OCT/NOV TIPS Planting/Growing Guide for the Season

Ellis County Master GardenErs Monthly Tips

BY MELINDA KOCIAN, ELLIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS ASSOCIATION

tips for OCTOBER

PLANTING

• Plant cool-season annuals such as pinks, snapdragons and ornamental cabbages and kale early in the month. Wait until temperatures have cooled to plant pansies and violas. • Complete planting these fall vegetables early in the month: radishes, spinach and turnips. • Last chance to sow wildflowers in order to have blooms next spring. Always purchase “fresh” seed. • Purchase spring-flowering bulbs while selection is good. Chill tulip and Dutch hyacinth at 45°F for 60 days prior to planting. Daffodil and grape hyacinth require no special handling but should be stored in a cool location until planting (soil temperature below 55° F). Recommended daffodil varieties include Ice Follies, Fortune, Carlton, Cheerfulness and Tahiti. • Fall is a great time to set out perennial herbs, including thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley, lemon balm, pineapple sage and Mexican mint marigold. Work a few inches of compost into soil prior to planting and mulch the plants after planting.

FERTILIZING AND PRUNING

• Remove annuals that have completed their life cycle. Leave seed pods to self-seed next year (cleome, cosmos, four o’clock). • Continue to feed tropical plants in containers and hanging baskets with a water-soluble fertilizer. Cut back or repot overgrown houseplants and fertilize with same fertilizer. • Spring and summer-flowering shrubs and vines (including climbing roses, wisteria, etc.) should not be pruned at this time because they have already established their buds for next year’s bloom. Prune these plants immediately after they stop blooming next year.

GARDEN WATCH

• Watch for brown-patch fungus on St. Augustine lawns. Water only in the mornings and apply turf fungicide at first sign of fungus. • Watch for cutworms and looper caterpillars on young leafy vegetables. Products containing Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) are safe to control these pests. Control aphids with a strong spray of water or insecticidal soap. • Attention, Christmas cactus owners! To initiate flower buds, give the plants bright light each day followed by 12-14 hours of total darkness at night, for 30 days starting mid-month. And keep night temperatures under 65° F.

tips for NOVEMBER

PLANTING

• Now through February is the perfect time to plant containergrown trees and shrubs. Dig a hole two times the diameter and one inch shallower than the root ball. Make sure the root ball and the hole are thoroughly wet before planting. Backfill with existing soil and water well. • Use the “Custom Tree Selector” at http://texastreeplanting. tamu.edu for help in selecting the right tree for the right location. Also, see “Native and Adapted Plants for North Texas” at https://wateruniversity.tamu.edu/about/publications. • Plant pansies and violas now. Bluebonnets can still be planted from transplants. • Daffodils and grape hyacinth may be planted once soil temperature drops below 55° F. Plant 2-3 times as deep as the bulb is tall.

FERTILIZING AND PRUNING

• Feed winter annuals growing in the ground and in outdoor containers with a high-nitrogen, water-soluble plant food every two to three weeks. Also, feed and water cool-season vegetables that you are growing now. • Remove the tops of herbaceous perennials after they have died. Add 2-3 inches of mulch to the beds to reduce winter weed growth. • Trim patio plants and hanging baskets before moving indoors for the winter. Locate them near bright windows. • Refrain from pruning freeze-damaged woody plants at this time. This pruning is best done in late winter.

GARDEN WATCH

• It’s time to winterize! Disconnect hoses from faucets and drain all hose-end sprinklers. Drain fuel from gasoline-powered engines and run the carburetor dry. Greenhouse owners should check the heating and ventilation systems to ensure proper operation. • Check outdoor potted plants for insects (mealybugs, whiteflies, spider mites, aphids, roaches, ants) before moving inside for the winter. Apply a labeled insecticide if needed. • When planning new landscapes, select trees, shrubs and perennials that are winter hardy in your area. According to the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone map, Ellis County is located in Zone 8 (average lowest annual temperature is 10° F to 20° F). Therefore, it is best to choose plants listed for Zone 8, or the one or two zones to the north (Zone 6 or 7).

Thinking About Weight-Loss Surgery? Here’s What You Should Know

Experts answer your questions about downtime, recovery, and getting back to your activities

BY DR. MAZEN ISKANDAR, DR. TIMOTHY KELLY, AND DR. WATSON ROYE, WEIGHT-LOSS SURGEONS AT TEXAS SURGICAL SPECIALISTS If you’re carrying a lot of extra body weight, you might be interested in weight-loss surgery. And there are good reasons to consider it— losing excess body weight can bring many health benefits and make it easier to do the things you want to do.

But you may be concerned about the recovery process, how long you’ll be out of work, and when you can return to your normal activities.

How long will I be in the hospital?

The first thing you should know is that several different types of surgery can help treat your weight loss. At Texas Surgical Specialists, we offer the Roux-en-Y, sleeve gastrectomy, and duodenal switch procedures as well as revisional surgery for weight regain. The procedures use different surgical techniques to help you lose weight, and your doctor can help you decide which is best.

These procedures are usually performed with minimally invasive techniques, which means your surgeon operates by placing tiny tools and cameras through small incisions. That makes for a faster recovery. Most people only stay in the hospital for one to three days.

