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UrbanDirtGardening Events and Informat ion for Texans

Pruning is necessary at times but few people can do it well. I’m not one of those people. In the past I must admit I have butchered some plants, but my pruning skills are improving. Why do plants need pruning? There are a variety of reasons. Some plants may require pruning to help flower production. One example is the but-terfly bush. It needs to be pruned because it flowers on new wood. The bushes grow quickly so a hard pruning can be done when the plant is dormant. Other reasons for pruning include remov-ing dead, diseased or damaged branches, the removal of crossing branches, to improve the tree’s appearance and increase its health or to limit the plant’s growth. Pruning is also done to improve vi-sual acuity or for safety reasons. This is especially important if the tree or shrub is close to power lines or if is close to the street and blocks the view of traffic signs. In that instance you must prune the tree or bush. If the plant is growing between power lines, or is close to power lines, hire an expert. If you don’t prune the tree the city may do it for you and bill you for the service. Some trees such as pines and sycamores need little or no pruning. Maples and oaks have more branches and need pruning. Tree topping is not recom-mended. You can permanently damage the tree. It should only be done if you are removing a tree. If you are not sure about your pruning skills, hire an arborist.

Pruning Trees and ShrubsWhen should pruning be done? For most plants this is usually

in the late winter just before spring. Some mature trees may not need any trimming or may only need it about every five or ten years. Ornamentals that bloom in spring are usually the excep-tion. Avoid pruning new growth on berry ornamentals like pyracantha and holly. They only produce their ornamental ber-ries on second year or older growth. Minor trimming on woody ornamentals can usually be done throughout the year. As a rule of thumb, most plants aren’t trimmed after August.

Which tools are required for pruning? Tools can vary slightly due to individual preference. Hand pruners, long-handled lop-pers, a bow or hand saw, or a folding saw. With a holster you can always have the hand pruners on your belt and the folding saw can fit easily in your pocket. The folding saw can cut a branch up to two inches thick. A bow saw, hand saw or pruning saw can cut through thicker branches. A pole saw is useful for cutting small branches that are higher. Hedge shears come in handy when trim-ming hedges. Always carry bleach wipes to wipe off your tools between trimming each plant to eliminate the transfer of diseases or bugs. If you use a ladder, use it properly. The last thing you want to do is fall off of a ladder with a sharp tool in your hand.

by Terri Simon, Master Gardener

cont'd on pg. 6

Upcoming Events .........................2Plant of the Month .......................32020 Plant Sale Dates! .................5Trees in the News ..........................7 Master Gardeners in the City ........8 Growing with Plants & Nature ..10Open Garden Days at Genoa Friendship Gardens .................. 11

Bridgitte Mongeon's Garden ......12Ask a Master Gardener ..............13Holiday Tastings ........................14Master Gardener of the Month ...17 Master Gardener Birthdays .........17TMGA 2020 State Conference ...18 Gardening Tools .........................19

Have Garden Questions? Email your questions and photos to: phone hcmga@gmail.com or

Call us Monday – Friday 9:00 am to Noon at 713-274-0950

Pruning!

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Upcoming EventsJanuary 2020Green Thumb Gardening Series PruningJan. 9, Barbara Bush Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Jan. 16, Freeman Branch Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.Jan. 18, Maude Smith Marks Library, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Jan. 21, Spring Branch Memorial Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Educational Programs Jan. 7, First Tuesday 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Program: Fruit Trees by Herman Auer, Galveston County Master Gardener. Arrive as early as 10:30 a.m. and bring a sack lunch. Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Rd, Houston, 77055 Jan. 9, Second Thursday 10:00-11:30 a.m. Program: Propagation of Blackberries and Fruit and Pecan trees by Herman Auer, Master Gardener. Genoa Friendship Garden, 1202 Genoa Red Bluff Rd. Plants for sale in the greenhouse. Youth Activities Jan. 28, Growing with Plants & Nature (Formerly Open Garden Day at Weekley Center). Free for children ages three to twelve. 10:00 to 11:15 a.m. Weekley Community Center, 8440 Greenhouse Rd., Cypress, TX. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED by Sunday, January 26. To register or for more information: ogd.harrishort@gmail.com.

