January 17, 2018
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Use cold winter days to plan for spring landscape projects
When winter hits, especially like the winter so much of the United States in experiencing, it can seem like spring will never come. But, there is no time like the present for homeowners to start planning lawn and landscape projects and the
Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) offers these suggestions to help get a jumpstart on these projects.
Map out a plan for improving your outdoor living room.
The family yard is an extension of the home, providing a safe place for families to gather and for kids and pets to play. What would enhance this space for your family? An outdoor kitchen, firepit, pergola, and patio are bigger ticket items that you should start planning and saving for now. Enhanced landscaping is another alternative.
Determine which plants are best for your climate.
Selecting the right plants, trees and shrubs for your climate zone is important for keeping maintenance to a minimum and maximizing benefits to the environment and ecosystem. Check out the USDA's plant hardiness zone map to determine which plants are most suitable for your area now to make shopping at your local nursery more productive this spring.
Take stock of your lawn and landscape tools.
Does your outdoor power equipment need to be serviced before the spring season? Or maybe you have been living in an apartment and now need to purchase a lawnmower, edger or leaf blower for your home. Now's a good time to take care of these tasks so you will be ready to roll come spring.
Decide now if you need professional assistance.
You might be able to take on your outdoor living room improvement project on your own. But if you think you might need professional assistance, now is the time to line up consultants and obtain bids. This will put you a step ahead of the spring rush!
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Editor's Note: Gardening news is slow at the beginning of the year, and many gardeners are unable to work in their gardens during winter. We thought you might enjoy a change of pace during this slow season, so following is a gardening-themed short story presented for your enjoyment. - Michael Bracken, editor
Hidden Treasures
By Sandra Murphy
The screen door slammed with a bang. "You're going to have to fix that door. The spring's so tight, it about took my hand off the other day when I tried to catch it." Ellie gave her husband a kiss. "Got time to do that now?"
"Not really. I found the oddest thing out in the garden when I was tilling the soil. You know how rain forces stuff up through the dirt sometimes?" Ben said. "Well, I heard the tiller hit something and stopped. Thought it was a rock. It was a silver dollar."
"A dollar! Where do you think that came from?" She let the dollar hit the table with a satisfying clunk. "What's this stuff?"
"It's a map of some sort. There's a piece missing from the corner. Maybe the tiller got it." Ben opened the fridge for a bottle of water and handed Ellie one too. "I think there might be more money buried out there. I found a dime, a Canadian nickel and three old wheat pennies too."
"Well, get back out there and find more!" She grinned. "Maybe you can find me some fancy jewelry too."
"You never know. Thing is, Rick called and asked me to help put his mail box post back together. Somebody ran a car into it and it's just a pile of bricks now."
"Somebody? Would that be somebody named Cliff? As in Margie's dad? I thought they took his keys away from him. I know his license expired."
"Well, yeah but the dog got out and he wanted to get it back in the house before they got home so he took the car. He was so busy watching for the dog, he hit the bricks." Ben laughed. "He drove around for half an hour and finally thought he'd have to confess to losing the dog. When he got back, the dog was asleep on the porch and looked like he'd been there a good while."
"All right, you go on. How are you going to find the money when you do get around to it? I hate to think it might sink in the next rain or somebody else might see it."
"There are two big screens in the garage. I'd set them up on buckets and then grab big dirt clods and rub them over the screen to break them up. It'll help the garden and find any money. What if there are diamonds or something? Screens will catch them too." Ben kissed her on the cheek. "I'd better get moving. Rick's waiting."
He went out the door and Ellie walked back to the boys' bedroom to see if they'd made their beds. A few seconds later, she heard the screen door snap shut. She just smiled.
* * *
The boys had been under the kitchen table, back in the dim corner, pretending to be spies. But a treasure map? That was way cooler! It wasn't long before screens sat on the buckets and both Ronnie and Jeff were sifting dirt.
