang's Garden" sowed seeds in recyclable

materials to decrease plastic waste in our landfills.

Try reusing plastic water bottles (16.9 fl oz shown

on image) cut them in half with scissors, poke

drainage holes at bottom with a sharp knife, fill

with potting soil, and sow a seed. Results are

amazing as we watched Bok Choy White Stem

grow into a healthy seedling. If started indoors, be

sure to harden off for several days to acclimate

the seedling to its surrounding environment (air,

wind, sunlight, moonlight) where you chose to

transplant. When ready to transplant simply cut

down one side and around the bottom of the bottle

to remove the seedling and soil without disturbing

the roots. We love using fish fertilizer (Alaska

Brand) when transplanting seedlings into a bigger

pot or outside in the garden (follow as instructed

on back of bottle for proper measurements). We

love watching the roots through the clear plastic

water bottle pot as the seedling grows and is help-

ful when keeping the seedling moist and hy-

drated!

Growing your own Microgreens all year round at

home is fun and easy using a recycled strawberry

container. The plastic reusable container already

has built in drainage ventilation at the bottom and

the top cover can be cut off with scissors and

used as a water catching tray when placing under-

neath the container. Use potting soil and fill in

container about 1-2 inches from the bottom. Gen-

tly moisten soil with a spray bottle. Sow micro-

greens seeds to fill all of soil surface such as

amaranth, sunflower, or any of your choice.

(Microgreens Seeds can be found at your local

Natural Grocers) Gently spread a small amount of

potting soil by hand (1/8" - 1/4") over the seeds to

cover lightly, then mist soil on top. Set container in

a sunny window sill or area where there is ample

sunlight, microgreens only need four hours of sunlight per day and require a gentle mist each morning. Try to

keep soil moist and not soggy... the clear container is great for keeping track of moisture level. When first

leaves appear you can harvest by snipping off with small scissors and enjoy its delicate flavor packed with a

ton of nutrients. To have a continual growth of microgreens sow seeds every 10-14 days. Microgreens require

no fertilizer since the seed provides all the nutrients it needs to thrive.

In Honor of "Earth Day" on April 22nd

8

Prep Work For the

Plant Sale

- Randy Brown

9

Plants Delivered!

- Randy Brown

10

The Day of the Plant Sale!

All Photos for Plant

Sale by Randy

Brown.

11

Plant Sale

12

Plant Sale Ed

Demonstrations and activities at the Plant Sale

included EarthKind Scoring, Planting a Citrus

Tree, Square Foot Gardening, Know Your Na-

tive Plants, Rainwater Harvesting, Kid’s Camp

and Ask a Master Gardener.

13

Spring 2017 Annual

Plant Sale - Kathy Love, Plant Sale Coordinator

Thanks to our many members who helped with the

Spring Plant Sale! I don’t have all numbers to report

now, but I think it is fair to say that it was a success!

There are too many people to name them all who

were essential to the success of this sale, but I would

like to give a shout out to a few of you. To Jane Van

Praag who served as the liaison to Wright’s nursery

and who repeatedly organized workers to help with

our very large order from that nursery. She was

greatly helped with the Wright’s order by her co-

liaison, Sylvia Maedgen. Wayne Schirner was our liai-

son to Gabriel Valley Farms and was responsible for

helping to bring in the great plants from that nursery.

To Jan George who served in that role for Joss Nurs-

ery which provided our very quickly sold succulents

and various groundcovers and to Rebecca Burrows

who headed up our rose order efforts with the Rose

Emporium with great support from Carol Morisset,

Jan Upchurch and Judy Hoelscher.

So many of you showed up to work when I asked for

help and again, I can’t name all of you but I would like

to recognize a few of you for your outstanding efforts.

Claudette Hawkins, Stacye Parry and Sandi Lenehan

were there any time I needed help with organizing our

notebooks and for just about any other project need-

ing help. Several of our new class members were

great helpers with additional plant descriptions

needed for our notebooks including Barbara Ishikawa

and Kellie Hussmann.

