Spring garden clean-up: Rose pruning

Jackson & Perkins

As spring approaches and the ground begins to thaw, it is time for gardeners to get back outside and start cleaning up the garden and preparing for new growth. This spring cleaning should include a pruning of any existing rose bushes, but many gardeners are afraid of marring their roses. So here is a breakdown of the why, when, and how to prune roses.

Why?

• To reduce the volume of stems that the root system needs to support.
• To clear out dead and diseased wood, stopping the progression of this disease.
• To open up the center of the plant, encouraging good airflow (and thus inhibiting fungal growth).
• To keep the shrub compact enough to fit in the space available to it.
• To train the shrub to grow strong outward-facing canes.
• To remove any "suckers" that might grow at the base of grafted roses.

When?

• Throughout the bloom season, deadhead consistently to prevent disease, clean up the appearance, and encourage rebloom.
• In late winter/early spring, before growth begins again, it is time to do a heavier pruning.
• In a rose's first year, as it becomes established, a much lighter pruning is recommended.

How?

• Before pruning, shears should be sterilized so that they do not spread any disease.
• All cuts should be about 1/4-inch above a bud and sloping away from it so that water does not collect on the bud.
• In large, well-established rose bushes, the top branches must be removed first to allow access to the canes.
• Next, simplify the shrub's architecture. Remove canes that cross each other or crowd the center of the plant. Also remove the thinnest, weakest canes - for a mature rose, a good rule is to cut out canes that aren't at least pencil-thick.
• Remove any and all "suckers" by pruning them down to the ground.
• Generally prune the shrub to half of its original size. In the first year, while the plant is still establishing, it should require a less severe pruning.
• If the wood has dark spots (dieback) showing after a prune, keep trimming down until clean white pith is visible.
• Don't be shy A healthy rose bush can bounce back from even a quite-severe pruning.

These are general guidelines for all types of rose bushes. For more specifics on how to prune Floribundas, Hybrid Teas, or Climbing Roses, visit waysidegardens.com.

San Antonio: Ed Bradley, Master Gardener and Rosarian, will present "Growing Healthy Roses" Thursday, February 19, 1-3 p.m. 2 CEUs for MGs. Free. Bexar County Master Gardeners (BCMG) Educational Seminars/General Meetings are held on the afternoon of the third Thursday every other month at the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Office, Suite 208, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, San Antonio. Growing Healthy Roses, addressing the full spectrum of growing roses: types to plant, feeding, watering, spraying, and more. February is pruning time, so emphasis will be on pruning and instructions on how to do it. For more information, email Barbara Lutz, BCMG President, at President@bexarmg.org.

Seguin: The Guadalupe County Master Gardeners will meet Thursday night, Feb. 19, at the AgriLife Building, 210 East Live Oak, Seguin. A social gathering will be at 6:30 p.m. followed by the educational program at 7 p.m. The topic of the meeting will be "Identification of Plant Diseases & Keeping Your Plants Happy" by Master Gardener Pat Mokey, from Travis County. The membership meeting will follow the educational program. For further information, call 830-303-3889 or visit www.guadalupecountymastergardeners.org.

Hempstead: Docent Training for Peckerwood Garden, 20559 FM 359 Road, Hempstead, has been scheduled for three sessions, February 21, February 28, and March 7, beginning at 11 a.m. each day. Training will be 1.5 to 2 hours each session and focused training is available. John Fairey will be the instructor for all three classes. Documents will be provided for review and questions are welcomed. The training will cover a section of the garden each day of training. RSVP to Bethany Jordan at bethany@peckerwoodgarden.org or by phone at 979-826-3232. Also provide particular interests and availability for tours after training. Please plan if there is major rain, the training will be moved out one week later from the original scheduled date. Limited space available, additional sessions will be scheduled at a later date if filled. Active Volunteers will receive a 20% discount on plant purchases.

Fort Bend: The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Fort Bend County and Fort Bend County Master Gardeners are offering opportunities to learn more about homegrown and homemade basics through various Backyard Basics programs and workshops throughout 2015. Reconnect with nature and save money by recycling or conserving resources such as water use in gardens and landscapes. Enjoy healthful outdoor activity through gardening and growing your own vegetables. The 2015 series of 12 programs begins with The Food Garden on February 21. The remaining programs as well as locations and information for registration can be found at http://fortbend.agrilife.org/backyard-basics or by contacting administrative assistant Brandy Rader at brandy.rader@ag.tamu.edu or (281) 342-3034.

