June 4, 2014
  

The garden reader:
Houseplants galore

By William Scheick

Book Reviewer

 

Steve Asbell. Plant by Numbers: 50 Houseplant Combinations to Decorate Your Space. Cool Springs Press, 2014. 176 pp. $21.99.

 

Tovah Martin. The Unexpected Houseplant: 220 Extraordinary Choices for Every Spot in Your Home. Timber Press, 2012. 326 pp. $22.95.

 

I admit that, except for a few almost accidental pairings, my houseplants tend to be stand-alones. The only reason I haven't combined more of them is, simply, I haven't thought much about doing so.

 

So, for me, Steve Asbell's Plant by Numbers amounted to a wakeup call. His book makes a smart case for fashioning "living art" in the form of knockout indoor container combinations.

 

Relying on a "cookbook approach," Asbell provides step-by-step plant "recipes." These models detail the "ingredient" plants that combine well together based on their shared response to light level, moisture and humidity.

 

Each profile provides a how-to guide on the left-hand page followed by a brilliant photo of the grouping on the right-hand page. Each also has a letter-coded diagram (akin to painting by numbers) showing exactly where every specific plant goes in the arrangement.

 

Lone Star gardeners have plenty of sunny settings and also benefit from plants with low-moisture needs. So it is likely that they will especially appreciate Asbell's "Lavender Lullaby" combination (Aeonium, Tradescantia, Graptosedum and Kalanchoe) and his "Coral Seafoam" grouping (Senecio, Graptoveria, Sedum, Crassula, Anacampseros and Echeveria).

 

Also beautifully illustrated, The Unexpected Houseplant highlights an impressively wide sample of specific plants. Each profile includes Tovah Martin's up-close, engaging, information-rich and (often) personal observations.

 

There's a surprising chapter near the end of this beautiful book. Entitled "Love Thwarted," this chapter "outs" troublesome plants that generally "won't work on your windowsill."

 

Some will see this chapter as wisely cautionary, while others might regard its obdurate plants (Abutilon, Bougainvillea, Heliotrope and Hibiscus) as personal challenges. Gardeners tend to be eccentric that way, just as Martin's intense aversion to spider plant - "bring it straight to the dumpster!" - strikes me as peculiar.

 

Both of these good books are well designed to overcome whatever inhibitions might prevent someone from cultivating indoor plants. Even so, both make an assumption that deserves more thought: they approach windowsill plants as if the glass in our contemporary home windows is the same as the glass panes of homes in the past.

 

Today's energy-conserving tinted windows are not the same as the panes of yesteryear. This change has an impact on growing indoor plants - how much impact depends on film, tint, coating or between-panes gas.

 

Apparently in Texas gray is the most common window-tint for reducing the penetration of outside light and heat. Such a substantial reduction of light - up to about 70 percent - poses challenges for the houseplant grower, who now needs to consider the use of fluorescent or high-intensity discharge (not incandescent) bulbs.

 

It would be a great service if future books about houseplants were to offer a hefty chapter on the plant-impact of the various types of windows being installed in today's homes. Nostalgic references to windowsills are comforting but unfortunately not enough any more.

June gardening

 

By Tom Harris, Ph.D.

The Hill Country Gardener

 

Birds and Wildlife

 

To attract butterflies, plant coral vine, blue plumbago, butterfly weed, lantana, purple coneflower and yarrow. Yes, the critters will eat the plants, but the plants will come right back.

 

Color

 

If you're looking for color for the hot part of the summer, consider periwinkles, esperanza, firebush, zinnias, poinciana, portulaca, purslane, or lantana.

 

Plant vincas in full sun.

 

Shade plants include coleus, caladiums, firespike and begonias.

 

Moss rose and purslane are showy all month long in full sun.

 

Keep up the fertilizer on the roses.

 

Fruits and Nuts

 

Peaches, apples, plums and blackberries with developing fruit must receive regular moisture.