Texas AgriLife Extension Service Horticulture Program in Harris County9449 Grant Rd. 713.274.0950 Houston, TX 77070 Master Gardener Program Coordinator Brandi Keller - 713.274.0950CEA – Horticulture Robert "Skip" Richter - 713.274.0950CEA – Horticulture Paul Winski - 713.274.0950

2019 Board of DirectorsPresident Beth Braun hcmgapresident@gmail.comFirst Vice President Alan Fisherman hcmga1vp@gmail.comSecond Vice President Jonathan Correia hcmga2vp@gmail.comPast President Evan Hopkins hcmgapastpres@gmail.com Secretary Aida Pita hcmgasecretary@gmail.comTreasurer Dianne Lawrence hcmgatreasurer@gmail.comDirectors Douglas Mcleod Danny Dunn Janice Muhm Dana Goeggel Linda Saxman Alexa Haass Marsha VanHorn

Genoa Friendship Gardens Steering Committee CoordinatorsAdvisors Evan Hopkins Georgia Lau •Urban Dirt Editor Carolyn Boyd UrbanDirt.harrishort@gmail.comAssistant Urban Dirt Editor Terri Simon

Visit txmg.org or contact the Harris County Extension Office, 713-274-0950,coordinator.harrishort@gmail.com for information.

February 2020Green Thumb Gardening Series Spring Vegetable GardeningFeb. 13, Barbara Bush Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Feb. 15, Maude Smith Marks Library, 10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Feb. 18, Spring Branch Memorial Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Feb. 20, Freeman Branch Library, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. Educational Programs Feb. 4, First Tuesday 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Program: Master Gardener Program in Harris County by Brandi Keller and Paul Winski MG Program Coordinator and CEA – Horticulture. Arrive as early as 10:30 a.m. and bring a sack lunch. Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Rd, Houston, 77055 Feb. 13, Second Thursday 10:00-11:30 a.m., Program: Natural Habitats by Tim Pylate, Armand Bayou Nature Center, Genoa Friendship Garden, 1202 Genoa Red Bluff Rd. Plants for sale in the greenhouse. Youth Activities Feb. 13, Growing with Plants & Nature (Formerly Open Garden Day at Weekley Center). Free for children ages three to twelve. 10:00 to 11:15 a.m. Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Road, Houston, 77055. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED by Monday, February 10. To register or for more information: ogd.harrishort@gmail.com.

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them. I count that as a major success! Maybe you have had similar experiences in your gardening adventures. Trust me, I have not given up on strawberries and blueberries and I have learned there is valuable information in the AgriLife publications. If you have not tried growing blackberries, I hope this article will encour-age you to try it. As an aside, I grow the Natchez variety.

When growing blackber-ries, there are three terms we need to become familiar with; biennial, primocane and floricane. Most are fa-miliar with the terms annu-als and perennials. Annuals are those plants that are here today and gone tomorrow or botanically, “a plant that completes its life cycle in one year–it germinates, grows, flowers, sets seed and dies in one growing season.”2 Perennials are like the Energizer Bunny, they just keep going and going and going. Perennials either continue to grow from year to year or die back each winter only to return in the spring. That brings us to biennials.

Biennials are “plants that complete their life cycle in 2 years, germinating the first year then flowering and producing seeds in the second.”2 Blackberry plants are biennials. The primocanes grow during year one and the one-year-old floricanes flower and bear fruit. The key distinction between primocanes and floricanes is the latter die after bearing fruit.

Another subtle but unique distinction between primocanes and floricanes is the leaf pattern. As noted in the Gardening Know How website, “They [floricanes] have three leaflets per compound leaf, while the primocanes have five leaflets and longer internodes.”3

Plant of the Month

Blackberries by Don Tyler, Master Gardener

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension publishes comprehensive fact sheets on fruit and nut plants and trees. The fact sheet on black-berries states they are “an excellent fruit plant for Texas home landscapes” and “relatively easy to grow in small areas”1. With that encouragement, is there any reason your next blackberry pie should not be from homegrown berries?

From personal experience, I tried growing strawberries…epic fail. I tried growing blueberries...semi-epic fail. I am now growing blackberries and the plants seem resistant to all my attempts to kill

1 Nesbitt, Monte; Kamas, Jim; Stein, Larry. “Texas Fruit and Nut Production Fact Sheet”, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/fruit-nut/files/2015/04/blackberries_2015.pdf2 Bradley, Fern Marshall; Ellis, Barbara W.; Phillips, Ellen. The Rodale’s Ultimate Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening, Rodale, Locations 736, 1929 and 2449 of 18260.3 Ellis, Mary Ellen. “Primocane Vs. Floricane – Distinguishing Between Primocanes And Floricanes”, Gardening Know How, www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/ fruits/fegen/distinguishing-primocanes-vs-floricanes.htm4 Rhoades, Heather, “Blackberry Pruning – How to Trim Blackberry Bushes”, Gardening Know How. www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/blackberries/blackberry-pruning.html.

This excerpt from the Texas AgriLife blackberry fact sheet provides a comprehensive list of varieties suitable for growing in Texas. Courtesy https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu

Natchez variety Photo by Don Tyler

cont'd on pg. 4

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Blackberries, cont'd from pg. 3

I could not resist taking a quick peek at my blackberry bushes and pictures don’t lie!