"Hey, I got a quarter and a, I don't know, a penny or a dime. It's too dirty to tell." Ronnie held it up for his brother to see. "After lunch, we should bring out some water and a scrub brush to clean everything up. It'll be easier to count." At age nine, he felt he should be in charge.
Jeff, age seven, didn't always agree, but this time it was okay, as long as Ronnie didn't hog the money for himself. Jeff was busy digging out a piece of green paper. When he got it uncurled, he almost fell over backward. "Ronnie, look at this! I got a two dollar bill."
"There ain't no such thing. Lemme see." Ronnie made a grab for the cash but Jeff pulled away.
"Is too. It says so right here." He held the note where Ronnie could see it but not get hold of it. Jeff was pretty proud of his reading skills. His teacher had given him a certificate for it before school let out. "We better go faster."
The boys had to be persuaded to come in for lunch. They took such big bites of their sandwiches, Ellie thought they'd choke. "If you boys don't chew your food like civilized people instead of starving animals, you're not going back out."
"But mom, there's treasure! Really, see? We got a map and everything." Ronnie laid the morning's work on the table. "I found some white rocks too. Are they anything?"
"Let me clean them up and we'll see. You go ahead and eat. Chew each bite ten times!" Ellie got a strainer and ran warm water over the "rocks." "Boys, these are pearls! You have found a treasure. These are what you make earrings out of."
"Mom, you keep those. We'll go find some more." The boys were off.
Later in the afternoon, Ben convinced them adding alpaca poop to the soil would make it fluffier which would then bring more treasure to the surface, especially if they pulled weeds before the roots got too long.
All summer long, the boys spent time in the garden. Almost every day, they found something new to talk about at dinner. A couple of weeks before school started, the tomatoes were ripening faster than the family could eat them. Ellie was slicing a few for sandwiches when her knife made a noise.
"Well, would you look at this? There's a quarter inside this tomato. How did that happen?" She showed the boys. "It just fell out. I wonder if any of the others have money inside."
"We'll find out, Mom. Do you want us to pick all the tomatoes?"
"Get all the red ones. I'll make sauce for spaghetti and sloppy joes. We'll check the green ones separately."
The boys picked several bushels of tomatoes. Usually, they protested bedtime but this summer, they'd worked so hard, they fell into bed without being asked.
"Look at them, all tan and healthy. I've never seen them so excited or getting along so well as this summer. They were a big help, don't you think?" Ben smiled. He and Ellie walked to the living room.
"What did it end up costing? Twenty dollars and some costume jewelry?" Ellie grinned. "I'll be wearing those pearls for a long time. Did your Dad ever pull the treasure map trick on you?"
"Where to you think I got the map?"
Sandra Murphy lives in St. Louis, Missouri. An e-collection of her short stories,
From Hay to Eternity,
is available from Untreed Reads. She also writes about pets, wildlife and eco-friendly topics for Natural Awakenings, Animal Wellness,
and other publications.
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Gardening tips
If you notice scale infestations on your fruit trees (scale looks similar to fish scales that have attached to the bark), spray them with a dormant oil spray before new growth and blooms appear. Heavy infestations can damage your trees and cause loss of productivity. Make sure you cover all of the branch surfaces to get effective control of the scale. Once your trees start to bud out and bloom, use a horticultural oil spray only on the branches where scale is present. Oil sprays will not harm most beneficial insects like lady bug beetles, lacewings and predatory wasps. Do not apply oil sprays within 24 hour of a freeze.
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 copy of
Texas Gardene
r's 2018 Planning Guide & Calendar. Please send your tips of 50 words or less to the editor at:
Garde
ning Tips.
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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.
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JANUARY
La Marque:
"Wedge Grafting": with Galveston County Master Gardener Sue Jeffco presenting, 9-10 a.m.,
January 18, at Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main Street (Hwy 519), La Marque. The presentation and workshop will take place in the Galveston County Master Gardeners' Discovery Garden in Carbide Park. Pre-registration required: Ph 281-534-3413, email
galvcountymgs@gmail.com; for additional details visit
www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.html. Free.
