April 11, 2018
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Wildflowers and blooming plants putting on a show at Texas State Parks
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Texas State Parks have gone Technicolor with a show-stopping display of bright blues, vibrant pinks, deep reds and rich yellows.
Texas is the home to more than 5,000 species of wildflowers and recent rains are sure to usher in an explosion of color before the end of the season. More than 90 Texas State Parks present some of the best and safest places to view and photograph nature's bounty of wildflowers and blooming shrubs and trees.
"Spring wildflower shows have been spectacular in East, Central, North, coastal and South Texas landscapes recently," said Jason Singhurst, botanist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. "With recent rains blanketing a large percentage of Texas, we are experiencing astonishing wildflower displays and should expect increasing wildflower intensity through April and into May. However, be aware that the National Weather Service three-month precipitation outlook has the Lone Star State tapering off with below-average rain in late spring and early summer."
Presently, every region of the state is presenting different varieties of wildflowers, including:
Central Texas: The rolling hillsides and plateaus are providing a colorful and prolific wildflower wave that is layered with bluebonnets, Texas star, blue sage, Indian blanket, Mexican hat, prairie fleabane, prairie verbena, greenthread, two-leaved senna, four-nerve daisy, Drummond's onion, old plainsman, golden eye phlox, wine cups, phlox, Missouri primrose, antelope horn milkweed, sundrops, white rain lily, Drummond's skullcap, Blackfoot daisy, foxglove and Lindheimer's paintbrush. The Hill Country woodland ground flora is draped with false dayflower ('widows tears'), plateau spiderwort, baby blue eyes, red columbine, Texas milkweed, blue curls and roundleaf groundsel.
Coastal Texas prairies, barrier islands, and the South Texas 'Sand Sheet': An array of wildflowers are on display including prairie nymph, prairie clovers, betony-leaf mistflower, Indian blanket, silverleaf sunflower, seaside goldenrod, showy nerveray, erect dayflower, Texas groundsel, woolly whites, longbract wild indigo, coralbean, Rio Grande greenthread, American snoutbean, coast germander, sand rose gentian, sand verbena, phlox, sea lavender, sea rocket and side-cluster milkweed.
East Texas: The Pineywoods' hardwood slopes and bottomland forest flora has been extraordinary with a plethora of wildflowers including trout lilies, trilliums, mayapple, violets, purple meadow-rue, groundsels, blue iris, wisteria, flowering dogwood, blue-star, spider lily, yellow jasmine, crossvine, jack-in-the-pulpits, Virginia sweetspire, hawthorns, spiderworts, white-flowered milkweed, azalea, fringe tree and silver bells.
North Texas: The landscape is profuse with brown-eyed Susan, winecup, basket flower, paintbrushes, pennyroyal, showy evening primrose, fleabane, prairie clovers, blue-eyed grass, buttercups, snakeherb, butterfly weed, false dragon-head, sundrops, beeblossum, Texas skeleton plant, larkspur, coneflowers, blue mealy sage, wild indigo and astonishing numbers of green milkweeds.
Southwest Texas: From Laredo north to Del Rio wildflower displays are increasing and include blue mistflower, Texas blueweed, Engelmann's daisy, camphorweed, paper flower, lemonscent, bush sunflower, Texas varilla, zexmenia, bladderpods, many cacti, Texas palo verde, guayacan and cenezio.
"While driving between Austin and Houston along Highway 290 during the first week of April, I observed many pastures between Hempstead and Waller gleaming with the bright blue sandyland bluebonnet (Lupinus subcarnosus)," Singhurst said. "If you are traveling Highway 290 this spring I highly encourage pulling off to safe access road or side county road to take photos of this other amazing sandy soil loving bluebonnet that is primarily restricted to Texas."
Always remember to exercise caution when taking wildflower photos on busy roadways by using your emergency lights and being mindful of disturbing wildlife resting or hiding in that location, such as nesting birds, or undesirable encounters with venomous snakes and fire ants.
Texas State Parks offer great picturesque settings for family wildflower photos away from busy roadways and now is a prime time for unique and diverse wildflower displays.
Recent sightings reported by TPWD staff in Texas State Parks include:
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Celebrate 2018 with Four Garden Honorees
By Melinda Myers
It's a year-long celebration of flavor and beauty as we honor and grow the beet, coreopsis, calibrachoa and tulip. The National Garden Bureau (NGB) has declared 2018 the year of these garden mainstays. This non-profit's goal is to inspire you to grow these and more plants in your gardens at home and work.
