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.
2022 Austin County Lunch N Learn Series
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.
2021 Plant Sale in Sealy at Levine Park
2021 Texas Master Gardener Virtual Conference-DAY 2
The 2021 Texas Master Gardener State Conference will be held virtually this year on May 18-19, 2021. The leadership workshop will be on May 17, 2021.
Join us as we walk through Texas gardens! We have an amazing line-up of inspirational speakers ready to share with you their favorite topics in horticulture. We will also travel across the state through virtual tours to see the diverse gardens of Texas.
The conference offers continuing education hours for Master Gardeners including three keynote presentations, twenty-four breakout sessions, and four virtual tours.
The conference is also time to celebrate the Search for Excellence Awards and the incredible achievements our volunteers are accomplishing in education across the state.
Cost: $50 includes both Day 1 & Day 2!
2021 Texas Master Gardener Virtual Conference- DAY 1
The 2021 Texas Master Gardener State Conference will be held virtually this year on May 18-19, 2021. The leadership workshop will be on May 17, 2021.
Join us as we walk through Texas gardens! We have an amazing line-up of inspirational speakers ready to share with you their favorite topics in horticulture. We will also travel across the state through virtual tours to see the diverse gardens of Texas.
The conference offers continuing education hours for Master Gardeners including three keynote presentations, twenty-four breakout sessions, and four virtual tours.
The conference is also time to celebrate the Search for Excellence Awards and the incredible achievements our volunteers are accomplishing in education across the state.
Cost: $50 includes both Day 1 & Day 2!
Texas Master Gardener Association Virtual 2021 Conference
The 2021 Virtual Texas Master Gardener Conference is open for registration!
The 2021 Texas Master Gardener State Conference will be held virtually this year on May 18-19, 2021. The leadership workshop will be on May 17, 2021.
Join a virtual walk-through of Texas gardens and an amazing line-up of inspirational speakers ready to share their favorite topics in horticulture.
See the Agenda & speaker’s bios
The conference offers continuing education hours for Master Gardeners including three keynote presentations, twenty-four breakout sessions, and four virtual tours.
The conference is also time to celebrate the Search for Excellence Awards and the incredible achievements our volunteers are accomplishing in education across the state.
Please visit https://txmg.org/2021-virtual-conference to learn more and to register for the conference.
This is a unique opportunity to hear from many of our AgriLife Extension Horticulturists and Specialists as well as many public experts.
Some things you can expect at this year’s conference:
- Skilled speakers
- Leadership training (additional half day at minimal cost)
- Virtual Tours
- Awards Ceremony
- Directors meeting
- Agents meeting
- Conference t-shirt option
Master Gardener General Conference $50.00
Master Gardener Leadership Workshop $25.00
We look forward to hosting this virtual conference. Because of the virtual aspect, diligent explanation has gone into the registration and participation process. Please carefully read all correspondence associated with the conference so that you have a positive virtual experience. If you have any questions, please contact txmastergardeners21@gmail.com.
2021 Plant Sale in Sealy at Levine Park
Need to replace plants after this year’s winter blast?
The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association’s 18th Annual Plant Sale is Saturday, April 10, 2021, 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
New location: Levine Park Pavilion, 410 Main Street, Sealy, across the street from city hall.
Plants for sale include roses, “Texas Superstar” plants, “Texas Native” plants, “Earth Kind” plants, succulents, butterfly friendly plants, ground covers, herbs, bushes, and a few surprises – something for everyone. There will also be rain barrels, planters and other garden items.
All plants are locally sourced to insure they are climatized for this area. Master Gardeners will be on hand to help you find that special plant and give you guidance for its care. Master Gardeners’ knowledge and passion for each plant will inspire you!
Proceeds from the sale help Bluebonnet Master Gardeners support the four counties (Austin, Colorado, Fayette, and Washington) with college scholarships, community gardens, free-to-the-public “Lunch & Learns”, and other local activities. This is a sales-tax free sale.
More information: https://txmg.org/bluebonnet
Online Horticulture Learning Could Never be Easier
So 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
Mexican Heather Named Texas Superstar
Mexican heather, an old-fashioned and reliable pollinator-friendly ornamental plant that adds big color to gardens and landscapes has been named the latest Texas Superstar. David Rodriguez, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist, San Antonio, said Mexican heather has been a favorite ornamental plant in Texas gardens for many years. Mexican heather plants are also a top attractor for pollinators like bees and butterflies.
Mexican heather is best used in massing beddings, borders and containters. It also is excellent in butterfly and pollinator gardens and hanging baskets.
