Summer has arrived with daily heat advisories. This is the time of year our gardens need us more than ever to survive. Please take care of yourself while out in your gardens. Stay hydrated, wear sun protectors and hats. Take regular breaks and cool off.

On Friday, June 20, several master gardeners gathered at the Pulaski County Courthouse for the annual Pulaski County Master Gardener Appreciation Ceremony. Despite the extreme heat we survived and received positive publicity for the program.

Although we will be on summer break in July and August, there are many activities going on in Pulaski County. Applications are currently being accepted for the next upcoming class, and the deadline to apply for it is July 31. I am encouraging members to try to recruit at least one person for the new class. Some projects are in desperate need of new members. The Jacksonville City Hall project was shut down due to lack of members.

The fourth installment of the series sponsored by our fabulous Continuing Education Committee will be on August 9, 2025. Please consider attending this session at the State Extension Office. Additionally, for those who do not mind traveling, the State Master Gardener Appreciation Day will be on August 22, 2025, in Hope, Arkansas. There is also an Advanced Master Gardener training scheduled for September 2025. I encourage everyone to enter their hours. We are halfway through our program year.

I did not attend the State Master Gardener Conference held in Searcy in early June. The feedback I received from those who attended was positive. All the activities were at Harding University, which was ideal for attendees. Next year’s conference will be held in Conway.

Derek’s weekly digest is an excellent way to keep up with Master Gardener activities. See you on September 16 for our next monthly meeting.

Pam

I practiced law in Arkansas for 27 years.  Since retirement, staying active with the Arkansas Bar Foundation is important.  This is a charitable organization that provides scholarships to law students and supports law-related activities, e.g. moot court program for schools.

I completed the Master Gardener course in 2011.  The Scholars Garden at the Clinton Presidential Library has been my project since.  I originally thought I would change but the fellow Gardeners and the importance of the project to the community has kept me there.  Attending the State Conventions and County 76 seminars is a wonderful experience.  Visiting local markets and growers has been a new experience.

Other organizations in which I am active include P.E.O. and the Aesthetic Club.  A special place for me is at my book club known as “The Bookies.”

My husband Lester and I have enjoyed the opportunity to travel.  We like hiking, fishing, scuba diving, history, food and art…and of course, gardens.  And, if not doing any of this, you may find me on the golf course. 

We would love to hear about your Pulaski County Master Gardener project! Articles and pictures are welcome! Tell us about events, success stories, community service, and interesting education opportunities.

The deadline for our September/October issue is August 18.
Please contact Caryn Kinane-Setaro 
[email protected] or leave a message or text at 720-388-0690. Happy Gardening!

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 Sally Miller Wyatt, Maumelle Community Center

The annual State Master Gardener Conference, held June 5-7 in Searcy, offered attendees an array of activities, including garden tours, educational lectures, a silent auction and a “Garden Market” featuring a selection of vendors, as well as an opportunity to socialize with fellow gardeners.

Attendees had many choices of tours and lectures to attend. Garden tours to lush gardens and a berry farm were well received.

As for lectures, a lively and informative presentation by UT/Shelby County Extension Director Dr. Chris Cooper on “Sustainable Landscape Principles” left the packed audience laughing as he paired humor and solid advice on everything from putting the right plant in the right place, to managing yard pests, while still providing a haven for pollinators.

Those interested in learning more about propagation were treated to a jam-packed informational session on where, when, with what and how to propagate just about everything from woody-stemmed rosemary to dumb cane plants. The lecture, delivered by Dr. J. Kim Pittcock, emeritus associate professor of Horticulture for Arkansas State University, included many samples of trimmed plants passed about the audience.   

Other sessions included lectures on houseplants and their benefits, native birds and plants, raising butterflies, fun with bees and honey, herbal teas, the history of seed collecting, and the year-round gardening techniques employed by Firelight Farm, a no-till market farm in Searcy.