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Snow white colored Avalanche beet has all the sweetness but lacks the bitterness of some other beet varieties. (Photo: National Garden Bureau)
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The celebration starts with the tulip, a symbol of spring. They come in a variety of flower types and colors. Select from early bloomers like Apricot beauty and end spring with a late blooming double tulip like Backpacker. Then add some pizzazz with more double blooms, ruffled petals of parrot, pointed flowers of lily types or fringed tulips.
Add more low maintenance beauty to your garden with the other two National Garden Bureau "Year of Flower" designees. 2018 honors the annual calibrachoa and perennial coreopsis.
Once you grow calibrachoas you'll know why it has become a gardener's favorite. You'll appreciate the wide selection of colors and outstanding performance in containers. You may know these beauties by their collection or series names such as Superbells, Million Bells, Callie, and Calipetite. Fill a basket with these beauties or mix them with other flowers, vegetables and herbs. Dress up a pot of elephant ears or base of trees with calibrachoas, cascading over the edge of the pot. The only challenge you'll have is deciding which one of these colorful plants to grow.
Grow a bit of sunshine in your garden with coreopsis. No matter where you garden or your gardening style you can find a coreopsis that fits the situation. Enjoy the long blooming, small yellow daisy-like blooms and fine foliage of threadleaf coreopsis
(Coreopsis verticillata). Include these versatile plants in natural, informal and even formal garden settings and containers. The towering tall coreopsis
(Coreopsis tripteris) brightens the back of the flower border with its yellow daisy like flowers from mid summer into fall.
Try a few of the newer coreopsis introductions with larger blooms and different colors. Big Bang Cosmic Eye has bright yellow flowers with dark red center, while Coreopsis 'Ruby Frost of the Jewel Series has ruby-red flowers with a fringe of frosty white.
Dress up your dinner table with the NGB's edible of the year, beets. Not only are they tasty and pretty, but they're also good for you. These small vegetables are high in fiber, vitamins A and C, have more iron than most vegetables and are rich in antioxidants, calcium, potassium, phosphorus and folic acid.
Use beet greens in salads and roast, cook or juice the colorful roots. Change things up with yellow and gold beets like Touchstone Gold. Its vibrant orange-red exterior and golden center will add something special to any dish.
Entice those reluctant to eat beets to the table with All-America Selections winner, Avalanche. The snow-white root has all the sweet flavor of the beet without any bitterness or earthy flavor that may have discouraged them in the past.
Then visit the NGB's website (
ngb.org) for creative and tasty ideas for adding beets to your meals. Chef Jonathan Bardzik shares fun and easy recipes and a
video to help you brighten your meals with beets.
Join the fun and add these 2018 National Garden Bureau designees to your containers and gardens. Then share the beauty and flavor with friends and family throughout the growing season.
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Farmers markets can grow with "VegU-cation"
By Laura Popielski
VegU Coordinator
USDA
Everyday USDA works to develop tools for farmers and ranchers that support their financial success. The USDA Farmers Market on the National Mall is a "living laboratory" for farmers market operations across the country. During our 2017 market season, we tested "VegU-cation" and found that this fruit and vegetable education program was popular with our visitors and increased sales for our farmers. Visitors to our market attended a 10-minute demonstration class in the VegU tent, on how to grow, pick, and prepare that week's featured fruit or vegetable.
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The VegU featured item is always the key ingredient in the "VegU-cation" lesson. This special event creates opportunities for customers to ask questions. With more knowledge, customers are willing to purchase the new fruit or vegetable, ultimately resulting in more sales for market vendors. (USDA Photo by Preston Keres)
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Here are five tips
to help you bring "VegU-cation" to your market:
1. Use Simple and Creative Recipes
. Customers are more likely to consider making a recipe, using the featured item, if it has just a few ingredients that are easy to assemble. Keep the preparation demo to five minutes or less. Highlighting new ways to prepare an item that shoppers may have never considered, like roasted avocado instead of guacamole, works great. Add a toppings bar to a simple recipe to make it more interactive. During a demo last year, VegU featured mangos, with a toppings bar of lime hot sauce, salt and pepper, cumin, and cayenne pepper. This extra feature gave participants a chance to try some of the many ways a mango can be enjoyed.
2. Showcase Variety to Create Interest
. Offering variety increases customers' willingness to try new foods and can make a farmers booth vibrant and inviting. We spotlighted lesser-known varieties of apples and pears, grown by our farmers, during a VegU session. The presentation included "fun facts" along with the variety names, distinguishing characteristics and suggestions on the best varieties for snacking, baking and salads. A similar display for mushrooms listing names, flavor and texture profiles, as well as preparation suggestions, worked really well.
