 A tasty side dish when you barbecue. Tastes a bit like French onion soup.
Cut off top of onion. Peel paper skin from onion, leaving root intact.
Core onion, being careful not to cut into root Place each onion on a square of heavy-duty foil. Place a bouillon cube in the center of each onion. Drizzle with olive oil and place a teaspoon of butter in center of each onion. Wrap onions and grill on very hot gas or charcoal grill 35 to 40 minutes. Makes 4 servings Note: It's best to serve each onion in individual bowl because the onions will produce a lot of broth.
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 Septoria leaf spot is caused by a fungus, Septoria lycopersici. It is one of the most destructive diseases of tomato foliage and is particularly severe in areas where wet, humid weather persists for extended periods. Septoria leaf spot usually appears on the lower leaves after the first fruit sets. Spots are circular, about 1/16 to 1/4 inch in diameter with dark brown margins and tan to gray centers with small black fruiting structures. Characteristically, there are many spots per leaf. This disease spreads upwards from oldest to youngest growth. If leaf lesions are numerous, the leaves turn slightly yellow, then brown, and then wither. Fruit infection is rare. The fungus overwinters on infected tomato debris or on weeds in the nightshade family, the same family to which tomatoes belong. The fungus can also survive on equipment such as plant stakes and cages. Long periods of high relative humidity, temperatures of 60–80 degrees F, and leaf wetness are ideal conditions for development and spread of the pathogen. Integrated Pest Management Strategies 1. Remove diseased leaves. If caught early, the lower infected leaves can be removed and burned or destroyed. However, removing leaves above where fruit has formed will weaken the plant and expose fruit to sunscald. At the end of the season, collect all foliage from infected plants and dispose of or bury. Do not compost diseased plants. 2. Improve air circulation around the plants. If the plants can still be handled without breaking them, stake or cage the plants to raise them off the ground and promote faster drying of the foliage. 3. Mulch around the base of the plants. Mulching will reduce splashing soil, which may contain fungal spores associated with debris. Apply mulch after the soil has warmed. 4. Do not use overhead watering. Overhead watering facilitates infection and spreads the disease. Use a soaker hose at the base of the plant to keep the foliage dry. Water early in the day. 5. Control weeds. Nightshade and horsenettle are frequently hosts of Septoria leaf spot and should be eradicated around the garden site. 6. Use crop rotation. Next year do not plant tomatoes back in the same location where diseased tomatoes grew. Wait 1–2 years before replanting tomatoes in these areas. 7. Use fungicidal sprays. If the above measures do not control the disease, you may want to use fungicidal sprays. Fungicides will not cure infected leaves, but they will protect new leaves from becoming infected. Apply at 7 to 10 day intervals throughout the season. Apply chlorothalonil, maneb, macozeb, or a copper-based fungicide, such as Bordeaux mixture, copper hydroxide, copper sulfate, or copper oxychloride sulfate. Follow harvest restrictions listed on the pesticide label. Source: Missouri Botanical Garden
 EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN – Zinnias are old-fashioned flowers that are continually being reinvented by breeders and rediscovered by gardeners.Everything old is new again. Nowhere is this truer than in fashion, especially the fashion of flowers. The length of the cycle of popularity may vary, but garden favorites always come back. Take the common zinnia, named the 2000 plant of the year by the National Garden Bureau. It has come and gone in popularity so regularly people have lost track of its true origins. EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN – Zinnias are old-fashioned flowers that are continually being reinvented by breeders and rediscovered by gardeners.Everything old is new again. Nowhere is this truer than in fashion, especially the fashion of flowers. The length of the cycle of popularity may vary, but garden favorites always come back. Take the common zinnia, named the 2000 plant of the year by the National Garden Bureau. It has come and gone in popularity so regularly people have lost track of its true origins. Zinnia elegans is native to Mexico and is the most popular of the 20 species of zinnias known to science. It is an annual herb in the daisy family growing from 18 inches to more than 3 feet tall. Plants are stout-stemmed, freely branched and bush like in habit if given enough room. At least 15 shades of flower colors are described with this species, which is especially rich in shades of purple and orange. Variegated forms have bred true from seed since at least the 1880s. True blues and scarlet reds are lacking. Flower heads are terminal, and in the typical form, contain one or two rows of ray flowers surrounding a central eye of disc florets. Breeding has changed flower sizes dramatically. Heads range from an inch across to giants 4 to 5 inches across. Doubled forms with as many as 15 stacked rows or ray florets are available causing the blossom to elongate significantly. The common or elegant zinnia (Z. elegans) was introduced into cultivation by Casimiro Gomez de Ortega (1740-1818), the Spanish botanist responsible for establishing the botanical garden in Madrid. In 1796 he provided seeds to the wife of the English ambassador to Madrid who just happened to be the daughter-in-law of John Stuart Bute, the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Most common day garden flowers were developed between 1820 and 1860 by gardeners on French, Flemish and English estates. These discoveries quickly made their way into the emerging flower seed industry