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April 14, 2010 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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Texas Forest Service
schools Sam Houston State student teachers in environmental education
Holly Huffman Texas Forest Service Forester Dawn
Vollmer scattered dozens of red, white and blue poker chips on the
ground and then watched as the crowd of college students dropped their
up-stretched arms and scrambled to collect them.
Each chip color represented something
trees need to survive – water, sunlight and nutrients – and the Sam
Houston State University students who were pretending to be trees had
been told to scoop up as many as they could.
“Who got one of each? Who didn’t?”
Vollmer asked as the students surveyed their loot and determined whether
they collected enough to survive. “Can you see this happening in the
real world?”
More than 200 Sam Houston students
studying to become teachers converged Wednesday at the university’s
Bearkat Camp for Walk in the Forest, the largest Project Learning Tree
workshop in the state.
A premier environmental education
program, Project Learning Tree uses hands-on, interdisciplinary
activities to get prekindergarten through 12th grade students
reconnected with the outdoors while teaching them lessons that
correspond with state curriculum standards.
A national program, Project Learning Tree
is provided by the American Forest Foundation. In Texas, it’s sponsored
by Texas Forest Service and Texas Forestry Association. The Walk in the
Forest workshop was sponsored by Texas Forest Service, Rotor-Tech Inc,
First National Bank of Huntsville, Walker County Timber Growers
Association.
“It’s about kids — getting kids outdoors
and actively engaged in learning,” said Jake Donellan, lead workshop
facilitator and district forester with Texas Forest Service. “It’s based
on the whole mantra of No Child Left Inside.”
The No Child Left Inside slogan is a
takeoff on the name of the No Child Left Behind Act. It’s based on the
concept that many children have lost their connection to the natural
world because they now are so tied to video, television and computer
screens.
Children learn what they see, so it’s
important to expose them to a variety of different people and careers.
Walk in the Forest helps student teachers learn how to incorporate
forestry into their future classrooms.
“I see this with my own son. I see him
tied up with video games,” Donellan said. “When I get him outside, he
loves it and he has just as much fun as he does with the video games.
He’s interested in the outdoors. But if I let him play video games all
day, that’s what he’s going to do.”
At the training, the student teachers
rotated through six different stations, each focused on a hands-on
sample activity they could plan for their classrooms.
While participating in the Tree Factory,
students learned about the different parts that make up a tree. At How
Big is Your Tree, they learned how to measure trees using only their
hands, eyes and a reference point. At Every Tree For Itself, the
students, pretending to be trees, battled for different colored poker
chips.
“We had to act it out. Little kids would
love that,” Melissa Pacobit, a 23-year-old senior at Sam Houston, said,
referring to Every Tree For Itself. “Kids get tired of sitting in the
classroom. There’s so much outside kids can learn from.”
The day also allowed the students to
brainstorm with each other and facilitators. Pacobit said she was
working on a science lesson and had planned to bring in fake leaves for
the students to study. But she learned Wednesday that it would be more
engaging for the children if she took them outside and let them find
their own leaves.
Mance Park Middle School teacher Sandra
Bounds co-led the Project Learning Tree History/Hike Through the
Guide/Lesson Planning session, which was designed to help the future
teachers navigate through the program guide.
Though any teacher can become involved
with Project Learning Tree, Bounds said it’s particularly successful to
catch the student teachers while they’re still in college. Doing so
allows them to accumulate a ready base of information — potential
classroom lessons and a bank of natural resource professionals and
forestry experts who can help them — before they get entrenched in the
daily grind.
“Nowhere else can you educate 200 people
in one day with these kind of resources,” said Bounds, who has been
involved with Project Learning Tree for most of her 17-year career. “It
connects them to the community.”
Senior Loren Van Huss, 24, said the
sessions helped her learn how to incorporate the activities into the
classroom, as well as how to engage the kids and get them learning
outside.
“You can tell how passionate these people
are,” Van Huss said, referring to the organizers and facilitators. “They
really care about forestry.” |
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Online tomato growing course ripe for picking
By Kathleen Phillips People who want to try their hand at growing
tomatoes may want to try their intellect on a new Web site first.
