As we enter the warmth of summer and take our traditional break from monthly meetings, I want to thank each of you for the time, talent, and enthusiasm you bring to the Pulaski County Master Gardeners. Whether you have spent hours working in a project garden, answered questions from the public, supported our educational efforts, or simply encouraged fellow members, your service makes a difference in our community.

Summer in Arkansas reminds us that gardens, like people, benefit from a season of rest and renewal. July and August provide an opportunity to slow down, enjoy the fruits of our labor, and perhaps tackle those gardening projects at home that have been patiently waiting. Remember to take time for yourself, stay hydrated, be cognizant of your safety and find joy in the beauty that surrounds us.

Although our regular meetings are paused, most of our projects continue throughout the summer. Thank you to the volunteers who faithfully maintain our gardens and support ongoing activities during these warmer months. Your dedication keeps Pulaski County Master Gardeners visible and active year-round. (Please remember to record your hours and assist your newbies in doing this 😀)

As we look ahead, fall will bring renewed energy and exciting opportunities and possibilities.  Planning is already underway for welcoming our new Master Gardener trainees and preparing for another successful year of education, service, and fellowship. We encourage each project to consider how we can continue to mentor and inspire the next group of Master Gardeners. Members of the board will be interviewing potential trainees and then mentor them through the entire training. It’s an exciting time!

I hope you will use this summer to recharge, spend time with family and friends, and perhaps discover a new plant, technique, or gardening adventure to share with others. I look forward to seeing everyone again in September as we begin another season together.

Thank you for making Pulaski County Master Gardeners such a remarkable organization. I and the entire board thank you for your overwhelming support of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital project transfer to the entrance plaza of the Little Rock Zoo and the revision of our bylaws.

Enjoy your summer, and may your gardens flourish! Potential and possibilities go hand in hand!

Happy Gardening!
Michele Wasson

Don’t forget – Master Gardeners have access to an online calendar containing interesting/important events. You can find this calendar using the link below:

Pulaski County Master Gardener Event Calendar

By Jeffrey McKinley, Scholar’s Garden

This Heat!

The heat in the Greenhouse is a challenge right now. I’ve added an AC unit with more capacity but am still fighting the heat. My journal from last year shows the temperatures running consistently 10 – 15 degrees lower. I’m trying to find the difference!

Pollinator Palooza

The event, sponsored again this year by Arkansas Quail Forever, was an invaluable source of information. 

Leslie Cooper, Monarch and Pollinator coordinator for Arkansas Quail Forever and director at the State Office, provided these resources for native plant guidelines:

• Native Plant Species List by Arkansas NRCS Pollinator Conservation Planning Handbook (October, 2020)
• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center – plant profiles
• Missouri Botanical Garden – plant finder on how plants behave in gardens
• Wild Ones Ozark Chapter, Quail Forever – “well-behaved” native list           

She generously shared her contact for questions:  LCooper@quailforever.org

Based on my conversation with her, I have increased the varieties of milkweed in my garden to four. Hopefully, when the monarchs use Google monarch maps, my garden will be highlighted!!

Another information source was on tunnel nests for native bees. I am not a DIY person but perhaps I can make a home for these solitary bees!

And, the Arkansas Master Naturalists sold the Bucket of Doom for mosquitoes and it’s available on their website!

Growings On…

The blue star and corn flowers are loving this heat and humidity. I can’t share enough of the blue star.  And, my non-native caladiums are beautiful. 

Remember my cuttings of the variegated Monstera? Well, these are thriving. One has larger white leaves making it the “better” plant. And, after my trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden (see story, below), I found pitcher plants. They are happily growing and need a bigger bog.  Finally, from the Advanced Master Gardener Seed Savers Seminar, my cowpeas have produced peas!!  But, don’t expect an invitation to dinner as I have about 20 peas currently!

Surviving the Heat

My grandmother had a flower garden with countless varieties of flowers. As her house had no AC, we sat at night on the screened porch in the swing. The aroma of all those flowers I now realize was a natural perfume. The fireflies danced to the hum of the old ceiling fan. The memories are not of how hot we were but how wonderful these evenings were.

See you this fall!

