All the Dirt on Gardening

The Flower, Garden & Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas will meet  Saturday, July 21, at 10:00 a.m. for a  program about the beautiful flora and fauna of Costa Rica.   Joyce Mendenhall, master gardener and active member of FGNS of NWA and Botanical Garden of the Ozarks, will share photos and facts of her trip to Costa Rica.   The meeting will be held in the Student Center of Northwest Technical Institute at 709 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale.  Doors open at 9:30 a.m. for refreshments.  Membership is not required for first-time visitors.  Info:  479-466-7265 or facebook.com/fgnsofnwa.  

Here's a great opportunity to learn about Orchids from Cathy and Steve Marak. The Maraks are enthusiastic about orchids and give great presentations. What Is It About Orchids?    At the February 17 meeting of Flower, Garden & Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas hear two orchid enthusiasts, Cathy and Steve Marak, as they talk about their collection of hundreds of orchids.   Both Cathy and Steve have held offices in the Orchid Society of the Ozarks (Steve is the current president.), and they are co-chairing the 8th Annual Orchids in the Garden Show and Sale.   That event will occur March 2, 3, & 4 this year.    Meet Saturday, Feb. 17, in the Student Center of Northwest Technical Institute at 709 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale at 9:30 a.m. for social time and the meeting at 10:00.   Membership is not required for first-time visitors.  Info:  479-466-8100 or 479-466-7265.

The Flower Garden & Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas presents the 20th Annual Through the Garden Gate Tour June 10.from 9 to 4.  Seven private gardens in Fayetteville plus Botanical Garden of the Ozarks will be featured.  This is a rain or shine event.   Tickets at $15 for the tour are available at all Westwood Gardens and at Botanical Garden.   More info call  479-301-2128  or e-mail  blowerk@prodigy.net https://www.facebook.com/FGNSofNWA/

The Flower Garden and Nature Society of NorthWest Arkansas welcomes Susan Young  Topic “Fields Red with Strawberries in Northwest Arkansas”  Day Saturday, March 18, 2017  Time 9:30 am Social Time - 10:00 am Program Location Northwest Technical Institute - Springdale Arkansas Susan Young is the outreach coordinator at the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale, a position she has held since 1994.  Susan is a lifelong resident of Fayetteville and a fifth-generation Ozarker.  She is the author of "So Big, This Little Place," a history of the founding of Tontitown, Arkansas, and the editor of “Memories I Can't Let Go Of”, a collection of life stories from Tontitown, Arkansas.  In 2014, Susan received the Washington County Historical Society's Distinguished Citizen Award.  Susan serves on the boards of the Arkansas Historical Association and the Ozark Folk Cultural Center Commission. Her Ozark history interests include traditional folkwa...

The  November 19  meeting of Flower, Garden and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas will feature Amy Tucker speaking about "Bringing People & Nature Together."   During Amy's 30-year career in health care administration, she noticed the positive impact of bird watching for her patients.  This experience influenced her to be directly involved in the bird-watching business, so she and her husband, Don, now own two Wild Birds Unlimited stores. They offer products to ensure healthy birds.   The meeting will begin at  10:00 a.m.  in the Student Center of Northwest Technical Institute at 709 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale, AR.  It is free and open to the public.  for more Info - call  479/521-7654 .  

The Flower, Garden & Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas will meet  Saturday, October 15 , to hear "Pink Hates Chartreuse: Thoughts on Color in the Garden".  Speaker will be Tom Dillard, an avid gardener, retired head of Special Collections at the University of Arkansas Libraries in Fayetteville, and a historian and specialist on Arkansas history, about which he writes a weekly column for  Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The meeting will be held in the Student Center of Northwest Technical Institute at 709 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale, AR.  It is free and open to the public.  The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m.   Info:  479-361-2198  and on facebook.com/fgnsofnwa .  An article ( link ) about Dillard when he retired says that " Dillard is best known as a creator of the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History & Culture, which he still serves as founding editor-in-chief, and as creator of the Richard C. Butler Center for Arkans...

Starfish Clematis On Saturday, Feb 20th, the Flower Garden Nature Society is hosting Dan Long of Brushwood Nursery . His vine nursery in Athens Georgia features native vines but Clematis, too. The nursery's website has two sections: 1) for growers and 2) finished retail products. It looks like the grower side is just for a few of their hybrids. The Gardenvines website for gardeners still says Brushwood. At any rate, there are links to their various collection of Clematis, Passionflower vines, Climbing Roses, Honeysuckle and Jasmine, Dan Long Long's talks on the 20th will focus on Clematis and native vines for our gardens. The 10 am talk is titled "Clematis You Need/You Need Clematis" His 2 pm talk is titled "Social Climbers: Native Vines that Won't Kill Your Garden Party" $15 for both talks. For more information contact Gail Pianalto 479.361.2198 or Joyce Mendenhall 479.7265

