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February 1, 2012 Welcome to Texas Gardener’s Seeds, the weekly newsletter for Texas gardeners. Please do not reply to this e-mail because the sending address is not monitored. See the bottom of this newsletter for information on how to subscribe, unsubscribe, or contact the editor. |
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Rodeo tomato selected for San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo
By Paul Schattenberg A rose is not just a rose and a tomato is not just a tomato, considering the time and effort put into selecting the ‘rodeo’ tomato for the annual San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, said a Texas AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist. "Traditionally, we offer a new tomato plant for sale every year during the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo,” said David Rodriguez, AgriLife Extension agent for horticulture, Bexar County. “Sales of those plants by our Master Gardeners help fund our Junior Master Gardener program and other countywide youth gardening activities, along with horticulture scholarships." Rodeo tomato plants will be for sale throughout the run of the show, Feb. 9-26, at the Master Gardener booth in the Buckaroos on the Ranch: A Truly Texas Experience pavilion. The facility, formerly called the Texas Experience pavilion, is near Freeman Coliseum on the west side of the show grounds. Rodriguez said last year experts from AgriLife Extension and volunteers from the agency's Bexar County Master Gardener association and the Garden Volunteers of South Texas, planted more than 4,500 tomato plants at Verstuyft Farms in south Bexar County. “The BHN 602 variety was selected as this year’s rodeo tomato due to its superior production and quality characteristics,” he said. “It is a well-adapted plant that produces a large, rich, red, firm, succulent fruit.” This year, the group planted mainly varieties which were expected to produce the large, round fruit indicative of fresh-market tomatoes, said Dr. Larry Stein, AgriLife Extension horticulturist at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Uvalde who oversaw the trials. “Some of these varieties included SunStart, Sunshine, Bella Rosa, Applause and BHN 602 varieties,” Stein said. “They also planted some ‘grape-determinant’ varieties which produce a significantly smaller tomato.” These annual tomato plantings are part of a research field trial to determine new adaptive tomato varieties that will grow well in this region, Rodriguez said. The rodeo tomato was selected from the various tomatoes tested and assessed during these trials. “We’ve been working with AgriLife Extension on tomato trials for about 30 years,” said Tom Verstuyft, an owner-grower at Verstuyft Farms, which is located near Von Ormy. “We’ve been seeking the best tomatoes in terms of color, firmness, meatiness, sweetness and overall taste.” The tomato plant is far and away the most popular for home vegetable gardeners, Rodriguez said. “In these trials we put them to the test to find the one with the color, size, texture and flavor characteristics we know to be most appealing to home-gardeners and consumers in this region,” he said “BHN 602, which was originally developed at a research center in Florida, was the clear winner as this year’s rodeo tomato in that it adapted exceedingly well to the Texas climate and produced some exceptional quality fruit.” Trials at Verstuyft Farms are conducted under Stein’s supervision. "These trials primarily help us identify new commercial fresh-market tomato varieties to replace those we've lost due to seed manufacturers no longer producing the seed for those particular varieties," Stein said. "We test a number of new plants each year to determine which are best suited for this area and selected the rodeo tomato as the ‘best of the best’ tomato plants for use in home gardening. But our main objective is to help ensure a seed supply of well-suited tomato plants so area producers may continue to grow this popular crop.” The multi-county Winter Garden area of South Texas is a known tomato-growing region and remains one the nation’s leading producers of winter vegetables grown using irrigation. Rodriguez noted that local green industry notable Peterson Brothers Wholesale Nursery, as well as Spring Creek Growers, a 100-year-old active farmstead in Magnolia, are both involved in the commercial production, distribution and sale of the rodeo tomato. “In addition to the rodeo tomato, Master Gardeners will be selling the new Texas Superstar red-bluebonnet during the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo,” he said. “This is a unique and beautiful version of our state flower, and it meets the stringent aesthetic and practical growing and care criteria required to earn the prestigious Superstar designation.” |
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The garden reader: Miniature gardens inside glass By William Scheick Amy Bryant Aiello and Kate Bryant. Terrarium Craft: Create 50
Magical, Miniature Worlds. Timber Press, 2011. 196 pp. $18.95.
When I was once gifted with a cute Victorian-looking terrarium, I
imagined the spectacular little hortus conclusus (enclosed garden) I
would create.
It should be easy, I believed. After all, over the years I had beaten
much worse odds when indoors-propagating many different plants from mere
cuttings.
So compared to these dicey undertakings, I thought, starting out with
already-grown plants in a neat, controlled environment should be a
breeze to pull off.
Only it wasn’t, it turned out. At least not by me.
I had the basics down pat: a glass container, aquarium gravel for
drainage beneath cactus-type soil and then tiny plants that stay tiny.
Simple enough, it seemed.
Where my little would-be paradise went wrong — terribly wrong,
finally — was the issue of moisture. My terrarium never created its own
rain cycle, as rumor had promised, and my inexperienced interventions
resulted in overwatering or underwatering.