The previously mentioned AgriLife Extension fact sheet pro-vides a wealth of information related to planting, soil preparation

and spacing. These guide-lines are indispensable for novices such as me. When followed, the researched and field-tested recom-mendations will lead to a bountiful harvest of plump blackberries. However, in keeping with the theme of this month’s Green Thumb lecture series on pruning, I thought it best to provide a general overview of

the trellising and pruning of blackberry bushes.

Rodale’s categorizes blackberries into three general groups: erect (usu-ally thorny

Primocane growth (foreground); floricanes blooming (background)Photo courtesy of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

varieties), semi-erect (thornless) and trailing (dewberries). Both the erect and semi-erect benefit from growing on a trellis.2

There are many approaches to trellises and the following picture shows how I have addressed the issue in my garden. I have planted my blackberries along a picket fence and then above the fence, I have run two wires stretched between vertical T-posts. As the bushes grow, I “hand weave” the canes along the top of the fence and wires and tie-off the canes to keep them from falling on the ground. This is a simple method that works for me but each garden area is different. One thing you might want to keep in mind. Black-berries grow well in the Houston area, so provide sufficient space and exercise good pruning techniques.

As mentioned, the floricanes die back after fruiting and if left undisturbed can lead to disease. AgriLife Extension recommends to “prune and remove all dead canes [floricanes] every year as early in the growing season as possible.”1 They recommend “tip-prun-ing” primocanes “to encourage branching and to better distribute blooms on the floricanes.”3 Tip pruning in the early spring encour-ages the plants to branch out.4 Knowing the different leaf pattern, i.e., 5-leaf primocanes vs. 3-leaf floricanes, can also be useful information when it comes time to prune the bushes.

Pruning is an essential part of growing blackberries, not to mention many other plants in our landscapes, but remains one of the biggest challenges I struggle with. I live in the north Spring area and some of my primocanes, if unwound, might reach to Conroe! I believe the Green Thumb lecture focused on pruning this January might just provide the information needed to face this challenge head-on. Hope to see you there!

Three-leaf floricane Photo by Don Tyler

Five-leaf floricane Photo by Don Tyler

Picket fence utilized as a trellis Photo by Don Tyler

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President 1st Vice President 2nd Vice President Past Presidentt SecretaryTreasurer Director #1 Director #2 Director #3 Director #4 Director #5 Director #6

2020 Harris County Master Gardeners Board of DirectorsThe following Master Gardeners have been elected to serve for the 2020 term.

Beth Braun Alan Fisherman Jonathan Correia Evan Hopkins Aida PitaDianne Lawrence Douglas McLeod Danny Dunn Janice Muhm Linda Saxman Alexa Haass Marsha VanHorn

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Pruning Trees and Schrubs, cont'd from pg. 1

Don’t forget to clean, sharpen and oil your tools when you are through.

There are numerous cuts you can use when pruning your tree. You should also be familiar with a tree’s anatomy as well. One good reference is at https://extension.oregonstate.edu/crop-production/fruit-trees/tree-pruning-basics. Another good resource can be found on YouTube. There are five tutorials. “Tree Pruning" chapters 1 through 5 are very good. Their links are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtKmsyb70UYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXy3uT1dDYQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSX-62ptau0https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-uy69PV1xMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QximsXy7wHw

February and March will be here soon so you have time to review the videos and get your tools ready. One last reminder, dis-pose of the limbs and leaves properly, especially if you removed diseased limbs. Either toss them in a tightly sealed plastic bag or burn them. Do not leave them on the ground.

Our fruit tree sales are coming up. The Harris County Master Gardeners will hold their fruit tree sale on Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. at the Richard and Meg Weekley Park, and the Genoa Friendship Gardens Master Gardeners will have their fruit tree and tomato sale on Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 9:00 a.m. at the Pasadena Fair Grounds. Any fruit trees you buy will need pruning if they have not already been pruned.

West Side Fruit Tree Sale Richard and Meg Weekley Park, 19110 Longenbaugh Rd, Houston 77090(between Barker Cypress and Greenhouse Road)Jan. 25, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m., Fruit Tree Plant Sale - Citrus, apples, peaches, pears, plums, avocados, berries, figs and more varieties that are suitable for our area.

Genoa Friendship Gardens Fruit Tree SaleCampbell Hall, Pasadena Fairgrounds, 7601 Red Bluff Rd., Pasadena 77505Feb. 22, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Fruit Tree, Tomato Sale - Citrus, apples, peaches, pears, berries, figs, avocados and tomatoes suitable for our area.

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others, and be aware of the state and federal rules. If you buy an ash tree or firewood, ask about the source. Burn any suspicious wood and contact your State agriculture

agency. If you suspect emerald ash borers are present in an ash tree, fill out a form at the texasinvasives.org web site. The link for report-ing the location is www.texasinvasives.org/action/report_detail.php?alert_id=5. Help contain this pest.

