Bloomin' News - Oklahoma County Master Gardeners

Gardener’s Calendar 

APRIL 

2! Plant Sale preparation, bring donation plants to 

! Extension classrooms, 9 to 4:00 

3! Plant Sale, Extension Classrooms, 9 to 2:00 

4! Meeting; Barry Fox, Greenhouse Manager for 

! Horticulture Center speaks; Remnant Plants Sale; 

! Craft Sale 

11! Garden Work Day, 10 to 2:00 

13 ! Plant Sale for MGs, Hort Center Greenhouse, 9 to 3:00 

14! Farmers’ Market, 4 th & Portland, 10 to 1:00 


18! Tony’s Tree Plantation, Fairy Garden demo 

20 ! Will Rogers Garden Center, Spring Walk, 9:30 

24! Learning Lab, 9 to 3:00 


26! Board Meeting, North Classroom, 9:30 


30 ! Plant Sale preparation, Auditorium, 9 to 4:00 

MAY 

1! Plant Sale, In Extension auditorium, 9 to 2:00 

2! Meeting: Patricia Folley discusses her wildflower 

! guide for OK, Books for sale; Plant Remnants Sale 

4! Native Landscapes, Will Rogers Gardens 

09 ! Garden Work Day, 10 to 2:00 

11! Flower Arranging, Will Rogers Gardens 



17! Members’ Garden bus tour 

19! Festival in the Park, Will Rogers Park, 9 am 

20! Board Meeting, North Classroom 



Bloomin’ News 

Sign up Today for Excursions, MG Conference 

By Kathleen Hardwick, Touring Chair 

! Sign up for tours this morning, including trips to Tony’s Tree Plantation, the 

Members’ Garden Tour, the Ponca City Herb Festival and the Oklahoma Master 

Gardener Conference. 

! Tony’s Tree Plantation is a must see! Just opened at 3801 S. Post Road, the 10 acre 

garden center welcomes us Wednesday, April 18, with a demonstration on how to 

construct a fairy garden. We will tour the grounds which feature koi ponds, bridges, 

water features, and a 14,000 square foot greenhouse full of plants to tempt us. Tony is 

generously enticing us with a 10% discount, as if we need enticement. PLEASE WEAR 

YOUR NAME BADGE to take advantage of the discount. Details available at signup. There 

is much to see, but be sure to notice the outdoor pathways, one of which features 101 

styles of pavers which change every few feet. Also check out the murals on the walls and 

ceiling of the retail shop. This garden center is a showcase of design ideas, plants, pots 

and hardscape. ! 

! The annual Members’ Garden Tour, Thursday, May 17, will be a bus tour, and we 

ask again that everyone ride the bus. If you would be willing to host a tour of your own 

gardens, please contact me as soon as possible. Bus seats for this tour are $15 which does 

not include lunch. 

! The Ponca City Herb Festival, Saturday, June 2, at the 10 acre Cann Memorial 

Gardens will also be a bus trip. More than 100 vendors from many states bring plants, 

primitive birdhouses, yard and garden ornaments, quilts, herbal vinegars and oils, 

soaps, candles, etc. Seminars scheduled include Bees in the Landscape, Container 

Gardening, Composting, Butterflies & Gardening and Crafting with Gourds. This tour runs 

$20, and members pay for their own lunches. 

! Our bus trip to the Oklahoma Master Gardener Conference, Red Dirt Gardening: A 

Window into the Future, will be Friday, June 15 in Stillwater. Seats on the bus run $15. 

Conference registration is additional. Mail to: Stephanie Larimer, HortLA, OSU, 358 Ag 

Hall, Stillwater, OK 74078-6027. For fee and deadline, check: http:// 

www.hortla.okstate.edu/mg/index.htm 

! Allan Storjohann’s keynote address, Be a Smarter Gardener: Watch the Trends, Costs 

and Pitfalls of the Garden begins the day. More speakers and topics soon. Happy Touring! 

Oklahoma County 

Master Gardeners 

APRIL 2012 

On the Road Again! 

