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Master Gardeners: Smart Irrigation Controllers: A Wise Choice for Homeowners  

February 4, 2025

A smart irrigation controller is a step toward sustainable gardening, saving water, time, and money.  By Jessi Parker Watering wisely is a cornerstone of a healthy, sustainable garden, and smart irrigation controllers are revolutionizing the way homeowners care for their landscapes. These advanced devices can help take the guesswork out of irrigation, offering convenience, efficiency, and potential water savings while ensuring your plants thrive.  Smart irrigation controllers adjust watering schedules based

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Master Gardeners: Fall Cleanup . . . Not So Fast! 

November 4, 2024

Leaves can be raked and piled around the base of trees and shrubs and raked into garden areas, providing native and diverse habitats for pollinators and invertebrates in the winter months.  By Susan Koenig Let’s think about fall cleanup for a minute. It is that time of year again. However, let’s not be too hasty. We spend all summer planning, planting, grooming, and growing native plants and other plants for pollinators,

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Master Gardeners: Elderberry  

October 1, 2024

Elderberries MUST BE COOKED before consuming.  By Ramona Slick Our local native Elder (Sambucus canadensis) is considered a subspecies of the European Black Elder (Sambucus nigra) now classified in the family Adoxaceae which includes several subspecies of Sambucus along with viburnums.  Elders are multi-stemmed woody shrubs growing 8-12 ft. tall and wide. Stems have large piths that become hollow as they mature. Stems live about 5 years., but new shoots arise from

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Master Gardeners: American Beautyberry 

September 3, 2024

Beautyberries have small, lavender-pink, lilac-like flowers in spring, followed by purple or white berries.  by Lin JohnsonThe most asked question at Garvan Woodland Gardens in the fall is, “What is that plant with the purple berries?” The answer is, of course, the American Beautyberry. It is a deciduous shrub noted for its brightly colored, tightly clustered berries that remain on the bush into winter. It is a fast-growing deciduous shrub. Growing

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Master Gardener Online Training 

August 1, 2024

by Arin Shaffer, Garland County Horticulture AgentHey everyone, I just wanted to write to give you some information on the online Master Gardener Training. We are now up to 11 applicants for the online Master Gardener training. That’s up from 3 applicants from 2023’s class. That’s almost a 400% increase!   The online Master Gardener training starts or is opened on October 2, and is an at-your-own-pace online training that anyone

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Master Gardeners: The Window Boxes of Charleston 

June 29, 2024

For those who have very limited yard space, window boxes can provide a great solution to space limitations.  By Julia Milano On a recent visit to Charleston, I was struck by the beauty of the many window boxes that are featured on homes in the historic area of the city. During a tour of these remarkable buildings and gardens, our guide told us the tradition of these window boxes, which are

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Master Gardeners: Troublesome Peonies 

June 5, 2024

  In our area, the peony season ranges over a five-week period. Peonies are worth having in your garden, but often, they do not bloom, for a variety of reasons. Master Gardener, Sharon Dent, explores some solutions here.   By Sharon Dent Peonies have such large, lush, incredible blooms. We see them in Hot Springs in late April – early May of each year. They are worth having in your garden but

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Artemisia: Yay or Nay? 

April 27, 2024

Artemisia’s varied characteristics have been known to cause division among gardeners.  By Leigh Ann HicksArtemisia is an aromatic plant with feathery silver-blue-gray foliage. It gives the eye a resting spot when surrounded by colorful blossoms and provides interesting contrast. Its soft leaves can be used in fresh herbal arrangements or wreaths.   There are many species of artemisia. Common names include mugwort, wormwood, and sagebrush. Tarragon is a species of artemisia

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Master Gardeners: Oh, deer. OH! @#$& Deer!  

April 4, 2024

By Leigh Ann HicksAre destructive deer making you deranged? Are those exciting plants you so lovingly planted nibbled to nubs overnight? Well, I recommend checking out Deer-Resistant Design by Karen Chapman, available at Garland County Library.   This book is subtitled Fence-Free Gardens that Thrive Despite Deer and contains strategies and suggestions for thwarting the deer that are making life miserable. There are 13 chapters featuring gorgeous photographs of gardens from different parts

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Master Gardeners: Orchids 

March 1, 2024

This orchid has a happy home adorning the shower walls of a local master gardener.  By Sharron BennettThe BELOVED Master Gardener, Yvonne Becker, stated, “If ten people were asked how to grow orchids, there would be ten different answers.” Therefore, orchids are great for experimental gardeners.  In 2021, a beautiful orchid appeared on a pergola in the magnificent Garvan Woodland Gardens. It reappeared in 2022. It was the inspiration for

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Master Gardeners: Advocates for Xeriscaping for Smart Gardening

January 29, 2024

Visit the Xeriscape Garden at Hollywood Ave and Shady Grove Road in Hot Springs to learn more common sense gardening. By Karin Grisham and Jodi TookeXeriscape is a fancy name for common-sense gardening. As populations grew in the American West, water demands increased. Using principles first developed by Denver Water in 1981, xeriscaping saves water, time, and resources while creating beautiful landscapes. Derived from Greek, “xeros” means dry. That probably

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Master Gardeners: ~ The Wild Persimmon ~ The Mischievous Little Fruit Loves to Tease Fall Forager

November 25, 2023

The Mighty Persimmon. These little treats need to ripen on the vine. The general rule is waiting until after your first frost. By Dayna CarterAs the crisp autumn breeze dances through the trees and leaves blanket the ground with their vibrant jewel colors, there’s one little fruit that is almost ready to harvest: the wild persimmon. These tiny coral-colored orbs of deliciousness far exceed their fancy cousins in the local

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Bitty Martin’s New Novel Will Be Released in March 

(L to R) Johnette Connelly Taylor, niece of “Killer Wife” first victim, Joe Connelly; Evaline Rowland Connelly (no relation to Johnette), sister of the third victim, Don Rowland; and Bitty Martin, author.  Bitty Martin has completed her second Hot Springs true crime, Killer Wife: The True Story of Bonnie Connelly and the Men

SIGNS: MARCH 2026 – Eclipse & Equinox: The Turning Point of March 2026 

By Chana Prince Greetings Fellow Travelers,   March 2026 carries powerful turning-point energy. The Total Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse in Virgo on March 3 brings emotional insight and practical clarity. Virgo asks for refinement—health, habits, work, and daily devotion come into focus. What feels messy now is ready to be organized with

Master Gardener Plant Sale and Garden Show 

Thousands of plants will be for sale at the Garden Show.  Save the date – Garland County Master Gardeners will be holding their annual Plant Sale and Garden Show one day only on Saturday, April 25, from 9 AM to 4 PM at the Garland County Fairgrounds. Entry is free

Master Gardeners: Springtime is just around the Corner… 

by Susan Koenig  Springs around the corner.Our excitement builds. Our need to dig in the dirt will soon be fulfilled. We’re planning our gardens and shopping seed catalogs. We’re preparing our pots and watching video blogs. We’re dreaming of the garden and buying seeds and plants, And figuring how to get rid of the squash bugs and ants! The sun’s rays