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The Garden Post Independence County Master Gardeners

University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service

Editor, Nelson Barnett— Editor Emeritus, Marie Fowler

March, 2016 Volume XXI Issue 3

St. Patrick's Day is an enchanted time - a day to begin transforming winter's dreams into

summer's magic. ~Adrienne Cook

Independence County

Master

Gardeners Thursday, March 10th

UAEX Extension Office

10 am—Program

Nathan Reinhart

Independence County

Extension Agent ,‘Pecan Tree Diseases’

10:30 am—Business Meeting

Our new class of Master Gardeners had their

first class session in Batesville on Wednesday,

March 2. There are 17 class members, with 4

from our county. They are off to a good start!

Alice the

Mycologist

by Alice Witterman

I am not a “real” mycologist but when I heard that

NAMA (North American Mycology Association) was

holding its annual foray in the Ozarks for the first

time ever, I investigated and quickly joined by pay-

ing the dues. It was held in early November 2013 at

Shepherd of the Ozarks, a lovely camp compound

near Marshall, and lasted four days. There were

about 200 people from all over North America.

Lectures and forays were offered concurrently dur-

ing the day as well as at our meals. There were vans

to take us to the foray sites. We could choose from

any of the activities plus enjoy a special program

after dinner. We who chose a foray were instructed

how to gather and label our specimens and if we

had enough possible edibles, harvest them for cook-

ing. Then the experts examined and identified our

collections. I learned there are “Hen of the Woods”

and also “Chicken of the Woods”. The “Hen” is also

called the Dancing Mushroom. It is a soft gray color.

The “Chicken” is a vibrant orange also known as the

Sulphur Shelf. Both of these are quite prized for edi-

bility and they form large clusters so they look ama-

DID YOU SEE THIS? By: Susan Shawver

Did you know the “superfood” known as chia

seeds are the same seeds that you use to make a

Chia Pet? They have a neutral flavor, nutty tex-

ture, lots of protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids.

They “come from the Salvia hispanica plant native

to Mexico and Guatemala”, according to the Janu-

ary, 2016, issue of Better Homes and Gardens

Magazine.

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Continued from Page 1

zing. One lady found one about

two feet in diameter. (The pho-

to at right is Benn Witterman’s

hand with a “Chicken of the

Woods”.)At the end of the for-

ay there was a session called

“Mycophagy”. I learned that

Mycophagy is the cooking and

eating of wild mushrooms.

There was a team of cooks who’d been working all

afternoon preparing a variety of tasty dishes for us

to sample.

My husband Benn and I used to enjoy finding and

identifying wild mushrooms. He was especially

thrilled to find oyster mushrooms as they are very

delicious. Once we found some morels, but never

again. We learned how to identify them by studying

books. We didn’t really care if they were edible or

not; we just liked to try and identify them.

One of my new mushroom friends from that foray

lives in Jacksonville, AR. She and her husband grow

their own shitake mushrooms on special logs. She

has taught me about hunting and cooking chante-

relles. I’ve found some in my yard here in Spring Val-

ley and you might also get lucky. Look for them in

summer, about July. They are easy to identify: or-

ange and vase shaped with decurrent gills (extending

down stalk). You slice them, saute in olive oil and/or

butter, season with garlic salt and enjoy with bread

of your choice. Don’t bother about incorporating in a

fancy recipe; just enjoy them for a snack.

There is an Arkansas Mycology Association the

meets and goes on forays. I’ve gone on one or two

but it’s hard to fit in my busy schedule. I did join a

small group for a morel foray in the Lake Sylvia area

with only slight success, but had lots of fun anyway.

The leader and president, Jay Justice, knows the

“spots” and obtains permission for us. Morels have a

black spongy conical top and white stems. They are

from the top looking down. In my excite-

ment I tripped and fell flat on the forest

floor. While down there I looked around

and spotted the white stems. I was un-

hurt and thrilled to have found some!

The 2016 NAMA Foray is to be September

8-11 at Front Royal, Virginia. Would any-

one like to join me for that? Or maybe

one of the Arkansas forays?

And. . . mushrooms just aren’t for eating.

Some artists like to use them to make paper and

dyes. Photographers also love them for their unique

beauty. There is so much to learn!

Movie

Review By: Philipina Martin-

Shawver

Do you subscribe to

Netflix? If so, here

are a couple of interesting shows available on

Netflix you may want to check out.

“A Year in Burgundy”, rated 4 stars, this is a won-

derful documentary about the Burgundy wine

region of France. Whether you imbibe or not,

the information regarding growing the vines and

harvesting the grapes, is very educational and

entertaining.

“Rosemary & Thyme” is a TV series from the BBC

that ran in 2006 for three seasons. This series is

rated 4 ½ stars and is in the murder mystery gen-

re (but not too graphic). The key characters are

a retired botany professor, who has started a

landscaping business, and her assistant or side-

kick, a retired woman police officer. Everything

revolves around their landscaping business so

there are lots of gardens and plant dialog. This

show is entertaining and actually educational at

times.

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The Old Fashioned Nandina –

Love Me or Love Me Not?

By: Susan Shawver

Listed as a Southern Heritage Plant by The Southern Living Garden

Book, Nandina domestica is a “cherished Southern plant that most of us grew

up with, handed down, and expect to see in our beds and borders today. When

you encounter one in either a fancy garden or a simple swept yard, you know

you’re in the South.”

On the other hand, the USDA – Forestry Service website lists Nandina

domestica as an invasive species. It says this species is reported in most south-

ern states and lists Arkansas as an “epicenter for nandina in forests. It has es-

caped intended plantings and found along roadsides and vacant lots in Kentucky

and Ohio. It is reported to be invasive by the National Park Service in FL, GA,

NC, and TN.” The USDA warns, “It colonizes by spreading underground root

sprouts and by animal-dispersed seeds. It can persist as a seedling for several

years before maturing. It can displace native species and disrupt plant commu-

nities.”

