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Master Gardeners Asked to Assist in Texas/Oklahoma Pollinator Project

January 29, 2019 by bluebonnet

Photo of bumble Bee on cowpeasBMGA members interested in bees and pollinators can assist in a project with the ultimate goal of creating a field-tested list of the best Texas and Oklahoma landscape plants for pollinators.  This is an opportunity for Master Gardeners to use their knowledge and skills in the garden to participate in a real citizen-data collection project to provide important data to scientists and researchers hoping to reduce the decline of pollinators in Texas and Oklahoma.

Michael Merchant, Ph.D, BCE, Professor and Extension Urban Entomologist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, asks Texas and Oklahoma Master Gardeners and Master Naturalists for feedback about the top plants for pollinators in their gardens. In addition, he wants to assess who is interested in participating in a pollinator count this summer.  Exact details about the planned count will be provided later.  But now, to get started, Master Gardeners may complete a survey indicating their interest in participating in a pollinator count and identifying top plants in their garden that attract pollinators.

Some of you may be familiar with Dr. Merchant and his AgriLife Extension Insects in the City blog or as a trainer in the Master Gardener program on the topic of entomology.  Dr. Merchant says he knows there is a lot of collective wisdom of out there among gardeners and naturalist on what plants serve as highly attractive nectar sources for pollinators. If the project team can get a good response from Master Gardeners and others to this survey, it should give the project a good starting list of potential pollinator plants to study this summer.

Below is a link to a Qualtrix survey for Master Gardeners with an interest in bees and pollinators.  If you are interested in assisting with this project, please complete the survey.

Take the Survey

The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association has a long standing interest in educating the public about and creating pollinator-friendly landscapes.  The Sheridan 4H Youth Butterfly Garden in Colorado County, Texas is an example of a pollinator friendly garden.   In addition, through our Kids’ Kamp summer program, Lunch-N-Learn series and other programs, we include education about the importance of pollinators to our nation’s food production and agriculture.  BMGA can continue its dedication to increase awarness of the importance of pollinators and in helping to increase pollinator-friendly landscapes in our area with a strong participate in this project from its members.

 

 

Filed Under: Other, Special Projects Tagged With: Pollinators

Donate Extra Garden Produce to Help Those in Need

January 18, 2019 by bluebonnet

Did you know that one out of six Americans does not know from where their next meal will come?  There are people in our communities and surrounding areas that are experiencing hunger. Food pantries help fill in the gaps but often lack healthy, fresh produce.

AmpleHarvest.org  is a non-profit organization that uses the power of the internet to connect 8,387 registered local food pantries spread across all 50 states with gardeners willing to donate their excess produce.  AmpleHarvest.org reminds Master Gardeners and all home gardeners that they can help by planting just a little extra to donate and improve the health of their neighbors and community. When you donate your excess garden bounty, you are helping to relieve hunger, reduce food waste and making an impact on obesity and other food-related diseases.  If your good gardening skills provide you with extra bounty, more than your family can eat,  don’t let it go to waste! Even a small donation of freash vegetables and fruit will help increase food security in your area.

Unfortuantly, not all food pantries can accept fresh produce.  AmpleHarvest.org connects gardeners to food pantries near them that can accept fresh produce.  To find a food pantry near you to donate your fresh harvest visit  www.AmpleHarvest.org/find-pantry

Today, AmpleHarvest.org is reaching out to gardeners in Southern states, like Texas, fortunate enough to have an active gardening season this time of year to remind them of the need for donations.  Winter months are usually a lean time of year for donations and this year other circumstances have placed added pressures on the food pantries.   Regardless of anyone’s politics,  federal employees who are impacted by the government shutdown as well as those working for businesses in the community that are also affected still need to eat fresh healthy food.

The AmpleHarvest.org issued  a press release at www.AmpleHarvest.org/shutdown  encouraging Southern gardeners to help.

Some of the food pantries in BMGA’s area that accept fresh produce now, or anytime, are:

Christian Community Services Center
Pantry #3864
814 N. LaSalle St.
Navasota, TX 77868Contact: Patricia Gaston
Phone: 936-825-7454
Fax: 936-825-7454
Email: pgaston2008@yahoo.com

Lighthouse
Pantry #4057
929 Silliman St.
Sealy, TX 77474
Phone: 979-398-9591
Email: lighthousepcg.sealy@yahoo.com

Schulenburg Area Food Pantry
Pantry #4531
1835 Oakland Rd
Schulenburg, TX 78956
Contact: betty ohnheiser
Phone: 979 561 6439

Smithville Food Pantry
Pantry #5317
107 SW 2nd Street
Smithville, TX 78957
Contact: S.A. Martin
Phone: 512-237-2322
Email: smithvillefoodpantry@gmail.com

 

 

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Fruit, Vegetables

2019 Tomato & Pepper Sale-Order by March 15, 2019

January 9, 2019 by bluebonnet

Flier for Tomato & Plant SaleThe Washington County Horticulture Committee kicked off its popluar Tomato & Pepper Plant Sale on January 7, 2019.  Orders can be placed through March 15th, and are now also accepted online.  All proceeds from the sale benefit the AgriLife Extension Horticulture Committee’s Scholarship Fund.  Scholarships are awarded to graduating seniors in Brenham and Burton who are pursuing a degree in agrculture related fields.

