Hello Everyone,
Ahh…August, and for many of us, the garden doldrums. The theme seems to be weed,
water, deadhead and protect ourselves from the sweltering heat. It is sad to see the
cucumbers in my yard declining. However, there is joy in seeing Arkansas native plants
thrive.
With fall at our doorstep and the summer beginning to fade, there are many things to
look forward to. None of these would be happening without your talents, skills and
dedication fellow Master Gardeners.

• Your board is in the process of interviewing applicants for the fall MG class and the Training Committee is preparing for another exceptional experience for our new members.
• The Education Committee has arranged for an onsite program “Growing with Aquaponics” at Green Thumb Garden Center on September 26th .
• Speaking at the September meeting will be Lt. John Trent from the Little Rock Police Department, who will address safety issues.
• The October Luncheon at the 4-H Vines Center promises to be a fun event.

Best of all, the splendor of cooler weather and glory of fall colors.
See you in September,
Sara

by Sally Miller Wyatt, Magnolia Chronicle

There will be as many as 50 or more people invited to join the Master Gardener’s Class of 2024, according to Derek Reed, Pulaski County Horticultural Extension Agent. Their first training session is set for October 23, and when the group finishes in November they’ll officially join the other 540-plus Master Gardeners in Pulaski County.

“We’re looking forward to having them, because we can always use more volunteers. We need to fill some spots as there are definitely a few projects who could use one or two new members.”

Derek Reed

This class will be double the size of 2023’s cohort, Derek noted because that year classroom space restrictions limited the number of trainees to around 25. The group is now well into their first year of volunteering, Derek noted and “because we had to be so selective, we really seemed to have found the ‘cream of the crop!’”

Many of the class of 2023 say the Master Gardener experience so far has been exactly what they hoped for and that they’re reaping valuable personal rewards. Emily Cole Seay of Little Rock is one. She grew up around gardeners, as her grandparents had vegetable gardens and her mother has a talent for creating ornamental flower beds. “There was always color in the yard and I remember eating blackberries and shelling peas as a child. I was always around it and being outdoors was a big part of my life.”

Emily really enjoyed the training. “I thought I knew a lot, but now I know so much more! I learned that I love bees, pollinators, butterflies — it’s crazy! And, I’ve learned to appreciate nature and our ecosystem.”

When her blood orange tree became covered in “worms” recently, she did some research before reaching for bug spray, and discovered they were actually swallowtail butterfly larvae. “Citrus is a host to these butterflies and so I left them alone. Although they nearly stripped the tree, the butterflies developed, moved on and the tree has come back.”

Emily chose the Old State House for her sanctioned project, partly because it’s near her home in Capitol View. “Every time I drove by, I admired the fountain, the landscaping, and the beautiful building. I liked its history, too. ”She appreciates all the new friendships she has made working there and how fellow gardeners are willing to share not only their knowledge and their plants but also their creative opinions.

Photo: Emily with fellow Master Gardeners at the Old Statehouse

The group meets every other Thursday, and because Emily works remotely, she’ll join the team on those days or drop by any time “to pinch or trim whenever I have free time and need to get in my hours.”

“I especially like learning about Arkansas’ native plants from the group. It’s such a beautiful state, Little Rock is beautiful, and I’m happy to help beautify my community.”

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Suni McClelland’s years-long desire to become a Master Gardener was also realized in 2023. Co-owner of a family-run business for many years, she didn’t have the time to commit, but once she reached age 67, she said she could finally focus on “next stage” activities. Becoming a Master Gardener checked many boxes. “I’ve always had my hands in the dirt, even as a kid. I love the idea of learning new things and diving into the spirituality of gardening. I wanted to be of service to my community and to help beautify it — and then there’s the social aspect that comes with all of that.” She also appreciates the physical exercise she gets from gardening and its ability to reap “rewarding results.”

“I have learned so much from Cherith. She’s been a master gardener since 2016, and she is willing to share so much. She taught me how to blend soil and plant bulbs. We planted 100 Liatris bulbs, and I’d never planted bulbs before. I was worried I put them in wrong, but they popped up beautifully! She taught me how to grow clematis, and it’s stunning! She really has an eye for texture and design.”

Photo: Cherith Beck and Suni McClelland

Cherith is fully devoted to her sanctioned project and has, remarkably, accrued more than 300 hours as of early August. On a recent workday, for example, she and Suni planned to build a water feature, along with their regular weeding, trimming, and planting tasks. The gardens are situated in a wooded area and invite visitors to meander along paths and raised walkways lined with an array of ferns and other shade-loving plants. It’s no wonder the women are willing to spend so many hours in such a peaceful setting. Cherith’s passion for the Wildwood gardens and her easy way of mentoring motivated Suni to aim for a Busy Bee award. First-year Master Gardeners must work 40 hours at their sanctioned project but can earn the Busy Bee designation if they add on 20 more.