The other interesting article that caught my eye and my taste buds was a new apple variety that has hit the market. Washington State University worked for 20 years to develop the Cosmic Crisp apple, a cross between the Enterprise and Honeycrisp varieties. The bright red apples have small yellow “stars” on their skin and also have a unique sweetness. The development team included Bruce Barritt, a horticulturist and Pome fruit breeder Kate Evans. The Cosmic Crisp ripens at the same time as the Red Delicious and may eventu-ally replace the Red Delicious.The apple has been awarded the Good House-keeping Nutritionist Approved emblem. The cosmiccrisp.com website features recipes that include baked goods. We can always use a baking apple. I am not that fond of the Granny Smith, but it does hold up well when baked. Some apples are not suitable for baking and can turn to mush. The Cosmic Crisp does not brown as quickly as other variet-ies when sliced due to their higher acid and sugar levels. Washing-ton stores began carrying the apples in December 2019. Washington state farmers will be allowed to grow the fruit exclusively for ten years. It is not genetically modified. According to the media release, the apples may be stored up to a year in the fridge. I’ll be looking for them at Central Market.

Trees in the News by Terri Simon, Master Gardener

Recently a few articles regarding trees have caught my attention. One is good, the other is not so good.

This article caught my eye because it mentioned an invasive pest that had recently been detected in Amherst, Massachusetts. The em-erald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, had not been detected there recently, but it was discovered in downtown Amherst and may

have been there for at least four years. The borer has been found in all 5 New England states and is spreading to other states as well. According to the USDA, as

of October 29, 2019, it has now been found in 35 states as well as the District of Columbia. In 2016, Texas was included on the list.

The emerald ash borer is a wood-boring beetle that was native to Asia. It was first found in southeast Michigan in 2002. It may have arrived here tucked in wood packing materials or ash wood pallets. The EAB feeds on ash trees and is extremely destructive. Adults have a blue-green iridescent color and are about 1/2 inch long and 1/8 inch wide. Their wings narrow to a point and may resemble other beetles such as the six-spotted green tiger beetle. During the winter they feed on the outer wood rings of a tree, hiding just below the bark. The larva can make serpentine trails that remind me of the trails left by leaf min-ers on leaves, except the winding trails are just under tree bark. When the adults emerge, they leave a “D” shaped hole in the wood. At first the tree top begins to die back, its bark may split and suckers may emerge from the tree base. Woodpeckers may show up. The beetle has killed millions of ash trees.

Current containment measures for the EAB include strict quar-antines and fines for moving firewood or other contaminated ash wood out of contaminated areas. Examine your trees, inform

Emerald ash borer Photo by David Cappaert

Serpentine larva trails Photo by Micaela Truslove

D shaped holes left by adult EAB Photo by Daniel Herms

Cosmic Crisp apples Photo by Elaine Thompson

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Master Gardeners in the City have been through their first full year of managing the 24 vegetable beds in the Family Garden. After sharing quite a few vegetables with rabbits, possums, and Centennial guests, the volunteers were still able to harvest over 300 pounds of food which went to a local food bank.

Working in the Family Garden provides endless opportunities for Master Gardeners to reach both young and old. Adult classes meet at 10:30 a.m. at the Friendship Pavilion in the Family Garden. They are organized to correspond with Green Thumb lectures each month and provide hands-on learning opportunities in the garden. Children’s activities run from 9:30 – 10 a.m. and can be found at the main entrance near the information table.

Master Gardeners in the City concluded their first full year of educational programs at McGovern Centennial Gardens. An edible garden showcasing fruits, vegetables, and herbs that can be grown in the Houston area, and the Family Garden provided the perfect outdoor classroom. Volunteers offered adult classes, children’s activities, and tours of the garden every second and fourth Saturday of the month (January – October).

Several special groups were welcomed into the garden as well. Led by Skip Richter, Harris County Extension Agent, theCovenant Academy fourth grade class from Cypress made propagation chambers. Girl Scount troop 122025 from Woodland Heights came two mornings in November to learn about building raised beds and starting their own garden. We also had a visit from our fellow Master Gardeners in Fort Bend County who came out to learn about Centennial.

by Rebecca Larkin, Master Gardener

Master Gardeners in the City

Will Isbell speaking with Fort Bend County Master Gardeners.

Becky Larkin with Girl Scout Troop 122025 Wendy Barr and Blanca Elder manning the information table

Sara Maier, Nelson Harbison and Kelly Shannon assisting with the Children's Activity programs.

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Texas A&M AgriLife Extensionin partnership with

Hermann Park Conservancy are pleased to present

Master Gardeners in the Cityat McGovern Centennial Gardens

These educational programs are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.Extension programs serve people of all ages regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas cooperating.

