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May 16, 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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New study finds
lead, cadmium, BPA, phthalates and hazardous flame retardants in
gardening products
High amounts of lead, phthalates and the toxic chemical BPA were all
found in the water of a new hose after sitting outside in the sun for
just a few days, according to researchers at the Ann Arbor-based
Ecology Center, which recently completed a large study of toxic
chemicals in gardening products.
Nearly 200 hoses, gloves, kneeling pads and tools were tested for
lead, cadmium, bromine (associated with brominated flame retardants);
chlorine (indicating the presence of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC);
phthalates and bisphenol A (BPA). Such chemicals have been linked to
birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births and
early puberty in laboratory animals, among other serious health
problems.
"Even if you are an organic gardener, doing everything you can to
avoid pesticides and fertilizers, you still may be introducing hazardous
substances into your soil by using these products," said Jeff Gearhart,
Research Director at the Ecology Center. "The good news is that
healthier choices are out there. Polyurethane or natural rubber water
hoses, and non-PVC tools and work gloves, are all better choices."
Highlights of Findings
What Was Found in the Water
What You Can Do
"Gardening products, including water hoses, are completely
unregulated and often fail to meet drinking water standards that apply
to other products, yet again demonstrating the complete failure of our
federal chemicals regulatory system," said Gearhart. "Our children will
never be safe until we reform our laws to ensure products are safe
before they arrive on store shelves."
For more details on what the Ecology Center researchers found, and what
you can do to avoid toxic chemicals this gardening season, visit
www.HealthyStuff.org.
Since 2007 researchers at the Ecology Center have performed over
20,000 tests for toxic chemicals on over 7,000 consumer products,
including pet products, vehicles, women's handbags, jewelry,
back-to-school products, children's toys, building products and
children's car seats. |
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Mint it
Mints are fast-growing spreading plants, so you
need to give them room to grow without getting in the way, or you can
contain them and plant in a pot. Mint varieties send out runners that
spread above and just under the ground, quickly forming large, lush
green patches. In the right place, mint makes a sensational, seasonal
ground cover. You can also contain mint in tight places such as between
pavers of a walkway. Mints also add lovely fragrance to your yard and
garden.
Pot It. The most popular way to grow mint is in a
pot where you can keep it contained and handy near the kitchen for a
constant supply of sprigs. It’s a good idea to choose a potting mix that
retains water to be sure soil stays moist.
Plant It. In the ground, select a damp area in your
garden in either full sun or partial shade. Mint prefers fertile soil
with a pH from 6.0 to 7.0, and is plenty vigorous on its own but will
appreciate a little fertilizer every few weeks, especially if you
harvest a lot. You can also mulch around the plants to keep roots moist.
Plants will die back in dry soil. Keep plants in check by harvesting the
tips regularly and pulling up wayward runners when planted in the
garden. Mint’s small flowers bloom from June to September; trim these
before buds open to keep the plant compact.
Drink It. Mint is commonly used in the form of tea
as a home remedy to help alleviate stomach pain. Because of its strong,
sharp flavor and scent, mint is sometimes used as a mild decongestant
for illnesses such as the common cold. During the Middle Ages, powdered
mint leaves were also used to whiten teeth!
Cook It. When cooking with mint, it’s best to use
the leaves. Mint stems are tougher than leaves and not as flavorful.
Mint varieties offer tried and true and new and
different flavors. Spearmint is always popular and often used in
beverages and jelly.
For more info and tips on mint and other herbs
visit
www.bonnieplants.com. |
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Five tips for planting and caring for
your lawn in the summer heat
By Rob Wendell The hot summer months are a stressful time for your lawn, especially
if your lawn is just beginning to grow from seed. The following five
tips can help your lawn adjust and thrive in the summer heat.
Tip One: Keep your lawn a little taller than usual. The taller
your lawn is allowed to grow, the better your lawn can keep the little
water that it has available. A slightly longer lawn will allow a little
more shading of the soil, which allows a little more water to remain in
the soil when compared to a shorter lawn.
