The

Grapevine
March - April 2016

A newsletter for the Lubbock Master Gardeners

Charlotte Davidson, editor

Seventeen New Interns Attend First

Class January 30.
They came for different reasons. They come
from different backgrounds. Some have
gardens, some learned gardening from their
parents, some are retired, some still work full
time and were glad to be able to attend classes
on Saturday -- but all of the 17 new interns
sitting down for their Rirst class on Saturday
morning the end of January had two thing in
common they were interested in how things
grow in Lubbock Texas and they wanted to
become Master Gardeners.
Marjorie Evangelista had just started a
backyard orchard. Mary Chaffey had moved
here from New Mexico and wanted to know
how to grow in Lubbock. Judith Hardin, a self
proclaimed Air Force brat, said her father
grew vegetables in Missouri to sell to get money
to buy his books for high school, and her
mother had a Rlower shop. She had lived in
England where the growing was easier. She
came to Tech, married and stayed. She has
compost barrels and wants to know how to
grow better here on the high plains.
(Continued on page 2)
Master Gardeners

Get your CEUs by

attending some of the
Intern Classes.
Re-learn and meet the
new interns.
(See page 10)

Mark Brown, extension agent, gave a

History of Extensions and an overview
of their programs here.

New Master Gardener Interns

Queenelle Kizer
Vicki Box
Eileen Cowart
Carolina Rubio
Amanda Brocato
Mary Caffey
Barbara Davis
Judy McEachern
Becky Moore
Judith Hardin
Marjorie Evangelista
Rachelle Atkinson
Julia Hunt
Micki Oates
Nettie Crawford
Grady Cowart
Pamela Tarver

Seventeen New Interns Start January 30

(Continued from page 1)
Becky Moore says her hobby is being outside. Rachelle Atkinson, I am a
farmers daughter and nutritionist. I want to be a food farmer." Carolina Rubio,
an artist born in Lubbock, got her masters in Chicago worked on her doctorate at
Penn State in Art Education, moved back from Mexico City, now wants to to have
her own food producing home/farm in Oaxac, Mexico
These comments pretty much tell us we have a new crop of very interested future
Master Gardeners here in Lubbock Texas.

Queenelle Kizer (left),

Vicki Box and Eileen Cowart

Amanda Brocato (left),

Mary Caffey, and
Carolina Rubio

(Continued on page 3)

Interns

(continued)

Barbara Davis (left), Sheela

Noble, Master Gardener,
and Judy McEachern

Becky Moore (left) and

Judith Hardin

Marjorie Evangelista (left),

Rachelle Atkinson and Micki
Oates

Interns (cont'd)
Nettie Crawford

Pamela Tarver and

Grady Cowart

Where to earn some Volunteer hours

Texas Tech Greenhouse and Horticulture Gardens
- Any weekday, although Fridays are preferable (since there are no classes).
- Weekends are okay with prior arrangements and previous volunteer work there.
- Weekdays, 8am to 5pm, volunteers may use Tech tools.
- Bring personal tools for evenings or weekend work.
- Horticulture Gardens are at the corner of Hartford Ave and Main Street on Tech
Campus. Come into the center of the greenhouse, RM102 to check in with Jennifer or
other greenhouse student staff.
Contact: Jennifer Simek. Work: 806-742-2856 Cell: 806-790-3921
email: jennifer.simek@ttu.edu
It is helpful to call ahead or email Jennifer 24 hours before coming to volunteer.
- Parking is available. Jennifer will assign you an electronic day permit each time you
volunteer. The first time you visit, park on North side, then she will need the following
information to put into the TTU parking system:
Your name, license plate, vehicle make, vehicle type (SUV, truck, 2-door) and your
vehicle color. Each person will sign a liability waiver when they arrive to work.
Various Tech gardening projects include: Cutting back perennials, pruning shrubs,
pruning roses, topdressing beds with compost, spreading mulch, planting, trellising
climbing vines and roses, and weed management. Also, in the greenhouse repotting
tropicals, transplanting and propagation of garden crops, tool cleaning and sharpening,
washing and sterilizing pots and trays, and irrigation installation and repairs.

