Nl september 14

11

...for discerning weeders

September, 2014 An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication

WEED OF THE MONTH by L. Morris

Sonchus

arvenis,

perennial

sowthistle..

Also

known as:

creeping

sow thistle,

milk thistle, corn sow-thistle, sevine-thistle, tree

sow-thistle and dindle.

This perennial weed shows up in my septic

drain field. This makes sense since it will not

thrive in coarse sandy soils and prefers slightly

alkaline to neutral, fine-textured, rich soils. The

leaf shape resembles a dandelion or chicory but

it has spines along the leaf margins.

Perennial sowthistle spreads by rhizomes and

the flowers are very similar to that of the dande-

lion. The flowers are not single blooms and the

flower stalk has sparse leaves.

Often confused with prickly lettuce and other

sowthistles, perennial sowthistle propagates

readily by seed. Control measures begin with

frequent monitoring. Seedlings may be removed

by hand. However, once the plant is established,

it is almost impossible to remove the entire root.

Herbicides such as 2,4-D, clophyraid, dicamba,

glyphosate, and picloram must be applied at the

pre-bud or bud stage. Mowing will prevent flow-

er production but seeds from previous blooms

may easily be transported via mowing equip-

ment. Reapplication of chemical controls will

probably be necessary. For more information on

this tenacious weed www.unce.unr.edu/

publications/files/nr/2003/FS0354.pdf

INSIDE THIS

ISSUE

Conference

Info

2

Events 3-4

Plentiful bugs 5

From Your

Gardens

6

Accidental

pests

7-8

Wildlife Hap-

penings

8

Updates and

info

9

Pretty but

Invasive

10

All A-Buzz 10-11

Pagoda

Flower

12

Book Review 13

Recipe

Round-up

13

Last Word 14

HAVE YOU

LOGGED ON TO

VMS LATELY?

DON’T FORGET TO KEEP

YOUR HOURS UP TO DATE!

Normally, Larry would be writing this column.

However, since he’s been super busy—there will

be a stand-in columnist this month. (We’re bet-

ting he writes a column way in advance now!)

There is a lot going on. The Home Show is the

13th and 14th. If you haven’t signed up yet, do

so. There’s plenty to do. You could assist the

presenters, man the booth...plenty of work.

Speaking of work, the Nursery still needs volun-

teers. We all know the weather has been a tad

warm. This means the more folks who show up

early on Friday’s...the sooner the work is done.

Office coverage is improving a bit. We still have

plenty of openings.

Fall is coming and so is the fall vegetable gar-

dening program. This is always a well attended

event.

Don’t forget that the district conference will be

in October.

More infor-

mation may

be found on

page 2!

September

29th is a

landscape

work day at

the

Crestview Extension Office. We will be starting

the process of re-doing the front beds and the

beds in the parking lot. Stay tuned for the an-

nouncement!

We have a few new folks who have contributed

to this edition of The Compost Pile! It’s our pub-

lication so the more folks who participate the

better and more informative it will be.

Stand-in columnist signing off.

COORDINATOR’S CORNER by L. Williams

22

We are happy to announce the opening of registration for the 2014 Northwest Extension Dis-trict Master Gardener Conference in Milton, FL. The preconference tour on Thursday, October 9 will highlight the cooperative efforts of the University of Florida and community organi-zations to promote butterfly awareness and conservation. The advanced training sessions on Friday, October 10 will offer opportunities for veteran Master Gardeners to build knowledge that will benefit local communities through Extension education. There will be a total of six continuing education credits available for volunteer recertification.

Please find attached the conference details and registration information. We encourage Master Gar-

deners to register online at http://www.eventbrite.com/e/2014-northwest-district-master-gardener

-conference-tickets-12808631963. If you are not able to register online, please call Beth Bolles

(Escambia County MG Coordinator) at 850-475-5230 or Mary Derrick (Santa Rosa County MG Co-

ordinator) at 850-623-3868 for registration assistance.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

33

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

You can find even more events by going to the member web

site: www.ocmgamembers.org and click on the calendar

page. Events throughout the Panhandle are listed. Simply

click on the event and you’ll see all the pertinent infor-

mation!

Emerald Coast Home Show

September 13th and 14th

Emerald Coast Convention Center

http://www.emeraldcoasthomeshow.com/

http://www.flawildflowers.org/events/2014

-wildflower-symposium.html

FLORIDA’S CERTIFIED PILE BURNER PROGRAM

FRIDAY

SEPTEMBER 12, 2014

OKALOOSA COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE

3098 AIRPORT ROAD

CRESTVIEW, FL

8AM TO 4:30PM

REGISTRATION REQUIRED!

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT

JENIFER BEARDEN AT [email protected] or

850-689-5850

http://okaloosa.ifas.ufl.edu/ag/2014/08/15/certified-pile-burner-class/

44

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

Click on the images to open up a link to the

specific event page.

http://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/art_garden/index.shtml

FALL INTO VEGETABLE GARDENING

September 9th, 16th and 23rd

6pm to 7:30pm

Okaloosa County Extension Office

3098 Airport Road

Registration is required!

