MASTER GARDENERS – A REALITY:
If you can dream it, it can happen
by Nelda S. Hensley/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER
The Victoria Educational Gardens Rose Arbor and pathway to the East Side Mini Gardens/PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VCMGA
The Victoria Educational Gardens Pavilion/PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VCMGA
Often, I sit in our den looking out across the patio into the backyard dreaming of that perfectly landscaped garden that we don’t have yet. I remind myself that if we can dream that garden, then we can make it happen. A beautiful dream is the starting point for any gardener! Becoming a certified master gardener is a step you can take to help your gardening dreams become reality. The Victoria County Master Gardeners Association will begin the training of a new group of master gardeners February 6, in the Pavilion at 283 Bachelor Drive at the Victoria Regional Airport. Classes will be held on Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. through May.
My husband and I decided to become involved in master gardeners after retirement because we wanted new connections and a new focus in our lives. One of the changes we made is how and where we travel. We enjoyed a recent road trip to New England where the majestic views of fall foliage were beyond our expectations. On the way home, we discovered the Bellingrath Gardens, known as ‘the charmed spot of the south” in Mobile, Alabama. In 1917, Walter Bellingrath, owner of Coca- Cola Bottling Company in southern Alabama, had a fishing camp on the Fowl River. His wife Bessie, would spend time with him at the fishing camp but rather than fish, she gardened. Over time, they shared a dream to build a beautiful home and develop a 65-acre garden where camellias and cyclamen bloom in winter, azaleas and angelonia bloom in the spring, roses in the summer and cascading chrysanthemums in the fall. We will return to Bellingrath Gardens to see its spring blooms.
My pristine backyard garden is mostly still a dream. My husband likes succulents, I like day lilies. He appreciates his three, white night-blooming cereus, I appreciate petunias, pentas, and pansies. We like both shade plants and plants that require full sun! What do we do?
Master Gardeners has taught us that it’s possible to develop that dream garden for both of us. We know to consider light patterns, or lack of direct light. We know to test the soil in areas we are considering for beds.
We know to enhance that soil as needed to best grow the plants we choose. Compost and mulch are our friends.
We know drip irrigation is an environmentally friendly method and rainwater harvesting is the best water source.
We know the right plant in the right place is essential for our dream garden’s success. We know, in time, we can make this dream come true. What type of garden fills your dreams?
Back to the class, trainees are responsible for attending a total of 50 hours of instruction beginning February 6, through May 22. Trainees will also be required to complete a minimum of 50 hours volunteer time in various activities. The fee for the course is $200.00 including all materials and requirements.
We will learn about soil, water, insects, trees, turf, weeds, vegetables, herbs, compost, propagation, Texas Superstars, native plants and so much more! Presenters will include horticulturists from Texas A& M and Master Gardeners.
Visit our website, https://txmg.org/victoria for more information including an application form. Click on 2025 VCMGA Training Class on the top, left side of the page. Find a link to download the application and instructions for submitting.
A date you will NOT WANT TO MISS is Saturday, January 25, 2025. From 10:00 a.m. until noon come to the Victoria Educational Gardens’ Pavilion, 283 Bachelors Drive, 77904 to meet and greet master gardeners. You will learn in more detail about what the Victoria Master Gardeners program has to offer.
Come make your gardening dream a reality.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides equal opportunities in its programs and employment to all persons, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Texas A&M University system, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners
Courts Cooperating.
Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for effective participation in the program should contact the County
Extension Office at least one week prior to the program or event to request mobility, hearing, visual or other assistance.