By Sally Wyatt, Jess Odom Community Center

They’re small, hard to spot at first and can be quite damaging to deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs. And they are out in abundance now, according to the number of recent calls to the Extension Hotline. What’s bugging these callers? Bagworms.

“They are everywhere,” noted Derek Reed, Pulaski County Horticultural Extension Agent. “It seems like it’s really bad this year. Not sure if it’s because we had a dry fall and winter, but bagworms are a menace and they can chew up everything.”

According to a Plant Health Clinic Disease Note, issued by the UA Division of Agriculture Research and Extension office in June 2023, late spring is the time of year when bagworms hatch and begin to actively feed on their host plants. If left alone, they can seriously damage the beauty and health of these plants.

The best thing you can do at this point, between now and late fall and winter, is to physically remove the bag and destroy it.

“Don’t let them overwinter in the bag until next spring, when they will have matured, and permanently glued themselves to a stem. Once they hatch, then you’ll have hundreds of thousands of worms.”

Derek Reed, Pulaski County Horticultural Extension Agent

If you suspect you have bagworms in your landscape, contact the Extension Office and Derek will send you a copy of the disease note, or you can read it here:

By Sally Wyatt, Jess Odom Community Center

Pulsaski County’s more than 30 sanctioned Master Gardener projects offer horticultural enthusiasts an opportunity to visit a widely creative collection of gardens, from sidewalk eye candy in Argenta to a peaceful sanctuary at Wildwood Asian Woodland Gardens, to name just two.

One project offers visitors a chance to travel back in time to see how Little Rock’s earliest settlers gardened in the 1800s. The volunteers who work at the Historic Arkansas Museum (H.A.M.) faithfully tend to the fruits, vegetables and flowers that would have been grown in gardens here between 1814 and 1864, according to Joellen Beard. Joellen, a 17-year Master Gardener, is one of about a dozen volunteers assigned to the H.A.M. project, and they meet every Monday morning when the museum is closed.

A recent visit to the gardens – on what turned out to be Little Rock’s hottest day so far this year – found a lively and close-knit group weeding, chatting, and happily offering not only bug spray to visitors, but a tour of their well-tended garden beds. This project began more than 20 years ago, we learned, and several members have been part of the group almost as long. The group also includes a mother, daughter and son-in-law team, and several also work at the Juvenile Detention Center when not at H.A.M. All said they look forward to the snacks and cool drinks waiting when work is done, so they can continue to enjoy their camaraderie.   

The volunteers tend two demonstration gardens – a Bayou garden for the bigger plants like corn and squash, and a kitchen garden, as well as an heirloom rose garden. This time of year, the gardens are overflowing with produce and flowers, and any extra vegetables are donated to Project Chair Bill Harris’ church food bank, Joellen explained.

What were settlers growing more than 160 years ago? Much of what you might find in a farmer’s market today, surprisingly. The garden beds are planted with such things as Ford Hook zucchini, Kentucky Wonder bush beans, along with collard greens and turnips, radishes, horseradish, carrots, potatoes and okra, peppers, cucumbers and Cherokee purple and Brandywine tomatoes.

They also grow three colors of cotton – white, brown and green. “We save the seeds from year to year,” Joellen explained, “and file off the edges of the seeds to help them germinate.”

Flowers are grown here and there in the beds to “draw bugs away from the vegetables, like marigolds, pansies and Johnny Jump ups, that are natives,” Joellen said.

Also native to the gardens are a pawpaw and a buckeye tree, beauty berry and anise.

Even pest control techniques are time-honored. “We just pick off the bugs,” she laughed.

1850s farmstead log house (left).

To stay true to the times, the gardeners follow a fair amount of rules, but there has been an occasional slip up. “We put up a scare crow in blue jeans one year and some had a fit – it should have been wearing a dress!”

The museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, and grounds tours are available for a small fee. Thousands of students visit a year, Joellen explained, and learn from costumed volunteers about such things as how early settlers washed clothes and made horseshoes, among other things. To make a reservation for group tours call (501) 324-9351. To learn more about the H.A.M. Master Gardeners contact Joellen or Bill Harris. They’d love to share what they’ve learned and may even share some of their post-work party snacks!