In addition to hardy tomato and pepper plants, the sale includes eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, cilantro, parsley & dill plants all arriving in time for Spring planting.

Plant pick-up is Tuesday, March 26 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility.

Order Online Here

2019 Order From for Cash or Check

Tomato Variety Descriptions

Filed Under: Plant Sales Tagged With: Herbs, Vegetables

Master Gardeners Hosting Two Open House Events

December 29, 2018 by bluebonnet

The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Assocation, serving Washington, Fayette, Colorado and Austin Counties, is hosting two open houses the first week in January 2019. Cerfified Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions about the Master Gardener Program and how they serve the community by assisting the area’s AgriLife Extension Agents in educating the public about gardening.  The Master Gardeners will accept applciations for the 2019 intensive training class which is required to acheive Master Gardener cerfitification.   The series of classes start January 17, 2019 and run through April 25, 2019 in La Grange.

The series of classes taught by experts in various area of horticulture consist of  both class room instruction and field trips.  Instruction consists of fact-based non-biased information about horticulture.  Texas A&M AgriLife Extension is the sponsor of  the Master Gardener Program in Texas and provides many of the expert instructors and resources for the training class.

Come find out more about whether the Master Gardener Training is for you by joining us at either the open house in Brenham on January 8, 2019 or in La Grange on January 1o, 2019

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: CertificationClass, Seminar

2019 Master Gardener Training Class Announced

December 8, 2018 by bluebonnet

The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Assocation 2019 training classes begin January 17th in La Grange, Texas. The series consists of 50 hours of training held every Thursday until April 25th, 2019.  Master Gardener Carol Daniels of La Grange is the coordinator of the 2019 training program.  Ms. Daneils also coordinated the 2017 training class for BMGA. The class is designed for trainees from any of the four Bluebonnet Master Gardener counties of Austin, Colorado, Fayette and Washington.  Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service provides the training material used by Master Gardener programs statewide.

This is a unique opportunity for individuals who are interested in horticulture and serving their community. Master Gardeners are trained in all facets of horticulture such as plant & soil science, entomology, plant pathology, fruit and vegetable gardening, and much more. Upon completion of their training, Master Gardeners will be required to give at least 50 hours of volunteer service time in their local community in order to receive the title of “Master Gardener”.

Two Open House dates have been set for January 2019 for anyone interested in learning more about the program.  These two events will provide a great opportunity to visit with current Master Gardeners, learn about projects in each of the counties, and enjoy a few Master Gardener goodies.

January 8, 2019 – 11:30am-1:00pm – Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility
January 10, 2019 – 10:00am -12:00noon – Fayette County Extension Office

2019 Training Class Application Form_

Training classes begin January 17th and will be held every Thursday through April 18th at the Fayette County Extension Office at 255 Svoboda Lane in La Grange from 8:30am-12:30pm.  Final assesment and graduation will be held April 23. Applications are available at the Fayette County Extension Office.  Class size will be limited, so to ensure your spot in the 2019 BMGA Training Class the application and payment of $175 must be turned into the Extension Office as soon as possible.

Come out and enjoy lots of wonderful refreshments and a chance to learn more about what all the Master Gardeners have to offer! For more information on the Master Gardener program, contact the Extension office at (979) 968-5831.

The members of Texas A&M AgriLife will provide equal opportunities in programs and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and will strive to achieve full and equal employment opportunity throughout Texas A&M AgriLife.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.

Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid, service or accommodation in order to participate in this meeting are encouraged to contact the Fayette County Extension Office at (979)968-5831 seven work days prior to the meeting to determine how reasonable accommodations can be made.

 

 

 

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: CertificationClass, Disease

Annual Fruit Tree Seminar & Sale – January 11, 2019

October 31, 2018 by bluebonnet

2019 Fruit Tree Management

Pre-Order fruit trees. Click for the
2019 BMGA Fruit Tree Sale Order Form.

Do you have or want a fruit tree, and have questions on how to get it to produce fruit?  Here is your chance to answer those questions and learn what is needed to have a successful and enjoyable experience.  This program will be held on Friday, January 11, 2019 at the Winedale Historical Complex, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History located at 3738 FM2714, Winedale, Texas; 4 miles from Round Top.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Winedale Historical Complex have collaborated to put an excellent demonstration orchard in place on the grounds.  This orchard has been a great asset to assist in demonstrating successful management of backyard, small-scale, sustainable, low-input orchards for homeowners interested in fruit tree production as an option for their property.

Speakers for the program will be Horticulture experts from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension with emphasis on home and small-scale commercial orchard production.  As long as the weather cooperates, the agenda for the day will include hands-on activities to demonstrate best management practices as they relate to fruit trees in the demonstration orchard.

This program is a multi-county effort lead by County Extension Agents in Austin, Colorado, Fayette, and Washington counties.  The registration fee is $20 per person and includes program proceedings as well as light snacks and refreshments.  Registration will begin at 1:00pm and the program will follow with an anticipated conclusion close to 5:00pm.  Participants who hold a private, commercial, or non-commercial pesticide applicators license will receive two (2) hours of continuing education in the general category.

As an added bonus during the training, the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association will have a pre-order sale for fruit trees.  Order forms will be available at this program and online at 2019 BMGA Fruit Tree Sale Order Form.  The pre-order fruit tree sale will offer a variety of reasonably priced fruit trees that are specially selected to fit the growing environment in South Central Texas.  Once the orders have been placed, Master Gardeners in each county will coordinate pick-up locations in Austin, Colorado, Fayette, and Washington counties.  The date for pick-up and payment will be determined and details will be sent to those who place orders in advance or at the Fruit Tree Program.

