Lifestyle

Wed
27
Mar

Just a tinge of fringe

Just a tinge of fringe

Both Chinese and American fringe trees are stunning in the landscape and are great small-to-medium-sized trees that fit well in urban settings. Photo by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter

If you’ve caught sight of those stunning, petite, white-flowered trees this spring, you’re witnessing one of the most dazzling spectacles of the season: the fringe trees. Every spring, I receive a flurry of emails, phone calls and texts from folks asking about this beautiful tree that seems to pop up out of nowhere.

The fringe tree is a deciduous, ornamental tree that is one of the earliest of the spring-blooming trees. Because flowers appear on barren limbs, they seem to appear out of nowhere. Throughout the year, you may not even take notice of this small tree. The plant gets its name from its fragrant, delicate clusters of white petals that hang gracefully. There are two varieties that can be found in the landscape: the American and the Chinese fringe trees.

Wed
13
Mar

Community Calendar

Ongoing Spay/Neuter Program The Sabine Humane Society offers a monthly spay and neuter voucher program. Vouchers are available to the first 15 callers, and the society will pay 50 percent of the cost to the vet. For those on Medicaid or Medicare, the society will pay 100 percent of the cost of spaying or neutering.

Interested parties are asked to call 318-315-2874 at 8 a.m. on the first day of the month. You should leave a message indicating you are interested in a voucher and provide your name and phone number.

Spay/Neuter Assistance Get your pet fixed for FREE! If you are a resident of Bossier, Caddo, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Sabine, or Webster Parish and take home $1,500 or less per month OR are married and, as a couple, take home $2,500 or less per month, Robinson’s Rescue will spay/neuter your pet and provide them with a rabies vaccine for free. This free program is referred to as our Subsidized Spay/Neuter Incentive Program (SSNIP).

Wed
13
Mar

Jane Japanese magnolia named Louisiana Super Plant for spring

Jane Japanese magnolia named Louisiana Super Plant for spring

Japanese magnolias are widely grown in all areas of the Gulf South and considered by many a favorite among the small flowering trees. Photo by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter

Jane Japanese magnolia named Louisiana Super Plant for spring

Japanese magnolia flowers are extremely fragrant and make gorgeous cut flowers to bring in, arrange and enjoy. Photo by Heather Kirk-Ballard/LSU AgCenter

Japanese magnolias are completing their bloom and flushing out new, light green foliage. These beautiful trees are some of the first plants to signify that spring is just around the corner. With their pink-to-purple blooms, they’re one of the most strikingly beautiful trees.

As luck would have it, this is the perfect time of year to plant them! Local nurseries usually carry more than one variety, and there are many to choose from. One you might want to consider is the Jane Japanese magnolia, which is LSU AgCenter’s spring 2024 Louisiana Super Plant.

Jane is recognized for its vibrantly colored flowers. It’s a notable member of the distinguished Girls Series developed by the USDA National Arboretum in the late 1950s, making it a longstanding favorite in gardens. As its flowers unfurl, they expose a delicate white interior, adding to its beauty. Jane is a magnolia variety that blooms later in the season, reducing its risk of frost damage during the spring.

Wed
28
Feb

Sabine Parish 4-H Coverbuds hold February meeting

Sabine Parish 4-H Coverbuds hold February meeting
Sabine Parish 4-H Coverbuds hold February meeting

Sabine Parish 4-H Cloverbuds meet on February 19 at the Ag Center office. We talked about being kind and learned to make puff paint. After making our paint we painted wooden hearts to look like sugar cookies. Our service project this month was bringing donations for the Sabine Humane Shelter. Our March meeting will be based on a service project for local food pantries.

Wed
21
Feb

Community Calendar

Ongoing Spay/Neuter Program The Sabine Humane Society offers a monthly spay and neuter voucher program. Vouchers are available to the first 15 callers, and the society will pay 50 percent of the cost to the vet. For those on Medicaid or Medicare, the society will pay 100 percent of the cost of spaying or neutering.

Interested parties are asked to call 318-3152874 at 8 a.m. on the first day of the month. You should leave a message indicating you are interested in a voucher and provide your name and phone number.