Lubbock Arboretum (411 University Avenue)

Every Wednesday afternoon at 1 pm meet at the little brick house at Arboretum to join
the Wednesday Wonders, volunteering with garden work. Can bring your own tools.
Second Saturday morning of each month they have speakers, and you can earn one CEU.
Also, their annual plant sale is April 16, and later this summer, in August, they will host
their summer Kids Camp. Contact: Liz Wagner Phone: 806-470-2237.
email: Sissy.wagner@gmail.com

The Grapevine

March - April 2016

Whatever!
This page is just for short blurbs about Master Gardeners. Send in what you are doing,
where you are going, things you want to sell, give away, photos -- Whatever. Nothing is too
unimportant, unnecessary, or crazy. cdavidsonforsure@aol.com
If you dine at the West Table Restaurant downtown in the Pioneer Hotel you will
probably be served by by our vice president Autry Freeman. Who knew that Joe
Froelich makes smashing mission furniture? Linda Jarvis has finished her new
home-away-from-home near Caddo Louisiana where she grew up. Clair Jones and
long-time beau, Steven Adams, will be married at a small gathering of family and
friends in Austin on April 30. Jean Anne Stratton attended the 2nd Annual TAWC
Water College, January 20, at the Bayer Museum of Agriculture. Focus on how much
water to use to maximize West Texas agronomic crop production. Brian Bledsoe, Chief
Meteorologist at KKTV 11 in Colorado Springs, spoke on importance of anticipated
weather for crop production.

March Master Gardener Meeting

The speaker will be Dr. Russ Wallace
talking on Organic Produce

Joe's mission table

(continued on next page)

Linda's
Fox
Hollow
"cabin."

Whatever (continued)

A found photograph -- from a trip

earlier this year down to Clifton for the
FOUND PHOTO -- Taken last April when this bunch went down to
Clifton to see the Silo Project and stayed in Barbara Robertson's family
ranch. The hats were hanging on the wall. The bobcat came from a
garage sale. But that is not what they tell the kids! (left to right) Autry
Freeman, Barbara Robertson, Charlotte Davidson, Jean Anne
Stratton, Des Dunn, and Gracie the dog.
Linda Rowntree will be spending March and April in Australia, Tasmania,
Tahiti, and Bora Bora. She will be visiting the botanical garden in
Melbourne Australia. Her daughter was an exchange student in Australia
and when her daughter married, her Aussie family came here for the
wedding. So, it is time for an exchange visit down their way.

Nell Rains has been out

climbing trees and
putting out steak for the
great horned and white
owls that sweep down
over her lawn every
afternoon on their way to
her pine trees. These
guys have a wing span of
four feet -- what a hoot!

Whatever (continued)
The Dunbar School Gardening Project

These are courtyard photos of the Courtyard

Garden at Dunbar College Preparatory
Academy. Vik Baliga and Michelle Lang taught
seed germination to the Student Council, sent
home seeds and planted daffodils
-- Dunbar photos from Terri Presley

A Talk about Ag Talk

Master Gardeners have been taking the
Friday slot on Eddie GrifRis West Texas
Ag Talk for Rive years.
"And since several people had said they
wanted some training before they sat
down to the microphone across from
Eddie, we had an informal training
session at Charlotte Davidson's house
on January 19," Barbara Robertson said.
When Master Gardeners started being
part of the show in the fall 2010, they
were on at noon for an half hour. Then
in 2013 theMG segment went to an hour
in a new time slot at 1:30 pm following
Eddies talk with the Lubbock Ag
Agents.

Jana and Marcia

When we started it was one Master

Gardener doing the half-hour show.
When we went to an hour, we had two
master gardeners for each show so they
could play off each other, ask questions,
and cover more, says Master Gardener
Barbara Robertson, who schedules
people for the show. The show has
changed. At Rirst there was a small
camera and you saw Eddie and guests in
foggy black and white. Today it is better
camera and in color.
Jana Scheef, Marcia Abbott, Jean Anne
Stratton, Barbara and Charlotte talked
about things that work, things that have
gone wrong, and what to do to make the
show more fun, entertaining, and
educational. Remember to make sure
you are on camera, have your head set
on, mention that Master Gardeners are
part of AgriLife, hold still because
Ridgeting causes static. Give Eddie an
outline of what you are going to talk
about.

