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The Capitol of a “Capitol” City!
What began as the dream of one man – Huey P. Long – became a symbol of the pride, the history and the spirit of Louisiana’s people. To construct a State Capitol Building during the 1930s, the time of the Great Depression, was an idea only a very powerful politician could have made a reality.
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More the Cherokee Rose, Sam Houston, and Old Nacogdoches
Several weeks ago I came down with a very minor illness, non life threatening but the kind of thing that kept me indoors. And because I’m the kind of guy who doesn’t like to waste time, I decided to read books. Some I had never read before and others were books I wanted to read…
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The Glories of Springtime in China and East Texas
I’ve been spending a lot of time with my grandkids lately- mostly observing. When they sit among their toys, and believe me they have a lot of them, they seem distracted and hardly know which one to play with. The world is so interesting for them. Should I play with the teddy bear, the super-size…
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Inside a Cherokee Rose
Rosa laevigata
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The Christmas story: Jesus—Tradesman and Gardener
On this day, we celebrate the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, carpenter, son of Mary, son of God. As I thought about these things, I wondered what I might write about in this column devoted to gardening, especially because it would appear on Christmas Day. I like to think of Jesus as a tradesman. We…
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Trees in Your Memories
Do trees figure prominently in your memories? I can remember distinctly looking up into the pine trees on the SFA campus years ago and saying to myself, “This is where I want to go to school.” Other trees stand out among my memories. There’s the bois d’arc tree, gnarled and twisted, I sat under as…
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Giuggiolo, Christ’s Thorn, Jujube or Chinese Date
Jujube is one of the so called “alternative fruits”, as opposed to the classics of the fruit world: apples, pears, peaches, etc. Known as Ziziphus jujuba in scientific nomenclature, the fruit has many other names associated with it. Names like Giuggiolo, Christ’s Thorn, Jujube or Chinese Date. Although relatively unknown in the American South, it…
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Privet… sweet fragrance belies an evil heart hidden in verdure.
Have you ever heard the expression “smelling is believing”? No, it’s “seeing is believing” isn’t it? But for the purpose of today’s column, let’s leave it as “smelling is believing.” The other day as my wife and I walked outside to the car, she took a deep breath and asked, “What is that sweet smell?”…
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An Elegant Little Composition (w/sound)
Philadelphus coronarious – Mock Orange or English Dogwood Berceuse In D Flat Major, Op It certainly feels like springtime outside. Many garden plants have broken dormancy, and the botanical world around East Texas is stirring with the warm weather. Ah, spring… One of the plants stirring in my garden is the Mock Orange or English…