< PreviousFree Range Chicken Breast with White Wine Mushroom Risotto, Asparagus, and Fresh “Chef M” Garden Herbs SPECIAL EVENT VENUE EATcetera offers an elegant space for up to 32 seated guests for private events. This is the perfect island spot for your private dinner, party or event. The restaurant and sidewalk café are totally private and reserved just for your celebration. Call 409-762-0803 or 409-939-9403 Join us for LUNCH EATcetera is a Local Family Eatery serving a variety of salads, sandwiches, paninis, burgers, and desserts. Dine inside or enjoy the dog-friendly sidewalk cafe under our signature red umbrellas. At EATcetera we like to say, Everyone Eats Together. A multitide of vegan and gluten-free offerings available. Dessert too! Call 409-762-0803 See us on DoorDash.com Open Monday-Saturday, 11 am - 4 pm Art Walk Evenings, 6 - 9 pm 408 25th StreetGalveston ISD offers a Schools of Choice program for Moody Early Childhood Center, our six elementary campuses, and Crenshaw Middle School that allows families to choose the campus that best fits their student's interests and needs. Our impressive magnet campuses are theme-based and provide truly unique learning opportunities - just one of the many offerings that sets our district apart. AnOceanofEducationalOpportunities. To learn more about our schools of choice program, individual campuses and enrollment dates and requirements, visitwww.gisd.org.42 COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 Prickly pear flowers usually are yellow, red or white. Texas officially adopted the prickly pear as the state plant in 1995. COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 43 GARDEN VARIETY ONE TOUGH TEXAN Rugged and beautiful, the prickly pear is the state plant for good reason story and photos by BARBARA CANETTI M ost people associate cacti with arid, dry climates. But many properly cared for varieties of cactus thrive in the hot, humid Gulf Coast region. All cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. The big difference is that cacti store water in their stems; succulents also store water in their leaves. There are about 2,000 varieties of cactus, and one of the most popular is the omnipresent prickly pear. The prickly pear, or opuntias, has about 90 species, some of which are rare and only found in remote locations. Many have multiple names and others closely resemble each other. But the prickly pear, which is native to Texas and has been the state plant since 1995, is found in gardens, along beaches and some places where there’s full sun. Also called the paddle cacti, this plant has two major categories: smooth or spiked leaves. Once cleaned properly, every part of the plant is edible — by people, cattle, birds and bees. In Mexico and parts of Texas, it’s a staple in the menu. Nopal in Spanish means cactus; nopales means the stems and leaves; and nopalitos is cooked cactus. It’s a good food, rich in nutrients: calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron, Vitamin A and C and antioxidants. The young leaves, which are sweeter than more mature growth, can be grilled, boiled, sautéed, fried, pickled, seasoned or eaten raw. In late summer, the plant produces a flower — usually yel- low, red or white — that falls off when the fruit, called a tuna, develops in the fall. The tuna’s taste is much like watermelon, but has more seeds. It can be eaten fresh after it’s peeled, or mashed, boiled and strained to make jellies, jams or wine. It’s Every part of the prickly pear plant is edible. The fruits, or tunas, taste like watermelon but have more seeds.44 COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 GARDEN VARIETY advisable to wear gloves when removing the tuna, even with the spineless plants, because of the hard-to-see glochids or hairlike barbed spines, which can cause skin irritation. Before cooking, scrape all the spines and glochids off because they could cause prob- lems if eaten or swallowed. Cactus can be planted in the ground or in pots. In the garden, be sure the plants gets plenty of sunshine and are in well-drained soil, preferably in raised beds. Water these plants only when dry. “They are not difficult to grow,” said Patricia Martin, a Galveston County Master Gardener who has been growing cacti for more than 25 years. “The biggest problem people have with cactus is they over water them. That will kill them.” Martin has cataloged about 50 varieties at her El Lago home, and has watched patiently for decades as some of the plants produced “pups,” which she repotted or gave away. She was attracted to cacti because of the beautiful flowers they produce and the un- usual shapes they develop. “The flowers are spectacular when they bloom,” she said. “But sometimes it takes years.” Martin creates her own soil combination, using prepared cactus soil, sand, lava sand or pumice and a handful of pea gravel or ex- tracted shale to ensure good drainage. Most of her plants are in pots and can be moved in case temperatures drop below 40 degrees. Fertilize the plants in the spring and summer with low doses of products high in phospho- rus. Don’t water or fertilize while the plants