I only tried terrarium-building that one time, but am going to try
again now that I have read Terrarium Craft. I know now that the floor of
my faux-Victorian terrarium is too small and particularly too shallow
for the kinds of plants I had tried.
“It’s fun to start with a big, spacious container if you haven’t made
a terrarium before,” the authors wisely advise, because “the options for
materials are greater, and temperatures within the terrarium will be
more moderate and air flow better.”
Even more important, in my case anyway, a larger glass container
allows for “a greater margin for error if you forget to water your
terrarium or if it sits in too hot a spot one afternoon.”
If I didn’t know better, I could imagine the authors were directly
addressing my terrarium misadventure.
Even so, there is good news about my gifted miniature glasshouse.
Small and shallow as it is, it can still be used as a desert terrarium.
The desert type is featured in 17 of the 50 examples provided in
Terrarium Craft.
The authors’ examples range from desert to beach to forest and
emphasize “succulents, airplants … small houseplants, mosses, and
lichen.” Each entry is richly illustrated with step-by-step information
on materials, composition and care.
Terrarium Craft is a beautiful book, a model of its kind,
highlighting artistic impact as well as successful maintenance. It will
inspire as well as guide anyone who has ever fancied fashioning a little
garden inside a glass. |
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Lancaster fifth-grader wins state Arbor Day poster contest
By Holly Huffman Pleasant Run Elementary School fifth-grader Tyger Williamson took home top honors this year in the Texas Arbor Day Poster Contest. Texas Forest Service coordinates the annual poster contest, which aims to foster a love for trees in the fourth- and fifth-graders who participate. The theme of this year’s contest — Trees are Terrific … from Acorn to Oak! — was designed to help students learn how to identify different species of oak trees. “The poster contest is a fun way to help young people learn about and appreciate trees and the environment,” said Gretchen Riley, forester and poster contest coordinator. “Tyger’s poster is an outstanding piece of artwork, and we’re pleased to name him as the state winner.” Tyger’s award-winning poster features a lush, green oak tree set amid rolling green hills. Adorning part of the tree are oversized leaves representing eight different oak species. More than 4,000 students from 62 schools participated in this year’s poster contest, which was open to fourth- and fifth-graders, statewide. Each participating school selected a campus winner that advanced to the state competition. After narrowing the field through an online judging process, a panel of judges gathered in College Station to select four regional winners, and ultimately a state winner. In addition to winning the state competition, Tyger’s poster also was named as the winner for the Trinity-Blacklands region. He received a framed copy of his poster, a $500 savings bond and a Texas State Parks Pass. His teacher, Annie Perdue, received a $250 gift certificate and an iPad. Regional Winners Trinity-Blacklands Regional Winner (State Winner): Tyger Williamson, Pleasant Run Elementary School in Lancaster West & South Texas Regional Winner: Ciarra Thurman, Lawndale Elementary School in Amarillo Central Texas Regional Winner: Gracy Duh Hnem Par, Sanchez Elementary School in Austin East Texas Regional Winner: Jyle Matthew Lubrico, Ambassadors Preparatory Academy in Galveston |
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Gardening tips If you suffer from spring fever, avoid the temptation to prune your crapemyrtles. They should never be pruned except to remove damaged branches or if they are growing too close to an overhead wire or into a building. Have a favorite gardening tip you’d like to share? Texas Gardener’s Seeds is seeking brief gardening tips from Texas gardeners to use in future issues. If we publish your tip in Seeds, we will send you a free Texas Gardener 2012 Planning Guide & Calendar. Please send your tips of 50 words or less to the editor at: Gardening Tips. |
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Did you know...
The mushrooms and toadstools that appear in your lawn, while unsightly, will not do any long term damage. They feed on dead organic matter and tie up nitrogen in the soil and then release it back into the turf. Don’t allow children to pick them as are toxic if ingested. |
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Upcoming garden events.
If you would like your organization’s
events included in "Upcoming Garden Events" or would like to make a
change to a listed event, please contact us at
Garden Events. To ensure inclusion in
this column, please provide complete details at least three
weeks prior to the event.
La Marque: Galveston County Master Gardeners Annual
Fruit & Citrus Tree Sale will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday,
February 4, at the Wayne Johnson Community Center in Carbide Park, La
Marque. On offer are numerous varieties of trees and plants suitable and
productive for the Galveston County area. Master Gardeners will also be
available to assist with selection and answer questions. For additional
information call 281-534-3413. Ext. 12 or email
GALV3@wt.net.
Nacogdoches: The Texas Bluebird Society will host its
2012 season kickoff and silent auction in the Baker Pattillo Student
Center at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Saturday,
February 4 from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m.
