February 5, 2020
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The garden reader:
Entry-level veggie-growing for children and adults
By William Scheick
Julie A. Cerny. The Little Gardener: Helping Children Connect with the Natural World. Princeton Architectural Press, 2020. 224 pp. $24.99.
 Tasting veggies, fresh in a garden, immediately connects children to nature, Julie Cerny believes. In her illustrated guide for parents and educators, she provides a good sampling of activities designed to foster children's appreciation of nurturing nature.
Activities include mapping a space, identifying microclimates, setting goals, designing layout in harmony with local conditions, creating a calendar/schedule, building simple structures, drawing pictures of what is growing and snacking outdoors on nature's bounty.
A perspective on child education underlies this informative handbook: too often "unstructured and self-directed play and exploration are marginalized" in formal school settings, the author observes. "When children are immersed in real life, they learn about real life" and "form meaningful connections to the things of this world."
CaliKim. Organic Gardening for Everyone: Homegrown Vegetables Made Easy (No Experience Required). Cool Springs Press, 2020. 160 pp. $22.99.
 CaliKim is not a misprint. It is the personalized handle of the Southern-California creator of CaliKim Garden & Home, a YouTube channel with nearly 250,000 subscribers.
Her book, based on this show and well-designed for beginners, offers "a hands-on guide to growing your own vegetables - from seed to harvest - in a simple and inexpensive way that fits into your lifestyle ... no matter how little space you have."
Helpfully, many demonstration photos accompany the author's explanatory print, including advice on how to construct a shop-light station for seed starting and how to easily build a raised veggie bed.
The installation of drip irrigation receives particular attention. And special tips also advise on how to overwinter peppers and keep cukes stress free.
Matt Mattus. Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening. Cool Springs Press, 2018. 272 pp. $30.00.
 "For me," Matt Mattus explains, "food quality isn't a question of organic versus conventional, or no-till versus digging in, or heirloom versus hybrid. It's a question of what I want to grow, and what I should do to help each seed or plant become the best vegetable it can possibly be."
Every technique recommended in his book has been field-tested by the author, who has successfully grown (from sowing to harvesting) all the profiled veggies.
The best feature of this well-designed book may well be the full-page, detailed listing of the author's recommended varieties for each veggie. For instance, I learned the differences between such easily grown, open-pollinated radishes as 'Cherry Belle', 'Easter Egg', Green Luobo' and black 'Nero Tondo'.
Mattus has mastered his procedures in Massachusetts, and unsurprisingly the veggies he highlights often prefer cooler settings than we experience in Texas. That being said, Lone Star readers of his book can still benefit from the author's wide-ranging expertise.
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Extend Your Garden Season
By Melinda Myers
No matter where you garden there never seems to be enough time to grow all the fresh vegetables desired. Planting earlier or just providing plants with some added warmth on chilly days and nights can reduce the time from planting to harvest. Southern gardeners will enjoy the additional time for harvesting heat-sensitive plants before the stifling heat moves in and plants begin to decline.
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Cloches can help you plant earlier and harvest later, extending the growing season. (Photo courtesy of Gardener's Supply Company) |
Prepare the soil as soon as it can be worked. Cover the prepared soil with clear plastic, row covers or high tunnels for several weeks when planting earlier than normal. This warms the soil for planting and helps germinate many of the weed seeds. Lightly cultivate to remove the young weed seedlings without bringing more weed seeds to the surface. You'll be pulling fewer weeds throughout the growing season.
Once the garden is planted, enlist some of these
season-extending helpers
(gardeners.com). Homemade and commercial cloches, cold frames and row covers can help you plant earlier and harvest later in the season.
Row covers made of spun fabrics let air, light, and water through while keeping the plants warm. Anchor the fabric with landscape pins, stones, boards, or other heavy items. Leave enough slack in the fabrics for the plants to grow. Lighter weight garden fabrics also protect plants from insect pests like cabbage worms and bean beetles.
Garden covers take this method one step further. These structures fit over plantings in the garden, raised beds or elevated planters. Look for those with durable greenhouse fabric covers that let water in and keep excess heat out. These types of structures protect plants from cold and wind, speeding up your harvest by as much as 25 percent.
Raise the roof on these structures with high tunnels and plant protection tents. These are perfect for growing tall plants like tomatoes. As temperatures rise, the tops can be ventilated or in some cases replaced with a mesh that keeps out insects and critters, while providing plants enough room to reach full size.
Or maybe you just can't wait for that first red ripe tomato and only want to jump start a row of greens. Garden cloches have long been used for this purpose. They capture the sun's warmth to protect plants from frosty weather. Gardener's Supply Company's Early Season Row Cloche Set allows you to expand your protection to the desired size. These clear PVC plant protectors have water wells to capture rainwater and gently disperse it to the plants below and vents for managing the temperature.
Further boost your tomato harvest with red plastic mulch, red tomato teepees and tomato boosters. University researchers found using red plastic mulch increased the individual fruit size and weight and overall tomato harvest by as much as 20 percent. They found the red plastic mulch reflected certain growth-enhancing wavelengths of light back onto the plants.
With a bit of extra effort and investment you'll be harvesting fresh vegetables long before your friends and neighbors. Then be sure to keep these season-extending devices handy to use again in fall. Protecting plants from those first few fall frosts can keep you eating garden-fresh tomatoes, peppers and greens well into winter.
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Gardening tips
Cool-season weeds are about to start growing rapidly. They are easiest to control when young. Use a sharp hoe to cut them down or cover them with enough mulch to block out the sun.
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 2020 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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FEBRUARY
McKinney: The Collin County Master Gardeners Association will host "Grape, Fruit Tree & Berry Workshop" on February 7, from 8 a.m.-4 .p.m., and "Vegetable & Edible Gardening" on February 8 from 8 a.m.-noon. Both events will be held at the Landing at Myers Park & Event Center,
7117 County Road 166, McKinney. To learn more about either workshop, visit
www.ccmgatx.org
. Seating is limited so registration is required to ensure there will be enough handouts and goodie bags for attendees.
Conroe
: Saturday, February 8. Educational Classes. Session 1: Turf Grass Selections and Maintenance. 8:00 until 10:00 a.m. Session 2: Growing Spring Vegetables in Montgomery County. 10:30 until 12:30. $5 per session or $8 for both. Learn what you need to know about having healthy lawns and delicious, homegrown vegetables in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Master Gardeners, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. For more information, call (936) 539-7824 or visit www.mcmga.com.
Killeen: "Building Healthier Soil with Compost and organic Amendments" will be presented at 2:30 p.m., February 8, at Monarch Academy, 4205 Old Florence Road, Killeen.
Rosenberg:
The Fort Bend County Master Gardeners will hold their annual Fruit Tree Sale on Saturday, February 8 from 9:00 a.m. until noon. The sale will be held at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds in the George Pavilion, 4310 Hwy 36 South, Rosenberg. Our 2020 Fruit Tree Sale will offer some tropical plants propagated and grown by local Master Gardeners, including Hawaiian Strawberry Papaya, Oleifera Moringa and Zingiber Ginger. Other plants new to the sale are Paw Paw Seedlings, Prime Ark Freedom Blackberries and several new citrus varieties. For a complete list of plants, visit
https://fbmg.org/events/annual-sales/fruit-citrus-tree-sale/.
San Antonio: The Austin Organic Gardeners' club's February 10 meeting features
nutritionist and agriculturalist Kara Kroeger exploring how regenerative agricultural practices that improve soil health have a positive impact on human health. Kroeger will discuss the five soil health principles and how healthier soils can prevent many common illnesses in humans through fostering greater nutrient density in our foods and improving the health of the human gastrointestinal microbiome. Kroeger is a Sustainable Agriculture Specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology in San Antonio.
The Austin Organic Gardeners' Club meets at the Austin Area Garden Center,
2220 Barton Springs Rd, in Zilker Botanical Gardens
. Doors open at
6:30 pm
for the opportunity to meet, mingle, and ask questions with experienced local gardeners. Club business begins
at 7:00 pm
, followed by the guest speaker presentation. For more information, visit
www.austinorganicgardeners.org.
Beaumont: At 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, February 11, at the
Art Museum of Southeast Texas, 500 Main Street,
Beaumont, Greg Grant will present Gardening for the Birds and the Bees: Saving the World One Garden at a Time or (what our ancestors did wrong and how I evolved into an ecologically sound gardener). Grant is the Smith County Horticulturist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Tyler, has degrees in floriculture and horticulture from Texas A&M University, and is a graduate of the Benz School of Floral Design. He has served as a Horticulturist at SFA Gardens, Mercer Arboretum and San Antonio Botanical Gardens. He has also served as director of research and development with Antique Rose Emporium. Grant has introduced a number of successful plants to the Southern nursery industry including: several varieties of petunias, vital, hibiscus and roses. He has received awards of achievement from the Native Plant Society of Texas, the Texas Agricultural Extension Service and Texas Parks and Wildlife. His book, Heirloom Gardening in the South, was a Garden Writers Association award winner. He is a blogger for Arbor Gate, a columnist for Texas Gardener magazine, and a featured writer for Southern Living, The New York Times and all the major newspapers across Texas. He is the author and co-author of seven books including: Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, The Southern Heirloom Garden, and The Rose Rustlers.
