December 30, 2015

Plant a pollinator garden and enjoy the many benefits

By Melinda Myers

Gardening Expert

Whether planting a garden, enjoying the beauty of your landscape or sitting down to a delicious meal, you have bees, butterflies and other pollinators to thank. These essential members of our ecosystem are responsible for much of the food and beauty we enjoy each day.

Unfortunately pesticides and habitat loss are threatening their existence. There is something you can do to help. Turn your garden, backyard or balcony into a pollinator's habitat.

Plant a variety of flowering plants that provide nectar and pollen throughout the season. Planting masses of natives, herbs and other pollinator favorites such as sedum, zinnias, alyssum, cosmos, and columbine will attract these beauties to your landscape. Include a variety of day and night blooming flowers in a variety of colors and shapes to support the widest range of pollinators. But don't let a lack of space dissuade you; even a window box of flowers can help.

Keep your plants healthy and blooming with proper care. Match the plants to the growing conditions, provide needed water and fertilize with an organic nitrogen fertilizer when needed. You'll promote slow steady plant growth that is less susceptible to drought and pests. Plus the slow release low nitrogen won't interfere with flowering which is essential to the health and wellbeing of our pollinators.

Supplement pollinators' diets with a bit of rotten fruit. And be sure to provide trees, shrubs, parsley, dill and other plants that caterpillars, grubs and the immature stage of other pollinators prefer to feed upon. Put away the pesticides and tolerate a few holes in the leaves of their favorite plants. With a diversity of plants you can easily overlook the temporary leaf damage. Plus, this is a small price to pay for all the benefits they bring to the garden.

Provide pollinators with shelter from predators and the weather. Include a variety of trees, shrubs and perennials. Leave patches of open soil for ground nesting bees and some leaf litter to shelter some butterflies, bumblebees and other pollinating insects. Supplement natural shelter with commercial or homemade nesting boxes. You'll find do-it-yourself plans on the internet from various educational sources.

Puddles, fountains, birdbaths and even a damp sponge can provide needed water. Include water features with sloping sides or add a few stones to create easier access. Or sink a shallow container of sand in the ground. Keep it damp and add a pinch of sea salt for the butterflies and bees.

Maximize your efforts by teaming up with your neighbors. Together you can create a larger more diverse habitat that provides pollinators with the resources they need to thrive.

Your efforts will be rewarded with greater harvests, beautiful flowers and colorful birds and butterflies visiting your garden.

Gardening expert, TV/radio host, author & columnist Melinda Myers has more than 30 years of horticulture experience and has written more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening and the Midwest Gardener's Handbook. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything: Food Gardening For Everyone" DVD set and the nationally syndicated Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is also a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Myers' web site, www.melindamyers.com, offers gardening videos and tips.

Frost-proof your roses in 5 easy steps

Jackson & Perkins

While budded (grafted) roses and modern hybrids are great choices for their beauty and vigor, they often require more frost protection than their hardier shrub cousins. In zones 7 and warmer, most roses survive winter just fine, but in zones 1 through 6, you should bundle them up for winter.

Roses in containers are some of the easiest to protect. Just bring them in! A garage with a window is the ideal place to keep them cool without freezing them. Bringing them into the warmth of your home could cause problems because they will come out of dormancy too early. If you don't have a garage with a window, consider a greenhouse or coldframe to keep your roses cozy.

Outdoor roses can get through the winter with these 5 steps:

Encourage Your Roses to Go Into Dormancy. Around August you should stop fertilizing and pruning your roses (including deadheading). This keeps any new, tender growth from occurring and allows the last flowers to develop rose hips. Once the rose has created these seed pods, it starts to get the signal that it is done for the season and ready to rest. Do keep watering throughout this period until the ground begins to freeze.
Clean Up the Leaves. Any diseased leaves at the base of the rose can overwinter and re-infect the plant in spring. Getting all the fallen leaves cleaned up will help your rose get off to a clean start next spring. For good measure, apply a dormant spray like lime sulfur and/or spray oil.
After the first frost, Mound Soil at the Rose's Base. Since the goal is to prevent rootballs from heaving out of the ground in freeze/thaw cycles, it doesn't need to be applied until freezing has begun. Be sure not to dig this soil from too near the rose's crown, or you will damage the roots.
After the first hard freeze, add mulch. Pile up 6 to 12 inches of straw, mulch, leaves, or compost around the base of the plant. A good way to keep this insulating material in place is with a circle of fence or chicken wire. If you are a vegetable gardener, your tomato cages can be a quick and cheap solution. Bonus: this mulch will break down over the season and add some nutrients to the soil.
- For climbing roses, first carefully remove the canes from their structure, gather them, and lash them together. Then dig a shallow trench in front of the rose. Carefully tip the plant over into the trench, and then mound insulation on top of them. This method was advocated by the University of Minnesota and has become known as "The Minnesota Tip Method."
Start uncovering your roses as the ground thaws. Gradually remove a bit of mulch at a time as the weather warms up.

Urban trees provide pollution solution

Soil Science Society of America

Urban environments Down Under aren't all that different than those in the United States. They also struggle with contaminated water running off and causing pollution. In response, cities often use natural landscapes of soil, grasses, and trees. These biofiltration systems capture and filter the runoff.

How well do they filter runoff? Research on how soils and woody plants like trees filter water is lacking. In response, researchers at the University of Melbourne designed an experiment.

Researchers planted four different trees commonly used as street trees in Australia in three different soil types (leaving some unplanted to serve as controls). To these, they applied either a solution similar to stormwater or regular tap water. The stormwater contained high levels of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. High levels of these nutrients are typically present in stormwater in part because of fertilizer runoff.

Researcher Liz Denman, now a member of the Landscape and Urban Design group at VicRoads, explains that high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus can quickly go from nutrient to contaminate. The levels stimulate algal "blooms" - or higher than normal algae content in water bodies. Algae consume oxygen in the water, especially as they die and decompose. They also block the sun from reaching areas below them, upsetting the natural state of the water body. The lower oxygen levels can result in fish deaths, a loss of biodiversity in the waters, and dead zones.

Some Australia states use mandates as a response. "The planning provisions in the Australian state where I live have a clause that relates to water management in residential subdivisions," she adds. "This mandates targets for pollutant load reductions. In most cases, these guidelines require the incorporation of water quality treatment systems."

Through the 13-month experiment, the group measured how well the different tree species grew when watered with stormwater. They also looked at how well the trees took extra nutrients out of the stormwater.

The trees studied were from four species: red box, brush box, white bottlebrush, and oriental plane. All four species receiving stormwater grew significantly larger than those receiving tap water, demonstrating they all have the potential to thrive under urban conditions.

Additionally, the results showed the trees are good at unpacking nutrients from stormwater. Scientists collected the water that drained from the bottom of the experimental pots for a period of two hours after watering. This water contained fewer undesired nutrients when it came from the planted soils. The unplanted soils actually leached nutrients. The different tree species did not show much difference in how many nutrients they removed from the stormwater. They all performed well in the study.

"Species selection was not essential to maximize nutrient removal performance of biofiltration systems," Denman says, although overall it was more difficult for the trees and soil to reduce nitrogen than phosphorus.

Based on these findings, Denman suggests using a variety of trees. "Biodiversity of vegetation within our cities is important and street tree selection should not be based on a single criterion," Denman says.

Additionally, one species will not fit everywhere. "The selection of stormwater treatment measures suitable for highly urbanized streets is restricted by the limited available space combined with the need for functional and aesthetically pleasing landscapes," she says.

Biofiltration systems are already in place in many large Australian cities. Denman adds that further evaluations are needed to test the effectiveness of the trees as they mature or go through extremely wet or dry periods.

This research was recently published in the Journal of Environmental Quality.

Gardening tips

January is the time to plant onions in most of the state. Select transplants that are no larger than a pencil in diameter. The larger transplants may look good but they have tendency to bolt and not produce a very large bulb. Set transplants about an inch deep and firm the soil well around them. Once they start to put on new growth, it is time to start feeding them. Provide them with a small amount of fertilizer every couple of weeks throughout the growing season. A good turf fertilizer works great on onions, whether is it synthetic or organic. If you do use an organic fertilizer, you should apply about 3 times as much as you would a synthetic product.