"Tomato Growing 101" is an online course by the Texas AgriLife
Extension Service that walks people from seed to harvest in nine
easy-to-learn chapters. Tests after each section enable one to see what
information was learned and what needs more attention. At the end of the
instruction and tests, participants can print out a certificate of
completion, according to its developers.
"For the home gardener, we know their main questions revolve around
the three Ts — tomatoes, turf and trees. We know this from the questions
that come to AgriLife Extension agents in the counties," said Dr. Joe Masabni, AgriLife Extension vegetable specialist. "Of all the
vegetables, the tomato is the No. 1 interest of home gardeners. We
decided that if we were to develop a self-paced, self-taught course, the
needs and demands were for tomato information."
Masabni developed the online course with AgriLife Extension assistant
Patrick Lillard.
Participants first log on by selecting the course at
http://www-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/. After a quick sign-up
process, one can select any of the nine sections to study.
In the first section, "Thinking about Tomatoes," information is given
to help a person decide whether to start with seed or with transplants.
Advantages of starting with seed include being able to try unique
varieties that are not locally available as transplants. Reasons for
starting with transplants include being faster and requiring less work
than beginning with seeds.
Tomato students are also taught how to decide how many plants to
produce.
"If you are just wanting to eat them fresh as they ripen, one to two
plants per person should be more than enough," Masabni recommended.
The course continues at the participant's pace
— even if one needs to
do only a portion of the study over a period of days. Other portions of
the course include chapters on soil, planting, training, watering,
fertilizing, plant pests, general care and a conclusion. Each section
includes a test that scores as one selects answers.
Presently, the Tomato 101 course is a beta version. The complete
version will be relaunched soon for a nominal fee, Masabni said, which
will support the development of future online courses such as Squash 101
and Cucumber 101.
"The comments we've gotten from participants during the beta version
have been great. They have remarked about how much they learned and
asked where they could take additional courses like it," he said. "So,
we will keep Tomato 101 and continue to refresh and add information over
time." |
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The compost heap Mulch "I have a fairly large front yard garden (there was not enough sun in
the back yard when we started in 1999)," writes E. Brian Graham.
"Down by the street I have
planted Xeriscape plants that need little care (except in last summer’s
drought). Terraced up behind three levels of those plants I have two
large tomato beds plus several smaller areas in other beds where I grow
peppers, egg plant, herbs, etc.
"I use both a handheld hose and a soaker hose system, which I have put
together over the years to water the vegetables, etc.
"In the past I have used cypress mulch, but I wonder if that is the
best. Would pine straw or something else be better?
What do you recommend?"
When available, we like to use lawn clippings and leaves from our
landscape for mulch. Sometimes we don’t have enough and we use wood
chips that we get free from local arborists and even old newspaper.
Pine straw makes a good mulch and it is a renewable product and
plentiful in East Texas. So, it fits our requirement for being
environmentally friendly and is on our list of preferred materials.
Also, cedar bark is an excellent choice for garden mulch and is derived
from cedar or, to be correct, ashe juniper, an invasive species that
plagues many parts of the state particularly the Hill Country. Cypress
bark makes good mulch but we do not like to use it because it has been
known to come from old growth cypress stands in Texas and Louisiana that
are cut down and not replanted. Unlike ashe juniper, these native
cypress trees are not invasive and should be protected. — Chris S.
Corby, publisher |
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Gardening tips
Are you looking for plants but
don’t have a lot of cash? Try post a want ad on
Craigslist, asking for
free plants. Most gardeners love to help others out when they have
excess in their own garden. Another site where you can request free
plants is
www.freecycle.org.
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 copy of Texas Gardener's 2010 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...
Although some garden retailers start offering caladium bulbs in late winter, it is way too early to start planting them. They will likely rot if planted in cold soil. These tropical bulbs require a soil temperature of at least 70 degrees before they should be planted. A good rule of thumb is to wait until it is time to start using the air conditioner at night, then plant those caladiums. Go ahead and plant some more in the middle of summer if you like. They love warm weather. |
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Upcoming garden events.
If you would like your organization’s
events included in "Upcoming Garden Events," please contact us at
Garden Events. To ensure inclusion in
this column, please provide complete details at least three weeks
prior to the event.