By Jeffrey McKinley, Scholar’s Garden

On my first visit to the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, a very friendly staff member – when handing me a ticket, asked: “Would you like to know what is in bloom that you must see?” 

On a return visit in May, this was my first question. Sitting on 79 acres, the garden includes a 14-acre Japanese garden, a Climatron, more than 27,000 plants on display, and so much more.

Harry Shaw, a native of the Sheffield area of England, arrived in St. Louis on a riverboat from New Orleans in 1819. At the time, St. Louis was just a Mississippi River stop in the wild frontier. But, Shaw saw more. By the age of 40, his hardware and general store, that marketed English Sheffield cutlery and silverware, made Shaw wealthy. Based on his travels abroad and his friendship with American scientists, Shaw envisioned a garden … “to share the beauty of plants for public enjoyment and to foster botanical science and research.” His dream became reality when the Missouri Botanical Garden opened in 1859 – making it one of the oldest botanical gardens in continuous existence.  Shaw’s home and mausoleum are located in the garden. 

While the original goals remain, changes enhance the garden experience. One example is “The Climatron” – the first geodesic dome to be used as a conservatory – which opened to the public on October 1, 1960. Named for climate-control technology, The Climatron has no interior support and no columns from floor to ceiling, allowing in more light and space per square foot. It rises 70 feet in the center, spans 175 feet in diameter at the base, has 1.3 million cubic feet, and encloses approximately 24,000 square feet (more than half an acre).

And, throughout the year, special installations are an added feature. On my first visit, large Chihuly pieces were throughout the Gardens – some of which are permanent additions.  Currently, Patterns in Nature – Light Form offer intricate detail during the day and special lighting effects on certain evenings.

So, what did my treasure hunt of current blooms reveal?  In the English Woodland Garden was the Dragon Arum (Dracunculus vulgaris) – 2 blooms in the garden.  Growing in the bog of the Bird Garden was the Pitcher Plant (sarracenia x moore) – in bloom!  And, the numbers and colors of dahlias were stunning!  The staff and volunteers graciously offered us directions throughout the garden. The pictures explain this best! Plan your visit using the wonderful website:  missouribotanicalgarden.org

Congratulations to Christy Bolling (chair) and Joellen Beard (assistant chair) for receiving the Excellence in Education: Gardening with Master Gardeners Award at the 2026 Master Gardener annual conference held in Conway in June.

By Sally Wyatt, Jess Odom Community Center

Now that school is out, we’re all in the hunt for fun things to do with the kids and grandkids. A visit to the Little Rock Zoo is a great idea, and now you can check out the newest Pulaski County Master Gardener project when you’re there.

The Arkansas Children’s Hospital Master Gardener project has been relocated to the front entrance beds at the Zoo, according to an announcement sent to Master Gardeners in mid- June.

“The Little Rock Zoo is a highly visible destination that welcomes thousands of visitors each year, providing an excellent opportunity to showcase the work of the Pulaski County Master Gardeners, and increase public awareness of our program<” the announcement explained.

“The new location will allow us to continue supporting a worthwhile community project while creating an attractive and educational garden space that can be enjoyed by a wide audience.”

Project members have already had two workdays at the site, according to Cindy Hancock, project co-chair. “We’ve done some cleanup and mulching and are making plans for what we can plant.” Those plans need to be approved by the Zoo’s veterinarian and a zoo horticulturalist, she added. “We need to make sure anything we plant will be safe for the animals. For example, birds can carry seeds, and we’ve learned that lantana and bulbs are not ‘zoo-friendly,’ so we’ll have to come up with other things.”

“We’re going to be thinking a bit ‘out of the box,’ using a mix of native plants and ornamentals,” Cindy added.

The biggest bed has a major water leak under the otter fountain, so it will need to be ripped up and repaired, Cindy explained. “We hope repairs will be done by September.”

Project workdays are the second and fourth Saturdays, and all are invited to “come join us at the zoo.”

By Jeffrey McKinley, Scholar’s Garden

The Scholar’s Garden has a couple of new members. A blue heron chick and green heron juvenile have been attending garden workdays. It was decided they could enjoy the benefits of membership without having to complete the class or first year volunteer hours.

