He co-authored the only garden book I could not live without. I checked it out from the library, read it, and had to order my own personal copy: "Gardening in the Humid South" From: Ornamental Horticulture E-News November 12 and 19, 2012 "Ed O�Rourke � In Memoriam (1923-2012) Dr. Edmund Newton O'Rourke Jr. died peacefully at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 11, 2012, in a local hospital with his family around him. Ed was born on November 22, 1923, in New Orleans to Edmund N. O'Rourke and Gladys Adams O'Rourke. He was preceded in death by his parents and two older sisters, Maude O'Rourke Kenny and Gladys (Mickie) O'Rourke Mills. Ed is survived by his wife of over 65 years, Rosemary Louque O'Rourke, his son, Brian Patrick O'Rourke and wife Dea; and grandson, Colin Patrick O'Rourke. In addition, he is survived by nieces Kathy Dickson, Jean Jones and Cynthia Buckman and nephew Bill Mills. Ed attended S.L.I. as an undergraduate. After serving in the U.S. Army during World War II in the European theatre where he took part in D-Day, he returned to S.L.I. to finish school and later married his childhood sweetheart Rosemary Claire Louque in 1947. After graduation from S.L.I., he attended Cornell University and received both a master�s degree and doctorate in pomology in three years. Ed returned to the South to work for the USDA in Georgia on tung oil research. In 1956, he became a professor in the LSU Horticulture Department. He conducted research on Southern fruit crops, most notably figs, and eventually his favorite selection were released as the LSU Purple, LSU Gold and the O'Rourke figs. Ed loved to teach, and throughout his 37 year career at LSU he taught a variety of courses and mentored many graduate students, sharing with them his love and knowledge of plants. Ed loved plants of all types, having said often that it was his mother's roses at his childhood home that first inspired his love of plants. He loved to fish, in both fresh and salt water, and was unusually lucky. After retirement, Ed co-authored a gardening book for the LSU press titled "Gardening in the Humid South" and co-wrote a monthly gardening column for Country Roads Magazine with his good friend and colleague Dr. Leon Standifer. The family asks that anyone who knew and appreciated Ed remember him by planting something in their garden. A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Johnson Funeral Home of Lake Charles is in charge of arrangements." Bob

Do they get baked before the filling? I'm wondering what would happen to the filling if you try to bake them. When I make a Key Lime pie the crust is baked first, filling added and then it's refrigerated.... Nancy

Lorraine's Candied Figs 6lbs figs 3 cups boiling water 3 cups sugar 3 tablespoons vinegar Make a syrup with the water,sugar and vinegar. Bring syrup to the boil and put in whole washed figs. Simmer gently for two hours. Take the figs out of the syrup, spread on a wire rack or tray and dry in a shaded, warm dry place for 4 to 5 days. (Lorraine used a large sort of cupboard with sides made of insect screening.) Turn after 2 days. Pack in layers in baking paper, you can roll them in superfine sugar before packing if desired. Lorraine also packed them in jars and poured sherry over them. Leave for about a week before using. If you leave them in the sherry a _really_ long time (like about a year :-) ) the sherry turns to a sort of jelly, so don't leave them in the sherry too long :-)

I've decided to transform the leaf mould bin into a compost bin sooner rather than later. Instead of emptying out all of the leaves, I've started incorporating grass clippings and kitchen/garden scraps into the bin, making sure it gets a good green/brown ratio. Over time, by turning the existing brown materials in with the new green materials, it should make good compost. The negative about this is that I won't be able to use this stuff for about two years, when I could have actually collected leaf mould in one year. The positive is that compost is more nutrient rich but can also be used the same way, as a top dressing or mulch, for water retention and weed suppression, but giving those plants a boost that leaf mould may not do. I'll work green materials in for about a year (or unless we get it so full that it absolutely can't hold any more) then setup another swimming pool composter up. On appx April 2018, the plan is to collect compost from the first bin. On appx April 2019, I'll collect compost from the 2nd bin. Then, April 2020, from the first bin, and on and on. Meanwhile, I'm slowly building up a small farm, with rabbits, cows, chickens, and eventually, ducks, possibly turkeys, etc. Rabbit poop = instant garden fertilizer + worm food, for vermicomposting, to collect worm castings for the garden, and the worms themselves could feed some fish, for a future aquaponics setup. Cow, chicken, duck, and turkey poop will be composted. As of right now, it's all about slowly moving forward, to try to obtain a balance, where everything works together.