The program is sponsored by SFA Gardens. Silent auction proceeds help
support the Texas Bluebird Society. The featured speakers are Greg Grant and
Cliff Shackelford. Grant, a horticulturist with SFA Gardens, will
present two programs including “I Can’t Stop Loving You: A Lifetime
Affair with the Blues” and “Berry Me with Bluebirds Landscaping for
the Songbird of Happiness.” Shackelford, a Texas Parks and Wildlife
Ornithologist, will present “Knock on Wood: The Woodpeckers of East
Texas.” Other presentations will prepare bluebirders, new and
experienced, for the upcoming nesting season. Early Bird registration (deadline January
4) is $15.00 and includes the lectures, a lunch buffet, and 10 door
prize tickets. For more information and a registration form, visit
texasbluebirdsociety.org.
Ft. Worth: "How to Prune Your Landscape, Compost Your
Clippings, and Propagate New Plants," wiill be offered from 1 p.m. until
5 p.m. February 4 in the fifth floor conference room at the
Tarrant County Plaza Building, 200 Taylor St., Ft. Worth. $15
enrollment. Advance reservations are preferred, but not required.
Contact the AgriLife office at 817-884-1945 for more information or to
enroll.
Diboll: Texas Forest Service is holding a symposium for East Texas landowners still reeling from the effects of the relentless, ongoing drought. The Drought Symposium will focus on general impacts from the 2011 drought, as well as forest health issues, tree mortality assessments, silviculture recommendations, market and climate trends and federal assistance programs. Attendees also will get a preview of the predictions for the 2012 fire season. The Symposium is scheduled for Wednesday,
February 8, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lottie and Arthur Temple Civic Center, 601 Dennis St., Diboll. RSVP for the Drought Symposium to Texas Forest Service Forester and Farm Bill Coordinator Shane Harrington at 936-546-1470 or
sharrington@tfs.tamu.edu by February 3. Lunch is provided with your reservation.
Galveston Island: Moody Gardens is hosting a night full of
bat themed activities while raising money for Bat Conservation
International, on Saturday, February 11. The event will be from 7 p.m. - 10
p.m. in the Moody Gardens Visitors Center. This unique cocktail party
will feature specialty bat drinks and hors d’oeuvres prepared with
ingredients that are made possible because of bats’ ecological
importance. In addition, guests will be able to attend a special
presentation from guest speaker James Eggers, director of education of
Bat Conservation International. Attendees can also take a night tour of
the Rainforest Pyramid highlighting bat conservation and bring home a
“Bat’s Are Doin’ It” goody bag. Tickets are $50 per person or $90 for a
couple. The fundraiser will also include a variety of raffle prizes.
Each raffle ticket is $5 or three for $10. “The ‘Bat’s Are Doin’ It’
event will give Moody Gardens the opportunity to highlight the
importance of protecting these animals and will give guests the chance
to have an entertaining evening while contributing to a significant
organization,” said Assistant Curator/ Registrar Paula Kolvig.
Throughout 2012 Moody Gardens will bring attention to an often
overlooked, but important animal: the bat. The United Nations has
declared 2012 as International Year of the Bat and Bat Conservation
International (BCI) as an International Year of the Bat founding
partner. The International Year of the Bat campaign aims to raise global
awareness about bats, bat conservation and the unique roles bats play in
our environment. This event is open to visitors who are 21 years of age
and older. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Bat Conservation
International on behalf of Moody Gardens. For more information about
Year of the Bat: visit batcon.org/yotb,
www.moodygardens.org or call Moody Gardens (800) 582-4673.
La Marque: "Gardening by
the Square Foot," presented
by Master Gardener John Jons, will be held from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., February 11,
at the Wayne Johnson Community Center in Carbide Park, La Marque. Jons will cover the basic concepts of
successful Square Foot Gardening including garden bed design and
building, soil preparation, plant selection, care and maintenance. A
practice session will be included to get you started with your first
Square Foot Garden bed. This method of gardening is great for the
homeowner with a small back yard, for those that just want to grow
enough for their own needs, to start a community garden, or to create a
small garden to help educate children on the basics and joy of
gardening. Class size limited to 32 participants. "Kitchen Gardening," presented
by Master Gardener Mary Demeny, will be offered from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. Demeny will cover various techniques for
vegetable gardening in your own backyard. She will include gardening
near the back door, recycling, mulching and composting for her garden.
Mary will also discuss home canning and use of an interplant technique
for growing vegetables among the flower beds and in pots. For additional
information call 281-534-3413. Ext. 12 or email
GALV3@wt.net.
New Braunfels: The Comal Master Gardeners will sponsor a
Backyard Vegetable Gardening Seminar at the New Braunfels Convention
Center on Saturday, February 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
featuring Patty Leander, contributing writer to Texas Gardener magazine,
and Daphne Richards, Travis County AgriLife Extension Agent. Included in
the $47 registration fee are demonstrations with hands-on activities,
door prizes, detailed handbooks and lunch. Attendance is limited.
Register at
http://txmg.org/comal/future-events/seminar. For additional
information, call 830-620-3440.
