Please watch for email updates for the September meeting from
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Hey Neighbors! Sing along!
I'm singing in the rain.....Just singing in the rain......What a glorious feelin'....
I'm happy again.....I'm laughing at clouds.....So dark up above....
The sun's in my heart.....And I'm ready for my yard and garden to live again!
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Herman Park Conservancy
Our August topic is Bullies on the Prairie:
The Scourge of Invasive Plants in Texas will be presented
at 6:00 p.m. in the Family Garden in McGovern Centennial Gardens.
The Garden & Nature Series, on August 24, is open for registration
and we are telling our members, first! Click on the link below for information:
Scott Clark, from the University of Houston Crawford Lab, will lead a discussion of the origin and spread of invasive plants in the state, their impact on native communities and prospects for native restoration. Get ready to explore and investigate some plant samples Scott will have on hand!
Scott Clark is a graduate researcher in the Crawford Plant Community Ecology Lab at the University of Houston. His research focuses on the response of native plant, herbivore and soil microbial communities to invasive plants. Prior to his work in ecology, he was a journalist and lawyer.
Hermann Park Conservancy’s Garden & Nature Series offers classes in the Park’s McGovern Centennial Gardens that focus on a variety of subjects all related to garden and nature and the benefits associated with being outdoors. Learn about topics that range from canning your own vegetables and preserving your garden in the winter to sketching a bowl of fruit and photographing the creepers and crawlers in your garden beds. Designed to be fun, hands-on, and informative, these classes are great for novices and experts alike.
Garden & Nature Series classes at Hermann Park Conservancy are completely FREE and open to all ages. This class is free to attend, but registration is required.
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Our August topic i
Houston Botanic Gardens
Upcoming August Events
Mailing Address: 8205 N. Bayou Drive Houston, TX 77017
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Flower Power - Summer BotaniCamp
Mon.-Fri.,August 1-5 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (drop off from 8-9 a.m.)
$225/child per week (Garden members save $25 per child per week)
Flowers surround us. Some are big; some tiny. All are colorful and so pretty. Some you can eat; some smell so good. During Flower Power, campers will learn the lifecycle of flowers and their many partnerships, from roots to pollinators.
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Sunset Sweat - Exclusive Strength & Cardio Experience
Mondays, August 1-22, 2022 7:00 — 8:00 pm $20/class
Enjoy exclusive after-hours access to the Garden while engaging in a Tabata-style strength & cardio class that will train your muscles and your heart during the six-week Sunset Sweat series.
Each Monday evening from July 18-August 22, Bianca Davis, owner of East Meets West Training, will help attendees at all fitness levels get into better shape. As a bonus, warm up and cool down will incorporate a tour of the Garden.
Participants need to bring their own mat and a refillable water bottle.
Non-members can drop-in at a per-class fee of $20. Members receive a $10 discount. Or, the best deal for your wallet and your health is to sign up for all six sessions at once to receive one week free (total cost of $100 for non-members, $50 for members).
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Explore, Experiment & Express
Elements of Art in the Garden
Fridays, August 5, 12, 19, 26, 2022 6:30 — 8:00 pm $20 each class
Mindfully making art in the Garden is a great way to commune with nature, practice gratitude, and relieve stress. Brooke Summers-Perry will introduce participants to the elements of art and techniques with watercolor, colored pencil, and oil pastels, so they can transition into the weekend with play and community. She will gently guide them to let go of the need for perfection and production so that the Garden’s beauty and nourishment takes center stage as the most merciful muse.
Non-member fee of $20 includes general admission to the Garden. Members can participate at no charge.
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Farms & Fields Summer BotaniCamp
Mon.-Fri.- August 8-12, 2022 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (drop-off from 8-9 a.m.)
$225/child per week (Garden members save $25 per child per week)
There are so many reasons to love and be grateful for farmers. They grow the food we eat, among many other useful plants. They can also teach us so much about gardening. During Farms & Fields, campers will learn about gardening, farming, and soil health.
