October 25, 2017
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Scientists seek public assistance in tackling rose rosette disease
By Kathleen Phillips
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Halfway through a five-year, $4.6 million grant to combat rose rosette disease in the U.S., the national research team studying it is encouraged by the amount of information learned but admits having a way to go before finding how to overcome the deadly problem.
Rose rosette was observed on wild roses as early as the 1940s, but it was not until 2011 that scientists definitively identified the cause as being from a new virus in the novel genus
Emaravirus transmitted by the microscopic eriophyid mite, according to Dr. David Byrne. Now the virus is killing commercial rose varieties.
Symptoms, which can show up as early as 17 days from exposure to infected mites or as many as 279 days after, include "witches' brooms, excessive thorniness, enlarged canes, malformed leaves and flowers." Ultimately, the rose plant dies.
The team is pursuing three issues: the virus, the mite and rose plant resistance to the disease, according to Byrne, professor of Rosa and Prunus Breeding and Genetics for Texas A&M AgriLife Research, College Station, and Rose Rosette Disease Project director. And now they are soliciting help from people who like to grow roses as well.
"It is a citizen
scientist approach," said Dr. Kevin Ong, team member and director of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service's Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab in College Station. "We are trying to engage the people who have an interest in roses in general and give them the opportunity to participate in a national research project."
Because of the many components to the problem, the research team represents not only many states but a variety of expertise from entomology to pathology to plant breeding.
"We're still learning about the mite and the virus," Byrne said. "And now we are seeing rose rosette not only on multiflora (wild) roses, which are considered invasive, but also on commercially cultivated roses."
Because of that, researchers now consider all roses susceptible to the disease until proven otherwise. That calls for a massive monitoring effort, he said.
"The main purpose of monitoring is to try to gather information to identify sources of resistance or tolerance," Byrne said. "It's been somewhat frustrating from a breeding point of view because it takes two or three years to determine if something is resistant."
He said as the national research project begins its fourth year, the field trials planted the first year are just now providing data that could lead to developing resistant varieties.
"We're up to about 500 different roses planted for evaluation, and I also have collected data on probably close to 700
already. The vast majority are susceptible," Byrne said. "We're in the verification mode now, because some varieties that had been thought to be resistant are turning out to be susceptible."
The researchers are turning to molecular techniques to develop markers to use in the analysis for marker-assisted selection for breeding, which theoretically can decrease the breeding cycle by half, he said.
"What's more important is we can decrease by 80 percent the number of plants we have to put out in the field," he said. "That is a huge saving and potentially will allow us to look at more seedlings, which will accelerate the breeding process as well."
Meanwhile, other team members on the national project, which was funded by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant
, are turning to rose enthusiasts to help monitor and validate reports of the disease across the U.S.
"There is a need for development of new detection methods, so as our research collaborators develop new detection methods, we test them on real samples to make sure they work in the real world," Ong said. The methods are also validated at an Oklahoma State University lab.
Ong said his role on the project is also to educate the public about the disease, which will help monitor its location, so his team created a website,
http://roserosette.org
, as a clearinghouse for information.
"The website also is a portal so that people can take pictures and submit them into the database. A verifier on the team looks at the photo to determine whether the plant depicted has rose rosette," Ong said.
The site is designed for mobile phones or tablets so a person can easily take a picture while looking at the plant, he said.
"When a picture is submitted, the site captures the location and a verifier is notified to make a decision about the image," Ong explained. "Yes, it is rose rosette; no, it is not rose rosette; or we are not sure or we would like to get more information or a sample. Those are the three possible answers."
Verifiers can ask for a physical sample for confirmation, if necessary, he said. All images are maintained in the online database for future reference by variety to help researchers and the public document which have been proven susceptible.
To help people learn what to look for, Ong published a series of factsheets available at
http://bit.ly/roserosettefacts. Several other affected states also have information linked on the rose rosette website.
The team also is trying to develop better tools to detect the virus and presence of the mite.
To track the mite, all the reports of rose rosette have been put on a map to get a sense of the mite's distribution and movement, Byrne said. Researchers know that the microscopic mite travels in the wind and has been known to move 300 feet a year. There appears to be a northern and a southern range, which in Texas is roughly at Interstate 20, below which cases of rose rosette are rare.
"In the last two or three years, we have confirmed it in some Texas counties south of I-20, but it might've just been brought in from somewhere," Ong said.
The researchers said people can look at rose plants now as new growth and flowering often occurs in early fall, but late-spring examinations are ideal for finding signs of rose rosette.
"It's been exciting to see this national effort come together," Byrne said. "We are trying to understand the epidemiology and environmental factors of the disease development and spread. Hopefully, we will have even more information by the end of this year."