Please email the order form to Charlene Koehler at koehlercp@sbcglobal.net  or bring your order form to the seminar.  Payment will be due at the time of tree pick-up.

For additional information or to register for the Fruit Tree Program please contact your local County Extension Office in Austin County, (979-865-2072), Colorado County (979-732-2082), Fayette County, (979-968-5831) or Washington County, (979-277-6212).

To learn more about the Winedale Historical Complex or to see additional directions please visit http://www.winedale.org.  As a reminder, this is an open aired facility so please dress accordingly and plan for the weather.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host its popular annual Fruit Tree Seminar in Winedale on January 11, 2019.
The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association will host its fruit tree sale in conjunction with this seminar.

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: CEU, Fruit, Seminar

Order Fall 2018 Fruit Trees Now!

September 18, 2018 by bluebonnet

BMGA member Charlene Koehler once again graciously volunteered to organize BMGA’s Fall Fruit Tree Sale which is a sales tax exempt fundraiser for BMGA.  Information on how to order is below along with a link to the order form.  Due to Hurricane Harvey, many gardeners and fruit tree growers lost trees in the floods.  BMGA’s sale offers an opportunity to replace flood damaged trees and fill in the gaps in your orchard.  The trees available for order are appropriate for BMGA’s four county area, but if you have any questions, please contact Charlene at 979-885-4250 or email her at citrusbmga@gmail.com

Also, check-out further information about growing fruit from AgriLife.

How to Order
Fill out order form
Email form to citrusbmga@gmail.com
All orders must be submitted by October 15, 2018
Fall Fruit Tree Sale 2018-Order Form

NO PAYMENT UNTIL PICK-UP

Pick-Up Your Order
When: Trees will be delivered on Monday October 29, 2018
Place:  Sens Activity Center, Bellville
Time:  8:00 -9:00 a.m. and 10:15 – 10:45 a.m.

 

Filed Under: Plant Sales Tagged With: Fruit, Trees

FALL Garden Plant Sale – Order Forms

August 16, 2018 by bluebonnet

Flier for Fall Vegetable Sale

Calling all gardening enthusiasts!  The Washington County Extension Horticulture Committee is pleased to share with you an opportunity to purchase fall garden plants and support local scholarship at the same time!

For the second year the committee will be offering a selection of cool season plants including, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, mustard greens, spinach, and swiss chard.  A brief description of each cool season plant being offered in this line up has been included with the plant sale flyer to help you make the best decisions when selecting plants for your fall garden.

If the great selection and confidence in knowing the offering are the best suited varieties for our area isn’t enough, we are also offering these plants at $2.25/pack of four!  Also, all proceeds from this sale benefit the youth of Washington County through scholarships offered by the Committee.  Each year the Horticulture Committee works to identify qualified graduating seniors pursuing a degree in agriculture and awards a scholarship of $500 or more in May at the respective school assemblies.

2018 Fall Plant Sale Order Packet.

Order forms are available at the above link, online at http://washington.agrilife.org/ or at the Washington County Extension Office located at 1305 E Blue Bell Road in Brenham.  All orders must be paid for when they are placed and no orders will be accepted without payment.

**NEW for 2018, online orders for the Fall Garden Plant Sale can be submitted and paid by PayPal or credit card online at https://washington.agrilife.org/plantsale/

Orders are due by September 14th so don’t delay, get your orders in today.  Plant pick-up will be on Tuesday October 9th from 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the
Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility in Brenham!  All plants must be picked up at this time!

Filed Under: Plant Sales Tagged With: Vegetables

BMGA & Boy Scouts Work Together on Garden Restoration

July 26, 2018 by bluebonnet

Bluebonnet Master Gardeners Renee’ Kofman, Mikie Ehret, Jeri  Berckenhoff, Pete Berckenhoff and Diva Garza Houlette, in a joint effort with Boy Scout Troup 548 headed by Clayton Ribardo,  restored the Prayer Garden at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church (ICC) in Sealy.  BMGA contributed funds for the new annual plants and shrubs and BMGA directed the project, including planting all the plants. An irrigation system was installed by Logiscapes, LLC.  Seventeen-year-old Scout Clayton Ribardo jumped at the opportunity to lead the Scouts in this project and thus worked to earn his Eagle Scout Badge. Clayton, along with the eight other Scouts, raised funds for the materials, worked on replacing the old walkway of the garden with crushed granite, added new borders, new soil, mulch and sod in the garden.  BMGA Project Leader Renee Kofman said “The BMGA Master Gardener’s thoroughly enjoyed working with the Scouts on this project.  It was a lot of hard work for everyone and a labor of love, all for the glory of God.”  The Prayer Garden is located at 500 4th Street in Sealy and is open to the public for prayer and meditation

Filed Under: Other

Profile: Scott Willey, Fayette County Agricultural Extension Agent

June 27, 2018 by bluebonnet

Photo of Scott Willey in a corn field

As a four-county Texas Master Gardener Chapter, BMGA is lucky to benefit from not one, but four Texas A&M AgriLife Agricultural Extension Agent advisers, one from each BMGA county. That means BMGA can tap into the knowledge, training, experience, passion of all four professionals.

Scott Willey is the County Agricultural Extension Agent for Fayette County, Texas and one of BMGA’s County Agent Advisors.  Scott was born and raised in La Vernia, Texas (Wilson County) on a small family farm. La Vernia is just east of San Antonio, Texas.  The Willey farm consisted of three enterprises: a small herd of registered cattle, a 1500-tree commercial pecan grove, and 500 peach trees for a “pick your own” operation. During the summers when in elementary school, Scott and his brother would help their grandma pick and sell peaches.

Since 1992, the Willey family has been very active showing cattle, heifers and steers, all over the state. During the same time, they have been active members of the Texas Junior Simmental/Simbrah Association (TJSSA) where Scott currently serves as a youth advisor. TJSSA is a youth organization designed to teach young cattle breeders about the beef cattle industry through educational contests. Because of this organization the Willey family had an opportunity to show cattle all over the nation.

Upon graduating from high school in 2002, he attended Palo Alto Community College in San Antonio for two years. Scott than transferred to Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where he was a member of the livestock judging team and Alpha Tau Alpha.  He graduated Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in Agribusiness and minors in Animal Science and Business Administration in 2007. After graduation he accepted a position with Circle M Farms in Milford, Utah; a 60,000 head farrow to finish sow farm.

In April 2008 Scott started with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service where he Frist Stepped for a month with Philip Shackelford at the Austin County Extension Office. On May 12, 2008 Scott officially became the Agriculture and Natural Resources Agent in Fayette County. In 2012 he finished his M.S. degree in Agriculture Science from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Scott appreciates working with both adults and youth of Fayette County and helping them solve problems and improve management practices that impact their lives. In 4-H, Scott enjoys the opportunity to work with the youth livestock component, because of his background in 4-H/FFA. His primary focus is the heifer and steer, broilers, commercial heifers, swine. Scott is also the livestock judging coach in Fayette County, and helps several judging teams with oral reasons.

From an adult programing effort, the diversity is what makes his job both interesting and challenging. A few of the primary issues are new landowner education, beef cattle production, and home horticulture. Because of Scott’s early years and some opportunities, he has enjoyed his work establishing (with the help of several people) the fruit tree demonstration at Winedale.

Scott also serves on the board for the Fayette County Fair and enjoys hunting and fishing when time allows.

Within BMGA, Scott is known as a valuable resource for questions about fruit trees and pecans as well as for his organization management experience. Scott recently commented that due to his experience growing and especially eating fresh peaches, he can tell if a dish was made with canned verses fresh peaches just by taste.  I for one, believe him!

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Fruit

Faye Beery & Carolyn Woodruff Complete First Detector Training Class

June 14, 2018 by bluebonnet

Photo of First Detector Class 2018BMGA members Faye Beery and Carolyn Woodruff completed the two-day First Detector Training June 11-12, 2018 in Angleton.  The Master Gardener Specialist First Detector-Plant Disease training course introduces participants to the National Plant Diagnostic Network’s effort to protect US agriculture and plants through awareness information of invasive, non-native pests and pathogens.  Trainees learn basic plant disease diagnostic skills and symptom documentation skills.   The ultimate goal of the training is to provide these trainees, all of whom are already certified Texas Master Gardeners, with expertise to assist Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service with early detection of invasive and exotic pathogens & pests.  This year’s class was sponsored by the Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, the Brazoria County Master Gardener Association and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service of Brazoria County.

While the classroom part of their training is complete, to obtain the First Detector Specialist designation recognized by the Texas Master Gardener Association, Ms. Beery and Ms. Woodruff must complete 20 hours of field work assessing citrus and palm plants for pathogens. If you have citrus or palm in your gardens, be sure to contact Ms. Berry or Ms. Woodruff to conduct an assessment of your plants for invasive, non-native pests and pathogens.   Their completed assessments and information forms will be submitted to the Plant Disease Clinic for Dr. Kevin Ong’s approval.  Additionally, Ms. Beery and Ms. Woodruff are equipment with photos and other information to use educating the public through presentations to interested groups, clubs and societies.

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Disease, Pests

Bellville Town & Country Garden Club’s Annual Arbor Day Award

May 31, 2018 by bluebonnet

Award to Garry Kroeger

Harold Pieratt (BMGA President), Cathi Pendergrast, Garry Kroeger

 

Annually, the Bellville Town and Country Garden Club awards a person or place in Bellville in honor of Arbor Day.  The first Friday in November in Texas is the state’s Arbor Day.  National Arbor Day is the last Friday in April.  This April the garden club purchased a Meyer lemon tree from the BMGA Plant Sale held in Sealy and chose BMGA member Garry Kroeger as their Arbor Day Award recipient.  Garden club and BMGA member Cathi Pendergraft presented Garry with the tree at BMGA’s May 29, 2018 monthly meeting in Sealy.

Mr. Kroeger is the project leader for BMGA’s thriving Sens Center Vegetable Demonstration Garden, with the help of BMGA member Pete Smith and a team of other BMGA volunteers.  The garden is located behind the Sens Community Center in Bellville and is used for educational purposes including at the 2017 BMGA Kids Kamp last summer.  The garden provides produce to local non-profits, Austin County residents in need and Mr. Kroeger and his dedicated team of Master Gardener volunteers sell excess produce at the Farmer’s Market in Bellville.  As Ms. Pendergraft says, “He has done this for years so who better to award it to?”

BMGA is very proud of Garry Kroeger, an Austin County resident who supports the efforts of BMGA’s four-county community (Austin, Colorado, Fayette and Washington) to increase the knowledge of gardening to the general public.

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Vegetables

BMGA Volunteers Teach Gardening to Sealy High School Culinary Arts Class

May 8, 2018 by bluebonnet

Charelen Koehler teaching class

This Spring, BMGA volunteers assisted Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service teaching high school students about vegetable gardening through the Growing and Nourishing Healthy Communities Garden Course, which is funded, in part, by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  The program helps increase the availability of fresh produce through teaching participants how to grow fruits and vegetables in community and backyard gardens. The program is featured through the Better Living for Texans program by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and is currently offered across the State of Texas.

The culinary garden at Sealy High School was funded by the generosity of BMGA Member Renee Kofman and the Better Living for Texans program.  Ms. Kofman coordinated the Master Gardener volunteer instructors for various gardening topics:

•Pete Berkenhoff and Renee Kofman – site selection and building the beds;
•Christy Schweikhardt and Renee Kofman- soil and mulch.
•Charlene Koehler and Renee Kofman – garden maintenance, drip irrigation installation, plant diseases and insects

Photo of raised beds with tomatoes

 

 

 

 

 

 
The program goals are to teach the participants to:

  • Identify the characteristics of a suitable garden site;
  • Evaluate soils and identify the main components as sand, silt, clay, or loam;
  • Make compost and know what materials are best for home composting;
  • Create “pots” from newspaper and use them to plant seeds or seedlings to begin a garden;
  • Identify good maintenance practices common to vegetable gardens;
  • Keep a garden journal to help observe plant health and growth, investigate problems, and record measures taken to resolve problems;
  • Identify causes, symptoms, prevention, and treatment of common vegetable disorders and diseases;Detect common insect pests and beneficial insects;
  • Follow best practices for harvesting, handling, and storing produce.

After teaching the soils and mulch portion of the class, where she encouraged the students to use their hands to study the soil material, Master Gardener Christy Schweikhardt said, “in this age of keeping hand-gel-at-the-ready, kids seem reluctant to get their hands in the dirt. Besides a necessity for growing vegetables,  getting a little dirty helps connect the students in a positive way to where their food comes from – the soil.”

Michelle Allen, Austin County Extension Agent-Family and Community Health, was asked last year by Angela Gutowsky, the Culinary Arts teacher at Sealy High School, about implementing a program with Sealy High School’s culinary students.  “We didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to work with the students in order to increase their level of knowledge and skills in the area of gardening” said Ms. Allen.  She recruited Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association members to provide gardening instructors “because of their expertise and knowledge in the area of gardening. It was a no brainer for me,” said Ms. Allen.

Ms. ADrip irrigation in veggie bedllen summed-up the Sealy project saying, “This program was a wonderful way to get the youth of our community engaged with the idea of gardening. It was also enlightening to see them actually take ownership of the project. It was a win/win moment for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association. This is education at its best!!”

Filed Under: Other, Special Projects Tagged With: Kids

Profile: Stephen Janak, Colorado County AgriLife Agricultural Extension Agent

May 2, 2018 by bluebonnet

Photo of Stephen Janak

As a four-county Texas Master Gardener Chapter, BMGA is lucky to benefit from not one, but four Texas A&M AgriLife Agricultural Extension Agent advisers, one from each BMGA county. That means BMGA can tap into the knowledge, training, experience, passion of all four professionals. One of those agents is Stephen Janak, the Texas A&M AgriLife Agricultural Extension Agent for Colorado County.

Stephen Janak (pronounced “Yahn-ahk” but he will answer to anything close), grew-up in Victoria County, Texas on the family’s 22 acres where he gardened with his family. He participated in 4-H and was steeped in the importance of agriculture and horticultural at a young age, assisting his Extension Agent father in establishing, harvesting, and evaluating research test plots and result demonstrations, gardening, raising hay and many other agricultural projects.

Today, Mr. Janak works with the local 4-H youth program and emphasizes the importance using fact-based knowledge in agricultural and horticultural practices. He has trained youth in plant identification and is also skilled in agricultural pest identification, while still studying to hone his skills. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 2013 with a degree is Renewable Natural Resources. He studied under Dr. Barron Rector at Texas A&M and joined ArgiLife in 2014. Mr. Janak says his current read is Bill Adams’ The Texas Tomato Lover’s Handbook and he encourages everyone to read Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, which is Mr. Janak’s “favorite book of all time”.

Mr. Janak is a BMGA Fruit Tree Sale customer. Today he has eight peach trees planted at his 1.5-acre place. He also grows pear, pineapple guava, plum, Victoria Red grapes, Owari satsum, figs, avocado, peach-plum nectarine and pecan. The pecan tree was grafted from a native tree on his grandparent’s home place. He also has a vegetable garden at home which taught him first hand the difference between gardening in the black land of Victoria County verses the sandy soil in Colorado County.  Perhaps we will elaborate on that in a later post.

An attempt to summarize the experiences that inspire him today would not give the same rich flavor to the story as told by Mr. Janak so below are his own words:

“From as early as I can remember, my family always had a big garden. I have two older brothers, 5 and 6 years older than me. Our parents made us work in the garden (really, our parents made us help with everything, chores, yard work, farming, etc.). We grew between 100 and 250 tomatoes every year. They were mostly the large, slicing type. But we also grew some cherries (tomatoes; regular sweet cherries do not grow here), and some of the different things like yellow pear tomatoes as well as heirlooms. We also grew: squash, zucchini, acorn squash, cucumbers (pickling and slicing), purple hull peas, black-eyed peas, green beans, snap peas, peppers (mostly jalapeno and bells), eggplant, potato, sweet corn, okra, radishes, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, swiss chard, mustards, cantaloupe, carrots, kohlrabi, spinach, watermelon, blackberries, wine grapes, peaches, plums, persimmons, satsumas, and pecans. There may be some other things I can’t remember.

Eventually my brothers got into Jr. High and high school and they started doing other 4-H projects like livestock, and so they no longer sold at the market or helped pick veggies. There were some Saturday’s where my parents were too busy to stay at the market with me. So they’d drop me off at 7 a.m. with my veggies and a table, then come pick me up at 4:30. We were good friends with one of the vendors, and I suppose they “watched over me.” But I would stand there in the blazing sun, trying to look happy. I can’t count how many times my dad would tell me “you need to smile!”, “people are more likely to buy from you if you are smiling and welcoming.” Darn if he wasn’t right. I didn’t enjoy selling veggies or talking to customers. I was a very shy as a kid. I was not a good salesman. Thinking back, those first few years on my own, it was probably the 4-H sign and the sight of a young kid that sold my veggies; not my customer service or quality produce.

When my brothers got a little older and I was maybe 11 or 12, we bought a green patio-type umbrella. It was a big deal for us. It was maybe 10 feet wide when fully expanded. It was expensive for us back then, so I can remember to this day, my dad stressing to me how important it would be to take care of this umbrella. I spent many hours standing on the metal umbrella stand, trying to hold it down with my 90 pounds in the south Texas winds. But we finally had shade. But Dad was all about the customer service, so the umbrella was positioned near the front of the booth to offer shade to customers. Every time we would pack up to go home after selling, we wrapped the umbrella in the original plastic wrap that it came in and put it back in the box that it came in. Dad still has that umbrella today, and it’s in good shape still.

When we got the umbrella, we started to expand. I would have three tables to sell from. It didn’t shade all three tables, but it was better than nothing. We got better at selling, too. We learned to package things differently and to make the tables more appealing with stacks, layers, and little ready-to-go mixes of veggies. The best part of the day, though, was getting home, sitting in the air conditioning, and counting my money. Eventually I was old enough to drive, and so I would take Dad’s old 78 ford to the market. It was rusty and beat-up but having the bed full of veggies in addition to my tables was a good draw. By the time I was 17, I had earned enough money from Farmers Market sales and a few 4-H livestock projects that I purchased my first truck for just less than 10k with my own CASH.

But I hated gardening until that time. I despised the taste of tomatoes until I was about 15. I’m not sure what changed, but soon I was eating enough ‘maters in the garden while picking that I started to give myself upset stomach. I can distinctly remember the Juliet cherry tomato. Skin was a little thick, but I hadn’t tasted a better tomato at the time. Unfortunately, during those years, I also wasn’t a big fan of my dad. Not sure why. Just being a brat I suppose, because he was so good to us. We got the belt sometimes (many times in the garden) but he did everything for us and nothing for himself. So, I never really had a desire to learn gardening or anything from him. Boy, if I could go back in time . . . Any expertise or skill I have now is not because I actually intentionally learned anything from him while gardening, so I rely on my memory to remember what he would do in the garden. Today, I can call up those memories and can figure out what we were doing and why. But at the time, I had no clue and I didn’t care. About the only garden pest I knew or cared about was the big tomato hornworm.

But I can distinctly remember helping to thin peaches; again, I had no idea what I was doing, but I do now. I helped spray pecans with Zinc sulfate and fungicide. I hoe’d many a row of ‘maters or sweet corn or watermelons. I laid many bales of mixed alfalfa hay that we grew in the garden, one 3-inch plug at a time. It made terrific mulch and really cut down on disease and weeds. But putting it out was a dusty job. I remember being excited to finally be old enough to drive the tractor. We used (and dad still does today) a Farmall Cub tractor in the garden with the cultivators and sweeps. It was perfect for the garden. I wish I had one of my own today.

I suppose all of this has inspired me to try and help kids today see what I was too bratty to realize back then. That hard work pays off. That most veggies are best eaten in the garden. That the natural world is so incredible. And that gardening is a lost art today, but those who can do it can save money, eat better, be happier, and feel more secure should something terrible happen in the world’s food supply. It inspires me to help people find the joy and love in horticulture and all of agriculture.

“Now-days” I love gardening. I wish I could stay home and garden and farm and survive on a homestead like my grandparents did. And now that I went to school and learned how all this stuff works and the how and why of everything, it all makes me so excited; and so I want to share that passion and excitement and joy with everyone else.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Fruit, Pests

2018 BMGA Master Gardener Training Class Graduation

April 25, 2018 by bluebonnet

2018 BMGA Class Graduates

2018 BMGA Intern Class April 24, 2018

The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is pleased to announce that its 2018 Master Gardener Training Class graduated 23 new trained interns on April 24, 2018. Interns have one year from their training graduation date to complete 50 hours of volunteer service on BMGA approved projects to earn their Texas Master Gardener certification. One graduate, Marcella Asumus, not only successfully completed the course material, she also achieved the 50 hours of volunteer service by April 24 to simultaneously earn her Texas Master Gardener certification at graduation.

Photo of Faye Beery & Marcella Asumus

Faye Beery & Marcella Ausmus

Congratulations to the 2018 BMGA Master Gardener Training Class Graduates:

Marcella Ausmus                            Lorna Mangus
Tom Ayres                                        Catherine McGraw
Lee Ann Bleyl                                  Keith McGraw
Shannon Conroy                            Karen Parinello
Carol Corlis                                     Kay Przyborski
Cathy Dannemiller                        Calvin Rashall
Patrick Dunne                                Brandon Silbernagl
Cathleen Dunne                             Debbie Skinner
Gerald DuPont                               Michael Tiller
Nicole Griffin                                 John Williamson
Fred Helinski                                 Lenore Williamson
Dolores Jozwiak

Congratulations CakeThe Class Coordinator was Master Gardener Faye Beery who said,  “My 2018 Master Gardener Intern class was a pleasure to be involved with. Everyone was excited and enthusiastic and eager to absorb all the information they could possibly remember. They warmly welcomed all the speakers and had many questions of them all. They are going to be great members of the Master Gardener Association, and great friends.”

Ms. Beery became a Master Gardener in 2012.  Besides coordination for this year’s class, Ms Beery’s past service with BMGA includes chapter President in 2014 and she served as a garden project leader at the Sens Center Flower Beds and the Austin County Fairgrounds garden.  She also published the chapter newsletter and took BMGA into the digital age with its initial website.   Most importantly, Ms. Beery is a lifelong gardener with a passion for learning, sharing her knowledge about gardening and inspiring others to get their hands in the dirt out in the garden.

BMGA Master Gardeners who assisted Ms. Beery in class coordination were Paul McClendon, Sandy Rhodes and Cathi Pendergraft.

 

Filed Under: Other

Intern Class Visits Festival Hill

April 5, 2018 by bluebonnet

Mary Reeeves leading the tour of Festival Hill GardensThe 2018 Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association’s intern training class of 24 trainees held its April 4th class on the grounds of Festival Hill in Round Top, Texas.  BMGA takes its intern training class to this “Jewel in the Crown of Texas” each year and the outing is usually a class favorite, especially when the weather is a nice Spring Texas day.

Intern Class touring Festival Hill Gardens

Guided by Festival Hill docent Mary Reeves, this year’s class and a few of their spouses toured the music conservatory’s campus and Festival Hill Herb Gardens.  Ms. Reaves, along with her husband Charles, was instrumental in bringing the extensive gardens to their potential since the early 1980s. Ms. Reaves also makes all the floral arrangements for social events at the campus.  The tour provided a historical overview of Festival Hill and discussed native plants around the grounds and in the different herb gardens. The group learned about herbs from around the world as well as the usual culinary and medicinal herbs. After the tour, the group enjoyed lunch in the Menke House kitchen which uses herbs from the campus gardens in their cooking. The interns last formal training class is April 11, and after passing a written exam, they will graduate the from Texas Master Gardener training program April 24th at BMGA’s chapter meeting at Grace Community Church in Bellville.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: CertificationClass, Herbs

BMGA Re-Purposes Plastic Food Production Barrels in the Garden

April 2, 2018 by bluebonnet

Photo of rainwater barrels and planters waiting for sale

Planters & rainwater harvesting barrels made from re-purposed food production barrels

Under Master Gardener Pete Berckenhoff’s leadership, the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association, built rainwater harvesting barrels and planters by re-purposing plastic food production barrels. Pete’s group of Master Gardener volunteers gathered at BMGA member Renee Kofman’s warehouse in Sealy and turned it into a busy production workshop for building the barrels and planters. These rainwater harvesting barrels are designed to collect roof  rainwater run-off through a homeowner’s  gutter downspout.  Although the collected water is not suitable for drinking water, it is great for watering plants, gardens and adding water to your compost pile.  Planters are available with a lightweight PVC frame or the wooden frame and are counter-top height.

BMGA will sell the rainwater harvesting barrels and planters until supplies last at its annual Spring Plant Sale in Sealy on April 14, 2018.  The Plant Sale is one of BMGA’s two Texas Sales Tax Free events this year so during that event, the barrels and planters are sale tax free.

Photo of cutting PVC for Planters

Cutting PVC for the planters

Photo of planter building

Inserting the planter barrel into the sturdy wooden frame

 

Filed Under: Other, Plant Sales, Special Projects Tagged With: RainwaterHarvesting

Farmer’s Market at Washington on the Brazos State Park

March 22, 2018 by bluebonnet

Photo of historical housesWashington on the Brazos State Park is hosting a Farmer’s Market on the 3rd Saturday of April-July, 2018.   Master Gardeners interested in selling their bumper crop of produce may set up in a 10’ x 10’  space under the live oaks in front of the park Visitor’s Center for $10.00 per Saturday.  Or, come out and shop an supported our local farmers and gardeners.

All vendors must sell products made, grown or produced by the vendor within surrounding counties of Washington or no further than 50 miles.
Farmer's Market Vendor App

Farmer's Market Vendor App 2

 

Filed Under: Other Tagged With: Fruit, Vegetables

Howdy & Welcome to Haylee Wolfford as BMGA’s AgriLife Sponsor

March 12, 2018 by bluebonnet

The BluePhoto of haylee Wolffordbonnet Master Gardener Association welcomes on-board its new AgriLife Extension Agent Sponsor, Haylee Wolfford.  Arriving in January 2018 as the Agriculture Extension Agent in Austin County, Haylee inherited sponsorship of our four-county BMGA program.  Haylee grew up in a small southeast Texas town showing livestock, raising show cattle and rodeo’n.  She earned her Bachelor of Animal Science degree with the emphasis on animal nutrition from Texas State University-San Marcos.  She went on to earn a Master’s of Science with an emphasis on animal nutrition from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Haylee first joined AgriLife as the sole Extension Agent in Hardin County, Texas in 2015. As the sole Agent, Haylee’s responsibilities included a wide spectrum of duties including the Agriculture, 4-H, Family Consumer Science and Horticulture programs. What that means is, she did it all! With this varied back ground, Haylee comes to Austin County and BMGA with knowledge across many different aspects of Texas A&M AgriLife, although her focus is still on beef cattle production and horses. She also gained considerable knowledge in forage production and brush control.  In her free time, Haylee enjoys roping and raising exotic and American cross show cattle.

As BMGA’s AgriLife Extension Sponsor, Haylee has attended several BMGA meetings this year.  Although preferring to work quietly in the background and let others take the stage, Haylee’s presence has already proved to be an asset for BMGA. We look forward to assisting her with our members’ knowledge and experience in horticulture. BMGA members, if you spot Haylee at a meeting hanging in the back of the room, don’t be shy; introduce yourself and say ”Howdy!”

Filed Under: Other

Elizabeth “Wizzie” Brown to Present at Fayette County Lunch & Learn – Good Bug/Bad Bug

March 5, 2018 by bluebonnet

The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association hosts the Lunch & Learn April 10th.  Come learn about Good Bugs/Bad Bugs in the garden, presented by Elizabeth “Wizzie” Brown.

Ms. Brown is an Integrated Pest Management Program Specialist in Travis County.  She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Entomology from the The Ohio State University in 1996 and her Masters in Entomology at Texas A&M University in 1999.

When you find insects in your garden, your first instinct might be to destroy them, but that’s not always the best action.  Of the 1.5 million known insect species in the world, more than 97% are beneficial to gardens, or simply benign.  That leaves less than 3% that are agricultural and nuisance pests.

Fayette Lunch & Learn Brochure page 1 Fayette Lunch & Learn Brochure page 2

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: CEU, LunchandLearn, Pests, Seminar

Dr. Kevin Ong to Speak at Lunch-N-Learn about Plant Diseases

March 4, 2018 by bluebonnet

Dr. Kevin Ong, Professor & Director of The Texas Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory,  will present at the Bluebonnet Master Gardener’s Washington County Lunch-N-Learn on April 3, 2018.  Recognizing and treating plant diseases is one of most difficult and frustrating tasks home gardeners face.  Come learn what to look for and what to do when you recognize certain diseases in your garden.

2018 WashCo BMG Lunch Learn Flyer

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: CEU, LunchandLearn, Seminar

Harold Pieratt to Speak about Care of Garden & Hand Tools

February 24, 2018 by bluebonnet

Harold Pieratt of La Grange will speak at the Fayette County Lunch & Learn on March 13th at the Fayette County Extension Office Meeting Room.  Proper care of hand tools used in the garden can not only keep your tools in good working order, but save you money as well as avoid injury to plants and the gardener.  Properly maintained tools may also help reduce the spread of pests and disease in your garden.   Harold Pieratt is a 13-year experienced Master Gardener with specialist Master Gardener training in Plant Propagation and Vegetable Gardening.  He has also taught the Junior Master Gardener Program instructing kids in proper gardening techniques.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: CEU, LunchandLearn, Seminar

T. Saunders to Speak at Washington County Lunch & Learn about Irrigation

February 24, 2018 by bluebonnet

T. Saunders of ATS Irrigation in Brenham will present the March Lunch-N-Learn program in Brenham about irrigation. As both experienced and novice gardeners know, whether growing vegetables, flowers, lawns, fruit trees or landscape plants, proper watering in our area can be challenge.  We seem to get too much rain or not enough.  Setting up an irrigation system can seem like a daunting task so this program will help you understand the basics of home irrigation systems and how to properly design them to get the best results in your garden.

2018 WashCo BMG Lunch Learn Flyer

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: CEU, Irrigation, LunchandLearn, Seminar

BMGA to Again Sell Rainwater Harvesting Barrels

February 23, 2018 by bluebonnet

BMGA will build and sell  a limited supply of rainwater harvesting barrels for homeowners to collect rainwater from roof runoff.  The barrels are made with 55 gallon barrels and will be sold at the Plant Sale for $55.00.  While not suitable for drinking water, the water collected is great for watering plants and other outdoor uses.  The State of Texas encourages citizens to participate in water conservation and rainwater harvesting.

BMGA member and veteran Master Gardener Pete Berckenhoff   leads this project.  Pete and his team will assemble the barrels and deliver them to the Plant Sale for sale to the public.  Master Gardeners wishing to assist with building the barrels should contact Pete.

Rain barrel photo

Filed Under: Plant Sales, Special Projects Tagged With: RainwaterHarvesting

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