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Baxter County Master Gardeners
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Bull Shoals - White River State Park on the banks of the scenic White River, nestled in the hills of the Arkansas Ozarks, has over 600 acres including Bull Shoals Dam and scenic overlook. An estimated 600,000 visitors come each year to fish, camp, hike, picnic, relax and just enjoy the beauty. Bald Eagles winter here and Great Blue Herons also fish the river. A paradise for fly fishing, reunions, and even weddings have been held here. This beautiful park features well maintained campsites, rental trailer and tent sites, shower and flush toilet facilities. The Trout Dock supplies fishing licenses, bait, snacks, boat rental and good conversation. An aquarium at the Trout Dock is stocked with 4 species of trout that are also found in the river.
As visitors arrive, they are welcomed by two large signs announcing the park. Flower beds at the base of these signs contain seasonal plantings. At the registration office are more flowers in container boxes. Continuing down the road into the park, at Big Spring on the left, twin beds with seasonal plantings border the path down to the river. Another area over the spring is a work in progress. It has day lilies, bearded iris, roses and flowering shrubs. Back on the road to the Trout Dock, where another bed is planted with a white Crepe Myrtle and seasonal plantings of spring bulbs, summer annuals, perennials, fall mums and pansies for late fall and early spring. There are barrel planters with trailing foliage and flowers at the dock and the handicap area, and scattered plantings of bearded iris. All these plantings are a result of the cooperation of park staff and the Baxter County Master Gardeners. The park supplies funds for plants, mulch they create, and water. Master Gardener's select plants, bulbs and rhizomes; plant, feed, weed, prune and deadhead.
This Master Gardener Project was nominated for "Keep Arkansas Beautiful Award" in 2003 and Bull Shoals - White River State Park won the 2002 Region II Park of the Year and Arkansas State Park of the Year awards.
As Master Gardener's we not only enjoy what we do but also where we do it - gardening at this beautiful park, where we meet friendly people from various states and countries and talk about flowers and the Master Gardener Program."
As chairman of the Bull Shoals - White River State Park project, I schedule seasonal workdays. Early in the year 16 master gardeners signed up to work on the Bull Shoals - White River State Park project. We have a turnout of 6 to 11 people on a workday. After our first workday of the year the following information was published in our newsletter:
"Our first workday of the year at Bull Shoals - White River State Park, postponed from Thursday, we met on Saturday, February 26, a beautiful gardening day. Eleven master gardeners: Rod and Sandy Seitz, Dotty Smith, Laura Norman, Beth Dop, Marjorie and Jim Clements, Sue North, Julia Hodges, Mary Michael and myself ~ gathered at the Trout dock, bagged leaves, cleaned the beds of debris, cut back dead plant material, planted a few pansies in planters, added some mulch, and we watched the Master Pruner, Jim Clements, prune various shrubs including Crepe Myrtle, Rose of Sharon and Roses. Jim (a retired Arkansas county extension agent) pointed out and discussed 'south-west side' damage on a major branch on a Purple Leaf Sand Cherry. Most of us put in three hours of work and each should include one hour of education mostly in regard to pruning. We had a great time. I thank everyone for their contribution including Daryl Greenwood, the Trout Dock Manager."
Before our spring planting workday early May, two Master Gardeners shopped for an assortment of perennial and annual plants with Daryl. We selected and he (the State Park) paid. On planting day, 6 Master Gardeners arrived to weed; trim; remove old mulch; amend with new soil, humus and fertilizer; plant verbena, dianthus, salvia, petunias, melampodium, caladium, bacopa, ipomoea, Gerbera daisy, marigolds and others; also spread new mulch and water the planting areas.
A mid June workday was canceled. After checking for needs, I was able to tidy and fertilize in less than an hour. However, by mid August, a group effort was needed. Starting before 9 a.m. at the Trout Dock, on a hot and humid day, seven Master Gardeners weeded, deadheaded, trimmed, cultivated, and cleaned the area at all our project locations. Daryl Greenwood met us at Big Spring and joined us on hands and knees to pull weeds. By 11 a.m. we were done and done in, moist and dripping wet.
Our Fall workday is scheduled for mid October. The schedule should be similar to last year, when we trimmed, weeded, planted, mulched and watered. We used our Baxter County Master Gardener project allotment to purchase fall plant materials as chrysanthemums, pansies, flowering kale, Bonanza day lilies, and some Asiatic lilies.
Improvements at the park are constant and talk of work done near or at some of our planting areas keep us watchful of what we plant. The new visitor center at the overlook of the dam site is progressing and should bring a number of people to the area.
Sincerely, Audrey Holt
Baxter County Master Gardener
For more information you may contact Audrey at andaholt@mtnhome.com
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