Start your indoor garden with these seven basic steps:

Choose the right location: Although many think that herbs need direct sunlight, indirect sunlight will also work fine. Look around your house and make sure to choose the best location - don't limit yourself to the kitchen. East, South and West-facing windows should all give your herbs more than enough light.

Buy the right pot and soil: One of the most important steps in growing herbs is choosing a high-quality potting soil. Buy soil that feels nice and moist when you take a handful. The type of pot you use is also extremely important. Clay pottery or unglazed ceramic pots seem to be the best for growing plants.

Plant with loose soil: It is very important to loosely fill the pot with soil and not to press down too hard. Once the soil is in place, remove the starter herb plant from its pot and gently loosen the soil around the bottom inch of the roots. Scoop out a hole in the planting pot and settle the plant in its new home.Carefully fill soil back around the roots and water the plant moderately.

Learn how to water: Learning to water herb containers is what takes the most practice. Until you get used to how fast your plants dry out, check them every couple of days.To keep plants and soil from drying out too fast, avoid placing them near furnace vents or hot, sunny windows. Plan to water plants every three to five days.

Add organic fertilizer: Fertilize herbs once a month with organic fertilizer. You'll probably be using the plants for cooking or tea, so you don't want to be eating chemical fertilizer residues.

Prevent insect pests: Whenever you grow plants indoors, insects can come calling. You can prevent most problems by making sure your soil doesn't get soggy. If you notice a few pests on your herbs, take action right away by spraying with a soap- or neem oil-based plant product.

Harvest for good health: Be sure to pinch back or harvest your plants regularly. Pinching back the top couple of inches of growth helps plants stay bushy and healthy, and the harvest is perfect for cooking, making tea or adding to your bath.

The Aquaponic Source

Increasingly, people are looking for ways to have more control over the source of their food. They are also looking for ways make their food supply more sustainable. The answer, for many, is found in aquaponics, a fairly new method of gardening that is quickly becoming popular. Aquaponics gives people a sustainable way to grow their own food at home, regardless of what the soil in their yard may be like.

"Aquaponics is an environmentally friendly route to growing food right at home, in schools, or pretty much anywhere," explains Sylvia Bernstein, president of The Aquaponic Source, and author of the book Aquaponics Gardening: A Step-By-Step Guide to Raising Vegetables and Fish Together (New Society Publishers, October 2011). "Based on the idea of raising fish to create your own plant fertilizer, it creates a natural food source that can't be beat."

Aquaponics is easy enough for anyone to get involved. Here are some tips for getting started:

Get Educated. Find a trusted source of information, such as Bernstein's book, to make sure your experience is successful, the first time.

Get the right fish. Although you can use a wide variety of fish, you want to stick to freshwater varieties. Determine whether you want to raise the fish for the fun of it or whether you plan to eat them. If you want to include eating the fish in your plans, you may want to opt for raising tilapia. They are the most commonly used fish for aquaponics, they are easy to grow, reproduce readily in captivity, and most people like the way they taste.

Pick your plants. When choosing the plants to include, opt for ones that are not acid-loving varieties. Be sure to plant them with their ultimate growth size in mind, so they can each get the sunlight they need.

Establish the microbes. Every successful aquaponics system must have a good beneficial bacteria source. This is an essential step that must not be overlooked, or the fish and plants will not be able to live.

Add the worms. After a couple of months of having the system up and running, you should add some red worms in order to help break down the fish waste that will be used for fertilizing the plants.

Consider other elements. There are other things that need to be considered, including the temperature of the water, which will depend on the type of fish you are raising. Lighting is also important when it comes to growing your plants, although it is not needed for your fish. You will also want to take the size of your tank into consideration, as that will determine just how much you can comfortably grow.

Get expert help. When you have questions about getting started, or about maintaining an aquaponic garden, be sure to speak with an expert. The information will be invaluable, helping to ensure that everything is set up correctly and that each garden is successful.

"We love to help people get their system set up," added Bernstein. "Knowing that someone is getting started on this route to sustainable gardening is a step in the right direction for them, as well as for the planet."

Bernstein is owner of The Aquaponic Source center, located in Longmont, Colo. The center focuses on all things Aquaponics, and features a retail store, education center, and research and development lab.