 

Figs are especially sensitive to dry soil.

 

Prune out old blackberry canes (the ones that bore fruit this year) to make way for the new canes.

Shade Trees and Shrubs

 

Newly planted trees need deep watering by hand when the soil dries to one inch.

 

Remember to mulch 2-3 inches deep around new trees so that they don't have to compete with grass. Leave 6" clearance around the trunks.

 

Use a weekly spray program to protect your roses from insects and black spot. Keep fruit trees well watered if they're still producing.

 

Prune hedges on an as-needed basis, but avoid severe pruning.

 

Turf Grass

 

June's warm soils make this an ideal time to establish or renovate the home lawn. Bermudagrass for all sun/no shade, St. Augustine for all sun/partial shade and zoysia for all sun/partial shade.

 

Irrigate the lawn grass only if it hasn't rained in the last two weeks.

 

Raise the blade on the mower to 3.5 inches or more if you have St. Augustine. Continue to mow the Bermuda at 1-1.5 inch.

 

Vegetables

 

Vegetables to plant now will include black-eyed peas, okra, sweet corn, cucumbers, peppers, New Zealand "spinach" and squash.

 

You can still plant eggplant and okra for mid-summer vegetables.

 

Use Bt or Spinosad to control hornworms, fruit-eating pinworms, and other caterpillars.

 

Pull non-producing plants - especially tomatoes - before diseases and spider mites move in.

 

Powdery mildew will probably take the vine plants this month. Pull them out and wait for fall.

Gardening tips

"I have a small succulent garden and I love it!" writes Deborah Hollister. "I don't think it will work well to put it in the ground. We have periods of a lot of rain and periods of drought. So I put them in peat pots with a special cactus/succulent soil I bought. I put pretty rocks I hand-selected when we were in West Texas and put them around the succulents for aesthetic appeal as well as for warmth on sunny but chilly days. Also, I 'mulched' the succulents with tiny gravel found in the craft section. (Rinse well before using.) Then to collect them so they would have the appearance of a designed garden, I bought a very large dog food pan made of aluminum, I think, drilled drainage holes in it, and spray painted it with a non-toxic paint in a pretty sky blue. Then, after the paint dried, I arranged the peat pots in the circular pan, making sure they were thoroughly soft and malleable so they would fit snugly together. The pots are very close together. Putting a decorative moss around them and over the peat pots, to hide them, makes a lovely miniature garden and keeps moisture in so that I do not have to water them much. As the succulents grow, I know I will have to come up with a larger pan, more peat pots, or another kind of flat container, but as these tiny succulents grow, they are happy in their cozy 'bed' in the sky blue dog food pan! On very rainy days I take the succulents (easy to carry in the dog food pan) to the hot house to make sure they do not get water-logged. I bring them out as soon as we have sunny weather again. Succulents are delightful."  

 

Have a favorite gardening tip you'd like to share? Texas Gardener's Seeds is seeking brief gardening tips from Texas gardeners to use in future issues. If we publish your tip in Seeds, we will send you a free Texas Gardener 2014 Planning Guide & Calendar. Please send your tips of 50 words or less to the editor at: Gardening Tips. 

Upcoming garden events
 
If you would like your organization's events included in "Upcoming Garden Events" or would like to make a change to a listed event, please contact us at Garden Events. To ensure inclusion in this column, please provide complete details at least three weeks prior to the event.
JUNE
 

Glen Rose: Paul Dowlearn, author of The Lazy Man's Garden: Maximum Return, Minimum Input, Owner of Wichita Valley Nursery, Wichita Falls, and member of Red River Chapter, NPSOT, will be the speaker at the June 6 meeting of the Prairie Rose Chapter of NPSOT. As his book and career in landscaping emphasize, Dowlearn will talk on xeriscaping and adjusting attitudes to practical gardening. The 6:30 p.m. meeting will be held at the Somervell County Citizen Center, 205 SW Barnard, Glen Rose.