Thanks as always to Don Wyatt for his guidance and

leadership with organization and everything else that

Don always does! To Carla Harmon for her non-stop

help with everything plant sale related and to Johnny

Jones, Tom Rennels and their awesome grounds

committee for getting us so well set up and ready to

go.

The day of the sale was such a success thanks to the

68 members who showed up to work! Thanks to

Elaine Passman who took over Kid’s Camp from Pam

Dragoo who had a last-minute conflict. To our cash-

ier’s, Charlotte Jones, Melinda Arriola, Jan Upchurch,

Gail Garner and our emergency fill-in cashiers Kathy

Patterson and Jo Carlsen who had to overcome some

of my errors at the outset and in many ways saved-

the-day with their great efforts. All of you who were

responsible for our sales did a FANTASTIC job. Here

are some stats:

VEGETABLES= We had approximately 39

flats=roughly 780 4” pots (some flats were not com-

plete) and of that we had 80 4” plants left at the end of

the sale, thus we sold approximately 700 vegetables.

Continued on next page...

14

Spring Plant Sale...continued

HERBS=Approximately 228 4” pots purchased and

we had 61 4” pots left for total sales of approximately

161 herbs.

1-5 GALLON PERENNIALS, ANNUALS, GRASSES,

GROUNDCOVERS, VINES, FERNS, TREES,

SHRUBS = Approximately 270 purchased and re-

turned to Wright’s unpurchased were 2 1 gallon plants

(1 Blue Daze annual and 1 Red Yucca) which means

we sold approximately 268 1-5 gallon plants—we only

had 3 Eve’s Necklace shrubs left and those carried

were over from last fall’s sale. (Anyone want an

Eve’s? I’ll make you a deal!)

4” PERENNIALS, ANNUALS, GRASSES, GROUND-

COVERS, VINES, FERNS = Approximately 2,340 4”

pots (again not all flats were complete, but this num-

ber should only be off less than 50 or so) and re-

turned to Wright’s were 219 4” pots, meaning we sold

roughly 2,121 4” pots!

ROSES = We purchased 163 2 gallon roses from the

Rose Emporium and we will be returning 29 of them

to Brenham Monday so we sold a total of 134 of our

roses!

SUCCULENTS = We sold every succulent we pur-

chased meaning we sold all 43 of our purchases.

I did take roughly 140 4” plants, one of every 4” plant

we purchased, to the memorial service for Frances

Idoux at McLane Children’s Hospital on Friday the

24th (Frances’ birthday) and asked everyone attending

the service to take a pot and plant it in loving memory

of Frances. Less than half of those plants were dis-

tributed, so roughly 80 of those plants were returned

to the sale.

In a separate plant sale item, we purchased 115 one

gallon perennials and 32 five gallon plants which were

purchased by McLane Children’s hospital for phase

one of the Children’s Healing Garden remodeling we

are directing. These items will net the sale

approximately $455.00 in sales (we dis-

counted most of our plants to the hospital

since it is one of our projects).

Here are the remaining stats I have as of

Sunday, the 26th:

TOTAL CUSTOMERS (CONTACTS) = 710

TOTAL MEMBER PRE-SALE INVOICES

PAID = APPROXIMATELY $2,700.00 ON

34 INVOICES

CLASSES:

SQUARE FOOT GARDENING BY WAYNE

SCHIRNER = Attendance 11

PLANTING CITRUS TREES BY ANN

WAGNER = Attendance 14

KNOW YOUR NATIVE TREES BY Armand Hufault =

Attendance 5

KID’S CAMP headed by Elaine Passman = Atten-

dance 23

I know everyone will want to know the money total,

but it will be awhile before we can reconcile every-

thing so I don’t have that for you as of now. Please

suffice it to say we did not lose any money on the

sale.

THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE FOR A WONDER-

FUL EFFORT! LET’S ALL TAKE A BREATHER BE-

FORE FIRING UP FOR THE FALL SALE. PLEASE

REMEMBER THE FALL SALE WILL BE ON SEP-

TEMBER 30TH, SO PLEASE START GETTING THE

WORD OUT.