Barbara and Charlotte

(Continued on page 7)

Autry and Jean Anne

A Talk About Ag Talk

(continued from page 7)

LHUCA Seminar Will

Teach How to Prune for
Healthy, Beautiful Trees
Date: Saturday, March 5

Eddie Griffis
Giving scientiRic detailed information
while carrying on an interesting engaging
conversation is truly difRicult, says
Charlotte. You cant sound like a textbook.
You cant laugh too much and, you have to
remember that people are listening in
their cars, at work, walking in and out of
the room. So, pick three things you want
them to remember and repeat them.
One of the best shows we ever did and the
show that got the most people calling in
was when we were talking about what to
do with all of your green tomatoes before
the frost got them. We said make chow-
chow. People called in for weeks with
recipes and even sent them to the studio to
Eddie, Barbara remembers.

West Texas Ag Talk can be seen

on Fox 34 television, and heard
on 950 AM radio and 100.7 FM.
Pruning has been the radio
talk for Master Gardeners
during February. Get some
real pruning education at the
LHUCA tree pruning seminar.

Time: 1-3 pm
Place: Louise Hopkins
Underwood Center for the
Arts.
Address: 511 Avenue K at
Marsha Sharp
Cost: Free
The two-hour program will begin with a
one-hour talk on trees for us here on the
South Plains and more on general tree
health.
At 2 pm John Motsinger, regional
forester at Texas A&M Forest Service,
Idalou, will lead a hands-on
demonstration on pruning. Participants
should bring their own pruning shears.
Trees used in the demonstration are
those growing on the LHUCA campus.
Emphasis will be on Chinese pistachio
and Cedar Elm. For more information
call LHUCA at 806-747-8114.

"Backyard Junk Art -- the bright side of crap"

by Charlotte Davidson
Every master gardener has some part of gardening
they love most. Some love roses. Some love growing
the biggest and best tomatoes. Some have a
greenhouse full of orchids.
Me? I love making tacky yard art to go in the garden.
I never wanted a perfect yard that looked like a golf
course -- like the lawn had been cut with manicure
scissors. I always wanted my garden to look like
there might be fairies and gnomes hanging out in
there back among the vines and crap.
As a kid I loved the yards that were full of old
bicycles, cracked fountains, and sparkling glass
things hanging out of their trees. I liked lots of wind
chimes, stepping stones, troll houses, gazing balls,
birdbaths, hiding places, benches and statues. I
always said I would have a porch full of coffee cans
Rilled with geraniums.

Somebody gave me an old

water heater pan. I painted it
and hung it on the fence.

I call the fence art "Offensive Fence Art"

because if I put it on the other side of
the fence it would offend everybody in
the neighborhood.
Well, I don't have the geranium cans,
but since I have had a yard, I have been
busy Rilling the backyard and fence full
of junk and funk and painted crap.
Nothing is as much fun as a day in the
garage with nails and glue and paint
and junk to make into tacky yard art.
And the best part of this kind of "art" is
that at the end of the summer you can
turn this trash back into trash and
throw it away and start over again next
year.

I saw this guy in somebody's trash.

The Fence Family

Painted sticks and wine
bottles in an old fire extinguisher

Schedule of Intern Classes

Each of these intern classes you attend counts toward a CEU for Master Gardeners.
All classes are on Saturdays.

February 20, 2016 Soils and Water

Morning Session: 9-12

SOILS by Mark Brown (2 hours)

PROPAGATION Mary Bassinger (1 hour)
Afternoon Session 1 3
SELECTING WATER WISE PLANTS FOR HOME
LANDSCAPE & ELEMENTS OF DESIGN Cecilia George

March 5, 2016 Plant Health Problems

Morning Session: 9-12

Afternoon Session: 1-3

WEEDS Dr. Dotray (1 hour and 40 minutes)

RAINWATER HARVESTING Dennis Howard
(45 minutes to 1 hour)
PLANT/WATER RELATIONSHIP & USE Autry Freeman
(1.5 hours)
CONTAINER GARDENING Michele Lang (30 min)

March 19, 2016 Weeds and Lawn Management

Morning Session: 9-12

Afternoon Session: 1-3

PATHOLOGY Dr. Woodward (1.5 hrs)