 

Austin: The Garden Club of Austin's annual show & plant sale will be held June 7 and 8 at Zilker Park Botanical Gardens, 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin. The juried plant, vegetable & flower show is open to all amateur gardeners. Show contest plants will be accepted Friday, June 5, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, June 7, from 8 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. Plant sale hours will be Saturday from 9 until 5 and Sunday from 10 until 5. Enter your favorite plant or vegetable or buy some beautiful, very well priced items at the plant sale. More information is available at www.thegardenclubofaustin.org. Click on events and scroll down to the garden show. 

 

Austin: The Austin Pond Society will host its 20th Annual Pond Tour in June and will feature ponds and gardens at more than 20 locations in North, Central and South Austin. Ponds of every size and description are included in the tour, along with waterfalls, streams, and fountains. Some gardens are Certified Wildlife Habitats, and most have native plants.Tour Dates and Times: Saturday, June 7 - South and Central Austin (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) Saturday Night - Night pond locations (8 p.m. to 10 p.m.) Sunday, June 8 - North Austin (9 .am. to 5 p.m.) Wristbands for the three events are $15 in advance and can be purchased using PayPal at austinpondsociety.org; at Emerald Garden, Hill Country Water Gardens, McIntire's Garden Center, Shoal Creek Nursery, and The Great Outdoors. Wristbands can be purchased at each site during the event for $20. Wristbands for children 12 and under are free with a paid adult. Volunteers who work a four-hour shift on either day of the tour will receive entry to all of the tour sites, a tour T-shirt, and an invitation to the SPLASH! Party on May 31. Sign up at [email protected]. For more information visit austinpondsociety.org.

 

Bastrop: The third annual Heart of Texas Green Expo is slated for June 7, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center, 1408 Chestnut Street, Bastrop. Attendees will enjoy music, food and fun children's activities while learning how to go green and help the environment at this premier educational forum for recycling and sustainable living in Central Texas. Admission is free for all ages. Informative presentations, demonstrations and 60+ exhibits will cover a wide range of topics, including alternative energy, recycling, green building, water conservation, organic gardening, sustainable farming and eco-friendly ranching. Exhibitor Air Wind & Solar will give away a turnkey home solar power system installation valued at $8,000 to one lucky attendee of this year's Heart of Texas Green Expo. The 2014 Green Expo will feature expert speakers to provide information on organic gardening, water conservation and environmental education. This year's keynote speaker is Central Texas gardening expert John Dromgoole, owner of The Natural Gardener in Austin and founder of Lady Bug Natural Brand soils, compost and other gardening products. He is also the well-known host of the long-running weekly radio call-in show "Gardening Naturally" online and on KLBJ-AM 590 radio in Austin. Other speakers include Texas State Representative Bill Callegari and environmental educator Gina LaMotte. LaMotte is founder and executive director of EcoRise Youth Innovations, an organization developing school-based teaching curricula to introduce students in grades K-12 to sustainability, design innovation and social entrepreneurship. For more information, visit www.heartoftexasgreenexpo.org .  

 

Dallas: City of Dallas Water Utilities, City of Dallas Stormwater Management, City of Dallas Park & Recreation, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, and Dallas County Master Gardeners are teaming up to demonstrate the beauty of Water-Wise and EarthKind gardening with the 20th annual Water-Wise Landscape Tour. Dallas County Master Gardeners will be conducting free 30-minute talks on Water-Wise gardening every hour on the hour at each of the tour headquarters. Dallas County Master Gardener volunteers will also be assisting homeowners and helping answer questions about the plants and landscapes on the tour. The first 100 visitors at each of the three tour headquarters, June 7, will receive a free hose spray nozzle. For more information, visit SaveDallasWater.com or call the Water Conservation Hotline at 214-670-3155 Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Maps for the self-driving tour are available at SaveDallasWater.com and at all tour headquarters. Tour Headquarters: Central: White Rock Pump Station - 2900 White Rock Rd., Dallas; North: Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center - 17360 Coit Rd., Dallas; South: Lake Cliff Park - E. Colorado Blvd. at N. Zang Blvd., Dallas.  