Hermann Park: The Houston Urban Gardeners will meet at 6:30
p.m., Wednesday, April 14, at the Houston Garden Center in
Hermann Park. Dianne Norman with Wabash Antiques and Feed Store will
talk about "What to Plant NOW." For additional information, visit
www.houstonurbangardeners.org.
New Braunfels: The Lindheimer Chapter of Texas Master
Naturalists will meet Thursday, April 15, at 7 p.m. at the AgriLife
Building, 325 Resource Drive (behind the recycle center), New
Braunfels. The speaker will be Floyd McKee who will bring some of his many Native
American artifacts from the Archaic to Early Prehistoric periods in geological time. Floyd lives along the banks of the
Guadalupe River and recently found an archeological treasure trove in
his backyard. His site has been described as one of the richest
archeological sites ever found on the Guadalupe River. Meetings are open to the public.
Austin: The AgriLife Extension Office of Travis County, 1600 B
Smith Road, Austin, will host "Plant Propagation" from 9 a.m. until 11
a.m., April 17. Learning how to propagate from existing plants is a
great way to populate your garden or pass along your favorites to
friends. This seminar covers various propagation methods including
cuttings, layering, and division, and help you overcome that fear of
starting plants from seeds. The seminar will be part presentation, part
participation so class size is limited to 30 participants. Please
call the Master Gardener Help Desk at (512) 854-9600 to reserve your
place. Participants must also bring scissors and an empty, clear
plastic, 2-liter soda bottle with lid for the hands-on project. This seminar is free and open to the public.
For additional information, visit
www.tcmastergardeners.org or call the Travis County Master
Gardener's help desk at (512) 854-9600.
Beaumont: The
Jefferson County Master Gardeners will host their annual spring plant
sale and Market Day April 17, from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Southeast
Texas Regional Airport, Hangar #4, Jerry Ware Drive, Beaumont. This
event is the largest of its kind in the Golden Triangle, complete with
vendors of all kinds and, of course, a huge plant sale. Gardening
seminars are offered free of charge and Master Gardeners are on hand to
answer questions and to help you choose the right plants for your
landscape. For more information, call (490) 835-8461.
Cleburne: "Texas Tuff Plants" is the theme of the Johnson
County Master Gardener Plant Sale on Saturday, April 17. The sale
to be held at the Cleburne Senior Center, 1212 Glenwood Drive, Cleburne, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. will feature
perennials, shrubs, and annuals selected for their ability to perform
well in harsh Texas conditions. There will be talks by gardening
specialists and master gardeners will be available for consultations. For additional information contact Joan Leach,
leach@ticnet.com.
Georgetown: Spring Garden Fair, sponsored by Williamson County
Master Gardeners, will be held April 17, from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.
at the WilCo AgriLife Extension Office, 3151 Inner Loop Rd., Georgetown.
The fair will include gardening classes, a country store, demonstrations
on rainwater harvesting, identifying oak wilt, a huge plant sale and so
much more! A Plant Preview class is offered at 8 a.m. highlighting the
plants available; attendees will get early admission to the sale. Granbury: Lake Granbury
Master Gardener's Annual Plant Sale will be held Saturday, April 17,
from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Hewlett Park Pavilion, Granbury, across from
the Conference Center. All of your favorite plants will be offered as
well as some new items. Mini seminars will be presented by Master
Gardeners and will include drawings for prizes. For more information,
contact the Hood County AgriLife Extension office at (817) 579-3280.
Nacogdoches: The SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches will host its annual Garden Gala Day on
April 17 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the lower arboretum parking lot on Wilson Drive. Stephen F. Austin State University Outdoor Pursuits will host an Earth Day Celebration in conjunction with this year’s sale. The event features the annual spring plant sale fundraiser benefiting the SFA Mast Arboretum, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, and educational programs hosted at the gardens. All the plants are produced at SFA by the staff, students and volunteers. A wide variety of hard to find, “Texas tough” plants will be available. The public is encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon. For more information, call (936) 468-4404, or visit
http://arboretum.sfasu.edu and click on “upcoming events.”
San Marcos: Heirloom tomatoes and native
plants will be for sale along with free garden tool cleaning and
sharpening service, Saturday, April 17, at the San Marcos Nature
Center, 430 Riverside Dr., San Marcos. Bring your dull shovels and hoes.