Conroe
: Saturday, January 20
, Educational Classes. Session 1: Fruit and Nut Trees for Montgomery County. 8:00 til 10:00 a.m. Session 2: Planting and Caring for Fruit and Nut Trees. 10:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. $5 per session or $8 for both. Come learn all you need to know about growing fruit and nut trees in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Master Gardeners, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. For more info, visit www.mcmga.com or 936-539-7824.
Hempstead: The Waller County Master Gardeners started accepting pre-orders on
November 1 for their 2018 Fruit Tree (and more) Sale scheduled for Saturday,
January 20. Three informational seminars about the varieties being offered are scheduled as follows: Nov. 2 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Waller County Extension Office, 846 6th St., Hempstead; Nov. 4 from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. at the Waller County Community Center, 21274 FM1098 Loop, Prairie View; Nov. 9 from 10 a.m.-noon at the Pattison Area Volunteer Fire Department Bldg., 2950 FM359, Pattison. For more information about the sale and these seminars, visit
txmg.org/wallermg or call the Waller County Extension office at 979-826-7651.
La Marque:
"Successful Spring Vegetables": with Galveston County Master Gardener Specialist Herman Auer presenting, 9-11:30 a.m.,
January 20, at Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main Street (Hwy 519), La Marque. Pre-registration required: Ph 281-534-3413, email
galvcountymgs@gmail.com ; for additional details visit
www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.html. Free.
La Marque:
"Small Trees, Small Yards": with Galveston County Master Gardener Sandra Duvall presenting, 1-3:30 p.m.,
January 20, at Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main Street (Hwy 519), La Marque. Pre-registration required: Ph 281-534-3413, email
galvcountymgs@gmail.com; for additional details visit
www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.html. Free.
Nacogdoches: SFA Gardens will host the Third Annual Nacogdoches Seed Swap for 1:00 until 4:00 p.m.,
January 20, in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building. 2900 Raguet St. The cost is free, but donations to Nacogdoches Naturally, SFA Gardens' afterschool gardening program, are appreciated. For additional information, contact
sfagardens@sfasu.edu or call 926-468-1831.
La Marque:
"Garden Tool Talk": with Galveston County Master Gardeners Henry Harrison, III, and Tim Jahnke presenting, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.,
January 23, at Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main Street (Hwy 519), La Marque. Pre-registration required: Ph 281-534-3413, email
galvcountymgs@gmail.com; for additional details visit
www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.html. Free.
Conroe:
The January Fruit and Nut Tree Sale sponsored by the Montgomery County Master Gardener Association will be held on Saturday, January 27, from 8:00 a.m. until noon at Texas AgriLife Extension, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. Call the MCMGA at 936-539-7824 or visit www.mcmga.com for additional information. Bring your own wagon.
La Marque:
"Growing & Using Herbs": with Fort Bend County Master Gardener and Coastal Prairie Texas Master Naturalist Tricia Bradbury presenting, 9-11:30 a.m.,
January 27, at Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main Street (Hwy 519), La Marque. Pre-registration required: Ph 281-534-3413, email
galvcountymgs@gmail.com; for additional details visit
www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.html. Free.
La Marque:
"'Texas Tuff' Plants": with Galveston County Master Gardener Sandra Devall presenting, 1-3 p.m.,
January 27, at Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main Street (Hwy 519), La Marque. Pre-registration required: Ph 281-534-3413, email
galvcountymgs@gmail.com; for additional details visit
www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.html. Free.