 

Rosenberg: Fort Bend Master Gardeners will present "Native Plants" at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 7, at Agriculture Center, 1402 Band Road, Rosenberg. The presentation will increase understanding of the appeal and value of plants native to Texas. Texas Native Garden and other demonstration gardens open for tours and Master Gardeners available for tips and advice from 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Call 281-341-7068 or visit  http://www.fbmg.com/ for more information. 

 

San Antonio:  Home gardeners may enter the Top Tomato & Salad Bowl Contest on Saturday, June 7. The contest is held at Milberger's Landscape Nursery, 3920 N. Loop 1604 West at Bulverde Rd., San Antonio. Entries accepted between 10:30 a.m.-noon. Judging begins at 12:15 p.m. Prizes for top tomatoes and bowls of other spring/summer vegetables, excluding tomatoes. For entry guidelines, go to www.GardeningVolunteers.org or call 210-251-8101.  

 

Marion: Matt Turner, author of "Remarkable Plants of Texas," will introduce some of Texas's most amazing plants, their little-known histories, and their medicinal, cultural and culinary uses during his presentation at 7 p.m., Tuesday, June 10, at St John's Lutheran Church, FM 465, Marion. Meetings are open to the public. Visitors are welcome. There is a plant/seed exchange and greeting at 6:30 p.m. followed by the program. For more information, directions to St John's Lutheran Church, or membership applications, visit http://npsot.org/wp/guadalupe/.

 

Seabrook: "Herbs - Garden to Table" will be presented at 6:30 p.m., June 10, at Clear Lake Park Meeting Room, 5001 Nasa Parkway, Seabrook. For additional information, visit https://hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/pubp2.aspx.

 

Humble: Mark Klym, Texas Parks & Wildlife program coordinator, will present "Hummingbirds - Myth, Magic, and Mystery" noon-2 p.m., Wednesday, June 11, at Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens, 22306 Aldine Westefield Road, Humble. For additional information, call 281-443-8731 or visit www.hcp4.net/mercer.

 

Nacogdoches: SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 12, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. Former president of The Native Plant Society of Texas, Peter Loos, will present "Native Plants That Work for You."Loos has a degree in horticulture from SFA and is a resident of Chireno. He owns Ecovirons which specializes in hard to find native plants, plant growing services, biological and botanical services, native plant seeds, landscape design, wetland construction and maintenance services, and land management services. The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month at the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture's SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves lecture series fund always are appreciated. Parking is available at the nearby Raguet Elementary School, 2428 Raguet St., with continual shuttle service to the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building. For more information, call 936-468-1832 or email [email protected].  

 

San Antonio: Christine Arredondo, owner and manager of San Antonio Gourmet Olive Oils, will speak at the San Antonio Herb Society's meeting June 12. The meeting, running 6:30-8:30 p.m., will be held at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels, San Antonio. For additional information, visit www.sanantonioherbs.org.  

 

Seabrook: Judy Jones, part-owner of Enchanted Gardens, will present "Fairy Gardens and Terrariums" at 10 a.m., June 18, at Clear Lake Park Meeting Room, 5001 Nasa Parkway, Seabrook. For additional information, visit https://hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/pubp2.aspx.