Get ready to plant your purchases. Sponsored by Hays County Master
Gardeners and San Marcos Nature Center. Stephenville: The annual Native & Heirloom Plant
Fair will be held Saturday, April 17 on the grounds of the beautiful
Stephenville Museum in Stephenville. A wide variety of vendors offer
native & adapted plants, herbs, garden supplies, concessions, books,
produce, yard art, seeds, and arts & crafts. Informative speakers will
share gardening ideas. Vendor space is free; contact Russell for details
at
pfau@tarleton.edu or (254) 968-9761. For additional information,
visit
http://www.stephenville.com/museum/.
Tomball: “Attracting Butterflies to the Garden,” presented by
Eddie Holik, Director of Horticulture; Houston Museum of Natural
Science, will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 17, at The Arbor
Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Find out how to attract butterflies and
hummingbirds in your garden. For additional information, visit
www.arborgate.com or call
(281) 351-8851.
Rockport:
David Ilfrey, Landscape Designer, will present "Deigning with
Native Plants" from noon until 1 p.m., Tuesday,
April 20, at the Aransas County Library, 701 E. Mimosa, Rockport.
For additional information, call (361) 790-0103 or visit
http://aransas-tx.tamu.edu.
Seabrook: Diana Foss from Texas Parks & Wildlife will present
"Backyard Pollinators" beginning at 10 a.m., April 21, at The
Meeting Room at Clear Lake Park (on the lakeside), 5001 NASA Road 1,
Seabrook. For more information, visit
http://hcmgap2.tamu.edu.
Dallas: Two rain-barrel workshops aimed at water conservation will be
offered to the public in North Texas on Earth Day, April 22. The classes
run from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Pavilion Building at
the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Urban Solutions Center, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. The cost for each class is $40, which pays for
rain-barrel construction materials. The workshops will be taught by Dr.
Dotty Woodson, Texas AgriLife Extension Service program specialist for
water resources. Participants will learn to construct a 55-gallon rain
barrel designed to capture water for gardens and household plants,
Woodson said. They also will learn about installing efficient irrigation
systems. To register, visit
http://urbansolutionscenter.tamu.edu/ and scroll through “Upcoming
Courses.” For more information, contact Tamaron Hunt at (972) 952-9671 or
t-hunt@tamu.edu. Tomball: “The Glorious Gallery of Perennials, and then some! “
will be presented by Heidi Sheesley, Treesearch Farms, at 10 a.m.,
Thursday, April 22, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball.
Come for the unveiling of Heidi’s glorious gallery of plants. For
additional information, visit
www.arborgate.com or call
(281) 351-8851.
San Benito: The Earth-Kind Landscaping
and Gardening Seminar, the first of its kind in South Texas, will be
held from 8:00 a.m. until 3 p.m., April 24 at the San Benito Annex
Building, 1390 W. Expressway 83, San Benito. The seminar is presented by
the Cameron County Master Gardeners and AgriLife Extension. The fee is
$65 and includes refreshments, lunch and an Earth-Kind notebook filled
with research-based topics and tips to establish and maintain healthy
landscapes and gardens. Topics include an Earth-Kind overview,
Earth-Kind roses, improving existing soils, Earth-Kind turf management,
selecting plants for South Texas, disease and insect management, and a
question and answer session. Pre-registration must be completed by April
12, and seating is limited, Montemayor said. To register, call
Montemayor at (956) 455-2096, Rosalinda Sullivan at (956) 498-7840 or
the Cameron County AgriLife Extension office in San Benito at (956)
361-8236.
Tomball: “What Can I Do With My Herbs?“ will be presented by Judy
Barrett, editor and published author, at 10 a.m., Saturday, April 24,
at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Judy will offer creative and
useful things to do with common herbs. For additional information, visit
www.arborgate.com or call
(281) 351-8851.
Tyler: The Tyler Men’s Garden Club will host
Spring Fling, their spring plant sale, in the parking lot on the north
side of the Broadway Square Mall, Tyler, on Saturday, April 24, 2010,
from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. The plants available for sale are locally
grown. The feature plant of Spring Fling has always been the oak leaf
hydrangea. These are gorgeous plants with large pendulous white blooms.