Saturday, January 11th & 25thMcGovern Centennial Gardens at Hermann Park

1500 Hermann DriveHouston, Texas 77004

Free tours and children’s activity. Adult workshop at 10:30 a.m.No registration required.

Visit the Harris County Master Gardeners Facebook page for event details!

www.facebook.com/HarrisCountyMasterGardeners

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Growing with Plants & Nature Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Harris County Master Gardeners

invite you to join us one day each month, January through November, 10:00 –11:15 a.m. Free for children ages three to twelve. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. To register or

for more information: ogd.harrishort@gmail.com

For information about upcoming topics, dates and registration, please email us at ogd.harrishort@gmail.com. Registration is required before each program.

Children and their parents looking for hands-on ways to learn, create, and have fun inspire our Growing with Plants & Nature volunteers to offer programs that do just that.

This FREE monthly children's event includes a variety of activities:• Planting seeds, veggies or ornamentals into pots so children can continue to grow

them at home.• Creating a "nature theme" craft project with materials that are provided. • 30-40 minute hands-on lesson that focuses on a single topic each month.

Previous lessons have included making a worm farm, putting together a compost bin, learning about the importance of butterflies, and making a feeder to attract pollinators.

Recycled soda bottle

Past projects

Fantasy GardenSeed Pod mobile

JanuaryTuesday, January 28 - Weekley Community Center, 8440 Greenhouse Rd. REGISTRATION required by Sunday, January 26.

FebruaryThursday, February 13 - Trini Mendenhall Community Center, 1414 Wirt Rd. REGISTRATION required by Monday, February 10.

We will also have Growing with Plants & Nature activity tables in partnership with Ask A Master Gardener at the following locations.

Bridgeland Landing Farmers Market - 2nd Sunday, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. at 16902 Bridgeland Lakes Pkwy, Cypress

Towne Lake Boardwalk Farmers Market - 4th Saturday, 2:30 - 7 p.m. at 9955 Barker Cypress Rd., Cypress

Memorial Villages Farmers Market - 4th Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at 10840 Beinhorn Rd., Houston

(The Open Garden Day children's activities program name has changed to be more reflective of its mission.)

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Open Garden Days at Genoa Friendship Gardens

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Harris County Master Gardeners invite you to join us for

The Genoa Friendship Gardensis located at

1202 Genoa Red Bluff RoadHouston, Texas 77034

To schedule a special event for your garden club, school or professional organization please email brandi.keller@ag.tamu.edu to make your arrangements.

• Tour the variety of exhibits to inspire you with vegetable, perennial, rose, tropical and native gardens.

• Meet and talk with a Master Gardener about planting citrus, fruit or berries for your home orchard.

• Contemplate the joy in the Serenity Garden and catch a view of the Water Garden.• Don't leave the GFG until you have shopped the Greenhouse where seasonal herbs,

vegetables and perennials are available for sale until September.

2020 Monthly Open Garden Days & Special Events February 22 Fruit Tree Sale June 15 Open Garden DayMarch 16 Open Garden Day July 20 Open Garden DayMarch 21 Spring Plant Sale August 17 Open Garden DayApril 20 Open Garden Day September 21 Open Garden DayMay 18 Open Garden Day October 19 Open Garden Day

The Perennial Trial Garden The Water Garden The Greenhouse

on the 3rd Monday of the month, March through October, 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Admission to the Exhibit Gardens is free. Register at the Welcome Table

to receive additional monthly notices for children and family events.

Open Garden Days

Second Chance Sale bargains can be found in the Greenhouse after our February and March plant sales.

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In this issue, I want to share a story about a tree I saw earlier this year in a wonderful garden located in the Heights.

Bridgette Mongeon is a fascinating person with many interests. She’s a sculptor who’s gifted with talented hands. She also hikes, writes, plays guitar and she’s an avid gardener. I met her through a Facebook plant swap group. Bridgette held a party at her home to celebrate a commission she had gotten to make a bust of Penny Marshall. Yes, that Penny Marshall of Laverne and Shirley fame. The party had a baseball theme and we watched the movie “A League of Their Own” which was directed by Penny Marshall.

Bridgette has made many other sculptures in her career, but my current favorite is her interactive art sculpture titled “Move One Place On” at Evelyn’s Park. The park is located at 4400 Bellaire Boulevard, in Bellaire, Texas. Bridgette’s sculpture fea-tures eight foot tall Alice in Wonderland characters seated around a table that is large enough to seat visi-tors who want to have their picture taken. Mongeon has also tucked in 150 objects from the Alice in Wonderland book throughout the sculpture. Why use 150 objects? It’s because in 2015 the “Alice’s Adven-tures in Wonder-land” story was 150 years old.

