Did you know that Northwest Arkansas farmers grow premium Bermuda grass hay? Farmers in our county have actually won national hay awards for several years. Bermuda is a great forage that we grow to feed young calves,heifers and beef cattle. Hay production is a very important part of our farming operation. As much as we love it for our animals, it is not a welcome sight to me in the flower beds or vegetable garden. Even though we're still anticipating the first day of spring, yesterday's balmy weather took me to the flower bed where I was looking for the green tips of some new iris bulbs that I had planted late last spring. To my dismay, the entire bed was covered with a thick covering of dead Bermuda grass that had been allowed to grow crazy last summer. Bermuda grass in the flower bed or vegetable garden is a curse. It grows fast, loves full sun,can grow in a drought,and has a root system that invades any where it is not welcome. As I was pulling the grass out of the flower bed, I thought how ironic that tonight is the awards banquet for the premium Bermuda hay producers in the county. It's a love-hate relationship for me!