Lissa Morrison, who works at Botanical Garden of the Ozarks , will be the September 19 speaker for the meeting of the Flower Garden and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas. Location is the  Northwest AR Technical Institute, 709 S. Old Missouri Rd, Springdale.  The meeting begins at 10 am.   "Taming the Wild – Ozark Natives in the Home Landscape" The speaker, Lissa Morrison, has had an interest in native plants since 2008 when she and her husband, Merle, opened White River Nursery in south Fayetteville.  Her mission is to increase knowledge & understanding of how to use native plants in our own backyards.   “By encouraging the use of some of the well behaved natives, we can hopefully return to a more balanced ecosystem.”  Morrison genuinely believes that by changing one yard at a time, we as gardeners, can make a difference.

FGNS is one of the clubs we are members of. I'm putting a link to the August newsletter here for your information. file:///C:/Users/Stoodley/Downloads/FGNS%20NL%20Aug%202015.pdf They have great speakers! The 2 hour commute from our house to the meetings limits our attendance and we haven't really made any friends there (by that I mean we are never recognized) but enjoy our visits when we can go. Maybe you'll be able to make an upcoming meeting.

The Ozark Mountains give northeast Oklahoma, northwest Arkansas, southeast Kansas and southwest Missouri their rolling hills, lush landscapes and native plants.  This is all ancient terrain. Here a link to a wonderful blog about the plants of the Ozarks  http://stateoftheozarks.net/index.php. Also, a big treat for those who are interested in native plants - The Flower, Garden, and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas will meet  Saturday, August 15, to hear about the history of plants in the Ozarks.   Speaker is Janice Neighbor, Washington County master gardener.   Meeting will be held in the Student Center of Northwest Technical Institute at  709 S. Old Missouri Road in  Springdale, AR.   Meeting is free and open to the public.   Social time begins at 9:30  and meeting at 10    Info:   479-361-2198  or  479-466-7265 . 

Gloria McIntosh one of Gloria's wreaths The Flower, Garden, & Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas will meet Saturday, July 18, to learn how to create a living wreath with succulent plants.   Gloria McIntosh, Washington County master gardener, horticulturist, and former president of FGNS of NWA will demonstrate.   Meeting will be held in the Student Center of Northwest Technical Institute at 709 S. Old Missouri Road in Springdale, AR.  Meeting is free and open to the public.  Social time begins at  9:30 AM  and meeting at  10:00 AM .  Info:   479-466-7265  or  479-361-2198 .     CONTACT:   vacoogan@yahoo.com

Steve Marak Steve Marak’s opening comment in his talk about rock gardens was, “Rock gardening is not a pot full of rocks, even though that would live no matter what.”  Marak recently spoke about rock gardening at the Flower, Garden and Nature Society of NW Arkansas, a club he helped found.  Alpine gardening, which is a garden filled with plants that grow in Alpine mountain regions, includes a) crevice or deep excavation, and b)rock face or dry-stacked gardens. A rock garden is usually filled with small and low-to-the-ground plants that bloom all at once with flowers that are large relative to the size of the plant clump. In order to grow rock garden plants in our high-rainfall area we must try to replicate their native environment by bringing in a large quantity of mixed-sized rocks. The most efficient way to create a rock garden is with a load of scree piled on a slope. Marak said, “Scree’s mixture of rock sizes provides sharp drainage to oxygenate ...

Atlanta GA is the home of HGTV personality and author Erica Glasener (ericaglasner.com) who gave two talks at the Flower Garden and Nature Society last Saturday. Program chair for FGNS, Gail Pianalto, introduced Glasener as “a rock star of the gardening world”. In her recent past Glasener hosted “A Gardener’s Diary” on HGTV for 14-years, interviewing gardeners across the U.S. Her list of writing credentials include a garden column in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Southern Lady Magazine, Fine Gardening, and many others. Her books include “Proven Plants: Southern Gardens” and her planting tips are part of the Southern Living Plant Collection website at southernlivingplants.com/expert_advice. Glasener opened her first talk by saying that she thinks the soul of any garden is the gardener who works there. She is also a plant-lover who thinks native plants are perfect but that imported plants and hybrids are also quite important in a garden. The morning talk included doz...