Dallas: "Drip Irrigation DIY" will be presented 6:30-8:30 p.m., March 13, at Texas A&M AgriLife Research Extension Center at Dallas, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. Convert your spray heads and watch your sprinkler system save you money. Register at dallas.tamu.edu/courses.

Nacogdoches: SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 13, in the new Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., Nacogdoches. SFA Gardens horticulturists Dave Creech, Dawn Stover and Greg Grant will present a "A Plant Preview of the Upcoming Garden Gala Plant Sale."Their combined program will present information and images of many of the new, popular and more unusual plants available at the upcoming sale. The Garden Gala Day Spring Plant Sale and Earth Day Celebration will be held from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Saturday, April 5, at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center. The sale features a wide variety of hard-to-find, "Texas tough" plants, including Texas natives, heirlooms, tropicals, perennials, shrubs, trees and exclusive SFA and Greg Grant introductions. Most of these are produced by the SFA Gardens staff and volunteers. Parking for the sale is available at the nearby Early Childhood Research Center, 2428 Raguet St. Parking for the lecture is available there, as well. Visitors are encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon for their plants. For more information, call 936-468-4404, or visit www.sfagardens.sfasu.edu two weeks before the sale for a list of available plants.For more information, call (936) 468-1832 or email grantdamon@sfasu.edu.

San Antonio: Loretta Van Coppenolle, environmental activist with an interest in nutrition and natural health, will present "Natural Means of Addressing Cancer" 6:30-8:30 p.m., March 13, at San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels, San Antonio. For additional information, visit www.sanantonioherbs.org. 

Humble: March Mart will be held Friday, March 14, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. and Saturday, March 15, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. at Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens, 22306 Aldine Westfield Road, Humble. One of the Texas Gulf Coast area's largest and most anticipated horticultural events, March Mart features a huge selection, more than 2,000 varieties, of quality plants rarely found at local retail nurseries. Many of these plants are grown by Mercer's volunteers, who will be on-hand to help with selection and offer advice on the cultivation and care of plants offered at the event. Proceeds from the sale benefit the gardens and programs at Mercer.

Brady: Central Texas Master Gardeners Association will host a workshop on March 18 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. that will focus on fighting invasive species and protecting Texas from their negative effects. The training will be presented by Justin Bush, the Invasive Species Program Manager at the University of Texas - Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin. The workshop will be held at Brady Housing Authority, 405 E. Main St., Brady. Lunch is provided by CTMGA. There is no charge for the workshop, but space is limited and advance registration is required.To register, call McCulloch Extension Office at 325-597-1295, contact slvanzant@gmail.com, or visit http://tinyurl.com/lo8dsa4.

College Station: "Be Earth-Kind - Compost" will be presented by Master Gardener/Composter Molly Harris, 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m., March 18, at Cypress Grove Intermediate School, 900 Graham Road, College Station. 

McKinney: Learn about North Texas gardening and Earth-Kind gardening principles at The Garden Show, presented by The Collin County Master Gardener Association. Now in its fourth year, The Garden Show has become a perennial favorite with gardeners everywhere. The Garden Show will take place on March 22 & 23 at beautiful Myers Park and Event Center in McKinney. The fun two-day event features local vendor booths, a children's discovery area, adult interactive education, tours of the International Award Winning Earth-Kind Perennial Research and Demonstration Gardens, and more. Collin County Master Gardeners with decades of collective experience will offer educational and informative presentations throughout the show on a variety of topics that include vegetable gardening, herbs, creating great container gardens, Earth-Kind perennials, propagation, trees, rainwater harvesting, drip irrigation, and water conservation. The Garden Show will feature two speakers at this year's show. Steve Huddleston, author and senior horticulturalist at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens will discuss Outstanding Plants for North Texas on Saturday, and keynote speaker Neil Sperry will wrap up the show on Sunday. The Garden Show is an indoor event, so come rain or shine, hot or cold! Make time to grow and dig up some education and inspiration at The Garden Show. Hours are from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, and from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday, March 23. Entry on both days is a donation of $2 per person. Parking is free. All proceeds benefit the Children & Community Health Center and Meals on Wheels. Visit www.ccmgatx.org/TheGardenShow, or call 469-682-6375 for up-to-date information.