Faulkner County will host the 2026 Master Gardener Conference, scheduled for June 2-4 in Conway. The theme is “Gardening for Good.” Keep an eye out in early spring for registration information and important deadlines. 

By Caryn Kinane-Setaro, Old Mill Park

I love small, historic, Main Street towns! There are stories in their buildings and character in the details that can’t be found in newer, cookie-cutter shopping centers, business parks and malls. 

Argenta is one of my favorite local Main Street towns. Rebuilt on a community that wouldn’t surrender to decline, the town banded together to redevelop into the thriving and beautiful arts and entertainment district that it is today.

One delightful draw to the community is the robust effort to dress up the businesses and vintage buildings by planting hanging baskets, container plants and streetscape gardens throughout the town. 

The Pulaski County Master Gardeners joined the gardenscape effort in 2005, and the Argenta Master Gardener Sanctioned Project became official in 2008. Master Gardener Mary Ann Hodge is credited with starting the project, which currently has 13 members, from first year to lifetime Master Gardeners. They meet twice a month to weed, plant and work their magic on the eight garden beds on the corners of 4th and Main streets.   

I met with Mary Ann Gammill at Blackberry Market (of course) for coffee and to discuss just how they keep their gardens so resilient, especially in the middle of concrete sidewalks baking in the heat of summer. Mary Ann, the current chair of the committee, credited a lot to the basics of excellent soil, fertilizer and dependable irrigation.

A dedicated team goes a long way, too. The Argenta team loves their project and working together. They try new arrangements every year, and don’t mind changing things up or trying something new. They aren’t bothered by the occasional setback or, as Mary Ann said, “If you haven’t killed a plant, you can’t be a great gardener.” 

The beds are cleared and re-planted each spring in early May with a mixture of new and favorite annuals and perennials. Tulips are planted in coordination with all the Argenta beds in December for the big tulip bloom in spring. 

The project is sponsored by the Argenta Downtown Council. They provide hands-on and financial support with plants, irrigation and soil prep. 

The Argenta Project was the Pulaski County Master Gardener project of the year for 2020. 

By Danella Snider, Pinnacle Mountain

With Contributions From:

3001 Roosevelt Road and the adjacent area houses a collection of brick-and-mortar
structures with official-sounding titles. But did you know there is also a Master Gardener
project nestled among the imposing buildings? This site has witnessed a dramatic transformation, not only as far as gardens go, but also in the benefits it affords the youth incarcerated at the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC).

The JDC garden is located behind the Pulaski County District Court (the place you might have visited to pay a speeding ticket). It is the site of a large, thriving vegetable garden that began with an unexpected phone call.

In August of 2019, Valerie Smith received a request from Randy Forst to come to the
county extension office. She went, with a slight sense of unease not knowing what the
visit was about, to learn of an old garden behind the courthouse the county Sheriff
wanted to revive. Would the extension office take this on?

“Shambles” best describes the site. It was covered in weeds and full of bad soil. A big
project, but a challenge Randy and Valerie accepted.

Raised beds were created, soil was amended, re-amended and amended again, Randy and Valerie plotted out the site, and in January 2020 planting began.

The JDC garden came to life in the spring of 2020, with the first harvest in the summer of the same year. JCD became an official Master Gardener project in 2023, but from 2020 to spring 2025, only four volunteers managed the garden. The 2024 Fall Master Gardener class added new volunteers, who started work in spring 2025 – expanding the team from four to seven.

Everything in the garden grows from seeds Valerie starts at home. The volunteers amend the soil with compost and rice hulls to keep the raised beds in good growing condition and work the garden year-round.

Gardening Tip:
Order your seeds way before you need them.
Get spring and summer seeds in dead of winter and get winter seeds in spring and summer. The big box stores may not have what you are looking for and since Covid, gardening has gotten more popular, making seeds hard to come by at times.
Heirloom seeds are especially in demand.

Joellen Beard

Some treats you will find in the spring and summer garden include blackberries, strawberries, and a new bunch of blueberries, thanks to bushes donated last year by the Cammack Fruit Demo Garden.