ACTIVITY Autry Freeman and Terri Presley
LAWN MANAGEMENT Dr. Joey Young (1.5 hrs)
CONTAINER GARDEN Michele Lang (30 min)

April 2, 2016 -- VEGETABLE/HERB GARDENING

AgriLife Extension Program: Research Center

April 16, 2016 Fruit and Nut Day

Morning Session: 9-12
Afternoon Session: 1-3
Activity:

FRUIT AND NUT TREES Vikram Baliga (1.5 hrs)

Activity (TBA)
IPM Vikram Baliga (1 hour)
VEGETABLE GARDEN Kimberly Copeland (1 hr)

April 30, 2016 Earth-Kind Roses and Tree Care

Morning Session: 911:30 Earth-Kind roses Nell Rains (2 hours)
Lunch Break and Travel to Forest Service
Afternoon Session: 1-3
TREE CARE Jonathan Motsinger

May 7, 2016 Field Trip to Amarillo/Media

Morning:

High Plains Water District talk on way to Amarillo

Field Trip to Botanical Garden
Working Lunch Talk at Agrilife Center and Drive to Earth Kind Grass Trial
Afternoon: Stop at Canyon Edge: TBD

Don't Miss It
Texas Master Gardener Convention
"Buds and Bark"
May 17 - 19
Myers Park and Event Center
McKinney Texas
$200 now through April 16
After April 16 $225
www.ccmgatx.org/txmg2016

The following is a list of Specialist

Training Opportunities available in 2016
Vegetables March 10-12, 2016, co-hosted by Dallas and
Tarrant Counties, to be held in Fort Worth, TX
Irrigation Ef]iciency March 21-23, 2016, hosted by
Bexar County, to be held in San Antonio, TX
Propagation April 21-23, 2016, hosted by Tarrant
County, to be held in Fort Worth Texas
Composter June 22-24, 2016, hosted by Bexar County, to
be held in San Antonio, TX
Texas Superstar September 20-22, 2016, hosted by
Bexar County, to be held in San Antonio, TX
Vegetables November 9-11, 2016, hosted by Bexar
Calling all Master Gardeners!
Time to report your good deeds for Lubbock area gardeners!
Before the end of this leap month of February, report your time
volunteered as helpers of our county agriculture agents during
December, January and February.
Simply go to the Lubbock Master Gardener website, click Members,
then Reporting. Enter information as directed, and then click Send at
the bottom.
Wait. Wait. Then read the Rine print at the bottom of the page (the
new page) to see a small conRirmation your information was sent.
The Rirst of March, Vik sends in a three-month report, so catch up
now on reporting volunteer hours for the LMGA and the Continuing
Education Unit (CEUs) you earned since November. Please report on
line early so that Vik can read and summarize your data, say by end
of February 26.
Questions? Call membership Secretary Lilla Jones, at 806-789-5125.
Leave message if need be.

Lilla reminds us

So, surprise everyone

again by reporting for
this quarter in a timely
manner. I bet you will
surprise yourself as
much as others with how
much gardening good
you have accomplished
since November.

Report by Feb. 26

Dr. McKinney Talks All About Ornamentals

"What's Hot and What's Not for Lubbock"
Dr. Cynthia McKenney, of the Department of Soil
Sciences at Texas Tech, was our speaker for the
February monthly Master Gardener meeting.
What is hot right now? Doing a vegetable garden on a
patio or deck. Succulants are big today as wedding
Rlowers. Training edibles, like a pepper plant, to be a
baby tree by taking off the botton leaves is also hot
right now.
In annual plants the Big Leaf Begonia is hot. It
replaces the "cocktail mix" of the 70s. But she warns,
"Don't put them in full sun here in Lubbock. Full sun
here is SHADE."
She also told us that the new coleus varieties are for
full sun -- but that is partial shade here. Also, she
added, "If you can't root a coleus, you don't need to be
in this room."
Dr. McKenney told us that "those cute little lemon-
slice, yellow and white Rlowers that look like mini
petunias are Calibracoa -- and they won't grow here."
The poinsettia growers are doing some great
marketing, promoting the colors other than red for
holidays other than Christmas. They call them
Euphorbias instead of Poinsettias. They are pink
white, and other colors and have smaller leaves, so
people won't say, "Those are for Christmas."
The poinsettias were introduced here in the 60s. So
unless your grandmother visited Mexico, their
homeland, she didn't know about Poinsettias.