BotaniCamp is the Garden’s plant-centric nature camp for K-5 students. The sensory and inquiry-driven curriculum will present many opportunities to go beyond just observation. BotaniCamp-ers connect with plants through thoughtful and diverse lessons and hands-on activities – planting, growing, and interacting with natural environments – while working with scientists and subject matter experts.
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Simple Meal for Back-to-School
Cook the Garden with Chef Keisha
Thursday, August 11, 2022 6:00 — 8:00 pm
Non-member fee of $58 for workshop includes general admission to the Garden, and tasting of finished meal and wine. Members receive a $10 discount.
Chef Keisha Griggs – who uses her expertise and flexibility to introduce new flavors to everyone who experiences her food – will guide participants through hands-on creation of a simple, everyday meal, perfect for getting through the craziness of back-to-school season, incorporating fresh produce from local farms, as well as the Houston Botanic Garden’s Culinary Garden. She will also share a wine pairing that works with the delicious dishes.
Hailing from the Caribbean, Chef Griggs realized her love for cooking at an early age. Within her Trinidadian family, good food always came with a great memory. After 13 years as an interactive marketing executive, Chef Griggs followed her passion and lifelong love of cooking to pursue a career in the culinary industry. After graduating from the Art Institute's most-honored culinary program, she has had the opportunity to work alongside some of Houston's most prestigious chefs and celebrated kitchens, crafting techniques in classical French, Asian, vegetarian, vegan, New American, and fine dining cuisines.
Space is limited to first 20 registrants.
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Purple Martins Are Party Animals!!
Houston Chronicle Nature Correspondent, Gary Clark, explains why we should join these party animals!! "Huge numbers of purple martins are arriving in town after a busy season raising a new generation of martins on breeding grounds throughout eastern North America.... But why do thousands of purple martins roost in trees at shopping centers, bridges and powerlines before the final trip to South America?"
Click on the following link to read more about their journey and where you can go to see them up close and personal by the thousands! Kethy Adams Clark has some great photos to give you an idea of what these martns are up to! And do keep your eyes open for some purple martins staying here in Idylwood at a few of our neighbors' personal martin houses! Click the link below:
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Can you tell an earthworm from an invasive jumping worm? Here's how to tell the difference!!
OMG! Wait... What??? It's an invasion of jumping worms?!?! Say it isn't so!
Houston Chronicle nature correspondent, Brandi Keller has some breaking news for us about the worms in our soil.
The well-known European earthworms, Lumbricus terrestris and L. rubellus, are greatly beneficial to our soil. They appear slimy and wiggle floppily in hand or undulate to move on the earth. But the Asian jumping worms, Amynthas spp., also go by Asian worm, snake worm, crazy worm, or Alabama jumper. They are not helpful to our soil! To see photos and to find out more details about how these little worms make a big difference, for better or worse, in our gardens,click the link below.
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A Reminder To Homeowners
That Received New Sidewalks And Curbs:
Please Water The New Grass
Along with the new sidewalks and curbs, the installations included new St. Augustine sod to replace the grass that was removed during construction. It is really being stressed along with your current grass. Please include that area in your watering schedule.The Garden Club has been watering the new grass at the corner of Idylwood and Park by the Spurlock Park sign. Hopefully, we will get weekly summer showers and your new sod will do just fine!
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Garden Club Meeting Dates for 2022-2023
First Saturdays from 10 am-noon
(except for September;
Speakers and locations TBD)
September 10,2022
October 1, 2022
Begin Annual Poinsettia Fundraiser:Oct.1-24; only $10 each
November 5, 2022
December 3, 2022
Annual Holiday Lunch and Fun Gift Exchange ($15 or less)
January 7, 2023
February 4, 2023
March 4, 2023
April 1, 2023
Election of Officers
May 6, 2023
June, July, August: summer break
For more information, contact the Garden Club President:
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Vegetable Garden Planting Dates Chart
Do you want to know exactly when to plant vegetables and herbs in your garden? Check out the web link to Texas A&M University's yearly planting calendar for Harris County below! You may want to print this out for future use. Select:
Happy gardening!
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