There is also a pollinator bed to attract Bees and Butterflies.

In the winter, the garden provides seasonal vegetables such as lettuce, carrots, beets, radishes, onions, cabbage and kale.

The team practices companion planting and keeps a detailed record of every harvest (including written notes, details of what did and did not work, weather records, and a weight and photograph of each crop)

The site is large enough to experiment with plants. JDC participates in the Arkansas Diamond program, testing candidate plants. The team also participates in university-sponsored tests on flowers, corn, strawberries and other crops.

Sunflowers

Currently, the gardeners at JDC are testing the effectiveness of straw flowers compared to marigolds as insect mitigation. The team created identical sections of plants, one plot with strawflowers and the other plot with marigolds to determine the better trap crop or if both plants are equally as effective.

There are successes and challenges in every garden and JDC is no exception. The team has chipped ice away from frozen doorways to reach the garden in winter and faced irrigation issues that required a complete re-start. Volunteers work together to keep the project going.

Gardening Tip:
Weather, irrigation line breaks, birds and critters all impact the garden. The best thing to do when you have to start over, is to just do it.

Joellen Beard

While tremendous progress has been made on developing the site, perhaps the biggest impact it offers is what it gives to the youngsters who are incarcerated at the JDC, according to Joellen Beard: 

“I think that the most important part of the Juvenile Detention Center Garden is that the 11-18 year olds incarcerated there have the opportunity to experience a vegetable and small fruit garden.  Many of them have never SEEN broccoli, asparagus or beets.  Because of the garden, where they are permitted to visit, they also get to actually taste the vegetables, thanks to the guards, and the ladies at the Pulaski County Cooperative Extension Office who cook the produce for them to try.  Many of these children have never seen what we consider ordinary vegetables.  They have no idea that potatoes grow underground, that beets are different colors, that sweet potatoes grow underneath a beautiful vine, that broccoli is a flower, and that asparagus is delicious.  We even have a bluebird family in the garden.  It is a lovely, peaceful place, rare in a prison. “

The gardeners at JDC fill up every bed. Anything left over, not going to be cooked for the kids, is taken to the Sisters of Mercy. Nothing goes to waste, and everyone leaves the garden with a happy heart.

By Caryn Kinane-Sataro, Old Mill Park

As a member of the Patrick Henry Hays Senior Center in North Little Rock, I get to enjoy the sanctioned Master Gardener Landscape Garden Project that adorns the entranceway to the center. Kudos to that team for a wonderful job! The garden is beautiful year-round and I feel special just walking to the entrance.

Gardens at the entrance to the Patrick Henry Hayes Senior Center greet members

After a year as a member, I discovered the center’s secret garden. In January, I responded to a notice at the center for help with their vegetable garden, by asking ”what vegetable garden?” I was led to a little courtyard in the back, behind the pools. Amazing! There I found 13 2’x3’ raised beds on legs with wheels, 20+ half barrel containers that included pollinator plants, a fig tree, a blackberry bush and a small greenhouse. The garden needed a big clean-up and an eager team of senior gardeners. I signed up along with an enthusiastic team of seven.

Our team is a mix of new and seasoned gardeners. Our mission is to provide nutritious homegrown vegetables for the seniors and provide instruction for gardeners. We started most of our plants from seed in the greenhouse. As of late June we have harvested and distributed spinach, arugula, thyme, mint, lettuce, radishes, cilantro, garlic, okra and cucumbers. Tomatoes, peppers and more are in the works.

As the only Master Gardener, I manage the garden by assisting volunteers from seed to harvest with best gardening practices, and insect and disease identification and control. I also encourage them to attend garden workshops.

Four of us attended the “Gardening With Master Gardeners, Part 3: Time to Garden” program in May. Two have put in their applications for the Master Gardener Program. The enthusiasm is contagious!