Sign up today 

For Bus Tours 

May 17, $15 

Members’ Garden 

Bus Tour 

MGHOURS@GMAIL.COM 1 

MASTERGARDENER@OKSTATE.EDU 

••• 

June 2, $20 

Ponca City Herb Festival 

Bus Tour 

••• 

June 15, $15 

Oklahoma 

Master Gardener 

Conference 

Bus TourSeats are 

available first to 

certified & emeritus 

Master Gardeners.

From the President ... 

By Peggy Garrett 

What did Will Rogers say? "If you don't like 

the weather in Oklahoma, wait five minutes and it 

will change." That's certainly been true the past few 

weeks. 

! We had rain, sleet, snow and hail all in one 

afternoon, and temperatures in the 70s the next day. How 

crazy is that? It's certainly has our garden plants 

confused. 

! I am so ready to get my hands digging in the dirt and 

it certainly feels like it's time. Mother Nature may still 

have some surprises in store for us, but I don't care. I'm 

like a kid in a candy store when I'm at a nursery; I want 

one of everything! Fortunately for all of us plant geeks, 

there are lots of opportunities coming up to satisfy our 

cravings. 

! The OSU/OKC Horticulture Center is hosting a presale 

just for Master Gardeners, and we have two big sales 

scheduled in the next few weeks for our own 

membership. Our Project Sales committee is working 

very hard to make these sales a success, but they depend 

heavily upon donations from our members. 

! If you are out and about in your garden and spy 

some new 'babies' that you are going to have to move 

anyway, why not pot them up and share them with your 

fellow Master Gardeners? Your plants will go to a good 

home, and at least they won't have to worry about getting 

pelted with sleet! 

"If you have a garden and a library, 

you have everything you need." 

~ Cicero 

Learning Lab #1, April 24 

–– 

Get a jump on education hours. 

- Learning Lab, April 24, 9 to 3:00 - 

Hands-on Demonstration! 

Door prizes ! 

Certified, Associate, Emeritus, 

returning or transfer Master Gardeners 

may attend and earn up to five hours 

of education credit. 

When Redbuds and Tree Peonies bloom in our gardens, it 

must surely be spring in OKC! Linda Rose-Evans photo 

Plant Sale News 

Monday, April 30, 9:00 to 4:00 

Bring plant donations for sale 

Tuesday, May 1, 

9:00 to 2:00 

Plant Sale 

Extension Auditorium 

Monday, June 4, 9:00 to 4:00 

Bring plant donations for sale 

Plant Sale, Tuesday, June 5, 9 to 2, 

in the Extension classrooms. 

Susan Hill for Project Sales 


MASTERGARDENER@OKSTATE.EDU

Gardener Lists Top 10 Plants 

By Ann Larson 

! If you had to list your top ten 

essential plants, what would they be? 

! Leading plant people were 

surveyed by Fine Gardening magazine 

for their Feb. 2012 issue and here’s their 

list: 

Hellebore, Hosta, Hydrangea, Iris, 

Japanese forest grass, 

Oak, Rose, Salvia, Sedum, Viburnum 

! I was surprised to learn I have nine out of ten in my 

garden – all except the Japanese forest grass. I chalk it up 

to beginner’s luck, not any particular gardening expertise. 

! But you have to take these lists with a grain of salt. I 

had read in an earlier issue of that very same magazine (in 

a “Plant this, not that” column), to substitute Ice Dance 

sedge for Japanese forest grass, saying the sedge “holds its 

own in winter” and maintains its color and form yearround. 

! Coincidentally, I had planted this sedge to keep the 

soil from eroding under a fence at the back of my garden. 

! Guess there’s something to be said for “beginner’s 

luck” -- a nearly perfect ten! 

! Now I can move on to non-essential plants like those 

unique specimens we learn about at our Master Gardener 

programs and plant sales and in the Bloomin’ News! 

THANKS! 

Please thank Peggy Stewart, Jane Maytubby and 

Tony Furrh who brought the main meat dishes 

today. Thank you. 

Control Spring Lawn Weeds With Proper Nurturing, Spraying 

By Ray Ridlen 

" In general, the healthier you keep your lawn through proper fertilization, mowing and watering, the fewer problems 

you will have with broad leaf weeds. However, even the best cared for lawns are occasionally invaded by broadleaf weeds 

and require more than just preventive lawn care. 

Generally hand pulling is adequate to control the few rogue weeds, but too often we are not that vigilant and those few 

weeds turn into many. When this happens, post emergent chemicals are probably one of your best control options. 