How long will I be out of work?

You’re probably concerned about missing work when you’re recovering from weight-loss surgery. “Most people return to work in one to two weeks,” said Mazen Iskandar, MD, weight-loss surgeon.

Your energy levels will be low in the early weeks after surgery, so you might want to work half days or every other day for the first week or so. Your surgeon can recommend a healthy plan for returning to work.

“People who have physically demanding jobs might worry they could get hernias from lifting, but that’s generally not a problem,” said weight-loss surgeon Timothy Kelly, MD.

What can I eat?

You’ll probably start with a liquid diet in the first few weeks and then add in soft foods. “You’ll eat tiny amounts of food at first,” said weightloss surgeon Watson Roye, MD. You’ll need to make sure you drink enough water so you don’t get dehydrated. Gradually, you’ll add in smaller servings of many of the foods you enjoyed in the past.

When can I exercise?

You’ll be able to start exercising right away after weight-loss surgery. Your health care team will encourage you to take short walks when you’re still in the hospital. You’ll want to take it slow for the first month or so, especially if you lift weights or participate in sports. If you swim, you’ll need to stay out of the water until your incisions heal.

When will I start to lose weight?

Your weight-loss progress depends on how much weight you need to lose and the type of surgery you have. Many people lose 10 percent of their excess weight in the first two months. Your weight loss should continue for 12 to 18 months after your surgery.

Results are not guaranteed and may vary per individual due to underlying medical conditions and/or other factors.

Physician is an employee of HealthTexas Provider Network, a member of Baylor Scott & White Health. ©2021 Baylor Scott & White Health.

Been To Bentonville?

STORY BY CINDY BURCH

I’ve had Bentonville, Arkansas on my radar for several years and finally had the pleasure of experiencing its charm last month when I joined my mother in-law and two girlfriends for a quick weekend getaway. After a short flight to the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, we were in Bentonville’s historic downtown within minutes. Just two decades ago this sleepy town in the foothills of the Ozarks was primarily known as the corporate headquarters for Walmart - that was until 2011 when Walmart’s heiress, Alice Walton, unveiled the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. It was the biggest art museum opening America had seen in 40 years, launching Bentonville into the cultural spotlight overnight.

As we arrived at Crystal Bridges you can’t help but be awed by the spectacular structure architect Moshe Safdie designed. Set among 120 acres of forest is a series of gently curving pavilions nestled around two spring-fed ponds. The grounds are as impressive as the art itself with numerous hiking trails and outside art installations like the colorful Chihuly glass floating in the water. Once inside we enjoyed seeing the permanent collection of American art masterworks such as John Singer Sargent, Norman Rockwell, James Turrell, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Andy Warhol. We also walked the short trail into the forest to see the reconstructed Frank Lloyd Wright BachmanWilson House that was relocated from the flood-prone Millstone River area in New Jersey. With the finest collection that money can buy and free to the public, Crystal Bridges has pulled in more than 1 million visitors and has an exceptional interactive children’s museum next door called the Amazeum.

At first glance Bentonville feels a bit like Waxahachie with its pretty town square, colorful historic homes and numerous boutiques and restaurants. However, as we drove around the downtown area you can’t help but notice construction everywhere. It’s hard to miss the impressive, gated communities guarding huge homes on both sides of Bentonville’s two-lane farm roads, making it the fastest growing city in the state with three Fortune 500 companies now calling this charming place their home— Walmart, Tyson Foods, and J.B. Hunt. The area is also a big attraction for mountain bike enthusiasts with over 300 miles of dirt trails.

Anchored on the town square is Sam Walton’s Five and Dime he opened in 1951. The original store is now a small museum with his iconic1979 red and white pickup truck sitting out front. As we strolled through downtown, we noticed children playing at a large splash pad which I was told converts into an ice rink during the winter months. Next door sits the new 21c Museum Hotel with its own collection of contemporary art on display throughout the property. The restaurant on site is called The Hive where James Beard Award finalist Matthew McClure prepares what he calls HighSouth cuisine. Around the corner you can find a hip Onyx Coffee Lab as well as cool cocktails and salads at the Pressroom. In addition, 8th Street Market is a trendy new downtown food hub with numerous eateries and shops. Popular options for dinner can be found at The Preachers Son, set in the former First Christian church downtown. Chef Matt Copper, son of a Methodist preacher, partners with the area’s farmers, creameries, and orchards to bring in the highest quality ingredients. Chez Panisse alum and Arkansas native Luke Wetzel is the chef and co-owner at Oven & Tap, a great place for pizza baked in their wood-fired ovens.

With Walmart’s new 350-acre campus under construction and a cool communal work space across from City Hall, the new shape Bentonville

PHOTO BY SHUTTERSV / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

is taking might look foreign to its long-time residents, but it’s becoming extremely eye catching to the urban Millennials it’s designed to attract. For now, it remains a nice blend of historic small town and a trend setting collection of 21st century corporate culture that is certainly worth experiencing.

Cindy Burch

PHOTO BY VINEYARD PERSPECTIVE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM