Gardens and Gardening

Fort Worth Botanic Garden, merged with BRIT in 2020, is creating a 20-year master plan with Studio Outside to enhance facilities and focus on conservation. Community input is sought through forums to promote environmental impact, education, and sustainability, aiming to be a conservation leader statewide.

Jason shares a secret for making all-natural, organic, homegrown dog treats. Note: Consult your vet before offering human foods to dogs. Here's a Humane Society list of foods harmful to dogs.

Jason Winningham shares the benefits of saving seeds from your garden bounty. Photo courtesy of Storyblocks.

"Green Source On the Air" will focus on food justice this month, highlighting challenges faced by North Texans due to environmental issues and the pandemic. Guests include Dawan Shockley, Tramonica Brown, Marcus Russell, and Todd Collier, discussing community responses, food insecurity solutions, and environmental connections on Zoom.

Jason demonstrates how to utilize your garden's bounty by making homemade marinara sauce.

Plant researchers have difficulty finding field photos of nearly half of the 125,000 plant species in the Americas. Existing resources are scattered across various platforms, lacking a comprehensive global database. Researchers stress the urgent need for a unified database to aid identification and conservation efforts.

Dallas' new Urban Forest Master Plan aims to increase tree canopy coverage from 32% to 37% within a decade, improving the city's resilience to climate change. The plan consolidates tree policies, involves a comprehensive tree inventory, and supports the city's climate goals with nature-based solutions, necessitating public-private partnerships.

The Texas Legislature designated Chorioactis geaster, "Texas Star," as the State Mushroom. Native to North Texas, this rare fungus grows on decaying cedar elm stumps and is also found in Japan. Not for consumption, its unique star shape and hissing spore release highlight Texas's natural diversity.

Conservationists in Fort Worth are striving to protect the city’s last native prairie amid rapid development. The Fort Worth Prairie Park effort continues despite setbacks, aiming to unite private and public lands into a contiguous reserve. Stakeholders, including the Great Plains Restoration Council, collaborate to preserve this endangered ecosystem.

Many homeowners are switching to electric mowers and string trimmers but did you know electric tillers are also available? Jason's cohost Jacob Mutchler shares a green gardening tip in this throwback video.