Marion: Judit Green, Urban Wildlife Biologist with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, will present "Wildscaping: Landscaping for Wildlife" at 7:00 p.m.,
February 11, at St. John's Lutheran Church, 600 S. Center St. (FM 465) South, Marion. he co-founded the first chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists in San Antonio in 1966 and was a contributing author and photographer for
Texas Wildscapes: Gardening for Wildlife. Meetings are open to the public, and visitors are welcome. For more information, visit
http://npsot.org/wp/guadalupe.
Houston: Matt Fendley, Professor at University of Houston Clear Lake, will present "Purple Martins," Thursday,
February 13, 10:00-11:30 a.m., at Genoa Friendship Garden, 1202 Genoa Red Bluff Road, Houston. Free. No Registration Needed. For more information, call (713) 274-0950 or visit hcmga.tamu.edu
.
Austin: Travis County Master Gardeners Reed Burnam, Joe Posern, and Sheryl Williams will present a hands-on workshop on how to prune peaches, plums, pomegranates, figs, persimmons, loquats, and blackberries. The workshop will be held February 15, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Gus Garcia Community Garden, 1201 E Rundberg Ln, Austin.
The workshop will occur rain or shine and you will be expected to prune trees. This requires reaching over your head and operating hand pruners and loppers. Please allow time to stack brush at the conclusion of the workshop. The garden has rough ground and may not be suited for folks with mobility issues. You will need to bring your own tools and dress appropriately: hat, long sleeved shirt, gloves, water. rubber boots or closed toe shoes, coat/rain gear (if needed), sunscreen (if needed), hand pruners, loppers, and pruning saws that have been cleaned and disinfected with 70% isopropyl alcohol and are labeled with your name. Bring them all if you have them. The Austin Parks Foundation requires each participant to sign their liability waiver form: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/files/2020/01/LiabilityReleaseFormAustinParks.pdf. Please bring a signed copy with you. The Gus Garcia Community Garden features vegetable beds and fruit. For more information, visit https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/events/, or contact Sheryl Williams at (512) 854-9600 or sheryl.williams@ag.tamu.edu.
Rosenberg: The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Fort Bend County, along with the Fort Bend County Master Gardeners, present a six-class program on creating a productive edible garden in the home landscape. Participants will learn how to start a garden, the keys to success, what to plant and when, and how to reap the benefits of year-round food production in Fort Bend County. All classes will combine indoor and outdoor lessons.
2020 Saturday Class Schedule: February 15, Edible Garden Planning; March 21, Warm Season Vegetables; April 18, Vegetable Pests & Diseases; September 19, Cool Season Vegetables; October 17, Fruit Trees; November 14, Composting.
Please register in advance.
Choose individual classes at $15 per class or enroll in the entire series for $60, a 33% savings. To ensure enrollment confirmation, full series registrations are due by February 13. Individual class registrations are due two days prior to each class date. If you are unable to preregister, you will be able to register at the door the day of the class.
Class Location and Time
: Bud O'Shieles Community Center, 1330 Band Road, Rosenberg. Sign-in will be at 8:30 a.m. and classes will be from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. For information on each class, to register online, or to download a registration form please visit
fortbend.agrilife.org/grow-your-own/ or contact Brandy Rader at (281) 342-3034 or brandy.rader@ag.tamu.edu.
Woodway: Mark Barnett, Master Gardener, will present "Perennials for Central Texas," noon-2:00 p.m. February 19 at The Pavilion at Carleen Bright Arboretum, 1 Pavilion Way, Woodway. For additional information, call (254) 399-9204 or email jschaffer@woodwaymail.org.
Tyler: Smith County Master Gardeners at the Library. Master Gardener Debby Watkins will present, "Protecting the World One Garden at a Time"--What is YOUR Role and What Can YOU Do?, 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. February 21, at Tyler Public Library, 201 S. College, Tyler. Free and open to the public. Free parking garage. Call (903) 590-2980 for more information.
