Spice of Life: Debbie Cox

Had to share - the following article was published in the Valley Morning Star:


Debbie Cox and her husband Don have been staples
at farmers markets in Harlingen, Brownsville and
now in newer markets like Weslaco and Mission,
selling a wide variety of herbs, vegetables and
butterfly plants through their business,
Perennial Favorites. (Courtesy photo)

Couple outfit area residents with fresh herbs, veggies

September 26, 2012 10:24 PM
By AMY LYNCH/Special to the Star

Debbie Cox thinks gardening should be a delight for all the senses.

In fact, she always encourages her customers at local farmers markets to take advantage of their full senses when shopping through her inventory.

“You have to touch, and then smell, to get to know the plant better,” Cox said. “I always tell people to feel free to touch and smell the plants — everyone, especially the children.”

Since 2008, Cox and her husband Don have been staples at farmers markets in Harlingen, Brownsville and now in newer markets like Weslaco and Mission, selling a wide variety of herbs, vegetables and butterfly plants through their business, Perennial Favorites.

Debbie and Don moved to the Rio Grande Valley from Waco to continue Don’s work at a local nursery. After attending the First Texas Herb Conference in 1988, Don and Debbie decided to start their own business specializing in herb plants.

“Our interest in herbs grew and so did our garden,” Cox said. “What I love about herbs is you can do so much. I love to cook, bake and make teas with them.”

One of Cox’s favorite things about selling her herbs is the reaction from her customers.

“A lot of people grew up with herbs. Maybe it was in their mother’s or grandmother’s garden,” Cox said. “So when they smell a specific herb, I see them get tears in their eyes or smile because it reminds them of a memory from their childhood.”

Cox grows a wide variety of herbs, perennials and vegetables — including her current favorite, basil — which lends her the opportunity to share her expertise in growing and nurturing plants, especially through social media.

“Social media is a great tool to stay in contact and get information out and share,” said Cox, who is a member of the Rio Grande Valley Social Media Club and has a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College.

Cox takes advantage of Facebook and blogging to answer questions and help people with their plants. She also has local workshops and seminars on plant and herb care.

Find Cox online at  her blog Herban-Bliss for tips and recipes or sign up to receive her Farmers Market “Garden Post” E-letter for plant availability, tips and happenings.

Rain brings Flying Creatures

Myself, the chickens, the doggies (Daisy and Herbie) and Dilly,

the cat, had a nice visit and play day with a friends’ daughter named Emily.

Besides loving to grow plants, Emily loves animals.

While here we enjoyed watching a nice

rain shower from our back porch.

Yeah Rain!

Too bad my camera couldn't pick up the reflection of all the winged insects flying
between raindrops other than a few white splotches here in front of the chicken coop.

Amazingly in every direction we saw small winged creatures

filling the air, every which way we looked,

flying upward between the raindrops.

Once wet, insects shed their wings.

Emily caught a couple of the winged bugs,

so we could get a close-up look at them

to try and figure out what they were. 

 

Wingless Desert Termite.

After further investigation (in the rain) we found the winged bugs launching themselves from atop small hills made up of little pale yellow/white bugs piled up on top of each other coming from underneath the ground.

I learned later from several friends, they saw the same thing where they lived some 20 to 40 miles away from here.

Thanks to Professor and Extension Entomologist, Dr. Chris Sansone, Associate Dept. Head and Program Leader Extension Entomology of San Angelo, TX, who responded to my query “Are these termites and are they the bad kind? What can we do about them if anything?”

His email response was “They are termites but they are the desert termite or agricultural termite.

Maybe you've seen evidence like this of the desert termite.
They eat pasture grasses.

They do not impact buildings (but will eat pasture grasses and will cover up fences and trees). They feed on the surface of wood but do not drill into the wood."

Dr. Sansone sent a very informative link/handout that I have included with his permission to share detailing the Desert Termite, describing the biology of desert termites, explaining how to distinguish them from ants and other termite species, along with tips for managing them.

I also found The Texas Bug Book by Malcolm Beck and Howard Garrett (2000, p. 137) outlines a safe and effective approach for preventing termites including subterranean termites, the ones that are more destructive (in place of toxic chemicals.)

Herbs Make a Festive Occasion

Herbs add the punch and pizzaz to make any occasion extra special.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Herbal Brunch at the

Rancho Viejo Garden Club's monthly meeting.

Quite a spread - everyone enjoyed.

The Secret Garden Rosemary Tea

(recipe can be found on this blog)

one lady remarked it reminded her of Mardi Gras colors.

Check out the Lemon Rosemary Coffe Cake recipe from the

January 2012 Southern Living magazine that was served.

 Yumm ... I enjoyed the wonderful herbal brunch at the

Rancho Viejo Garden Club - Lemon Rosemary Coffee Cake,

Secret Garden Rosemary Tea, Rosemary ShortBread

(tasted like scones), Minted Ruby Red Grapefruit,

Herbal Pretzels, Herbal Dip with Fresh Asparagus

and Herbal Deviled Eggs.