We love working in the garden, giving garden tours and distributing the harvest. One member of the garden team, Nicole Bird, said, “It feels so good to grow fresh vegetables for others who may not have the opportunity to grow their own food garden. The only thing better than watching the plants grow is watching the members’ appreciation when we distribute the veggies for FREE!”

The Patrick Henry Hays Senior Center vegetable garden is a project of the North Little Rock Community Garden Program. It is sponsored by North Little Rock Senior Citizen Outreach Services. Together with the Hays’ staff, they have provided support through power washing the courtyard, rearranging the gardens and providing compost, plants and seed. They also assisted in the instruction and installation of an irrigation system, and the installation of a shade cloth structure to prevent the plants and seniors from cooking in the summer sun.

By Sally Miller Wyatt, Maumelle Community Center

By now we’re full swing into summer gardening and have spent enough time outside to have encountered some irritants, or horticultural curiosities. I certainly have, in the form of a vicious, painful, run-in with fire ants. What dreadful creatures! But more on that later.

What else is bugging local gardeners? Derek Reed, Pulaski County Extension Agent, says the horticultural hot line at the Extension Office has been getting quite a few calls regarding tree damage. “It mostly has to do with trees being drought-stressed and then experiencing sudden rapid temperature changes in the winter. This happens a few years in a row and it can really stress out the trees, leading to rapid decline,” he noted.

Yes, we’ve had a great year so far in terms of rain, having accrued more than 30 inches by the end of May, instead of the normal 22.39 inches. But we in Arkansas can’t forget that drought has been a concern for a while, according to Dr. Jon Barry, former extension forester for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. In an article he wrote entitled “Why are my trees dying?” he observed that drought has been a hot topic for several years.

Homeowners concerned about their trees, apparently dying due to insect and disease problems, may be surprised to learn that drought is the primary culprit. It places trees under stress, which then may kill them or make them more susceptible to insects and diseases.

Even when normal rainfall patterns return, the trees may not be able to recover. Once severely stressed, the tree may not recover for several years. And if, during that time, it has become infested by insects or disease, it will die sooner or later. “It’s that ‘later part’ that gives many people a false hope that their trees will survive,” Dr. Barry said.

There are steps homeowners can take to minimize tree death due to drought stress.

“Homeowners should pay attention to what they do around yard trees. Remember that 80 percent of a tree’s roots are in the top 18 inches of soil. Be careful about digging around trees or compacting the soil. Avoid covering soil with fill material or building an impervious surface, such as a sidewalk or paved driveway. Forestland owners should maintain vigor of forests by keeping them properly thinned. Give yard trees some time to recover before deciding to replace them.”

If you have additional questions about tree health, contact the Pulaski County Extension Office at (501) 340-6650 or stop by 2901 West Roosevelt Road and bring a photo of the tree or trees you are concerned about.

Now, on to fire ants.

These tiny creatures can sure deliver a painful bite. I accidentally ran an edge trimmer over a nest and quickly experienced immense misery. A gardening friend I was commiserating with mentioned she accidentally knelt on a fire ant hill. Oh, the horror!

Fire ants were first transported from South America into Mobile, Alabama around 1918, and by the 1953 a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) survey found they had spread to 102 counties in10 states, mostly through transport of grass, sod or woody ornamental plants. Arkansas’ first documented case of fire ants was in El Dorado in 1958. Much of southern Arkansas is currently infested, and fire ants have also been found in the more northern sections of the state.

According to UA Extension informational materials, fire ants are considered to be aggressive predators, crowding out native ants and other insects. They are known for attacking crops, wildlife and people. (No kidding!) When disturbed, fire ants come out of their nests, stinging their victims repeatedly, while injecting a venom that causes a fiery, painful discomfort that could even be fatal for those who are allergic to that venom.

Eliminating a fire ant population in your yard or garden will require successfully eradicating the queen, through a two-step process. If you only kill the workers, those that survive will only move the queen to a different part of the yard.