Huntsville: Henry Flowers of Brenham will headline the slate of speakers for the 2020 Spring Expo presented by the Walker County Master Gardeners. Flowers, known for his 16 years as Director of Gardens for the Round Top Festival Institute (Festival Hill) in Round Top and previously with the Antique Rose Emporium, will be featured at noon on Saturday, February 22. Flowers is a native Texan, a graduate of Texas A & M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture and a Master of Agriculture degree in Floriculture. He is a member of the Herb Society of America Pioneer Unit, and has been a featured speaker at herbal forums, nursery workshops, and educational events across the state and U.S. Bill Runyon, Texas CoCoRaHS State Coordinator, will take the spotlight on Sunday, February 23 at 1:00 p.m. CoCoRaHS is an acronym for Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow network, and is now 21 years old. Otis Cunningham, Planning and Resource Utilization Group, MSOC Maintenance Team of NASA, will be another featured speaker. Cunningham is noted for his presentations on Moon Gardening. The 2020 Spring Garden Expo will take place at the Walker County Fairgrounds, 3925 SH 30, Huntsville, TX 77340. The two-day event will be held Saturday, February 22, 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, February 23, 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. Vendors, Children's Area, Ask A Master Gardener and other speaker programs will run each day. For more information, email
walkercomg@gmail.com
or call (936) 435-2426.
Kaufman. Join the Kaufman County Master Gardeners for an afternoon of education and enrichment highlighted by by Jacob Eickstead with the Texas Department of Transportation talking about Texas wildflower seed distribution and the screening of the award-winning documentary "Five Seasons: The Gardens of Piet Oudolf." The program will be held at the First Baptist Church, 2000 West Fair Street, Kaufman, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. February 22, and the cost will be $40.00 per person, which includes your lunch. More information to follow on our Facebook page.
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MARCH
Austin: Annual Plant Sale/Benefit for Sunshine Community Gardens, 4814 Sunshine Drive Austin, 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., March 7. Available will be organically grown tomatoes (120 varieties), peppers (80 varieties), eggplants tomatillos, herbs, natives and ornamentals for the yard and garden, and compost to help them all be healthy and happy. For more information and plant lists, please visit sunshinecommunitygardens.org.
Conroe
: Saturday, March 14. Educational Classes. Session 1: Must Do, Should Do and Don't Do in Your Garden. 8:00 until 10:00 a.m. Session 2: Attracting Bees, Butterflies and Other Pollinators to Your Garden. 10:30 til 12:30. $5 per session or $8 for both. Learn what you need to know about having great gardens in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Master Gardeners, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. For more information, call (936) 539-7824 or visit www.mcmga.com.
Jacksonville: The Cherokee County Master Gardeners 2020 Spring Conference will be held
March 14 at the First Christian Church, 1920 Beaumont St., Jacksonville. For more information, contact Kim Benton at
kim.benton@ag.tamu.edu.
Conroe
: Saturday, March 28, Spring Plant Sale. Free Presentation 8:00 a.m., sale 9:00 a.m. unti 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 information, call (936) 539-7824 or visit www.mcmga.com.
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APRIL
Conroe
: Saturday, April 11. Educational Classes. Session 1: Soil Issues in Your Garden. 8:00 til 10:00 a.m. Session 2: Best Herb Selections for Montgomery County. 10:30 until 12:30. $5 per session or $8 for both. Learn what you need to know about having healthy soil and fresh herbs in Montgomery County. Montgomery County Master Gardeners, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. For more information, call (936) 539-7824 or visit www.mcmga.com.
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Weekly Meetings
Galveston: The Young Gardeners Program is a school garden and healthy eating program operating on Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsula. Every Saturday, 9-11 a.m., they host a garden Community Day at one of the schools. It's an opportunity for community members to work and play in the garden and it's kid-friendly. First Saturday - Crenshaw, 416 State Hwy 87, Crystal Beach; Second Saturday - Rosenberg Elementary, 721 10th St., Galveston; Third Saturday - Morgan Elementary, 1410 37th St., Galveston; Fourth Saturday - Oppe Elementary, 2915 81st St., Galveston.
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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
Jasper:
The Jasper County Master Gardeners meet on the first Monday of each month at St. Michael's Catholic Church from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The evening begins with pot luck social and then guest presentations and/or educational class to conclude. Visit https://jasper.agrilife.org/jasper-master-gardeners/ 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; Visit
https://mastergardener.tamu.edu/become/ to become a member.
