Texas Master Gardener ProgramVolunteers Supporting the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service since 1978

Travis County – Earth-Kind® Gardening Field Day

by

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Travis County Master Gardeners announces their spring 2023 Earth-Kind® Gardening Field Day, to be held Saturday, March 25 from 9 am to 1 pm at the Travis County AgriLife Extension office located at 1600 Smith Road, Austin, TX 78721. Parking is available along Smith Road. The event is free and open to the public.

The spring 2023 theme is Container Gardening 101 – for indoor and outdoor gardening. The first 100 attendees will receive a free 5.5″ eco-container and saucer courtesy of Gardenio (https://www.growgardenio.com/) – a new kind of garden club app for food growers – to start their growing journeys.

Workshops will teach participants about houseplant care, growing ornamentals or vegetables in pots, and create a composting system. Other activities focus on vermicomposting, irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and entomology. A limited supply of Earth-Kind® plants and the popular Travis County Master Gardener publications Garden Guide for Austin and Vicinity, and From Drought to Deluge: The Resilient Central Texas Garden will be available for purchase. (https://www.tcmastergardeners.org/publications/)

Special guests Kim and Andrew Cook from EXACO (https://www.exaco.com/) will be on hand to cut the ribbon on the new educational greenhouse that they donated to the Travis County Master Gardeners.

Daphne Richards, County Extension Agent – Horticulture, at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, said, “We have several informational exhibits and demonstrations featuring my best Master Gardener experts. Wizzie Brown, Extension Program Specialist- IPM will also be attending to display her bug collection.”

The schedule includes:

9:00 a.m. Compost Workshop. Learn how to turn everyday waste from your home or garden into beneficial compost.

10:00 a.m. Houseplant University. Get tips on plant selection, watering, and light to help you successfully grow indoor plants. A demonstration on repotting and dividing is included. You’ll also learn how to manage pests – including soil gnats!

11:00 a.m. The 6D’s of Container Gardening.  Watch a demonstration on planting a container garden for your outdoor living spaces.  Advice on types of soil, pot size, drainage, and light will be shared.

12:00 p.m. Dedication Ceremony for new educational greenhouse donated by Kim and Andrew Cook from EXACO.

For more information please visit: https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/2023/02/15/container-gardening-at-2023-earth-kind-field-day-march-25th/

Collin County – Garden Show 2023

by

Welcome Spring:

Don’t Miss The CCMGA Garden Show 2023

by Dawn Oldfield, CCMGA Public Relations Chairperson

Save the date for The Garden Show 2023, presented by the Collin County Master Gardeners Association.  It’s what a garden show should be! For garden lovers it’s a great day out to immerse themselves in timely tips for successful gardening, informative demonstrations and presentations, local vendors, and fun activities for the entire family – including scavenger hunts for adults and children alike!  There is no better place than The Garden Show to learn about North Texas Gardening and Earth-Kind® gardening principles.  Collin County’s most prestigious garden show will take place on March 18 & 19, 2023 at beautiful Myers Park & Event Center in McKinney, Texas.

Browse through booths featuring appealing garden and gift items and attend lectures presented by experts in horticulture on a variety of topics. Saturday’s speakers will cover  “Drought Proofing Your Landscape”, “Growing Great Turf in Collin County”, Texas Tough Natives for Droughts & Floods”, and “Growing Tomatoes in Collin County”.  Speakers on Sunday include three award winning “Steves”  who will share their expertise on “A Primer in Tree Pruning”, “Creating Exciting Plant Combinations”, and  “A Serious Look at Garden Whimsy”.

CCMGA will also roll-out the green carpet at 3:30PM on Sunday to bestow honorary membership to Neil and Lynn Sperry. Together and individually the Sperry’s have forged paths that have inspired millions. Neil is a Texas gardening and horticulture icon known for his books, magazine, and radio program. Lynn is a passionate educator and has served on the McKinney ISD Board of Trustees for 38-years. Together they helped found Serenity High and the Crape Myrtle Trails of McKinney.

Each year CCMGA selects a local organization to be their charity partner for The Garden Show.  This year all proceeds from the $2 entry donation will benefit Community Garden Kitchen. This local non-profits mission is to provide food insecure residents with freshly prepared healthy meals on a daily basis in a restaurant style setting. Visitors to Community Garden Kitchen can also enjoy learning, growing, and eating the produce they help raise. 

The Garden Show is an indoor event, so come rain or shine!  Hours are from 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Saturday, March 18 and from 11:00 – 4:00 PM Sunday, March 19.  Entry on both days is a donation of $2 per person.  Parking is free!  Bringing your own cart or wagon is strongly encouraged. Visit www.ccmgatx.org/TheGardenShow   for up-to-date information.

 

Specialist Training – Earth-Kind®

by

This specialist training is designed to equip individuals with the necessary knowledge and skills to build and support strong programs in Earth-Kind® in their counties, including applied demonstration gardens.  Participants will receive advanced training in the principles and practices of Earth-Kind®.  A wide range of topics will be covered that specifically relate to the Earth-Kind® landscape including: plant selection, pest and disease management, innovative landscape design, soil preparation, rainwater harvesting, and irrigation management.  Participants will also be exposed to a wide variety of new and novel plants for use in the water-efficient landscape.  This exciting training will also focus heavily on landscape design principles that specifically relate to resource conservation, and will include a step-by-step session on the basics of creating your own design.  Examples of successful community Earth-Kind® demonstration gardens will be featured.

Specialist Training Description

Registration Form