Board Meeting: 8:30 a.m – 10:00 a.m.
Social: 10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Program: 10:30 a.m.– 12:00 noon.
Program: Bill Runyon (Texas CoCoRaHS State Coordinator) will present Understanding the Texas CoCoRaHS program and news about the latest weather patterns affecting our 4 counties (Colorado, Fayette, Washington, Austin)
Members may bring snacks to this meeting.
Presenter Mike Shoup may be best know for openning the Antique Rose Emporium in Independance, Texas in 1984. He will present this program about Roses – Purchase to Pruning.
Learn more about Mike Shoup.
Board Meeting: 8:30 – 10:00
Social: 10:00 – 10:30
Program: 10:30 – 12:00
Program: Gary Scardino, BMGA Garden Chair
Members may bring snacks to this meeting.
Board Meeting: 8:30 – 10:00
Social: 10:00 – 10:30
Program: 10:30 – 12:00
Program: Bringing new plant varieties to market.
Presented by: Paul Winski, Harris County Horticualture Extension Agent
Members may bring snacks to this meeting.
The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Assocation is pleased to announce that its 2022 Master Gardener training classes begin January 13 in Bellville, Texas. Registration is now open.
The series consists of 50 hours of training held every Thursday until April 21, 2022 (Two classes will be on Wednesday February 16th and April 6th). Master Gardener Faye Beery of Bellville is the coordinator of the 2022 training program. Ms. Beery was certfiied as a Master Gardener in 2012 and coordinated several training classes in Austin County. 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 6, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Austin County Extension Office, 800 E. Wendt St., Bellville Texas 77418. 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.
Board Meeting: 8:30 – 10:00
Social: 10:00 – 10:30
Program: 10:30 – 12:00
Program: Designs & Creates Fountains & Ponds by
BMGA Member Richard Schafer
Members may bring snacks to this meeting.
Board Meeting: 8:30 – 10:00
Social: 10:00 – 10:30
Program: 10:30 – 12:00
Presentation: Native Plants in the Landscape, by Jay & Sally White – Texas Gardener Magazine
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
Master Volunteers, a group that includes Master Gardeners, contributed 7434 observations to the Pollinator Citizen Science Project according to the last updated summary on December 21, 2020. Based on data collected in the project so far, the most visited plant by honey bees was Melochia tomentosa, also known as Teabush or Pyramid Bush. For more information about this Texas native pollinator plant, visit the USDA Plant Database or the Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center website
Melochia tomentosa, also known as Teabush or Pyramid Bush
The purpose of the project is to use citizen scientists to determine the attractiveness of different commercially available ornamentals (annuals or perennials) to different groups of pollinators in the Southern USA, namely Texas and Oklahoma.
Due to popular demand and great results from 2020 and 2019, Pollinator Citizen Science Project is launching yet again this year. The required training and quiz start online on-demand Monday March 22, 2021, accessible through the project page. The training will be similar to last year, with some added training on plant identification (offered by Dr. Vikram Baliga from Texas Tech University). There will also be a live Q&A session later that week to answer any questions citizen scientists may have related to the project.
As before, BMGA members may recieve CEU credit for the training and volunteer hour credit for the time collecting and submitting data to the project. This is a true citizen science project allowing ordinary citizens to make a contribution that matters to the horticulture of our state.
When: Mar 25, 2021 02:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
https://agrilife.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMqc-2rqzkvGdfxKLO8vgAuj9ulTtgO3FiL
Results for 2020
Result for 2019
Many congratulations to the Project Team:
Board Meeting: 8:30 – 10:00
Social: 10:00 – 10:30
Program: 10:30 – 12:00
Officer Elections & Faye Berry on Laws and Regulations
Masks and proper social distancing required.
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.
A History of the Sens Activity Center Bluebonnet Master Gardener Demonstration Garden
By Faye Beery, Master Gardener
Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association
Sens Garden produce
The original garden was started by then Master Gardener Judy Mead in 2001. It was a program started with the Boys and Girls club at the old Bellville High School. Due to planned construction, around 2003, the garden was moved to the jail with the help from then Sheriff Dewayne Burger, and was called the Jail Garden. Members decided that a more appropriate name would be the Chesley garden when the garden was moved from behind the jail to beside the jail on Chesley street. Ed Linseisen, Larry Miller, Harry DeFoy, and Marvin Schindler, along with other members, were instrumental in getting the garden established.
The garden remained at the Chesley street location until 2015. Many interns earned their hours there as well as learning about vegetable gardening from Master Gardeners. Vegetables were given to the food pantry; some were sold to the Farmer’s market and some brought to meetings for sale to the members. Some were given to the inmates for use in the jail kitchen. Many hours of friendship were forged working in the beds and learning from one another about vegetable gardening.