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Are there really glow-in-the-dark soil organisms?
The Soil Science Society of America
Soil organisms are diverse, with characteristics that can astound. The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) October 15 Soils Matter blog post explains which soil critters glow - and why.
"Soils are one of the most diverse habitats on Earth," says Yamina Pressler, a soil scientist at Colorado State University. "Soil ecologists have estimated that we have only identified about 1 percent of all the microorganism species living in the soil! There is so much life still to discover below ground, and the organisms we have identified continue to amaze us - some of them even glow."
Why do they glow?
Bacteria may glow to get noticed - and get spread further through the food chain. They may also use their glow to signal to other bacteria.
Fungi luminescence is more common than bacterial luminescence in soils. Their glow may attract insects who will carry the fungi's reproductive spores further afield. They may also use a glow as a defense mechanism.
Collembola, or springtails, are microscopic arthropods that live in soils and leaf litter. The reason they glow? Still unknown! "While it might be hard to believe that an organism would glow for no real reason, we cannot rule it out completely," Pressler says.
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Gardening tips
If you are storing tulips or hyacinth bulbs in your refrigerator to set out after Christmas, be sure children don't have access to them because the bulbs are not edible. Also, do not store apples in the same crisper since they may adversely affect your bulbs. The chilling time spent in the fridge will help these "exotic" bulbs put on a spring show but don't expect a repeat performance the following year!
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 2017 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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Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath have disrupted activities all along the Gulf coast and well inland. Before attending any event listed below, please contact the event organizers to ensure that it has not been cancelled, rescheduled, or relocated.
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OCTOBER
Blanco: Enjoy the fourth annual free Gardenscape event, presented by Blanco County Master Gardeners (BCMG) in collaboration with Blanco County AgriLife Extension & Blanco High FFA,
October 21, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., in the Blanco High School Ag building. "Gardenscape is one way we can reach our goal of offering Hill Country residents the best gardening and horticultural practices for our area" says Donna Norris, president of BCMG. "Hill Country Backyard" will feature seminars by area experts with a range of topics befitting our beautiful Texas Hill Country backyards: Charlie Flatten of Hill Country Alliance will address "Water 101"; Judy Barrett, author, editor and publisher of "Homegrown," offers advice on growing roses with excerpts from her book "Yes You Can Grow Roses"; Shane Stefek of Water Garden Gems gives advice on creating an eco-friendly pond benefiting wildlife, conserving water and improving our environment; Patrick Watson presents the opportunities of going solar (bring your electric bill to analyze); Andreina Alexatos of Tree Folks conveys the many reasons for planting trees and their care; and David Well of the Texas Hill Country Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will discuss native plants to use beautifully in your own backyard! Bees! Bees! Bees! Demonstrations include all about bees; care taking and honey harvesting by Alan Newman of Pop's Honey. Emily Hunter of Spring Creek Gardens reveals how to plant a succulent garden. There will be even more fun over in the children's craft center where kids will make and take home backyard art and bamboo homes for Mason bees. Free admission at the Blanco High School Ag Building, 1214 Fourth St., Blanco, Texas.
Athens: "Gardening The Easy Way" will be presented 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday,
October 26, at the Senior Citizen Center, 3344 State Highway 31 East, Athens. Free fall conference sponsored by the Henderson County Master Gardeners Association (HCMGA). Two expert speakers, Greg Grant and David Gary, will discuss Texas native plants as well as gardening for those with physical challenges. Greg Grant, County Extension Agent-Horticulture for Smith County and a contributing editor to Texas Gardener magazine, will discuss the use of Texas native plants. David Gardy, Master Gardener on Wheels, is a USAF Viet Nam veteran and volunteer for the Dallas Arboretum. He will speak on gardening techniques for those with physical challenges. For more information, call 903-675-6130, email
hendersonCMGA@gmail.com, or visit
www.henderson-co-tx-mg.org.
Belton: A special celebration of 20 years recognizing all former and current members of Bell County Master Gardeners, 2 p.m.-4 p.m.,
October 26, at the Bell County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, 1605 N. Main, Belton. For additional information, contact
carol.j.morisset@gmail.com or
j-upchurch@sbcglobal.net.
Austin: Travis County Master Gardeners will present an informative seminar on basic tree care, tree selection, and common tree diseases emphasizing Oak Wilt in Central Texas on Saturday,
October 28, from 10 a.m.-noon, Austin Community College South Campus Room 1130, 1820 W Stassney Lane, Austin. Geared toward the homeowner, you'll come away with knowledge in selecting the right tree for your space, planting new trees in the urban environment and tips on how to care for your tree during its first three years. Also learn to identify common tree problems and diseases and hear the latest news on Oak Wilt in our area from a certified arborist and Oak Wilt specialist. Each topic will last about 40 minutes including time for questions. The seminar is free and open to the public. Parking on site. For additional information, visit
http://www.tcmastergardeners.org/event/tree-care-seminar/.