La Marque: "Texas Tuff Landscape Plants - Blooming and Beautiful" with GC Master Gardener Sandra Duvall presenting. February 21, 9-11:30 a.m. at the Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main, La Marque; Ph 281-534-3413; email reservations to galv3@wt.net. Further details see www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston. Free.

La Marque: "Kitchen Gardening" with GC Master Gardener Mary Demeny presenting. February 21, 1-3 p.m. at the Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main, La Marque; Ph 281-534-3413; email reservation to galv@wt.net. Further details see www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston. Free.

New Braunfels: The Comal Master Gardeners and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service present their Spring Seminar featuring tomatoes, keyhole gardening, and nutrition at McKenna Events Center, 801 West San Antonio Street, New Braunfels. February 21, from 8:50 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Cost is $49.00, and includes lunch, snacks, seminar booklet, and vegetable gardening handbook. Speakers include William D. Adams, author or co-author of Texas Tomato Lover's Handbook, The Southern Kitchen Garden, Commonsense Vegetable Gardening for the South, and Growing Fruits and Nuts in the South. Dr. Deb Tolman will provide all the details of keyhole gardening and Ashley Currie will provide a talk on health and wellness. Seating is limited so register early to save your place. Registration forms are available at http://txmg.org/comal/event/seminar/. For additional information, call 830-620-3440.

San Antonio: Now Taking Applications! The Spring 2015 Children's Vegetable Garden Program will be held Saturday mornings, February 21-June 6 from 8 a.m.-noon at the San Antonio Botanical Garden (SABOT), 555 Funston Place. Children ages 8-13 get hands-on horticulture experience with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Bexar County Master Gardeners. Each child is allotted a 3.5'x28' garden plot. Children can also earn their Junior Master Gardener certification. Participants are required to attend all sessions (two absences are allowed); a parent or guardian must stay with their child. Thanks to a generous donation from Milberger's Nursery, the Spring Vegetable Garden Program will be $30 per child or $40 for two children to share a plot (non-refundable). For more information and application, visit http://www.sabot.org/education/childrens-education/childrens-vegetable-garden-program/, email programregistrar@sabot.org, or call 210-207-3278.

The Woodlands: Organic Horticulture Benefits Alliance, Urban Harvest andThe Woodlands Township team up on Saturday, February 21, from 9 a.m. to noon to present the Organic Gardening and Landscaping Seminar. Learn how to create the prettiest and easiest to maintain landscape on your street while saving water and protecting your family and pets. Organic gurus, Mike Serant, John Ferguson and Dany Millikin share tips to develop your landscape's ultimate potential! To register for the free program, visit Organic Gardening and Landscaping Seminar or call 281-210-3800.

Bryan: Master Gardener David McAden will present "Veggie Tales for the Wanna Be Gardener," an overview of plants that will be offered at the March 28th Master Gardener Plant Sale, Tuesday February 24, 7-8 p.m., The Brazos Center, Room 102, 3232 Briarcrest Drive, Bryan. Every year you are planning to plant a vegetable garden and then you turn around and the time has passed you by. Get the scoop from McAden, along with a list of especially high performing (but hard to find) varieties for this area. Many of these plants such as tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplants, melons, plus herbs, ornamentals, natives and trees will be on sale at the Annual BCMGA Spring Plant Sale. For additional information, visit at www.brazosmg.com, phone 979/823-0129 or email brazosmg@brazosmg.com.

Dallas: Texas A&M AgriLife Water University: Landscape Design - Be Your Own Landscape Designer, 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Tuesday, February 24, March 3, 10, 17, at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, WaterSense Labeled Home, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. Are you on a budget, but your landscape needs a facelift? Be your own Landscape Designer by learning hands on approaches to landscape design for the 'do it yourself' homeowner. Learn proper plant placement, design aspects and installation for a more water efficient landscape. This is a four week class meeting once per week. Cost: $395. Note: This is a project-based class and is limited to one project please. Fee includes dinner each week for up to 2 project leaders/homeowners listed at initial registration. If you will have two project leaders/homeowners please reply the confirmation email after you have registered. Register online at: http://dallas.tamu.edu/courses.

La Marque: "The ABC's of Home Composting" with GC Master Gardener Ken Steblein presenting, February 24, 9-11 a.m. at the Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main, La Marque; Ph 281-534-3413; email reservation to galv@wt.net. Further details see www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston. Free.