In 2015, Sheriff Brandes announced that the sheriff’s office would be constructing a new building where the garden was located and asked that the garden be moved. The board of directors at Sens Activity Center had contacted me for help with the landscaping at the Center. The Center had adequate land for a garden and access to water, which was not included in other sites that had been explored for a garden. In December of 2015, Garry Kroeger submitted a proposal to the City of Bellville to use the Sens Center land for a new Master Gardener demonstration garden. In return, the Master Gardeners would care for the flower beds around the Center. The city agreed to provide the necessary water and parking space. In 2016, Garry and a team of Master Gardeners and community help moved all the bedding materials and the shed to the Sens Activity Center.
Garden under construction
Many hours of hard work went into plowing the land and establishing the beds. The first year, deer and rabbit, and probably other small animals also found the garden rewarding. Unfortunately, some vandalism also occurred, and it was decided that a fence would be built around the garden. This provided security for the garden, and no further crops were lost to marauders. Garry Kroeger had been instrumental in finding a good site for the garden and had also done much of the work including using his own tractor to plow the land, and has spent many hours working to see that the garden is as productive as possible.
Garry’s Garden sign
The Master Gardeners decided to name it Garry’s Garden, and Elery Kimes, also a Master Gardener, made the sign to put on the fence in his honor. Pete Smith has also been instrumental in working the garden, and fortunately lives in the subdivision, giving him easy access to working there. Pete has been managing and directing efforts to pick and prepare vegetables to be sold at the Farmer’s Market on the square in Bellville.
The garden has been extremely prolific under Garry’s and Pete’s direction. It is still giving interns and Master Gardeners opportunities to work for their hours and to develop friendships and knowledge. Usually, around 5 to 7 people work the garden each Wednesday starting around 7:00 to 8:00 am. In 2018, 1,208 lbs. of vegetables were harvested from the garden. Some were sold, some were given to the food pantry, some were taken to meetings, some were taken home by those who worked there. In 2019, 1,505 lbs. were harvested from the garden. Vegetables included beans, peas, corn, blackberries onions, chard, cucumbers, okra, eggplant, cabbage, turnups, carrots, broccoli, squash, potatoes, peppers, bell and jalapenos, cantaloupes and some herbs.
Volunteers weighting produce
Pete Smith working in the okra
Next year will be the 20th anniversary of the garden. Hopefully, we can have some sort of a celebration and educational activity to let everyone know about the history and successes of the garden. Everyone is welcome to come and work with us in showing what can be done to raise your own produce and lessening dependence on outside sources. Not only does local produce taste better and is better for you, but it reduces transportation costs and reduces waste.
Hope to see you there!
Board Meeting: 8:30 – 10:00
Social: 10:00 – 10:30
Program: 10:30 – 12:00
Link will be emailed.
Save the Date! More information to come.
We are excited to welcome Mr. Skip Richter for our BMGA Intern Training Class & Chapter Zoom Meeting on Vegetables and Organic Gardening.
Details to join the meeting were provided separately.
The Annual Plant Sale is postponed. Please check our website for its reschedule date, most likely in the Fall of 2020.
Both the Board Meeting and the Chapter Meeting are Canceled for the month of March.
Board Meeting: 8:30 – 10:00
Social: 10:00 – 10:30
Program: 10:30 – 12:00
Presentation: Charlene Koehler (Sealy), Randy Albers (LaGrange). Grafting, Budding, and Layering Presentation with after meeting hands on workshop for those interested.
The BMGA annual Awards Program and pot luck lunch.
Board Meeting: 8:30 – 10:00
Social: 10:00 – 10:30
Program: 10:30 – 12:00
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.
“With every deed you are sowing a seed, though the harvest you may not see. “Ella Wheeler Wilcox, poet.
The Bluebonnet Master Gardener Association is reviving the mentor program that was so successful in the past to help trainees achieve Master Gardener certification. Starting with the 2020 BMGA Training Class, certified BMGA members may volunteer to mentor a trainee. The mentor’s obligation extends from when the classroom portion of the training program begins until the mentee achieves Master Gardener certification, up to one year from graduation from the training class.
Because so much information is provided during the training class about gardening, volunteering, continuing education, the relationship with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, BMGA projects, meetings and other activities, the mentor will help usher the trainee through the program. The mentor’s role is to assist the mentee as they move through the training class, help them achieve their required 50 volunteer hours within 1-year from graduation of the training program, answer questions about the Master Gardener program and simply be a friend who shares a passion for gardening.
As BMGA is a four county Master Gardener chapter covering the large geographical area of Austin, Colorado, Fayette & Washington Counties, mentors will be matched to trainees based on county of residence.
BMGA members are asked to sign-up for this important role in connection with the 2020 Training Class. If you are interested in mentoring a new trainee, please go to the Members Only Area to sign-up as mentor.
As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
| 2019 Schedule – 2nd Tuesday of the Month
All educational programs are free to the public! |
| Washington County 2019 Lunch-N-Learn Series. These gardening presentations are Free to the public. Light refreshments are provided or bring your own lunch. |