15

Round Top Herbal Forum

- Pam Dragoo and Sylvia Maedgen

A Group of BCMG’s attended the 22nd annual

Herbal Forum (March 17-18) at Round Top,

Texas. This year's Herb of the Year was cilantro/

coriander. As in years past, our fearless leader,

Kim Pringle arranged everything for us Herb

groupies. From overnight accommodations to

carpooling, she thinks of everything. We left

Temple about 7:30 a.m. Friday in order to arrive in time for Henry Flowers plant talk at 10 a.m. Some of us

strolled the beautiful grounds and ruins at Festival Hill, while others went on to classes. The classes included

“Using Twigs in Plant Arrangements,” “Building Your Own Self Watering Container,” Making Jellies and Jams”

and “How to Use Naturally Occurring Probiotics to Ferment Cabbage, Cucumbers, Milk and Flour into Sauer-

kraut, Pickles, Yogurt and Bread.” All the Friday classes are $40.00 and they are well worth it. Around 5 p.m.

the group rejoins on the patio for a potluck and wine.

On Saturday, one of the seminars was on “Herbal Remedies – Floral Treatments for the Soul,” presented

by Bill McKinley, the Benz Endowed Chair and Senior Lecturer at Texas A&M University. He created several

sample floral arrangements. The luncheon was delicious and we had a great variety of salads. To end the

day, we got to sample dumplings, kabobs,

punch, cookies, jellies all made with cilantro,

coriander or other herbs.

If you haven't

attended the

Herbal Forum

and you have an

interest in herbs

or maybe you

just what to

hang with a

group of cool

chicks, you

should look into at-

tending.

16

Spiritual Takes Via Vegetation

Worms Aren’t Bugs At All

- Breanna Care

As plant hosts, we will undoubtedly render a welcome to our plant's visitors and possible pathogens as well.

(Cucumber beetles, aphids, mealey bugs, scale insects, Pythium, Rhizocronia, Plectosporium, and Verticul-

lium, etc.). It is just the way life is, we can't very well live here alone now can we? And while it is extremely

appropriate to rid what is harming our wee dirt babies -- instead of trying to combat individually all that "bugs"

us -- let us please consider the earthworm and it's gut-assets :) first.

Castings not only fertilize but also offer a means to all natural pesticides and pathenogenocides. Gardens

containing cast contain 5-11 times more nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium than surrounding soils and the

secretions in the intestinal tracts of earthworms make these nutrients more recognizable, and likewise avail-

able for plant uptake. This excreted rich black humus is boldly packed with microorganisms that also help the

plant create a strong immune system. This immune system has been proven to be effective against, and sup-

presses the previously mentioned issues. Additionally, they offer a no-brainer time-release to the plants as

needed. Pauly Piccirillo, author of The Worm Farming Revolution, states that, "They will not burn your plants

no matter how much you use."

Are there people in your life you'd do better to accept as worms and not mere "bugs?" Hint: They are the

tough ones with hearts who won’t quit, tending to your soul up close and personal, root-of-the-matter issues.

It can stink sometimes -- but it's good for you, and your future. Their love for you isn't superficial. As you go

about the amends to your soul, achem, soil -- richly consider, at a deeper level, keeping a few worms in the

mix. They will do you no harm - the very opposite I can assure you.

Some things are bound to happen:

Romans 5:3-5

Diagnosing:

Psalm 26:2

Truth & Wisdom:

James 3:17, Proverbs 4:6-7, Proverbs 13:20, Proverbs 19:20, Proverbs 24:6, Ecclesiastes 7:12, Proverbs

31:25-26

Peace be with you.

17

Name that Butterfly/Moth! - Terrie Hahn

Were you able to come up with the names of the butterflies and moths pictured on the cover page of the

Blooming Bell? More Information available at: http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Actias-luna.

1. Terrie Hahn’s

photo of a White

lined Sphinx

Hyles lineata

moth flying

around Salvia

greggi.

2. Rose Harris’s

photo of a Luna

Moth Actias luna

that was resting

on a plant next to

the door of our

Master Gardeners

building.

3. Central Texas

Master Natural-

ist’s Kathy

Cantu’s photo of a

Great Purple Hair-

streak Atlides

halesus butterfly.

