Garland Native Plant Society
"September 19th at 2:30 pm.
Topic: “Fall Blooming Native Grasses" by John Snowden. He will be talking about the beautiful fall-blooming grasses blooming in landscapes around Dallas.
Contact Brigette Vinton at 972-348-5295 or bvinton@alldata.net for details.
Organic Seminar for Garden Enthusiasts
I am so pleased to have been told by Karen Gilley, store manager at Rohde’s that we were going to have a seminar here in October. It took very little convincing for her to get me to agree how important of an event this could be.
Well it took very little time to find speakers whom we thought would be informative and entertaining enough to hold the attention of the attendees for two days.
The lectures are geared up to give us a to z of organic landscaping.
Saturday October 2nd
9:30 am: Starting with Warren Johnson. Warren Johnson is a man of many talents and one who contains many years of learned knowledge not only through college degrees but, in my book, more importantly through trial and error. His experience with composting dates back to the late 1800’s, shortly after he was born, and has led him through life as one of the best representatives any compost company could hire. Well, ok, I exaggerated about his being born in the 1800’s, but to listen to him talk about his experiences in life, you wonder how he was to do so much, he just has to be old.
Warren has been representing cotton bur compost companies since 1985, and before that he did landscaping. It was while doing landscaping, that he found out about cotton bur compost, and pursued a career that allowed him to expound on the benefits of this wonderful compost. This is about the time that I met Warren, and the reason for using cotton bur compost on 95 percent of our landscape installations. When you listen to Warren you will find out how to compost your garden waste, and what benefits you can have when combining your compost with other ingredients.
11:00 am: Bed Prep for landscape and gardens. Not that I am a great speaker, but I feel adequate enough to explain the different products, that our company uses in bed preparations, for landscape and or edible gardens. I have been in business for over thirty years, even though the first10 years were mostly in landscape maintenance. As some customers moved from one home to another, they asked me to help with their new lawns and many taught me about bed preparation. Through trial and mostly error, I now think that we have a very good reputation in the industry for our beautiful landscapes and the long-term satisfaction that they receive from their new beds.
12:30 pm: Garden Plants For Dummies. Les Martin, Tawakoni Plant Farm. We have ordered plants from Les for so many years that I can barely remember when he was a timid, soft-spoken giant. His enthusiasm for plants is apparent when he starts talking about them. When new plants become available he shares all he knows about that plant with Karen, as if he was the plants proud parent. Les sells perennials, hardy ornamentals, vines and trees throughout Texas and Oklahoma and can help you decide which is the best plant for your area.
2:00 pm: Carol Feldman, Landscaping Naturally. One of the reasons for which Rohde’s is able to install beautiful landscapes is that Carol creates them for us. Many of her jobs have been featured in local magazines and newspapers and has been the selling point for many homes in the area. Her landscapes bring out the beauty of the homes that she designs for creating an individual flare for each job. Carol knows about the different organic products suited for each area of the landscape and incorporates these product to benefit the plants beauty and ability to create fruit or flowers for the birds, butterflies and other wildlife that the customer may want to attract to the garden. As a Master of Landscape Architecture, Carol is one of the few that I know that has acquired plant knowledge specializing in the use of native plants incorporated with woody ornamentals. Many of the jobs that Rohde’s has installed under Carol’s supervision will be featured in her presentation.
3:30 pm: Judy Hominick, “How To Grow Your Own Butterflies”. We have been fortunate to have Judy speak for us on several occasions. This always-smiling author will help you create a garden where beautiful flowers are secondary benefit to fluttering beauties of the different species of butterflies that will come to your garden. Judy has penned an excellent book that will help you create a Butterfly Habitat. Of course her book will be available for sale during the seminar.
Sunday October 3rd
11:30 am: Carol Feldman, Rainwater. Harvesting. In a recent conversation with carol she professed the desire to be the rain-harvesting queen of North Texas. As I write this article she is working 0n a project in Frisco for a energy efficient home that includes thermal energy. Carol has attended numerous seminars throughout Texas on rainwater management. She has already designed several projects that are waiting to get started and is anxious to share her knowledge.
1:00 pm: Dr. Michelle Loftus DVM. Dr Loftus has been sending customers to us for years. She believes that the health of a pet is closely associated with the health of the home and garden in which the animals live. Dr. Loftus recommends Beneficial Nematodes, herbal shampoos, and other natural products for flea control rather then some of the harsher chemical insecticides. She is also knowledgeable in both nutritional health and several forms of natural medicine. Dr. Loftus has also has expanded her knowledge of animal healing to include small animals, such as reptiles, birds, and rodents. She practices at East Dallas Vet Clinic on Ferguson Road.
2:30 pm: Jimmy Turner. Texas Tough Perennials and Grasses. Once self described as east texas spam sucking trailer trash, Jimmy has climbed to the top of his field in charged of the Dallas Arboretum Trial gardens. Jimmy will tell us what works and what does not and how they select plants suitable for the gardens.
4:00 pm: Peter Schaar, Gardening for Hummingbirds. The migration of hummingbirds should reach its peak during the weekend of the seminar and with these beautiful birds hopefully occupying our gardens and minds Peter will be able to teach us how to attract hummingbirds to our garden. If you were to see his landscape home in University Park you would know that this gentleman knows how to connect with these birds. Peter has been a member of several gardening clubs in Dallas for many years and loves to share his many gardening experiences. When asked what he prefers talking about his response is normally: “I know so much about everything in the lawn that I can talk about anything!!” I have heard a couple of his lectures and yes he can talk.