Tip Two: Hold off on the fertilizer. Most lawn fertilizers
contain nitrogen, which has the ability to burn your lawn even under the
best of conditions. As the hot summer temperatures take their toll on
your lawn, adding fertilizer can be a hindrance instead of a help. If
you really need fertilizer in the summer, consider a slow release
fertilizer to reduce the amount of nitrogen that is reaching your lawn.
Tip Three: Water your lawn in the morning or the evening. Any
water that is applied to your lawn is only useful if the water reaches
the roots of the lawn. So watering during the cooler parts of the day,
like mornings or evenings, will allow more water to soak into the soil
instead of being evaporated away by the hot sun.
Tip Four: Water for longer periods of time during the cooler
hours. When you water for longer periods of time, you allow more water
to soak down into the soil. This prompts the roots of your lawn to grow
deeper into the soil where the roots may find water even when the top
inch of the soil becomes dry.
Tip Five: Don’t mow in the hotter part of the day. Mowing your
lawn causes the lawn blades to leak fluids until they can heal
themselves. By mowing your lawn in the hotter parts of the day, your
leaf blades will lose more water than if you mow during the cooler parts
of the day; such as morning or evening.
Rob Wendell is the Chief Executive
Officer and Director of Granite Seed Company, a supplier of seed and
erosion control products to commercial customers and government
agencies. Rob led the launch of NaturesFinestSeed.com, a division of
Granite Seed focused on bringing superior seed products to consumers
nationwide. |
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Attention tomato-loving Texas
gardeners
Do you have a favorite, no-fail, wouldn’t-have-a-garden-without-it
tomato variety? Texas Gardener wants to know and we will publish
the top vote-getters in the January/February 2013 issue.
Please send us your name, along with your responses and favorite
tomato photos, to
info@texasgardener.com or mail to us at Tomato
Survey, PO Box 9005, Waco, TX 76714. Please send photos as JPG or
TIFF files if sending as e-mail attachments or color prints if sending
by mail. Be sure to include your town or region in Texas. Deadline for
inclusion in the survey is August 31, 2012.
What is your all-around favorite tomato and why?
Which variety is most productive?
Which variety has the best flavor?
What is your favorite heirloom?
What is your favorite cherry?
What is your favorite slicer?
Which variety has shown the best disease- and insect-resistance?
Submitted by:
Email address:
City: | |
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Gardening tips
Once the foliage of spring-blooming bulbs has died back, they should be cut to the ground to make the beds look more attractive. 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...
Virginia creeper is often confused with poison ivy and can be found growing in the same places. There is a big difference between the two plants. Virginia creeper has five leaflets while poison ivy has three. So, the old saying, “leaves of three, let it be,” makes sense. |
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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.
Austin: “Preparing Your Landscape for Summer” will
be presented from 10 a.m. until noon, Thursday, May 17, at the Travis
County AgriLife Extension Office. 1600 B Smith Rd., Austin. There are
numerous things to do to ensure healthier, bushier, plants with
increased blooms. Learn when to fertilize which plants, which plants to
pinch back and other tips from a pro. 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 information, call 512-854-9600 or visit
www.tcmastergardeners.org.
Jacksboro: The
Jacksboro Garden Club will host a Garden Tour and Luncheon on Thursday,
May 17 from 10 a.m until 12:45 p.m. Tour four gardens which have never been open
to the public before at your leisure and at 1:00 lunch will be served in
the Main Street Bistro in the historic Eastburn Building across from the
courthouse. Tickets are $25.00. Call 940-567-5900 before May 8.
Nacogdoches: The SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State
University will host the monthly Theresa and
Les Reeves Lecture Series at
7 p.m. Thursday, May 17, in the Agriculture Building, Room 110, at 1924
Wilson Drive. Texas Bluebird Society Board Member Linda Crum will
present “Attracting Bluebirds to Your Garden.” Linda is a Master
Gardener and Master Naturalist and has served as the treasurer of the
Texas Bluebird Society since 2006. She has degrees in biology from the
University of Montevallo (Alabama) and Central Michigan University. She
spent the first fifteen years of her career as a medical technologist in
clinical microbiology. From 2000-2008 she worked for The Woodlands
Township Environmental Services Department providing composting, organic
gardening, and native plant information to the residents of The
Woodlands through various programs. She also wrote articles on these
subjects for The Woodlands Magazine. She monitors bluebird boxes
at the Jones State Forest, Texas AgriLife Extension office in Conroe,
and in her own back yard. She lectures on bluebirds throughout the
state. She and her husband reside in Conroe. The Theresa and Les Reeves
Garden Lecture Series is normally held the third Thursday of each month
at the Arthur Temple College of Forestry
and Agriculture’s SFA Mast
Arboretum. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program.
