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Be Patient When it Comes to Dealing with Freeze-Damaged Plants

The snow has come and gone — and so has the excitement that came with such a meteorological rarity in Louisiana. Now, some gardeners are looking outside at a far less enjoyable sight: plants that turned gray, brown and perhaps even mushy in this week’s frigid temperatures.

Tropical and subtropical plants were especially affected by the bitterly cold air that hit the state. Damage may even be visible on azaleas and other woody ornamental plants that are normally hardy.

Don’t panic. While they may not look their prettiest, most plants will do better in the long run if they’re left alone for now, according to LSU AgCenter horticulturist Jason Stagg.

Let’s get Shakin’ Hope everyone is enjoying those Grand Bal’s, and parades. That’s right it’s Mardi Gras Season here in the south. Over the last few weeks since the twelfth night I have been sharing some of my favorite Mardi Gras Season recipes and this week is a treat for sure.

Love cornbread, of course, you do. Love crab cakes, who doesn’t? Stick with me here and let’s “mix it up” we are going to do them together for an awesome twist on the traditional crab cakes.

Cornbread Crab Cakes Ingredients 1 (8-oz.) container sour cream 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 2/3 cup finely diced red bell pepper 1/2 cup sliced green onions 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, minced 1/3 cup mayonnaise (prefer Dukes) 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

It is int e r e s ting to take a few minutes and peruse through the old Mansfield Enterprise Newspapers at the Mansfield Female College Museum. Newspapers from the 1930’s to the 1960’s are available for your inspection. The 1951 issues reveal some items that many of you probably have forgotten. The DeSoto Hospital Fund Drive to add to the original facility was kicked off for the $100,000 expansion in 1950 with J.C. McLauren, Sr. and J.W. Caraway as Co-Chairman and Mrs. B.W. Goss, Vice Chairperson. Roger H. Silver, General Gifts Chairman, built an organization of 77 to serve as Division Chairman. The Big Gifts group was headed up by Oliver H.P. Sample, Claude Roberts, P.E.Dixon and Marshall Calhoun. Team Captains were H.L.Wiggins, Raymond Powell, Ned W. Jenkins and Riemer Calhoun, Sr. Special Gifts group consisted of Hartwell Smith, Floyd Knott, R.U. Johnson, A. N. Latham and Sam Murray.

Long lived and easy to care for, camellia japonicas offer rare winter color in shady spots

Trying to find plants that bloom profusely in the shade during the dreary wintertime can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Your options are few and far between: Most flowers need lots of sunlight, and many plants simply do not bloom in the colder months.

But camellia japonicas step up to the plate year after year, brightening shady spots with white, pink, red and multicolored flowers from December to February — and sometimes even later — in Louisiana. They do double duty as an evergreen landscape shrub, keeping their glossy green leaves year-round. And, once established, they’re easy to care for and will live for many years.

“They’re the ultimate low-maintenance shrub,” said Michael Polozola, of the LSU Ag-Center. “And winter is the perfect time to plant them.”

Some one recently asked how the topics were chosen that I write about each week. It took a few moments of thought to give an answer — even after giving an answer it wasn’t necessarily a correct and certainly not a complete one.

Several years ago John Blanchard, then the editor of the Mansfield Enterprise, knowing my interest in history, encouraged me to write about the history of Mansfield and DeSoto Parish. This has always been my main focus - “Preservation of the history of our area.” Mansfield and DeSoto Parish didn’t just happen — it was the result of brave men and women working to make it the good place that it is. We also have a great nation and the same thing that made DeSoto Parish great made our nation great.

During the last few months, I’ve spent many weekends with family and friends. We’ve laughed, we’ve cried, we’ve hugged, and we’ve laughed some more. One constant practice in our visits is retelling our favorite memories. Some good and some bad, but it doesn’t matter. Those shared moments always come up in conversation.

I’ve thought about the memories we hashed out over the holidays, and I’ve cherished the new ones made. For our family, we added a daughter-in-law, Kat. She and our other daughter-in-law, Gracie, attended their first Goar family reunion. It takes place the weekend after Thanksgiving, and this year we had twenty-seven people. It was a weekend of performing music, eating food, playing games, and competing in the annual side dish contest (complete with a trophy.)

Did you ever think of yourself as a writer of historian? Probably not but most of the “History Buffs” are people who enjoy reading things pertaining to the past. Most of the history books were written by people who didn’t actually live history but read and heard history.

Our children and grandchildren will know us if we write it down or — second best — tell them of our lives when we were younger. Even though they seem to have their heads buried in a phone they will listen if you make it interesting. Often times children listen and retain a great deal more history than you realize. Children normally are interested in your early life and your parents and grandparents. How your fore parents migrated to this part of America and why they came is also interesting.

“You can get excited about the future. The past won’t mind.”

— Hillary DePiano, playwright and author All too often, we dread the coming of a New Year. We lament the things that didn’t get done and wish for more time to complete them. We also worry about the ‘unknown’ and wonder if we are prepared enough to endure the changes and hardships we may face. And no matter where you look or turn, this world has become a difficult place to live some days.

Instead of worrying about what’s behind us, look at your New Year as the start of an adventure.

Think of it as an empty canvas, just waiting for us to add color and brightness to our lives. Encourage new dreams. Make the plans you’ve always wanted to make. Follow a new path. Nothing should stop you from moving forward.

December 25 is the most important date in the history of Mankind. It is the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Most of us know the story well, yet it never gets old to a Christian. How Joseph and Mary on the way for the census stopped in Bethlehem and realized the birth of the child was near but there was no room at the inn. The only place they could stay for the night was in the barn with the animals. When the child was born the only cradle or bed was in the manger with straw for the child to be placed.

Without doubt this is the most important date in human history but there are two other very important historical dates that this writer would like for us to remember during these Christmas Holidays. The year 1968 was one of the more discouraging years in modern U.S. history. The Vietnam War dragged on; the nation grieved over the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy; there were riots in the streets.

Research team awarded grant to better train farm workers on food safety, handling

A team of researchers in Louisiana and Florida recently received nearly $500,000 in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute for Food and Agriculture to better train farm workers and underserved farmers in food safety practices.

The team, composed of researchers from the LSU AgCenter, Southern University Ag Center and Florida A&M University, will use the funds to provide interactive techniques, which the researchers believe will provide better learning opportunities for the farm workers.