3. Provide Free Samples
. Free food gets attention! We have found that serving samples halfway through the demo keeps folks interested. Once they taste it, they often want to buy the featured item and try the recipe. Talking about nutritional value and asking participants to share their favorite recipes also helps to engage your audience.
4. Share How Things Grow
. We found that displaying and talking about live plants, grown in the USDA greenhouse or brought in from nearby nurseries and farms, encourages customers to taste and purchase unfamiliar vegetables, like okra. VegU helps shoppers improve their knowledge about seasonal availability of fruits and vegetables and learn more how the foods they love are grown.
5. Don't Be Afraid of Challenges
. For farmers, growing an unfamiliar product can be challenging in an unknown market. However, VegU presentations on new or unusual items can create a great deal of interest amongst shoppers. We have found that shoppers are interested in learning about these out-of-the-ordinary items like how to prepare kohlrabi or fennel. VegU often resulted in vendors selling more of the featured vegetable or fruit - sometimes selling out! Activities like our "Guess the Mystery Vegetable" game engage audiences and encourages them to try new things.
VegU is just one example of a special event to build market support for farmers. We also asked farmers market managers across the country to share what helped make their markets better. Many told us that hosting special events, offering community programs, and other activities added to their success. Checkout our Farmers Market Improvement Toolkit for more ideas.
If you are in our Nation's capital, please join us at the USDA Farmers Market and stop by the VegU tent. Come any Friday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m., from May through October, right outside USDA Headquarters at 1200 Independence Avenue, NW, Washington D.C.
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Gardening tips
Strawberries are at their peak production right now. Wait until the berries are fully ripe to harvest because they will not continue to ripen once picked. Water on the surface of ripe berries will cause them to rot, so try to avoid overhead watering until after the harvest is complete. Also, harvest ripe berries before rain is expected for best fruit quality.
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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APRIL
Georgetown: Colleen Gardner, Executive Director of the Bamberger Ranch (Selah), will speak to the Native Plant Society of Texas on Land Conservation and Restoration on
April 12. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office at 3151 SE Inner Loop Rd., Georgetown. Free and Open.
Houston: Jason Naivar, forest ranger with Jesse Jones Park & Nature Center, presented "Coyotes in Our Area," 10:00-11:30 a.m., April 12, at the Genoa Friendship Gardens Educational Center Building, 1202 Genoa Red Bluff Road, Houston. For additional information, visit hcmga.tamu.edu.
Houston: "Save That Rose for Next Week!" is the topic of the Houston Rose Society meeting, Thursday,
April 12, 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. Diane Sommers will present the program. Diane is a Master Rosarian from Wisconsin, a Horticultural and Arrangement Judge. She has been the recipient of many ARS awards and active in local rose societies and committees in the American Rose Society. Diane is a candidate for American Rose Society vice president in 2018. She will discuss the technique of drywrapping roses. This technique helps the rosarian save beautiful roses for a special event when they have bloomed too soon. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. Arrive at 7:00 p.m. for social time and refreshments. Free admission. For more information, visit
http://www.houstonrose.org.
Nacogdoches: Amanda McWhirt, Univesity of Little Rock, presents "I Have a Thorny Issue to Discuss: Blackberry Basics" 7:30-8:30 p.m., April 12, in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., Nacognoches. For more information call (936) 468-4129 or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
San Antonio: Tammy Martinez, manager and event planner of the Gardentea Lounge in San Antonio, presents an overview on organic teas and making herbal tisanes, April 12. Prepare for a relaxing evening of tasting and leaning about teas. Some blends will be available for sale.
Hospitality opens at 6:30 PM. Meeting and program 7:00 -8:30 p.m. at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels, San Antonio. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.sanantonioherbs.org.
Tyler: Master Gardeners at the Library,
April 13, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. "Pass Along Plants" with Smith County Master Gardener, Andie Rathbone. 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.
Angleton: The Brazoria County Master Gardeners Association presents their 20th Annual Spring Plant Sale, Saturday,
April 14, 8:00 a.m.-noon, at the Brazoria County Environmental Education Station, 799 E. Hospital Drive, Angleton. For more information, call (979) 864-1558.
Cleburne: Johnson County Master Gardeners Annual Plant Sale,
April 14, 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Held in the Sheriff's Posse White House. 1315 S. Main, Cleburne. Plants of North Texas; Tomatoes & Peppers, Herbs, Perennials, Annuals, Roses & Shrubs. Cash or Checks only.