Allyson Mexican heather is one of the top performing varieties of this newly named Texas Superstar. (Photo by Brent Pemberton).
“There are other common selections of Mexican heather that are great plants, and I encourage gardeners to experiment with combinations, but we think Allyson is the best performing variety at this time,” he said. “It’s perfect for all sorts of plantings and works in all the criteria we look for in a Texas Superstar, including its role as an attractor of beneficial insects and pollinators.”
To be designated a Texas Superstar, a plant must be beautiful and perform well for growers throughout the state. Texas Superstars must also be easy to propagate, ensuring the plants are widely available and reasonably priced.
Texas Superstar® is a registered trademark owned by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, a state agency that is part of the Texas A&M University System. Plants are designated Texas Superstars by the Texas Superstar executive board, made up of nine horticulturalists from AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Tech University.
This post was summarized from and the photograph was taken from AgriLife TODAY. For more information about Mexican heather, see the full AgriLife Today article about Mexican heather.
Blue Daze Named Texas Superstar
Blue Daze
The 4th Texas Superstar named in 2020 is sun-loving, low-spreading tropicl plant, Blue Daze. Brent Pemberton, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research ornamental horticulturist, Overton, said Blue Daze has been a long-time ornamental favorite of gardeners and landscapers and deserves the designation. “It’s a true-blue flower and a long-established Texas gardening staple,” he said. “Blue Daze is very popular because its claim-to-fame blue color is a coveted color in the flower world.”
To be designated a Texas Superstar, a plant must be beautiful and perform well for growers throughout the state. Texas Superstars must also be easy to propagate, ensuring the plants are widely available and reasonably priced.
Texas Superstar® is a registered trademark owned by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, a state agency that is part of the Texas A&M University System. Plants are designated Texas Superstars by the Texas Superstar executive board, made up of nine horticulturalists from AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Tech University.
This post was summarized and the photograph taken from AgriLife TODAY. For more information about this hardy heat-loving tropical, see the full AgriLife Today article about Blue Daze.
Pentas, Purslane & Petunia Varieties Named Texas Superstars
Three new ornamental Texas Superstars were announced this week in AgriLife TODAY. Click the plant name for the full AgriLife TODAY article on that Texas Superstar.
Tidal Wave Red Velour Petunia
Tidal Wave Red Velour Spreading Petunia has been named the latest Texas Superstar release based on its superior performance across the state, according to Mike Arnold, Texas A&M AgriLife Research Horticulturist.
Luck Star Deep Pink Pentas
Pentas, including long-time Texas Superstars and new series added to the list, offer season-long color for pollinator-friendly landscapes and gardens. David Pemberton, Ph.D., AgriLife Research Ornamental Horticulturist, Overton, said pentas are a Texas-tough landscape ornamental annual plant that offers a range of sizes and colors throughout summer.
Rio Grande Magenta Purslane
Cupcake, Muffin and Rio Grande purslane series were named Texas Superstars because plants show so many good characteristics, said David Rodriguez, AgriLife Extension horticulturist, San Antonio. “All these new selections bloom better, longer and are more heat resistant,” Rodriguez said. “They represent all the best qualities you can find in purslane.”
Texas Superstar® is a registered trademark owned by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, a state agency that is part of the Texas A&M University System. Plants are designated Texas Superstars by the Texas Superstar executive board, made up of nine horticulturalists from AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Tech University.
To be designated a Texas Superstar, a plant must not only be beautiful but perform well for consumers and growers throughout the state. Texas Superstars must be easy to propagate, which should ensure the plants are not only widely available but also reasonably priced.
This post and the photographs were summarized from AgriLife TODAY articles. Click the plant name above to link to the full AgriLife TODAY articles.
Yellow Butterfly Vine Named Texas Superstar
Yellow butterfly vine, also known as yellow orchid vine, a perennial, twining evergreen vine, has been named a Texas Superstar selection for its low maintenance requirements and beauty.
Texas Superstar® is a registered trademark owned by Texas A&M AgriLife Research, a state agency that is part of the Texas A&M University System. Plants are designated Texas Superstars by the Texas Superstar executive board, made up of nine horticulturalists from AgriLife Research, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Tech University.
To be designated a Texas Superstar, a plant must not only be beautiful but perform well for consumers and growers throughout the state. Texas Superstars must be easy to propagate, which should ensure the plants are not only widely available but also reasonably priced, said David Rodriguez, AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Bexar County.
Rodriguez said the clusters of dainty flowers on butterfly vine are a brilliant yellow in the summer sun. But it’s the seed pods that give the plant its most common name.