COLLEGE STATION — “Gardens are the result of a collaboration between art and nature.” — Penelope Hobhouse True, but add history into that mix as well for the best outcome, says Texas A&M University horticulturist Dr. Joe Novak. Purple martins flutter above the replica of a 19th century cottage surrounded by limestone, rock-lined beds of…
COLLEGE STATION — “Gardens are the result of a collaboration between art and nature.” — Penelope Hobhouse True, but add history into that mix as well for the best outcome, says Texas A&M University horticulturist Dr. Joe Novak. Purple martins flutter above the replica of a 19th century cottage surrounded by limestone, rock-lined beds of flowers,…
EL PASO Cracking pepper is hard, that is if you’re a scientist trying to breed better varieties. But a molecular biologist for the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station here has cracked through an efficient way to insert genes for the desired traits in peppers. The method should lead to better disease and insect resistance and…
HOUSTON Cultivation. It’s one of the things that friendship and plant production have in common. Horticulturists at Texas A&M University now hope to throw research into the mix. “An Evening of Cultivation” will happen here June 3 from 6-11 p.m. at the Houston Farm and Ranch Club in order to foster relationships between supporters…
AUSTIN The Travis County office of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service has launched an innovative program to help retail nurseries train employees and provide information for customers concerning environmentally responsible ways to use fertilizers and pesticides. The G.R.E.E.N. Program (Gardening Retailer’s Extension Education Network) recently conducted a pilot training of 24 nursery employees from…
WESLACO An invisible, silent killer continues to stalk the colorful moth orchid, a newcomer to the nation’s ornamental plant business and one of its hottest commodities. But experiments at the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Weslaco may yet save the day. Sales of the moth orchid (Phaelenopsis) have gone through the…
HOUSTON “Water smart” home landscaping in the Texas Gulf Coast area can simply mean reducing the size of the area covered by grass, increasing the areas of beds and selecting native or adapted shrubs and alternative ground covers. Water smart landscapes are friendly on the environment and friendly on the home gardener, said Dr….
HOUSTON — As home gardening enthusiasts get ready for spring landscaping, they should consider landscapes and lawns that will keep looking fresh all summer, even as Greater Houston faces another year of drought. Many of these lawn care techniques are actually less work and more appealing. “These are not the ugly gravel beds and spiny…
WESLACO Dr. Kevin Crosby, a melon breeder at the Texas A&M Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Weslaco, is presenting his research on vine decline in Israel, where melon production and consumption date back thousands of years. “Melons are indigenous to that part of the world, from Central Africa, through Egypt and into the…
GOLDTHWAITE — This year’s 2000 Central Texas Pecan Short Course program reads like a “who’s who” of long-time pecan pros. The annual event sponsored by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service is scheduled for March 28 in the Mills County Civic Center. Registration and exhibit viewing begins at 8 a.m. “We expect this program to be…