According to the UA Extension materials, the two-step process involves (1) broadcasting a bait product, (2) followed by treating mounds individually with a retreatment of the bait. When this method is used, it controls infestations more effectively. Workers foraging for food take bait back to the mound where food with workers and the queen is exchanged. This has proven to be the most effective way to reach, and kill, the queen.

And as for dealing with the nasty fire ant bites? I found that Benadryl Extra Strength Itch Stopping Gel helped for a while, until I could get an appointment at my doctor’s office for a steroid injection.  

To learn more about the two-step method to eradicate ants in your landscaping, check out this fact sheet:

https://www.uaex.uada.edu/publications/pdf/FSA-9602.pdf#search=fire%20ants

For additional tips on fire ant management around the home, check out this fact sheet: https://www.uaex.uada.edu/farm-ranch/pest-management/Fire%20Ant%20Management%20around%20the%20Home%20-%20Arkansas%20Extension.pdf

By Jeffrey McKinley, Scholar’s Garden

How appropriate that the State Master Gardener Conference offered several workshops on providing a bird, butterfly, and friendly garden.  Why?  Because June is National Pollinator Month.  Uta Bird Meyer with the Little Rock Audubon Center  reminded us that fruits, seeds, berries and nectar plants are sources of food for sustaining the bird population.   Our State Master Gardener Coordinator Randy Forst informed and entertained with “Native Knockouts.”   He reminded us that “Pollinators are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants.” 

From these, one learned of natives from tiny flowers to trees. 

Pine Ridge Gardens Feature Native Plants

As many of you know Pine Ridge has been a valuable source of native plants and knowledge for 33 years.  Brent Baker, the new owner, moved the nursery last fall from it’s home in the woods outside London to Dardanelle.  Brent had a large area at the State Conference with lots and lots of plants!!   Last fall, I made a trip to London just after he had become the owner.  And, being re-inspired by the information and his commitment to the Master Gardeners, I made a trip to the new Pine Ridge Gardens.  The nursery is beautiful – even in the pouring rain.  I know there are other great sources but Pine Ridge is wonderful.  The website is www.pineridgegardens.com and Pine Ridge has a Facebook page.  Call before you go to check times or make an appointment.

Since my garden space is small, my native picks attract the pollinators and fit my landscape.

• Aquatic Milkweed (Asclepius perrennis) – Butterfiles and bees.  Host Plant
• Rattlesnake Master (Erynglum yuccifolium) -Butterfiles and humming birds.
• Garden Phlox (Paniculate Jeanna -2024 Perennial Plant of the Year).

Attracts more butterflies than any other phlox.

These all are in bloom for National Pollinator Month!!

By Danella Snider, Pinnacle Mountain

Wild Bergamot (Mondarda Fistulosa) sounds exotic, perhaps something comfortable in a tropical setting or as the garnish in a fancy drink. Though the name leads you to believe otherwise, this plant is not related to the citrus fruit Bergamot though they are both sweetly aromatic.

Better known by the common name, Bee Balm, this is a plant we see every year, especially in gardens dedicated to pollinators.

In the Garden

Bee Balm is a member of the mint family, identifiable by the square stem. Other key characteristics are tubular flowers in shades of lavender, which can also lean to hues of lilac or pink, and grayish green leaves with serrated edges.

Bee Balm is adaptable in US Hardiness zones 3 through 9. It is native to a large swath of North America including Arkansas. This plant prefers sunshine and loamy, well-draining soil. However, Bee Balm is tenacious and has been known to adapt to some shade and a wide variety of soil options.

The plants grow in clumps with a fibrous root system and can reach 2 to 4 feet in height. Bloom time varies depending on growing conditions, but, as a general rule, Bee Balm is a summer bloomer with flowers appearing June through September.

Bee Balm is susceptible to powdery mildew in humid conditions and needs good air circulation.

Uses:

Native people used Bee Balm for a wide range of purposes including treating ailments such as colds, fevers and digestive complaints. The leaves were used in teas, to flavor food in cooking, and crushed the leaves for a natural perfume.