Rosenberg: The Fort Bend County Master
Gardeners will hold their Annual Fruit and Citrus Tree Sale on Saturday,
February 11, at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds - Barn H, 4310
Highway 36S, Rosenberg, 77471. The sale will open at 9 a.m. and will run
until 1 p.m. or until sold out. A training session for the public on
Fruit Trees will be given on Saturday, February 4, from 10:30
a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bud O'Shieles Community Center, 1330 Band Road,
Rosenberg,. It will include how to heel in your trees, pruning and how
to plant as well as an overview of plants at the sale. This year
tomatoes and peppers for spring planting will be offered at the sale.
Call 281-341-7068 or visit
www.fbmg.com for more information.
Tyler: The East Texas Spring Landscape and
Garden Conference is scheduled for Saturday, February 11, at the
Tyler Rose Garden Center, 420 Rose Park Drive off of Front Street in
Tyler. This is an annual event presented by the Texas AgriLife Extension
Service giving gardeners a chance to enhance their knowledge in a wide
rage of horticultural topics. The presentations begin at 8:30 a.m. and
continue until 3:30 p.m. There is no pre-registration; attendees must
register at the conference site. Doors open early at 7:30 a.m. giving
the public time to sign up and browse the gardening-related businesses
and organizations exhibiting services and products. The fee for the
conference is $35 and includes morning coffee with doughnuts and a
chicken box lunch. This year’s conference brings a variety of subjects
that will help homeowners and gardeners cope with drought conditions and
water restrictions, plus some fun and interesting topics. Speakers
include Dr. David Reed, Professor of Horticulture at Texas A&M in
College Station; Malcom Beck, the Father of Compost in Texas; Carmen
Wagner, a bromeliad specialist from Canton; Anne Brown and Dee Bishop,
both Smith County Master Gardeners are Firewise Landscape Specialists
trained by the Texas Forest Service and AgriLife Extension; Keith
Hansen, Smith County Horticulturist with AgriLife Extension Service; and
Daniel Duncum with the Texas Forest. After the conference and during
breaks, attendees can take advantage of a panel of speakers and Master
Gardeners who will be on hand to answer questions on landscaping issues.
The Spring Conference agenda is available at
EastTexasGardening.tamu.edu and
http://facebook.com/ETGardenConference.
Houston: At 6:30
p.m., February 13, Carol Brouwer, Ph.D., will present "What to
Plant and Do Now in Your Home Veggie Garden" at the Houston Urban
Gardeners will meet at the Houston Garden Center, 1500 Hermann Dr. Free
and open to the public. For additional information, visit
http://www.houstonurbangardeners.org///.
Dallas: Love Bugs Valentines Presentation at Texas
Discovery Gardens, 3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dallas from 6
p.m.-8 p.m., February 14. Enjoy wine, cheese and a stimulating
Valentine's Day talk on insect behavior and reproduction with John
Watts, Entomologist. $25 ea. or $40 per couple. $20 TDG Member or $30
per Member Couple. Register in advance at
www.texasdiscoverygardens.org or call (214) 428-7476 x343.
Austin: “Rose Care and Pruning” will be
presented Thursday, February 16, from 10 a.m. until noon at the
Travis County AgriLife Extension Office, 1600 B Smith Rd., Austin.
Discover the varieties of roses available and care requirements. Learn
how to plant a rose, fertilizer requirements, disease identification,
general care, and pruning. Bring pruning shears for hands-on lesson.
This seminar is free and open to the public. It is presented by the
Travis County Master Gardeners, a volunteer arm of the Texas AgriLife
Extension Service in Travis County. For more information, call
512-854-9600 or visit
www.tcmastergardeners.org.
Seguin: Paul Cox, botanist and former
supervisor at The Botanical Gardens (in San Antonio) will present a
program about the poisonous nature of some of our landscape plants at
the Guadalupe County Master Gardeners meeting Thursday, February 16, at
the Texas AgriLife Extension Bldg., 210 E. Live Oak, Seguin. The meeting
is free and open to the public. For more information, visit
www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org or call 830-303-3889.
Diboll: New timber tax laws could allow
landowners to recoup some of the losses they sustained from the
relentless drought and devastating wildfire season that plagued Texas
during the last year. The federal rules geared toward landowners who
experienced a significant timber loss will be explained during a 2012
Timber Income and Property Tax Workshop in Diboll. Hosted by Texas
Forest Service, the all-day tax workshop is designed to give landowners
— as well as the professionals who prepare their taxes — a leg up when
it comes to forest management planning. The workshop is scheduled for 8
a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, February 17 at the Lottie and Arthur
Temple Civic Center, 601 Dennis St., Diboll. Registration is $70 and
includes lunch and a workbook. The workshop also will focus on changes
to state taxes for timber producers and contract lumberjacks, who now
will need a registration number from the Texas Comptroller’s Office
before they can be exempt from the sale and use tax. The sale and use
tax is applied to goods and services paid for throughout timber
production such as site preparation, planting, cultivating and
harvesting. For more information or to register, visit
http://texasforestservice.tamu.edu/timbertaxworkshop or contact
Staff Assistant Monica Jadlowski at 979-458-6630 or
mjadlowski@tfs.tamu.edu.
