2009 Quapaw Quarter Spring Tour of Historic Homes

Our 2009 Spring Tour will be here in just a couple of weeks! Here are some of the details of this special event.

About the Tour

The Quapaw Quarter Association's 45th Annual Spring Tour of Historic Homes will feature five private homes, the newest addition to Little Rock historic downtown inns, and one of Little Rock's most historic churches. This year's event, Historic Downtown Little Rock: Something for Everyone, will be held May 10, 2009, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.

Little Rock's historic downtown encompasses many neighborhoods and is enriched by the great diversity of architectural styles as well as the people who call the area home. From the grand mansions and cozy bungalows of the 19th Century to the converted commercial spaces and new construction of the 21st Century, downtown truly has something for everyone's taste and budget.

The Quapaw Quarter Association promotes the preservation of Little Rock's architectural heritage through advocacy, marketing and education. Founded in the early 1960s, the Quapaw Quarter Association is a Local Partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The annual Spring Tour has been a Quapaw Quarter Association tradition since 1963.

About the Homes

This year's tour will include the Foster-Robinson House (ca. 1905) at 2122 S. Broadway; the Senhausen House (ca. 1902) at 2319 S. Gaines; Rosehaven Cottages Bed & Breakfast (ca. 1890) at 1410-1412 S. Arch St.; the Nelson Auto Garage (Warehouse Lofts, ca. 1914) at 1509 S. Louisiana; the Annie Ward Cottage (ca. 1880) at 1508 S. Louisiana, as well as a newly constructed condominium in the River Market District.

This year's tour also features one of Little Rock most historic and beautiful churches, the Cathedral of St. Andrew at 617 S. Louisiana St. Begun in 1878 and completed in 1881, the Cathedral is Little Rock oldest church building. In recent years, the church has undergone extensive restoration, bringing its original beauty and craftsmanship back to life.

During the afternoon of the tour, local realtors will host open houses in many other historic homes currently for sale in the area.

The Details

This year's tour will be held Sunday, May 10, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Tickets are $15per person and can be purchased by calling 501-371-0075. Tickets may also be purchased at the Little Rock Visitor Information Center at Historic Curran Hall, 615 E. Capitol Avenue. Tickets will be available the day of the tour at Curran Hall and at selected locations along the tour route. Proceeds benefit the historic preservation programs of the QQA. For more information, please call 501-371-0075.

Polk County MG Plant Sale Re-scheduled

Due to the tornado, the Polk County Master Gardeners Plant sale has been postponed until Saturday, May 16, at McMillan Park in Mena, AR.

Plant Southern Peas that Sell!

Gardeners and farmers will soon be planting southern peas, but which varieties should they plant? The determining factor should be the market, advises Dr. Obadiah Njue, Cooperative Extension Program horticulture specialist at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). Small acreage farmers and serious gardeners must be sure that the varieties they grow are ones they can sell.

Some varieties sell better when shelled, says Dr. Njue. A bushel of one variety (unshelled) will not necessarily yield the same amount when shelled, and the differences may be varietal or production conditions, says Dr. Njue.

Before choosing which variety to grow, Dr. Njue advises considering the results of the 2007 and 2008 field studies at UAPB. Fresh pea (seed) yield, fresh pod yield and shell-out percentages were evaluated by Dr. Shadrach Okiror, UAPB associate professor and plant breeder.

Four of the most commonly grown varieties in Arkansas – 'Epic,' 'Top-pick Pinkeye,' 'Early Scarlet' and 'Louisiana Quick Pick' (LA-Quick Pick), all bush-erect varieties – have been evaluated by Dr. Okiror. These varieties have pods that are set at the top of the canopy, making them easier to harvest, either by hand or mechanically.

'Early Scarlet,' a purple hull pea, had the highest fresh pea yield of 2,201 pounds per acre and the highest fresh pod yield of 4,402 pounds per acre. It had a shell-out percentage of 50 percent. 'Top-pick Pinkeye,' another purple hull pea, yielded 2,161 pounds per acre and a fresh pod yield of 4,322 pounds per acre and also a shell-out percentage of 50 percent.

On the other hand, 'LA Quick Pick,' a purple hull pea, and 'Epic,' a brown crowder pea, had only 40 percent and 42 percent shell-out percentages, respectively. 'LA Quick Pick' had a fresh-pea yield of 1,536 pounds per acre and a fresh pod yield of 3,840 pounds per acre. 'Epic' had a fresh pea yield of 1,675 pounds per acre and a fresh pod yield of 3,988 pounds per acre.

The top two (both shelled and in pods) favorites in the market place are 'Top-pick Pinkeye' and 'LA Quick Pick," says Dr. Njue. 'Top-pick Pinkeye' ranked second of the four varieties evaluated by Dr. Okiror in both fresh pea yield and fresh pod yield while 'LA Quick Pick' was fourth. Farmers should keep this in mind when planting, says Dr. Njue.

The older runner/creeping or climbing varieties, 'Coronet' for example, are ideal for backyard gardens or growers planning to use manual labor for harvesting. These older varieties flower and set pods over an extended period and the pods can be picked over several days.

