Story and Photos by David Longron Perhaps nothing frames a home quite as well as pyramidal evergreen hollies gracing the corners or entranceway. The problem is that many popular varieties will eat the entire house if not pruned often and severely. Oakland holly, with its compact and naturally pyramidal growth habit, reduces pruning to a …
A profile of Arkansas gardener Talya Tate Boerner Story and Photo by Joyce Mendenhall Talya Tate Boerner was born in Arkansas and raised on a cotton farm near the Mississippi riverport town of Osceola, a Main Street Arkansas Community. As the author of the book The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee, Talya relies on her …
Growing your own transplants Story by Lisa D. Martin Gardeners are constantly looking for new and different techniques to try. One that is not necessarily new in general, but might be a new concept to novice gardeners, is growing vegetable transplants. Growing your own transplants gives you a good head start on the vegetable garden, …
Only in Arkansas Story and Photo by Mary Russell-Evans Container gardening has been popular since the beginning of time. Containers have changed somewhat along the way, but have remained popular and necessary. For our purposes, a container is “anything that holds soil.” Many years ago, while traveling along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North …
The evolution of a Little Rock garden Story and Photos by Celia Roe Kristianna and John Pittenger, both retired educators and master gardeners, bought their home on a double corner lot in Little Rock’s Hillcrest area in 1975. The craftsman-style house, built in 1912, boasts large rooms and high ceilings. The exterior was built and …
Creating outdoor living spaces in the landscape Story and Photos by Garry V. McDonald Chances are if you grew up in the South before the days of now-ubiquitous air conditioning, the yard was as much a living space as the dining room or family den. I can remember homes with screened sleeping porches, which, alas, …
Story by David Longron Angelonia is sometimes called summer snapdragon for its resemblance to snapdragons, as well as for its tolerance of Southern heat. It is a tender perennial, but used as an annual in temperate climates. A prolific bloomer, with proper care angelonia will bloom from May until first frost. The Serena series is …
Keeping critters out of your vegetable garden Story and Photos by Bob Westerfield I’ll never forget the year I planted 10 long rows of sweet corn and was anxiously awaiting the delicious harvest. I knew from experience that I was only days away from enjoying the fresh delight of my beloved sweet corn. On the …
This master gardener’s Arkansas roots run deep Story by Dwain Hebda Memphis-born Joellen Beard, president of Pulaski County Master Gardeners, can trace her love for the beauty of growing things all way back to her childhood. “My grandparents lived in St. Charles (Arkansas County),” she said. “I always loved Arkansas. We came in the summers and …
Growing one of Arkansas’ most popular vegetables Story by Lisa D. Martin Banana pepper, also known as yellow wax pepper or banana chile, is a cultivar of Capsicum annuum. Along with their close relatives bell peppers and jalapenos, banana peppers are among the most popular vegetables grown in the United States. Banana peppers are believed …