I arrived early for the party so I could help her set up. While touring Bridgette's backyard studio, her beautiful garden caught my eye. She has a small waterfall and a fish pond complete with a bull frog who kept croaking and interrupting us during the outdoor movie showing. I think we were keeping him up past his bedtime

Bridgette Mongeon’s Garden by Terri Simon, Master Gardener

as well as intruding on his space. Perhaps he thought he was the real entertainment for the night. Who knows?

Out of the studio, the waterfall, the pond, what really intrigued me the most was a tree! I was enamoured with the tree. I could not resist taking a picture of it. Taking the tree home with me would have been better, but it was at least 20 feet tall and I knew it wouldn’t fit in my car, so a picture had to suffice. Bridgette probably would have noticed its absence as well. I had never seen that type of tree before.

Aralia spinosa has other names it is known by. The devil’s walking stick, Hercules club and pigeon tree are just a few of its other names. It’s in the ginseng family. If you have ever seen a mature one, you will probably not forget it. The tree grows 12-36 feet tall and has few stems but the trunk has huge thorns. I would not recommend trying to climb it. The umbrella canopy has leaves that are huge which get whitish flow-ers followed by black fruit in the fall. The thorns on Bridgette’s tree were some of the largest thorns I have ever seen. The base of some of the thorns was at least an inch across. Wildflower.org says the fruit attracts birds.

Since I fell in love with the tree, I ordered seeds for it. I’m not sure how successful I will be though. The seeds require

cont'd on pg. 13

Bridgette Mongeon with the Mad Hatter from her sculpture "Move One Place On" Photo courtesy Bridgette Mongeon's Facebook

Aralia spinosa - Hercules Club Photo by Terri Simon

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Ask a Master Gardener is a volunteer program offered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Volunteers staff booths and tables to provide free, research-based horticulture education to the public throughout Harris County.In January we are going to be in the following locations!

Jan. 7 Urban Harvest - 1st Saturday, 7:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. 3401 Westheimer Rd. (corner of Buffalo Spdwy. & Westheimer), Houston Garden Oaks/Heights - 1st Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. at The Farmstand, 938 Wakefield, Houston Jan. 11 Tomball - 2nd Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at 205 W. Main Street, Tomball

Jan. 12 Bridgeland - 2nd Sunday, 12:30 - 3:30 p.m. at 16902 Bridgeland Lakes Pkwy, Cypress

Jan. 16 Westchase - 3rd Thursday, 3 - 7 p.m. at 10503 Westheimer Rd., Houston

Jan. 25 Memorial Villages - 4th Saturday, 8:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. at 10840 Beinhorn Rd., Houston

Jan. 25 Towne Lake - 4th Saturday, 2:30 - 7 p.m. at 9955 Barker Cypress Rd., Cypress

Ask a Master Gardener

Bridgette Mongeon's Garden, cont'd from pg. 12

scarification followed by cold stratification. I’m still a novice at growing from seed, but I intend to try.

If you want to learn more about Bridgette Mongeon and her sculpting, here are several links. There is a YouTube link, www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCFpR04Blr4 and a Facebook link as well for her sculpture design studio, www.facebook.com/BridgetteMongeonSculptor/. You can also visit her Alice in

Wonderland Sculpture, called “Move One Place On”, at Evelyn’s Park. Take the kiddos because there are many photo ops at the sculpture and the park. See if you can spot the 150 objects tucked into different areas of her sculpture. Happy hunting.

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I’m not a fan of cold weather, but at this time of year I look forward to fruit and vegetable tastings - particularly if they’re free. The Galveston County Master Gardeners held “The Great Pepper Extravaganza” on November 23, 2019. It included a lecture by my friend Gene Pepper and a pepper tasting. I always look forward to Gene’s lectures because he is so knowledge-able about gardening. His crops look just like those in the seed catalogs. He has grown vegetables for 45 years and has been a Master Gardener since 1997. Gene typically grows about 25 varieties of peppers along with other vegetables each year in a 1,500 square foot garden.

The Great Pepper Extravaganza

The “Great Pepper Extravanganza “ was two treats in one. I got to visit with Gene and taste some peppers. I’m a coward when it comes to heat but there were several mild peppers I tried. The upper level of heat my taste buds can handle is the 5,000-10,000 Scoville units in a jalapeno pepper. Can I bite directly into a jalapeno? No. Scoville units are the levels of heat a pepper has which is equivalent to the amount of capsaicin in the pep-per. Capsaicin is the compound that makes a pepper hot. The

Scoville units in a pepper can range from 0 (bell peppers) up to several million (the Carolina reaper, the world’s hottest pep-per with an average of 1.6 – 2.2 million Scoville heat units).

The lecture covered a cross section of nearly everything you needed to know about suc-cessfully growing peppers at home. The anatomy of a pepper,

Holiday Tastings Article and photos by Terri Simon, Master Gardener

the history of peppers, their capsaicin component, nutrition, recommendations on growing seedlings at home, diseases, in-sects and other bugs that affect peppers were all discussed.Different varieties and their Scoville units were also mentioned. He also discussed the importance of crop rotation. Gene is a walking pepper library.

