Outdoor
The Garden Guy
By Norman Winter | Horticulturist, Author, Speaker
If the Supertunia Vista were the diamonds of the petunia world for their toughness and perseverance, then surely the Mini Vistas would be the rubies and sapphires as so demonstrated this year. Mother Nature gave gardeners all the challenges they could handle from the standpoint of heat and drought and I could claim part ownership. If you look at the drought monitor map, however, there is a large area under what appears to be an epic and it is not just the southeast.
The Supertunias seemed up to the task from the get-go. Young’s Plant Farm gave an update on their trials throughout the summer on social media and at the end of July they took our breath away with photos of Supertunia Mini Vista hanging baskets. I kid you not, the photos made them appear almost as large as Volkswagen Beetles. I took photos in June at their Annual Garden Tour and they were huge then ,but the late July pictures almost defied logic.
To read more, pick up a copy of the January 2024 issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Outdoor
Parting Shot: Dogs, Pigs, Goats, Oh My!
By Jelly Cocanougher
What an extraordinary end to the Wise County Youth Fair – a fantastic opportunity for the Heart of a Champion participants to show. From rabbits to lambs, to pigs to dogs – we’ve seen it all. Through this unique event, the Heart of a Champion Livestock show aimed to promote confidence, friendship, and a sense of accomplishment within our amazing community. Everyone worked tirelessly to create an environment that fosters growth, camaraderie, and a shared passion for agriculture. Until next year!
Outdoor
Grazing North Texas: Rescuegrass
By Tony Dean, [email protected]
If moisture is adequate, there are several winter annual grasses that dominate the landscape during early spring in Texas. One of the most common is Rescuegrass.
This winter annual is native to South America but grows over much of the United States and can be found in all ecoregions of Texas. Rescuegrass is easily recognized by its flat seed head.
Numerous seed heads produce seed that is transported by animals and can quickly spread to other areas.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Outdoor
The Garden Guy
By Norman Winter | Horticulturist, Author, Speaker
The National Garden Bureau has designated 2024 as the ‘Year of the Angelonia’ and I am in full celebration mode. As I was preparing for my contribution to the celebration, I was, however, sent into taxonomic trauma.
For the last 26 years of deep love for the Angelonia, or summer snapdragon, I have told everyone via newspaper, radio and television that they were in the Scrophulariaceae family. Since most gardeners don’t like those words, I modified or simplified the snapdragon family, but somebody has tinkered with green industry happiness and moved Angelonia to the Plantaginaceae or plantain family. I immediately reached out to my friend Dr. Allen Ownings, Horticulture Professor Emeritus with the Louisiana State University AgCenter. I said, “Did you know this, or better yet, did you do it?” He said, as I expected, that the Taxonomist group had done it. This reminded me that someone once said taxonomists have to eat, too.
To read more, pick up a copy of the April issue of NTFR magazine. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
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