4. Kathy Cantu’s

photo of a

Ceraunus Blue -

Hemiargus

ceraunus butter-

fly.

5. Mechelle Davies’

photo of a Giant

Swallowtail Papilio

cresphontes butter-

fly on her peach

blossoms.

6. Terrie Hahn’s

photo of a Pipevine

Swallowtail Battus

philenor butterfly.

7. Kathy Cantu’s

photo of a Juniper

Hairstreak Callo-

phrys gryneus but-

terfly.

8. Kathy Cantu’s

photo of a Dusky-

blue Groundstreak

Calycopis isobeo

butterfly.

18

This and That

Killeen Municipal Court

Community Gardens

- Randy Brown

Busy at KMCCG! Top: a pound of asparagus

harvested; updated entry picture that has sec-

ond (new) building in The Orchard; right, Larry

working the tiller hard; below: our favorite pas-

time: weeding! six forty-two gallon bags of

weeds harvested today; work now completed

on bins and we’re giving them a workout!

19

This and That

Timber Ridge Family Stem Night!

- Elaine Passman

The following Master Gardeners had fun helping the children make na-

ture masks at Killeen’s Timber Ridge Elementary School’s Family Sci-

ence Night: Mary Ann, Dennis, Christy, Lorraine, Sandra, & Elaine.

Home and Garden Hats

- Sylvia Maedgen

Jan Watkins and myself with the newspaper hats we made to show the

kids how to make their own hats in the Kids Zone at the Home and Gar-

den Show at the Expo in Belton on Feb. 25th. The kids got to decorate

their hats with a variety of stickers, foam cut-outs and feathers.

2006 Get Together

- Terrie Hahn

Several Class of 2006 BCMG’s got together at the Florence

Vineyard recently to talk over old times. For a couple of

years, Joan Hinshaw and Joyce Pack used to single-

handedly plant, care for and harvest veggies out of all the

demo beds to donate; Joyce Richardson is still active in

many MG activities including McLane’s Hospital Garden.

Diane Calderwood was one of the New Class directors for

several years and is now our Botanic Garden liaison, and I’m working on my last MG newsletter.

20

This and That

Improvements!

- Gail Christian

March General Meeting!

- Randy Brown

Below: Larry gave a talk on KMCCG’s. Left:

MG’s providing refreshments.

Our new

tv in the

education

building.

Louann

used it

today for

her pres-

entation to

the propa-

gation

class.

Gary

Slanga

re-

searched

and

bought it. He also was the person in charge of

getting it mounted on the wall. Really nice for

presentations.

Right: Figuring out how to

set up the new tables for

the Plant Sale and Voila!

Above: Done!

21

This and That

Home and Garden Show

- Louann Hight

22

This and That

Bell Dedication

- Terrie Hahn

There was a ceremony on March 24th at McLane’s Chil-

dren’s Hospital to dedicate the bell purchased by donations

from BCMG’s in memory of Frances Idoux and her work at

the Hospital garden. Frances’ children and some of her

grandchildren attended the ceremony as did several dozen

Master Gardeners, Hospital staff and other friends. The

ceremony was to be held out in the garden, but was forced

indoors as it started to rain right about the time things were

going to get started. Somehow, I think Frances would have

had a good chuckle at the timing of the rain as she always

saw the bright side of things. It was a nice to time to re-

member our dear friend, Frances.

Left: the work

crew that prepped

the Gar-

den with

new

plants

and hung

the bell a

couple of

weeks

before

the dedi-

cation.

23

Announcements

Grounds Workdays

- Johnny Jones and Tom Rennels

Here is the Workday schedule for April:

April 5, 2017 8:00 a.m. Workday

April 5, 2017 10:30 a.m. Burger Wednesday

April 12, 2017 8:00 a.m. Workday

April 19, 2017 8:00 a.m. Workday

April 26, 2017 8:00 a.m. Workday

In the event of rain, there will be No Workday.

March General Meeting

- Mary Ann Everett

The April 12th General meeting’s speaker, Kathy

Love, will talk about state awards, and an additional

program on bulb chipping. Meeting at 10:30 a.m. So-

cial Time is 10:00 a.m.