Austin: Master Gardener Joy Williamson will
discuss “Raising Backyard Chickens,” Saturday, February 18, 10
a.m.-noon, at Zilker Botanical Garden, Garden Center, 2220 Barton
Springs Rd., Austin. Williamson shares her expertise in the fascinating
hobby of raising backyard chickens. She will be sharing her tips on the
benefits of this garden activity, how to get started, FAQ on coop
construction and how to protect your feathered friends. This seminar is
free, but space is limited and reservations are required to ensure a
seat is available. Sign-up online at
http://travis-tx.tamu.edu/horticulture/. Please note, the Zilker
Park entrance fee is $2 per adult and $1 per child or senior. This
seminar is presented by the Travis County Master Gardeners, a volunteer
arm of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Travis County.
For information, call 512-854-9600 or visit
www.tcmastergardeners.org.
Bryan: Saturday, February 18, the Brazos County Master
Gardeners will host "Successful Gardening in Challenging Climates," on
Earth-Kind methods for landscape recovery and survival. The all day
seminar (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) will include topics on soil improvement,
plant selection, water conservation and how plants respond to extreme
weather. Speakers include Texas Gardener Contributing Editor Skip Richter, Heidi Sheesley, Dotty Woodson
and Monte Nesbitt. The cost is $35 and includes snacks and a sandwich
lunch buffet. It will be held at the Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Dr.,
Room 102, Bryan, TX. For more information, visit brazosmg.com, call
979-823-0129 or email
brazosmg@brazosmg.com.
La Marque: "Anyone Can Grown Roses," presented by Master Gardener and American Rose Society Consulting
Rosarian, John Jons, will be held from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., February 18,
at the Wayne Johnson Community Center in Carbide Park, La Marque. Jons will cover the basics for successfully growing
large healthy roses in Galveston County that will include rose bed
design and building, rose variety selection, planting and ongoing care.
For additional
information call 281-534-3413. Ext. 12 or email
GALV3@wt.net.
Marble Falls: Soil is the engine of the garden and should be treated as a resource. It
is estimated that 80% of the problems related to landscape plantings
originate with soil issues. Learn what to do to make soil work better.
The program “It All Starts with Soil” will be presented free by Master
Gardener Sheryl Yantis and the Highland Lakes Master Gardener Green
Thumb Programs at the Marble Falls Library, 101 Main St. at 10:30 a.m.
on Saturday, February 18. For more information about this and gardening
programs in the Highland Lakes area, visit
http://www.yantislakesidegardens.com/events.
Mauriceville: Interested in becoming a Master
Gardener? Attend the five Green Thumb Series offered by Texas AgriLife
Extension Orange County. Become eligible to begin a Master Gardener
internship upon completion of all five series. The first series will be
held at the Mauriceville Community Center, 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Classes
are as scheduled: February 21 “Sprouts, Shoots and Roots”; February 28
“Planning and Preparing Your Garden Area”; March 6 “Structures for
Planting Year Round”; March 20 “Thriller, Spillers and Fillers-Container
Gardening”; March 27 “Spice Up Your Life with Herb Gardening.” The cost
is $30 per person per series and covers all classes and materials. For
additional information, call the Texas AgriLife Extension Service at
409-882-7010 or visit
orange.agrilife.org.
Dallas: Biology of Butterflies at Texas Discovery
Gardens, 3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dallas, from 10 a.m.-noon,
February 25. Go beyond the Butterfly Basics! An advanced look at the
world of butterflies: their biology, behavior and adaptations to the
environment with Entomologist John Watts. $15; $10 for TDG Members.
Register in advance at
www.texasdiscoverygardens.org or call (214) 428-7476 x343.
Wichita Falls: The Wichita County
Master Gardeners is sponsoring speakers for the 15th Annual Arts Alive!
Home and Garden Festival at the Multi Purpose Events Center, 1000 5th
Street, Wichita Falls. Hours for the show are 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday,
February 25.
Dr. William C. Welch from Texas A&M is the featured speaker, kicking
things off at 9:30 a.m. with his presentation "Tough Perennials For
Texas Gardens," after which he will be selling his latest book
Heirloom Gardening in the South in the Master Gardener Booth. Local
Meteorologist Bryan Rupp will present "Texoms's Climate: Past, Present,
Future"; author and gardener Judy Barrett will present "Secrets of
Garden Success with Herbs and Heirlooms"; and Julie Whitis will present
"Square Foot Gardening."
Dallas:: Modern Victory Gardens: Spring and Summer Vegetable
Gardening, at Texas Discovery Gardens, 3601 Martin Luther King Jr.
Blvd., Dallas, from 9 a.m.-noon, March 17. Join a growing trend and
learn how to create a bountiful organic community or backyard vegetable
garden with Director of Horticulture Randy Johnson. $25; $20 for TDG Members. Register in advance
at
www.texasdiscoverygardens.orgg or call 214-428-7476 x343.