Nacogdoches: The East Texas Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Conference will be held Tuesday, Feb 24, at the Expo Center in Nacogdoches. 3805 NW Stallings Drive, Nacogdoches. $30 each; $50 couples. Add $5 for late registration after February 20. College Student registration $10 with current student ID, fee waved with no lunch. Lunch will be included with the registration. Cancellation policy: No refund. To register, Call Nacogdoches County Extension Office, at 936-560-7711. For more information, contact Ricky Thompson, AgriLife Extension agent, at 936-560-7711 or r-thompson@ag.tamu.edu. Pre-Registration can be mailed to: County Extension Office, 203 West Main St., Nacogdoches, TX 75961. Make checks payable to: Nacogdoches Master Gardener Association. TDA CEUs: 2 hrs. Master Gardeners CEUs: 5 hrs. of continuing education recertification credits.

San Antonio: Advance your gardening expertise, plus gain self-satisfaction through volunteer efforts which enhance the quality of life for citizens of your community using the science and art of horticulture. Bexar County Master Gardeners and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will offer Master Gardener Intern Training Class #59 from February 25 to May 27 (noon-4 p.m., each Wednesday) at 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, San Antonio. Registration for Class 59, is open NOW through February 9. See the attachment for details, application form, and planned class agenda. For more information, call 210-467-6575.

Dallas: Texas A&M AgriLife Water University: Drip Irrigation DIY, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m., Thursday, February 26, at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Building E Auditorium, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. Water slower, deeper and more efficient with every drop. Convert your spray heads and watch your sprinkler system save you money from our hands on drip conversion class. You will learn how to install drip irrigation tubing from your faucet or how to convert an existing zone to drip. Drip irrigation is the most efficient irrigation method and essential to sustainable landscapes. Drip irrigation for foundation watering will also be covered. Cost: FREE. Register online at: http://dallas.tamu.edu/courses .

Rosenberg: Join the Fort Bend Master Gardeners on Thursday, February 26, for a program to preview the plants to be sold at their Annual Vegetable-Herb Plant Sale. The program will be held at the Bud O'Shieles Community Center, 1330 Band Road, Rosenberg. The doors open at 6 p.m. and the program will be from 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. For more information call 281-341-7068 or visit www.fbmg.com.

Dallas: For more than 30 years, Dallas Blooms has been a tradition as the largest floral festival in the Southwest. This year's theme plays homage to the beloved state: Dallas Blooms: Deep in the Hearts of Texans. This Texas-sized extravaganza, February 28-April 12, features more than 500,000 blooming spring bulbs along with Texas themed topiaries, entertainment, food and special activities celebrating Texas. Dallas Blooms features tulips, daffodils, Dutch Iris and hyacinths, pansies, violas, poppies and thousands of other spring-blooming annuals and perennials that bloom throughout the entire festival, so the garden changes all the time. The finale of this spring celebration is the mass flowering of the garden's collection of 3,000 azaleas that bloom through the end of April. Throughout the festival and beyond, there are multiple events to celebrate Dallas Blooms including Mommy and Me Mondays, Tiny Tot Tuesdays, a special 1980's concert and Easter activities. Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, 8525 Garland Road, Dallas. More information can be found at www.dallasarboretum.org.

Kaufman: Kaufman County Master Gardeners will present their Spring Seminar, Aquaponics: Growing Fish and Plants Together, on Saturday, February 28, at Grace Fellowship Church in Oak Grove. While aquaponics is not really new, it is enjoying a resurgence of interest. Both commercial growers and home gardeners are attracted to aquaponics because it requires less space, less water (only about 5%) and less energy (up to 70% less) than conventional gardens. In addition, yields are higher and growing time shorter. Aquaponics is a soil-free, herbicide-free, pesticide-free method for producing naturally-grown, healthy, fresh vegetables and fish locally.Peter Woods, Extension Fisheries Program Specialist from the Bay City Texas AgriLife Extension Center, will discuss the difference between hydroponics and aquaponics, the basic concepts of aquaponics, plants and fish suitable for aquaponics and provide examples of some commercial operations. Adam Cohen of Green Phoenix Farms in Mansfield will discuss aquaponics systems suitable for the backyard gardener. There will be information and vendor booths and a silent auction. Light refreshments will be served. Grace Fellowship Church is located at 7650 FM 1388 in Oak Grove. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the programs beginning at 9 a.m. The cost is $15 per person. Preregistration by February 23 is encouraged so that there are handouts for all. For more information or to preregister, call Sharon Burden at 972-932-9069 or email her at sbburden@ag.tamu.edu.

