Outdoor
Grazing North Texas: Prairie Larkspur
By Tony Dean | [email protected]
Prairie larkspur is one of our flowering range plants that some of us may not be familiar with, but it’s one we should know. Prairie larkspur is an early flowering perennial forb, growing erect to a height of two to three feet. Flowers grow on a slender stem and are about one inch long and one inch wide, ranging in color from white to deep blue. Petal-like sepals form what appear to be small spurs, thus giving the plant its name. Early botanist thought the flowers resembled the spurs on the foot of a lark, while the Spanish name for larkspur is Espuela de Caballero, or spur of the horseman. The main pollinator is the bumblebee.
Prairie larkspur prefers relatively dry soils and can grow in lots of sunlight or partial shade. If the weather is too hot, however, the plant may disappear and reappear when the weather has cooled off.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR Magazine. To subscribe call 940-872-5922.
By: Jelly Cocanougher
Delicate microbes buried just beneath the surface. We walk by them, unbeknownst to us. Spores, spawn, and sclerotia, each with distinct characteristics. It is said that these fungi are all connected, speaking to one another as they populate the earth. The interconnectedness of all living things and the decaying world, such beauty lies within these otherworldly alien organisms.
By: Landon Moore
Landon Moore is the Wise County 4-H President and a member of the Wise County 4-H County Council. He is involved in beekeeping, as well as raising rabbits and poultry.
This essay was one that he wrote, and it was named the champion for both the Texas and National chapters of the Foundation For The Preservation of Honey Bees.
Varietal honey is honey that comes from a single source.
This honey has a flavor derived from the source flower and can even have a similar scent. In general, lighter colored honeys have a more subtle taste and dark honeys are more intense. Varietal honey has been compared to wine, in that honeys produced in different years can be distinguished, even if they come from the same flower and location.
This phenomenon is called terroir and is responsible for the individual taste of each honey harvest.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
By: Norman Winter | Horticulturist, Author, Speaker
Early in the summer, I was sent a press release that caused one of those holy wow moments. The headline said it all, “Proven Winners ColorChoice Expands Catalog with the Addition of Hollywood Hibiscus.”
I had already become familiar with the Hollywood Hibiscus series and was thrilled that the Proven Winners was adding this to their lineup.
This flower is nothing short of beautiful and exhibits prolific flower production. The flowers show three distinct colors, deep red in the very center, then the majority which is a rich rose pink with lighter pink to white along the margins.
To read more, pick up a copy of the October edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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