There were also several pepper recipes for people to try. I brought my jalapeno jelly which is great when it tops cream cheese and is served with crackers. There were a variety of other pepper jellies, sauces and vinegars available for people to try. One favorite with the crowd was a Jalapeno Ranch Dip served with chips. Briana Etie was kind enough to share the recipe and it is included with this article. You’ve got to try it!

Citrus Lecture and Tasting

On December 5th, I went to the Citrus Lecture and Tast-ing which was held at the Galveston County Master Gardeners Extension Office at Carbide Park, the same place I went to for Gene’s lecture. Monte Nesbitt is a Program Specialist in pecans,

fruit and citrus out of Texas A&M in College Station. His lecture was “The Future of Citrus in Galveston County.” He discussed the citrus greening (CG) quarantine and the counties affected by it. He made us aware that there are two ways that citrus greening is spread. One is by the Asian citrus psyllid insect (the insect that attacks the

Pepper products tasting tables

Gene Pepper in his pepper shirt

Monte Nesbitt

Blotchy leaves caused by citrus greening Photo courtesy agrilifetoday.tamu.edu

cont'd on pg. 15

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fruit), the second way is the transfer of contaminated plants or branches intended for grafting. He reminded us of the importance of not transferring citrus outside of the quarantined counties. It is illegal and according to the U.S.D.A. website, fines can range from $1,100 to $60,000 per violation. Monte covered the impact of CG on the citrus market in Texas and also touched on the research being conducted to help combat the spread of CG. Citrus canker is another problem he covered in his talk, as well. Both diseases can be treated and/or eliminated by making the public aware, and educating the public on best practices of citrus growing methods. Our extension offices can lead the way in this endeavor.

There were several varieties of citrus available. After try-ing several, I decided my favorite was the pomelo. I purchased several pomelos at John Panzarella’s citrus tasting, my last stop for the holiday tastings I attended.

The Citrus King of Lake Jackson

My final stop led me to Lake Jackson, Texas, on December 14th. At the home of John Panzarella, whom I consider the “Citrus King of Lake Jackson”, possibly of Brazoria County as well. On a 3/4 acre, Panzarella grows just under 200 varieties of plants, primar-ily citrus, but a few rare plants as well. The bulk of his citrus is in pots ranging from one to twenty gallons. He has been an avid

gardener for nearly 50 years and believes he has the biggest pri-vate collection of citrus in Texas. He has taught Master Gardener classes for the Brazoria County Extension Office and he lectures as well. John also hosts grafting and plant propagation classes at his home.

Every year in December, Panzarella hosts a citrus tasting (FREE!) at his home in Lake Jackson. You can taste any ripe citrus he has. The citrus is cut and placed on paper plates that are labeled with the citrus variety. This is so helpful. There is nothing more frustrating than growing an edible plant, vine or tree and then discov-ering you don’t like the taste. It’s a waste of time, money and effort. If the citrus is on a blue plate, then he has that citrus variety for sale. Years ago I tasted miracle fruit for the first time at a Panzarella citrus tasting. It’s not doing well right now, but I am hoping to nurture it back to good health. Over the years I have

Citrus canker Photo by Dr. Olufemi Alabi

John Panzarella

Holiday Tastings, cont'd from pg. 14

Panzarella citrus tasting

Panzarella's boxes of freshly picked citrus

cont'd on pg. 16

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purchased several varieties of citrus trees as gifts for friends and relatives, as well as for my own garden. So far, I have not been disappointed. Last year, to my embarrassment, I picked up one of John Panzarella’s personal plants and hauled it to the register. He sold it to me anyway.

This year his citrus tasting was the most crowded I have ever seen. I got there 15 minutes before it started and cars were already parked down the block. There were so many people I

didn’t stay long because I couldn’t maneuver my wagon through the crowd. Perhaps I shouldn’t have posted his flyer on several Facebook pages. Panzarella sells boxes of freshly picked citrus and I purchased three. I take them home, divide them up and use them as Christmas presents. Nothing like the gift of vitamin C! Next year I’m hoping to attend more tastings. I hope to see you there.

Holiday Tastings, cont'd from pg. 15

Jalapeno Ranch DressingRecipe Courtesy of Briana Etie

½ cup sour cream

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup drained, chopped pickled jalapenos

2 tblsp. Mayo (if Miracle Whip is used, omit sugar)

Pinch of sugar

Mix ingredients well, serve with chips.(I added a small amount of white pepper.)

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MG of the Month - Janice Muhm by Karen Breneman, Master Gardener

Congratulations Janice Muhm! A 2006 graduate, Janice is a fifth generation Texan,

raised in Midland. She graduated from Rice Univer-sity in 1977 with BS in chemistry and chemical engineering. She worked for the Celanese corporation in Corpus Christi and

Bayport. Janice has been married to her husband, Philip, for 35 years and they have three children - Neill, Lenora, and John.