The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa
and Les Reeves lecture series fund are always appreciated. For more
information, call (936) 468-1832 or
e-mail grantdamon@sfasu.edu.
Round Rock: Jeff Ferris co-founder of the Neighborhood Harvest Project,
will discuss “Why Organic is Better: For You, Your Wallet, and Our
Planet” from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., May 17, at the Round Rock Public
Library, 216 E. Main Street, Round Rock. The mantra of organic gardening
is to feed the soil, not the plant. Have you ever wanted to know what
that really means? What's the big difference between organic and
"conventional" gardening anyway? Find out why the popular "blue
water" is inferior to the bacteria, fungi, amoebas, and billions of
other critters present in an organic garden. Discover how these
multitudes of microorganisms, working hard to store water, stock
nutrients, search out vital elements, and destroy invading hordes,
actually preserve an important precious resource: your money. Learn why
an Organic Garden is better and how to grow one. For more information,
visit
www.TeamNHP.org.
Seguin: Guadalupe County Master
Gardeners will meet at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 17, in the
AgriLife Extension Bldg. at 210 E. Live Oak in Seguin. Mary Dunford,
owner of Nature's Herb Farm, will talk about how herbs can be used in
our diet. Meetings are free and open to the public. For more information,
visit
www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org or call
830-303-3889. Nacogdoches: SFA Gardens
will host its sixth Lone Star Regional Native Plant Conference May
18-19, on the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University in historic
Nacogdoches. SFA is home to the Mast Arboretum, the Ruby M. Mize Azalea
Garden, the Gayla Mize Garden, and the Pineywoods Native Plant Center,
all part of the Arthur Temple
College of Forestry and Agriculture. In
addition to great local field trips and a native plant sale, the
conference will feature workshops and lectures on many timely topics
including drought-tolerant ornamental plants, firewise landscaping,
birding by ear, invasive species, wildscaping, native perennials, and
landscape design. Join home gardeners and Master Gardeners alike to
learn more about uniquely adapted native plants and various Texas
ecosystems. For more information visit
sfagardens.sfasu.edu or call 936-468-4404.
Austin: The
Mollie Steves Zachry Texas Arboretum
will open at The University of Texas at Austin’s Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center on May 19. The 16-acre park-like setting celebrates
Texas trees on some of the Wildflower Center’s most scenic acreage. Red
oaks, cedar elms and other magnificent trees, some of which are 100-plus
years old, provide a backdrop for an expansive native meadow and shade
for picnic areas throughout the site. The arboretum also includes
developing tree collections, one of which will feature all 54 oak
species native to Texas. The largest native plant arboretum in Texas, it
more than doubles the managed footprint of the Wildflower Center to 28
acres of the 279-acre site. The arboretum resulted from a $1.4 million gift from an
anonymous fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation at the request of
philanthropist Mollie Steves Zachry. At the arboretum grand opening
Saturday, May 19, the public can enjoy: A 1:30 p.m. ribbon
cutting at the arboretum entryway (the Trailhead Garden), and a
one-fifth mile walk on an ADA-accessible trail through the Xeric
Collection and the Hall of Texas Heroes exhibit to the Native Meadow
area; a 2 p.m. reading of the poem, “My City Tree Cares for Me,” by
children’s author Margaret Hall Spencer in the Cathedral, a grove of
ancient live oaks now equipped with swings and benches; and a 3 p.m.
talk by Ralph Yznaga titled “Living Witness” about historic Texas trees.
Yznaga will give the talk in the Arboretum Pavilion after signing his
book by that name in the center store starting at noon. Regular
admissions apply at the grand opening, when Zachry, Rieff, Senior
Director Damon Waitt and other center representatives will cut the
ribbon.
