Those interested in beautifying their property and their community got expert advice recently, as the ASEEDS partnership held a Master Gardner program at the Duck Hill Gym.
Master Gardner Charles Houston taught those in attendance Friday at the Duck Hill Gym about foliage- ferns, mother-in-law’s tongue or snake plant, elephant ears, Staghorn fern plants and other plants that Houston said you can “throw it on the ground and leave it there.”
Houston said he got into gardening when he could no longer work with his hands in construction and as an electrician.
In a previous class, Houston had participants bring soil samples to test their soil and tell them what they need in order for their gardens to grow. But, the class was so interactive, they didn’t get to do the soil samples.
Houston started by teaching those in attendance how to weed out the dead parts of a Staghorn fern. He told them after they’ve weeded it and taken the dead parts off, they can split it and repot it.
“You can tie it to a piece of pine or cypress slab, let it take root and let it alone,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how you plant them. You can plant elephant ears upside down, they’re going to come up right side up. They correct themselves.”
Houston told them after they re-pot a plant, they have to support it.
“If you don’t it’ll grow crooked and twisted.”
“It’s hard to kill one of these,” Houston said holding up a mother-in-law’s tongue. A resounding “oooh” went through the crowd. “You can’t over soil it. Just throw it down, and it’ll grow.”
He also taught on nature’s own compost- dead leaves.
“You don’t have to go buy that, you can go out in the woods and find it yourself, don’t do buy it. God has already done it for you.” Houston was hands on, teaching about each and every plant and even giving them away to those in the audience who wanted a piece to grow.
Houston said that every nodule found on the stalk of a plant can be cut and made into another plant.
“You can split these,” he said while cutting the stalk at the joints “And have more plants.” He also told them if they put mulch around their plants during the cold months, they won’t die.
“Don’t let the plant do what it wants to do, make it do what you want it to do. You can’t control kids or your spouse, but you can make plants do what you want them to do.”
He also had herbs and Texas sage on hand also. Houston send around lemon balm and sage for those in the audience to smell.
“Pinch it between your fingers, shake it and smell,” he said. “When I want to smell good. I just put two in my pockets and walk and the women say ‘What’s that scent you have on.’” Houston said laughing.
The Master Gardening series is just one of the many programs that have been put on as part of the ASEEDS Partnership. The programs are funded by the Kendeda Fund.