Call 850-689-5850

$30 per person or $45 per couple

Tri-County Horticulture Studies Group

Meetings and Activities for 2014

Meetings 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon, lunch optional

September 18 Coordinator: Joyce Waters-Smith

Location: Grace Lutheran Church, 4325 Commons

Drive, Destin (fellowship hall)

Speaker: Karen Kirk Williams, Master Gardener, Rose

Grower, “Planting Roses in Fall”

Activity: Visit Laura Hall’s Garden (address announced

at meeting)

Lunch: 790 on the Gulf (2996 Scenic HWY 98, Destin-

850-650-4853) Located in the Inn at Crystal Beach

October 16 Coordinator: Lynda Penry

Location: McMahon Environmental Center on Butler

Circle, Crestview

Speaker: Maria Wilson, Okaloosa County Forester,

“Trees” – those on site

Activity: Travel to Holt to visit Oliver’s Nursery (4550

Kelly Mill Rd, Holt)

Lunch: Picnic. Bring a sack lunch and drink. Tables available at

nursery.

November 20 Coordinators: Brenda Jordon and Marie Har-

rison

Location: Emerald Coast Nursery

Speaker: Designer for Leslie Odom, Owner of Nursery,

“Designs for Christmas”

Activity: On site. Emerald Coast Nursery is a great place

to shop.

Lunch: Ruby Tuesdays, Niceville

“Mondays in the Garden”

September 15th

Room 4902

PSC Milton Campus

10am

Gingers

General Membership Meeting

September 24th

9am

Shalimar Baptist Church

55

Well documented is the fact that the number of pollinators is

diminishing worldwide. We know of the plight of the honeybee

and the greatly diminished populations of butterflies and other

pollinators. Also stated again and again and beginning to be un-

derstood by concerned people is the fact that our food supply is

directly related to pollinator activity, and that pollinator activity

depends greatly on the availability of diverse plants that support

them.

We as intelligent humans, know that we must eat in order to sur-

vive. Have we extended this obvious fact to include all the other

creatures that share our planet? They, too, must have suste-

nance. Plants are the lifeblood of all living creatures, as they pro-

vide not only the air we breathe, but also either directly or indi-

rectly, the food we eat. Plants alone have the ability to use the

sun’s energy, and through the process of photosynthesis, turn

that energy into food.

Herbivorous insects play a very important role in the food chain.

They eat plants and convert the plant tissues to insect tissues

which provide food for even more species. Terrestrial birds, for

example, depend on insects to feed their young. Bird populations

of any given area have a direct relationship to the insect popula-

tion. If we want to share our space with birds, we must provide

food and habitat for the insects they eat. If we want to see butter-

flies, we must grow plants that feed their caterpillars as well as

supply nectar for the adults.

The overriding message is that by providing a diverse ecosystem,

we support the insects which in turn support us. We realize more

and more that not just any plant will work. Some plants will not

feed insects, while others do the job quite well. The plants that

are not working in our ecosystems are by and large not native to

our region. Native insects have not learned to eat most alien

plants. Even though some alien plants may provide some food,

scientists report that insects almost always choose a native plant

over an alien species when given a choice (Tellamy, 2007). We all

have heard the horror stories about alien species that proliferate

at alarming rates and form dense monocultures. In such cases,

insect populations decline because the alien has out-competed

the native plants that fed the insects for millennia.

Man as a species has done much to diminish biodiversity. We

have cut down forests, drained wetlands, and plowed under prai-

ries. In their places we have built cities, highways, buildings,

shopping malls, and factories. In short, man has decimated

much of the habitat that once supported a diverse array of in-

sects, and consequently, a vast number of other species that once

populated these areas. Our country will never have any more

land than it presently has, and portions of it that can support

insects and other life forms are disappearing at an alarming rate.

In spite of these potentially dire circumstances, all is not lost.

Man has within his capability the power to reverse the trend and

to restore at least some of the diversity that once existed on our

planet. Our power derives from choices we make. Very specifical-

ly, we can create a garden to attract pollinators, such as butter-

flies, bees, hummingbirds, and others. It is known that a garden

that attracts pollinators also attracts other creatures. The pres-

ence of a variety of insects is an indicator of a healthy ecosystem.

Listed below are several things we can do to aid the pollinators

and increase biodiversity.

Help control the spread of invasive species by refusing to

plant them in our gardens and by removing any that already

exist.

Join community work groups to remove invasive plants

from natural areas.

Provide insects and pollinators with nutrition and resources

for raising their young.

Integrate native plants into our gardens, no matter the gar-

den’s size.

Talk to neighbors and show by example just how beautiful a

garden filled with native plants can be and how much the

wildlife that is attracted to it can enrich our lives.

Some knowledge is required to put these plans into action. Many

people do not know a native plant from an exotic invasive plant.

Some of their most treasured plants provide nothing to the eco-

system at large. As a matter of fact, gardeners often seek out

plants for their gardens that are pest free. They want no bug, no

butterfly – nothing to chew on the leaves of the plants in their

gardens. If they see a bug or caterpillar, they run for the insecti-

cide.

Some of our eyes have been opened, and we are becoming more

and more aware of the intricate processes that connect all life

forms. The future of our biodiversity is dim unless we learn to

share our earth with the plants and creatures that evolved here.

