Farm & Ranch
The Garden Guy — Cherry Sage Sizzles With Color
By Norman Winter
If you think the color red evokes passion and excitement in your children, you haven’t seen anything until you watch hungry hummingbirds visiting a sweep or drift of cherry sage. The cherry sage, also called autumn sage, is known botanically as Salvia greggii, and they have the ability to turn on the welcome sign to all those feasting, darting acrobats we adore.
The cherry sage is native to Texas and is cold hardy from zones six to nine. So here in North Texas it should have no problem being a faithful perennial provided you give it good drainage. By all means, don’t let the other common name of autumn sage throw you as it blooms from late spring until frost.
There are several named varieties in the market place like Furman’s Red, Wild Thing, Lipstick, Flame and the fairly new Mesa series that comes in scarlet, purple and rose. You can’t go wrong with your selection. They thrive in full sun, but I love its appearance in morning sun and afternoon sage (or shade) as well.
As I mentioned above, the one prerequisite for success is good soil drainage. In fact, well-drained soil just may encourage a spring return further north than expected. Salvia greggii may also offer you a perennial-like performance by reseeding.
When you get yours, plant on raised beds in fertile soil, and you’ll be thrilled with the gardening talent you have discovered. I have grown them in miserable conditions in South Texas and in a drought tolerant Mediterranean Garden in Savannah, and in both instances they are truly champions.
To read more pick up a copy of the July 2018 NTFR issue. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
(Photo by Norman Winter)
By Heather Welper
Husband and wife duo, Heather and Calvin Welper, are the Co-Owners and Operators or Two C Livestock, located in Valley View, Texas.
The pair’s operation has a show cattle focus where they raise and sell purebred heifers of all breeds and club calf Hereford steers.
When it comes to show cattle, the Welpers know a thing or two including how to prepare for the cold winter months and the Texas major show season run.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Hannah Claxton, Editor
As the sun rises each day, so do the dozens of mouths that Meghan McGovern is responsible for getting fed. Rather than the sounds of a rooster crowing, McGovern hears the bellows and bleats of a variety of exotic deer, the chortle of kangaroos, the grunts of water buffaloes, and the chirps of a lemur.
Nestled against the banks of the Red River, the Double M Ranch and Rescue, with its high game fences and deer sprinkling the landscape,s its in stark contrast to the surrounding ranches.
“Having deer is kind of like eating potato chips- you can never actually have just one,” said McGovern with a laugh.
McGovern has several herds to take care of- fallow deer, axis deer, water buffalo, goats, and bison. In smaller numbers, there’s also a few kangaroos, a lemur, a potbelly pig, a pair of zebras, a watusi, and a few horses.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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