Nacogdoches:
Join Dr. David Creech, SFA professor emeritus of agriculture, as he discusses the plant propagation techniques of budding and grafting from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, January 27, at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building, 2900 Raguet St., Nacogdoches. Participants will practice on a variety of plants and will take home their own grafted Japanese maple tree. Attendees should bring a small, sharp pocketknife. All additional needed materials will be provided. The cost is $25 for SFA Gardens' members and $30 for nonmembers. Space is limited. Register by calling 936-468-1832, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
La Marque:
"How to Grow Roses Successfully": with American Rose Society Master Rosarian and Galveston County Master Gardener John Jons presenting, 6:30-8:30 p.m.,
January 30, at Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main Street (Hwy 519), La Marque. Pre-registration required: Ph 281-534-3413, email
galvcountymgs@gmail.com; for additional details visit
www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.html. Free.
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FEBRUARY
Houston: "Better Pruning for Better Blooming"
is the topic of the Houston Rose Society meeting, Thursday, February 8, 7:00 p.m. at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavillon, 1500 Hermann Drive, Houston. The parking lot is Lot C located at Hermann Drive and Crawford Street. Expert consulting rosarians with the Houston Rose Society will demonstrate pruning techniques on actual bushes of all types of roses. Tables will be placed so all can get a close-up view of the demonstration. Questions are encouraged. Added bonus: all pruned bushes will be given away as door prizes; obtain a free raffle ticket upon arrival to be eligible. Arrive at 7:00 p.m. for social time and refreshments, pruning will begin at 7:30 p.m.
Free admission. For more information, visit
http://www.houstonrose.org.
Tyler:
Master Gardeners at the Library, February 9, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. "Texas Tough! The History of the Texas Superstar Plant Program" with Texas Gardener Contributing Editor and Smith County Horticulture Agent Greg Grant. Tyler Public Library, 201 S. College, Tyler. Free and open to the public. For additional information visit
www.txmg.org/smith
or call 903-590-2980.
Conroe
: Saturday, February 10. Educational Classes. Session 1: Lawn Types and Caring for Lawns in Montgomery County. 8:00 until 10:00 a.m. Session 2: Identifying (and Solutions for) Lawn Problems. 10:30 until 12:30. $5 per session or $8 for both. Learn what you need to know about having healthy lawns in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Master Gardeners, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. For more info, visit www.mcmga.com or call 936-539-7824.
Victoria: Victoria County Master Gardener Association will offer a "Lunch and Learn" February 12, from noon until 1 p.m. at the Pattie Dodson Health Center, 2805 N. Navarro St., Victoria. "What's This?--Volume III" will be presented by Matt Bochat, Victoria County Extension Agent. The event is free to the public. Attendees may bring a sack lunch and beverage.
Orangefield: The Orange County Master Gardeners Association will hold a rose training session on Saturday, February 13, from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at Cormier Park, 8235 FM 1442, Orangefield. Cost is $15 and includes materials and two cuttings of your choice from our rose collection. Additional cuttings may be purchased. To enroll, call 409 882-7010 or visit Orange.agrilife.org and click on the EarthKind Roses Propagation Class.
Hitchcock:
"Galveston County Master Gardeners 2018 Spring Plant Sale," February 17, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., pre-sale seminar 8-8:50 a.m., Jack Brooks Park Rodeo Arena,
10 Jack Brooks Rd and Hwy 6, Hitchcock (Galveston County Fairgrounds).
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MARCH
Austin: The annual plant sale/fundraiser for Sunshine Community Gardens, 4814 Sunshine Drive, Austin, will be held
March 3, 9:00 a.m.- 2 p.m. Sunshine Community Gardens are the largest community garden in Austin with the largest community garden plant sale. Available will be organically grown tomatoes (126 varieties), peppers (80 varieties), eggplants, tomatillos, herbs, natives and ornamentals, plus compost to help them all be healthy and happy. For more information, visit
sunshinecommunitygardens.org.
Tyler:
Master Gardeners at the Library, March 9, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. "Raised Bed Gardening on a Hillside" with Smith County Master Gardener Wayne Elliott. Tyler Public Library, 201 S. College, Tyler. Free and open to the public. For additional information, visit
www.txmg.org/smith
or call 903-590-2980.
Conroe
: Saturday, March 10. Educational Classes.