There is much to learn, but it is never too late to start. Your

choices can make a difference.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

A WORLD WITH PLENTIFUL BUGS IS A GOOD THING!

by M. Harrison

66

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

FROM YOUR GARDENS

It’s so nice when we get photos from our members of their gar-

dens and of the sometimes unique finds they come across!

Mother dove with her young. Photo courtesy of D.

Hickenbotham

Native h

ibiscu

s. Ph

oto

courtesy o

f L. P

enry

Ho

stas. Ph

oto

cou

rtesy of L

. Pen

ry

Pine lily. Photo courtesy of D. Hickenbotham

The Jokester

Change is inevitable.....except from a vending machine.

77

As we fight the never-ending battle against undesirable insects

and plant diseases, did you ever wonder where they all come

from? I posed this question to the internet and here's one re-

sponse: "If you build it (or plant it) they will come... I think it

happened when Eve ate the Apple?? " Well, maybe. Other likely

explanations are that they come in under their own steam

(flying, creeping, crawling, hitching a ride on birds or other crit-

ters, and other modes of movement), or the wind and weather

bring them in. What you may not have considered is the possibil-

ity that you might inadvertently be bringing insects and plant

diseases into your own garden! We can do little about insect mi-

grations or the weather but you may be surprised that some of

your normal activities could be responsible for spreading insects

and diseases and some of them are quite serious. Here are just a

few things to consider:

Firewood: If you have a wood-burning fireplace and you are

not careful about where your firewood comes from, you may well

be accidentally helping to spread some devastating tree diseases,

such as laurel wilt, sudden oak death, beech bark disease, sud-

den oak death, and oak wilt. Firewood can also transport many

invasive insects such as the emerald ash borer, sirex wood wasp,

Asian longhorned beetle, and the gypsy moth. The regulation

governing the movement of commercial shipments of firewood is

this: Florida regulates the entry of out-of-state firewood and oth-

er wood products into the state under its plant protection laws

and rules. All types of out-of-state firewood are prohibited via

this regulation- hardwood, softwood, seasoned and green- unless

the firewood is accompanied by a permit issued by the state

plant protection organization at origin. There are also limited

exemptions for sources of firewood within 50 miles of the Flori-

da state border and for commercial businesses with a valid per-

mit. Florida also regulates the movement of firewood and other

wood products within the State. Most of the Florida State Parks

prohibit gathering firewood on site and encourage the purchase

of local firewood for camping. Within the state of Florida, multi-

ple state authorities highly encourage both residents and visitors

to use local sources of firewood (within 50 miles of where it will

be transported and used) to prevent the movement of pests.

(http://tinyurl.com/nanz6m4) Know where your firewood

comes from! If it's not local (within 50 miles) then be sure the

distributor has complied with the law as stated. You can read the

regulation in detail here: http://tinyurl.com/oo5gsbu

If you are a camper and use firewood while camping, you are

asked to follow these guidelines to help curb the spread of in-

sects and disease:

1. Leave firewood at home and purchase aged firewood near

your campsite location. Many parks offer firewood for sale at a

reasonable price or private sellers will have it available just out-

side the park.

2. Firewood purchased at or near your destination should be

used during your camping vacation. Don’t leave any unused

wood behind and don’t take it with you to another destination.

3. If you can't burn your wood, donate it to a fellow camper.

4. When buying firewood, make sure you receive pieces that are

dry and have either little bark or bark that is loose (a sign that

the wood is very dry). Not only will this reduce the threat of

spreading diseases, your fire will be easier to start.

5. Reduce your need for an open fire by cooking over gas or

charcoal when possible.

More details are available here: http://tinyurl.com/oqwq55k

and here is a video on this subject: https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=Wt5sKDRd6XI

Christmas Trees and Greenery: You've probably guessed by

now that the same authorities who are trying to prevent the

spread of disease and insects via firewood would also by necessi-

ty have to be Grinches when it comes to fresh-cut Christmas

trees. Yes, those lovely trees from other states can be sources of

the gypsy moth, the sirex woodwasp and the pine shoot beetle.

You are encouraged to buy your Christmas trees locally. Because

we have used an artificial tree for many years, I had no idea

there were cut-your-own Christmas tree farms in Florida but

there are indeed and some of them would be considered local:.

Here is a list for Florida: http://

www.pickyourownchristmastree.org/FLxmastrees.php And

here is another Christmas tree farm close by in Milton: http://

www.floridachristmastree.com/ In addition to cutting your own

Christmas tree, you are urged to buy wreaths and other greenery

locally from established businesses and not from roadside ven-

dors. If you

order wreaths

online be sure

you order from

a recognized

vendor–not

from an un-

known person

on sites like

eBay or

Craigslist that

may not be in

compliance

with important

quarantines or

regulations.

(continued on

page 8

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

ACCIDENTAL PESTS by K. Harper

88

ACCIDENTAL Cont’d.

Plant material, seeds, soils: Always inspect plants before

bringing them into your garden. Here's a photo that should give

you pause. It was taken by a North Carolina extension agent at

her local plant nursery: http://twitpic.com/1wsuu0 Most of us

would recognize that as a sick plant that should be destroyed but

it would also make me wonder about the other stock in a nursery

that didn't care enough to remove such an obviously diseased

plant from its display shelves. I'd also encourage you to resist

the marked-down reject plants that you see at some of our local

plant nurseries. I've fallen for those once in awhile and have

been afflicted with nothing more disastrous than a dead plant

within a couple of weeks. But it's worth remembering that plants

that haven't been properly cared for at the nursery are very likely

to be stressed and therefore susceptible to disease and insect

infestations and you don't want to introduce either into your

own landscape. Make a donation to charity if you feel the need

to rescue something. :) And while most of us know better than to

attempt to smuggle such things as citrus trees into Florida,

sometimes the temptation is great while traveling to bring home

a plant that catches your eye. Don't. But if you must, follow the

guidelines at this website. Page 2 includes instructions for ob-

taining a plant import permit from the USDA: http://

tinyurl.com/q7b3ewd I've purchased plants and seeds on eBay

several times and while most of them arrived with USDA plant

inspection stickers on the packaging, I can't honestly say if they

all have, so I've discontinued that practice.

Sod and soils can be a source of noxious (and obnoxious!) weeds

such as nutsedge that, once introduced into your yard can be

very difficult to eradicate. This article from the Clemson Cooper-

ative Extension describes some ways that nutsedge sneaks in to

our yards and how to combat it if it does: http://tinyurl.com/

kj6lmlt

And speaking of sod, I installed four pallets of St. Augustine sod

in my yard during July and one of the pallets contained a brown

recluse spider. Fortunately I recognized it immediately, de-

stroyed it, and then took care to wear gloves during the rest of

that project. As far as I could determine, it was one of a kind and

almost certainly hitched a ride in from the sod farm which is

located in the western panhandle. That incident sure kept me on

my toes for a day or two, inspecting every spider I saw verrrry

carefully.

The point is, we must be vigilant at all times to avoid accidentally

spreading harmful insects and plant diseases both inter- and

intrastate. Yes, there are comprehensive regulations in place to

help protect Florida but manpower to enforce the regulations in

many cases is limited. That means it's up to us to voluntarily

comply with the laws and, as master gardeners, to help educate

the public about them. Do what is within your ability to be part

of the solution, not the problem.

Finally, in an article about accidentally importing pests into your

home and garden, I would be remiss if I didn't mention some of

the more infamous incidents that have occurred. These all in-

volve snakes and, this is not to pick on Wal-Mart exclusively, but

there have been some fairly well-publicized incidents there of

snakes in the garden centers and/or in the bottled water dis-

plays: http://tinyurl.com/m6kjdbf http://tinyurl.com/m7p5fo8

And in the potato bin: http://tinyurl.com/o6lhlsb You really

have to love the store clerk who offered to refund her money for

the potatoes if she 'had a valid receipt.' To me, the snake would

have been sufficient proof that she really should get her money

back. :)

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

A cartoonist was found dead in is home. Details are sketchy.

WILDLIFE HAPPENINGS courtesy of www.wec.ufl.edu/extension

September is the month that brings the beginning of Fall. Here

are some interesting things to be on the look out for.

Birds:

*Get feeders ready for returning birds.

*Bald eagles return to nest sites and begin courtship.

Mammals:

*Gray bats migrate to Alabama caves for winter hibernation.

*Manatees start to concentrate in rivers, bays, and near power

plants.

Amphibians:

*Start listening for Spadefoot toads after heavy rains.

Fish:

*Atlantic sturgeon begin fall migration from the Suwannee and

Apalachicola Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico.

Invertebrates

*Blue crabs migrate from the shallow coast to deeper water for

the winter. Blue

crab “jubilee” also

begins along pan-

handle beaches.

99

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

UPDATES AND INFO by Editorial Staff

A reminder to check out the Master Gardener program on

Crestview Television! More programs should be getting done

very soon! http://www.cvctv.info/channel.cfm?category=The%

20Master%20Gardener&id=4430

UPDATED PUBLICATIONS

5-page fact sheet on the Convergent Lady Beetle, Hippodamia

convergens. It is one of the few natural enemies that are current-

ly wild-collected from mass aggregations for distribution to the

pest control industry. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1037

4-page fact sheet on the management of powdery mildew in

beans. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pp311

7-page fact sheet on Bagrada Bug, Painted Bug, Bagrada Hi-

laris. These have been detected on plant material in trucks trav-

eling across state borders. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1041

Purslane seeds can persist in the soil for up to 15 years. Vegeta-

tive shoot fragments can survive on the soil surface for extended

periods. This 4-page fact sheet covers the biology and manage-

ment of common purslane in fruiting vegetables, cucurbits, and

strawberries.. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs1238

There’s a new pest in town. The Bermudagrass stem maggot.