Rosenberg: The Fort Bend Master Gardeners will hold their Annual Vegetable-Herb Plant Sale on Saturday, February 28, in front of the greenhouse behind the Agriculture Center, 1402 Band Road, Rosenberg. The sale will open at 9 a.m. and will run until noon or until sold out. For more information call 281-341-7068 or visit www.fbmg.com.

Tomball: Gaye Hammon, Houston Rose Society, will present "Rose Pruning Made Simple" at 10 a.m. Saturday, February 28, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, email info@arborgate.com or visit www.arborgate.com.  

Tyler: Smith County Master Gardener Association presents "Vines for Vertical Interest ,"an informative lecture covering seasonable gardening topics, on March 3. Held on the patio of the IDEA garden, located in the SE corner of the Tyler Rose Garden, 420 Rose Park Dr., Tyler, the program begins at noon. The lecture is approximately 30 minutes with a Q&A session following. Seating is limited; please bring a chair for your comfort. This event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://txmg.org/smith/coming-events/ or call 903-590-2980.

Galveston: Herbs...glorious fragrant plants that offer so many connections to the past. Herbs...the basis of cooking, medicine, beauty and home care. With the arrival of spring it's the perfect time to celebrate herbs! The Friends of Moody Gardens are hosting their 3rd Annual Gulf Coast Herb Fair and Luncheon, Wednesday, March 4, benefiting Galveston's children and seniors by planting seeds of education. Houston Chef Randy Evans, will be the featured speaker at the luncheon at the Garden Restaurant, Moody Gardens Visitor Center, 1 Hope Boulevard, Galveston. Randy is the owner of Southern Son Consulting and former Executive Chef at Brennan's of Houston. Herb Educators will feature nutritional herbs including basil, cilantro, fennel, dill and rosemary. Fresh plants, handouts, and displays will be used to educate the visitors of the nutritional importance of selected herbs. The Herb Fair gets an early start with the Garden Blessing in the Moody Gardens Butterfly Garden at 9:30 a.m. beginning with a musical prelude by Natalie Wiest. Vendors with herb related merchandise will offer everything from olive oil to organic pet food, fresh herbs and organic teas. Vendors from the area will offer their merchandise for sale during the fair from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Moody Garden's Rainforest Visitor's Center. For more information or reservations contact offdah@aol.com, 409-744-1826 or mlkelso@sbcglobal.net, 409-744-4716. There is no charge for the Herb Fair or Garden Blessing; the luncheon is $35.00 per person.

San Antonio: San Antonio Garden Center Clubs will meet Wednesday, March 4, at 10 a.m. at 3310 N. New Braunfels @ Funston. The program will feature Horticulturalist David Rodriguez from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, who will talk about the Bexar County Master Gardener Program and give home gardening tips for "Digging Into Spring." Join members for coffee at 9:30 a.m. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.sanantoniogardencenter.org  or call 210-824-9981.

Seguin: The Lunch and Learn Gardening Program "How to Use Companion Plantings in the Landscape" will be presented noon-1 p.m. Thursday, March 5, by Peggy Jones, Master Gardener, and the Guadalupe County Master Gardeners at the Texas AgriLife Extension Office, 210 East Live Oak, Seguin. By taking advantage of the natural friendships between plants you can in turn attract butterflies, hummingbirds and beneficial insects. No cost: Just bring your own lunch (optional). For more information, contact Treva Hicks, 830-303-4712.

Tomball: Dr. David Creech, SFA Gardens, Nacogdoches, will present "Cool Trees and Shrubs for Houston" at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 5, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, email info@arborgate.com or visit www.arborgate.com. 

Austin: Austin's most loved, locally raised heirloom veggies and herbs make their big debut 9 a.m. at Sunshine Community Garden (SCG) 4814 Sunshine Dr., Austin, March 7. The sale is the largest Certified Organic Non-Profit Plant event in Texas. More than 150 Tomato varieties, 72 Wicked Hot and Sweet Bell Pepper varieties, 15 kinds of Eggplants, 5,000 herbs and other plants ready for spring planting. The first bite of a delicious and juicy home-grown organic tomato will make you beg for more. Improve your health with regular gardening exercise. Save big money by growing your own organic vegetables. For a complete list of plants on sale and varieties to grow visit http://www.sunshinecommunitygarden.org/ For a Fun-Filled day, come early. Learn organic gardening practices. Talk with Vendors. Listen to Live Music. Walk the 180 gardens on display. Kids love to visit the Chicken Coop. Purchase Lady Bug compost too! A percentage of the sales proceeds will benefit TSBVI's horticulture and animal care programs. SCG members donate time, gardening experience and expertise to help students at the school. SCG also grow, harvest and deliver twice weekly thousands of pounds of vegetables per year to the Micah 6 Food Bank and Pantry. For additional information, visit http://sunshinecommunitygardens.org/.

