Bluebonnet Master Gardener AssociationTexas AgriLife Extension Service

Members Only   Enter Hours

Fall Horticulture Seminar

by

The Horticulture Committee of Austin County and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service of Austin County will be hosting a Fall Horticulture Seminar on Friday, August 28, 2026, at American Legion Post #442 located at 1630 Meyer St, Sealy.  Program registration will begin at 12:30 pm with the first presentation beginning at 1:00 pm.

Information to be covered includes Trap Plants for Your Vegetable by Gerald DuPont, Bluebonnet Master Gardener, Turf Alternatives by Dr. Manual Chavarria-Sanchez; Extension Program Specialist, and How to Utilize Your Rainwater by David Smith, Extension Program Specialist.

The program will cost $20 per person or $35 per couple. We ask that you RSVP to the Austin County Extension Office at 979-865-2072 or online at https://austin.agrilife.org/event-registrations/ to reserve your seat.

Texas Butterfly Top Ten:  How to Know Them and Grow Them

by

Nancy Grieg presents “Texas Butterfly Top Ten:  How to Know Them and Grow Them”

Well over 400 butterfly species have been recorded in Texas, far surpassing numbers in other states.  Getting to know so many butterflies is a challenge.  However, it’s worthwhile learning to recognize some of our showiest species, several of which are easily attracted to pollinator gardens.  A successful butterfly garden includes nectar plants for adult butterflies (many of which feed other pollinators such as bees) but also food plants for the caterpillar stage.  Nancy will  discuss the “top 10” butterflies you can attract to your Central Texas pollinator garden by providing the right plants.  

BIO: Growing up in relatively species-poor Alberta, Canada, Nancy was always fascinated by the much greater diversity of living things in warmer climes.  She fled the long nights and chilly weather of Canada in 1977, coming to Texas to attend UT Austin.  There she got a PhD in tropical plant ecology based on studies conducted in Costa Rica under the direction of Larry Gilbert, an expert in butterfly-plant interactions.  In 1994 she moved to Houston to become the founding director of the Cockrell Butterfly Center at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, a position she filled for 24 years.  Her abiding interests include butterflies, bees and pollinator gardening, plants and insects in general, beekeeping, and vegetable gardening.

 

Native Orchids of Texas

by

The La Bahia Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas have invited our membership to attend their speakers during their next two meetings.

February Speaker, Joe Liggio speaking on “Native Orchids of Texas”

Come hear Joe Liggio speak about native orchids you might find on your property such as  the spiranthes family of orchids which occur throughout our area.  Joe will focus on the Central Texas Region.

Joe Liggio is a native Texas botanist, nature photographer, and writer. He and his wife Ann wrote Wild Orchids of Texas published in 1999 by the University of Texas Press. His photos and writings have appeared in Texas Highways, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, Science, The Bulletin of the American Orchid Society, Earth Magazine, Texas Mushrooms, and the Illustrated Flora of East Texas. He is currently serving on the board of directors for the Watson Rare Native Plant Preserve and Save Buffalo Bayou.

 

Small Farms & Vegetable Conference

by


Information to be covered includes:
Hydroponics by Dr. Joe Masabni
Invasive Plants & Control by Dr. Stacy Hines
Pest Management Considerations in Home Gardens by Dr. Jose Santiago Gonzales
Update on Pesticide Laws & Regulations by Greg Baker
and Why Healthy Plants Don’t Get Pests by Gerald DuPont.
The 5 CEUs awarded have TDA approval for 1 L&R, 2 IPM, and 2 General units. You will also get 5 Hours of CEU credit for Master Gardeners. 

Online Horticulture Learning Could Never be Easier

by

 

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

 

All About Trees: Forests – Living Pharmacies

by

Tree

All About Trees: Forests – Living Pharmacies

Registration: Please cut and paste the link into your browser.

https://tfs.webex.com/tfs/onstage/g.php?MTID=e46376572ab72e9dea2d947c49b06c626

June 25, Thursday
2 p.m. – 3 p.m.

All About Trees: Forests – Living Pharmacies is bringing the science, the chemistry, the biology to the field of wild edible and herbal medicine. Dr. Mark Merriwether Vorderbruggen is a chemist, with an MS in medicinal chemistry and a Ph.D. in physical organic chemistry.

“An estimated 50,000 plant species are used medicinally. Within the plant kingdom, trees make a substantial contribution to this figure, and many species are used in traditional and modern medicine.”