that was developing as the middle class expanded during the Industrial Revolution. Double zinnias, the trait that moved them from ho-hum to instant hits, had their debut when M. Grazau in Bagneres, France, found a reproducing double form in a seed lot he had received from the West Indies. Two years later it was introduced to the trade by the Vilmorin firm. But it was not to last. By 1880, zinnias had been hung with the title of "old-fashioned" and they began to fade from popularity. In my 1888 Burpee Seed Catalog, I find most of the types listed today plus a double-flowered, red and white variegated cultivar that won a "First Class Certificate" from the Royal Horticulture Society in London. But the decline of zinnias had begun. They continued to lose favor until the "Giant Dahlia" and "Mammoth" strains, produced by California breeder John Bodger, appeared in the early 1920s. Burpee's hybrids during the 1950s saw another revival in interest. Today it is Sakata, a Japanese firm that made hybrids between the old-fashioned zinnia and Z. angustifolia to create the Profusion Series that has revived interest in the old favorites. Zinnias are easy to grow from seed and will produce their first flower six weeks after sowing, provided the temperature is warm enough. Plants are offered in pots and packs, but try to plant them before they begin to bloom. If blooms are present, cut the plant back ruthlessly to get them to branch and send up new flower stems. They are best grown in bright locations with a fertile, well-watered soil. Zinnias respond well to cutting, so remove as many cut flowers as possible to keep the plant sending up new flowers.
Leaf diseases, especially alternaria leafspot, are a problem with most clones of Zinnia elegans. To avoid the problem rotate zinnia beds from year to year, buy seed from a reputable source and give the plants plenty of air circulation to keep the foliage dry. The Profusion zinnias are resistant to this disease. By: Gerald Klingaman, retired Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals Extension News - August 24, 2007  In pre-Columbian Mexico the tomatillo was most likely consumed in greater quantities than red tomatoes. Although often mistaken for green tomatoes tomatillos are actually members of the same botanical family as gooseberries and not related to the tomato.
Instructions: Pour the oil in a non-stick saucepan and saute the onion and garlic for 3 to 4 minutes, Add the tomatillos, chilis and water and cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, then stir in the cilantro, salt and pepper. Chill in refrigerator for at least an hour before serving. Makes approximately 2 cups. Source: Authentic Southwestern Cooking by Lynn Nusom
In this month’s article I want to mention some things gardeners need to be considering for June.
The following is a garden checklist:
For more information on any of the above points, contact the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service at 425-2335. Subject: Cotton in flower beds, gardens, educational displays, and other non-commercial plantings
Currently ALL non-commercial cotton MUST be registered through the Plant Board for approval! While a boll weevil has not been caught in Arkansas for several years, we are still in an active boll weevil eradication program. This requires the Arkansas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation (ABWEF) to monitor all cotton plantings statewide, sample or trap for occurrence of boll weevils, and take the appropriate measures should a weevil be trapped. All plantings of cotton in the state are subject to fee on an acre basis to defray the expense of the program. The collection of fees is coordinated by the Arkansas State Plant Board (ASPB). To facilitate this process, Plant Board regulations are currently in place that prohibit ornamental (non-commercial) cotton in the entire state of Arkansas. However, the ABWEF with approval from the ASPB will work with individuals and organizations to place traps where they have cotton plants for educational purposes. This requires some additional effort by ABWEF personnel and those conducting the cotton educational program or exhibit. These sites need to be made known to the ABWEF personnel as soon as possible to ensure proper mapping and timely deployment of boll weevil traps to ensure the continued success of the program. Those who wish to conduct a cotton educational program or exhibit that includes the planting and growing of cotton are encouraged to contact Regina Coleman (rcoleman@abwep.org), Executive Director of ABWEF. She will need information on proposed planting date, location, and contact information for the person or group overseeing the project. We appreciate your interest in conducting cotton educational programs in Arkansas. Feel free to contact me or your local county Extension agent for additional resources for your cotton educational program. Regards, Bill Bill Robertson, Ph.D. Professor, Cotton Extension Agronomist University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Newport Extension Center 649 Jackson 917 Newport, AR 72112 Cell (501) 425 0549 Janet Carson Consumer Horticulture Specialist Arkansas Master Gardener Coordinator 2301 South University Ave Little Rock, AR 72204 jcarson@uaex.edu  Almost any time of year is good for growing leeks, the most upright members of the onion family. Summer leeks are fast to grow from seed started indoors in late winter, or you can start leek seedlings in late summer to grow from fall to spring. This guide also includes descriptions of the types of leeks to try. Easy to grow and welcome in any recipe that calls for onions, leeks (Allium ampeloprasum var. porrum) allow you to grow oniony crops all year in your kitchen garden. Summer leeks are ready to pull only 60 days after planting, weeks before bulb onions are ready. Slower-growing leek varieties reach maximum size in fall and early winter. Leeks grow