 

Cleburne: Junior Master Gardener Wildlife Gardener Certification Summer Camp will be held Monday June 23 though Friday June 27, 9 a.m.- noon, and the Chisholm Trail Outdoor Museum, 101 Chisholm Trail Dr, Cleburne. Learn backyard habitat gardening basics by exploring, Birds, Amphibians/Snakes, Mammals/Bats & Insects/Monarchs. Classes will be made up of hands-on projects, class discussion & take home crafts. Friday the class will put everything they have learned about gardening for wildlife into practice by creating and planting a butterfly garden on site. Those who attend all 5 classes will receive JMG Wildlife Gardener Certification. Classes are geared for kids 7-11 and space is limited, If space is available, children under 7 may attend with an adult & those older than 11 but younger than 15 may attend with approval. Take all 5 classes and receive a JMG Wildlife Gardener Certification for $45.00 or take individual classes for $10.00 per class. For more information contact Pat Kriener, 817-793-4625 or [email protected]

 

Humble: Children entering the 4th and 5th grades can jump into the fascinating world of plants during summer camp at Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens. Participants may choose from two week-long sessions: Monday, June 23 through Friday, June 27 or Monday, July 21 through Friday, July 25 from 9 a.m. to noon each day. Registration is now open, but seating is limited! Call 281-443-8731 or visit Mercer to register and find out more. An $80 enrollment fee is due at the time of registration. Plant hunters will learn about the diverse plants of the world and the ecosystems in which they are found as they engage in a variety of outdoor activities to learn about the natural world. Discover the amazing abilities of plants that allow them to thrive in virtually every habitat on earth, including grasslands, wetlands, the tropics, temperate forests, and the human environment. Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens is located one mile north of FM 1960 at 22306 Aldine Westfield Road, Humble. For additional information, contact Mercer at 281-443-8731 or online at www.hcp4.net/mercer.

Monthly meetings

 

If you would like your organization's events included in "Monthly Meetings" or would like to make a change to a listed meeting, please contact us at Monthly Meetings. To ensure inclusion in this column, please provide complete details. 

 

FIRST WEEK

 

Kaufman:The Kaufman County Master Gardeners meet the first Monday of each month at the First Community Church at 1401 Trinity Drive in Crandall. January through April and August and September meetings are at 9 a.m., with the remaining meetings beginning at 7 p.m. For additional information visit http://www.kcmga.org, call 972-932-9069 or email to [email protected].


Houston: The Harris County Master Gardeners meet at noon the first Tuesday of each month at the Texas AgriLife Extension, 3033 Bear Creek Drive (near the intersection of Highway 6 and Patterson Road), Houston. For additional information visit http://hcmga.tamu.edu
or call 281-855-5600.

 

Midland: The Permian Basin Master Gardeners meet at noon, the first Wednesday of each month at the Permian Basin Readiness Center at the Midland International Airport. For more information, call 432-498-4071.

  

Allen: The Allen Garden Club meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month, February through December, at the Allen Heritage Center, 100 E. Main St., Allen. For more information, visit www.allengardenclub.org.

 

Brownwood: The Brown County Master Gardeners Association meets the first Thursday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension Office, 605 Fisk Ave., Brownwood. For further information, call Mary Green Engle at 325-784-8453.

 

Gonzalas: Gonzales Master Gardeners hold their monthly meeting at noon on the first Thursday of each month at 623 Fair Street, Gonzales. Bring a bag lunch, drinks provided. Contact AgriLife Extension Office at 830-672-8531 or visit http://gonzalesmastergardeners.org for more information.

 

SECOND WEEK

 

Austin: Austin Organic Gardeners Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Monday of each month (except December) at the Austin Area Garden Center, 2220 Barton Springs Road, Zilker Botanical Gardens in Austin. For more information, visit www.austinorganicgardeners.org.

 

Marion: The Guadalupe County (Schertz/Seguin) Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas meets on the second Tuesday of each month except July, August and December at St. John's Lutheran Church in Marion. Directions to St. John's Lutheran Church: From FM 78 turn south onto FM 465 and the church is just past the Marion School on the right. From IH-10 go north on FM 465 towards Marion. The Church will be on the left, just before you get to town. A plant exchange and meet-and-greet begins at 6:30 p.m. followed by the program at 7 p.m. Visitors are welcome. For more information or an application to join NPSOT visit www.npsot.org/GuadalupeCounty/ or contact [email protected].