The flower clusters, with their tubular blooms and soothing colors, appeal to humans and pollinators alike. Today Bee Balm is beloved for its attractiveness to pollinators and beauty in cut flower arrangements and garden settings.

By Jeffrey McKinley, Scholar’s Garden

Planning to head to the beach this summer? Why not take a side trip and earn some
education hours at the same time!

The Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Alabama (near Fairhope), is a large, very storied
property with beautiful gardens. The property is also very family oriented, with all sorts
of outdoor game courts and even bikes for riding around the property. These photos,
taken in March, offer an idea of what you’d find here. If you’re headed south to the
beach, maybe plan a stop here to have some lunch and wander around the hotel’s
gardens.

By Jeffrey McKinley, Scholar’s Garden

Remember, for those of you with large gardens and Greenhouses, this is written from the perspective of a novice experimenting with magic in the Greenhouse.  As you may recall, my structure is 6’ x 8’ with redwood framing, shelves and a stone floor.

My latest adventures have included:

• Temperature Ranges and Control
• A Greenhouse Journal
• Tools &  Accessories
• Seeding plants

Early last winter, when the temperatures fluctuated daily, I learned that managing Greenhouse temperature is a priority or else it would be a freezer in the winter and an oven in the summer.  Thus, I began a journal to record the inside temperature at about 7:00 a.m.  A picture of November-December records is included here.  (To create this, I used a salad plate for the circle and divided into 30 somewhat equal sections.).

During the winter, running a small heater (750w/1500w) on medium setting at 750W through the night maintained the temperature at about 13 -15 degrees above the outside temperature  of 32 degrees or above.  If colder, two heaters were needed.  I manually adjusted the heaters during the day to keep air at 65 – 70 degrees.  This allowed me to winter a few plants including my prized staghorn fern (which loved its new home and doubled in size) and to start seedlings on December 29.^.

My fan for warm weather, for which the thermostat is set at 80 degrees, worked … until these 90-plus degree days. On order is an 8000 BTU Portable AC unit that can be wired into my electrical system. To test the humidity, I fill a glass bowl with water and a floating duck and log the various evaporating stages.  My goal is a 12-month growing environment.

My first projects were repotting bloomed out grocery store orchids and seeding basil, dwarf zinnias and various microgreens. In the fall and winter, two orchids produced beautiful new blooms until 90 degrees.

I planted a seedling tray half in basil and half in dwarf zinnias. 

Grower’s note: Be sure to use the plant markers in a mixed tray.  All those tiny little seedlings looked alike to me – who in haste or excitement failed to label them. The basil produced beautifully. The dwarf zinnias, not so well.  With this wet spring, my potted basil is much healthier than that in my herb garden. Microgreens are fun as the germination and growing time is short.  My favorite result is that I have shared basil, zinnias and microgreens.

Last grower’s note:  Read the seed packages. One I purchased contained 1,000 seeds.  Even with some failures, that’s a lot of shareables!

No project is complete without great tools and accessories. My favorite clippers and nippers are the Tiger Jaw brand that have been available for purchase at the MG State Conferences for the past several years.  From Johnny’s Seed, the Fogg-it Nozzle (super fine mist) and Chapin 48 oz. Hand Sprayer are perfect for the Greenhouse.  My nozzle is attached to a hose for which the water remains on. My  goal is to learn to use a soil blocker so that I can create my own soil pods.  Ambitious for me!! (There are so many good nurseries in the area and so many sources of good products!)

My seedlings came from purchased seeds. Since my yard now has many native plants, I am carefully collecting seeds, e.g. coneflowers and columbines – and yes — labeling them.  And, Dr. Kim Pittcock at the recent State Conference encouraged trying propagation. Endless opportunity.

Maintenance has been relatively minor and simple.  During the winter, the small heaters melted snow/ice accumulation so it was easily removed.  After heavy pollen season, I cleaned the interior well. 