Their foliage turns beautiful red burnish colors in fall. There will
also be ‘pass along’ plants such as butterfly ginger, red spider lily,
confederate rose, and Turk’s cap. Plant shoppers will also find a range
of other plants, such as Japanese maples, cannas, day lilies, irises,
orchids, root beer plants, maple hibiscus, bromeliads, and some
vegetable seedlings.
Austin: The Travis County Master Gardeners
Association will present "Growing Vegetables from Seeds," Wednesday, April 28, from 7
p.m. until 9 p.m., at Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Rd.,
Austin. Why pay for vegetable transplants when you can easily grow them
yourself? Learn about supplies, timing, varieties, seeding how-to and
tips on transplanting to the vegetable garden. This seminar is free and open to the
public. For more details, visit
http://www.tcmastergardeners.org or call the Travis County Master
Gardener's help desk at (512) 854-9600.
Atlanta: The Caddo Wildflower Chapter will hold its Native
Plant Sale Saturday, May 1, from 9 a.m. until noon at the Norne
Enterprise Building parking lot, located at the intersection of Hwy 43
and Hwy 77, Atlanta. Austin: "Gardening for Butterflies & Hummingbirds" will be
held at the Demonstration Garden at the AgriLife Extension Office of
Travis County, 1600 B Smith Road, Austin, from 1 p.m. until 2:30 p.m.,
Friday, May 7. This seminar is appropriate for anyone wanting to
incorporate the correct plants into the garden to attract these
beauties. Learn plant food sources, host plants and nesting places for
the most common butterflies and hummingbirds in Central Texas. This
seminar is free and open to the public. For additional information,
visit
www.tcmastergardeners.org
or call the Travis County Master Gardener's help desk at (512) 854-9600.
Denton: The Denton County Master Gardener 2010 Spring Garden
Tour and Plant Sale will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m., Saturday,
May 8. Tickets $8 in advance; $10 at the gate; $5 single garden.
Children under 14 free. For additional information, including locations
of the gardens, visit www.dcmga.com
or call (940) 349-2883. Rockport: The 10th Annual Hidden Gardens Tour by Aransas/San
Patricio Master Gardeners will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.,
Saturday, May 8. Tickets are $10 and are available from the
Aransas County Texas AgriLife Extension office, 611 E. Mimosa. In the
event of rain, the tour will be rescheduled for May 15. For additional
information, call (361) 790-0103.
San Antonio: The San Antonio Antique Rose Emporium and the Comal
Master Gardener Association will present their annual Herb Affair at the
Antique Rose Emporium, 7561 E. Evans Road, San Antonio, Saturday, May 8, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
Dill, the 2010 Herb of the Year, will be featured. Demonstrations will
include the many ways to use herbs throughout the home and garden,
including herbs for pest control, cleansers, nature printing and other
crafts. For additional information, visit
www.antiqueroseemporium.com,
http://grovesite.com/mg/comal,
or call (210) 651-4565.
Highland Lakes: Join a discussion of “Texas Tough Plants” which
are suitable to Central Texas and view examples of Native and Native
adapted plants that grow well in Hill Country gardens. This free
Green Thumb program is presented by the Highland Lakes Master Gardeners
and the Lakeshore Library Speaker Series on Tuesday, May
11 at 2:30 p.m. at the Lakeshore Library located at 7346 Hwy 261, 3.6 miles past the intersection with FM 1431 in
Buchanan Dam. Highland
Lakes Master Gardener Sheryl Yantis has a beautiful program showing and
discussing the plants that are recommended to grow vigorously in the
area. Get a preview of some recommended plants at
http://yantislakesidegardens.giving.officelive.com/sherylsgarden.aspx.This
is a free program but attendees must reserve their seats. Call the library at (325) 379-1174.
Rocksprings: The Texas AgriLife Extension Service office in Edwards County will
conduct a free General Horticulture Workshop from 5-7:25 p.m. May 11 in
the Edwards County Annex, 400 West Main, Rocksprings. Two Texas Department of Agriculture continuing education units will
be offered in the general and integrated pest management categories for
participants completing the workshop. Dr. Noel Troxclair, AgriLife Extension entomologist at Uvalde, will
speak on the life cycles of common insect pests found in and around the
home and the control methods available for them. Dr. Mark Black,
AgriLife Extension plant pathologist at Uvalde, will discuss common lawn
and garden plant diseases and their treatment procedures. For more information, call Silvers at
(830) 683-4310 or (830) 234-7021.
