June 24, 2015
  

10 easy home garden ideas

 

By Nick Pawlowski

Campus Executive Chef/Sodexo

Fairfield University

 

Hope to start a home garden but don't know where to begin? Check out these 10 easy gardening ideas. They include tips on which vegetable doesn't do well in hot weather, what not to plant near tomatoes, and info on the herb that repels deer.

 

Tomatoes. Who doesn't enjoy a fresh tomato right from your garden? Easy to grow and prolific varieties to consider: Brandywine and Early Girl, Super Sweet and Sungold Cherries, and Beef Steak. Tips: Plant them deep. Do not overcrowd seedlings. Make sure to stake them. Provide lots of sunlight and water them regularly.

 

Basil. Basil does better when it is planted next to tomatoes. Good varieties to start with are Genovese and Lemon. Pinching/harvesting off the top sets of leaves when plants reach 6" makes them more prolific. If your basil sprouts flowers, you can eat those too.

 

Strawberries. Don't plant near tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, or eggplant. Everbearing strawberries will produce 2-3 crops throughout the year. Best to plant in the early spring or late fall. Plant in a sunny space where the soil drains well and keep the bed weeded.

 

Chives. Chives are helpful with repelling deer from your yard. Start indoors 6 weeks prior to planting outside. They grow well near tomatoes, but not next to peas or beans. Plant in a sunny spot where the soil is rich and well drained. Be careful not to overwater (the soil should be fairly dry before the next watering).

 

Cucumbers. Best to plant cukes in the late spring after the last frost. They enjoy direct sunlight and should be spaced out when planting. They should be staked if you do not have a lot of horizontal space, and also, be careful not to over fertilize. Once your vines start bearing fruit, they will ripen fairly rapidly, requiring some monitoring for the best-harvested crop.

 

Potatoes. 'Seeds' are cut sections of potatoes, which are available in early spring. Plant in cold soil with full sun to partial shade. Plants will be thirsty: water at least an inch per week. Will mature in 2-4 months depending on the variety you have selected. Once the plants start flowering, however, you can start harvesting your 'new' potatoes.

 

Radishes. Radishes are best planted from seed in early spring or fall. They do not respond well in hot weather. Plant seed 8-10 days apart for a steady supply in fine soil, free of debris (twigs, rocks, etc.). If you plant them in full sun, they will be ready to harvest in a few weeks. Best time to harvest is when the leaves are about 4" long yielding tender & sweet radishes.

 

Zucchini. Seeds, or transplants, should be planted in a "hill," meaning in small mounds 15-18" wide with well tilled soil, 3-4' apart, and 5-6 seeds per hill. Routine mulching will keep the ground temperature stable and help retain water as squash tend to be very thirsty, drinking at least 2" per week. The smaller squash are more tender and flavorful.

 

Bush (Green) Beans. Start seeding after last frost as beans will rot in cold soil. Line your rows with black plastic to help warm the soil. Full sun will help deter disease/pests but beans need regular watering until they sprout. Bush beans generally come in at once, so successive plantings are needed for a continual harvest. However, as with other varieties, the more beans you pick, the more that will grow.

 

Thyme. Plantings of thyme mature quickly but take a few months from seed. Thyme is an excellent choice for garden groundcover, and its flowers will attract bees, assisting with the pollination of the rest of your garden. Thyme also does well in dry, sunny conditions and does not need a lot of water to thrive.

 

Nick Pawlowski, Campus Executive Chef/Sodexo, at Fairfield University in Connecticut, helps oversee a 3,000-square-foot garden that provides vegetables and herbs to campus dining halls and teaches students about food and sustainability.  
Arctic Frost satsuma mandarin hybrid named new Texas Superstar
  

By Robert Burns

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

 

Satsuma Arctic Frost has been named a Texas Superstar plant by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturists.

 

Arctic Frost is the most cold-hardy satsuma hybrid tested so far, having survived temperatures as low as 9 degrees at the Texas A&M Research and Extension Center test site near Overton, said Dr. Brent Pemberton, AgriLife Research horticulturist and chair of the Texas Superstar executive board, Overton.

 

The board has named other cold-hardy satsuma mandarins as Superstars: Satsuma Miho and Seto in 2010, and Orange Frost in 2014.

 

Most citrus are easily damaged by the cold, and can only be grown in tropical and subtropical areas, said David Rodriguez, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agent for horticulture in Bexar County and member of the Texas Superstar selection board.