By Sally Wyatt, Jess Odom Community Center

On a recent visit to Utah’s Zion National Park, with its awe-inspiring and breathtaking views, I was reminded just how determined Mother Nature can be. Here, clinging among rocky crags and steep canyons we found the most tenacious of plants. A variety of trees, shrubs, ferns – they all found a way to dig their roots down and thrive in just the barest of dirt. Maybe we Arkansas gardeners share a bit of that grit and determination, as we fight summer’s heat and humidity, winter’s quick frosts and freezes, as well as a host of bugs, ticks, red ants and mosquitoes, to keep our gardens thriving, as well.

Nature’s tenacity on display at Zion’s The Narrows Trail.

If it’s summer, it’s peach time. Unfortunately, summer peaches may be hard to find this year, due to the snap freeze we had on March 25-26. That overnight drop in temperatures came just as the tiny fruits were starting to form. If you’re lucky enough to find some local peaches this year, here’s a sassy jam recipe that delivers rave reviews. 

Ingredients

1 1/3 C diced peaches (about 3 medium)

1/3 C diced jalapenos (1-2), seeds removed

1 ½ T powdered pectin

1 T lemon juice

1 2/3 C granulated sugar

Instructions

1. Set 1 16-ounce mason jar or 2 8-ounce jars on a clean kitchen towel next to the stove, along with jar lids and a ladle.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine peaches, jalapeno, lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil, stirring to mix and break up the peaches further. (You can also use a potato masher to break up the fruit).
3. Once boiling, add the sugar all at once and stir well. Bring back up to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar fully. When the mixture is at a boil that can’t be stirred away, boil for 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat. The mixture should be thickened and sticky, but still pourable. If you like, spoon off the foam and discard.
5. Pour the jam into the jar(s) leaving ¼-inch headspace. Use a wet towel to wipe the outside of the jar and the lip of the jar, then hand-tight the lid.
6. Process in a water bath canner, by filling the pot with water and heating to boiling. Carefully lower the jars into the water bath and boil for 10 minutes.
7. Place the jars on a kitchen towel and let rest undisturbed for 24 hours.

Hint: If you want jam with a bit more kick, don’t remove all the seeds. You can also make a larger batch by using an entire box of Surejell pectin. Instructions are very similar and included in the box, or by scanning the QR code on the box’s side. I usually use the Reduced Sugar variety of pectin, as the fruit’s natural flavor and sweetness really comes through.

This jam is great paired with cream cheese and crackers.

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Ingredients      :        

6 tablespoons of unsalted butter plus extra for topping and casserole

2 pounds of summer squash (I prefer yellow but the recipe can be used for zucchini or a combination) sliced in about ½ inch rounds.  If the skin is tough, I use a peeler and remover strips.  I don’t think peeled squash works well this way.

2 large yellow onions, halved and sliced
2 tsps. Kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbps. all purpose flour
1 cup warm half and half
¼ cup grated fontina cheese
¾ cup bread crumbs – see note below
¾ cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Butter a 2 quart casserole.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and cook onions over low heat or until very tender (about 20 minutes).  Add the squash.  Cook covered until tender.  Add the salt and pepper.  Cook for about 3 -5 minutes.  Stir in the flour.  Add the hot milk and stir until makes a sauce.  Add in the fontina; stir until melted.  Pour the mixture in casserole.

Mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan and cover casserole.  Dot with butter cut into bits.  Bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Note on breadcrumbs: Today’s recipes call for breadcrumbs made by regular bread being used.  I grew up with crushed Ritz crackers.  Be creative. 

I found one recipe that uses Cavendar’s rather than salt and pepper.  Season as you like.             And, so many cheese options!!

I was raised by a mother who would answer a cooking question (e.g. what consistency should the dough be, or how much do I thicken a sauce) with “just adjust until it looks right.”

Bon Appetit!!

Want to join the Magnolia Chronicle team? Have a story idea or photo to share? Contact Sally Wyatt at smwyatt214@gmail.com.

Did you know you can log education hours by simply reading the Magnolia Chronicle? You can add this time to the following project: Edu-Research, Newsletter/Program Lecture.