By Jelly Cocanougher

He stands smiling next to a loaded trailer of cattle, a poignant snapshot of ranchers in their day-to-day activities. He is absorbed into the generational rich legacy of agriculturally based professions, with grueling hours that have poured in from the livelihood of this lifestyle.
As the heavy clouds loom in the horizon, he remains unfazed, ready to weather any challenge that comes his way. Fueled by passion and in cadence, information that has been developed from generations before him or us all, we are the backbone of agricultural communities.

By Norman Winter | Horticulturist, Author, Speaker

The Garden Guy has become completely mesmerized by a bowl of blackcurrants. You can guess I am having a little fun with you. I am not talking about the fruit but the flowers referred to as Superbells Blackcurrant Punch.

This year most everything came through the winter including a few plants I am even asking where did you come from? The spring has been long, gloriously beautiful and still in progress and all of the Superbells calibrachoas taking your breath away with their beauty.
I have written about the ‘Punch Group’ but never about a single color. I love every one of them but this year I just have to dedicate a column to Superbells Blackcurrant Punch. Yes, I do have a couple of yellow bowls where they are showing out but in reality, they are mixed in a lot of my containers.

Superbells Blackcurrant Punch has won a ‘baker’s dozen’ of awards, Top Performers, and Perfect Scores north to south and east to west. Like the others they reach about 12 inches tall with up to a two-foot spread. They obviously have some cold tolerance as mine have come through the winter. The caveat is they did spend five consecutive nights in the garage. Their beauty in March and April has defied logic.

To read more, pick up a copy of the June issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.

By Tony Dean, [email protected]

There are 14 species and several varieties of wild onion in Texas. These herbs are biennial or perennial and all are strongly scented with an onion or garlic/onion scent. During early spring in Texas, underground bulbs (small onions) give rise to two long narrow leaves and a stalk that grows between the leaves which supports a cluster of small flowers. These flowers can be white, yellow, pink, red, or purple.

Wild onions belong to the genus Allium which includes not only onions, but also shallots, scallions, leeks, chives, and garlic, all of which are edible. Wild onions are common over much of the United States and grow in every region of Texas. They are adapted to almost every soil type.

Both wild onions and cultivated onions contain trace amounts of a toxic agent called N-propyl disulfide, which destroys red blood cells. The amount of toxins varies widely in plants, varieties and species, and a large amount would need to be consumed for poisoning to occur, so poisoning issues in people or livestock are very rare.

To read more, pick up a copy of the June issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.