Plant Swap will be before General Meeting and if

anything is left, after the meeting. Plant Swap commit-

tee members will start receiving plants at 7:30 a.m.

The Swap will start at 8 a.m.

Master Gardener Tree Care

Specialist Training

- Jayla Fry

Tree related questions are one of the primary things

that make the phone ring in an Extension office. This

training is designed to teach Master Gardener volun-

teers about landscape trees and troubleshooting com-

mon tree problems so they can serve county resi-

dents and extend the outreach of Extension program-

ming into the community. The training is designed to

go above and beyond what you learned in the Master

Gardener Training Course. Highly qualified instructors

will provide advanced training in the classroom as

well as outdoor demonstrations of tree care practices.

Major topics include: Tree Benefits, Biology and

Function, Site Selection, Tree Species Selection,

Proper Planting Techniques, Proper Training and

Pruning, Tree Nutrition, Common Stress Factors, Alle-

viating Soil Compaction, Abiotic Tree Problems, Com-

mon Pests and Diseases, and more. A final course

agenda will be available prior to the training.

Dates: Wednesday, May 17 through Friday, May 19,

2017

Location: Myers Park and Event Center, 7117 County

Road 166, McKinney, TX 75071

Cost: $175 per person. This fee covers all instruction,

educational materials, two meals, and refreshments.

Deadline: Registration deadline is April 24, 2017.

Please note that as we must order supplies and re-

freshments in advance, no refunds can be given after

May 8, 2017.

To learn more and apply, visit the online registration

page at https://goo.gl/EUEv5R

For more information contact the Collin County Exten-

sion Office at 972-548-4233 or collin-tx@tamu.edu

Check out BCMGA FaceBook

page! Go to

https://www.facebook.com/BCMGA

24

Announcements

Gardening in Bell County

- Carol Morisset and Jan Upchurch

We are proud to present the following educational opportunities for our neighbors and fellow gardeners:

March 16 Texas Super Star Plants

April 20 An Earthkind Landscape

May 11 Native Plants

June 15 Living With or Without Insects

July 20 Controlling Fire Ants

August 17 Growing and Cooking with Herbs

September 21 Fall Gardening

October 19 Trees and Shrubs

November 16 Composting

Location: Bell County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Offices

1605 N. Main

Belton, TX

Time: 6:30-8:00 pm

Cost: $5.00 per seminar (Payment is due the week BEFORE the scheduled seminar)

Seminars are limited to 25 participants so register early.

For Information Contact one of the following: j-upchurch@sbcglobal.net OR carol.j.morisset@gmail.com

25

Earth Day

- Susan Terry

The 1st Annual Earth Day 5K Troll Trot will be held

Saturday, April 22, 2017 along the beautiful streets

of Salado, Texas. The race route will feature the rich

history and natural beauty of our Village, and high-

light the public gardens and hidden art, especially

Billy Goat Gruff and the Troll at the Green Bridge

Garden. The race begins and ends at historic Col-

lege Hill.

The race will begin at 8 am from College Hill. Keep Salado Beautiful will have a variety of materials available

on water conservation, native plants, rain barrels, turf grasses, and other earth friendly guides. Sign up at

Runsignup.com/trolltrot.

All proceeds benefit beautification projects and environmental programming in the