Session 1: Floral Plants for Montgomery County. 8:00 until 10:00 a.m. Session 2: Vegetables for Montgomery County. 10:30 until 12:30 p.m. $5 per session or $8 for both. Come learn what you need to know about having great gardens in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Master Gardeners, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. For more info, visit www.mcmga.com or call 936-539-7824.
Conroe
: Saturday, March 24
, Spring Plant Sale. Presentation 8:00 a.m., sale 9:00 a.m. until noon. Get your spring "yardening" needs! Don't forget your wagon. On sale are varieties that will do well in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Master Gardeners, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe
. For more info, call 936-539-7824 or visit www.mcmga.com.
Orangefield: The Orange County Master Gardeners Association will hold their Annual Bloomin' Crazy Plant Fair, March 24, 8:00 a.m.-1 p.m. at Cormier Park, 8235 FM 1442, Orangefield. All types of plants will be available, including bedding plants, Texas SuperStars, citrus, avocados, blueberries, roses, succulents, trees, shrubs and many more types. Potential vendors and attendees can find more information at
https://txmg.org/orange.
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Monthly meetings
If you would like your organization's events included in "Monthly Meetings" or would like to make a change to a listed meeting, please contact us at Monthly Meetings. To ensure inclusion in this column, please provide complete details.
FIRST WEEK
Kaufman:
The Kaufman County Master Gardeners meet the first Monday of each month at the First Community Church at 1401 Trinity Drive in Crandall. January through April and August and September meetings are at 9 a.m., with the remaining meetings beginning at 7 p.m. For additional information, visit http://www.kcmga.org, call 972-932-9069 or email to sbburden@ag.tamu.edu.
Houston: The Harris County Master Gardeners meet at noon the
first Tuesday of each month at a location in Houston to be determined. For additional information, visit
http://hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/ or call 713-274-0950.
Dallas: Garden Masters, Inc., meet the
first Wednesday of each month at North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Rd., Dallas. The club hosts different speaker each month from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Bring your lunch! For more information, email Bunny Williams at
bunny-williams@sbcglobal.net.
Kerrville: Hill Country Master Gardeners meet the
first Wednesday of each month at 1:00 pm at Hill Country Youth Event Center, 3785 Hwy 27. For more information visit
www.hillcountrymastergardeners.org.
Midland/Odessa: The Permian Basin Master Gardeners meet at noon, the
first Wednesday of each month, lternating between the Midland and Ector County's Extensions Offices. For more information about location, call 432-498-4071 or 432-686-4700.
Navasota: The Navasota Garden Club meets on the
first Wednesday of each month (September through May) at 10:00 a.m., usually at the First Baptist Church Family Life Center, 300 Church Street, Navasota. If not meeting at the church, a change of meeting notice will be placed on the door at the North entrance. Guests are welcome. Members are from Grimes County and surrounding counties.
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.
Atlanta: The Cass County Master Gardeners meet the
first Thursday of each month at the Atlanta Memorial Hospital Conference Room, State Highway 77 @ S. Williams St., Atlanta. A business meeting is followed by an educational program. The public is welcome to attend. For additional information, call 903-756-5391 or visit
http://cass.agrilife.org.
Fort Worth:
The Native Plant Society of Texas - North Central Chapter meets the first Thursday of each month, excluding January and July, at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth. Meeting begins at 6:30 p.m., program begins at 7:00 p.m. Guest speakers present educational programs on topics of interest. Members, friends, family, guests and the public are welcome. For a list of speakers and topics or more information, visit http://www.txnativeplants.org.
Hempstead: The Waller County Master Gardeners usually meet at 9 a.m. the first Thursday of each month at the Waller County AgriLife Extension Office, 846 6th St., Hempstead. For more information on the meeting schedule, visit http://txmg.org/wallermg or call 979-826-7651.