“Medicine from trees, extracted from the wood, bark, roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, or seeds is fundamental to the well-being of millions of people. Where access to modern pharmaceuticals is limited, trees offer living pharmacies open to anyone with traditional knowledge on their medicinal properties.” (Global Tree Campaign)

Texas A&M Forest Service’s ALL ABOUT TREES has moved our live presentations to a web-based platform. This is in response to the important stay-at-home ordinances related to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Join us for this presentation series created to bring experts in forestry, arboriculture, chemistry, and science to answer your questions interactively through a dynamic CHAT feature.

Check with your local Texas Master Naturalist or Texas Master Gardener chapters for Advance Training AT credits. For CEUs from ISA, SAF, TNLA, and other organizational providers, a certificate of participation may be sent to you upon request for verification of attendance.

This class will be live on our WebEx platform allowing experts to answer your questions in real-time meeting state AT requirements.

 __________________________________

For more information, contact:

JOHN R. WARNER, CF, CA, AF
URBAN DISTRICT FORESTER IV
Texas A&M Forest Service
1328 FM 1488, Conroe, TX 77384
936/546-3169 cell
tfsweb.tamu.edu

 

Invitation to Virtual Master Gardener College

by

Texas Master Gardeners are inviited to join the online Virginia Cooperative Extension Master Gardener College June 25-28, 2020. This is really a neat opportunity to learn from another state’s Master Gardener program.  Although not all of the information pertains to Texas gardeners, much will.  Please take this opportunity for more innovated learning.

BMGA CEU credit.

BMGA Interns Only: Apply time to their volunteer hours.

Get Information Button

 

 

 

Register by June 19, 2020:

 

Virginia Master Gardener College 2020

 

Aggie Horticulture Live Facebook Events!

by

LogoJoin Aggie Horticulture on Wednesdays & Fridays at 1 p.m. Central time on the Aggie Horticulture Facebook Page to watch Facebook Live events!

Aggie Horticulture Live Facebook Events

Upcoming Events:

  • 5/22/2020 – Friday 1:00 pm – From Garden to Glass DIY Mocktails/Cocktails
  • 5/27/2020 – Wednesday 1:00 pm – “Some Like it Hot” – Growing Vegetables in Summer
  • 5/29/2020 – Friday 1:00 pm – TBD
  • 6/3/2020 – Wednesday 1:00 pm – Check your crape (and other plants) for scale

Qualifies for Master Gardener CEU Credits.

Prior Live Event Videos Available on Aggie Horticulture’s  Facebook page:

All About Trees: Forests, Water and People Online Class

by

Tree

 

Thursday, May 21, 2020 2:00 pm
Central Daylight Time (Chicago, GMT-05:00)

COST: FREE
Thursday, May 21, 2020
2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

 

Click below link to register:

https://tfs.webex.com/tfs/onstage/g.php?MTID=e2b809db1e53296189759595ec886e545

Healthy forests are critically important for protecting water supplies.

Forests play an important role in providing clean water. More than 50 percent of the nation’s freshwater resources originate from forests that cover about one-third of the United States. In addition to providing clean water, forests also absorb rainfall, refill groundwater aquifers, slow and filter stormwater runoff, reduce floods and maintain watershed stability and resilience.

Several municipalities and water utilities have already recognized the important role forests play in supplying fresh drinking water, and, as such, have taken action to conserve these critical landscapes. Efforts are underway to explore these approaches throughout the South.

Approximately 89 percent of the South’s forestland is privately-owned, making it the nation’s stronghold for private forestland ownership. To sustain healthy forests and protect water resources, viable economic markets, careful forest management and well-targeted forest, conservation efforts are critical. (Southern Group of State Forester)

Texas A&M Forest Service’s ALL ABOUT TREES has moved several of our live presentations to a web-based platform. This is in response to the important stay-at-home ordinances related to the outbreak of COVID-19.

Join us for this presentation series created to bring experts in forestry, hydrology and arboriculture to answer your questions interactively through a dynamic CHAT feature.

Check with your local Texas Master Naturalist or Texas Master Gardener chapters for Advance Training AT credits. For CEUs from ISA, SAF, TNLA, and others organizational providers, a certificate of participation may be sent to you upon request for verification of attendance.

This class will be live on our WebEx platform allowing healthcare providers, certified forest therapy guides, foresters and arborists to answer your questions in real-time meeting state AT requirements.

Program information is available by emailing or calling John Warner, [email protected] or 936/546-3169.