La Marque: "Monarch Butterflies & Milkweed" with Barbara Willy, Executive Director & Founder of Monarch Butterfly Gateway in Fort Bend County, presenting, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., October 28, at the Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main (Hwy 519), La Marque. Participants must pre-register: Ph 281-534-3413, e-mail galvcountymgs@gmail.com; further details see www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.html. Galveston County Master Gardener event. Fee/Free.
Tomball:
Cynthia Graham, RN, BSN,
will present "
Teas, Tinctures and Toddies
," at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, October 28. The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For more information, call 281-351-8851, email info@arborgate.com, or visit www.arborgate.com.
Tomball:
Angela Chandler, The Garden Academy, and Matt & Kelly Brantley, BZ Honey,
will present "
Bee Forum
," at 11:00 a.m., Sunday, October 29. The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For more information, call 281-351-8851, email info@arborgate.com, or visit www.arborgate.com.
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NOVEMBER
Conroe
: Open Garden Day,
Saturday, November 4.
9:00 a.m. until 11:00. Got gardening questions? Get answers!
Montgomery County Master Gardeners,
9020 Airport Road, Conroe
. For more information, call
936-539-7824 or visit www.mcmga.com.
Rockwall: The Rockwall County Master Gardeners will be hosting a Fall Garden Tour. Saturday,
November 4. The gardens will be open at this "at your Leisure" tour from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Cost is $10 in advance and $15 on the day of the Tour. Tickets can be purchased from Culver's Restaurant and the Rockwall County Extension Office during normal business hours. They can also be purchased online at https://rockmga.org/. There is a $1.54 service charge for online purchases. The theme of the 2017 tour is Landscape Solutions. Garden visitors will learn many new ideas to solve different home gardening challenges. Here are examples of the landscape solutions offered on the tour: Full sun gardens around a backyard pool; Small backyards with vertical gardening in raised beds; Designing garden rooms; Planting in berms; Vegetable gardens in small spaces; and Heritage gardens using "Pass-Along" plants. Master Gardeners are also selling raffle tickets for a beautiful handmade quilt and fun garden themed gift baskets. Be sure and look for them at the gardens and purchase some chances. The quilt will be displayed at the Rockwall Historical Museum at Harry Myers Park. Cost is 6 for $5. They can also be purchased in advance for the Extension Office. A picture of the quilt is online at
rockmga.org. For more information regarding the tour and raffle sales, call 972-204-7660 or email
rockwallmg@ag.tamu.edu.
Tomball:
Fall Tomato and Pumpkin Contest, judges by Bill Adams, Jeremy Kollaus, and Chef Chris Crowder
will held
at 10:00 a.m., Sunday, November 4 at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For more information, call 281-351-8851, email info@arborgate.com, or visit www.arborgate.com.
Tyler: First Tuesday in the Garden. November 7. MG Henry Burch presents "All About Trees" at noon at the IDEA Garden within the Tyler Rose Garden. 420 Rose Park Dr., Tyler. For more information, call 903-590-2980 or visit https://txmg.org/smith/coming-events/.
Houston: "Designing Your Landscape with Roses" will be the topic of the Houston Rose Society meeting, November 9, 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. Gaye Hammond, past president of the Houston Rose Society, will present the program. Hammond is a master consulting rosarian, a national and international speaker on all aspects of rose horticulture, and a noted expert of the Texas A&M Earth-Kind Program and growing roses in no spray conditions.Free admission. For more information, visit www.houstonrose.org.
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DECEMBER
Tomball:
The Arbor Gate will hold a Christmas Open House with food, fun, and marriment at 2:00 p
.m., Sunday, December 2 at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Music will be provided by Curtis Poullard and the Creole Zydeco Band and food will be provided by Every-Bellies, For more information, call 281-351-8851, email info@arborgate.com, or visit www.arborgate.com
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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 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.
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 July and August) at 10:30 a.m. at the community room behind the Greater Texas Federal Credit Union,1300 N. Bell, Cedar Park, unless there is special event planned. Following a program and short business meeting, we share a pot-luck luncheon. To confirm the meeting place and time, please call president Cathy Clark-Ramsey at 512-963-4698 or email
info@leandergc.org.
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!
Same magazine as our print edition without the paper and at a better price. Fully compatible with your desktop, laptop, iPad or Tablet. Access Texas Gardener anywhere, anytime: at the office, home, vacation, even in the garden. Easy to use with robust features and fully searchable archive as long as your subscription is active. Click on this link to explore your options
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2018 Planning Guide & Calendar
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