“I scheduled myself to work five, four-hour sessions at Wildwood in August in order to gain those extra 20 hours,” she said. She also attends the monthly Pulaski County Master Gardener meetings at St. James United Methodist Church, and volunteers at the extension office. “Derek and his staff are always so helpful,” she noted. And when Suni finally fully retires, she has something else to look forward to: “Having the time to go on all those tours!”

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When Laura Otter was planning for her September 2023 retirement, she put becoming a Master Gardener at the top of her bucket list. “I had a garden at home and a vegetable plot at the Two Rivers Park community gardens for many years, so it seemed like the next best step for when I have all the time in the world!”

She chose the Scholars Garden because “it’s decorative and a place for visitors to sit and relax and enjoy the color.” She likes the 4-H garden because it is a place where future gardeners are “grown.” “They learn all about different cultivars, how well some do versus others. They measure how many pounds of produce is grown and what does well in sun and shade,” she explained. “They’re growing everything from tomatoes to eggplant, cucumbers to green beans. They even have a weed-pulling contest!” Under the guidance of “Queen Bee” Marcy Bujarski – who has been a Master Gardener since 2011 – program participants also maintain beehives and harvest honey.

Between the two projects, Laura had already accrued 97 hours of volunteer work by the end of July, so a Busy Bee is most certainly in her future. All three heartily recommend the program and are glad they’ve made the commitment. “It’s good for anyone who has the time, enjoys the outdoors, and wants to make the day better for others by beautifying things,” Laura said, “and that makes people smile.”

by Dixie Land, Magnolia Chronicle

There’s nothing like a scorching Arkansas summer to make gardeners long for hardy plants that don’t require a lot of time out in the sun fussing over them. Felder Rushing’s “Tough Plants for Southern Gardens: Low Care, No Care, Tried and True Winners” may be just the remedy to help folks become smarter gardeners.

“This book is about unkillable plants. Its aim is to increase the number of people who garden – without a lot of ‘bells and whistles’ science – by highlighting what decades of experience have shown to be the toughest survivors of the South,”

Felder Rushing

The chapters of this book are packed with information about gardening in the four regions of the South: upper, middle, lower and coastal. 

Rushing’s recipe for a successful garden: Find plants that grow whether tended or not, and combine them to create a pleasant landscape. His candidates had to meet these standards: an heirloom plant that is pretty and/or fragrant; should grow in ordinary soil with little or no watering or fertilizer; can tolerate local climate and weather extremes; be resistant to pests and diseases; is relatively “no fuss” and easy to care for in off-seasons; and can be found locally at garden centers or from mail-order sources. 

You’ll be familiar with many of these plants because over the years, some have been shared by other enthusiastic gardeners who want to pass along a few of their favorites. There are sections about annuals, bulbs, perennials, shrubs, trees and vines with recommendations for beginners as well as experts. Each entry includes a plant description, a list of different varieties, soil requirements, propagation and tips, as well as a brief overview. 

Author Felder Rushing

Also included are short chapters about low-maintenance lawn care, ornamental grasses, and tough tropical plants for indoors or porches. You’ll also discover fast-reference lists of plants for heavy soils, shade or special uses. To make sure plants get a good foundation, there are quick tips about preparing garden beds, landscaping ideas and easy directions on garden shortcuts to save time, money and work.

Here’s just a handful of the popular plants that are reviewed: black-eyed Susan, celosia, cosmos, larkspur, penta, salvia, caladium, lily, iris, liatris, amsonia, aster, phlox, sedum and yarrow. And that’s a very small sample.

There’s also some wild card suggestions, such as using tall, leafy “Burgundy” okra in large containers or as a background for summer flowers to add interest. 

Photos from Felder Rushing’s blog

This is a fun guide that’s entertaining as it entices you to reach beyond the same choices, year after year. A fellow author described Rushing as “a good old, hands-in-the-dirt gardener” who “has a true sense of the real South and a true love for people.” He added that Rushing has a soft spot for bottle trees and tire planters (see felderrushing.blog for some colorful examples) and collects photographs of “outlandishly tacky gardens.” 