Alvin: The Lone Star Daylily Society will hold a daylily and
plant sat, May 15, from 9 a.m. until sold out, at the Alvin
Senior Center, Alvin. Judging of flowers begins at 10:30 a.m. and the
show opens to the public at 2 p.m., For additional information, visit
www.lonestardaylilysociety.org or call Michael Mayfield at (281)
996-9310. San Antonio: The San Antonio Daylily Society
Show and Sale will be held Saturday, May 15, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. at
the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels, San Antonio. For
additional information, call (210) 824-9981.
Austin: "How to Create a Wildlife Habitat" will be presented
from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m., Saturday, May 22, at the Demonstration
Garden at AgriLife Extension Office of Travis County, 1660 B Smith Road,
Austin. Learn how to attract butterflies, birds, insects, toads, and
other creatures by utilizing plants which create food, cover, water and
places to raise young. A Master Naturalist volunteer will lead the
discussion. This seminar is free and open to the public. For more
information, visit
www.tcmastergardeners.org
or call the Travis Country Master Gardener's help desk at (512)
854-9600.
Brenham: The Barrington Living History Farm's gardens will be
open Saturday and Sunday, May 29-30 from 10 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.
Learn about the foods pioneers grew to feed their families in the Brazos
Valley in the 1850s. See the heirloom varieties Republic of Texas
President Anson Jones may well have been growing on his farm. Barrington
Living History Farm is located at Washington-on-the-Brazos State
Historic Site off Highway 105 on FM 1155 between Navasota and Brenham.
Admission: adults $5; students, $3; children 6 and under free. For
additional information, call (936) 878-2214, ext. 246, and ask for
Kellie, or visit
www.birthplaceoftexas.com. Nacogdoches: The Stephen F. Austin State University Pineywoods Native Plant Center will host the 5th Lone Star Regional
Native Plant Conference June 2-5 in Nacogdoches. The conference will be
held on the SFA campus, home to the Mast Arboretum, the Ruby Mize Azalea
Garden, and the 40-acre Pineywoods Native Plant Center. Join a unique
blend of naturalists, horticulturists, nurserymen, landscapers, and
gardeners and for talks ranging from green roofs to landscape design and
native azaleas, guided tours featuring unique local flora, and
educational workshops. Registration begins February 1. For more
information, visit
http://arboretum.sfasu.edu or contact Dawn Stover at (936) 468-4404
or
dparish@sfasu.edu.
Cameron: Nature Festival, June 11-12. Explore
historical Wilson-Ledbetter Park in Cameron. Friday evening activities –
discovery walks, outdoor nature movie, keynote speakers, dedication of
bird sanctuary. Saturday – hands-on fun and educational family
activities, tour exhibits, sample foods. Discover El Camino Real de los Tejas National Heritage Trail. For additional information, visit
www.cameron-tx.com, call (254) 697-4979, visit
www.rockdalechamber.com, or call (512) 446-2030.
Weatherford: The 26th annual Parker County Peach Festival will
be held from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., Saturday, July 10, in downtown
Weatherford. More than 200 arts/crafts, produce and food vendors will
line the historic streets. Admission is $5 for adults; children 12 and
under are free. For additional information, visit
www.peachfestivaltx.com or
contact
info@weatherford-chamber.com or (888) 594-3801. MONTHLY MEETINGS
Rockport: The Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners meets at 9
a.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the AgriLife Extension
Office - Aransas County, 611 E. Mimosa, Rockport. For additional
information, e-mail
aransas-tx@tamu.edu or call (361)
790-0103.
Kilgore: Northeast Texas Organic Gardeners
meets at 10 a.m. on the first Wednesday of each month at Wildwood
Eco-Farm in Kilgore. 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.
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.
Pearland: The second Tuesday of each month the
Harris County Precinct 2 Master Gardeners hold a free evening
educational program for the public, called the Green Thumb Series, at
Bass Pro Shop, Highway 288 at Sam Houston Tollway, Pearland. For more
information visit
http://hcmgap2.tamu.edu or call
(281) 991-8437.