So how do you feel about the nandina – do you love it or not? Here are

a few things to consider before you dig up your existing plant or decide to plant

a new one.

Nandina domestica originates from China and Japan and was brought to England in 1804. Japan has a nation-

al Nandina society due to the popularity of this plant where over 65 cultivars have been named. And according to

Wikipedia, “In Shanghai berried sprays of nandina are sold in the streets at New Year, for the decoration of house al-

tars and temples.” So while it is popular, it is not native to North America.

Nandina domestica, a/k/a Heavenly Bamboo or Sacred Bamboo, is often seen in old homesteads, cemeteries

and overgrown gardens. It is trouble-free, disease, deer and rabbit resistant, and requires minimal care once estab-

lished.

This nandina is a semi-evergreen shrub grown for its lance shaped leaves and colorful foliage, fruit and flow-

ers. It is a clumping plant with cane-like stems. It will grow up to 7 feet tall and 5 feet wide. Hardy in zones 6-9, it is

frost hardy and can handle heat and cold. It will bloom in midsummer with small white flowers that produce bright

red berries during the winter months and provides a beautiful fall foliage. It is truly a year-round plant for your land-

scape.

Nandina grows best in well-drained soil (and tolerates drought conditions) and in full sun to partial shade. It

will have brighter leaf color in the sun. Maintain the desired height by pruning each stalk to a different height and/or

cutting one third of the stalks to the ground each year. It will put off root runners that can easily be pulled up and cut

back to the main plant.

Because this plant is so easy to grow, it is not surprising it survives easily once introduced in the wild. How-

ever, one of the biggest concerns is the death of birds that might feed on the berries.

According to Wikipedia, the problem comes with the fact that “all parts of the plant are poisonous, contain-ing compounds that decompose to produce hydrogen cyanide, and could potentially be fatal if ingested. The plant is placed in Toxicity Category 4, the category "generally considered non-toxic to humans," but the berries are consid-ered toxic to cats and grazing animals…… In general, the purchase or continued cultivation of non-sterile varieties in the southeastern United States is discouraged.”

The most balanced information I found was the following comments by George Weigel on Pennlive.com: “The bird-killing reports are fairly new. Nandinas have long been considered a bird -friendly plant because of the winter fruits that robins, cardinals, mockingbirds, cedar waxwings and others devour.

However, in 2009, researchers investigating dozens of dead cedar waxwings in Georgia traced the deaths

to cyanide poisoning – a result of the birds gorging themselves on nandina berries and overdosing. Nandi-

na fruits – like 2,000 other plants – contain small amounts of cyanide. The theory resulting from that is

that cedar waxwings are particularly prone to nandina poisoning because of how they tend to gorge -feed

when they find a food to their liking.

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The Good Earth

Garden Center MARCH

Visit your garden center! Now is a great time to shop for new and exciting plants.

This is a good time to plant cool season vegetable garden with

broccoli, lettuce, cabbage, onion, potato and spinach. Herbs pars-ley and cilantro also like these cooler temperatures.

Trim the old growth off ever-green groundcovers like liriope and mondo grass before the new growth gets too tall.

Prepare the soil in your land-scape beds with soil amend-

ments such as lime and organic material.

Prune boxwoods, hollies and oth-er evergreen shrubs this month or early April. http://www.thegoodearthgarden.com/

learning-center/arkansas-gardening-calendar/

Latin 101 By: Susan Shawver

Following is a direct quote from Dave’s

Weekly Gardening Newsletter for January

18, 2016:

Quercus

(KWER-kus)

Quercus is the ancient Latin name for Oak

trees, symbolizing strength. Oaks are the national

trees of several nation including England, Estonia,

France, Germany, the United States and Wales.

In ancient times, oak trees were sacred to

the gods Jupiter and Thor. The Bible refers to

oak trees in stories of Jacob and Joshua. In the

mid-400s BC, Herodotus wrote that oak trees

contained the gift of prophecy within their boughs.

Oak trees are hardwood trees native to the

northern hemisphere; hundreds of species are

known to exist. There are both deciduous and ev-

ergreen species growing from cold latitudes to the

tropical regions of Asia, Europe and North

America.

In 1911, John Uri Lloyd described the as-

tringency of the bark of white oak, and its use in

dysentery and hemorrhages. The acorns (which is

from the Old English, meaning fruit or berry) have

been used for food by man and animals for centu-

ries.

In the late 1800s, the pithy quote "Mighty

oaks from little acorns grow" first appeared in a

U.S. newspaper.

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Alice Malsenior Walker (born February 9, 1944) is an American novelist,

short story writer, poet, and activist. She wrote the critically acclaimed

novel The Color Purple (1982) for which she won the National Book

Award and the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.[2][a][3] She also

wrote Meridian and The Third Life of Grange Copeland, among other

works.

Did

You

See

This?

By Susan Shawver

Tere was a cute article in

Rodale’s Organic Life

January/February, 2016,

issue entitled Perfectly

Imperfect. The writer

tells of having a vision of

the perfect organic gar-

den and keeps putting

off getting started on it

until she felt she could

do it perfectly. Needless

to say, there was no gar-

den until her husband

just started digging and

did it all wrong. But they

had a producing garden.

Her conclusion was,

“here’s what my hus-

band knew: that it’s

better to have an imper-

fect organic garden, a

funny-looking garden, a

garden full of experi-

ments and mistakes,

than a perfect garden

that might never exist.”

How true, how true!

Anybody out there have

a perfect organic gar-

den?