Capital Area Extension Master Gardeners

Capital Area Extension Master Gardeners Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Capital Area Extension Master Gardeners, Education, 101 Lakeview Court, Frankfort, KY.

Capital Area Extension Master Gardeners are Master Gardeners from central Kentucky who provide up-to-date and reliable information on horticultural practices to the community.

THE UNSAVORY REPUTATION OF THE TOMATO . . . In the old days, by looking at the fruit, vines, and leaves of the tomato pl...
09/01/2026

THE UNSAVORY REPUTATION OF THE TOMATO . . .

In the old days, by looking at the fruit, vines, and leaves of the tomato plant, your neighbors might easily have guessed it was in the same plant family as the poisonous deadly nightshade. And they would be right, since both tomato and deadly nightshade are closely related. In fact, well into the 18th century, Europeans still regarded tomatoes with great suspicion and considered the fruits poisonous—though they were grown in many flower gardens as an exotic ornamental.

Perhaps it is to Linnaeus that we owe the joy of eating tomatoes. Under his scheme, deadly nightshade and tomato still share the same plant family, Solanaceae, but are differentiated by their Latin binomials as Solanum dulcamara for deadly nightshade, and Lycopersicon esculentum for the edible tomato.

The Latin word esculentum means “edible” or “tasty.” Dulcamara means “bitter.” But knowing the family provides a further hint to the cook as well as the gardener, because the leaf of a tomato plant is just as poisonous as the leaf of any nightshade. As we now know, the fruit of the tomato plant is edible and nutritious when ripe. However, leaves and stems contain higher alkaloid concentrations and should not be consumed.

Understanding these distinctions clarifies why tomatoes remain a beloved food despite their nightshade lineage.

DID YOU KNOW?The first recorded instance of a plant actually being dug up and transported for someone’s garden is 1459 B...
08/31/2026

DID YOU KNOW?

The first recorded instance of a plant actually being dug up and transported for someone’s garden is 1459 B.C., when Queen Hatshepsut of Egypt (one of Egypt’s only two known female pharaohs) sent a collecting expedition that included five ships to the land of Punt (now Somalia on the northeast African coast) to bring back - among other things - trees whose sap could be used to make incense.

Not content to simply import the resin from Boswellia (Frankincense) and Commiphora (Myrrh), Queen Hatshepsut realized the importance of acquiring sustainable supplies, so she ordered that living specimens of these desert trees be brought back and planted in the suitably holy ground at the Temple of Karnack.
Hieroglyphics that can still be read nearly 3,500 years later record that 31 trees survived the journey, their roots packed in baskets of soil carted down the Nile by boat and were planted at Thebes near the Temple of Amun.

*Queen’s Garden Illustration courtesy of The Garden History Research Foundation (gardenhistoryresearchfoundation.com)

*Ship Illustration from . . . Janick, J. (2007). Plant Exploration: From Queen Hatshepsut to Sir Joseph Banks. HortScience, 42(2), 191–196. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.42.2.191

Scarlet Sage, or Red Salvia, is a “perennial” favorite, though it’s considered an annual flowering plant in Zone 6bA pol...
08/30/2026

Scarlet Sage, or Red Salvia, is a “perennial” favorite, though it’s considered an annual flowering plant in Zone 6b

A pollinator magnet, Scarlet Sage is a must-have if you want to make birds, bees, and butterflies happy. Hummingbirds are huge fans of its tubular red flowers, which form an interrupted spike on a square stem” according to wildlife.org, home of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center. It’s also classified as a native plant in the south, according to gardenforwildlife.com.

It can be started from seed indoors 6-8 weeks before the last projected frost (which is around the end of April locally) or it can also be sown directly into the garden bed after the last frost.

It prefers full sun, but will tolerate some shade. It’s drought tolerant - which this year aside - is a great benefit in the crunchy months of late July, August, and September. It likes well drained soil, but can grow in our clay soil with the addition of amendments like compost. Deadheading encourages more blooms. And it’s a great cut flower, according to Kentucky Living.

Though scarlet sage is not a perennial in our zone, it can reseed. Check out roundstoneseed.com from Upton, Kentucky, as a source for seed.

Milkw**d Goes to War!During World War II, shortages of many commodities were common. Among them, kapok and rubber. Kapok...
08/29/2026

Milkw**d Goes to War!

During World War II, shortages of many commodities were common. Among them, kapok and rubber. Kapok is a fiber from the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra), once widely cultivated in Indonesia. The silky fibers were once used extensively for stuffing, including military life vests and flight jackets, due to its buoyancy and insulating qualities.