Nacogdoches: The 13th annual Nacogdoches Azalea Trail Symposium will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at the newly opened Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building location at Stephen F. Austin State University's Pineywoods Native Plant Center. Matt and Tim Nichols of Nichols Nursery in North Carolina and MrMaple.com will present "Heat-Tolerant Maples for the South" based on their 35 years of experience propagating and growing more than 1,000 kinds of Japanese maples. They will share information about growing maples in a southern climate, demonstrate how the trees are grafted and assist in a guided tour of the nearby Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, which features more than 200 varieties of the ornamental tree. Cost, including lunch and garden tour, is $35 for SFA Gardens members and $40 for non-members. To register, call (936) 564-7351 or email info@visitnacogdoches.org. Participants may also register the morning of the event. For more information, email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

Rosenberg: The 2014 Backyard Basics series of programs featuring topics about growing, preparing, and preserving nutritious foods begins on Saturday, March 22, with Vegetable Production. Participants will be instructed by Master Gardener Vegetable Specialists on proper bed preparation, fertilization, irrigation, pest control, and seasonal vegetable varieties for Fort Bend County. The program will be held at the Fort Bend County Extension Office, 1402 Band Road, Rosenberg. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and the program is from 9-11 a.m. The cost is $15 per person or $25 per couple and pre-registration is required by contacting Brandy Rader at 281-342-3034 or brandy.rader@ag.tamu.edu. Backyard Basics is an educational series brought to you by the Fort Bend County office of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Fort Bend County Master Gardeners, Inc. Information about the other programs in the series will be available soon at http://fortbendagrilife.org and www.fbmg.com.

San Antonio: San Antonio Garden Center Spring Plant Sale, Saturday & Sunday, March 22 & 23, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., 3310 N. New Braunfels @ Funston. Shop for Beautiful, quality plants along with an assortment of unique plants at the Donation Station contributed by members from their own yards and gardens. For more information visit www.sanantoniogardencenter.org or call 210-824-9981.

San Antonio: The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas Water Star Program will present the Spring Grounds Maintenance Workshop from 8 a.m.-4:15 p.m. March 28 in San Antonio. Program instruction will be in Room 190 of the Performing Arts Building at Palo Alto College, 1400 W. Villaret. This workshop is designed for professional groundskeepers, turfgrass and landscape managers, landscaping service providers, grounds technicians and foremen, but members of the general public who are also interested in saving water and money through proper turfgrass care and irrigation are welcome. Registration is from 8-8:30 a.m. and lunch will be provided. The morning program will focus on turfgrass selection and use, turfgrass "cultural" practices, water use, and the benefits of soil and water testing. Afternoon instruction will address primarily irrigation, including rules and regulations, scheduling, coupons and rebates, and system maintenance. There also will be instruction on soil and water management, as well as a tour of the Palo Alto grounds and demonstration plot.The program will offer seven Texas Nursery and Landscape Association continuing education credits. There are also six Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and six Texas Department of Agriculture credits pending approval. The Texas Water Star Program is an AgriLife Extension umbrella program with the goal of increasing resources and knowledge about conserving water in urban landscapes through education and training. Registration for the program is $40. Attendees should RSVP to Angel Torres at the AgriLife Extension office for Bexar County at 210-467-6575 or matorres@ag.tamu.edu by March 25 to reserve a spot. Participation is limited to the first 50 registrants.

Angleton: Brazoria County Master Gardeners will host their 16th Annual Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, March 29, at the Brazoria County Fair Grounds, 901 South Downing, Angleton. The sale, which is all indoors, will feature perennials, herbs, shrubs, natives and vegetables. This Event will kick off from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. with a guest speaker, Ms. Heidi Sheesley of Treesearch Farms. The indoor sale will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 1 p.m. There will also be a raffle, door prizes and BBQ. For more information, call 979-864-1558 x110.