Bermudagrass is a dominant hay crop in Florida. 2-page fact

sheet. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag384

*A new master gardener update—Predictive and Diagnostic

Nutrient testing. http://mediasite.video.ufl.edu/Mediasite/

Play/914f38ca8c3b42d2b70cda471f447ae61d?

catalog=3b6fbad9-5764-4ada-b51f-ee04b1a0bfa1

INTERESTING ‘STUFF’

Did you know there is a honey bee research and extension lab?

http://entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/honeybee/

Do you save seeds? Tired of using zip lock bags? This handy link

has a downloadable .pdf that you can print out as many times as

you want. Cut out, fold and tape! Great seed packets that you’ll

love using! http://thepapermama.com/2013/09/seed-saver-

packet-printable

There are new recommendations for how you process your can-

ning lids. http://livinghomegrown.com/2014/08/changes-in-

canning-lid-procedures.html

September is preparedness month! Check out the Extension Dis-

aster Education Network http://eden.lsu.edu/Pages/default.aspx

If you want to attract more birds to your yard/landscape, you

might consider different kinds of bird feeders. Find out more at

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw192

We all know the importance of dental hygiene. Tell the truth,

when was the last time you gave any thought to cleaning your

toothbrush? http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/hot_topics/

families_and_consumers/clean_toothbrushes.html

Other than most of us have no idea how to pronounce Quinoa,

this nutritious seed may be used many ways. http://

edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/FY/FY140800.pdf (by the way, it is

pronounced KEEN-wah)

Lots of folks are preferring to remove as many chemicals from

their lives as possible. Check out natural products for pest man-

agement here http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in197

In honor of National Preparedness month, download the Home-

owners handbook to prepare for natural hazards here http://

solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/pdf/

FL_homeowners_handbook.pdf

Do you know how to properly dispose of pesticide waste? Do the

homeowners you are in contact with know? Print out this handy

9-page guide to proper pesticide waste disposal http://

edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/PI/PI01000.pdf

If you haven’t checked out the new and improved UF/IFAS Gar-

dening Solutions site, you really should. Packed with informa-

tional videos, plants, lawns, design and so much more! http://

gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/

Perennial peanut....as far back as 2002 there were news stories

about utilizing this plant as a substitute for lawns. Perhaps now

is the time to check out more ways to utilize this versatile plant

http://youtu.be/3_IvNDpzaMw

A vulture carrying two dead raccoons boards an airplane.

The flight attendant looks at him and says, “I'm sorry sir, only

one carrion allowed per passenger.”

Fall begins this month!

September 23rd is the

‘official’ start of fall.

Honest, cooler weather

will get here....eventually.

1010

PRETTY BUT INVASIVE by D. Stever

Mexican-petunia (also known as Mexican bluebell or Britton's

petunia) is described as a "hardy perennial edging plant for flow-

er beds and as colorful groundcovers." Scientific names include

Ruellia brittoniana, R. coerulea and R. tweediana. It quickly

became one of my favorite, as well as lots of other folk’s, land-

scape plant. As almost always seems to be the case with Florida

plants the Devil is in the details. It was introduced to Florida in

the 1940s. Since then it has naturalized in most counties in Flori-

da, plus in six other southern states, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the

Virgin Islands.

Mexican petunias are able to tolerate a wide range of growing

conditions, but prefer wet or marshy soils, such as moist wood-

lands or the edges of ponds and lakes. They can withstand

drought and even full sun in drier soils.

The plant’s showy flowers are short-lived, but they open over a

long period of time, beginning in early spring and continuing

until frost. The shrubs grow one to four feet high and about the

same in width. The wonderful “Blue” color is what is most ap-

pealing to us for our flower gardens.

There are tall cultivars of Mexican-petunia ("Purple Showers,"

pink-flowered "Chi Chi," and white-flowered "Snow White") as

well as dwarf cultivars ("Katies") in the three flower colors. All

these cultivars, with the exception of "Purple Showers" are fertile

and potentially invasive. In 2012 and 2013 three new sterile cul-

tivars developed at UF were released: "Mayan Purple," "Mayan

White," and "Mayan Pink."

Native alternatives to Mexican-petunia for use in home land-

scaping include wild petu-

nia (Ruellia caroliniensis),

blue curls (Trichostema

dichotomum), butterfly-

weed (Asclepias tuberosa),

or swamp milkweed

(Asclepias perennis).

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/

node/380

As mentioned ‘Katie’ is

another possible option. It

is a less aggressive, dwarf Ruellia that’s been named a Texas Su-

perstar by Texas A&M University, thanks to its beautiful blooms

and ease of care. ‘Katie’ grows about 6 inches high and is availa-

ble with purple, pink or white blooms. But it is fertile and propa-

gates by seed, so researchers from the University of Florida and

the Institute of Food and Agricultural Services at the University

of Florida do not recommend its use. http://

www.hgtvgardens.com/flowers-and-plants/growing-mexican-

petunias#sthash.Z3iIMgYq.dpuf

Mexican petunia is listed as a Category I invasive species by the

Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council. This means that it is "altering

native plant communities by displacing native species, changing

community structures or ecological functions, or hybridizing

with natives". This warning applies to all parts of the state of

Florida. Where hardy, the Mexican petunia excels at invading

wetlands. http://www.floridata.com/ref/R/ruellia.cfm

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

ALL A-BUZZ by P. Garrett

Hello friends! Most of you know

of my passion for pollinators,

with honeybees at the top of my

list! In articles for The Compost

Pile, I hope to increase your

knowledge of honeybees and

beekeeping practices, and also

to relay humorous stories of

beekeeping experiences and

growth since embarking on this road five years ago. To begin, I

will go back a little further into the past and relay my first intro-

duction to our beloved insect, Apis Mellifera…..

During the summer of my 13th year, I was visiting with my great

grandparents in Mountain City, Tennessee. I had always been

intrigued by those little white boxes on the hill behind the house

and how my great grandparents were able to “rob” those little

boxes of the sweetest honey and honeycomb I had ever tasted.

