2023 Scholarships Awarded
The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is proud to announce the 2023 annual college scholarships winners. Scholarships were awarded to high school graduates from Austin, Colorado, Fayette & Washington Counties, Texas. To view the winners’ bios, see below. The winners are:
Emma Eckelberg – Austin County
Abigail Hilley – Colorado County
Tamara Otto – Fayette County
Dawson Rudloff – Washington County
The recipients demonstrated outstanding achievement in leadership, citizenship, community service and other endeavors that form the basis of becoming lifelong responsible, productive citizens and leaders in their communities.
Congratulations to our 2023 scholarship winners!
Intern Class of 2023 Graduates
BMGA Intern Class of 2023
On April 26, 2023 the Bluebonnet Master Gardeners held graduation ceremonies and a luncheon for 22 Interns at the Fayette County Agrilife Building in LaGrange, Tx.
Front row l-r: Lucy Halasz, Colleen Clements, Pat Karisch, Patti Sobota, Carla Michalka, Terri Russell, Karen Miley, Bob Haeuser.
Back row l – r: Sherise Davis, Jim Malik, Marian Tajchman, Mandy Ames, Gary Russell, Robin Greer, Greg Mills, Cindy Edge, Dennis Edge, Carol Daniels (class coordinator).
Not pictured: Mary Frances Angello, Leslie Avioli, Alison Blake, Lilian Cavazos, Ra Shango.
2023 Kids Kamp
Bluebird Eggs at Sens Center Demo Garden
Bluebird eggs are a welcome herald of Spring at the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association’s Sens Center Demonstration Garden. Five lovely bluebird eggs are in a nest box attached at the top of an 8′ tall chain-link fence which encloses the garden. The nest box faces west toward an open area with woods approximately 100′ away. The Sens Center Demonstration Garden is located in Bellville, Texas behind the Sens Community Center.
There are several species of bluebirds found in Texas, including the Eastern Bluebird, Western Bluebird, and Mountain Bluebird. Eastern Bluebirds are the most common throughout the eastern and central parts of the state, while Western Bluebirds and Mountain Bluebirds are less common and typically found in the western and northern parts of the state. Bluebirds in Texas prefer open areas with scattered trees and may be found in fields, pastures, and orchards. They primarily feed on insects and berries and can often be spotted perched on fences, power lines, or other elevated perches. Bluebirds are a beautiful and welcome sight in Texas and are often attracted to birdhouses placed in suitable habitats.
Bluebird nest boxes are encouraged by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) as the boxes provide important habitat for bluebirds and other cavity-nesting birds. In many areas of Texas, natural cavities suitable for nesting are in short supply, so nest boxes can be a vital resource for bluebirds.
The photo was taken by certified Master Gardener and BMGA member Leah Pearce, on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.
Lunch-N-Learn: Washington County-April 5 & May 3, 2023
The Washington County Bluebonnet Master Gardeners and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service for Washington County, Texas announce their 2023 Spring Lunch-N-Learn Spring series.
These FREE to the public programs will feature speakers from the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association.
April 5, 2023 & May 3, 2023
Washington County Expo Event Center
1305 E. Blue Bell Road
Brenham, Texas 77833
(Parking and the Event Center face Blue Bell Road) (Map)
Advanced Vegetable Training for Master Gardeners
2023 Spring Tomato & Pepper Plant Sale
Place orders NOW and until March 1, 2023. Pick-up plants on March 21, 2023 between 10:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Washington County Expo Sales Facility in Brenham.
For paper order form, click HERE
All proceeds benefit the AgriLife Extension Horticulture Committee’s Scholarship Fund.
Annual Plant Sale – April 8, 2023
Bluebonnet 2023 Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale.
In addition to landscape plants for sale, tomato plants will also be available for purchase. Nine varieties will be offered. Click HERE for the complete list.
2023 Lunch-N-Learn Series, Austin County
2023 Lunch-N-Learn, Colorado County Texas
2023 Master Gardener Training Class Registration Now Open
The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is pleased to announce that its 2023 Master Gardener training classes begin January 19th in La Grange, Texas. Registration is now open.