Spay/Neuter Assistance Get your pet fixed for FREE! If you are a resident of Bossier, Caddo, DeSoto, Natchitoches, Sabine, or Webster Parish and take home $1,500 or less per month OR are married and, as a couple, take home $2,500 or less per month, Robinson’s Rescue will spay/neuter your pet and provide them with a rabies vaccine for free. This free program is referred to as our Subsidized Spay/Neuter Incentive Program (SSNIP).

Wed
31
Jan

Native plants, moon gardens and cyber lime are gardening trends to watch in 2024

Native plants, moon gardens and cyber lime are gardening trends to watch in 2024

Neon green is the color this year for the garden. Look for Louisiana Super Plant lemon sedum in retail garden centers. Photo by Heather Kirk-Ballard/ LSU AgCenter

Native plants, moon gardens and cyber lime are gardening trends to watch in 2024

Moonflower (Ipomea alba) is a tropical white morning glory often planted in moon gardens. Photo provided by Christie Russell

Every year, a series of gardening surveys is conducted to determine evolving trends in home gardening, consumer interests, perspectives and the types of information they value. The title of Garden Media’s 2024 Garden Trends Report, “Eco-optimism,” speaks volumes about the ecological consciousness of home gardeners.

Some interesting findings from the survey: About 67% of Americans aged 18 to 23 report experiencing “eco-anxiety,” described by a persistent fear of environmental catastrophes fueled by the 50% increase in the frequency of climate-related disasters since 2000. Last year ranked among the top 10 warmest years on record, and in the South, we had some record- breaking droughts.

Wed
24
Jan

City Bank sponsors Converse Wildcats Baseball team

City Bank sponsors Converse Wildcats Baseball team

City Bank is proud to support the Converse Wildcats Baseball team. Shown with City Bank employee Kristy Miller is Brook Boudreaux and Mason Procell. Best of luck Wildcats!!

Wed
24
Jan

BOM sponsors “Playin’ Possum” autograph party

BOM sponsors “Playin’ Possum” autograph party

BOM sponsored the “Playin’ Possum” autograph party for Nancy Ford Jones, Mansfield native at the Many City Hall. The book shares her life with her husband of 30 years country music legend George Jones. Pictured left to right: BOM’s Linda Guay and Laurie Gentry.

Thu
11
Jan

Ft. Jesup CAR honors veterans during holiday season

Ft. Jesup CAR honors veterans during holiday season
Ft. Jesup CAR honors veterans during holiday season
Ft. Jesup CAR honors veterans during holiday season
Ft. Jesup CAR honors veterans during holiday season

Members of the Fort Jesup Society Children of the American Revolution helped our community Remember and Honor veterans this holiday season during Wreaths Across America day on December 16th. In just their second year as an official Wreaths Across America Sponsorship group, the Society was able to help six local official WAA locations achieve 100% of their goal to have a wreath sponsored for each veteran laid to rest at St. John Catholic Cemetery, Many Cemetery, Fort Jesup Cemetery, St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, St. Ann Catholic Cemetery and Antioch Baptist Church. These cemeteries were able to achieve this through generous donations from their church family and family members who sponsored wreaths for their loved ones and forgotten veterans.

Thu
11
Jan

NSU enrolling students for Music Academy

NSU enrolling students for Music Academy

The NSU Music Academy is enrolling students for the spring semester. The academy was established in 2014 and is directed by Northwestern State music faculty Dr. John Price and Dr. Francis Yang. The academy offers piano, guitar, percussion and voice lessons for students from age six to adults. Lessons are taught face to face or online. Teachers at the academy are graduate and undergraduate music students studying at Northwestern State.

Last semester, students performed in a Monster Concert around Halloween and a Christmas Concert. This semester, they can perform in an end-of-semester Spring Recital in Magale Recital Hall. Many students will also perform in the NSU Music Festival. Students have also taken part in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival, the Central Music Teachers’ Association Sonatina Festival and the Louisiana Music Teachers Association Upper Elementary Auditions.

Lessons begin the week of January 15.

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