One day my great grandfather needed an “assistant” to work the

hives. I was eager to volunteer and was told not to worry in that

all I had to do was “smoke” the hives as he worked them. Little

did I know what I was getting into! My great grandfather told

me to go put some baggy clothes on and that he would have my

veil to protect my eyes and face when I arrived in the bee yard.

The only pants I had with me were skintight jeans and it wasn’t

long before I discovered this was NOT the best attire. When I

emerged from the house, my great grandfather said “I wouldn’t

wear those pants if I were you”, but I pretty much decided it was

better to look good when working the hives, than to feel good,

plus what choice did I have? My grandfather said ok, but you’ll

be sorry. He handed me a homemade “veil” that was an old

man’s felt hat fashioned with toile and drawstring to keep the

bees away from my eyes/face. One does not want to get stung in

the eye he told me as bee venom could blind a person. Ok, eye-

brows raised a bit….but I couldn’t back out now. He handed me

the “smoker” which was a bellows type apparatus that blew

smoke on the bees to “calm” them. What about me? Would the

smoke calm me too? I was getting more nervous by the minute.

He said something about the smoke making the bees think their

house is on fire and they would be less aggressive. I thought if

my house were on fire, I’d be MORE aggressive! Now I know the

smoke helps to “block” the “alarm pheromone” and prevents the

bees from communicating as well, so less threat is perceived. All

cont’d on page 11

1111

BUZZ cont’d.

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

of a sudden I felt a pain on one leg, then on the other, and more

and more sharp sensations when I looked down and saw bees

clinging to my tight jeans. I think I hobbled away that day with

more than a dozen stings in my legs and as we left the bee yard,

saw the smile on my great grandfather’s face.

Five years ago my husband, right out of the blue, said “let’s keep

bees”. I had PTSD flashbacks on the fateful summer day when I

was 13 and my grandfather saying “you’ll be sorry”….I looked at

my husband, mouth gaping wide and paused….despite the

“challenging” experience with my great grandfather, I said “yes,

let’s do it, why not”? I then asked him why he wanted to do it,

and he said “it will be fun, and besides, the bees need us back-

yard beekeepers”. He had just read an article on CCD (Colony

Collapse Disorder), and the plight of the honeybee. I read the

article and was full on board afterwards.

We began our journey by seeing an ad for UF’s Bee College held

in Marineland, Florida and in March 2010, after the weekend

course, we became official “graduates” from Bee College. At Bee

College, we were given the phone # to call to have an inspector

visit our home after our bee yard was up and running. Inspector

D. Corbin came with clipboard and forms in hand, and spent

about 3 hours here that day. He took a sample of about 50 bees

from one hive and drowned them in alcohol (that was very hard

for me to watch), so they could be sent to the lab at UF in

Gainesville to rule out Africanized honey bees (the only way to

tell for sure is by genetic testing and measurements of the leg – it

is impossible for the average person to differentiate and it must

be done in the lab).

It is the law that beekeepers register their hives. Additionally, no

colonies may be sold or purchased without a health certificate

issued by the Division of Plant Industry, Florida Department of

Agriculture and Consumer Services. They monitor the entire

apiary inspection program: http://www.doacs.state.fl.us/pi/

plantinsp/apiary/apiary.html (If you have a bee yard, then you

have an apiary). There are approximately 80 registered bee-

keepers in Okaloosa County, yet we know many more hives exist.

Hive inspection is critical to detect for diseases and Africanized

bees). (Incidentally, there have been NO Africanized bees found

in Florida North of Gainesville). The price of inspection is very

reasonable and must be renewed annually. One can own 1-5

hives and only pay $10 a year. 6-10 hives cost $20 a year etc.

One can obtain all necessary information from the web site:

www.freshfromflorida.com

Also, there are bee clubs in most every county in Florida. Our

organization here is called “Tri-County Beekeeper’s Association”

for Okaloosa, Walton & Santa Rosa Counties. We have over 30

members and we meet the last Tues. of every month at our

County Extension office on Airport Road from 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

The club is full of knowledgeable members that love to mentor!

As most of you know, beekeepers in our MG organization are

myself, S. Taylor, V. Grund & L. Buhrow. L. Krebs (she trans-

ferred to the Walton County Master Gardeners), is also a new

beekeeper and just had her first honey harvest!

Our state organization, The Florida State Beekeepers Associa-

tion, (http://floridabeekeepers.org) sponsors events around the

state, including a formal fall convention, and an electronic news-

letter.

With the advent of honeybee decline, there has been a growing

concern and resulting increase in beekeepers in the state of Flor-

ida. Currently, Florida has approximately 2,500 small-scale bee-

keepers, managing five or less colonies, and 300 full-time/side

liner commercial beekeepers.

I don’t want to forget local teleconferences/courses offered by

our Extension Office here. They too, have been amazingly in-

formative and helpful. Watch out for future events!

Bee trivia: During a honeybee’s lifetime, she makes 1/12 of a

teaspoon of honey…she (all worker bees and foragers are fe-

male), literally flies her wings off…. (two million flowers must be

tapped to make one pound of honey!!) Bless the bees……!!

Next article, we will begin with bee biology basics and more!