Gonzalas: Gonzales Master Gardeners hold their monthly meeting at noon on the
first Thursday of each month at 623 Fair Street, Gonzales. Bring a bag lunch, drinks provided. Contact AgriLife Extension Office at 830-672-8531 or visit
http://gonzalesmastergardeners.org
for more information.
New Braunfels: The Comal Garden Club meets the
first Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at Southbank Clubhouse, 222 Southbank Blvd., New Braunfels.
Hempstead: The Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation, 20559 F.M. 359, Hempstead, hosts a special Peckerwood Insider's Tour at 10 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month. Spaces are limited so pre-registration is required. $15, free for members. For more information, visit http://www.peckerwoodgarden.org/explore/visit-peckerwood-garden/.
SECOND WEEK
Austin: Austin Organic Gardeners Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the
second Monday of each month (except December) at the Austin Area Garden Center, 2220 Barton Springs Road, Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin. For more information, visit
www.austinorganicgardeners.org.
Jacksonville: The Cherokee County Master Gardeners meet on the
second Monday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at Woodmen of the World, 1800 College Ave., Jacksonville. For more information, e-mail Tom Abbott at
tom@deerfield-abbey.org.
Glen Rose: The Glen Rose Garden Club meets at 10 a.m. on the
second Tuesday of each month (September through May) at the Somervell County Community Center in Glen Rose. For additional information, email
stringer030@yahoo.com.
Glen Rose: The Prairie Rose Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas meets at 6 p.m. on the
second Monday of each month at the Somerville County Citizen Center, 209 SW Barnard St., Glen Rose. For additional information, email
prairierose.npsot@gmail.com.
Harrison County: The Harrison County Master Gardeners meet on the
second Tuesday of each month in the Harrison County Annex building, 102 W Houston St. (south side of the square), Marshall. Meetings are held in the 2nd floor AgriLife Extension meeting room. For more information, call 903-935-8413, or email
wannagrow2@gmail.com.
Marion: The Guadalupe County (Schertz/Seguin) Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas meets on the
second Tuesday of each month except July, August and December at St. John's Lutheran Church in Marion. Directions to St. John's Lutheran Church: From FM 78 turn south onto FM 465 and the church is just past the Marion School on the right. From IH-10 go north on FM 465 towards Marion. The Church will be on the left, just before you get to town. 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.
Quitman: The Quitman Garden Club meets at 2 p.m. the
second Tuesday of each month at the Quitman Library on E Goode Street, Quitman. It is a diverse group that welcomes all visitors. For more information, e-mail
quitmangardenclub@gmail.com.
Denton:
The Denton County Master Gardener Association meets from 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. the
second Wednesday of each month
. Meetings are open to the public. For complete details, visit
http://dcmga.com/.
Humble: The Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 22306 Aldine Westfield Road, Humble, hosts a Lunch Bunch the
second Wednesday of each month from noon until 2 p.m. Take a sack lunch or order a box lunch from Starbucks when you call 281-443-8731 to reserve your spot. Master Gardeners and Masters Naturalists may earn CEU credits by attending.
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's Learn at Lunch program meet the second Wednesday of each month. The business meeting begins at 11:30 a.m., with the program at noon, at the AgriLife Extension Office, 405 E. Marshall Ave., Longview. The program is presented for horticultural education and is free to the public. For further information call 903-236-8429, visit www.txmg.org/gregg, or like us on Facebook at Gregg County Master Gardeners.
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.or
g and
http://rockportherbies.blogspot.com.
Woodway: The McLennan County Master Gardeners meet on the
second Wednesday each month at noon at the Carleen Bright Arboretum, 9001 Bosque Blvd., Woodway. Educational programs follow the business session. For more information, call 254-757-5180.
Beaumont: The Jefferson County Master Gardeners meet at 6 p.m. (social) 7:00 (meeting) the
second Thursday of each month except in July in the AgriLife Extension auditorium, 1225 Pearl 2nd floor (downtown Beaumont next to the Court House). For more information contact: 409-835-8461 or
txmg.org/jcmg.