Exhibitors
City of Garland Recycling. The city of Garland will have a booth here to help customers learn about long-term benefits from recycling. Recycling at home is one way that homeowners can keep taxes down reduce waste and conserve space in lad fills. Composting and other recycling techniques can be learned at this event.
City of Garland Storm Water Management whose mission is to maintain natural and man-made drainage ways in free-flowing condition, to reduce the risk of localized storm water flooding, to reduce storm water pollution as required by Federal law, to manage floodplain development, and to manage the municipal drainage utility system.
City of Dallas Water Conservation. Whatever the reason, using water wisely makes sense. With discipline, planning and the investment in improved water-efficiency equipment, average consumers can be above average water savers.
Garland Native Texas Plant Society & Dallas Native Plant Society. The purpose of the Native Plant Society of Texas is to promote the conservation, research and utilization of native plants and plant habitats of Texas through education, outreach and example.
Garland Organic Gardening Club & Dallas Organic Gardening Club. The purpose of an Organic Gardening Club is to promote knowledge, use, and research of organic gardening methods by helping people to relate and cooperate in harmony with nature rather than attempting to dominate it. The sun, air, rain, soil, moon, insects, plants, and animals will teach us their lessons if we will only watch, listen, and learn.”
Dallas Master Gardener. The Dallas County Master Gardener program is an educational and volunteer program offered by the Texas Cooperative Extension Service of the Texas A&M University System. It is open to people of all ages, regardless of socioeconomic level, race, color, sex, handicap or national origin. The program is designed to increase the availability of horticultural information and extend horticultural projects throughout the community. These goals are implemented through the training and employment of local volunteers known as Master Gardeners.
Products for the Chemical Free Home. A booth will be set up and manned by one of Rohde’s employees to help educate customers on ways to control insects through the use of low toxic products.
Green Sense Fertilizers Home Service. Green Sense representatives will be on hand to explain the different products used in their organic fertilizing service.
Dan Fisher Sprinkler Repair Specialist. The City of Dallas will mandate that all irrigation systems in Dallas have a freeze and rain sensor. Dallas residents will be able to receive a free sensor or a credit on their water bill with proof of installation. Dan Fischer has been doing irrigation work for Rohde’s as a contractor dealing directly with the customer. Dan will have demonstrations throughout the day on proper connection. Dan will have sensors available for purchase. Even if you do not live in the City of Dallas, installing a sensor is a sensible thing to do.
Precise Pet Food. The first dog food we sold eight years ago was Precise. The dog food that Alfred, our family Dachshund, has been on for nine years. As there logo goes: “There are dog foods, there are premium dog foods. And then there is Precise.
Muenster Pet Food. Created from some of the best ingredients vitamins and minerals to provide a natural pet food for your pet. Who knows what samples you may walk away with?
Lone Star Lab Rescue. We have had a collection Jar out for Labs for the last two years. The one thing that grabs me about this rescue is that they will check out potential adoptee to make sure that they will be able to provide proper care for these dogs. Who knows you may want one?
Kittico. Being in the middle of the city, and being a plant nursery, our property seems to be the perfect place for misplaced pussycats to want to set up housekeeping. They do a wonderful job of keeping the rodent population down, as this seems to be the perfect place for them as well. This senario can be found all over Dallas. Luckily, in Dallas we have Kittico. Kittico is made up of many hard working and dedicated volunteers who know how important it is to cut down on the overpopulation of all cats, but mostly strays. They will come out and trap, spray/neuter and re-release, the stray cats. Then this colony of “fixed” cats will no longer fight as much, they will still do the mousing, and snaking, but most of all they will no longer be adding to the thousands of cats getting put to sleep everyday. This non profit organization has done over 8000 cats in recent years, and needs all the support it can get to be able to continue the good work.
What else should we do at the Seminar?
How about a garage sale? Do you have lawn and garden tools that you do not use anymore? Lawn mowers, edger, tillers, and chippers in running condition can be delivered here no later then the 30th of September. If you have digital photographs of the equipment you may want to sell email it to us with asking price. We will include these items in a folder on our website.
Are you a photographer? Even if you are not: Bring a photograph of your landscape, pond or meditation garden and let them be judged by guest attending the seminar. Prizes will be awarded for best and most whimsical photograph. Please do not enter photographs smaller then 81/2 X 11.
How about poetry? We have several customer who are poets and have sent poems with landscaping, weeds or flowers as their theme. Do you want to try your hand at poetry? Send us your poem so that we can print a booklet with all submitted poems.
Here is one by Taylor Morrel author of Skinny Dipping. I have read Mr. Morrell’s book of poems and enjoyed it quite a bit. You can to by calling 1-888-795-4274.
Weeds
What if the Weeds Stopped Growing…
My neighbors tell me I should poison
with broad leaf weed killer to
be rid of my weeds.They tell me they see me
night and day pulling the weeds
and placing them in a bucket.They see me getting up
from my lawn cart, with difficulty
favoring my aching back.I smile and thank them
for their kind words
and loving concern.But what if the weeds stopped growing;
if one morning I went out
and there were no weeds?What if all I saw my green grass,
neatly mowed and edged
by the handyman?What would I do then
At 72, and nothing but time
No one to care for?What if?