Orange: The Orange County Master Gardeners Annual Plant Sale will take
place at Cormier Park on FM 1442, in Orangefield. The gates will open at
8 a.m. and close at noon on Saturday, March 17. There will be a large
variety of plants, including perennials, bedding, tropical, vegetable,
herbs, some trees, houseplants and Texas Super Star plants. An Ask the
Master Gardener? booth will be set up. A raffle will be held to raise
money for the Junior Master Gardener Groups. For more information, visit
http://txmg.org/orange.
Rockdale: The Third Annual
Milam County Nature Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday,
April
14, at Rockdale Fair Park in Rockdale. This is a
family-oriented event for all ages of nature lovers. This year’s mascot
is the Bat, and so there will be special emphasis on these wonderful and
beneficial creatures. There will be presentations by experts on Bats and
Bat Houses, Wildflower Legends and Folklore, and Conservation, as well
as numerous hands-on nature activities for the kids, such as making
animal tracks, digging for artifacts, and some fun bat projects.
Educational booths for everyone will include: reptiles, insects, fish,
hunting, bats, birds, bees, butterflies, archaeology, native plants,
wildflowers, and much more. The nature photo contest (submission
deadline March 31) will
have winners announced with all photos on display. For additional information, visit
http://txmn.org/elcamino/naturefest/ and
http://txmn.org/elcamino/naturefest/photo-contest/, email
ElCaminoRealMasterNaturalist@gmail.com, or contact Texas
AgriLife Extension Service at 254-697-7045.
Nacogdoches: The SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State
University will host its annual Garden Gala Day from 9 a.m. until
2 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant
Center, 2900 Raguet St. A wide variety of hard-to-find, “Texas tough”
plants will be available, including Texas
natives, heirlooms, tropicals, perennials, unusual species, and
exclusive SFA introductions. Plants are extensively trialed in the
gardens before being offered to the public. This popular
event features the annual spring plant sale benefiting the SFA Mast
Arboretum, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden,
Gayla Mize Garden, and educational programs hosted at the gardens.
The educational
programs at SFA Gardens reach more than 15,000 students ages 1 to 100 on
a yearly basis. The public is encouraged to arrive early and bring a
wagon. For more information, call 936-468-4404,
or visit
www.sfagardens.sfasu.edudu and click on “Arboretum”
then “Garden Events.” MONTHLY MEETINGS
Houston: The Harris County Master Gardeners meet at noon the
first Tuesday of each month at the Texas AgriLife Extension, 3033
Bear Creek Drive (near the intersection of Highway 6 and Patterson
Road), Houston. For additional information visit
http://hcmga.tamu.edu or call 281-855-5600.
Rockport:
Monthly meetings of the Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners are held
at 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at Texas AgriLife
Extension Service - Aransas County Office, 611 E. Mimosa, Rockport. For
additional information, e-mail
aransas-tx@tamu.edu or call
361-790-0103.
Wichita Falls: The Wichita County Master Gardener Association
meets at 5:30 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension Office, 600 Scott Street,
Wichita Falls, on the first Tuesday of each month.
For more information, visit
http://www.overthegardengate.org or call 940-716-8610.
Kilgore: Northeast Texas Organic Gardeners meets at 1 p.m.
on the first Wednesday of each month. For more information, call
Carole Ramke at 903-986-9475.
Allen: The Allen Garden Club meets at 7 p.m. on the
first Thursday of each month, February through December, at the
Allen Heritage Center, 100 E. Main St., Allen. For more information,
visit
www.allengardenclub.org.
Brownwood: The Brown County Master Gardeners Association meets
the first Thursday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. at the
AgriLife Extension Office, 605 Fisk Ave., Brownwood. For further
information, call Mary Green Engle at 325-784-8453.
Gonzalas: Gonzales Master Gardeners Association holds their
monthly meeting on the first Thursday of each month. A short
program is presented. The meeting is held from noon until 1 p.m. at 1405
Conway St. (Odd Fellows Lodge). Bring a bag lunch, drinks provided.
Contact AgriLife Extension Office at 830-672-8531 or e-mail
gonzales@ag.tamu.edu for more information.
Austin: Austin Organic Gardeners meet at 7 p.m. on the
second Monday of each month at the Zilker Botanical Gardens in
Austin. For more information, visit
www.main.org/aog.
Evant: The Evant Garden Club meets on the second Tuesday of each month
at 10 a.m., usually at the bank in downtown Evant. To confirm the date,
time and place of each month's meeting, call 254-471-5585.
Marion: The Guadalupe County (Schertz/Seguin) Chapter of the
Native Plant Society of Texas meets on the second Tuesday of each
month except July and August at The Library, 500 Bulldog, Marion.
There is a plant exchange and meet-and-greet begins at 6:30 p.m.
followed by the program at 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome. For more
information or an application to join NPSOT visit
www.npsot.org/GuadalupeCounty/ or contact contact
guadalupecounty@npsot.org.