 

"Moreover, many of the cold-hardy varieties also have a poorer quality fruit," Rodriguez said. "However, mandarins and Changsha mandarin crosses have more cold hardiness but better quality fruit."

 

Because many satsuma mandarin varieties do well under Texas conditions, they were promoted as a group in 1993, but Miho was the first individual plant selected, Rodriguez said.

 

"Personally, I promote satsumas around Father's Day as they make great gifts - you know: a sweet, not sour, citrus for a sweet dad," Rodriguez said.

 

They also make great Christmas gifts, he said.

 

All the satsuma crosses are the work of Dr. Ying Doon Moy, who was born in a small village in south China but immigrated to the U.S. in 1978, said Rodriguez.

 

Moy found a position as a plant breeder with the San Antonio Botanical Garden in 1980, where until he retired in 1999, and developed more than 150 new varieties of papaya, ginger, esperanza, rose, hibiscus and citrus, Rodriguez said.

 

In 1997, Moy and Dr. Jerry Parsons, a now-retired AgriLife Extension horticulture specialist, began collaborating to hybridize various satsuma mandarins with winter hardy Changsha tangerines, a citrus variety long cultivated in China. Changsha is one of the most cold-hardy citruses grown there. It produces edible but extremely seedy fruit.

 

"The goal was to produce a satsuma hybrid with enhanced cold hardiness, as well as a high-quality fruit with a low seed count, and they succeeded," Rodriguez said.

 

To make the hybrids, Moy removed the Changsha plants' flower anthers, applied satsuma pollen, then extracted and nurtured the sexually produced embryo from the Changsha seed.

 

Seedlings that were viable were planted in containers and allowed to develop and mature for five to seven years, he said.

 

From the most successful cold-hardy crosses, Orange Frost and Arctic Frost were selected and propagated, Rodriguez said.

 

In 2005, Parsons and Dr. Larry Stein, AgriLife Extension horticulturist at Uvalde, asexually propagated all of the crosses by rooting cuttings from the original seedlings, Rodriguez said. By 2007, they had plants growing in 10-gallon containers, and proceeded to make trial plantings at Uvalde and Overton to test for cold hardiness in unprotected field settings. Both varieties were made available to commercial growers about two years ago.

 

"Arctic Frost grows to become a relatively tall tree with white flowers that give off a heady orange fragrance," Rodriguez said. Come late fall or early winter, Arctic frost produces fruit that is juicy, nearly seedless and easy to peel. It will grow 8 to 12 feet tall in the ground or 6 feet tall as a patio container plant in about five to six years.

 

"When planting in the ground, protection from cold by wrapping with frost cloth for the first year or two is recommended," Pemberton said. "A site protected from the north wind will also help with winter survival."

 

"The fruit peel and flesh is brightly orange colored, retaining that characteristic from its Changsha tangerine parentage," Stein said. "The taste is sweet and tart, presenting a true citrus flavor that is missing in varieties that are sweet but bland."

 

Rodriguez noted that as opposed to other satsumas, which are grafted to another variety rootstock, Arctic Frost is grown from its own rootstock.

 

"So if they get nipped back from a hard winter, they do not produce shoots from below the graft," Rodriguez said. "Folks that have concerns about the cold might do well to size up the tree with a well-defined root system and strong top canopy for three years as a patio plant before transplanting to the ground."

Why stay on the trails? Soil compaction harms soil microbes, health of the forest ecosystem

 

Soil Science Society of America

 

In celebration of the International Year of Soil 2015 (IYS), the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) is coordinating a series of activities throughout the year to educate the public about the importance of soil. June's theme is "Soils Support Recreation". In SSSA's June 15 Soils Matter blog post, experts explain why it's important to stay on the trails while hiking in the woods and parks.

 

According to Mary Beth Adams, "humans can have significant impacts on the soil." Adams is a soil scientist with the US Forest Service.

 

"Soil is made of various size particles," says Adams. "But, there are pores between those particles that are crucial to soil health. Soil microbes live within the pores and provide many services to plant life. The pores have air and water in them - food for the microbes and plant life. Compressing the soil limits the amount of air and water the pores can hold...and that's not good for soil microbes or plants."

 

To read the entire blog post, visit http://soilsmatter.wordpress.com.
Gardening tips

Avoid fertilizing your turf grass in the summer. Instead, recycle your clippings by leaving them in place. Those clippings are all the nutrients your lawn needs this time of year. For best results, set your blade a little higher and mow more often.          