Village of Salado! For more information go to our web site at

www.keepsaladobeautiful.com and follow us on Facebook

Announcements

- Wayne Schirner

After last Wednesday’s general meeting and new

class, an issue related to parking was brought to my

attention that needs to be shared with everyone for

your consideration and observance. It seems that we

need to be regularly reminded about the issues re-

lated to parking around the Extension Office. We must

remember that the Extension Office is the place of

work for many people, and is also a place that is fre-

quently visited by the public coming in for assistance

with some agricultural or USDA issue. In order for that

daily business to occur, there MUST be parking avail-

able. My understanding from past announcements on

this topic is that the parking lot between the building

and the garden area is primarily for staff parking. The

side of the lot closest to the building is for Staff Only

from the “big tree” to the south end of the lot. The

parking on the side closest to the gardens is reserved

for staff from about half way down to the south end of

the lot. It would be good if we could get specific areas

designated for Staff Only so there wouldn’t be a ques-

tion about this and we would avoid those spaces to

ensure adequate parking for the staff who work in the

building and who frequently have to come and go in

order to do their job. I know how frustrating it can be

on them to have to leave for a site visit and then re-

turn and not be able to find a place to park. We are

guests at their place of work, so please be mindful of

their needs. The other issue is parking for customers

who come and go throughout the day. My suggestion

would be to restrict the parking closest to the building

on the front side for customers only. That includes

the handicapped parking spaces at the south end of

the lot. If the extension office staff has a better sug-

gestion, I know they will share it with us, but for now I

think that would save enough spaces for the custom-

ers who need to do business at the Extension Of-

fice. The final issue brought to my attention is that

speeding out of the parking lot has been reported. I

have no way of knowing who might be doing this, but I

want to remind everyone that driving too fast in a

parking lot is a recipe for disaster. Please drive

slowly and be alert for anyone who might be walking

in the parking lot to/from their car. Thank you for

your attention to this issue. If additional restrictions

need to be made, we will adjust as necessary. Any

questions or concerns should be addressed back to

me at docwas@me.com

26

What’s Happening in Your Yard

Spring Flowers

- Sylvia Maedgen

Pictures of the first of my blooming flowers

at home this year. The red Rain Lilies (I al-

ways called them Easter Lilies) and Irises

are two of my favorites that I remember as a

child in my mother’s flower beds. I had

been wanting to get some red lilies for a

long time and these are what I got at the

plant swap last spring. I was pleasantly sur-

prised when they bloomed the red

color. Thank you to whomever brought the

lilies last year.

27

What’s Happening in Your Yard

- Randy Brown

Poppies, Crossvine, Antique

Roses, Anacacho Orchids and Bird

of Paradise all blooming in March.

Mounding up soil on my potatoes

too!

28

What’s Happening in Your Yard

- Crystal Fisher

I’ve been busy sculpting

clay plants and vines and

animals to go on my garden

fairy doors.

29

What’s Happening in Your Yard

- Melinda Woods Arriola

Mahonia Holly is home to

this Robbin’s nest. Four

little fuzzballs hatched.

Crossvine and Wysteria.

30

What’s Happening in Your Yard

- Terrie and Werner Hahn

Above clockwise: Perle d’Or; Iceberg; Sombreuil; White

Heritage; a culinary

Sage trying to grow and

bloom amongst the

Bluebonnets; wild Ver-

bena; and Bluebonnets

in our front yard.

31

A publication of the Bell County Master Gardener Association sponsored by Texas AgriLife Extension of

Texas A & M University

1605 N. Main St. Belton, Texas 76513

(254) 933-5305

Contributing Writers and Photographers:

Wayne Schirner Wizzie Brown Randy Brown Sylvia Maedgen Mary Ann Everett Crystal Fisher Marjorie Gillmeister Pam Dragoo Elaine Passman David Hubbell Breanna Care Gail Christian Johnny Jones Tom Rennels Kathy Love Rose Harris Kathy Cantu Mechelle Davies Louann Hight Carol Morisset Jan Upchurch Susan Terry Melinda Woods Arriola Jayla Fry Terrie Hahn

Editor: Proofreader

Terrie Hahn Werner Hahn

Please submit articles of less than 500 words for the

Blooming Bell as Word Documents with photos

separate as JPG files to Terrie Hahn at:

moompie45@hotmail.com Please do not send PDF documents.

Photo by Randy Brown

Officers

President Wayne Schirner

First Vice President Mary Ann Everett

Second Vice President Louann Hight

Recording Secretary Stacye Parry

Corresponding Secretary Pat Allen

Treasurer Don Wyatt

Directors

Youth Programs Gail Koontz New Class Fran Sheppard Grounds Johnny Jones Tom Rennels Plant Sale Kathy Love KMCCG Edie Campbell Outreach Carol Morisset Jan Upchurch Awards Kathy Love Webmaster Pat Johnson Membership Gail Christian

AgriLife Agent Lyle Zoeller