best in cool climates, or you can grow them as a fall-to-spring crop where summers are hot. Growing leeks requires moist, fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Winter leeks tolerate more cold than other varieties, so they are good choices for growing leeks through winter. Mature plants can be left in the ground into winter, or you can sow seed in midsummer for transplanting in early fall. These plants will mature in spring. Under good conditions, the shanks of winter leeks such as ‘Bandit,’ ‘Blue Solaise’ and ‘Siegfried’ exceed 1 inch in diameter. Summer leeks are fast to germinate and grow, though they do not get as large as winter leeks. Maturing 90 days from seeding, or 60 days after transplanting, varieties such as ‘Lincoln,’ ‘King Richard’ and ‘Megaton’ can be grown at close spacing, and pulled anytime after they reach pencil size. Autumn leeks include varieties that mature 100 days from seeding, or 80 days after transplanting. Large and vigorous, varieties such as ‘Lancelot’ and ‘Tadorna’ produce leeks of exceptional quality to harvest in fall, after the weather has cooled. Start leek seeds indoors in late winter provided you can grow them under bright florescent lights. You may also be able to purchase leek seedlings as garden centers or farmers markets in late spring. Harden off seedlings for at least a week before transplanting them to prepared furrows in deeply dug garden beds. Shape 6-inch deep furrows in the cultivated bed, and line the bottom with a standard application of a balanced organic fertilizer. Refill 1 inch of soil, and set out the leek seedlings in the partially refilled furrow, spacing summer leeks 3 inches apart, fall leeks 4 inches apart and winter leeks 6 inches apart. As the leeks gain size, gradually fill in the furrow and then mound a little loose soil over the base of the plants. Keep leeks carefully weeded, and drench plants with a liquid organic fertilizer when they are 15 inches tall. In dry climates, mulch leeks with grass clippings, chopped leaves or another organic mulch that helps retain soil moisture. Leeks need more water than other garden crops, and should never be allowed to run dry. Use a digging fork to loosen soil around leeks before pulling them as needed in the kitchen. Trim roots to one-half inch, and cut off all but 2 inches of the green tops. Store in plastic bags in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Before eating, slice leeks lengthwise and rinse under cool running water to remove bits of soil. Excess leeks are easy to dry in a food dehydrator. Leeks that have been exposed to cold winter weather produce flowers in early summer, with ripe black seeds about a month later. When the flower heads dry to tan and the seed covers begin to split, gather the seed heads in a paper bag, and allow them to dry indoors for a week. When thoroughly dry, shatter the seed heads and collect the largest seeds for replanting. Under good conditions, leek seeds will store up to three years. Source: Barbara Pleasant: Mother Earth News
 The purpose of these weekly articles, now in their 17th year, is to report on plants that are grown in Arkansas gardens and the surrounding areas of the mid-South. The normal minimum temperatures of the state range from a frosty minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit (USDA zone 6) in Benton County to a more tepid 10 degrees (zone 8) for the southern tier of counties. Oleander (Nerium oleander), though not especially common in south Arkansas, is sometimes grown and deserves a closer look. Oleander is an evergreen shrub growing to 12 feet tall that belongs to the periwinkle family and has been grown so long in cultivation no one knows for sure its origins. It probably originated in southern Asia but due to human intervention has naturalized from the Mediterranean region to Japan. Though most often grown as a rounded shrub it will become a small tree reaching 20 feet in height in frost-free areas. Its leathery, deep green leaves are usually in a whorl of three on the branch, willow-shaped with an entire margin and 3 to 5 inches long. The sap is clear, viscous and capable of causing dermatitis. Eyes are especially sensitive to contact by the sap. Showy flowers in shades of pink, rose, red, yellow, salmon, orange and combinations of these are to 1.5 inches wide and borne in terminal clusters from new growth in the summer and early fall. Flowers may be single or double, fragrant or not. More than 400 cultivars have been named and about 60 are common in cultivation. Oleander has a reputation for being toxic and several urban legends have sprung up about it. The most common is the troop of boy scouts who was supposedly poisoned by eating hot dogs roasted using branches cut from oleander branches. This incident never happened but does closely resemble a similar report in various gardening books from the 19th century reporting on French soldiers near Madrid during the Peninsular War of 1809 who succumbed after eating meat roasted over a campfire using spits made from oleander. Oleander has a reputation for being toxic and several urban legends have sprung up about it. The most common is the troop of boy scouts who was supposedly poisoned by eating hot dogs roasted using branches cut from oleander branches. This incident never happened but does closely resemble a similar report in various gardening books from the 19th century reporting on French soldiers near Madrid during the Peninsular War of 1809 who succumbed after eating meat roasted over a campfire using spits made from oleander. All parts of oleander are toxic and this plant is often considered the most toxic of the many potentially poisonous plants we grow in our gardens. In a 20-year period from 1985 to 2005, five incidences of oleander related deaths were reported in the United States - with three of these by intentional ingestion, probably with a goal of suicide. Quoting Lankford and Boor in their