Velma is celebrating her 25th year as an active Master Gardener in Hays County. She has served our group in many capacities in that time. She was HCMGA President in 1997 and 1998 and was treasurer in 1999-2001. She also served on the Audit Committee for several years.
Velma took the Landscape Design courses at A&M and holds certification as a Landscape Design Critic. She also holds a Certificate of Competency Level 1-3 for Native Landscape Certification by NPSOT. All of this training made her quite capable of planning and installing the MG Demonstration Garden at the San Marcos Extension Office, including a rose garden and a pond. A few years later, she helped plant and care for various varieties of fig trees that were part of a joint research project with UC Davis. She also participated in the design and installation of the Master Gardener plot at the San Marcos Discovery Center.
In addition to her Master Gardener projects, Velma has shared her knowledge and love of gardening with the community at large. She has done gardening for Habitat for Humanity, taught a Hill Country MG class on basic landscaping, and installed roses at the Hays County Food Bank, to name just a few.
Velma has a particular love of roses. Each year she shares her knowledge of propagating roses by presenting a workshop to the MG trainees. Her expertise and experience in gardening makes her an great asset to HCMGA and to the county at large.