Go to Online Class Application
The series consists of 50 hours of training held every Thursday form January 19 to April 20, 2023. Master Gardener Carol Daniels of La Grange is the coordinator of the 2023 training program.
The BMGA 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 and many of the expert horticulture and related speakers 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”.
An Open House is scheduled January 12, 2023 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Fayette County Extension Office, 255 Svoboda Ln., La Grange, Texas for anyone interested in learning more about the program. This event 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.
Texas A&M Turfgrass Short Courses (Feb. 2023)
2022 Scholarships Awarded
The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is proud to announce its 2022 annual college scholarships winners. Eight scholarships, ranging from $1,500 to $1,000, were awarded to high school graduates from Austin, Washington, Fayette & Colorado Counties, Texas. To view the winners’ bios, see below. The winners are:
Mackenzie Lee (Austin Co.)
Jagar, Rau (Colorado Co.)
Brynn Mikulenka (Fayette Co.)
Laura James (Fayette Co.)
Waylon Hinze (Washington Co.)
Weston Hinze (Washington Co.)
Keely Mikolajchak (Washington Co.)
Eli Saunders (Washington Co.)
All eight demonstrated outstanding acheivement in leadership, citizenship, community service and other endevours that form the basis of becoming lifelong responsible, productive citziens and leaders in their communtiies.
Congratulations to our 2022 scholarship winners!
11th Annual Texas Fruit Conference
Hybrid Program-Live & Remote Options!
September 26 & 27, 2022, 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Civic-Consvention Center
375 S. Castell Ave.
New Braunfels, TX
For more information, visit:
https://tamu.estore.flywire.com/products/texas-fruit-conference
or call 979-862-1218
2022 Austin County Lunch N Learn Series
Texas Olive Update & Grower’s Seminar
When: Sept. 30, 2022 8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Where: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Research & Extension Center, Uvalde
1619 Garner Field Rd
Uvalde, Tx 78801
Space is limited so RSVP now at: tx.ag/TxOliveUpdate
Colorado County Lunch-N-Learn Series
Colorado County members of the Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association are pleased to announce the upcoming Colorado County Lunch-N-Learn Series focused on gardening and horticulture!
Programs will be held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at the Colorado County Services Facility located at 305 Radio Lane in Columbus. Registration will open at 11:50 am with the program starting promptly at 12:05 pm and ending by 12:55pm. Attendees are asked to bring their own lunch. Light refreshments including coffee, tea and snacks will be provided. No preregistration is required for this free program.
The following is our program line-up:
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- July 20th – Firewise Landscaping
- August 17th – Fall Vegetable Gardening
- September 21st – All About Berries: Blackberries and Blueberries for the Home Gardener
- October 19th – Tree Care
- November 16th – Soil Biology and Compost Tea
For more information please contact the Colorado County AgriLife Extension Office at 979-732-2082.
Summer Celebration in The Gardens at A&M-You’re Invited
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The Gardens at Texas A&M Saturday, June 11, 2022 Free parking available in lot 97. Join us at our annual community Summer Celebration for food and fun for the family, including children’s educational activities, story time with Chance The Librarian, JJ’s snow cones, and more. You won’t want to miss this fun-filled morning! |
Intern Class of 2022 Graduates
By Faye Beery, 2022 Class Coordinator
On April 26, 2022, our new Bluebonnet Master Gardener intern class graduated with 33 interns. One of them, Joe Jimenez, completed his 50 hours of volunteer work during the class period and is now a full fledged Master Gardener. We also had the youngest intern that we have had, Webb Sherman, age 17. The class had the largest ever enrollment with 40 students, but unfortunately, we lost 7 due to various reasons.
Joe Jimenez with Class Coodinator Faye Beery.
Webb Sherman with Class Coordinator Faye Beery.
We kept statistics for our class to determine the knowledge gained during the classes. Our pretest average grade was 55 with 23 missed. Our final test (posttest) averaged 89. The highest score was 98, made by several people. We also gave them 2 bonus questions from a list of words given them weekly that corresponded with their chapter. With the bonus questions, the average score was a 95. With the bonus questions, the highest score was a 108.