When Japan occupied the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during the war, the U.S. supply of kapok was cut off and the military had to examine other similar products to replace it. Milkw**d floss was a natural, and the U.S. had lots of it.

Since the regular workforce was either away at war or employed at home, the call was put out to school children in 29 states where milkw**d was prevalent. In 1944, Rear Admiral E. L. Cochrane, chief of the Navy Department’s Bureau of Ships, made the plea: “The Navy needs milkw**d floss to replace kapok in life jackets. American boys and girls who want to save the lives of American fighting men, who want to contribute directly to victory, pick milkw**d pods.”

The Endangered Species Coalition recently heard a story about the wartime efforts to collect milkw**d from a person by the name of Kay Keeler: “I grew up in Chicago in a square mile that had streets, elm trees, street lights, sidewalks and fire hydrants, but few apartment buildings or homes until after WWII. Milkw**d was abundant and during the war, we students were asked to pick the pods and bring them to school as they would be used for life-preservers!” Enough milkw**d was collected through efforts like these – more than 1.5 billion pods- that 1.2 million life jackets were produced with milkw**d as filler during WWII!

A SOLUTION TO OVERWATERING? Do you tend to overwater plants – especially indoor plants during the winter season? Here’s...
08/28/2026

A SOLUTION TO OVERWATERING?

Do you tend to overwater plants – especially indoor plants during the winter season? Here’s a suggestion – “olla pots”!

I was first introduced to olla (OY-yah) pots during a June 11, 2025 “Horticulture Webinar Wednesday” program sponsored by Kentucky Horticulture News (kentuckyhortnews.com). The 20-minute program was entitled “Ollas: Ancient Watering Tips” and was presented by Sharon Flynt, Scott County Agent for Horticulture.

You can access the program here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpXZz8HW91c
Sharon explained during the program that ollas are porous terracotta clay water vessels that are partially buried in the soil and filled with water. Ollas work under natural atmospheric pressure, which allows for water inside the pot to seep into the soil near the plant roots in the proper amount - only when needed. During the program, I learned that this was an ancient technique practiced in dry and arid parts of the world, and was widely used in China about 2,000 years ago.

The benefits of using olla pots? This simple system is low maintenance, promotes deep root growth, and reduces water usage. You will likely use 50 – 70% less water than surface irrigation methods.
I purchased olla pots online, both the large 14-ounce type as well as the ‘spike’ type that I prefer for indoor potted plants. I have found that the larger olla pots are a tremendous help with watering outdoor plants during the warm season; however, the greatest benefit that I have experienced is using them for indoor, larger potted plants that I brought inside for the winter. My sunroom plants are now thriving – in large part, I believe – due to the olla spike watering system.

If you have not used olla pots, give them a try! Hopefully, your plants will be happy and healthy as a result!

PERHAPS YOU’VE HAD THIS QUESTION . . . Should we be putting more plants typically grown in the South in our landscape be...
08/28/2026

PERHAPS YOU’VE HAD THIS QUESTION . . .

Should we be putting more plants typically grown in the South in our landscape because of climate change?

Dr. Doug Tallamy, a well-known author and strong advocate for native plants, addressed this question during a “Backyard Ecology” podcast with Shannon Trimboli.

Dr. Tallamy refers to this technique as ‘assisted migration’. He indicated that he is not a fan of this idea for the following reason . . .

He feels that, if you average it out, the planet is warming overall. However, the result of this phenomenon is that the climate is becoming more variable, with more fluctuations in the Jetstream. He feels that this causes more temperature swings. He cited examples of recent years with very cold temperatures in Mexico, Texas, and Louisiana – locations with a record of warm temperatures. In those events, native plants could not withstand the cold temperatures.

In summary, plants native to our area are more likely to survive subtle changes in the environment and in the climate going forward.

Stay tuned . . .

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM HELPS THE MONARCHS!Kate Manteniek’s third-grade class at Emerson Elementary in Westerville, ...
08/27/2026

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM HELPS THE MONARCHS!

Kate Manteniek’s third-grade class at Emerson Elementary in Westerville, Ohio, was studying butterflies. They had planted milkw**d in an effort to help the monarchs, when they learned that the city had listed milkw**d as a noxious w**d. They were faced with the possibility of having to remove the milkw**d from their school garden or pay a fine of up to $150.

