In the Garden
SFA Gardens to Host Bird Watching Seminar
The SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center will host a two-part garden seminar “How to Identify and Attract a Flock of Backyard Birds” on November 13 from 6:30-7:30 pm and on November 14 from 7:00-9:00 am. Participants will enjoy a Friday evening lecture with Cliff Shackelford, ornithologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, about bird identification and common local birds. On Saturday morning, Cliff will lead a leisurely birding stroll to the Shackelford home near the Pineywoods Native Plant Center to visit their backyard that is “for the birds.”
Cliff Shackelford is a 4th generation Texan and started bird watching at the early age of nine. He holds both a B.S. and an M.S. degree in biology with an emphasis in avian ecology from Stephen F. Austin State University and has authored over 50 publications on birds and birding. He is the first author of the book Hummingbirds of Texas that was published in September 2005 by Texas A&M; University Press.
Participants will meet for both sessions at the Tucker House at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet Street. Comfortable walking shoes are recommended, and binoculars are available for first-time birders that don’t bring them. Cost is $15 for members of SFA Garden Friends and $20 for non-members. To register, call the SFA Gardens Education Office at 936-468-1832 or email erodewald@sfasu.edu.
- In the Garden
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Rose expert to speak at MG class
The Texas Agrilife Extension Service will host rose expert Dr. Bill Welch on Sept. 10, as a speaker during the Leon County Master Gardener Training Series.
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Late summer East Texas gardening guidelines
You don’t need me to tell you it’s hot. But, this is August in Texas, and we have several more weeks of summertime heat and humidity to go, so it’s time to hunker down and dream of cooler times ahead.
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Planning the fall garden
Believe it or not, we can officially start thinking about Fall. Yes I know, we have months and months left of hot weather, but we can at least start thinking and planning for the cooler days and our second round of fresh vegetables.
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Pink Flare hibiscus not too gaudy for Texas
COLLEGE STATION -- In the mid-1990s, Dr. Sam McFadden of Somerville, Tenn., a well-known plant breeder, developed a hibiscus whose color he didn't like, one whose gaudiness actually embarrassed him a bit, according to a Texas AgriLife Research horticulturist.
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SFA Gardens to host Arcadia Dogtrot Tour
The SFA Gardens of Stephen F. Austin State University will host a tour of two historic Shelby County homes from 9 a.m. until noon Saturday, Sept. 11.
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Reaping your garden harvest
You planted your vegetable patch this spring and the first fruits of your harvest are ready for picking. All your hard work of cultivating, planting, watering, fertilizing and waiting is now paying off as everything begins to mature. But, how do you know when your corn, melons, peppers and eggplant are ready to eat? Old time gardeners know from years of experience, but for city folks who have planted their first garden, knowing when summer vegetables are at the peak of maturity may not be so clear. Here are some tips for reaping the highest quality rewards of your labor. Also, look for the Ample Harvest section regarding donating your surplus harvest to local food pantries to help the hungry
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Why is the bottom of my tomato rotten?
It is that time of year when we are beginning to harvest the fine looking vegetables we have been growing in our home gardens. It is also stressful for many of us when we reach for that tomato that we have been watching develop and realize that it is rotten on the bottom. Blossom-end rot is a major problem for many home gardeners. There are several things you can do to reduce or prevent the problems of blossom-end rot.
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Hard-working garden hoes
Garden hoes were probably the first gardening tools, made from sticks, antlers, bone and stone. Then as now, hoes were indispensable for shaping soil and controlling weeds. Every gardener needs at least one good hoe, and most serious gardeners use several. Hoes vary in the types of work they are designed to do, so the challenge is to choose the best hoes for the tasks that await in your garden.
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A properly managed compost pile should not smell bad
Homemade compost is popular with gardeners and landscape enthusiasts. Compost is an effective and natural way to treat the soil and you can make it yourself.
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Dakota Gold: A Texas Superstar 'weed-to-riches' story
COLLEGE STATION — Dakota Gold helenium had a tough childhood. Cast into life as a common weed, it had to survive abusive Texas summers, frequent and brutal right-of-way mowings, trompings in over-grazed pastures and abandonment in empty lots.
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Rose expert to speak at MG class