Thanks to Jean, Bennie and Bridget and all the ladies who came!

More to Enjoy

Thanks again to Guy Huddleston for sharing these beautiful shots of butterflies and moths taken in his South Brownsville, Texas butterfly garden. 



Pixie Butterfly taken in South Brownsville,
Cameron County, Texas, November 13, 2011

 

Laviana Skipper, Heliopetes lavianus, taken November 13, 2011.



I've forgotten the name of what I
call the art deco moth taken November 13, 2011? Will have to add later.



Guava Skipper on a Pato de Chivo, or Bauhinia mexicana,
The Mexican Orchid Tree taken September 30, 2011.



Hummingbird Moth taken September 30, 2011.



Hummingbird Moth on Sweet Almond Verbena
taken September 30, 2011.



Butterfly Sightings - South Brownsville, Texas

Check out these butterfly shots courtesy of Guy Huddleston - captured in his southern Brownsville Butterfly Garden. Guy said his blue mist flowers are now in bloom.


Monarch on Butterfly Weed (milkweed) above.
Below Peacock Butterfly on Butterfly Weed.

Giant Swallowtail butterfly nectaring
on Butterfly and Porter Weed.



Gardening for the Butterflies

Butterfly Attracting
Herbs - Hosts and Larval

• Nectar Plants provide nectar for the butterfly to live on.
• Larval plants provide food for the caterpillar stage of the butterfly.
• You need both types in a butterfly garden. The larval plants are for the butterfly to lay its eggs on. The butterfly eggs will turn into a caterpillar, than form a chrysalis which will then transform into a beautiful butterfly! And the cycle continues.  

Butterfly Garden
HERBS:
• Basil (nectar)
• Chives (nectar)
• Dill (larval)
• Fennel (larval)
• Lavender (nectar)
• Mexican Mint Marigold (nectar)
• Mints (nectar)
• Oregano (nectar)
• Parsley (larval)
• Pineapple Sage (nectar)
• Rosemary (nectar)
• Thyme (larval)
• Tiny Tim (nectar)

Umbelliferous herbs provide nectar and act as larval host plants. Herbs in general are excellent nectar sources for butterflies.

Larval Plants (butterfly species noted):

• Achillea millefolium (yarrow). Painted Lady
• Anethum graveolens (dill). Black Swallowtail; Anise Swallowtail
• Foeniculum vulgare (fennel). Black Swallowtail; Anise Swallowtail
• Levisticum officinale (lovage). Black Swallowtail; Anise Swallowtail
• Mentha spp. (mint). White Peacock, Painted Lady
• Petroselinum crispum (parsley). Black Swallowtail; Anise Swallowtail
• Salvia spp. (sage). Gray Hairstreak; Painted Lady; West Coast Lady
• Tanacetum vulgare (tansy). Painted Lady
• Viola odorata (sweet violet). Fritillaries

Nectar Plants:

• Achillea millefolium (yarrow) 
• Allium schoenoprasum (chives)
• Chamaemelum nobile (chamomile)
• Coriandrum sativum (cilantro)
• Lavandula spp. (lavender)
• Mentha pulegium (English pennyroyal)
• Mentha spp. (mint)
• Nepeta spp. (catmint)
• Ocimum basilicum (basil)
• Origanum laevigatum (oregano)
• Origanum majorana (marjoram)
• Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary)
• Salvia spp. (sage)
• Thymus spp. (thyme)

Caterpillar Hunting in the Morning

Question:
I bought some basil plants from you about a month ago. One is looking great. The other one has been attacked by some pest that is eating the leaves. Any recommendations for how to treat it? Organic or non-toxic treatments are preferred, if possible.

Answer:
It sounds like you probably have a caterpillar eating on your plant. Are you seeing any black droppings on it? Best thing to do is to check it first thing - very early in the morning - that's when you usually can find the caterpillars eating on the plants. Pick it/them off and put it/them somewhere else away from plants you don't want them eating.

They can eat alot (and fast) as the more they eat, the bigger they get and than they eat even more. You want to find them before they eat up the whole plant. They are usually the same color as the plant. If you check around any droppings you see on the plant, you will usually find the caterpillar on the underside of the leaves above it. And where there is one, there is usually more.

If different symptoms, let me know.

Reply:
I am going caterpillar hunting in the morning.

Look what I found.

This is the Doxiehumilis Caterpillar-
confuscus - a rare sighting of
 this caterpillar found at the Buda, Texas
Weenie Dog Races this past April.
You may encounter one at Halloween
too but I doubt you would normally
find one in your garden. If you do have
the priviledge of finding one - be
sure and give them a big hug and
a good home. These are the good kind.