May 1996 article in “Toxicology”: “The human mortality associated with oleander ingestion is generally very low, even in cases of intentional consumption (suicide attempts).” The remaining two cases of death fall outside of the norm, a pair of adopted 2- and 3-year Russian boys named Alexei and Peter Wiltsey from California. They were found dead in their bedroom on May 4, 2000, after several days of eating oleander leaves from a neighbors bush. According to the toxicologist who oversaw the case, he knew of no other reported cases of children eating enough oleander foliage to cause death. The corners office speculated that the children, perhaps still suffering from malnutrition from their adoption a year earlier from a Siberian orphanage, may have suffered from a condition known as “pica” where malnourished children eat anything, including soil and plants. Domesticated animals, especially horses, are more likely affected by oleander poisoning, especially if prunings are discarded where they can be consumed. Oleander is a tough, easy to grow plant that is best in sunny, well drained sites. Foliage damage usually occurs when winter temperatures fall below 15 degrees F with dieback occurring below 10 degrees F. It can be used for screening, in foundation plantings and as a tall groundcover planting in sloping areas where little attention will be given. Plants are extremely drought tolerant. They have long been favorite patio plants in colder regions where they are grown in large tubs. They can be overwintered indoors in unheated garages where the wintertime temperature does not fall below 15 degrees F, or even in basements where the light level is low and plants wait out the winter in miserable growing conditions. The potential toxicity of oleander is not in question, but because so many of the plants we grow in our gardens are theoretically poisonous, the risk should not be over exaggerated. Attention should be paid to toddlers to protect them from all sorts of dangers, and from the earliest age, children should be taught to not eat anything in the garden that a parent doesn’t specifically say is safe. By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Retired Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals Extension News - January 10, 2014  The classic of chocolate and peanut butter makes the perfect marriage in this classic Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. It's easy as pie to whip up , and better than anything you can buy at the store. INGREDIENTS:
Instructions: 1. Bake pie shell according to package instructions. Let cool.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine pudding mix and milk over medium heat. Stir constantly intil boiling then remove from heat. 3. Pour half the pudding into a small bowl. Add chocolate chips to bowl and stir until chips are completely melted. Pour into pie crust. 4. Add peanut butter chips to remaining pudding and stir until chips are completely melted. Carefully pour peanut butter mixture over chocolate mixture in pie shell. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or untill thoroughly chilled and set. 5. Dress this up by topping with whipped cream and garnishing with miniture peanut butter cups.  This is a tasty side dish that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. Serves 4 Serving Size: 1 cup
Place brussel sprouts in a bowl. Add a splash of water, cover with a fresh
paper towel and microwave 2-3 minutes. Or you may boil in salted water for about 2 minutes. Place a large, nonstick pan over medium high heat. Add bacon and saute until brown and a bit crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings. If the pan looks too dry, add a splash of water before scraping up your bacon bits. Add brussell sprouts to pan. and saute about 5 minutes, or until they are golden on the outside. Add balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, Dijon mustard and 2 tablespoons water to the pan. Saute for another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to heat and top with lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Nutrition Information: Per Serving: Calories 136, Total Fat 5 g, Sodium 316mg, Carbohydrate 16gm, Fiber 5g, Protein 5g In this month’s article I want to mention things gardeners need to be considering for May. The following is a garden checklist:
 Snapdragons have come into their own for summertime bloom thanks to the efforts of modern day plant breeders.Summertime blooms are important in any flower garden, but heat and humidity often cause flowers to falter and then fail. Not so with Angelonia, or summer snapdragon. It thrives in summertime heat and humidity because it belongs to a group of tropical species found from Brazil to Mexico. Angelonia has gone from obscurity a decade ago to one of the favorites for summertime gardeners. Angelonia angustifolia is a member of the snapdragon family native to Mexico, Cuba and parts of the West Indies. It’s an herbaceous annual in temperate gardens, but in warm places it persists as a perennial. In tropical regions, it can become a sub-shrub. It grows to about 2 feet tall and 18 inches wide in a sprawling mound. Though it has a sprawling habit, its branches are strong, and it never needs staking. The 3-inch long leaves are bright green, simple and willow like. Flowers appear singly in terminal leafy spikes during the summer. Individual flowers are in shades of pink, blue or white and are about an inch across. The throat is open, with the five petals reflexed backwards just a bit. The wild species is more two-lipped as found in most members of the scroph family, but plant breeders have selected forms with more open flowers. Angelonia shows no photoperiod response, but is temperature sensitive. It only blooms well when average temperatures are above 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Angelonia is one of the “new” flowers that appeared, really reappeared, on the horticultural