They discovered that Monarch caterpillars live on milkw**d exclusively, leading conservationists to advocate in favor of creating milkw**d gardens to help save the dwindling butterfly population, which has declined by 90% in the last 20 years, according to some scientists.

The students learned a number of valuable lessons under the guidance of their teacher, and their actions were inspiring to those who heard about them. A local newspaper covered the story, which was shared across social media.

When faced with the issue of destroying the milkw**d plants that the monarchs depend on, they decided to confront the city council. Ms. Manteniek and her class combined their studies on butterfly and plant life cycles with their knowledge of persuasive writing and government, and met with the council in late October. In total, 11 of the students spoke in favor of saving the milkw**d, and they won. The city council voted 7-0 to change the law to allow the milkw**d, and the butterflies, to remain!

Our latest adoption . . . Most people would describe caterpillars as having a face that ‘only a mother could love’. How...
08/26/2026

Our latest adoption . . .

Most people would describe caterpillars as having a face that ‘only a mother could love’. However, during a recent visit to Ironw**d Native Plant Nursery in Shelby County, we came home with what many of our friends have described as a ‘real cutie’.

We were looking at the Spicebush plants, when Alicia unrolled a leaf to reveal a Spicebush caterpillar about 1 and ½ inches in length. We were won over instantly by its unique appearance! Though I had seen pictures of this caterpillar, this was the first time seeing one up close and personal. After signing adoption papers (just kidding), we brought home two Spicebush plants and a caterpillar safely tucked inside!

As it turns out, Spicebush is the primary host for this caterpillar that eventually becomes a Spicebush Swallowtail butterfly. The female butterfly will lay small, round, green eggs that blend into the surrounding foliage. The caterpillars are initially black and white, but go through stages of molting that will result in its recognizable green coloration with unique markings. The larval stage will last up to 4 weeks; at such time they will form a chrysalis to complete their transformation into a beautiful butterfly!

The Spicebush caterpillar may be best known for its ability to appear as though it’s a snake head. This sets it apart from other caterpillars that typically imitate ordinary objects such as leaves. It showcases false eye spots, known as “snake eyes,” located at the front of its body.

We’re enjoying caring for and observing this little guy. He’s now chomping down on Spicebush and Sassafras leaves – an additional source of food. During the day, he encloses himself into a leaf that he rolls up lengthwise for protection and a rest period – at night he comes out to forage, safe from potential predators.

I’ll keep you posted on his progress . . .

CAN BUTTERFLIES PREDICT RAIN BEFORE IT ARRIVES?In yesterday’s CAEMG page, we considered the fact that butterfli...
08/25/2026

CAN BUTTERFLIES PREDICT RAIN BEFORE IT ARRIVES?

In yesterday’s CAEMG page, we considered the fact that butterflies do not fly when it’s raining to avoid damage to their wings. During a rain event, they will rest and take shelter, taking flight only after the rain has ended. Here’s the next obvious question:

CAN BUTTERFLIES PREDICT RAIN BEFORE IT ARRIVES?

There’s evidence that some insects respond to barometric pressure changes and increased humidity that precede storms. Butterflies tend to cease activity and seek shelter before rain actually begins, which suggests they’re responding to environmental cues that anticipate rainfall. Whether this constitutes prediction in any meaningful sense or is simply a response to measurable physical changes in the environment is an open question, but the behavior is real and observable.

DO MONARCHS FLY WHEN IT’S RAINING?Monarch butterflies do not fly when it’s raining – they avoid it entirely because of t...
08/24/2026

DO MONARCHS FLY WHEN IT’S RAINING?

Monarch butterflies do not fly when it’s raining – they avoid it entirely because of the risks to their delicate wings and the physical challenges of flight in wet conditions.

Here are further details . . .

• Wing damage risk: A single large raindrop can weigh up to 100 times more than a butterfly, and hitting a wing in flight can knock it off course or cause it to spin uncontrollably.

• Wing performance: Butterfly wings are coated in a waxy surface that resists water, but prolonged rain can saturate the scales, adding weight and reducing lift efficiency.

• Temperature drop: Rain often comes with cooler air, and monarchs are ectothermic — they need their body temperature to be around 84°F to fly. Cold rain can lower this quickly, making flight impossible.

• Energy cost: Flying in rain is not worth the risk; it’s safer to rest and wait out the storm

Address

101 Lakeview Court
Frankfort, KY
40601

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8am - 4:30pm
Friday 8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+15026959035

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Capital Area Extension Master Gardeners posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Capital Area Extension Master Gardeners:

Shortcuts

Featured

Share

Category