Several of the students were new to the area, having recently brought property in one of our 4 counties. There were also 3 sets of couples who were new to the area.
All of them were eager for information and asked lots of questions. They enjoyed the speakers and kept some of them a little over time to ask more questions. They are going to be good master gardeners, a good source of information for our community, and good friends.
Thanks also to the helpers for the class. Nikki Griffin was invaluable handling all the food and drink for the classes, as was Marcella Ausmus, helping with the hospitality and grading papers. Esther Hartman, Susan Yancey, and Leah Pierce helped to grade papers also. Thanks to all who came.
Bluebonnet Master Gardener Intern Class 2022
Interns:
| Prudence Allwein Ramin Baranpourian Jim Campbell Mary Lu Campbell Nancy Darst Linda Duffy Carla Eriksson Tory Farley Jeri Franco Dolores Gonzalez Cheryl Grassmann Freida Hale Amy Schramm Webb Sherman John Sims Chris Terry Jim Hudgins |
Linda Huron Joe Jimenez Chad Johnson Kayleigh Johnson Lorrie Maddox Scott Maddox Rebecca Marek Margie O’Brien Mary Ott Karen Reip Jacqueline Samples Keri Sherman Barbara Shersh Carrie Staples Renee Urish Angelica Zurita |
Fruit & You in ’22! Agrilife Texas Fruit Conference
Fruit & You in ’22!
The Texas Fruit Conference is returning for its 11th year, and we would love to have all fruit growers and enthusiasts join us for two days of education, networking, and fruit sharing!
When: Monday, September 26th and Tuesday, September 27th
Where: New Braunfels Civic Convention Center, New Braunfels, Texas
What: New grower information, advanced orchard management topics, research on new and existing fruit crops, fruit variety performance, pesticide CEU’s, and our Taste of Texas Fruit Reception!
Contact: Monte Nesbitt, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Horticulture, 979-862-1218, monte.nesbitt@ag.tamu.edu
BMGA’s Popular Kids’ Kamp is Back in 2022!
The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association’s popular Kids Kamp is back in 2022! The three day summer camp for kids is accepting registrations now. The Kids Kamp will be held in all four BMGA counties for kids ages 10 to 13 years of age.
Washington County: May 31 – June 2, 2022
Colorado County: June 14- 16, 2022
Fayette County: June 21 – 23, 2022
Austin: June 28 – June 30, 2022
The kids will learn about recycling, organic gardening, mulch and compost, erosion control and insect I.D. There will also be cricket races! The kampers will make garden related crafts and enjoy healthy snacks.
Christy Schweikhardt, a Master Gardener who facilitated the soil & gardening segments of Kids Kamp for two years, said, “We fill the Kids Kamp with hands-on activities that are both fun and educational. The kids who participated in the past Kids Kamps were entergeitc and eager to learn, even over summer break. For the volunteer Master Gardeners who particpate in running the Kids Kamp, it is rewarding to help AgriLife Extension Service and the State of Texas foster fact-based gardening and food knowelge in a future generation of Texas gardeners.”
At only $30.00 for the program, this may be the best bargin in summer fun.
Lunch N Learn Series – Austin County
There’s Always Something Blooming
There’s always something blooming in our native plants garden. Low maintenance and lots of color even in the fall. Texas Lantana, Scarlet Sage, Green-Eyed Daisies, Mealy Blue Sage and Esperanza are still showing off their beautiful flowers. The Chile Pequins are full of peppers and the Yaupon Holly is loaded with beautiful red berries. The garden is open to the public so stop by and see what’s blooming.
Common Name: Lantana
Botantical Name: Lantana urlicoides
This Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association Texas Natives Garden is designed to educate visitors, students and area residents as to the benefits of native plants. The garden shows how native plants, trees and grasses attract bees, butterflies, and birds as well as providing a beautiful display of seasonal color. Water-wise gardening practices are on display as an educational tool to show how rainwater harvesting and a drip irrigation system can be used efficiently.
Link to more information about Lantana urliocides
Find the garden located at:
E.A. Arnim Archives & Museum
101 E. North Main Street
Flatonia, TX 78941
The garden is between the brick and metal buildings on Hwy 95.