scene during the mid 1990s. It was first grown in the late 19th century but never made its way out of greenhouse conservatories. With the new plant revival, it began to be offered as a patio plant and breeders began developing better garden forms. Modern hybrids involve A. angustifolia and A. integerrima and old cultivars such as Pacific Blue and Alba, a 100-year-old white clone. The Ball people introduced the AngelMist series in 1998; the AngelFace series from Proven Winner appeared in about 2005. The new hybrids are more robust growers than the wild species and display the flowers in a more open fashion. Though seeds are occasionally offered, most plants are grown from cuttings. Angelonias should be planted in sunny locations in a well-drained soil amended with organic matter. It’s not a heavy feeder but benefits from occasional fertilization, especially if blooming has been heavy. Though most commonly seen in southern gardens, Angelonia has done well throughout the country. It’s reliably winter hardy only in zone 10. It makes a good cut flower and will last for more than a week in a vase. Cutting encourages more blooms later in the season. Some gardeners recommend shearing plants back in midsummer to encourage a late season flush of blooms. It’s well suited for use in the mixed border or for patio planters. Once established, Angelonia has great drought tolerance, but we’re talking lantana kind of drought tolerance, not cactus drought tolerance. By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals Extension News - August 15, 2008  Even before its foliage appears, bridal veil spirea, much more commonly known as bridal wreath spirea (Spiraea prunifolia) graces the early spring landscape with a profusion of white blossoms. This species can grow to 9 feet tall, with arching branches that may bend to the ground, contrasting with another group of spireas that are low-growing and shrubby and bear pink or red flowers in the summer. Bridal wreath flourishes in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. Maintain the plant's flowing shape by cutting it back immediately after blooming stops. The spring-blooming bridal wreath spirea produces buds on old wood. Therefore, avoid pruning at the end of winter, or you might destroy potential flowering branches. You can, however, remove winter-killed twigs. "Plena," the most commercially-available bridal wreath variety, requires some winter chill to flower generously, and as with the species grows best in USDA zones 5 through 8. Propagate cuttings from your spirea in early spring by snipping 4 to 8 inches off a fast-growing stem tip and rooting it in a sandy potting mix. Never try to prune a bridal wreath spirea into a compact bush, or you will sacrifice its unique charm. Trimming back so that it does not get too unwieldy, however, makes the plant more attractive. After flowering, prune any awkward shoots that distract from the overall configuration. With time, bridal wreath tends to become sparse and leggy. To rejuvenate a spirea, you can cut it almost to the ground, and it will grow back in a healthier state. Remember to clean your pruning shears with household disinfectant at full strength to avoid spreading bacteria, viruses or fungi. The double, white flowers of the "Plena" bridal wreath spirea each measure about 1/3 inch across and emerge in clusters of three to six blossoms. Spireas belong to the rose family, and their blooms resemble tiny roses. A favorite of butterflies, the snowy flowers lining the bare branches can be breathtaking, especially when the sun shines on them. The dark-green foliage that comes in following flowering will later furnish autumn color in reds, oranges or yellows. Besides the yearly pruning, bridal wreath spirea does not require extensive maintenance to thrive. The plant does well in almost any soil, but it prefers the soil be a bit moist. For optimal blooming, grow spirea in full sun, although it tolerates partial shade. Usually the plant escapes serious damage from disease or insect pests, but watch for some of the same problems that afflict roses, such as fire blight, leaf spot, powdery mildew, aphids, root rot, leaf roller and scale. Use bridal wreath spirea as a foundation planting, in an informal mixed hedge or as a specimen shrub. Source: Clemson Cooperative Extension
 The Baxter County Master Gardeners are a fun group of folks who enjoy sharing their love of gardening with any visitor. At our meetings we have speakers, refreshments, & fun. Come join us! Next Meeting Date: June 14th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm Meeting Place: The First Presbyterian Church 1106 Spring Street Mountain Home, AR June Speaker:s Audrey Holt and Jeffree Pearson, The Art of Flower Arranging Audrey Holt is attracted to art in many forms; whether it is finding beauty in creating a painting, capturing the best view in a photo, planning a garden or designing a flower arrangement. Audrey is a Life Member of the Master Gardeners. Over the years she has created floral arrangements for personal enjoyment and for various gatherings; earned Blue Ribbons and Best of Show for fair entries; conducted a SIG for Master Gardeners on Flower Arranging; presented a power point on Flower Arranging for state meeting of 4H leaders. At Judging Schools Audrey gave demonstrations on judging flower arrangements, and has been Horticulture Judge at county and district fairs which included judging flower arrangements. Jeffree Pearson is a new Master Gardener from the fall 2017 class. He enjoys making flower arrangements and agreed to assist with the program on the Art of Flower Arranging. Jeffree says that most of what he knows, he picked up on his own before he worked for about five years for a florist. With practice and experimentation there is much to learn, enjoy and share on creating attractive floral arrangements. Master Gardeners Monthly Radio Program: Mountain Talk Radio June 20th on 