Ft. Worth: Make a Butterfly Puddler from Tarrant County Master Gardeners (TCMGA),
Saturday, May 19, 9 a.m.-11 a.m., at the TCMGA Community and
Demonstration Garden at the Resource Connection, 1100 Circle Drive, Fort
Worth, located
off Campus Dr, north from I-20. The make and take class is limited to 20
people and the class fee is $20. To
register or for more information, contact Billie Hammack at 817-884-1296
or
blhammack@ag.tamu.edu.
La Marque: “Plan
before you plant (a hands-on landscape design workshop)” will be presented by
Galveston County Master Gardener, Karen Lehr
from 9 a.m. until 11:30 a.m., Saturday, May 19, at the Galveston County AgriLife Extension Office in Carbide Park, 4102 Main
Street (FM 519), La Marque.
Included in the program will be how to evaluate
what is in your landscape at present and how to create your own desired outdoor spaces
using landscape design principles and techniques. Also covered in this
landscape design workshop will be specific plants that would fit into
your landscape plan and are suitable for the Galveston County area. "The
Fabulous Fragrant Frangipani (Plumeria)” will be presented by Galveston County Master Gardener Loretta
Osteen from 1 p.m. until 3:30 p.m. The program will cover the history,
culture, usage of the flowers, storage and winter protection. Subjects
covered include propagation by seeds, cuttings and grafting. Members of
the Plumeria Society will be present to assist Loretta. For course reservations, call
281-534-3413, ext. 12 or email
GALV3@wt.net.
San Antonio: The San Antonio Daylily Society Show and Sale will be at the Antique Rose Emporium, 7561 E. Evans Road, San Antonio, Saturday,
May 19. The day begins with a daylily sale on the porch while the
judges are busy reviewing the show entries. When judging is complete,
the Hacienda doors open with to show off the dazzling display of colors,
shapes, and sizes of the daylilies. For more information about this free
event, call 210-651-4565 or visit
www.weAREroses.com.
San Antonio: A Summer Preparation Workshop (including Fallowing a Garden, Rain Water Harvesting, Drip Irrigation, Cover Crops, and Mulches,
will take place at 9 a.m., May 19, at High Country Community
Garden, San Antonio. $5 registration fee. For more information, call
210-222-8430. To register, visit
www.greensatx.org/upcoming-events/register-for-a-workshop.
Bryan: On May
22 "Basic Herb Growing for Use and Delight" will be
presented at the Brazos Center Room 102, 3232 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan,
by Henry Flowers, Garden Director at the Round Top Festival Institute in
Round Top. This program will begin at 7 p.m. This program is free and
open to the public and more information may be found at
brazosmg.com or
979-823-0129.
Ft. Worth: Learn about Herb Gardening from Tarrant County Master Gardeners (TCMGA),
Tuesday, May 22, 10 a.m. – noon, at the TCMGA Community and
Demonstration Garden at the Resource Connection, 1100 Circle Drive, Fort
Worth, off Campus Dr, north from I-20. Class fee is $5 and limited to 20
people. To
register or for more information, contact Billie Hammack at 817-884-1296
or
blhammack@ag.tamu.edu.
Throughout Texas: Registration is already underway and ends
May 26 for Texas Nature Challenge 2012. Like a family nature hike
with a little Amazing Race thrown in, Texas Nature Challenge is
designed to get families reconnected with nature, and each other, by
encouraging them to visit as many participating parks and nature sites
as they can in their region. Families complete fun, hands-on activities,
or challenges, at each site, and then scrapbook about their experiences
together. Participating families will have a chance to win prizes
awarded in various categories. Registration is now open for regional
competitions in Alamo Region/San Antonio; Bayou Region/Houston; Central
Texas/Austin; and North Texas/Dallas-Ft. Worth. Additional competitions
will be held later this summer in Costal Bend Region and Rio Grande
Valley. For more information about Texas Nature Challenge or to register
for one of the regional competitions, visit
http://naturechallenge.tamu.edu. Fort Worth: Make a cement mushroom from Tarrant County Master Gardeners (TCMGA), Saturday,
May 26, 9 – 11 a.m., at the TCMGA Community
and Demonstration Garden at the Resource Connection, 1100 Circle Drive,
Fort Worth, located
off Campus Dr, north from I-20. Class fee is $20 and the class is
limited to 20 people. To
register or for more information, contact Billie Hammack at 817-884-1296
or
blhammack@ag.tamu.edu.