Beaumont: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service: Landscape Design and Rainwater Harvesting Workshop, Saturday, March 7, 8 a.m. to noon at the Tyrrell Park Garden Center, 6088 Babe Zaharias, Beaumont. Cost: $10 Learn to landscape with natives and drought tolerant plants while utilizing your space. Jefferson County Master Gardeners Tony Lucenti and Toni Clark both Landscape Design Specialist will be the speakers for this important design concept. The second part of the workshop will teach you the fundamentals of capturing rainwater to supplement water usage in and around your home. Jefferson County Master Gardener Jerry White a Rainwater Harvesting Specialist will guide you through this process. For reservations contact the Extension Office at 409-835-8461 and event information is posted at http://jefferson.agrilife.org.

Longview: The annual Spring Garden and Landscape Seminar will be presented by the Gregg County Master Gardeners, on Saturday, March 7, at the First United Methodist Church, Faith Center, Whatley St. entrance, from 7:45 a.m. to noon. Chris Wiesinger, owner of The Southern Bulb Company, will be the speaker. He is nationally known as the "The Bulb Hunter." Wiesinger's topic will be "Seeking Botanical Treasures." He has a passion for seeking bulbs once-lost to the Southern gardeners, bulbs that thrive in warm climates, many of which are heirloom and rare flower bulbs. Wiesinger will have bulbs and copies of his two books for sale at the seminar. There will be vendors, door prizes, raffle and refreshments. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. For information, call the Gregg County AgriLife Extension Service at 903-236-8429 or visit www.txmg.org/gregg.

Pasadena: On Saturday, March 7, visit Precinct 2, Harris County Master Gardeners Perennial, Pepper, Tomato and Herb Sale at Campbell Hall, Pasadena Fairgrounds, 7600 Red Bluff, Pasadena. Preview of Perennials by Heidi Sheesley, owner of Treesearch Farms at 8:00 am. Sale hours 9 a.m.-1 p.m. If it's sold at our sale it, grows in our area. Details:https://hcmga.tamu.edu.

Victoria: Victoria County Master Gardener Association "Lunch and Learn With the Masters" will present "Raised Beds: No Till Gardening"from noon until 1 p.m., March 9, at the Pattie Dodson Health Center, 2805 N. Navarro St, Victoria. Debbie Hopper will present the program. The event is free. Those who desire to do so, may bring a sack lunch and beverage.

Tomball: Cynthia Graham, TN, BSN, will present "Petalicious," Wednesday, March 11, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. There are at least 42 different garden flowers with edible petals. Discover the benefits of a colorful edible garden. For additional information, email info@arborgate.com or visit www.arborgate.com. 

La Grange: Bill Adams will lead "Vegetable Gardening," noon-12:50 p.m., March 12, at the Fayette County Agricultural Building, 255 Svoboda Lane, La Grange. For additional information, call 979-968-5831 or visit http://fayette.agrilife.org. 

The Woodlands: Helicopters in flight, hummingbirds delight the eye! Discover the antics and charm of nature's jewels at Hummingbirds 101: Everything you wanted to know about hummingbirds and more on Thursday, March 12 at 7:30 p.m. Cliff Shackelford, non-game ornithologist with Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, reveals the latest information on the hummingbirds of Texas and the habitat that brings them here. This free program of The Woodlands Township will be held in the L.G.I. Lecture Hall at McCullough Junior High School, 3800 S. Panther Creek Drive. For more information, visit Walk in the Woods Nature Lecture or call 281-210-3800.

Seabrook: On Wednesday, March 18, Paul Winski, Harris County Extension Agent-Horticulture, will present an educational program on Texas Superstars at10 a.m., in the Meeting Room at Clear Lake Park, 5001 NASA Parkway, Seabrook. Details: https://hcmga.tamu.edu.