Conroe
: Saturday, April 14, Educational Classes. Session 1: Gardening in the Shade, 8:00-10:00 a.m. Session 2: Herbs! 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.. $5 per session or $8 for both. Come learn all you need to know about growing shade gardens and herbs in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Master Gardeners, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. For more information, visit www.mcmga.com or call 936-539-7824.
Dallas: John Watts, entomologist, presents "Marvelous Monarchs," 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.,
April 12, at Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park, 3601 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Dallas. For more information, visit
TexasDiscoveryGardens.org.
Grapevine: Grapevine Garden Club's Annual Plant Sale on April 14 features drought-tolerant plants, heirloom perennials and butterfly nectar and host plants appropriate for our area. The event is from 9 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at the Botanical Gardens at Heritage Park, 411 Ball Street, Grapevine. Admission is free. Proceeds benefit the Club's scholarship and civic programs. For additional information, visit www.grapevinegardenclub.com.
Nacogdoches:
The SFA Horticulture Club will host a presentation by Thomas Rainer, principal at Phyto Studio, on Saturday, April 14, at 2 p.m. in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., Nacogdoches. Rainer is a landscape architect, teacher, and author who has designed landscapes for the U.S. capitol, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and New York Botanical Garden, as well as 100 more gardens along the East Coast. Rainer serves as a principal for the landscape architecture and consulting firm Phyto Studio in Washington D.C. Widely acclaimed across the United States and Europe as a public speaker, Rainer's experience also ranges in projects from residential gardens to expansive estates, rooftop gardens, botanical gardens, largescale green infrastructure design and implementation, and national memorials. His works as a designer have been featured in The New York Times, Landscape Architecture Magazine, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and Architectural Digest. The lecture entry fee is $20, and is free to students with student ID. Parking is available at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center and the nearby Raguet Elementary School, located at 2428 Raguet St. Visit horticultureisawesome.com to reserve your seat.
Sealy: Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association Annual Plant Sale, Saturday,
April 14, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. on the grounds of the Santa Fe Museum, 211 E. Main St., Sealy. The plant sale is held in conjunction with Sealy's Spring Fest. There will be unique and boutique plants, Texas Super Stars, Earth-Kind varieties, annuals and perennials. There will be a Micro Greens demonstration at 10:00 a.m. Master Gardeners will share rainwater harvesting tips and help you decide what plant is best to take home. Micro green kits, rain barrels and garden gloves will also be on sale. Proceeds from a silent auction helps fund the BMGA Scholarships. For more information, visit
www.bluebonnetmastergardener.org or email Renee Kofman at
renee@ircsurplus.com.
Tomball: Gaye Hammond, Houston Rose Society, presents "Container Gardening that Makes a Statement," at 10:00 a.m., Saturday,
April 14, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball.
With the size of landscapes shrinking, more and more focus is being directed to container plantings that make a dramatic statement in the landscape, along a walkway or at a gate. Covered will be tricks to creating a beautiful container of plants that are low maintenance, self-sustaining and has lots of WOW factor. For more information, visit
www.arborgate.com.
Tyler: The Smith County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office Environmental Horticultural Committee will host a spring landscape seminar Saturday, April 14, from 9:00 a.m.-noon at the HUB, 304 E Ferguson St, Tyler. Bob Byers, Director, Fort Worth Botanic Garden will present "Imagining a Better Garden; Easy Concepts for Understanding Landscape Design" while Smith County horticulturist Greg Grant will cover choosing plants for your East Texas garden. Byers holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from Louisiana State University. He worked professionally in Wisconsin, Florida, Alabama, and Arkansas before joining the staff the Fort Worth Botanic Garden in 2015. Byers has published articles in a number of regional and national publications and presented programs at state, national and international conferences. Grant is author of six gardening books, including Texas Home Landscaping and The Rose Rustlers, and is a Texas Gardener contributing editor. He has degrees in floriculture and horticulture, both from Texas A&M University and has worked for Louisiana State University and Stephen F. Austin State University. Grant introduced a number of successful plants to the nursery industry and was awarded the Lynn Lowery Memorial Award by the Native Plant Society of Texas for horticultural achievement in the field of Texas native plants. Registration is encouraged. The cost is $15 payable in advance at the Smith County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office (1517 W. Front St., Suite Rm 116) or at the door. The program is sponsored by the Smith County Environmental Education Committee. For more information contact 903-590-2980 or for more information on local educational programming, visit smith.agrilife.org.