Sources: The Florida State Beekeepers Association and

www.freshfromflorida.com

DON’T FORGET!

We now have a full calendar on our member web-site! Click on the event and any additional infor-

mation will be posted for that event. This calendar is updated constantly so check back often.

www.ocmgamembers.org/Calendar.html

1212

PAGODA FLOWER by L. Vanderpool

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

During recent classes at the Extension Agency office building in

Santa Rosa County, I noticed a very attractive and large flower-

ing plant in the landscape. It was in full flower and was a striking

plant with huge leaves and a very large apical panicle of orange-

red flowers. The below information about the plant has been

copied from Floridata for you. Find the information at: http://

www.floridata.com/ref/c/cler_pan.cfm If you have a chance to

acquire one of these plants, it could add a very attractive accent

point to your garden.

Family: Verbenaceae (verbena or vervain Family)

Description: Pagoda flower is an erect, open semi-woody shrub

with large evergreen leaves and huge showy clusters of orange-

red or scarlet flowers held above the foliage. The bush sometimes

has multiple stems and gets three to five feet tall, spreading two

to three feet across. The leaves have heart shaped bases; lower

leaves are lobed and upper leaves entire. The handsome, tropical

looking leaves can be as large as 12 inches across. They are ar-

ranged in opposite pairs along the fast growing stems which of-

ten branch from the roots rather than from a single trunk. The

flowers are funnel shaped with long tubes. Although the individ-

ual flowers are only about one half inch long, they are arranged

in massive terminal panicles up to one foot or more in height.

The flowers within the pyramid shaped cluster are tiered, like a

Japanese pagoda. The showy display lasts from summer through

autumn with additional sporadic flowering throughout the year

in frost free climates.

Location: Pagoda flower is native to India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia

and much of southeastern Asia. It is widely cultivated in tropical

gardens throughout the world.

Culture: Pagoda flower is a fast growing, but short lived shrub.

It does best in a rich, slightly moisture retentive soil. Fertilize

regularly with a balanced fertilizer during the growing season.

Light: Full sun is best, but pagoda flower will tolerate partial

shade.

Moisture: Water freely during the growing season, but sparing-

ly during winter.

Hardiness:

USDA Zones 8 -

11. Pagoda flower

is a returning per-

ennial in zones 8B

and 9. It can be

expected to sprout

back in spring

after dying to the

ground in winter. Very severe winters may reduce the amount of

flowering. Plant it near a south facing wall for added protection

from cold winters. In frost free areas pagoda flower is a short

lived, evergreen shrub.

Propagation: Pagoda flower in cultivation often fails to pro-

duce fruit and seeds. The suckers that arise around the base of

the plant can be removed and replanted during fall or spring.

Root cuttings can be taken in winter. Semi-ripe stem cuttings

taken in summer can be rooted with bottom heat.

Usage: Pagoda flower is often grown in a mixed border or as a

specimen along a wall, even under an overhanging roof. This

long blooming perennial is a classic old favorite, grown in city

parks and cottage gardens throughout the Deep South. In frost

free areas it may produce flowers for most of the year. With its

lush tropical foliage, however, it is as beautiful in leaf as it is in

flower. Pagoda flower may produce numerous suckers and

spread itself around the garden, but it is not really invasive, and

rarely becomes a nuisance (it is a big plant that requires a large

space!)

Features: Glory bower (Clerodendrum splendens), bleeding

heart (C. thomsoniae), and the roadside weed, tubeflower (C.

indicum), are also members of this tropical genus which has

more than 400 species represented in Africa, the Pacific islands

and southern Asia. Sometimes you see the genus misspelled as

Clerodendron.

Many happy returns to:

C. Baker, J. Gillis, and G.

Speir

DON’T FORGET!

We are always on the lookout for neat links, updated infor-

mation, and ideas for future articles.

We also look forward to your pictures!

Recipes and anything else welcome!

Please submit your items before the 24th of each month.

Pictures should be in a jpeg format.

If you copy something, be sure to provide the source!

1313

BOOK REVIEW by M. Stewart

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014

This month, I am reviewing

two magazines instead of a

book. I saw an advertise-

ment for Heirloom Garden-

er and figured it was worth

a shot. $15 for the year (4

issues) seemed a bit steep

but since I am growing

more and more heirloom

varieties of vegetables and flowers...figured the more infor-

mation I could get the better. The magazine itself is well put

together. There are not a lot of ads to deal with (my pet peeve)

and the illustrations/photographs are really well done.

The articles, overall were well written. I noticed that some were

a bit light on the meaty information...but overall, they got the

point across. I especially enjoyed the article on David Landreth

(seeds) and on Jardin Ouvriers. These two articles were detailed

and very enjoyable to read.

Now, on the con side. This publication is definitely anti-GMO.

Be prepared to deal with a section called Frankenfood News—

Headlines from the World of Scary Food. Regardless of how you

feel about the topic, I have noticed quite a few magazines out

there who are jumping on the non-GMO bandwagon. It’s only

two pages and easy to skip should you desire. All in all, it appears

to be a fairly good publication. This was my first issue so I’m

reserving judgment until I see at least two more. For more infor-

mation go to www.heirloomgardener.com

The other magazine is From

Scratch. This is a free publi-

cation, simply sign up and

have it delivered to your in-

box. I can honestly say that

I’m hooked and hope sin-

cerely that they don’t

change. The photography is

fantastic and even though

there are articles I can’t

use...#1 it’s free and #2 who

doesn’t like seeing pictures

of cute goats and chickens?

