Somervell County Master GardenersTexas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Astronomical Events that Affect Our Environment

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We’ve all heard of people who really do plant or harvest their gardens by the moon or stars! Join the Somervell County Master Gardeners on Monday, September 12, 6:30 pm at the Somervell County Citizens Center, 209 SW Barnard, Glen Rose, to hear Robert Slaughter discuss just how astronomical events can and do play a part in our environment!

Earth as seen from spaceThe Universe and the Earth’s Natural Environment. How do events that occur millions, even billions of miles from the Earth affect our environment? Does the Earth itself affect our natural world? In this presentation, Robert Slaughter will delve into the processes that can change the world we live in, from the Sun, to the Moon, to highly energetic events that occur billions of miles from the Earth. We will look at these and other processes that affect the world we live in.

Community Horticulture Education Series

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Bees and Beekeeping

 

Monday, June 28, 2021, 6:30pm
Somervell County Agrilife Extension Office, 1405 Texas Ave.

Please join the Somervell County Master Gardeners on Monday the 28th of June as the  Somervell County Master Gardeners host Kirk Kirksey, Vice President to the Dino Bee Club, for a presentation on bees and bee keeping.  This presentation will describe common bees found in our area, and will provide key points of bees’ life cycle, anatomy, and sociality.  Africanized (“Killer”) bees in Texas will be covered.  The program will highlight honey bees and hobbyist beekeeping in our area.  This will include a hands-on demonstration of a Langstroth Removable Frame hive.  The program will end with “What’s Killing our Bees”, and provide tips and resources for supporting a neighborhood bee population.

 

Mr. Kirksey’s bio includes:

Master Beekeeper Certification (University of Montana)

Frequent Article Contributor – Texas Beekeeping Association Journal

Advanced Beekeeper Certification (Texas Master Beekeeper Program)

Texas Master Beekeeper Certification (in progress)

Registered Texas Beekeeper (#12216)

Member Texas Beekeeping Association

Vice President:  Dino-Bee Club, Glen Rose, Texas

Nine hives on 6 acres east of Glen Rose.

 

Meet the Gardener

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Name

Julie Conner

What year did you become a Master Gardener?

2007

Do you hold a position in the group (officer, chair, etc)?

President

What are your gardening special interests?

Trying new techniques in the garden.  This year my garden is in containers.

Is there a particular gardening book you enjoy?

Neil Sperry’s Complete Guide to Texas Gardening.

Have you had a particular gardening success?

Garlic and onions for well for me as they don’t require much of my attention.

What do you enjoy about being a Master Gardener?

Learning from others.

Do you have a favorite plant?

Perennial flowers

 

Next CHES Meeting

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The Community Educational Horticulture Sessions have been suspended for the summer, but go ahead and mark your calendar for the second Monday in September, the 11th.

Shirley Smith and Donna Hagar will present a program on Building a Rain Barrel and Harvesting Rain Water.

Have a safe and wonderful summer.  Enjoy your garden!

CHES – Monday, May 8th

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This Monday, May 8th, the CHES

program will be on Water Well Conservation,

including understanding your well

and touring a mock well.

                             Karen Siddall is bringing a demonstration trailer with a mock well, so people can understand

                             the different water table levels and the types of soil and rock we are dealing with here.
                             Her excellent presentation also explains how pumps work.
                             Don’t miss this opportunity to understand your important part in water conservation! 
                             Come to the Citizen’s Center, just off the east side of the square, 209 SW Barnard,
                             at 6:30 pm, to enjoy this informative program.

No CHES Meeting until February

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There will be no CHES meeting in December – a very busy month for all of us.

In January,  the weather often presents some dangerous driving conditions, so we have decided to wait until February to have our next CHES meeting.   Yes, we know about February weather, but it’s not usually as “iffy” as January, so we’re going to risk it.  Christine Morgan has a great program lined up for us on February 8th at 6:30. Please put this on your calendar.