Athens: Henderson County Master Gardener's 2015 Spring Conference will present "Smarter Gardening the Easy Way" featuring Skip Richter, Harris County AgriLife Extension Agent and Texas Gardener contributing editor, Thursday, March 19, at First United Methodist Church, Athens. Tickets are $20, advance purchase required. Dinner is included in the price of the ticket. Silent auction starts at 5 p.m., with dinner served at 6 p.m. For more information, call the Henderson County AgriLife Extension Office at 903-675-6130 or email hendersoncmga@gmail.com.

San Antonio: Dr. Dotty Woodson, Water Resource Program Specialist, Texas AgriLife Research & Extension Center - Dallas willl present "Carnivorous Plants," Thursday, March 19, 6-8:30 p.m. 1.5 CEUs for MGs. Free. Bexar County Master Gardners Meeting begins with a social time at 6pm followed by the special presentation at 6:30pm at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office, Suite 208, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, San Antonio. Topic: You don't have to be a kid to be fascinated by plants that eat bugs! Learn all kinds of interesting information about Carnivorous Plants. Dottie Woodson's programs cover landscape water conservation practices, rainwater harvesting, rain gardens, irrigation efficiency and drip irrigation. She works with county Extension agents, water utilities and districts, elected officials, nurserymen, landscapers, irrigation and rainwater harvesting professionals, Master Gardeners, Master Naturalist and homeowners. For more information, email Barbara Lutz, BCMG President, at President@bexarmg.org or call 210-467-6575.

Tomball: Jeremy Kollaus will present "Edible for the Landscape and Containers," Wednesday, March 25, at The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. For additional information, email info@arborgate.com or visit www.arborgate.com.      

Huntsville: Herb Festival at the Wynne Home will be held Saturday, March 28, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., at 1428 Eleventh Street, Huntsville. Sponsored by the Texas Thyme Unit of the Herb Society of America. Herb, butterfly and hummingbird, camellias and citrus plants for sale. Herbal and garden vendors, artists, musicians, food, and children's activities. Speakers: Bill Varney of UrbanHERBAL, Dave Whitinger of Allthingsplants.com, and Master Gardener Bonney Kennedy.

The Festival is FREE. For information, call 936-891-5024 or visit www.facebook.com/texasthymeunit.

Quitman: The Wood County chapter of Texas Master Gardeners will host a spring conference featuring speaker Steven L. Chamblee. March 28, at Quitman High School, 1101 East Goode Street, Quitman. "Time to Plant Smarter" will focus on plants and gardening methods specifically for east Texas. Chamblee is the Chief Horticulturist for Chandor Gardens in Weatherford, Texas. He serves as Consulting Editor and Author for a gardening magazine, writes a monthly e-newsletter column entitled "Native Son," and is an Adjunct Instructor for Tarrant County College and Texas Christian University's Extended Education. He will introduce Texas Tough Plants which are environmentally friendly and native to the state. This will be especially informative for people new to the area or state and adapting to Texas weather and seasons. He will cover subjects on trees, shrubs and color with emphasis on heavily flowering herbaceous perennials. The conference will also have mini-seminars on native plants, rainwater harvesting and worm farming. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. Door prizes will be awarded and refreshments will be available. For more information contact: Gloria Jean Rosewall at gloriajeanerosewall@gmail.com; Roy Culbertson at royculb@gmail.com; or Lin Grado at lingrado@gmail.com.

Waxahachie: The Ellis County Master Gardeners will host their 15th Annual Lawn & Garden Expo on Saturday, March 28, from 9-5 p.m. at the Waxahachie Civic Center, 2000 Civic Center Lane, Waxahachie. Keynote speakers will be Steve Smith & James Jeffers of "Eat The Yard." Steve & James work with returning veterans who aspire to become farmers as well as individuals who are seeking the joy of growing some of their own food in their yards. Randy Johnson, owner of the Blackland Seed Company, will discuss "Pollinators and Natives - An Ancient Marriage." Monica Nyenhuis and Susan Knapp, Ellis County Master Gardeners, will present a demonstration on how to save seeds for more adaptive plants and to save money. There will be 100+ exhibitor booths focusing on lawn- and garden-related products and services. There will be educational opportunities with the emphasis on fun for the whole family. Free hands-on activities for children will be lead by the Ellis County Master Gardeners. There will be a plant sale in the Master Gardener area, as well as an Information Booth where Master Gardener specialists will answer horticultural questions. Tickets at the door are $5.00; children under 12 are free. Free tickets are available from sponsors after March 1. For a list of sponsors, as well as further information on the Expo, visit www.ecmga.com or call 972-825-5175.