 

Quitman: The Quitman Garden Club meets at 2 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at the Quitman Library on E Goode Street, Quitman. It is a diverse group that welcomes all visitors. For more information, e-mail [email protected].

 

Denton: The Denton County Master Gardener Association meets from 9:30 a.m. until 11 a.m. the

second Wednesday of each month at 401 W. Hickory St., Denton. Meetings are open to the public. More information is available at: http://dcmga.com/.

 

Humble: The Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Garden, 22306 Aldine Westfield Road, Humble, hosts a Lunch Bunch the second Wednesday of each month from noon until 2 p.m. Take a sack lunch or order a box lunch from Starbucks when you call 281-443-8731 to reserve your spot. Master Gardeners and Masters Naturalists may earn CEU credits by attending.

 

Jacksboro: The Jacksboro Garden Club meets at 9:30 a.m. the second Wednesday of each month (except June, July and August) at the Concerned Citizens Center, 400 East Pine Street, Jacksboro. For more information, call Melinda at 940-567-6218.

 

Longview: The Gregg County Master Gardeners Association meets the second Wednesday of each month from noon to 1 p.m. at the AgriLife Extension Office, 405 E. Marshall Ave., Longview. The public is invited to attend. There is an educational program preceding the business meeting. For further information call Cindy Gill at 903-236-8429 or visit www.gregg-tx.tamu.edu.

 

Rockport: The Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group, founded in March 2003, meets the

second Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. at 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, to discuss all aspects of using and growing herbs, including historical uses and tips for successful propagation and cultivation. Sometimes they take field trips and have cooking demonstrations in different locations. For more information, contact Linda 361-729-6037, Ruth 361-729-8923 or Cindy 979-562-2153 or visit www.rockportherbs.org and http://rockportherbies.blogspot.com.

 

Woodway: The McLennan County Master Gardeners meet on the second Wednesday each month at noon at the Carleen Bright Arboretum, 9001 Bosque Blvd., Woodway. Educational programs follow the business session. For more information, call 254-757-5180.

 

Beaumont: The Jefferson County Master Gardeners meet at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the AgriLife Extension Office, 1225 Pearl Street, Suite 200, Beaumont. For more information, call 409-835-8461.

 

Georgetown: The Williamson County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas meets from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Georgetown Public Library, 402 W. 8th Street. Georgetown. For additional information, contract Billye Adams at 512-863-9636 or visit http://www.npsot.org/WilliamsonCounty/default.htm.

 

Orange: The Orange County Master Gardeners Association holds their monthly meeting on the

second Thursday of each month. A short program is presented. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. at the new Orange County Expo Center on Hwy 1442 in Orangefield. Enter the building in the front entrance, first door on the right, Texas AgriLife offices. Pot luck supper at 6 p.m. Visit http://txmg.org/orange for more information.

 

San Antonio: The San Antonio Herb Society meets at 7 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels (corner of Funston & N. New Braunfels). For more information on programs, visit www.sanantonioherbs.org.

Smithville: The Smithville Community Gardens meets at 5:30 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Smithville Recreation Center. 

 

Angleton: The Brazoria County Master Gardeners meet at 11 a.m. on the second Friday of each month at the Brazoria County Extension Office, 21017 County Road 171, Angleton. There is a general business meeting followed by a brief educational program each month. For further information call 979-864-1558, ext.110.

 

College Station: The A&M Garden Club meets on the second Friday of each month during the school year at 9:30 a.m. in the training room of the College Station Waste Water Facility building at the end of North Forest Parkway, College Station. Expert speakers, plant sharing, and federated club projects help members learn about gardening in the Brazos Valley, floral design, conservation, and more. For more information, visit http://www.amgardenclub.com/.