Dr. Njue advises those selling peas at farmers' markets to inform customers of the nutritive value of southern peas, which are highly nutritious, so that nutrition rather than appearance becomes important. Peas are good sources of protein and rich in amino acids, lysine and tryptophan.

Plant of the Week - Clematis

As spring revs up, mailboxes and decorative light posts are draped with color this time of year as their adorning clematis vines bloom. Of all the flowering vines, clematis varieties are, without question, the most beautiful.

But clematis are not without their frustrations, not the least of which is what to call them. Is it "Clemm-it-is" as the British say or "Clem-at-us" as the southern drawl would imply?

Clematis have a reputation for being temperamental beauties that many have tried but given up on. Most are English or French imports where they flourish in the cool, moist maritime climate of the region. But, they can be grown in the South without a great deal of difficulty, if you pay close attention to site selection and soil preparation.

Their range in bloom size and color is remarkable, but centered around shades of white, blue and pink, which are typical color ranges for members of the ranunculus family to which the plant belongs. Flowers may be single, with only four petals (really sepals), to many-times doubled. Most of the spring-blooming kinds have flowers approaching the size of a saucer while some of our native types have blooms the size of a quarter.

Like many plants with beautiful flowers, their necessary vegetative growth is not the most beautiful in the flowery kingdom. Plants grow as a tangle of thin-branched vines. Dead stems often accumulate in the tangle, giving the plant a less than tidy appearance. Clematis vines are new at the business of climbing, so they sprawl about the landscape, looking for something to support them. The stems weave and twine but most of the support for climbing comes from the leaf petioles that twist around anything in their path. Clematis are controlled growers, seldom growing more than 6 or 8 feet tall.

Clematis grow best in rich, well-drained limey soils with a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. They can be grown from zones 4 through 8. These small vines can be used to adorn the mailbox, cover a chain length fence or trained up a porch railing or trellis. They are not rampant enough to use for covering a large arbor.

The recommended planting site for clematis vines is to have their "head in the sun and their feet in the shade." To bloom well they need six hours of sunlight a day, but avoid hot dry locations. In hotter regions, plant them where they get afternoon shade or at the base of a wall where their roots are kept cool while their top is allowed to run.

These beauties are sold as hybrids, always with a nice color tag showing the bloom. Unfortunately, you need to know a bit more about the plant if you're going to prune it effectively. Most clematis hybrids (the Florida group, Lanuginosa group and the Patens group) bloom on year-old vines in the spring, so they shouldn't be pruned until after they have flowered. Pruning can be severe, cutting the vines back as much as needed to control growth and remove any untidiness.

The Jackmanii group and the Viticella group are summer flowering, so they can be cut back in the spring and will flower in the summer. But truthfully, I don't see a lot of people pruning their clematis vines. And, unless you are a "neatnick" unable to tolerate a bit of unruliness, pruning doesn't seem critical for a good bloom display. Nipping here and there to keep the plant in bounds can be done at any season.

For more information about horticulture and to see other "Plant of the Week" columns or visit extension's Web site. You can always contact your county extension agent. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.

U of A Turfgrass Program - Turf Tips

University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service

Turfgrass Science Program - Turf Tips

1. Spring dead spot is now appearing for many
2. Sharpen your mower blades
3. Spreading tall fescue?
4. When to fertilize your lawn?
5. Mark your calendar for the Turfgrass Field Day: Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Read the entire turf tip articles.

As always contact your local county extension agent with any lawn issues.

Plant Health Clinic Newsletter #8, April 20, 2009

The weekly Plant Health Clinic Newsletter is available here.

Inside this edition you will find information about Strawberry Leather Rot, Iris Leaf Spot, Peony Phytophthora Blight and Peach Leaf Curl.

As always you can get more help with diseased plants from your local county extension office.

Janet Carson in Fayetteville

Janet Carson will be speaking in Fayetteville on April 27, 2009, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the Washington County Extension Office.

Her topic is Trees, Shrubs and Shade Gardening.

The public is invited to attend this event for a $5.00 charge. For Master Gardeners there is no charge to attend.

Contact the Washington County Extension Office for more information at 479-444-1755.

Spring In The Hills - Tour of Gardens

Spring in the Hills Tour of Gardens presented by the Little Rock Council of Garden Clubs.

Ten beautiful gardens located on Edgehill, and in the Heights and Hillcrest areas will be available for touring on Saturday, May 2 from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm and Sunday, May 3 from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door and can be purchased at most local nurseries or by calling 663-7515.

Janet Carson will be telecasting her radio show on Saturday morning from one of the gardens. Garden Experts will be available at all gardens.

"Spring... A Time To Till" Garden Workshop May 2nd

The Master Gardeners of Nevada County are offering a workshop for garden enthusiasts on May 2nd in Prescott at the Central Baptist Church, Stokes Center. The workshop will begin at 9:00 a.m. continuing until 3:45 p.m.

Participants will enjoy presentations from Sandy Nall - Daylilies Not Just A Pretty Face , Patty Bishop - Herb Chat, Larry Averill - Coleus Foliage Wonders, and Bob Byers - Design with Color.