 

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 2015 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

 

Athens: Summer Series #1 - Henderson County Master Gardeners present Summer in the Garden: Dream of Blossoms, Butterflies and Bees on Thursday, June 25, 6 p.m. at the Dream Garden inside the East Texas Arboretum, 1601 Patterson Rd., Athens. Programs presented will include Summer Color, planting for color in the summer garden; Butterflies in the Garden, identifying host and nectar plants for attracting butterflies; Bees in the Backyard, see an observation hive and learn about bee forage plants; and Composting Made Easy, the fundamentals of composting. Free and open to the public. Door prizes. If raining, meet at the Arboretum pavilion. For more information, call 903-675-6130 or email hendersonCMGA@gmail.com. 

JULY

Dallas: The Urban Harvest: Foraging in the City will be presented Thursday, July 9, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center WaterSense Labeled Home, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. "You can eat that?!" The city is full of food ripe for the picking. Learn how to identify (and legally acquire) more traditional foods like edible fruits, nuts, and naturalized vegetables, as well as wild edibles, edible flowers and even edible weeds that are well adapted to our extreme climate and commonly found in North Texas neighborhoods. Bring a hat, a camera, and wear your walking shoes! Plant list provided. Free.

 

Houston: The Houston Rose Society will hold its annual Ice Cream Social on Thursday, July 9, at 7 p.m. There will be vendors, door prizes and make your own ice cream sundaes with lots of toppings to choose from. This event will be held at the Parish Hall of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 1819 Heights Blvd., Houston. Entrance to the parking lot is on W. 19th Street near Yale St. Free admission. For additional information, visit www.houstonrose.org.

 

Dallas: North Haven Gardens and Garden Masters, Inc. will host a two hour "Simply Succulents Seminar" Saturday, July 11, from 1-3 p.m., at North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven, Dallas. For more information or to register, call 214-363-5316. Fee $25.

 

San Antonio: A two-part Earth-Kind Water Conservation Workshop will be held Sat., Jul 11, and Sat., Jul 25, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day at the Bexar County Extension Office, 3355 Cherry Ridge St., Suite #208, San Antonio. Learn how to make your landscape look better and save water, all while having fun! This is a great training for new homeowners and residents to the San Antonio area. Topics include: Landscape design for water conservation; Getting the most out of your soil; Managing turf to save water and money; Plant selection for beauty and drought-tolerance; Mulching and other water-conserving practices; Management for a low-maintenance landscape; How to install a drip irrigation system; How to identify and fix irrigation problems; Rainwater harvesting. CEUs: 8 CEUs. Fee: $40.00 per person / $50 per couple. Fee includes one set of the following materials per registration (individual or couple): Earth-Kind Landscape Management Book ($20 value); Rainwater Harvesting Manual ($4.50 value); "Best of Texas" landscape plant guide ($10 value); Sprinkler monitoring equipment ($18 value). Plus, real-world expert advice on landscape management. RSVP to Angel Torres at matorres@ag.tamu.edu , 210 467-6575. Make check payable to Bexar County Master Gardeners.

 

Austin: Trisha Shirey, recently featured in the May/June issue of Texas Gardener magazine, will present her Top Tips and Favorite Things, Monday, July 13. Head gardener at Lake Austin Spa Resort, Shirey is the author of Vegetable Gardening in the Southwest. The Austin Organic Gardeners' Club meets at the Austin Area Garden Center, 2220 Barton Springs Rd, in Zilker Botanical Gardens. Doors open at 6:30 pm for the opportunity to meet, mingle, and ask questions with local gardeners; club business begins at 7 pm, followed by our guest speaker's presentation. For more information, visit www.austinorganicgardeners.org .

  

Dallas: Sprinkler System Quick Fixes & System Operation will be presented Tuesday, July 14, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center WaterSense Labeled Home, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. Is your sprinkler system turning on the wrong day? Do you have a leak or broken head? Did your city give you a warning? Learn how to make very basic hands on repairs & maintenance to home automatic sprinkler systems, how your sprinkler system operates and its components as well as how to program and reprogram your sprinkler controller utilizing the best and most efficient ways to water your landscape like, the soak and cycle method and other water efficiency practices. A properly functioning sprinkler system saves you time, money, and water! Free.

 

Seabrook: Marti Graves presents a Hibiscus program at 10 a.m., Wednesday, July 15, at the Meeting Room at Clear Lake Park, 5001 NASA Parkway, Seabook. Graves is editor of the newsletter for the Lone Star Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society. For additional information, visit https://hcmga.tamu.edu. 

 

Woodway: Master Gardener Melody Fitzgerald will present "Art in the Garden" at the Carleen Bright Arboretum, The Pavilion, Woodway, July 15 from noon until to 2 p.m. Learn about crafty ways to create art for your garden. Get ideas on fairy gardens, cement as art, beautifying areas of your landscape, decorative signs, plant markers, fence panels, and many other fun and creative ideas. Bring lunch! For more information, call 254-399-9204.

Athens: Henderson County Master Gardeners Summer Series #2: Fall Vegetable Production "Science and Sense". Rick Hirsch, HC Extension Agent, shares his best tips for your successful fall vegetable garden. Thursday, July 16, 6 p.m., Cain Center, Athens. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 903-675-6130 or email hendersoncmga@gmail.com.

 

San Antonio: Summer Camps for Kiddos, Grands, Nieces, Nephews: Art in the Garden for Ages 5-8 yrs, Jul 16, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. at 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, San Antonio. Learn about plants, insects, and other garden life while creating art for your garden(s). Cost: $20 per child. For more information and to register email Ruby Zavala at Ruby.Zavala@ag.tamu.edu.

 

Cleburne: Johnson County Junior Master Gardener Vegetable Gardening Certification Course for children 7-11 will be held Monday-Friday July 20-24 at the Chisholm Trail Museum, 101 Chisholm Trail Dr., Cleburne. Monday - What a P.L.A.N.T. NEEDS - Shake Rattle & Roll Your Soil; Tuesday - Propagation - Create an olla watering system; Wed. - How to Bring Pollinators to the Garden - What's Bugging YOU; Thursday - Prepare & Plant for the Fall Garden; Friday - Celebrate our garden with finishing touches and having a party by make salsa from the Summer Garden. During the week we will study explore the Summer Vegetable Garden; plants what kinds and why they are planted, soil testing soil type and pH, check for insects good and bad and is it underwater? Over watered? What a PLANT needs? Bring water and a snack. Seating is limited. Registration required. For more information and to register, contact Pat Kriener at 817-793-4625.

  

Dallas: Drip Irrigation DIY will be presented Tuesday, July 21, 6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the 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. Free. 

  

Victoria: Victoria County Master Gardener Association will hold its 2015 Summer Symposium, Thursday, July 23 at Victoria Educational Gardens, 283 Bachelor Dr., Victoria. VEG is located across from Victoria Regional Airport control tower. The event will be held starting at 8 a.m. with registration and conclude at 2 p.m. Speakers will be Texas A&M AgriLife Extension horticulturist Dr. H. Brent Pemberton, internationally known speaker Gaye Hammond and Texas Rose Society chairman Audrey McMurray. Registration is $25 at the door. Early registration ends July 20 and is $20. To obtain registration form go to vcmga.org. For more information telephone 361-575-4581. 

 

La Marque: A Homeowner's Guide to Weed Control will be presented by GC Master Gardener Anna Wygrys, 9-11 a.m. Saturday, July 25, at the Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main, La Marque; Ph 281-534-3413. Fee/Free. Galveston County Master Gardener event. Further details www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston. For the Galveston County residents help line, call 281-534-3413 ext.1 and press menu option 1 to ask a Master Gardener.    

 

McKinney: Join the Collin County Master Gardeners on Saturday, July 25, for their annual Fall into Vegetable Gardening program and learn how to make your own garden produce delicious and nutritious cool-season vegetables. The class will be conducted at beautiful Myers Park and Event Center in McKinney from 8 a.m. until noon. Master Gardeners will speak about the Best Varieties of Vegetables to grow, Harvesting Vegetables; Integrated Pest Management for the Vegetable Garden; and the Planting Calendar with a few Garden Secrets. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and will feature demonstration tables offering information on raised bed construction, container gardening, irrigation and rain water harvesting, general CCGMA information, Texas Pure products, and vegetable gardening resources. There will also be tours of the vegetable demonstration beds at Myers Park at the end of the program. Attendees will take home goodie bags filled with useful information to help get their fall/winter garden off to a great start. To register for the event or for more information visit the CCMGA website,www.ccmgatx.org, or call the CCMGA Information Center at 972-548-4232. Registration is required and will open July 1, 2015 on the website. There is a $10 per person fee payable online or at the door with cash, check, or credit card. 

AUGUST

Athens: Henderson County Master Gardeners Summer Series #3: Taste the "Foods and Flavors of the Mediterranean" with Ellis Co. Master Gardeners Susan Clark and Arlene Hamilton. Taste & learn which herbs do well in our local area and love the Texas heat. Saturday, August 1, 10 a.m., Cain Center, Athens. Free and open to the public. For more information, call 903-675-6130 or email  hendersoncmga@gmail.com. 