Begonia Boliviensis Crackling Fire

Kalanchoe -- "These are the plants you take to the

hospital." The breeding was done in Canyon Texas.
They have bright colors and are heat tolerant. Canyon
sells unrooted cuttings of these around the world.

Dr. McKinney warned that our zone here

should be 6B and not 7A when you are
buying plants.
"They don't take into consideration the elevation
here or our temperature swings that go from 70
degrees in the day to 30 at night. Get a plant from
a colder zone, so it will stay dormant through a
couple of 70-degree days and not think it is time
to wake up. You want something that stays
dormant longer.

Coleus under the sea gold

anermone

(Plant photos courtesy

of Cecilia George)

The Master's Touch Seminar Series

Lubbock Master Gardeners Association presents
the Masters Touch Seminar Series.
Each 1-2 hour course is conducted by a Master Gardener and will feature an in-
depth exploration of their respective areas of expertise.

Chickens and the Garden,

presented by Clair Jones

Thursday, February 25op at 6:30 pm

Attracting Hummingbirds
and Butterelies to the Garden,
presented by Lila Jones
Thursday, March 10op at 6:30 pm

Aquaponics 101,
presented by Dennis Howard
Thursday, March 24, at 6:30 pm

Mastering Vegetables,
presented by Kimberly Copeland
Thursday, April 7op at 6:30 pm

Location: Held in the conference room at the Tigris HQ Building at 5307 West
Loop 289
Cost: $15 per seminar or $50 for the complete series

Don't forget to send your newsletter

articles and photos to
cdavidsonforsure@aol.com
Also, suggestions for articles.

Trending Plants for 2016

by Cecilia George, Lubbock County Master Gardener
At our Master Gardener mee/ng on February, Dr. Cynthia
McKinney talked about plants that you may see in the
nurseries this Spring. Some are brand new varie/es, but
others are old favorites that the growers are reintroducing.
Begonias with bigger leaves and owers will make excellent
container plants for shady areas. Look for the Wow series,
that features large, fragrant owers held well above the
leaves. The boliviensis begonias have tubular owers that
look good trailing from hanging baskets. This variety is
Crackling Fire. I have seen both these plants in the Spring
plant catalogs. (photo on previous page)

Coleus under the sea red coral

Sweet alyssum is an old standby in the annual ower bed,

and Silver Streams is a new variety that grows
8-12 inches tall and spreads up to 15. It is fragrant and heat
tolerant. Silver Streams is an excellent border plant as well
as a good choice for containers.
Coleus has been around for genera/ons, but new hybrids
with spectacular foliage are coming on the market. The
Under the Sea series features foliage in shapes and colors.
Pictured here are just two in the series, Gold Anemone
and Red Coral. Coleus add color to shady areas, but the
Under the Sea series is adver/sed as sun tolerant. Well,
maybe. It would be wise to plant these either in shade or
par/al shade where they get the cooler morning sun rather
than the blistering aSernoon heat. (photo on previous page)

Lobularia Silver Stream

Sedum humisifum tiny urchin

There are many succulent enthusiasts among Master

Gardeners, and they will be interested in two new sedums.
Sedum spurium tricolor grows 4-6 inches tall and spreads
to 18 inches. It produces pink owers, likes dry condi/ons,
and is a good groundcover. Sedum humisiform Jny urchin
grows less than 6 inches tall and spreads about 9 inches.
Sedums are cold tolerant in our zone and make good
container arrangements. I have had a dragons blood sedum
growing in an outdoor container for three winters now, and it
always comes back in the Spring.
Dr. McKinney advised us to choose plants that will tolerate
Zone 6 condi/ons, even though we live in Zone 7A. Our
Wow
eleva/on of 3400 feet and rapid and frequent temperature
Begonia
changes require us to choose the hardiest plants possible.
And be careful with label recommenda/ons for sun
exposure. Full sun plants oSen do be_er here in par/al
shade. As with all gardening in West Texas, experience is the
best teacher.

Sedum spurium tricolor