Now come the mind-numbing choices of which product to use and what weeds will it control. Generally, you will find a 

variety of chemicals that are offered singularly or in combinations. The most readily offered chemicals are 2,4- D, MCPP, 

and dicamba. Combinations of the above-mentioned herbicides are very common and these combination products allow for 

the control of a broader range of weed problems than single herbicides. In addition, some combinations may allow for the 

control of certain weed species that cannot be controlled easily by the individual components alone. Here are some basic 

precautions: 

1) Ornamental plants, trees, shrubs, and vegetables can be susceptible to these chemicals. Do not spray around homes and 

gardens when there is a wind. Even a slight breeze is likely to carry spray droplets to susceptible ornamental and garden 

plants. Ester formulations (even low volatile-type) are volatile, and the vapor can travel great distances and can cause injury 

to ornamentals, vegetables, etc. 

2) Dicamba is included in many herbicide combination products and also in some weed and feed (fertilizer-herbicide) 

combinations. These herbicides move readily in the soil and can be absorbed by plant roots. Therefore, products containing 

dicamba should not be used near the drip-line of trees or near sensitive ornamentals where it can be absorbed by roots. 

3) Do not use herbicides while the bermudagrass is in transition; wait until the grass has fully greened up. Bermuda in 

transition will be damaged by the broadleaf herbicides. 

4) Most herbicides are safe for established tall fescue, bermudagrass and zoysiagrass lawns. All herbicides have the potential 

to cause some foliar yellowing. 

5) Thoroughly clean sprayer and include hose and boom after using these herbicides. It is advised that one sprayer be used 

for lawns and another for spraying ornamentals. 

6) Keep herbicide containers closed, properly labeled, and safely stored. Always keep a pesticide in its original 

container.! 

7) CAUTION: Most herbicides are relatively safe to humans and pets when handled and applied carefully. Greatest care 

must be taken during the mixing of concentrates. Applicators should wear rubber gloves and boots, long sleeve shirts, 

long pants and eye protection. Avoid prolonged or repeated contact with skin, and be sure to wash thoroughly after using 

them. Store them away from children, animals, fresh produce and other food products. It is best not to allow people or 

pets onto treated sites until the herbicide has dried on the leaves. Always read the herbicide label. 

MGHOURS@GMAIL.COM MASTERGARDENER@OKSTATE.EDU 

3

Gardener’s Tulipmania Recalls History of Storied Bulb 

By Dalia Woodliff 

! When we were in eastern Europe last year, I was 

utterly awed by all the Tulipa – family of Liliaceae - 

blooming everywhere. Although Rue is the official state 

flower of Lithuania, tulip images are all over the country’s 

native art. It has become an un-official state flower for 

Lithuania. 

! So I decided to 

research this marvelous 

perennial bulb before my 

first blooms opened and 

began Blowing in the 

Wind, as they usually do 

in Oklahoma. 

! The first Tulipa came 

from the mountains of 

Central Asia, then to 

Turkey, bewitching the 

Sultan of the Ottoman 

Empire to the point of 

lunacy. The Tulipa played 

a significant role in art 

and culture, and appropriately, 

it became a 

tradition to wear a tulip in 

one’s turban. Tulip means 

turban in Persian. The 

sultan was obsessed and had a Tulipa festival every day. 

Big mistake: he overdid it and was dethroned. 

! During the 17th Century, merchants of The 

Netherlands were fascinated as well and made the Tulipa 

a most valuable flower. Broken Tulips or Flame Tulips sold 

extremely well, and the Semper Augustus, a rare variety, 

became highly sought after. A tulip mania developed, 

during which a single bulb often cost a fortune, until a 

virus made the bulb worthless. The resulting big crash 

was an economic disaster. 

! Around 1847, a landowner named Richard Ray 

imported tulips to Salem, Massachusetts, thus 

introducing the tulip to 

the US. 

! Most cultivars are 

derived from Tulipa 

gesseriana. In Oklahoma, 

tulips are planted before 

frost in late fall (October- 

November). They bloom 

in the spring after the 

cold weather which they 

require to sprout! They 

need well-drained soil 

(not clay or sand), and 

some gardeners 

recommend gravel below 

the bulb to eliminate a 

soggy root area. Our soils 

may be a bit too alkaline. 