Longview: The Gregg County Master Gardeners Association meets
the second Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. at the
AgriLife Extension Office, 405 E. Marshall Ave., Longview. The public is
invited to attend. There is an educational program preceding the
business meeting. For further information call Cindy Gill at
903-236-8429 or visit
www.gregg-tx.tamu.edu.
Rockport: The Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group, founded in
March 2003, meets the
second Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. at 619 N. Live Oak
Street, Room 14, Rockport, to discuss all aspects of using and growing
herbs, including historical uses and tips for successful propagation and
cultivation. Sometimes they take field trips and have cooking
demonstrations in different locations. For more information, contact
Linda 361-729-6037, Ruth 361-729-8923 or Cindy 979-562-2153 or visit
www.rockportherbs.org
and
http://rockportherbies.blogspot.com.
Beaumont: The Jefferson County Master Gardeners meet at 7 p.m.
the
second Thursday of each month at the AgriLife Extension Office,
1225 Pearl Street, Suite 200, Beaumont. For more information, call
409-835-8461.
Brownwood: Brown County Master Gardeners Association meets the
second Thursday of each month, from Noon to 1 p.m., at the Brown
County AgriLife Extension Office, 605 Fisk, Brownwood. For additional
information, call Freda Day 325-643-1077, or Mary Engle 325-784-8453.
Georgetown: The Williamson County Chapter of the Native Plant
Society of Texas meets from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. the
second Thursday of each month at the Georgetown Public Library, 402
W. 8th Street. Georgetown. For additional information, contract Billye
Adams at 512-863-9636 or visit
http://www.npsot.org/WilliamsonCounty/default.htm.
Orange: The Orange County Master Gardeners Association holds their monthly meeting on the
second Thursday of each month. A short program is presented. The meeting
starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Salvation Army Bldg. cor. MLK & Strickland in
Orange. Pot luck supper at 6 p.m. Visit
http://txmg.org/orange for more information.
San Antonio: The San Antonio Herb Society
meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the San
Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels (corner of Funston & N. New
Braunfels). For more information on programs, visit
www.sanantonioherbs.org.
College Station: The A&M Garden Club meets on the second
Friday of each month
during the school year at 9:30 am at the Peace Lutheran Church, 2201 Rio
Grande, College Station. Expert speakers, plant sharing, and federated
club projects help members learn about gardening in the Brazos Valley,
floral design, conservation, and more. For more information, visit
http://www.amgardenclub.com/.
Dallas: The Rainbow Garden Club of North Texas meets the
second Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Meetings
are held at member’s homes and garden centers around the area. For more
information, visit
www.RainbowGardenClub.com.
Arlington: The Arlington Men's Garden Club meets from 7 p.m.
until 9 p.m. on the third Monday of each month (except December)
at the Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center Street, Arlington. For more
information, contact Lance Jepson at
LJepson@aol.com.
Cleburne: The Johnson County Master Gardeners meet at 2 p.m.
on the
third Monday of each month at McGregor House, 1628 W. Henderson,
Cleburne, which includes a program and a meet & greet. For more
information, call Sharon Smith at 817-894-7700.
Sugar Land: The Sugar Land Garden Club meets on the
third Tuesday of each month, September through November
and January through April at 10 a.m. at the Sugar Land Community
Center, 226 Matlage Way, Sugar Land. The club hosts a different speaker
each month. For more information, visit
www.sugarlandgardenclub.org.
Denton: The Denton Organic Society, a group devoted to sharing
information and educating the public regarding organic principles, meets
the third Wednesday of each month
(except July, August and December) at the Denton Senior Center, 509 N.
Bell Avenue. Meetings are free and open to the public. Meetings begin at
7 p.m. and are preceded by a social at 6:30. For more information, call
940-382-8551.
Glen Rose: The Somervell County Master Gardeners meet at 10
a.m., the third Wednesday of each month at the Somervell County
AgriLife Extension office, 1405 Texas Drive, Glen Rose. Visitors are
welcome. For more information, call 254-897-2809 or visit
www.somervellmastergardeners.org.
Granbury: The Lake Granbury Master Gardeners meet at 1 p.m. on
the third Wednesday of each month at the Hood County Annex 1,
1410 West Pearl Street, Granbury. The public is invited to attend. There
is an educational program each month preceding the business meeting. For
information on topics call 817-579-3280 or visit
http://www.hoodcountymastergardeners.org/.
Seabrook: The Harris County Precinct 2 Master Gardeners hold
an educational program at 10 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each
month at The Meeting Room at Clear Lake Park (on the Lakeside), 5001
NASA Road 1, Seabrook. The programs are free and open to the public. For
more information, visit
http://hcmgap2.tamu.edu.
Houston: The Native Plant Society of Texas — Houston (NPSOT-H)
meets at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month except for
October (4th Thursday) and December (2nd Thursday). Location varies. For
locations, for more information on programs, and for information about
native plants for Houston, visit
http://www.npsot.org/Houston.