There is a lot of gardening

information as well as DIY

projects that actual folks like

me and you could do! One issue had an article on growing plants

for their dying properties. Soap making, fermenting....loads of

interesting topics. You have to admit that the price is definitely

right....FREE. To sign up for your free issues go to

www.fromscratchmag.com

Are there magazines that you get and just couldn’t do without?

Let us know!

RECIPE ROUND-UP

This recipe is courtesy of The Maples in Bar Harbor, Maine. This

B&B is known for its fantastic breakfasts. Their stuffed French

toast recipe was also featured in Gourmet magazine!

Ingredients:

12 slices of thick bread, sliced and cubed (I used Challah)

2—8 ounce packages of cream cheese, cubed

1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries (okay, it’s not quite the same

without Maine blueberries but it was darned tasty using Florida

ones!)

10 eggs

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 cups milk

Spray or grease the bottom of a 9x13” baking dish. Place half of

the cubed bread in the pan. Spread the cream cheese cubes over

top and then distribute the blueberries. Finish by covering with

remaining bread.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, maple syrup and milk. Pour the

egg mixture over the bread. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and

refrigerate overnight (12 hours).

The following day, pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plas-

tic wrap and cover with the baking dish with foil. Bake on the

middle rack for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an ad-

ditional 20 to 30 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove

from oven and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.

For a totally decadent finish make a blueberry sauce. While the

French toast is baking, combine 1 cup water, 1 cup sugar, 2 table-

spoons corn starch and 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries. Cook

over medium heat

until sauce thickens

and blueberries have

softened. Remove

from heat and add 1

tablespoon butter

and an additional cup

of fresh or frozen

(thawed) blueberries.

Pour the sauce over

individual pieces and

serve warm.

1414

Your member site:

www.ocmgamembers.org

The Foundation for the Gator

Nation.....An equal opportunity

institution.

Have pictures or an idea for

an article?

Send it in!

Articles and pictures are

always welcome.

I, for

one, am

open to

wisdom

and in-

sight re-

gardless of

the source.

In this

case, a pirate movie. Think about it,

“The problem is not the problem. The

problem is your attitude about the

problem.” Whoa.......

I came across this immediately after

trying a new recipe for a cinnamon

bun/cake. It was a tedious recipe with

lots of ingredients. I was determined

that we would have this luscious con-

fection available for dessert. All ap-

peared well until the time of the unveil-

ing. Let’s just say that the result was

the culinary equivalent of the Hinden-

burg. The only saving grace was that for

a disaster, it smelled awfully good.

Trust me, I was not a happy camper.

What did I do wrong?

Enter in the inspiration (even pirates

have some redeeming qualities). Per-

haps, I hadn’t done anything wrong,

per se. It could have been the recipe or

any number of things that contributed.

The fact was, why get upset over it?

Okay, so it didn’t work—there are many

other recipes in the world and my oven

isn’t going on strike any time soon.

If you really think about it, how many

times do we create more of a problem

BECAUSE of our attitude about it?

Sure, problems are going to pop up all

the time...but I think it’s HOW we actu-

ally feel about the problem that makes

the difference.

Your garden could be invaded by

chamber bitter (whose isn’t???). You

could bemoan the fates, gnash your

teeth and rend your garments...OR you

could just get out there and deal with

the little green demons. Adding in ma-

niacal laughter as you yank and/or

spray helps immensely.

The lack of rain in my neck of the

woods is putting my new-found philos-

ophy to the test. Especially since I just

got my water bill. Yuck! Now, my lawn

is pitiful but at least it’s green...ish.

However, I dislike heartily a hefty wa-

ter bill. So, I can either run around in

sack-cloth and be the water police in

my house (neither of which has ap-

peal....no one looks good in sack cloth—

it itches) OR I can take a good hard

look at the landscape while it’s stressed.

What is working? What isn’t? Can cer-

tain plants be replaced with something

else that will tolerate these conditions?

Are there areas that can be converted?

Can I kill more lawn and not incur the

wrath of the HOA?

The funny thing was, I didn’t feel as

frustrated when I started looking at

alternatives and had a positive reaction

to the problem of the water usage. It

seemed that my brain functioned better

and I wasn’t clouded over by THE

PROBLEM.

Take that self-help books! The secret

isn’t in dealing with the problem...it’s in

HOW you deal with it! Keeping the so-

lutions (or at least the possibilities) in

the forefront actually makes the prob-

lem take a back seat. Sure, it’s still

there and you have to deal with it, but

keeping the solutions first means that

your focus and energy are on positive

things and not the negative ones.

So the next time you’re faced with a

problem, stop for a minute and think

about your attitude. Are you allowing

the problem to overwhelm you? Is the

problem taking up so much of your

time and energy that you can’t think of

solutions? Turn the tables on it! You’ll

be glad you did.

Until next time, see you under the

sprinklers!

M. Stewart —Editor

S. Farrell , K. Harper and S.

Berry—co-editors

LAST WORD By M. Stewart

An Okaloosa County Master Gardener Publication September, 2014