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 Kathy Henderson at kshend@verizon.net or visit
http://www.npsot.org/wp/wilco.
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 new Orange County Expo Center on Hwy 1442 in Orangefield. Enter the building in the front entrance, first door on the right, Texas AgriLife offices. Pot luck supper at 6 p.m. Visit
http://txmg.org/orange
for more information.
Pasadena
: The Harris County Precinct 2 Master Gardeners hold an educational program at 10 a.m. on the
second Thursday of each month
at The Genoa Friendship Garden Educational Building at 1202 Genoa Red Bluff, Pasadena. The programs are free and open to the public. For more information,
visit http://hcmgap2.tamu.edu
.
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.
Smithville: The Smithville Community Gardens meets at 5:30 p.m. the
second Thursday of each month at the Smithville Recreation Center.
Angleton: The Brazoria County Master Gardeners meet at 11 a.m. on the
second Friday of each month at the Brazoria County Extension Office, 21017 County Road 171, Angleton. There is a general business meeting followed by a brief educational program each month. For further information call 979-864-1558, ext.110.
College Station: The A&M Garden Club meets on the
second Friday of each month during the school year at 9:30 a.m. in the training room of the College Station Waste Water Facility building at the end of North Forest Parkway, 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.
Kilgore: Northeast Texas Organic Gardeners meets at 1:30 p.m. on the
second Saturday of each month. For more information, call Carole Ramke at 903-986-9475.
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.
THIRD WEEK
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 Gardener's meet on the third Monday of each month at McGregor House, 1628 W Henderson, Cleburne. Meeting times are at 2 p.m. October through April, except December and at 6 p.m. May through September. An educational program precedes the business meeting. For additional information, contact Sue Matern at 817-517-9076.
New Braunfels: The Comal Master Gardeners meet at 6 p.m. the
third Monday of each month (except April and December,) at the
GVTC Auditorium, 36101 FM 3159, New Braunfels. An educational program precedes the business meeting. The public is invited to attend. For additional information, call 830-620-3440 or visit
http://txmg.org/comal/.
Texarkana: The Four Corners Chapter of Native Plant Society of Texas meets at 7 p.m. on the
third Monday of each month at the Southwest Center, 3222 W. 7th St. (U.S. 67), Texarkana. Visitors are welcome. For additional information, contact Belinda McCoy at 903-424-7724 or
blackmtngardens@yahoo.com.
Corpus Christi: The Nueces Master Gardeners meet at noon the
third Tuesday of each month, except December, at Garden Senior Center, 5325 Greely Dr., Corpus Christi. An educational program precedes the business meeting. For further information call 361 767-5217.
Evant: The Evant Garden Club meets on the third 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 254-471-5860.
New Braunfels:
The Lindheimer Chapter (Comal County) of the Native Plant Society of Texas meets on the third Tuesday of each month at
6:30 pm
at the GVTC Auditorium, 36101 FM 3159, New Braunfels. Meetings include an informative speaker
and a Plant of the Month presentation. Meetings are free and
visitors are welcome. For more information,visit www.npsot.org/w/lindheimer.
Note
: there will be no meeting in June or December.
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 Knights of Columbus Hall, 702 Burney Road, 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/.
Brownwood: Brownwood Garden Club meets the
third Thursday of each month, 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m. The club meetings are at Southside Baptist Church, 1219 Indian Creek Road, with refreshments and a speaker presentation. Visitors are welcome. For more information, email
boeblingen@centex.net or call 817-454-8175.
Hallettsville: The Hallettsville Garden Club meets at 2 p.m. on the
third Thursday of each month from September through May, at the Hallettsville Garden and Cultural Center, 605 E 2nd St, Hallettsville. Each month, the club hosts speakers that provide informative programs on a wide range of gardening subjects, and refreshments are provided by member hostesses after the business meeting. Visitors are welcome. Please email Sharon Harrigan at
sharonspetals@yahoo.com for more information.