Bryan: Join the Brazos County Master Gardener Association at their Spring 2014 Plant Sale, 9 a.m.-noon, with 8-9 a.m. pre-sale talk and walk-through, Saturday, March 29, at Texas AgriLife Extension Office, 2619 Highway 21 West, Bryan. A wide selection of unusual and unique plants adapted to Brazos County will be offered. Heirloom plants, pass-along plants and more from the gardens of local Master Gardeners will be available. A preview talk, highlighting the choicest plants and their growing requirements, will be presented from 8-9 a.m. in the garden pavilion. Seating for this special event is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund community education programs of the BCMGA, a non-profit organization of Extension volunteers. For additional information, contact Susan Smith at susanrs53@hotmail.com or 832-428-4632.  

Burnet: The 16th Annual Hill Country Lawn & Garden Show sponsored by the Highland Lakes Master Gardeners Assn, in conjunction with the Burnet Co. AgriLife Extension Service will be held on Saturday, March 29, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Burnet Community Center, 401 E. Jackson St., Burnet. Vendors feature plants for every garden, including native plants, exotic plants, herbs, vegetables, succulents and houseplants. The latest in lawn/garden equipment and yard decorations are also available for purchase. This year, throughout the day, Master Gardeners will have demonstrations of current gardening techniques, including Container Vegetable Gardening, Hill Country Grasses, Rainwater Harvesting, Compost Tea, Worm Casting Compost, Texas Native Bulbs and Square Foot/Keyhole Gardens. There will be a special children's area and food for sale. Raffle tickets will be sold for a garden-themed quilt and many other prizes. Admission is free. For additional information, contact Val Klaudt, Chairperson, at 512-588-0696 or http://www.burnetcountyhighlandlakesmastergardener.org/lawn--garden-show.html.

Granbury: The Lake Granbury Master Gardeners of Hood County will host their annual plant sale 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, March 29, at the Demonstration Garden (behind Annex 1), 1410 Pearl St., Granbury.  

Houston: Jump start your garden by attending Spring Gardening Seminar, 9-11 a.m., March 29, featuring timely talks and how-to demonstrations at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Office and Gardens, 3033 Bear Creek Dr., Houston. Harris County Horticulture Extension Agents and Harris County Master Gardeners will give four informative presentations: "Lawn Tune Up" by Extension Agent-Horticulture and Texas gardener Contributing Editor Robert "Skip" Richter; "Success with Flowers" by Extension Agent-Horticulture Paul Winski; "Bountiful Vegetables" by Master Gardener Jean Fefer; and "Successful Propagation" by Master Gardener Cathy Preator. Cost of the event is $15 and will include several giveaways. Participants can register at the door or prior to the event. There will also be opportunities for self-guided tours of the demonstration gardens and an Ask-A-Master Gardener booth to answer any gardening questions. For details about this and other upcoming events, visit harris.agrilife.org/program-areas/hort/, call 281-855-5600 or like HCMGA at www.facebook.com/HarrisCountyMasterGardeners.

Houston: If your garden has too much of something and needs something else, a plant swap may be the solution. Some members of Houston Plant Swap, a Yahoo! users group, are planning a first-time swap event for the Northwest side of Houston on Saturday, March 29, in Pavilion 6 of Bear Creek Pioneers Park. The park address is 3535 War Memorial Dr., Houston, but the pavilion is off Bear Creek Drive. The plant swap is only for trading and swapping plants no money is to change hands and nothing is for sale. Set up for the free event starts at 8:30 a.m. Participants can turn up to claim a table space under the pavilion or set up outside the pavilion. Swapping commences at 9:30 a.m. and continues through 1:30 p.m. Organizers hope to attract people interested in trading house plants, vegetable and ornamental plants, seeds, cuttings, bulbs, tubers, shrubs, trees and garden paraphernalia - so long as it's legal and desirable. Serious swappers arrange pre-trades on the group's website, posting "have" and "want" lists along with photos in the photo album section to aid in identification. Anybody is welcome to join. More details can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BearCreekPlantSwap/. The swap also includes a potluck lunch and door prizes. An added activity at the Bear Creek event is a free tour of the nearby Harris County Master Gardeners Demonstration Gardens behind the Bear Creek offices of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, 3033 Bear Creek Dr. The Bear Creek demonstration gardens include raised vegetable beds, an herb garden, a butterfly garden, a fruit orchard, a meditation garden and a bog garden. Flower and perennial beds include Texas Superstars, All American Selections, border plants, roses, shade plants, day lilies, drought tolerant varieties and more. All are selected to show area residents what plants perform well in our area. The Master Gardeners are testing new plant cultivars in several beds. Visitors can also learn about cylinder/container gardening, composting and projects in the Master Gardener greenhouse. Sign up for a reserved space and lunch plate at the swap. For more details, contact Daryl at 832-877-7387.  