It’s an invitation to forget the rules and “just enjoy growing stuff.”

by Colleen Ussery, Magnolia Chronicle

When we think of bees, we usually think of honey and hives. However, honeybees are only one of over 20,000 species of bees worldwide with around 3500-4000 bee species native to the US. Arkansas has between 450-600 different species of native bees. Most native bees make neither honey nor hives – most are solitary, nesting either in the ground or in cavities such as hollow stems or holes in old wood. Ground nesting bees will dig holes in bare ground where they lay their eggs. They will lay one egg in a small cell in the ground, put in a store of nectar and pollen, seal it up then make the next cell and do the same. When the eggs hatch, the larva will feed on the store of pollen and nectar. The adults die after the eggs are laid, and the offspring will emerge in the spring and begin the cycle again. Cavity nesting bees go through much of the same process using hollow stems or fallen logs. Many bees in the world are threatened with extinction. How can we help?

Photo by Colleen Ussery; bumblebee on Echinacea purpurpea

Avoid using pesticides of any kind because they will kill pollinators in addition to the
pests. And enjoy watching bees as they buzz from flower to flower collecting pollen and nectar,
pollinating our gardens and farms.

This article was written as a project for Pollinator Steward Certification.
Recommended references: Common Native Bees of the Eastern United States, by Heather Holm; 100 Plants to Feed the Bees, by the Xerces Society; pollinatorpartnership.ca; pollinatorpartnership.org; Bringing Nature Home, by Douglas Tallamy; arkansasheritage.com

Where Glass Grows Wild and Ceiling Watching is a Thing

by Sheryl Porter, Magnolia Chronicle

If you’re anything like me, the idea of visiting a garden conjures up images of lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and maybe a nice shady bench where you can sit and plan your next garden center purchase. But on a recent trip to Seattle, I stumbled upon a garden that flipped all those expectations upside down. I’m talking about the Chihuly Garden and Glass, a place where plants play second fiddle to some truly mind-blowing glass art.

I was in Seattle for a bit before setting sail on an Alaskan cruise (which, by the way, was as spectacular as advertised). I decided to check out Chihuly Garden and Glass, having heard it was a must-see. Spoiler alert: It did not disappoint.

Meet the Man Behind the Magic: Dale Chihuly

Now, I’ve seen my fair share of talented gardeners, but Dale Chihuly? He’s a wizard with glass. This guy has turned what is essentially melted sand into something that will make you question everything you thought you knew about art—and maybe even reality.

Chihuly was born in Tacoma, Washington, and studied glass in the 1960s. He has since become a world-renowned artist, famous for his innovative glass sculptures that often look more like something you’d find in an underwater coral reef than in a museum or garden.

The Glasshouse: Where Ceiling Watching is a Sport

Imagine stepping into a gigantic, transparent greenhouse, only instead of plants, you’re greeted by a massive, suspended glass sculpture that seems to defy gravity. This thing is 100 feet long and 25 feet high, and it’s made up of individual pieces of red, orange, yellow, and amber glass that swirl together in a way that’s almost hypnotic.

The Galleries: A Glassy Wonderland

Next up, I wandered into the Galleries, which are essentially a series of rooms showcasing different collections of Chihuly’s work. Each room feels like its own little world, with themes ranging from the ocean to the Persian Empire to chandeliers.

The Persian Ceiling was one of my favorites. The entire ceiling is covered in colorful glass shapes that look like they belong in a Dr. Seuss book. The light filters through them so that the entire room is bathed in a kaleidoscope of colors. And then there’s the chandelier room, where the chandeliers are made of glass tendrils that twist and curl in every direction. It’s like walking through a scene from a Tim Burton movie—if Tim Burton was more into rainbows.

The Garden: Not Your Meemaw’s Flower Bed

Imagine your typical garden—roses, hydrangeas, maybe a few carefully pruned shrubs—and then toss that idea out the window. The Chihuly Garden is filled with towering glass sculptures that mimic natural forms, like flowers and plants, but with a twist. These glass creations are scattered among actual plants, creating a blend of natural and man-made beauty that is truly unique.

One minute you’re admiring a vibrant blue glass “flower” that’s taller than you, and the next, you’re noticing how perfectly it complements the real-life greenery around it. It’s like Mother Nature and Dale Chihuly had a baby, and this garden is the result.

Final Thoughts: A Garden Worth Every Glass Shard

Chihuly Garden and Glass is not your typical garden. There are no weeds to pull, no soil to amend, and no plant labels to squint at while wondering if you’ve planted that hydrangea in the right spot. Instead, it’s a celebration of art, color, and creativity that will leave you inspired—perhaps even to try something a little out of the box in your own garden.

So, if you ever find yourself in Seattle, do yourself a favor and spend some time at Chihuly Garden and Glass [click here for weblink]. Just remember to look up every now and then—there’s a whole lot of beauty above your head too!

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