This coming Saturday, Aug 21 Garden Writer and owner of Reed's Designs will speak at the Flower Garden and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas in Springdale. Herbs - Their Folklore and What to do with Them Northwest Technical Institute Student Center 709 S. Old Missouri Rd. Springdale AR Coffee 9:30 Program 10:00 a.m. Free and open to the public Info 479-521-9090 Lynn Rogers,program chair 479-841-8759 and 479521-9090

On June 5th, the Flower, Garden and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas is holding their Through the Garden Gate tour. Contact Lynn Rogers at lbr845 at cox.net for more information. Here is the lineup - 1. THE GARDEN MUCH TRAVELED 164 N. Skyview Lane, in Fayetteville 2. GARDEN RETREAT ON A SLOPE 7 E. Lover’s Lane, in Fayetteville 3. LYNNWOOD : A COLLECTOR’S GARDEN 2468 N. Crossover Rd. in Fayetteville 4. THE PAVILION AND SCULPTURE GARDENS AT BLAIR COMPOUND 1011/1079 Tanglebriar Lane in Fayetteville 5. HARMONY GARDENS 8779 W. Forest Hills Dr. in Fayetteville 6. NAMASTE 30 Windsor Dr. in Rogers 7. DIXIELAND GARDENS 2200 S, Dixieland Rd. in Rogers ALSO - here's the lineup of the organization's upcoming meetings July 17 Joyce Mendenhall, Washington County Master Gardener, FGNS member SCENES OF MONET’S GARDEN IN GIVERNY August 21 Renee Reed, garden writer and owner of Reed's Designs Landscaping HERBS - THEIR FOLKLORE AND WHAT TO DO WITH THEM September 18 Fred Spiegel, UA...

Although it is amost a two-hour drive and they begin at 9:30 on Saturday mornings, we are members who occasionally attend the Flower, Garden and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas. Meetings are usually held at the Student Center of NWAR Technical Institute, 709 S. Old Missouri Rd in Springdale, Arkansas. The reason we crank it up to go despite the early exit and long drive, is that their programs are so good. SOCIAL 9:30 SPEAKER 10 a.m. Publicity Chair, Lynn Rogers can be reached for more information at 479-521-9090 H. 479-841-8759 C. The lineup for the club's year ahead January 16 Round-table discussion, bring favorite garden tool for show and tell. February 20 Jeb Leggett, Custom Landscape and Nursery, Mt. Vernon, AR Unusual landscape trees and shrubs March 20 Tony Avent, owner Plant Delights Nursery, Raleigh, North Carolina, Exploration to Exploitation April 17 Berni Kurz, Washington County Extension Agent, Care and Maintenance of Water Gardens May 15 Ricky Corde...

Sustainable gardening is the term used for gardening with the least. Instead of blasting the garden with chemical fertilizers and bug sprays, use the least possible. Rather than using a timed system to irrigate lawn and gardens on a schedule, wait until plants signal a need for water. Gardeners who use a sustainable approach make an effort to add back to the earth. Simple changes can make a difference. Examples include: Use sheets of newspaper under mulch instead of plastic, make a compost pile, dig a basin in the garden to collect rainwater or switch to wildlife friendly fertilizers such as composted animal waste or seaweed. Last Saturday when Dr. Gerald Klingaman spoke at the Northwest Arkansas Flower and Garden Club in Fayetteville, he added his own twist to the whole topic of sustainable gardening. Klingaman chose The Quest for a Sustainable Garden as the topic for his talk knowing that gardeners cannot resist a few high maintenance plants. Any garden we plant is destined to be sho...

Yesterday I went to Springdale/Fayetteville Arkansas to hear Gerald Klingaman speak. The title of his talk was The Quest for a Sustainable Garden. (After 31 years as professor of horticulture, he now is the volunteer exec director of the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks.) When presenting his basic premise, Klingaman referred to his 80-20 rule for sustainable gardening: 80% of the garden should be plants that can take care of themselves for the most part, leaving the other 20% for your pet plants that are higher maintenance. I couldn't help but think that if one had a garden well established with those 80% plants, one could take a year off of gardening altogether. Maybe one could spend a year traveling and reading instead of being a servant to one's garden. Hmmmm. Back when I taught management and quality classes, we called that the Pareto Principle. For example 80% of problems come from 20% of customers, 80% of profit comes from 20% of products, and 80% of productivity comes from...

J. Carol Reese, horticulture specialist at the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service, spoke in northwest Arkansas April 18. Reese is a well-known gardening speaker who has appeared on the Do-It-Yourself Network. She also writes a weekly garden and nature column for the Jackson Sun in MS, is a columnist for Horticulture Magazine, and contributes to other garden magazines. The Flower Garden and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas sponsored Reese's talk. Their monthly meetings are held on Saturday mornings in Springdale AR and feature experienced gardeners, educators and authors. Reese opened her talk by telling the audience of 60 members that she thinks it is always good to talk to gardeners because there is never a criminal in the crowd. Well, except for those cuttings you took at the botanical gardens you visited. The title of Carol's talk was Sex and the Single Pistil though she gave us the benefit of her experience in all things nature. One of the books she ...