Bluebonnet Master Gardener AssociationTexas AgriLife Extension Service

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BMGA Chapter Meeting – Washington County Sales Fac

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THIS IS AN IN-PERSON MEETING

Board Meeting:  8:30 – 10:00
Social: 10:00 – 10:30
Program: 10:30 – 12:00

Fragrant Plants from the Garden, presented by Henry Flowers

Henry Flowers is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds both Bachelor and Master of Agriculture degrees in Horticulture. He is currently a horticulturist with Glasco & Co. Landscaping in Brenham, TX, where he enjoys doing a wide variety of tasks. He was Garden Director at the Round Top Festival Institute for 16 years, where he oversaw a variety of display gardens with the support of a large number of volunteers and also coordinated a variety of educational garden-related events. At home he and his wife Melissa grow a wide variety of herbs that they enjoy for their beauty and usefulness in the kitchen. He is a lifetime member of The Herb Society of America and was the 2009 recipient of The HSA’s Joanna McQuail Reed Award for the Artistic Use of Herbs.

Earth-Kind Landscape Short Course in Somerville

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The 2019 Earth-Kind Landscape Short Course by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Horticulture Sciences Program is a continuing education program designed for professionals responsible for managing and maintaining urban green space such as residential landscapes, parks, commercial properties and golf courses.

The course will also benefit municipal, schools, city personnel and landscape businesses, particularly those interested in developing sustainable urban landscape conservation programs.

Texas Master Gardeners earn CEUs for this course.

When:
December 16 – 18, 2019

Where:
Texas A&M HortTREC
3199 CR 269 E.
Somerville, TX 77879

Speakers:

  • Dr. Mike Arnold
  • Dr. Gerald Bergner
  • Ms. Wizzie Brown
  • Dr. Becky Grubbs
  • Dr. Mengmeng Gu
  • Dr. Young-Ki Jo
  • Dr. Mark Matocha
  • Mr. Shea McLamore
  • Ms. Laura Miller
  • Dr. Genhua Niu
  • Dr. Kevin Ong
  • Dr. David Reed

Master Gardener Online Earth-Kind Training

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Earth-Kind Logo

Earth-Kind® On-Line Master Gardener Training videos are made available by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. These videos are available to the public to learn more about Earth-Kind® gardening practices.  This program is designed to provide information on a variety of environmentally friendly (Earth-Kind®) practices for use in the home landscape and garden. As your interest and knowledge in this area grows you will have an increased awareness of the many programs, practices and activities that are Earth-Kind®.

All Texas Master Gardeners must recertify each year to remain in the Texas Master Gardener program.  In addition to the annual volunteer hour requirements, recertification requires Texas Master Gardeners to complete continuing education hours on topics of horticulture and gardening practices.  This continuing education helps Texas Master Gardeners sharpen their gardening skills and learn new fact-based and scientifically sound practices supported by Texas A&M AgriLife.

Texas Master Gardeners may select from any of these on-line modules to obtain up to 3 hours of re-certification education credits in a calendar year. Each module is worth 1 hour of credit.  Progress through the training program is tracked “on-line” and the results for each completed module are automatically forwarded to the Texas Master Gardener’s county Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Master Gardener Coordinator.

Participation in the Earth-Kind® On-Line Master Gardener Training will assist Texas AgriLife Extension Service to promote principles and practices that help conserve and protect our state’s valuable natural resources. Working together we can create a healthy and sustainable environment.

To go to the online modules, click the link below and following the instructions.

Link to: Earth-Kind® On-Line Master Gardener Training videos

Available videos are:

2020 Junior Master Gardener National Leader Training

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2020 National JMB Leader Training

 

 

 

2020 Junior Master Gardener National Leader Training Announced 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service announced registration for the 2020 Junior Master Gardener National Leader Training has officially begun! Excitingly, JMG is celebrating its 20th Anniversary and the 2020 conference will not disappoint!   County Extension Agents, Assistant Agents, Master Gardeners/Master Volunteers, Health Specialists, School Educators/Administrators and community volunteers whom work closely with local Extension offices are encouraged to visit the AgriLife Conference Services website at https://agriliferegister.tamu.edu/JMG  to register, as soon as possible. Don’t miss out on this fun, engaging and valuable training opportunity!

Additionally, to learn more about the Junior Master Gardener program, access the specific details for this training, (including the conference host site/overnight accommodations) and select the registration button which leads individuals to the AgriLife Conference Services registration page referenced above,  please visit the JMG website at  http://jmgkids.us/2020jmgnlt/

The JMG program looks forward to working with a great group of conference attendees representing districts and regions throughout Texas this February 24-26, 2020 in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University!

Annual Fruit Tree Seminar & Sale – January 11, 2019

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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.

 

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

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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

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

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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

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Harold Pieratt to Speak about Care of Garden & Hand Tools

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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.

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

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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