are dormant in the winter. Cactus do well in temperatures as high as 90 degrees but should be protected in dips lower than 40 degrees. Plants can be propagated easily with just a cutting of a leaf or stem. Be careful when handling them because of the defensive spikes on many varieties. And, some plants secrete a white latex fluid that can cause skin irritation, so wear gloves, Martin said. When the Texas Legislature named the prickly pear the state plant, it noted it is “rugged, versatile and uniquely beautiful” and that cacti have made numerous con- tributions to the landscape, cuisine and character of the Lone Star state, making it qualified to represent the “indomitable and proud Texas spirit.” Galveston County Master Gardener Patricia Martin has been growing cactus for more than 25 years. She has cataloged about 50 varieties at her El Lago home, including the candelabra-like branching blue myrtle-cactus. (Opposite, clockwise from top left) There are about 2,000 varieties of cactus, many of which thrive in the hot, humid Gulf Coast region, including elephant cactus, agave horrida, horse crippler and Parry’s agave. “They are not difficult to grow. The biggest problem people have with cactus is they over water them. That will kill them.” PATRICIA MARTIN COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 45Compassionate Guidance in Your Time of Need. E. R. Johnson Family Mortuary has been serving the Galveston, Galveston County area with compassion and respect for over 71 years. Our deep roots in the community are a source of pride, as we grow side by side with the families we serve. During this time you need someone who understand the needs of families in celebrating the life of their loved ones and making sure that we take all precautions in maintaining a safe environment to assure the health and well-being of everyone that wants to celebrate the life of their loved one with dignity. E.R. Johnson Family Mortuary has always been in the forefront making sure the families we serve receive our utmost attention, care and service. We hope you will consider us your source for compassionate care and exemplary service. Our pledge is to help you honor your loved one in the most meaningful way, offering thoughtful guidance and personal attention to every detail. 3828 Ave O | Galveston, TX 77550 409.762.8470 E. R. Johnson Family MortuaryImages, descriptions, and information provided are representational and conceptual based upon preliminary development plans, for illustrative purposes, may not be shown to scale, may contain non-standard optional features, and are subject to change. The Developer reserves the right to make modifications and changes to the project in whole or part including amenities and features and to the information contained herein without notice. Please refer to the Condominium Information Statement and the proposed condominium documents included with same for further information and disclosures. @TIARAONTHEBEACH/TIARAONTHEBEACH SALES GALLERY OPEN DAILY 4918 Seawall Blvd. Ste C · Galveston TX, 77551 Fill your day with more. Ownership at Tiara will offer you the finest in beachfront condominium living with an abundance of five-star resort-inspired amenities that include Pickleball, Climate Controlled Wine Lockers, a Pet Wash, and Private Beach Access with chair and umbrella valet. With so many choices, what will you do first? One, Two & Three Bedroom Condominiums from $1M | TiaraOnTheBeach.com · Call 409.974.453748 COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 A small building on the corner of 29th Street and Avenue O½ in Galveston is the birthplace of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. COASTMONTHLY.COM | ApriL 2023 49 FEATURE HANDS THAT ROCK THE CRADLE Stewards care for a small island building with a big Texas history story by KATHRYN EASTBURN photos by JENNIFER REYNOLDS A tiny white building at the corner of 29th Street and Avenue O½ in Galveston has a big history, little known to many islanders and visitors. Originally the law library of statesman and attorney Wil- liam Pitt Ballinger, the tidy white building, surrounded by tasteful perennial beds and shaded by a massive split-trunk live oak, is known now as The Cradle, the birthplace of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. Look closely and you’ll see a historic marker that explains. The Victorian structure, then part of The Oaks family home, was where Betty Ballinger and Hally Bryan, cous- ins, put their heads together and came up with the idea of founding a society for his- toric preservation of the history of the Texas Republic, 1836-1846. Alarmed by graves of notable Republic figures they found hidden and neglected in an old Galveston cemetery, Ballinger and Bryan met in Houston with other women concerned with preserving Republic history. In short order, Daughters of the Republic of Texas was formed. Ballinger gave the first keynote address of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas’ annual meeting in 1892 in Lampasas, declar- ing the purpose of the organization to “keep alive the sacred fire of tradition … guarding [Texas’] holy past.”Next >