San Antonio: The 15th annual Festival of
Flowers at the Alzafar Shrine, 901 N. Loop 1604 West between US Hwy 281
N. and Blanco Road, San Antonio, will take place from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Saturday, May 26. This is an Indoor Garden Mall with more than 60 retail
and non-profit vendors; seminars on growing tomatoes, designing
watersaver landscapes, healthy roses and drought survival for trees and
shrubs. Afternoon Organic Roundtable, City-Wide Plant Exchange, Alamo
Area Horticulture Show and Contest, Floral Design Challenge, Healthy
Herb Cooking and Rain Barrel demonstrations. Admission $6 for adults,
children under 10 free. Free parking. For additional information, visit
www.SAFestivalofFlowers.com or call (210) 930-1100.
Tenaha: Texas Gardener Contributing Editor Greg Grant will be signing
copies of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening and Heirloom
Gardening in the South at King’s Nursery (Hwy 84 East) in Tenaha,
Saturday, May 26 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Grant is a horticulturist,
conservationist, writer, and seventh generation Texan from Arcadia. He
is author of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening (2012, Cool
Springs Press) and In Greg’s Garden: A Pineywoods Perspective on
Gardening, Nature, and Family (2010, TG Press), and co-author of
Heirloom Gardening in the South-Yesterday’s Plants for Today’s Gardens
(2011, Texas A&M Press), Texas Home Landscaping (2004,
Creative Homeowner) and The Southern Heirloom Garden (1995). He
also writes the popular “In Greg’s Garden” column for Texas Gardener
magazine, and serves as a part time research associate for garden
outreach at Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens in
Nacogdoches. For more information, contact King’s Nursery at
936-248-3811.
Austin: A Garden Photography seminar will be
held from 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, June 30, at Zilker Botanical
Garden, Garden Center, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin. A retired expert
in the field of biotechnology, Texas Gardener contributing
photographer Bruce Leander concentrates now on his love of fine art
nature photography — macro and landscape. His work with the Wildflower
Center has produced a series of stunning plant studies which highlights
the fine work being done there. He will share with us the tools and
methods he recommends to get started in this fascinating aspect of
horticulture. This free class doesn’t require a reservation but if you
want to ensure a seat, sign up online at
http://travis-tx.tamu.edu/horticulture/ Please note that any empty
reserved seats are open seating at 9:50 am. This seminar is presented by
the Travis County Master Gardeners, a volunteer arm of the Texas
AgriLife Extension Service in Travis County.
www.tcmastergardeners.org. For information, call 512-854-9600.
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.
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
guadalupecounty@npsot.org.
Jacksboro: The Jacksboro Garden Club meets at 9:30 a.m. the
second Wednesday of each month (except June, July and August) at the
Concerned Citizens Center, 400 East Pine Street, Jacksboro. For more
information, call Melinda at 940-567-6218. 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/.
Houston: The Spring Branch African Violet Club meets the second Saturday
of each month, January through November, at 10:30am at the Copperfield
Baptist Church, 8350 Highway 6 North, Houston. Call Karla at
281-748-8417 prior to attending to confirm meeting date and time.
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.
Rockport:
Monthly meetings of the Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners are held
at 10 a.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at Texas AgriLife
Extension Service - Aransas County Office, 892 Airport Rd., Rockport. For
additional information, e-mail
aransas-tx@tamu.edu or call
361-790-0103.
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.
New Braunfels: The Comal Master Gardeners meet at 6 p.m. the fourth
Monday of each month at the GVTC Auditorium, 36101 FM 3159, New
Braunfels. For additional information, call 830-620-3440.
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 each 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.
Houston: The Houston Chapter of the Native Prairie Association
of Texas (HNPAT) meets from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. the fourth
Wednesday of each month at Bayland Park Community Center, 6400
Bissonnet, Houston.For more information, contact
hnpat@prairies.org. 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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Your year-round guide
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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
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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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