Pre-registration is requested. Cost to attend is $15.00 per person and includes lunch. For additional information contact the Nevada County Extension Office either through email or at 870-887-2818.

Proceeds from the day will fund ongoing Nevada County Master Gardener community projects.

Gardenwalk 2009 - Conway, Faulkner County

The Faulkner County Master Gardeners will host the second Gardenwalk on Saturday, May 23rd, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Gardenwalk 2009 will feature six gardens in west Conway, showcasing mostly sun gardens. Some of the gardens feature pool landscaping, and others highlight creative use of grasses, perennials and annuals.

Tickets can be purchased at each garden for $10, and advance tickets can be purchased for $8 at the Conway Chamber of Commerce.

Tickets will also be available Faulkner County MG Plant Sale on May 16 at the County Fairgrounds.

For more information contact Jan Spann.

Plant Health Clinic News, Issue #7, April 13, 2009

The Plant Health Clinic News is a valuable resource that is created by Sherrie Smith, and I wanted to let everyone know about it. Sherrie is our very own Plant Diagnostician located in Lonoke.

The Plant Health Clinic News is always available to you online, and it is kept very relevant to plant health issues that are occuring as we speak.

In the current issue you can find information about Lettuce drop, Ivy anthracnose, Rose midge, and Stubby-root nematodes.

The current issue is here, and previous issues can be found here.

Herb Chats Seminar - Clark County

An herb seminar titled Herb Chats will be hosted by the Clark County Master Gardeners and held on Thursday, April 23 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. The seminar will be held at the Clark County Fairgrounds and presented by Patty Bishop of the Red Dirt Master Gardeners in Miller County.

If you know of others that might be interested, I have a flyer that could be used for promotion. Email me and I will forward it to you.

Plant of the Week: Wild Gingers (Asarum canadense)

In my shade garden grow several wild gingers, members of the genus Asarum. Over the years, most have spread happily, wheedling their way into nooks and crannies around the garden and into my affection as well. Based on the amount of scientific ink that has been spilled on this group of lowly plants, I'm not the only one who has found them intriguing.

Asarums are temperate groundcovers of the northern hemisphere and occurs widely in North America, Europe and Asia. They belong to the small tropical birthwort family (Aristolochiaceae) that's best known for its unusual "Dutchman's pipe" flowers. The Asarums apparently originated in Asia but had spread across the ancient landmasses before the continents went their separate ways.

The most common and prolific of my wild gingers is Asarum canadense. It's a 6-inch tall creeping groundcover that spreads by means of fleshy, pinkie sized rhizomes, eventually forming colonies several feet across. It produces heart-shaped, deciduous 4-inch wide leaves that appear in early spring and persist until the first hard freezes of fall.

Asarum flowers appear in early spring with the new leaves, but they're easily overlooked because they emerge buried beneath leaves and other debris of the forest floor. They're borne singly at the end of a rhizome and are ½-inch long and wide, fuzzy, brown in color with three reflexed sepals. Though interesting, they're not all that showy.

But amongst botanists, the flowers have caused lots of controversy. Structurally, the flowers are arranged in such a way that it's obvious there should be something out there cross-pollinating them. Everything from slugs to fungus gnats have been proposed, but current research indicates most species are self-fruitful, only rarely being cross-pollinated.

When successfully pollinated, the flowers produce seeds which have a nutritious oily coating called an 'elaiosome' which ants find irresistible. The ants carry the seeds back to their nests, enjoy their feast and discard the seeds where they come up willy-nilly in the garden.

Botanists have had difficulty defining the limits of the wild ginger genus. The splitters consider only 20 or so species to belong to the genus Asarum, relegating the other 60 species to three separate, closely related genera. The lumpers though seem to be winning the day and modern classification schemes recombine the groups as separate subgenera within the Asarum genus.

Wild gingers have a long list of ethnobotanical uses, not the least of which is as a substitute for the tropical ginger root. Wild ginger has a similar taste to tropical ginger but is only about one third as strong. In addition to its culinary use, it was also used as a part of the Native American pharmacopoeia, treating everything from infections to various kinds of internal ailments. Meriwether Lewis, probably under the instruction of Sacagawea, pounded the roots and leaves of wild ginger to form a poultice which they applied to Joe Potts' swollen and inflamed leg which he cut with a knife in Idaho's Bitterroot Mountains. He quickly recovered.

But in 2001, the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against using wild ginger in cookery or as an herbal remedy due to the presence of aristolochic acid, a substance known to cause kidney failure and possibly cancer.

Wild gingers do well in moist, fertile woodland soils where they can grow undisturbed. Most are hardy from zones 4 to 8. They're ideal for use along walkways, in woodland rock gardens or as a groundcover. Once established, they're tough, thrive without special care and persist for many years. Clumps can be divided in early spring.

In Japan, wild gingers are collected by enthusiasts for their colorful mottled foliage and unusual but showy flowers. One nursery is offering more than 30 cultivars of these unusual gingers for hobbyists who're looking for a pot plant that's easier to grow than an orchid and can be left outside over winter.

For more information about horticulture or to see other "Plant of the Week" columns, visit extension's Web site, or contact your county extension agent. The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.