 

Houston: The Spring Branch African Violet Club meets the second Saturday of each month, January through November, at 10:30am at the Copperfield Baptist Church, 8350 Highway 6 North, Houston. Call Karla at 281-748-8417 prior to attending to confirm meeting date and time.

  

Kilgore: Northeast Texas Organic Gardeners meets at 1:30 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month. For more information, call Carole Ramke at 903-986-9475.

 

Dallas: The Rainbow Garden Club of North Texas meets the second Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Meetings are held at member's homes and garden centers around the area. For more information, visit www.RainbowGardenClub.com.

 

THIRD WEEK

 

Arlington: The Arlington Men's Garden Club meets from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on the third Monday of each month (except December) at the Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center Street, Arlington. For more information, contact Lance Jepson at [email protected].

 

Cleburne: The Johnson County Master Gardeners meet at 2 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at McGregor House, 1628 W. Henderson, Cleburne, which includes a program and a meet & greet. For more information, call Sharon Smith at 817-894-7700.

  

New Braunfels: The Comal Master Gardeners meet at 6 p.m. the third Monday of each month (except April and December,) at the GVTC Auditorium, 36101 FM 3159, New Braunfels. An educational program precedes the business meeting. The public is invited to attend. For additional information, call 830-620-3440 or visit http://txmg.org/comal/.

 

Corpus Christi: The Nueces Master Gardeners meet at noon the third Tuesday of each month, except December, at Garden Senior Center, 5325 Greely Dr., Corpus Christi. An educational program precedes the business meeting. For further information call 361 767-5217.

 

Evant: The Evant Garden Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 10 a.m., usually at the bank in downtown Evant. To confirm the date, time and place of each month's meeting, call 254-471-5860.  

 

Rockport: Monthly meetings of the Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners are held at 10 a.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at Texas AgriLife Extension Service - Aransas County Office, 892 Airport Rd., Rockport. For additional information, e-mail [email protected] or call 361-790-0103.

 

Sugar Land: The Sugar Land Garden Club meets on the third Tuesday of each month, September through November and January through April at 10 a.m. at the Sugar Land Community Center, 226 Matlage Way, Sugar Land. The club hosts a different speaker each month. For more information, visit www.sugarlandgardenclub.org.

 

Denton: The Denton Organic Society, a group devoted to sharing information and educating the public regarding organic principles, meets the third Wednesday of each month (except July, August and December) at the Denton Senior Center, 509 N. Bell Avenue. Meetings are free and open to the public. Meetings begin at 7 p.m. and are preceded by a social at 6:30. For more information, call 940-382-8551.

 

Glen Rose: The Somervell County Master Gardeners meet at 10 a.m., the third Wednesday of each month at the Somervell County AgriLife Extension office, 1405 Texas Drive, Glen Rose. Visitors are welcome. For more information, call 254-897-2809 or visit www.somervellmastergardeners.org.

 

Granbury: The Lake Granbury Master Gardeners meet at 1 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the Hood County Annex 1, 1410 West Pearl Street, Granbury. The public is invited to attend. There is an educational program each month preceding the business meeting. For information on topics call 817-579-3280 or visit http://www.hoodcountymastergardeners.org/.

 

Seabrook: The Harris County Precinct 2 Master Gardeners hold an educational program at 10 a.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at The Meeting Room at Clear Lake Park (on the Lakeside), 5001 NASA Road 1, Seabrook. The programs are free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://hcmgap2.tamu.edu.

 

Brownwood: Brownwood Garden Club meets the third Thursday of each month, 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m.  The club meetings are at Southside Baptist Church, 1219 Indian Creek Road, with refreshments and a speaker presentation. Visitors are welcome. For more information, email [email protected] or call 817-454-8175.

 

Houston: The Native Plant Society of Texas - Houston (NPSOT-H) meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month except for October (4th Thursday) and December (2nd Thursday). Location varies. For locations, for more information on programs, and for information about native plants for Houston, visit http://www.npsot.org/Houston.