Rosenberg: The Fort Bend Master Gardeners meet at 7:00 p.m. on
the third Thursday of each month except December at the Bud
O’Shieles Community Center located at 1330 Band Road, Rosenberg. For
more information, call 281-341-7068 or visit
www.fbmg.com.
Seguin: The Guadalupe County Master Gardeners meets at 7 p.m.
the
third Thursday of each month, except December, at the Texas
AgriLife Extension Bldg. at 210 E. Live Oak, Seguin. An educational
program precedes the business meeting. The public is invited to attend.
For topic or other information, call 830-379-1972 or visit
www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org.
Atlanta: The Caddo Wildflower Chapter of Native Plants Society
meets the
fourth Tuesday of each month at the Horne Enterprise building in
Atlanta at 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome. For additional information,
contact Kay Lowery at
frostkay268@aol.com.
Brackenridge Park: The Native Plant Society San Antonio
Chapter meets every fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in
the Lions Field Adult and Senior Center, 2809 Broadway at E. Mulberry,
Brackenridge Park, except August and December. Social and seed/plant
exchange at 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information,
contact Bea at 210-999-7292 or visit
www.npsot.org/sanantonio.
Bryan: The Brazos County Master Gardeners, a program of Texas AgriLife
Extension, meet the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Brazos
Center, 3232 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan. There is a public gardening
program at each meeting and pertinent information may be found at
brazosmg.com or 979-823-0129.
Edna: The Jackson County Master Gardeners present their "Come
Grown With Us" seminars on the fourth Tuesday of each month,
January through October, beginning at 7 p.m. at 411 N. Wells, Edna. The
seminars are free, open to the public and offer 2 CEU hours to Master
Gardeners or others requiring them. For additional information, contact
the Jackson County Extension Office at 361-782-3312.
Fort Worth: The Organic Garden Club of Forth Worth meets at 7
p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month except July and December
at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens main building. Refreshments are
served. For more information, call 817-263-9322 or visit
www.ogcfw.webs.com.
San Antonio: The Native Plant Society of Texas San Antonio
Chapter meets the fourth Tuesday of the month, except August and
December, at the Lions Field Adult & Senior Center, 2809 Broadway, San
Antonio. Social and plant/seed exchange at 6:30 p.m., program at 7:00
p.m. For more information, visit
www.npsot.org/sanantonio or call Bea at 210-999-7292.
Leander: The Leander Garden Club meets on the fourth
Thursday of each month
(except July and August) at 10:30 a.m. at the Leander Presbyterian
Church, 101 N. West Drive, Leander, unless there is a field trip or an
event at a member's home. Following a short business meeting, there is
usually a program, followed by a shared pot-luck luncheon. To confirm
the meeting place and time, please call Cathy Clark-Ramsey at
512-963-4698 or email
texascatalina@yahoo.com.
Dallas: The Greater Dallas Organic Garden Club meets at 7:00
p.m. on the fourth Thurday of each month at the REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway, Dallas. For more information, call 214-824-2448
or visit
www.gdogc.org.
Arlington: The Arlington Organic Garden Club meets from 7 p.m.
until 9 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month (except November
and December) at the Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center Street,
Arlington. For more information, contact David at 817) 483-7746.
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In Greg's Garden: A Pineywoods Perspective on Gardening, Nature and Family An intimate and personal exploration of the life of
one of Texas’s most beloved gardeners, In Greg’s Garden: A Pineywoods
Perspective on Gardening, Nature and Family gathers in a single
volume the first nine years of Greg Grant’s columns from Texas
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Revised and updated from their original
publication, these 54 essays reveal the heart and soul of a seventh
generation native Texan who has devoted his entire life to gardening,
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Texas A&M University and extensive hands-on experience as a
horticulturist with the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Stephen F.
Austin State University, Mercer Arboretum and San Antonio Botanical
Gardens, Grant has successfully introduced dozens of plants to the Texas
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renovating the homes of his ancestors in Arcadia, Texas.
In Greg’s Garden: A Pineywoods Perspective on
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Wish you'd saved
them?
Are you missing an important issue of
Texas Gardener? Or, perhaps, just tired of thumbing through stacks
of back issues looking for the tips and techniques you need to make your
garden grow? These new CDs provide easy access to all six issues of $16.99 per CD includes tax and shipping
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Texas Gardener’s Seeds
is published weekly. © Suntex Communications, Inc. 2012. All rights
reserved. You may forward this publication to your friends and
colleagues if it is sent in its entirety. No individual part of this
newsletter may be reproduced in any manner without prior written
permission from the publisher.
Missed an issue? Back issues of Texas Gardener’s Seeds
are available at
www.texasgardener.com/newsletters.
Publisher:
Chris S. Corby ●
Editor:
Michael Bracken
Texas Gardener’s Seeds,
P.O. Box 9005, Waco, Texas 76714 ●
www.TexasGardener.com
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