Schertz: The Guadalupe County
(Schertz/Seguin) Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT)
meets the second Tuesday of each month except July and August at
the library, 798 Schertz Parkway, Schertz. A plant exchange and meet-and-greet
begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by a program at 7 p.m. For additional
information or an application to join NPSOT, contact
guadalupecounty@npsot.org.
Rockport: The Rockport
Herb & Rose Study Group, founded in March 2003, meets the second
Wednesday of each month, with the exceptions of June and July, to
discuss all aspects of using and growing herbs, including historical
uses and tips for successful propagation and cultivation, meets at 619
N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport at 10 a.m. 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.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 meet at the
Salvation Army in Orange on the second Thursday of each month. A covered-dish dinner at 6:30 p.m. is followed by a speaker and business
meeting at 7 p.m. 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
a.m. at the Senior Circle Rooms, College Station Professional Building
II, 1651 Rock Prairie Road, College Station. Expert
speakers, plant sharing, and federated club projects help members learn
about gardening in the Brazos Valley, floral design, conservation
topics, and more. For more information, visit
www.sallysfamilyplace.com/Clubs/GardenClub.htm.
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.
Cleburne: The Johnson County Master Gardeners meet the third Monday of each month
at McGregor house on the corner of West Henderson and Colonial Dr. in
Cleburne. A program starts at 6 p.m., followed by a meet-and-greet with
refreshments and a short business meeting. For information visit
http://www.jcmga.org/.
Arlington: The Arlington Men's Garden Club meets from 7 p.m.
until 9 p.m. on the third Tuesday 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.
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.somervellmastergardener.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 7:15 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.
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) 274-8460.
Brackenridge Park: The Native Plant Society San Antonio Chapter
meets every fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 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. Dallas: The Dallas Organic Garden Club meets at 2:30 p.m. on the
fourth Sunday of each month at the North Haven Gardens, 7700
Northaven Rd., Dallas. For more
information, call (214) 824-2448 or visit
www.dogc.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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Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife By Kelly Conrad Bender
NEW EDITION of the popular Texas Parks & Wildlife book, now with
fully searchable DVD containing all the plant and animal information you
need to customize your backyard habitat.
Whether you have an apartment balcony or a multi-acre ranch, the Texas
Wildscapes program provides the tools you need to make a home for all
the animals that will thrive in the native habitat you create.
In Texas Wildscapes, Kelly Conrad Bender identifies the kinds of
animals you can expect when you give them their three basic needs: food,
water, and shelter. She then provides guidelines for designing and
planting your yard or garden to best provide these requirements for the
many birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates the
environment will attract. $31.88 includes tax and shipping
Order online with credit card at
www.texasgardener.com or call toll-free 1-800-727-9020.
Visa, MasterCard and Discover
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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 Order by calling 1-800-727-9020.
(Discover, MasterCard and Visa accepted.)
*Other volumes will be available soon. |
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Doug Welsh's Texas Garden Almanac
Doug Welsh’s Texas Garden Almanac is a giant monthly calendar for
the entire state — a practical, information-packed, month-by-month guide
for gardeners and "yardeners." This book provides everything you need to
know about flowers and garden design; trees, shrubs, and vines; lawns;
vegetable, herb, and fruit gardening; and soil, mulch, water, pests, and
plant care. It will help you to create beautiful, productive, healthy
gardens and have fun doing it.
$26.63 plus shipping*
Order by calling 1-800-727-9020 or
order on-line.
*Mention
Texas Gardener’s Seeds when ordering by phone and we’ll waive shipping charges. (Discover, MasterCard and Visa
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Fiber row cover
valuable year-round
Grow-Web encourages plant growth and development, and also provides
protection from insects, birds, diseases and frosts. It is also air and
water permeable and allows for ventilation. Grow-Web provides excellent
protection to seedlings when applied directly to the seedbed.
$30.64 per 12.3’ x 32.8’ roll (includes shipping!)
Order by calling 1-800-727-9020 or
order on-line.
(Discover, MasterCard and Visa
accepted.) |
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Become a Texas
Gardener fan on Facebook Become a fan of Texas Gardener magazine on Facebook. See what we're up to at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Texas-Gardener-Magazine/301356291835?ref=nf. |
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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 |