Each morning with coffee in hand, I head to the Greenhouse to check my blooms and seedlings.  My journal now includes color.   (Reference:  Keeping A Nature Journal By Clare Leslie & Charles Roth).  It is now time to find radish seeds so that my garden friends will have plants for fall.  A small space really can produce much!!

From A Girl Who Loves to Garden!

Salsa tips

• If the peel on the cucumber is thick, remove the peel before
• Dice vegetables the way you would for salsa.

Ingredients

1 Large cucumber, seeded and diced
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
3 green onions, sliced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
½ teaspoon salt, optional
¼ teaspoon pepper

Mix ingredients in a bowl and enjoy!!

Contributed by Jeffrey McKinley, Scholar’s Garden

Ingredients:

Round Carr’s Table Wafers or small rounds of toasted baguette with crust removed.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Fresh Mozzarella sliced into thin rounds  (some is large enough that I divide rounds in half)
Balsamic Vinegar (must be of thicker consistency)
Fresh Basil Leaves
Variety of small round red tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Black olive slices
Optional:  Tiny sprout leaves, e.g. broccoli

Brush the wafers or bread lightly with olive oil.  Place a mozzarella slice on top of each wafer then place small dot of balsamic vinegar.  Top with a small basil leaf. Split tomato half about halfway lengthwise.  Place on top of basil leaf. Use toothpick to dot with Balsamic Vinegar. Place half of black olive slice at top.  Garnish with a tiny broccoli sprout by olive.

Contributed by Jeffrey McKinley, Scholar’s Garden

INGREDIENTS

2 big eggplants
1 28 – ounce can crushed tomatoes (note below)
4 garlic cloves – halved
6 TBPS extra virgin olive oil
10 TBPS of grated Parmesan
1 ½ pound of mozzarella cheese – cut in very small cubes and drained.
Basil leaves
Salt, pepper

(This is a conversion from the original recipe which was in grams; seems like a lot but is actually 3 – 8 oz. of the small packaged balls from most delis and works well.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the eggplants in slices and set aside for 10 – 15 minutes.  (I actually sprinkle with a little bit of salt).  The recipe does not say to take peel off but recently some of the eggplant skins have been very tough. 

Heat 3 TBPS of olive oil; add garlic and saute for  about 3  minutes.  Then add tomato pulp (crushed tomatoes); recipe says “add some salt.”  I add a little at a time so not to over salt.  Cook on low simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.   (Cook until thick, otherwise too much liquid for dish.) Season with olive oil and pepper, to taste.

Brush a large glass tray (14” x 10” Pyrex or similar dish) with olive oil.  Place layer of eggplant.  Follow with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and “some basil leaves.”  Finish each layer with Parmesan cheese on top. 

Makes 2 or 3 layers, drizzle with olive oil.  Cook for about 25 minutes or until eggplant is soft.

Serves:  6

Note:   Recipe is easily halved with same flavor

Tomatoes:  I like to use the San Marzano brand tomatoes.  Don’t buy the ones with herbs or seasoning as you season yourself. 

*Correction to the Old Mill Photo credits from the May/June 2025 Issue: Coleta Richarme submitted the photos for that issue

On Friday, June 20 several Master Gardeners braved the heat to celebrate Master Gardeners Appreciation Day at the Pulaski County Courthouse. We did not get a picture of everyone but here are a few of the smiling faces found that day!

Maumelle Master Gardeners gathered at our gardens at the Maumelle Community Center
on May 28 to spread one truckload of mulch. Twelve members joined together with 17
Maumelle Charter Students and four helping parents. We were also joined by two parks and
rec employees to help fill our buckets. The Maumelle Master Gardeners were lucky to have
the students that day and with their help the mulch was spread quickly. It was also a great
opportunity for them to acquire their necessary volunteer hours. The green buckets,
donated by the Maumelle Chick-fil-A, really helped with the effort, as well!

                                             

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.