Amending alkaline soils 

with aluminum sulphate 

will help ameliorate the 

problem. Because tulips weaken every year, it is wise to 

choose a longer lived species, like Fosteriana or Gregii. They 

also come in different heights and varieties, with single or 

double blooms. Tulips are planted with a dose of bone 

meal, 5-8 inches deep, in a spot with partial sun. 

! Next year I will try to plant my tulip garden with a 

variety that doesn’t fly away in the Oklahoma wind! 

Tulips have a storied past and bring a jewel-like beauty to early 

spring when few other blossoms can be found. Form and color 

vary according to selection, but all are planted in early winter. 

Trip to SF 

Heralds Spring 

" On a February trip to San 

Francisco, spring had already 

arrived, providing a glimpse of 

what was just around the 

corner here. 

Right: This steep street 

prompts the question: Does 

one design flower beds and 

trim shrubs to follow the line 

of the street or the architecture 

of the building? Here they 

follow the street, but in other 

locations, they followed the 

building lines. 

Bottom left: At San Francisco's 

Pier 39, nearly 40,000 tulips had 

been planted. 

Bottom right: Colorful 

Cyclamens were everywhere! 

Ann Larson photos 


4

This Toad Flax or Snapdragon photo is by Camilla Means. 

Merchandise Sales has a deal for you! 

Cash or checks only, no credit cards please. 

Indoor Outing Offers ONPS Members Speakers, Book Signing 

By Marilyn Solomon 

! Several Oklahoma County Master Gardeners 

represented our organization as they attended the 

Oklahoma Native Plant Society Indoor Outing on 

February 4. Using the theme ‘Go Natives,’ the ONPS 

presented a day of interesting speakers and workshops. 

! Bruce Hoagland spoke about the Oklahoma 

Biological Survey, which is being populated by all plant 

specimens in Oklahoma, so that we can share information 

about native plants around the world. ! 

! Speaking on the Mesonet, Drought and Weather, Al 

Sutherland gave us information on the newest 

innovations on the Mesonet, including an application for 

the i-Phone and Android phone. Both are available at 

m.mesonet.org. 

! The Mesonet now uses a new color scheme which 

removes the ground echo previously shown around cities 

and communities. 

! Dr. Karen Hickman's topic, Introduced Plants in 

Oklahoma: Friend or Foe? provided information on invasive 

species and their impact on the community. 

! One of the highlights of the day was Patricia Folley, 

the author of a new book, The Guide to Oklahoma 

Wildflowers. Attendees heard her discuss her process in 

writing the book and enjoyed her wonderful photographs 

of Oklahoma wildflowers. 

! The book was available for purchase, and Folley 

signed each one. The book is simply beautiful! 

! Three afternoon workshops included Know Your 

Lichens, Know Your Ferns, and Know Your Composites. 

Workshops lasted 45 minutes each, with the event 

concluding at 2:45. 

! It was a great learning opportunity! 

Author Patricia Folley prepares to sign a book bought by 

Marilyn Solomon at a speical event hosted by the Oklahoma 

Native Plants Society. Photo supplied by Marilyn Solomon 

Plant Sale April 13 9 - 3:00 

Horticulture Center Greenhouse 

4 th & N Portland 

Just for Master Gardeners! 

MGHOURS@GMAIL.COM MASTERGARDENER@OKSTATE.EDU

Yard Art or Garden Kitsch? Garden Items Often Hold Special Significance, Memories Too 

By Ann Larson 

! So I’m told: The five worst offenders when it comes to 

yard art, or as Fine Gardening Magazine puts it, “The top 

five classics that gardeners either love or loathe,” include 

pink flamingos, garden gnomes, animal cutouts, gazing 

balls and lawn jockeys. 

! I admit it: I’m a 

yard art offender. Like 

Al-Anon teaches, the 

first step is admitting 

we are powerless. I 

have three out of five of 

those yard art 

offenders, and a couple 

of others that don’t fall 

in this list but might be 

considered offensive to 

some. 

! According to the 

Fine Gardening 

article, “Some people 

simply have, shall we 

say, unique tastes when 

it comes to garden art.” 

! Sometimes it is an 

acquired taste! 