Houston: The Native Plant Society of Texas - Houston (NPSOT-H) meets at 7:30 p.m. on the
third Thursday of each month except for October (4th Thursday) at the Houston SArboretum and Nature Center in Memorial Park (4501 Woodway Dr.). For more information on programs, and for information about native plants for Houston, visit
http:/npsot.org/wp/Houston.
San Antonio: The Bexar County Master Gardeners (BCMG) meet on the
third Thursday of each month at the Texas AgriLife Extension Office, 3355 Cherry Ridge Dr., Suite 208, San Antonio. During the months of Jan., March, May, July, Sep. and Nov., an evening meeting begins with a social time at 6 p.m. followed by a free presentation from 6:30-8:30 p.m. During the intervening months (Feb., April, June, Aug., Oct., Dec.), afternoon educational seminars/general meetings are held from 1-3:30 p.m. Check
http://www.bexarmg.org/ to verify meeting date for any given month, as circumstances could require a change, and to find information on the speaker and topic scheduled for each meeting.
Seguin: The Guadalupe County Master Gardeners meets at 6:30 p.m. the
third Thursday of each month, at the AgriLife Building, 210 East Live Oak, Seguin. After a brief social hour, the meeting and guest speaker begins at 7 p.m. The meeting is free and open to the public. For additional information, call 830-303-3889 or visit
www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org.
Hempstead: The Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation, 20559 F.M. 359, Hempstead, hosts the Evening at Peckerwood Lecture series at 7 p.m. on the
third Friday of each month. Tickets are available online. Tickets are $10, $5 for members.For more information, visit
http://www.peckerwoodgarden.org/explore/visit-peckerwood-garden/.
FOURTH WEEK
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.
Linden: The Caddo Wildflower Chapter of Native Plants Society meets the
fourth Tuesday of each month at the senior citizens building at 507 S Kaufman St. in Linden at 6:30. Visitors are welcome. For additional information, contact Karen Tromza at
khtromza@yahoo.com.
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 Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center, 3220 Botanic Blvd., Ft. Worth. 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 email
npsot.sanantonio@gmail.com.
Houston: The Houston Native Prairie Association meets at 7 p.m. on the
fourth Wednesday of each month at the Cherie Flores Pavilion in McGovern Centennial Gardens at Hermann Park, 1500 Hermann Drive, Houston. For more information, contact
hnpat@prairies.org.
Austin: The Garden Club of Austin meets at Zilker Botanical Gardens auditorium, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin, at 7:00 p.m. on the
fourth Thursday of each month. 7:00-7:30 p.m. Refreshments and Social, followed by a presentation at 7:30 p.m. Free. For additional information, visit
http://thegardenclubofaustin.org/.
Leander:
The Leander Garden Club meets on the fourth Thursday of each month (except June, July and August) at 10:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Room of the Leander Presbyterian Church, 101 N. West St., Leander, unless there is a special event planned. Following a program and short business meeting, there is a pot-luck luncheon. To confirm the meeting place and time, please call President Kathleen Tully at 512-422-8580 or email LeanderGardenClub@gmail.com .
Dallas: The Dallas County Master Gardeners meet the
fourth Thursday of each month at 11:30 a.m. For location and program information, visit
h
ttp://www.dallascountymastergardeners.org/ or contact The Helpdesk, M-F, 8 to 4:30 214-904-3053.
Dallas: The Greater Dallas Organic Garden Club meets at 7:00 p.m. on the
fourth Thursday 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.
Hempstead: The Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation, 20559 F.M. 359, Hempstead, holds an Open Day, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month. Tours start at 10 a.m. and the last tour leaves at 2 p.m. Tickets available online or at the gate. $10, free for members. For more information, visit http://www.peckerwoodgarden.org/explore/visit-peckerwood-garden/.
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Texas Gardener digital edition available-Only $19.95 per year (digital only) or $9 per year if you tack it on to your print subscription!
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