Posts by: Jessie Gunn-Stephens
Roadside flowers are the glory of Texomaland throughout the whole warm season. Some of the most handsome are so common that we think of them as weeds or don’t notice them at all. But if you watch closely as summer winds down and fall tunes up for the year’s last performance, you may witness some of the most beautiful native flowers of all.
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Any seasoned gardener can give you a list of what won’t last long in Texomaland and tell you why, citing grasshoppers, spider mites, drought, flood, wind and hail, cold and heat, black soil, white soil, and the plain old rotten terrior in their own back yards. But who cares? For every delicate northern beauty they lament, I can show them a tough, sophisticated Texas charmer that will laugh at their fears.
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Poinsettias are one of the longest-lasting blooming plants available to consumers. Here are the basic Do’s and Don’ts to keep yours alive and well throughout the year!
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You can grow an astounding array of flowers, vegetables and herbs from seeds right here in Texomaland, if you just don’t let the instructions on the seed packets intimidate you. “Start seeds indoors six weeks before first frost-free date,” they direct you. Balderdash!
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If you love flavor, you love herbs—the big, bright herbs that throw themselves into the pan headlong, commandeering the chicken or roast, and the more delicate herbs that mince or sidle their way into salads and leave a dinner guest sighing, “Was that a hint of tarragon in the dressing? But it seemed so impossibly fresh.”
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An early morning breeze bears the summer sweetness of roses. Your eyes catch the splendor of moonflower just closing, and hummingbirds dart from bloom to bloom on the trumpet vine. A barn rooster’s crow breaks the silence. Dew shines on the rose petals, and the cattle begin to stir.
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Color is the hottest trend in landscaping all over the South. But to most homeowners in our area, color means one thing—water-thirsty plants—and we all know what a fragile resource water is.
Is there a way to have it all in Texomaland? Can you punch up your landscape with high impact color, and still enjoy the satisfaction of knowing you’re a wise water steward?
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Olive Oil de Fino
Olive oil is not only a light and delicate addition to many wonderful dishes, it also is one of the most health-promoting types of oils available. Kathleen Hagan, creator of Olive Oil de Fino, a locally-made infused olive oil, says that if one is going to cook with oil, olive oil is the only way to go.
Glimmer and Shimmer
When I was asked to create a spectacular room for the cover of Texoma Living!’s first Christmas issue, I wanted to design and share with the readers something entirely unexpected. Keeping my eye on the trends in elegant décor, I noticed that the home furnishings trends were flowing over into Christmas décor’ with clearer color, namely shades of blue and silver.
B&B for Birds
While much of the wildlife of North Texas is slowing the pace of their activities in anticipation of the onset of winter, at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge along Lake Texoma and Big Mineral Creek, the waterfowl are about to reach the peak of their seasonal cycle.