! I used to feel the 

same way about 

gnomes – a hideous 

thing to put in a yard -- 

until my granddaughter 

and I went to see the 

Yard art or kitsch? The 

author’s gnome reminds her of 

a special movie outing with 

her granddaughter. Ann 

Larson photo 

movie Gnomeo and Juliet. We both fell in love with the 

funny little gnome in the old fashioned swim trunks, 

Sammi the Mankini, and if I could have found one then, 

no doubt I would have plunked him smack dab in the 

middle of my yard. Probably to my neighbors’ relief, I 

didn’t think about ordering Sammi online. Instead I 

found a more neutral gnome and put him in an out-ofthe-way 

location outside my kitchen window. I have to 

admit, even without the red bathing suit, he brings a 

smile to my face every morning when I see him and 

remember that special outing with a special little girl. 

! Likewise, my cutout bear has special meaning. For 

more than 10 years, I had the privilege of serving as 

director of the CARE Center, a child advocacy center that 

helps children who have suffered abuse, and each child 

who goes there for an interview about their case is given 

a teddy bear. When a fundraiser was held to support the 

center, I bid on the yard art/cutout bear, which now 

claims its own place in my garden. When I see it, I am 

reminded how something so simple as a stuffed animal 

can help a frightened child, and it makes me stop and 

remember the motto we took to heart: “A hundred years 

from now it will not matter what my bank account was, 

the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove…but 

the world may be different because I was important in 

the life of a child.” 

! Pink flamingos. Well that’s another story. Friends 

placed them all over my front yard early one morning in 

celebration of my 50th birthday. I didn’t notice them until 

I left for work, long after all my neighbors had 

discovered how old I was! I have them tucked away in 

my garden shed, but I bring them out for special 

occasions and always chuckle remembering how they 

ushered in my very own semi-centennial. 

! Yes, my yard art holds special memories, and even 

Fine Gardening did allow, “In actuality, most garden 

ornaments have potential.” It seems their problem with 

yard art was quantity, wrong locations or clashing colors. 

! I haven’t found the beauty yet in gazing balls and 

lawn jockeys, but I learned long ago-never say never. 

! I’d like to think my own yard treasures are tasteful, 

as if a gnome or pink flamingo can ever be tasteful! But as 

the saying goes, Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. 

A bear in the garden brings back memories of working 

for CARE, an agency that helps children who have 

suffered abuse. Ann Larson photo 



Dog Lover Shares Information: Ancient Tree’s Seeds Pose Deadly Danger to Animals, Children 

This information was shared by Robert Jones, a former 

classmate to Walter Thain, husband of Barbara. She 

brings this warning to MGs who may enjoy the Sago 

Palm as a houseplant while innocent of its danger. 

By Robert Jones 

! Palm trees are poisonous; and the Sago Palm is 

particularly toxic to dogs. Sego Palms are prolific in many 

areas of our neighborhoods (in south Texas). All of us 

need to recognize the danger and prevent our animals 

being exposed to any part of these plants. We must be 

aware that, while all parts of the plant are toxic, the seeds 

(relatively small, firm and attractive to all sizes of dogs) 

are lethal. The toxin attacks the 

animal’s liver, and symptoms of 

Sego Plant poisoning will appear 

fairly rapidly (usually within 24 

hours). 

! I am providing the following 

information in the hope that it will 

spare your dog and you from the 

really grim times we are 

experiencing with our Shepherd 

even though I am extremely careful 

about his behavior when we are on a 

walk. This is my version of information provided by Dr. 

Steve Garner of Safari Animal Clinics in League 

City, Texas during the treatment of our dog. If there are 

errors, here, they are mine. Dr. Garner is recognized as 

one of the very best in the US, let alone in Houston. He 

has been our veterinarian for almost 30 years and I can 

recommend him without reservation. 

! Symptoms of Sago Palm poisoning occur after even 

minimal exposure. Just a few seconds in the dog’s mouth 

can result in a dangerous dose. Sago palm poison is 

totally lethal unless properly and promptly treated. If 

caught in time, the survival and recovery rate is 

approximately 70%. Large, young dogs in perfect health 

fair better than smaller dogs because survival 

(determined by the percentage of liver cells destroyed) is 

a function of dosage versus liver size. Small dogs with 

small livers do not fare well. 

! Based on my dog, the observable symptoms of Sago 

Palm poisoning are: vomiting, diminished appetite, and 

heavy thirst with accompanying increased urination 

frequency and duration. When the female version of the 

plant blooms, it releases seeds. Because a number of the 

plants are blooming now, if your 

dog gets sick, I suggest that you 

carefully capture vomited material 

and take it with you to your 

veterinarian for testing. 

! As mentioned before, the 

Sago toxin attacks the dog’s liver, 

literally destroying liver cells. The 

first and most obvious effect is an 

upset stomach and vomiting. The 

irritated liver causes the digestive 

system to shut down with vomiting 

occurring as material backs-up when the intestines cease 

to move waste matter for elimination. The other, more 

lethal, occurs when liver cells stop producing blood 

clotting material. The effect is 

not visible until it is too late. 

! Caught soon enough, the 

system upset can be treated 

and the dog sustained by 

intravenous feeding while the 

liver normalizes. However, 

during this period, the dog is forced to rely on existing 

platelets to stop blood seepage. The bottom line is that 

there is a finite amount of platelets available until the 

liver normalizes. If the existing level becomes too low in 

the interim, the animal will hemorrhage internally and 

there is really little the Veterinarian can do to stop it. Even 

heroic measures may not succeed. 

Note: Although beautiful Sago Palms do not thrive 

outdoors in Oklahoma, they are a popular houseplant 

here, posing the same dangers to pets as the outdoor 

palms in south Texas do. 

Sago Palm Entry From Wikipedia: 

" Cycad Sago Palm is extremely poisonous to animals 

(this includes humans) if ingested. Pets are at particular 

risk since they seem to find the plant very palatable. 

" Clinical symptoms of ingestion will develop within 

12 hours and may include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, 

seizures, liver failure, or hepatotoxicity characterized by 

icterus, cirrhosis, and ascites. The pet may appear 

bruised, have nose bleeds (epistaxis), melena (blood in the 

stool), hematochezia (bloody straining), and 

hemarthrosis (blood in the joints). The ASPCA Animal 

Poison Control Center estimates a fatality rate of 50 to 

75 percent when ingestion of the Sago Palm is involved. 

" All parts of the plant are toxic; however, the seeds 

contain the highest level of the toxin cycasin. Cycasin 

causes gastrointestinal irritation, and in high enough 

doses, leads to liver failure. 

" Other toxins include Beta-methylamino L-alanine, a 

neurotoxic amino acid, and an unidentified toxin which 

has been observed to cause hind limb paralysis in cattle. 


7

Above: Barbara Jordan listens 

to directions on Garden Work 

Day. Linda Rose-Evans photo 

Send Newsletter 

Contributions 

to JackiePogue@cox.net 

May Issue Deadline: Apr. 20 

Please, type articles within 

email, and send JPEG photos. 

Thank you! 

• • • 

Please thank members of the 

Newsletter Quality Control 

Committee who proofread 

this newsletter: 

Diane Bamford, Tom Hill, 

Virginia Hughes, Ann Larson, 

Rebecca Markham, Debbie 

Marshall, Jeanie Mills, Nelda 

Paden, Racinda Ross and 

Sandy Schimmel. Thanks! 

Left: On Garden Work day, Susan Almen, Garden Chair 

James Ashmore, Mandy Leung and Vicki McAuliff attack 

the weeds and grass in the beds. Linda Rose-Evans photo 

Below left: At the Farmers’ Market, Joan Ewer, Jan Baker 

and Bill Little are ready to answer garden questions. 

Below right: A star of spring, Leucojum aestivum 

'Gravetye Giant,' Summer Snowflake graces the garden. 

Bloomin’ News is a publication 

of Oklahoma County Master Gardeners, 

produced in cooperation with the 

Oklahoma County Extension Center. 

Distributed free of charge at monthly meetings, 

the newsletter is designed 

to inform, educate and entertain. 

Material published is believed 

to be horticulturally correct. 

Comments are welcome. 

Oklahoma County Master Gardeners 

C/o Ray Ridlen , OSU/OKC County Extension 

930 N. Portland, OKC, OK 73107

Bloomin' News - Oklahoma County Master Gardeners

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?