Dallas: Landscape Design - Be Your Own Landscape Designer, with Water Efficiency in Mind will be presented Tuesday, August 4, 11, 18, and 25, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. at the 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 to the confirmation email after you have registered.

Woodway: Master Gardener Mark Barnett will discuss "Soils, Trees, and Oak Wilt" at the Carleen Bright Arboretum, The Pavilion, Woodway, August 19, from noon until to 2 p.m. Learn about crafty ways to create art for your garden. Get ideas on fairy gardens, cement as art, beautifying areas of your landscape, decorative signs, plant markers, fence panels, and many other fun and creative ideas. Bring lunch! For more information, call 254-399-9204.
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 sbburden@ag.tamu.edu.


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.

Dallas: Garden Masters, Inc., meet the first Wednesday of each month at North Haven Gardens, 7700 Northaven Rd., Dallas. The club hosts different speaker each month from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Bring your lunch! For more information, email Bunny Williams at bunny-williams@sbcglobal.net.

 

Kerrville: Hill Country Master Gardeners meet the first Wednesday of each month at 1:00 pm at Hill Country Youth Event Center, 3785 Hwy 27. For more information visit www.hillcountrymastergardeners.org.

 

Midland/Odessa: The Permian Basin Master Gardeners meet at noon, the first Wednesday of each month, lternating between the Midland and Ector County's Extensions Offices. For more information about location, call 432-498-4071 or 432-686-4700.

  

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.

Atlanta: The Cass County Master Gardeners meet the first Thursday of each month at the Atlanta Memorial Hospital Conference Room, State Highway 77 @ S. Williams St., Atlanta. A business meeting is followed by an educational program. The public is welcome to attend. For additional information, call 903-756-5391 or visit http://cass.agrilife.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.

Fort Worth: The North Central Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. except (January and July) in the Fort Worth Botanical Garden Building at 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard, Fort Worth. For additional information, contact President Theresa Thomas at kayleetl@sbcglobal.net.

 

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.

New Braunfels: The Comal Garden Club meets the first Thursday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at Southbank Clubhouse, 222 Southbank Blvd., New Braunfels. 

 

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.

Jacksonville: The Cherokee County Master Gardeners meet on the second Monday of each month at 9:30 a.m. at Woodmen of the World, 1800 College Ave., Jacksonville. For more information, e-mail Tom Abbott at tom@deerfield-abbey.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 guadalupecounty@npsot.org.

 

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 quitmangardenclub@gmail.com.

 

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

second Wednesday of each month. Meetings are open to the public. For complete details, visit 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's Learn at Lunch program meet the second Wednesday of each month. The business meeting begins at 11:30 a.m., with the program at noon, at the AgriLife Extension Office, 405 E. Marshall Ave., Longview. The program is presented for horticultural education and is free to the public. For further information call 903-236-8429, visit www.txmg.org/gregg, or like us on Facebook at Gregg County Master Gardeners. 

 

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 6 p.m. (social) 7:00 (meeting) the second Thursday of each month except in July in the AgriLife Extension auditorium, 1225 Pearl 2nd floor (downtown Beaumont next to the Court House). For more information contact: 409-835-8461 or txmg.org/jcmg.

 

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 LJepson@aol.com.

 

Cleburne:The Johnson County Master Gardener's meet on the third Monday of each month at McGregor House, 1628 W Henderson, Cleburne. Meeting times are at 2 p.m. October through April, except December and at 6 p.m. May through September. An educational program precedes the business meeting. For additional information, contact Sue Matern at 817-517-9076.

  

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. 

 

New Braunfels: The Lindheimer Chapter (Comal County) of the Native Plant Society of Texas meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the GVTC Auditorium, 36101 FM 3159, New Braunfels. Meetings include an informative speaker, plant of the month presentation, and plant raffle. Visitors are welcome. For more information, visit www.npsot.org/wp/lindheimer.

 

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 aransas-tx@tamu.edu 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 Knights of Columbus Hall, 702 Burney Road, 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 boeblingen@centex.net 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) at the Houston SArboretum and Nature Center in Memorial Park (4501 Woodway Dr.). For more information on programs, and for information about native plants for Houston, visit http:/npsot.org/wp/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 khtromza@yahoo.com.

 

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 npsot.sanantonio@gmail.com.

 

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 hnpat@prairies.org.

 

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 info@leandergc.org.

 

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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