Next CHES Meeting, November 14th

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Common Invasive Species on Rangeland

Characteristics, Management and Control

Are you overlooking a sea of cedar on your property? Wondering what to do about Johnson Grass?  Join us on Monday, November 14th to meet our local Natural Resources Conservation Service’s District Conservationist Bill O’Quin.  This will be the second time Bill has visited our chapter, and we are excited to have him back with us!  Save time for questions and answers, as he also has management grants available for landowners, and is himself a wealth of information!

 

Next CHES Meeting, Rainwater Harvesting, October 10th

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Presented by Zach Davis, Somervell County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources

Water? It’s an issue that people don’t want to think about, but it’s something we all need. We know our water supply is limited and it’s something that is not going to get a whole lot better. As society moves forward we need to find ways to conserve as much as we can.  A simple solution that will continue to be important in the future is Rainwater Harvesting.

Rainwater Harvesting reduces the demand on our existing water supply and helps reduce the contamination of surface water which is a “win-win” for everybody. Rainwater can be sanitized so you can use it for basically any purpose you use traditional water. Different uses include:

  • Landscape watering
  • Wildlife and livestock watering
  • In-home use
  • Fire protection, etc.

As diverse as our needs are, whether you live in a rural, semi-rural or urban setting, a rainwater harvesting system can be just as diverse and just as beneficial. The systems can be as simple or as complex as you would like it to be. The choice is yours to make it your own!

RainBarrelHow much rainwater can you catch from a couple barrels??? A 2,000 sq. ft. house X 0.6 X 1 inch of rain = 1,200 gallons of water. To put that in reference to how much we use, the average American uses approximately 69 gallons of water per day. A one inch rain could supply you with water for 17 DAYS. AND leave 1,200 gallons of ground water in our aquifers.

If you are interested in learning more about this topic come down for the Community Horticulture Educational Series, October 10th, at the Senior Citizens Center, Glen Rose, at 6:30 pm.

 

About the presenter:

Zach DavisZachary A Davis, County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources, has been employed for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service for seven years serving in three different counties. Stationed in Somervell County for over one and a half years, Davis has worked with master gardeners, homeowners, master naturalist, livestock producers and 4-H youth to promote proper agriculture practices.

Zach and his wife Kristen, a self-employed wedding photographer, currently have a 2 year-told daughter named Emma. In addition to his extension work Davis has a small herd of black maine-angus cows that are managed on his parent’s ranch in Slidell, TX.

 

Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.

Next CHES Meeting, September 12th

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Community Horticultural Education Series

September 12, 2016, 6:30 pm

Citizens Center, 209 SW Barnard

Glen Rose, Texas

110277-378x317-Colorful_Fall_Veggies

Fall Vegetable Gardens – What and When to Plant

Presented by Dr. Christine Morgan,  ND, PSc.D.,  

Master Gardener and Vegetable Specialist 

Program is open to the public and free of charge

Next CHES Meeting, June 13th

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Gourds…Creative Art and Birdhouses and…How to Grow Them

gourds, 5

Come hear Cindy Lear and Nancy Walsh, Lake Granbury Master Gardeners and gourd artists speak about the different types of gourds, learn how to have success growing them in our area, and use them for creative purposes. They have a wonderful PowerPoint presentation to share with us.

Cindy is a retired teacher, stained glass artist, and a gourd artist for the past three years.  She is also the team leader for the Lake Granbury Master Gardener community education programs.

Nancy has experimented with different art mediums all her life, but only started her venture with gourd art over the past 6 years.  She won her first blue ribbon in the Novice Division at the Texas Gourd Festival in 2013.  She grows 200+ gourds per year at her home in Tolar.  She is currently serving as 1st Vice President/Membership Services, which includes planning monthly education programs for the Lake Granbury Master Gardeners. This will be an interesting evening!

The Community Horticultural Education Series, sponsored every second Monday by the Somervell County Master Gardeners and the Prairie Rose Chapter of Native Plant Society, is held at the Citizens Center,  209 SW Barnard Street, just off the square, in Glen Rose.  It is free and open to the public.  The program will begin at 6:30 pm.