97.1 7:15 a.m. - 8:am. Master Gardener Hosts this month are Tommy Hagan and Ceil Gasiecki Directions: From Mountain Home Take US Hwy. 62B East through Mountain Home until you come to Cardinal Street. Cardinal Street is the intersection just past Harp's Grocery. Turn right onto Cardinal Street and travel South until you come to the first stop sign which should be Spring Street. Turn left onto Spring Street and go down the hill past the bridge and the First Presbyterian Church will be on your right hand side. From Gassville: Take Hwy. 62/412 towards Mountain Home. Once you get to Mountain Home continue on into Mountain Home on US 62B. This will take you through town till you get to Harp's Grocery and you come to Cardinal Street. Cardinal Street is the intersection just past Harp's Grocery. Turn right onto Cardinal Street and travel South until you come to the first stop sign which should be Spring Street. Turn left onto Spring Street and go down the hill past the bridge and the First Presbyterian Church will be on your right hand side.  I grew up eating beets, but only the pickled kind from the Mason jars my mother canned in considerable quantity. Nowadays I can’t pass them by at a salad bar where they seem to have taken up permanent residence. Since my youth I’ve encountered stewed beets -- OK but not great-- and on a trip to Russia, borscht, which quickly became a favorite. Beets (Beta vulgaris), though a humble root vegetable, have an interesting history. Beets have been domesticated about 4,000 years, probably first brought into cultivation as a leafy green around the Mediterranean basin. The plant has long been classified as belonging to the chenopod family, the same family to which spinach belongs, but new classification schemes using DNA data have moved this whole family into the amaranth family. Chard, a leafy selection of the beet, seems to have been displaced as a common greens crop by spinach when it became more widely grown. Beet plants are biennial herbs that are usually grown as annuals. They form a large inflated tap root and leafy rosette of leaves that bolt in the early summer of the second season and produce a tall growing stem containing insignificant clusters of small flowers on 6-foot tall stems. From the gardener’s perspective, if the plant ever bolts and produces flowers, the optimum time for harvest has been missed. Taxonomically four principle subsets of this species are recognized; 1) chard which is grown for its edible leaves and does not produce a tap root, 2) mangel-wurzel, a beet root developed as a wintertime fodder for cattle 3) sugar beets for sucrose production and 4) table beets which, while primarily seen in bright red, are also available in golden yellow and white forms. The red/purple pigment associated with beetroot is from various betalains, water soluble pigments formed from an indole based pathway that are found in plants in the Caryophyllales order. This category of plant classification is an umbrella group housing many seemingly unrelated plant families such as cacti and beets. However, because beets, cacti and amaranth all have betalin pigments, logic dictates they must descent from some common ancestor that produced this kind of color pigment instead of the more common, but completely chemically unrelated anthocyanin pigment, found in other plants with red flowers or leaves. The red/purple pigment associated with beetroot is from various betalains, water soluble pigments formed from an indole based pathway that are found in plants in the Caryophyllales order. This category of plant classification is an umbrella group housing many seemingly unrelated plant families such as cacti and beets. However, because beets, cacti and amaranth all have betalin pigments, logic dictates they must descent from some common ancestor that produced this kind of color pigment instead of the more common, but completely chemically unrelated anthocyanin pigment, found in other plants with red flowers or leaves. Red table beets were taken to northern Europe during the years of Roman occupation where, until the 17th century they were known as “Roman beets.” Both the beetroot and the tops are edible with the leaves either cooked similar to spinach or eaten fresh as salad greens. They arrived in America with the earliest settlers but never gained much prominence as a crop until the middle years of the 18th century when a German scientist discovered that the sugar found in beets and sugar cane, sucrose, was the same. Ordinary table beets contain 2 to 6 percent sucrose but selection efforts quickly elevated the sugar beet sugar content to about 10 percent. The French, during the English-imposed blockade which stopped cane sugar shipments during the Napoleonic Wars, were the first to take advantage of this newly developed technology and opened the first sugar beet extraction plant in 1802. Sugar beets were imported to the United States in the 1830’s with the first extraction plant opening in California in 1879. Over the next century and a half the world supply of sugar has equaled out with half coming from cane and half from beets. Beets are easy to grow in the vegetable garden. Plant the seeds about 1.5 inches apart in a row about a month before the last frost date. Beet seed is actually a cluster of seeds bound together in a naturally occurring seed ball, so after emergence, seedlings should be thinned to 1.5 inches apart. Multiple plantings at four-week intervals will ensure continual production through the year. Beetroots continue to enlarge as long as they remain in the ground, but roots of a usable size can usually be produced in 60 to 70 days. By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Retired Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals Extension News - May 31, 2013  Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Serves: 12
In a large saucepan cook shallots and garlicin hot oil over medium heat untill tender.