 

Seguin: The Guadalupe County Master Gardeners meets at 6:30 p.m. the third Thursday of each month, at the Justice Center, 211 Court Street, Seguin. After a brief social hour, the meeting and guest speaker begins at 7 p.m. The meeting is free and open to the public. For additional information, call 830-303-3889 or visit www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org.

 

FOURTH WEEK

 

Brackenridge Park: The Native Plant Society San Antonio Chapter meets every fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Lions Field Adult and Senior Center, 2809 Broadway at E. Mulberry, Brackenridge Park, except August and December. Social and seed/plant exchange at 6:30 p.m. Free and open to the public. For more information, contact Bea at 210-999-7292 or visit www.npsot.org/sanantonio.

 

Bryan: The Brazos County Master Gardeners, a program of Texas AgriLife Extension, meet the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan. There is a public gardening program at each meeting and pertinent information may be found at brazosmg.com or 979-823-0129.

 

Edna: The Jackson County Master Gardeners present their "Come Grown With Us" seminars on the fourth Tuesday of each month, January through October, beginning at 7 p.m. at 411 N. Wells, Edna. The seminars are free, open to the public and offer 2 CEU hours to Master Gardeners or others requiring them. For additional information, contact the Jackson County Extension Office at 361-782-3312.

 

Linden: The Caddo Wildflower Chapter of Native Plants Society meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at the senior citizens building at 507 S Kaufman St. in Linden at 6:30. Visitors are welcome. For additional information, contact Karen Tromza at [email protected].

 

Fort Worth: The Organic Garden Club of Forth Worth meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month except July and December at the Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center, 3220 Botanic Blvd., Ft. Worth. Refreshments are served. For more information, call 817-263-9322 or visit www.ogcfw.webs.com.

 

San Antonio: The Native Plant Society of Texas San Antonio Chapter meets the fourth Tuesday of each month, except August and December, at the Lions Field Adult & Senior Center, 2809 Broadway, San Antonio. Social and plant/seed exchange at 6:30 p.m., program at 7:00 p.m. For more information, visit www.npsot.org/sanantonio or email [email protected].

 

Houston: The Houston Chapter of the Native Prairie Association of Texas (HNPAT) meets from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. the fourth Thursday of each month at 3015 Richmond Ave., Houston. For more information, contact [email protected].

 

Leander: The Leander Garden Club meets on the fourth Thursday of each month (except July and August) at 10:30 a.m. at the community room behind the Greater Texas Federal Credit Union,1300 N. Bell, Cedar Park, unless there is special event planned. Following a program and short business meeting, we share a pot-luck luncheon. To confirm the meeting place and time, please call president Cathy Clark-Ramsey at 512-963-4698 or email [email protected].

 

Dallas: The Dallas County Master Gardeners meet the fourth Thursday of each month at 11:30 a.m. For location and program information, visit http://www.dallascountymastergardeners.org/ or contact The Helpdesk, M-F, 8 to 4:30 214-904-3053.

 

Dallas: The Greater Dallas Organic Garden Club meets at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of each month at the REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway, Dallas. For more information, call 214-824-2448 or visit www.gdogc.org.

  

Arlington: The Arlington Organic Garden Club meets from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on the last Thursday of each month (except November and December) at the Bob Duncan Center, 2800 S. Center Street, Arlington. For more information, contact David at 817-483-7746.

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Texas Gardener's Seeds is published weekly. � Suntex Communications, Inc. 2014. All rights reserved. You may forward this publication to your friends and colleagues if it is sent in its entirety. No individual part of this newsletter may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher.

 

Missed an issue? Back issues of Texas Gardener's Seeds April 2006-September 2013 are available at www.texasgardener.com/newsletters. Back issues beginning October 2013 are available here

 

Publisher: Chris S. Corby ● Editor: Michael Bracken 

 

Texas Gardener's Seeds, P.O. Box 9005, Waco, Texas 76714

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