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.
Schulenberg: Schulenburg Garden Club meets the first Tuesday of the month, at 11:30 a.m., September-May, at the Schulenburg First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 110 Upton Ave., Schulenburg.
Dallas:
Garden Masters, Inc., meet the first Wednesday of each month, Sept.- May, at North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Rd., Dallas, 75230. The club hosts different speakers each month from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Come early and order lunch from the The Cafe, which features a healthy menu, fresh local produce and sustainably produced meats and fish (or call in advance to order
972-338-2233)
. For more information about Garden Masters Inc, email Marcia Borders at
borderlineart1@gmail.com
.
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: The Permian Basin Master Gardeners (Ector/Midland counties) have monthly meetings at noon on the
first Wednesday of each month at the West Texas Food Bank, 1601 Westcliff Drive in Midland. For more information 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 Insider's Tour at 10 a.m. on the first Saturday of each month. Spaces are limited so pre-registration is encouraged. $15, free for members. For more information, visit http://peckerwoodgarden.org/product/peckerwood-insiders-tours/.
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. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; club business begins at 7:00 p.m., followed by a presentation. 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.
Cedar Park/Leander/Liberty Hill: The Hill Country Bloomers meet the
second Tuesday of each month (except December) at 7 p.m. at the Cedar Park Recreation Center, 1435 Main Street, Cedar Park. Arrive at 6:30 p.m. to socialize and swap plants and seeds. Meetings feature guest speakers on a variety of topics for the home gardener or landscaper. They host a plant sale in the spring and a garden tour in the late summer/early fall. Throughout the year they contribute time and expertise to local projects. Those with any level of experience are welcome. Non-members are invited to their first meeting at no cost. Membership and speaker info is available at
www.hillcountrybloomers.com.
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.
San Marcos: The Spring Lake Garden Club meets the second Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m., September-May, at McCoy's Building Supply Headquarters, 1350 IH-35, San Marcos. Contact Terri Boyd (512) 395-66644 x6134.
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.
Killeen: Youth Backyard Gardening Initiative holds community engagement meetings the
second Saturday of each month at 2:30 p.m. at Monarch Academy, 4205 Old Florence Road, Killeen. To learn more, visit
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ybkydgarden/.
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.
Abilene: The Master Gardeners meet the
third Tuesday of each month at the Taylor County Extension Office, 1982 Lytle Way, Abilene. For more information, contact Big Country Master Gardeners Association at
mgardeners@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@gmail.com for more information.
Houston:
The Native Plant Society of Texas - Houston Chapter meets at 6:45 pm on the third Thursday of each month at the American Red Cross Building, 2700 Southwest Fwy. For more information about meeting presentations and native plants, visit http://npsot.org/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 with presentation is held 6:00-8:00 p.m. During the intervening months (Feb., April, June, Aug., Oct.), afternoon educational seminars/general meetings are held from 1:00-3:00 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.
Fort Worth: The Greater Fort Worth Herb Society meetings are held the
third Saturday of each month at Texas Garden Club Inc, 3111 Old Garden Club Rd., Fort Worth (located next to the Fort Worth Botanic Garden), 10:00 a.m. to noon, September through June. For more information, email
herbalhen@yahoo.com.
FOURTH WEEK
New Braunfels: The New Braunfels Chapter of Native Plant Society of Texas meets on the
fourth Monday of each month except July and December. Meetings are held at the Westside Community Center, 2932 S. I-35 Frontage Road, New Braunfels. Meetings start at 6:15 p.m. with a meet and greet time, followed by a short business meeting. Programs begin around 7:00. Native plant and seed exchanges are held monthly. Expert speakers present educational programs on topics of interest. Meetings are free and open to the public. For more information or to join, visit
www.npsot.org.
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.
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 (except November and December) at the Houston Red Cross Building, 2700 Southwest Freeway, Houston. Refreshments served at 6:30 p.m. 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.
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, hosts a garden Open Days from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month. Drop-in tours are permitted but pre-registration is encouraged. Docent led tours are $10 for guests, free for members. For more information, http://peckerwoodgarden.org/explore/visit-peckerwood-garden/.
Dallas: The Greater Dallas Organic Garden Club meets at 2:30 p.m. on the fourth Sunday of each month (except November and December) at North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Road, Dallas. For more information, visit www.gdogc.org.
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