Bluebonnet Master Gardener AssociationTexas AgriLife Extension Service

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Lunch-N-Learn Austin County

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Free to the Public!  Light refreshments provided.  Bring your lunch to enjoy while you learn!

Topic: Oregano and Basil Varieties for the Post Oak Savanna and Blackland Prairie
Speaker:  Madeline Johnson, Co-Coordinator of the Horticulture Study Group, HSA Pioneer Unit
Madeline Johnson and Phoebe Lake started the Horticulture Study Group in 2020.  The herbs studied include oregano, basil, thyme, mint, and rosemary. The number of growers has varied from 16 to 22 over the years. In addition to measuring growth, the group meets monthly to learn about the herb. Meeting topics include botany, chemistry, cultivation, propagation, harvesting, storing, culinary and non-culinary uses. One of the most valuable benefits of the group is sharing our gardening experiences in growing these herbs. The basil and thyme studies have been published in Texas Gardener. The mint study is currently under review with the Texas Gardener.

 

Choosing the best varieties from the long list of possible varieties of oregano and basil for your garden can be overwhelming. Sometimes it is easier when the nursery label just reads oregano or basil. But some varieties perform better in our region than others. The Horticulture Study Group of the HSA Pioneer Unit is committed to understanding growth and hardiness differences.  This program provides information about seven varieties of oregano and 12 varieties of basil. Background information about growing and using each of these herbs is also covered. Hopefully, this information will help you choose among the different varieties of oregano and basil for planting in your garden.

 

Summer Celebration in The Gardens at A&M-You’re Invited

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Invitation to Celebration

The Gardens at Texas A&M
Summer Celebration

Saturday, June 11, 2022
9:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Leach Teaching Gardens

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! 

Learn More About The Gardens!

Gardens Logo

 

Online Horticulture Learning Could Never be Easier

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LogoSo many online horticulture learning opportunities you don’t know where to start?  This guide can get you started learning from horticulture experts.

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension recorded many of their programs for viewing on your own schedule.  These recorded presentations are free to the public.

Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association members may claim Continuing Education Units (CEU) for these all AgriLife programs that pertain to gardening and horticulture; live or recorded.  Just watch the presentation and record your time as CEU.  BMGA members, remember to get your CEU credits recorded by December 31, 2020 to apply those hours to your re-certification requirement.  For 2020, you need 6 CEU credits.

Below are links to some of these programs to start learning from our Aggie experts.

Gulf Coast Gardening Online Series
There are 22 videos for more than 24 hours of learning. Topics include:

Young Tree Care – Video  #5
Earth Kind Pest Disease & Weed Control – Video #10
Texas Superstar Plants – Video #19

Horticulture & Gardening Webinar Series with David Rodriguez, County Extension Horticulture Agent, Bexar County
There are currently 17 of these recorded sessions for more than 13 hours of education. Topics include:

Getting Your Lawn and Landscape Ready for Summer Heat – Video #9
Tomato Basics 101 – Video #13
Butterfly Gardening – Nectar Plants – Video #5

Aggie Horticulture Facebook Live Recordings
There are 55 horticulture recorded events. Wow!  You do not need a Facebook account to watch.  Topics include:

Homeowner Greenhouses- Video #41
Transitioning to a Fall Garden, Two Parts – Video #40 & #45
Toys for Vegetable Gardening – Video #50
Fall Blooming Flowers & Biennials Planted in Fall – Video #51
Growing Blueberries in Containers – Video 18

 

2020 Master Gardener Open Houses

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The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is hosting three Open House events in January, 2020.  If you are interested in learning more about the Master Gardener Program in Texas or want to sign-up for the intensive 5o- hour certficiation training class, please be our guest at one of these three events:

La Grange Open House
January 8, 2020
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Fayette County AgriLife Meeting Room
255 Svoboda Ln, Rm 134
La Grange, TX 78945

Brenham Open House
January 9, 2020
11:30 a.m.– 1:00 p.m.
Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility (Entrance on Independence St across from Sherriff’s Office)
1305 East Blue Bell Road
Brenham, TX  77833

Bellville Open House
January 9, 2020
10:00 a.m. 12:00 noon
AgriLife Extension Office – Austin County
800 E. Wendt St.
Bellville, TX 77418

The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association 2020 Training Class will be held in Brenham.  Space is limited.  For more information and to apply online visit our Application Page.

 

Fall Plant Sale

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Washington County Horticulture Committee
2019 FALL Vegetable Plant Sale – Now Accepting Orders (Flyer & Order Form Attached)  

Order Here

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, arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale (curly and flat leaf), 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 $2.50/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.

Order forms are available 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.

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 13th so don’t delay; get your orders in today.  Plant pick-up will be on Tuesday October 8th from 10:00am-5:30pm at the Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility in Brenham!  All plants must be picked up at this time!

For additional information about the Fall Garden Plant Sale please call the Extension Office at (979) 277-6212.

Orders are due by September 13th!  – Don’t delay, order today!

Pick-Up will be on Tuesday October 8th from 10:00am-5:30pm at the

Washington County Fairgrounds Sales Facility in Brenham

 

2020 Training Class

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Our  2020 Master Gardener Certification Training Class is scheduled each Thursday from January 16th – April 23rd with the final graduation class on Tuesday, April 28, 2020.  Participants from Austin, Colorado, Fayette & Washington Counties are welcome. The 64 hours of classes will be held at the Washington County Extension Sales Facility at 1305 East Bell Road, Brenham, Texas 77833 (use the Independence Rd entrance) , plus some field trips to be announced in class.  The updated training manual compiled by the Texas Master Gardener Association, is included in the $175 registration fee.  You may register online below or contact the Washington County Extension office at (979) 277-6262 for more information.

 

Bluebonnet Master Gardener Volunteer Program Application

 

2020 Training Class Flyer

Map to Open House & Class Location

2020 Training Class Flyer

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

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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

Intern Class Visits Festival Hill

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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.