Athens: As part of the Henderson County "Learn at the Library" Series, Master Gardener Susan Skommesa will present "Square Foot Gardening." This presentation will be held on
April 17 at 5:30 p.m. at the Clint W. Murchison Memorial Library, 121 S. Prairieville, Athens. Skommesa, who recently moved from Southern California, has an informative presentation and tips on small area gardening. For more information, visit
txmg.org/hendersonmg or call 903-675-6130.
Seguin: Thursday, April 19, 6:30 p.m.. Guadalupe County Master Gardeners will meet at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension 210 E. Live Oak, Seguin, for a program from Keith Amelung. Learn the How, When, Where and Why about Growing Tomatoes. Everyone is welcome. Free. For more information, visit www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org.
Tomball: Angela Chandler, The Garden Academy, will present "
Insectary Gardens," Thursday,
April 19, 10 a.m., at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, visit
www.arborgate.com.
Hillsboro: Spring gardeners and plant lovers are invited to the Hill County Master Gardeners plant sale on Saturday,
April 21. A variety of well-adapted plants for Central Texas gardens will be offered, including annuals, perennials, natives and drought tolerant plants. 126 S. Covington St., Hillsboro. For more information, call (254) 582-4022 or email
hillcomastergardener@gmail.com.
Houston: The Houston Rose Society will hold their annual Spring Show on Saturday, April 21, at Memorial City Mall, 303 Memorial City Way, Houston. The show is free and will open to the public from noon to 4 p.m. See beautiful roses grown by local rosarians. Consulting Rosarians will be on hand to answer your rose questions. This year floral design students from Klein Oak High School will participate in the arrangement section of the show, creating their own lovely flower arrangements. For more information, visit www.houstonrose.org.
Tomball: Henry Flowers, Festival Hill Gardens, , will present "Underutilized Herbs," Saturday,
April 21, 10 a.m. at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, visit
www.arborgate.com.
Tomball: Skip Richter, Texas Gardener contributing editor, will present Summer Color in the Landscape, Wednesday, April 25, Noon-1:00 p.m., at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Landscape color options are plentiful in the spring but in summer our landscapes often become a "sea of green." Richter will discuss some of the best plant options for maintaining a beautiful, colorful landscape in the hot summer months. For more information, visit arborgate.com.
Athens: The Henderson County Master Gardener Association (HCMGA) will hold their annual plant sale on Saturday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Athens Senior Citizens Center, located at 3344 State Hwy 31 E, Athens (by the arena). Offerings will include a wide variety of trees, shrubs, bulbs, perennials, annuals, natives, heirlooms, vegetables and herbs. For more information, visit
txmg.org/hendersonmg or call (903) 675-6130.
Bacliff: "Growing Cucurbits (Cucumbers, Summer Squash, Cantaloupe, etc.)", with Galveston County Master Gardener Herman Auer presenting, 9-10:30 a.m,
April 28, at Galveston County Bayside Community Center, 4833 10th Street, Bacliff, at Galveston County Bayside Park. For more information, call (281) 534-3413; email
galvcountymgs@gmail.com; or visit
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston/index.html. Free.
Houston: 2018 NASA/Agro Spring Plant Swap in conjunction with the Galveston County Plant Swap. The 2018 theme is Time For Renewal to help folks renew gardens after Harvey/ICE damage.
April 28, 7:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at JSC Gilruth Live Oak Pavilion (on the grounds of NASA JSC on Space Center Blvd, Houston). For more information, visit
http://www.freewebs.com/gcplantswap or phone Steve Candler, (281) 687-7654. Free, no entry or sales charges.
Tomball: Nancy Greig, Cockrell Butterfly Center, will present "Monarch Butterflies and other Pollinators," Saturday,
April 28, 10 a.m. at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, visit
www.arborgate.com.
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MAY
Navasota: "50th Celebration of the founding of the Navasota Garden Club" First Baptist Church, 300 Church Street, Navasota. Business Meeting 9:30-10:30 a.m. Celebration 11:00 to 12:30 "Come and Go." May 2. Visitors and former members welcome.
Conroe:
Saturday, May 5, Open Gardens Day. 9 a.m. til 11 a.m. Free! Bring your kids and gardening questions and join Montgomery County Master Gardeners in ther demonstration gardens at the AgriLife Extension Office, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. There will be tours and plenty of Master Gardeners to identify plants and problems you may have in your garden and yard.
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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 10:00 a.m. 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 Elaine Bell at 817-309-8052.
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/.
Abilene: The Master Gardeners meet the
third Thursday of each month at the Taylor County Extension Office, 1982 Lytle Way, Abilene. For more information, contact Lind Spivey, Corresponding Secretary at
spivey209@hotmail.com.
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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