La Marque: "Minimize Tomato Stress Factors to Maximize Yields"with GC Master Gardener Ira Gervais will be presented 9-11:30 a.m., March 29, at Galveston County AgriLife Extension, Carbide Park, 4102 Main, La Marque. Email reservations to galv3@wt.net, For additional information, call-534-3413 or visit www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston. Free.

Orangefield: The Orange County Master Gardener Association of Orange will hold their annual Bloomin' Crazy Plant Fair Saturday, March 29 from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Jewel Cormier Park, 8235 FM 1442, Orangefield (about 1.5 miles south of IH10 (Exit 869S). Available will be a large variety of plants from annuals, perennials, Texas SuperStars, Natives, vines, butterfly, house, tropical, lilies, citrus, shrubs, trees, vegetables including herbs and a huge selection of tomato and pepper plants. There will be many hard-to-find plants available also. Vendors selling bromeliads, and unique gifts will be available along with Master Gardeners to answer horticulture related questions. Concessions will be available. For additional information, visit www.txmg.org/orange.

Waxahachie: The Lawn & Garden Expo will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m., March 29, at the Waxahachie Civic Center. Speakers include Jenny Wegley, director of research & greenhouse for the Dallas Arboretum discussing "Trial by Flower"; Alene Hamilton & Susan Clark discussing "Food & Flavors of the Southwest"; and Dr. Ridlon "Kip" Kiphart discussing "Invite a Monarch to Lunch." For additional information, visit www,ECMGA.com.

Midland/Odessa: Beginning March 31, Permian Basin Master Gardeners will hold their Spring 2014 Earth-kind Landscape Design School. the course consists of four evening classes, the final two taught by Dr. Steve George. Classes are March 31 and April 1, 7 and 8 at the CAF Museum, 9600 Wright Drive - at the Midland Odessa Airport off I-20, between Midland and Odessa - from 6:30 to 9:30 each evening. In addition to instruction, participants receive design templates, lists of appropriate trees, annuals, perennials and other plants, a 30-minute design consultation and 2 admissions to the Commemorative Air Force Museum. Fee of $145 covers 1 or 2 members of the same household. Contact Wanda Roberson at 432-498-4071 or wrroberson@ag.tamu.edu.

• Many, many practical and timely garden tips that are for Texas - not Maine or California!
• Organic, earth friendly tips to make your garden grow and prosper
• Lots of space to record your own activities for future reference
• Planting dates and tips for vegetables, flowers, herbs, fruit and lawns

The Vegetable Book

By Dr. Sam Cotner

Finally, back by popular demand and in its fourth printing, the most informative and comprehensive "how-to" book on vegetable gardening in Texas (also, suitable for most other areas of the South) written by the late, great Dr. Sam Cotner, former head of horticulture at Texas A&M University and lifelong gardener. This interesting read has over 370 pages of detailed information on every crop, from Asparagus to Watermelon including problem/solving sections for each vegetable. If you want to maximize your enjoyment and success growing vegetables in Texas, this book is a "must have," whether you are a beginner or a seasoned gardener. Price $34.02

By William D. Adams

The best thing for tomato enthusiasts since the tomato itself! Adams draws on more than thirty years of experience to provide a complete, step-by-step guide to success in the tomato patch. Learn everything from soil preparation, planting, feeding, caging and watering. Liberally sprinkled with the author's easy humor and illustrated with his own excellent photographs, this must-have book has everything you'll need to assure a bumper crop! 189 pages. Lots of color photographs! Price: $31.94

($15.82 if ordered separately)

Remit payment to:

TG Books * PO Box 9005 * Waco, TX 76714

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