Janice went back to school and graduated from the University of Houston in 1992 with a MA in Archi-tecture with an emphasis on historic preservation. She worked in Galveston

Janice Muhm

on George Mitchell properties on the Strand. Janice and her family lived in an old house in Dickinson until two floods from hurricanes Ike and Harvey forced them to sell. They now live in another old house in the Montrose area of Houston. Janice's primary focus with the Master Gardeners is in the Genoa Friendship Gardens greenhouse. She works with a team to propagate plants from the garden and the gardens of other master gardeners. They then promote these plants to the public at GFG sales and at monthly Open Garden Day sales. She will be working with a team to direct needed repairs on the greenhouse this winter. Janice is also responsible for ordering, promoting, and selling herbs for GFG sales and for design and maintenance of the herb garden at Genoa Friendship Gardens.

Thank you, Janice, for all your hard work!

Is there a fellow MG you think should be recognized for their hard work and commitment? If the answer is YES, you can submit their name for an MG of the Month nomination.

Submit your MG of the Month nominations to the Membership Committee by e-mailing the information to kmbrene@att.net (West) or gclau@comcast.net (Genoa Friendship Gardens).

Nominate a Master Gardener of the Month

Connie Bihner, Marcia Braschayko, Linda Brewer, Patricia Cordray,

Janet Eshelman, Laurel Gonzalez, Sanjeevi Gunarathna, Will Isbell,

Jane Kremer, Elizabeth Lewis, Melody Marshall-Sievers,

Douglas McLeod, Barbara Morrison, Bunthath Pek, Aura

Rainwater, Shen Leewen, Ruth Touchstone and Bobbie Wiese

Master Gardeners and Interns who celebrate a birthday during January include the following. Wish them a HAPPY BIRTHDAY when you see them!

If your name is missing, please check that your online profile is complete.

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TMGA 2020 State Conference

LODGING: We have contracted with two great hotels for you! The host hotel, and its partner hotel directly across the street, are now accepting reservations. Our agenda will have Leadership Training on the afternoon of May 11th, with conference registration opening at 7:00 a.m. on May 12th. The conference will close at 5:00 p.m. on the 14th. Our special hotel rates are valid for three days before, and three days post-conference. Come, enjoy all that Waco has to offer!

Hilton Waco: This riverside hotel is connected by a covered walkway to the Waco Convention Center - $149 Phone: 254-754-8484

https://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/ A/ACTWHHF-MGA20-20200510/index.jhtml

Courtyard Marriott: This newly remodeled hotel is immediately adjacent to the Waco Convention Center - $145 Phone: 254-752-8686

https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link. mi?id=1558020957260&key=GRP&app=resvlink

NOTE: If you wish to stay longer, both hotels will honor the above rates three days BEFORE and three days AFTER our conference block, however, you must make these reservations by phoning the Reserva-tions Desk directly at the hotel using the phone numbers provided above.

The presentation from the August 3rd Director's Meeting, with an overview of the Event site, Keynote Speakers, Tours, Workshops and Breakout Sessions, may be viewed here.

Proudly hosted by the McLennan County Master Gardener Association in Waco, TX.

May 12-14, 2020 at the Waco Convention Center

Keep up to date on our conference Facebook page.

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Gardening ToolsThis chart is a handy guide for knowing the best times to plant in Harris County.

Download the Vegetable Garden

Planting Guide here!

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Texas a&M agriLife exTension service HousTon, Tx

713-274-0950

harris.agrilife.org/program-areas/hort/

hcmga.tamu.edu

Would you like to contribute to the Urban Dirt?Send all questions and/or submissions to: UrbanDirt.harrishort@gmail.comWould you like to contribute to the Urban Dirt?Send all questions and/or submissions to: UrbanDirt.harrishort@gmail.com

www.facebook.com/HarrisCountyMasterGardenerswww.facebook.com/HarrisCountyHorticulture

https://twitter.com/pharrishort

https://www.instagram.com/harriscountymastergardeners

Follow Us On Facebook, Twitter & InstagramThe Harris County Master Gardeners as well as Texas A&M AgriLife Extension - Harris County Horticulture are actively participating on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram offering tips, lists, news and plant advice almost daily. The best part, instead of locating planting guides or insect documents, and sale dates for individuals, you can add the HCMG site to your account and easily share information with others. This is a definitely a timesaver for these busy garden days and helps promote our organization.

January 16Freeman Branch Library

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

January 18Maude Smith Marks Library

10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m

Pruning

January 21Spring Branch Memorial Library

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.

Green Thumb Gardening Series

January 9Barbara Bush Library

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.