Carefully stir quonoa or barley. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until quonoa or barley is golden brown. Carefully stir in broth, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender and fluffy (cook barley about 10 minutes or until tender and liquid is absorbed. Discard bay leaf. Gently stir in roasted peppers. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Nutrition facts per serving: 125 calories, 3 grams total fat(o sat. fat), 0 mg chol, 169mg sodium, 21 grams carbs, 2g fiber, 4 gm protein.  This an easy desert that can be prepared ahead of time. Makes six servings.
Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 inch cake pan
with parchment paper. Beat egg whites untill stiff peaks form. Stir 4 tablespoons of the honey and all the ricotta together in a bowl. Fold in egg whites. Spread mixture in a cake pan and bake for 40 minutes or till risen and golden. Meanwhile, gently heat the berries untill softened. Stir in remaining honey and simmer for 10 t0 20 minutes. Serve blueberry sauce over ricotta pie wedges.  The Baxter County Master Gardeners are a fun group of folks who enjoy sharing their love of gardening with any visitor. At our meetings we have speakers, refreshments, & fun. Come join us! Next Meeting Date: April 12th from 1:00 - 3:00 pm Meeting Place: The First Presbyterian Church 1106 Spring Street Mountain Home, AR April Speaker: Chris Stuhlinger, University Forester, Arkansas Trees Master Gardeners Monthly Radio Program: Mountain Talk Radio April 19th on 97.1 7:15 a.m. - 8:am. Master Gardener Host this month are Tommy Hagan and Ceil Gasiecki Directions: From Mountain Home Take US Hwy. 62B East through Mountain Home until you come to Cardinal Street. Cardinal Street is the intersection just past Harp's Grocery. Turn right onto Cardinal Street and travel South until you come to the first stop sign which should be Spring Street. Turn left onto Spring Street and go down the hill past the bridge and the First Presbyterian Church will be on your right hand side. From Gassville: Take Hwy. 62/412 towards Mountain Home. Once you get to Mountain Home continue on into Mountain Home on US 62B. This will take you through town till you get to Harp's Grocery and you come to Cardinal Street. Cardinal Street is the intersection just past Harp's Grocery. Turn right onto Cardinal Street and travel South until you come to the first stop sign which should be Spring Street. Turn left onto Spring Street and go down the hill past the bridge and the First Presbyterian Church will be on your right hand side.  All of our garden flowers originated as wildflowers. Most were developed by breeding and selection during the gardening explosion that occurred in Europe between 1820 and 1870. Not surprisingly, in the current gold rush mania that gardening has become in the last decade, plant breeders have again gone back to the wild to look for new garden plants. In the last decade, breeders have reinvented one of these – the coneflower – to produce stunning new perennials with totally new colors. Save one, all of the six or so recognized species of coneflowers (Echinacea) are found in the Ozarks. Most are prairie plants or glade dwellers in the open woodlands. The purple coneflower (E. purpurea) has long been grown in gardens with the other species mostly left alone in the wild, at least until recently.
Beginning in 1997, Dr. Jim Ault of the Chicago Botanic Garden, began hybridizing coneflowers. He crossed the familiar purple coneflower with E. paradoxa, the yellow coneflower found in limey soils of the southern Great Plains. The several hundred seedlings produced from this first-hand cross were uniformly purplish pink. These initial hybrid seedlings - the F-1 hybrids in breeding parlance - were crossed amongst themselves and seed saved. This second generation (the F-2 generation) flowered for the first time in 2001. These seedlings segregated into a rainbow of colors ranging from pink to yellow and all shades in between. Many showed a distinctive orange color. From this population, 50 distinctive new color forms were selected. One of the best of these was Orange Meadowbrite, a 30- to 36-inch tall coneflower released in 2004. It’s like the typical purple coneflower in growth habit except for the unusual shade of its three inch wide flowers. Orange Meadobrite flowers from late May through early summer, producing blooms that are a unique shade of orange. Some call the color tangerine, which is close but still not exactly right. The color changes shades under different lighting conditions and as the blooms age. Because it has undertones of other colors besides orange, it blends well with other perennials. Uncharacteristically, Orange Meadowbrite flowers have a distinctive spicy orange fragrance. Orange Meadowbrite is a hybrid between the familiar purple coneflower and the yellow coneflower. It’s one of the many new hybrid coneflowers making their way into our gardens.Ault has produced upwards of 20,000 coneflower seedlings during the last decade and continues to release new introductions. Mango Meadowbrite (a branch sport of Orange Meadowbrite) was introduced in 2005. Ault’s 2006 release is Pixie Meadowbrite, an 18-inch tall, long flowering pink with E. tennesseensis parentage. He describes Pixie Meadowbrite as having “an incredibly long bloom time and small perky flowers”. Future releases from the Chicago program will include clones with plants having various shades of red, apricot and white. These new clones are mass produced in tissue culture and have become hot items amongst gardeners wanting the newest plant introductions. Other than requiring at least four hours of sunlight and good drainage, coneflowers are easy to grow. They do best in a rich soil and have good drought tolerance once established. Trimming off the blooms can encourage a later flush of flowers. But, because finches love to pick the seeds from the mature cones in the fall, many gardeners prefer not cutting the plants back after flowering. By: Gerald Klingaman, retired Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals Extension News - July 28, 2006  The line between myth and reality is often unmarked, especially as we look backwards through the mist of time. Foxglove, that rocket of a flower that launches itself from a pad of large basal leaves in April and May, illustrates how we still carry with us vestiges of this fuzzy borderland into our modern age. Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) is a biennial or short-lived perennial belonging to the snapdragon family, a native of western Europe. In its first year of life, foxglove seedlings produce a rosette of green, fleshy, simple leaves, which are unremarkable in appearance. But, in the spring, this rosette begins to shoot skyward with leaves shrinking in size as they near the flowering scape. Older plants may produce several blooming scapes, but young plants are usually unbranched. The 3-inch long, tubular purple flowers begin opening at the base of the scape, while the blooms above it are progressively smaller as they await their day of opening. The inside of the tubular flower is lighter colored and marked with irregular batches of dark brown. Hybridizers have given us an array of flower colors in this increasingly popular plant with white, pink, apricot and bicolor selections now available. The name foxglove is from the old English name "foxes glofa." It comes from an old myth that foxes must have used the flowers to magically sheath their paws as they stealthily made their nocturnal raids into the poultry yards of rural folk. The association is natural for the foxgloves grew on the wooded hillside slopes that foxes chose for their dens. The name foxglove is from the old English name "foxes glofa." It comes from an old myth that foxes must have used the flowers to magically sheath their paws as they stealthily made their nocturnal raids into the poultry yards of rural folk. The association is natural for the foxgloves grew on the wooded hillside slopes that foxes chose for their dens. In 1542, Leonhard Fuchs, after whom fuchsia is named, gave the plant it's current Latin moniker - Digitalis - for the finger (ie. digit) shaped flowers. The species epitaph purpurea was adapted by Linnaeus two centuries later. Like most plants in the European flora, foxglove was used as part of the herbal medicine chest before the development of the modern pharmacopeia. But its use was relegated to that of a general cleaning agent, to purge the body of whatever ailed it. It was not until 1775 that an English physician named William Withering, acting on a account supplied by an herbal healer, reported that a tea made from it was useful in curing dropsy, the fluid accumulation often associated with heart-related problems. Since that time, the drug digitalin has become one of the old, generic drugs doctors and HMO's consider the first line of defense against heart-related ailments. Foxglove is a mainstay of the spring garden where it can reseed freely if it finds the site to its liking. It has naturalized in the wild in Pacific Northwest and in a few areas of New England, but in the South it's propensity to procreate is much reduced. It grows in full sun or medium shade and usually persists for three or four years if it finds the site to its liking. It does best in a moderately fertile, well-drained soil that receives some water during the summer. Foxgloves are easy to grow from seed, and gardeners wanting to add them to their garden for next spring will find this easy and rewarding. Seeds can be planted outside in containers in May or June. Seed germination is easy and seedlings can usually be transplanted to a growing on container after three or four weeks. The first-year plants should be planted in their final location in the garden during September so that they can establish themselves before cold weather arrives. By: Gerald Klingaman, retired
Extension Horticulturist - Ornamentals Extension News - May 17, 2002 In this week’s article I want to mention things gardeners need to be considering for April. The following is a garden checklist:
For more information on any of the above points, contact the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service at 425-2335.  Leeks, shallots, onions and garlic c0mbine to make a rich, delicious side dish. 8 servings
2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add leeks, large onions,
shallots and garlic and saute untill all are tender, about 20 min. Add baby onions and cook 10 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Mix in 2 cups whipping cream. Boil until cream is thickened to sauce consistency, about 10 minutes. Transfer vegetable cream mixture to a 6 cup shallow baking dish. (This can be prepared one day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Return mixture to room temperature before continuing) Preheat oven to 425F. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over onion mixture. Bake untill breadcrumbs are golden brown and onion mixture bubbles, about twenty minutes. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.  This is an easy desert to prepare that looks elegant. It is delicious with coffee Serves four
Puree frozen raspberries with half the sugar. Slice the cake
and cut in i/2 inch cubes. Divide bake between 4 wine or martini glasses. Top with equal amounts puree. Gently blend mascapone with remaining sugar and vanilla. Fold in the whipped cream and put a scoop of this mixture in each glass. Top with fresh raspberries and serve immediately or chill for up to four hours.
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