Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners

The Aransas/San Patricio County Master Gardeners Spring Plant Sale on April 6 was one of our most successful to date! The cool and overcast weather made it enjoyable for the over 550 people in attendance to shop and enjoy the beautiful Coastal Oaks Demonstration Gardens.  In four hours, we sold the majority of our plants. This money will help fund vital maintenance at the garden and the educational programs presented to the community. Potted Plants Hanging Baskets This year, in addition to the plants, we offered many non-plant… Read More →

The March dinner meeting was once again a culinary delight.  The Master Gardeners are notorious for being as skillful in their kitchens as they are in their gardens. Awards are always presented at the March meeting with all of the recertifying Master Gardeners receiving a pin.  Pins are also awarded for reaching milestones in continuing education hours and volunteer service hours.  There is always a long list of gardeners reaching these milestones. This year we are especially excited about Doree Osmun reaching 300 hours of continuing education and… Read More →

JANUARY BROWN BAG – Your Spring Garden and Plants for Pollinators Master Gardener/Master Naturalist Neli Spurrell presented an informative talk about the beautiful plants you can use to attract pollinators to your yard.  Her program – Gardening with Neli pointed out the importance of knowing what plants you need to attract pollinators to your garden.  She also told us about the different pollinators and why they are a necessary part of our gardens. Neli is also the volunteer coordinator for the Aransas Pathways Butterfly Gardens.  Before coming to… Read More →

The December general dinner meeting is always a special event.  Not only is the food fantastic.  But the current years intern class holds its graduation ceremony. We are pleased to announce that everyone in the class of 2018 graduated They are Dana Barganski, Ava Brandon, Jama Brandon, Kerry Green, Phil Grunewald, Martha Habluetzel, Rita Hardy, Zim Hoofard, Lynne Kiley, Bobbie Miner, Mary Spencer, Christy Thompson-Hutt, Suzy Williams. We also had several Interns Certifing this year including:  Glenn DuPont, Rosiland DuPont, Marlene Oldham, Stephanie Redding, Jennifer Williams, Karry Green,… Read More →

By:  Timothy Mullin, Master Gardener It would be an error to assume that the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico, Dr. Joel Poinsett ‘discovered’ the plant we call by his name.  While Mr. Poinsett was the first person to bring the plant back to the United States, the native inhabitants of Central America had known about this winter blooming plant for a long time. Spanish overlords sent samples to Carl Linnaeus for official descriptions and naming in the 1700s, but it isn’t an easy plant to bring into bloom,… Read More →

Due to construction at the Agri-Life building, the November Brown Bag will be held at the Aquarium Education Center, 706 Navigation Center, Rockport. It is not necessary to register, just come and enjoy this free program hosted by the Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Aransas County Office. For more information call 361- 790-0103. Feel free to bring your own brown bag lunch. The Pop-Up Plant Sale usually held after the Brown Bag has been cancelled due to flooding in the Garden.

No, it is not a swamp.  It is the entrance to the Coastal Oaks Demonstration Garden.  The drainage pond has been out of its banks for over a month and has kept areas in the Demonstration Garden under almost knee deep water. Since it started raining in September, work at the Coastal Oaks Demonstration Garden has been limited to the upper gardens.  The Children’s Garden Area, Granny’s Garden and the Office beds are doing well and all the rain has been making them look lush. We have lost… Read More →

Granny’s House was toppled by hurricane Harvey in August of 2017. The Nueces County Master Gardeners came to help with garden clean up in September of 2017.  Workers removed the fallen trees and debris so that the house could be righted. Once the area was cleared of all the debri.  Granny’s house was set back up but still in need of some major repair work. San Patricio County Master Gardener, Gus Halliman accepted the challenge and began the repairs.  He finished all the repairs this summer and brought… Read More →

Final preparations are underway for the Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardener’s Fall Plant Sale.  The sale will be held this Saturday, September 8 from 9 am until 1 pm at Coastal Oaks Garden, 892 Airport Road, Rockport, TX 78382.  You will want to come early for the best selection. Master Gardeners will be working all week setting up the propagation area in the Coastal Oaks Demonstration Garden for the sale.  They will be busy tagging plants and moving them around to the sale tables to make them easy for… Read More →

Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Rockport exactly one year ago – August 25, 2017.  So on August 25, 2018 the Master Gardeners remembered by holding a workday in the Children’s Garden area of the Coastal Oaks Demonstration Garden. Master Gardeners along with members of the 2018 Intern class met at 7:30 am to weed flower beds, clear paths and prune trees. Another special event was held last Thursday, August 23 during the regular Landscape Committee meeting.  At that event Master Gardeners and Interns worked in the main garden… Read More →