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.

JANUARY

San Antonio: San Antonio Garden Center Clubs will meet Wednesday, January 6, at 10 a.m. at 3310 N. New Braunfels @ Funston. The program will feature Mark Peterson, Conservation Project Coordinator for SAWS, whose topic is "Water: Where Are We Going in 2016?" Hear about problems, plans and predictions for our most important resource. Coffee at 9:30; meetings are free and open to the public. For more information, go to http://www.sanantoniogardencenter.org/ or call 210-824-9981.

La Marque: "Growing Avocado and Papaya" with Jerry Hurlbert, Moderator & Coordinator of Texas Rare Fruit Growers Association, presenting. 9-11:30 a.m., January 9, at 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: "Growing Peaches in Galveston County" with GC Master Gardener Herman Auer presenting. 1-3 p.m., January 9, at 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.

Schertz: On January 11, Guadalupe County Master Gardeners will present a Gardening program from noon to 1 p.m. at the GVEC Service Center Community Room in Schertz. Jim Johnson, Vegetable Specialist will present "Grow Spring Vegetable Transplants from Seed." Johnson will explain how to save money by growing spring vegetables from seeds, how to make a grow light, and the right vegetables for the season. The Program will be at the GVEC Service Center Community Room, 908 Curtis Street, Schertz, is free and open to the public. Attendees are welcome to bring lunch and handouts will be available.

Conroe: Montgomery County Master Gardeners present Spring 2016 Gardening Classes. All classes will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 11 a.m. on Saturday mornings. A fee of $5.00 per person (cash or check) is due at registration the morning of each class. The fee covers costs of materials, supplies, coffee and snacks The first class will be January 16 - Fruit Trees: Selection, Planting, Pruning, Spraying, and Care. Additional classes occur each month until May. For more information, call 936-539-7824 or visit www.mcmga.com.

Waller County: Waller County Master Gardeners is accepting applications to the 2016 Master Gardener Intern Training Program. Classes will be held most Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. until noon January 21 through March 22. There will be 2 day-long field trips. The cost is $160 per person, which includes a Texas Master Gardener handbook, Background check (required by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension) and 2 lunches. If 2 people from the same household share a handbook, the cost is $260 for both, a $60 savings! Registration closes Monday, January 11. If you have any questions, call the Waller County Extension office at 979-826-7651 M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or email the Waller County Master Gardeners at wallermgardener2013@gmail.com. Waller County Master Gardeners are at the Extension Office on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-noon. The application packet is also available at http://txmg.org/wallermg/forms/.

Comal County: Want to be a Master Gardener in Comal County? Class applications are being accepted for the 2016 class that starts January 13. There are 50 hours of classroom instruction over 17 weeks. The Class meets every Wednesday 12:45-5:00 until May 4 and covers all Texas A&M University educational requirements to start your journey to become a Master Gardener. Visit txmg.org/comal for more information and click the Training Tab for an application.

Houston: "Bed Building from the Ground Up" will be the topic of the Houston Rose Society meeting on Thursday, January 14, at 7:30 p.m. The speaker will be Earl Krause, past president of the Houston Rose Society, a long time Master Rosarian and the recipient of the ARS Bronze Service Award for his service to the Houston Rose Society. Earl will discuss the best bed building designs and techniques for the area to accommodate for the clay soil and heavy seasonal rains. Please note our new meeting location. The HRS has moved to the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion, 1500 Hermann Drive, Houston. The parking lot is Lot C, located at Hermann Drive and Crawford Street. Free admission. For more information, visit http://www.houstonrose.org.

La Marque: "Wedge Grafting" with GC Master Gardener Sue Jeffco presenting. 9-11 a.m., January 16, at 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. 1-3 p.m., January 16, at 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.

San Antonio: Whether one fruit tree or a whole orchard, David Rodriguez, Extension Horticulturist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will show you how. He will cover the basic steps of selecting appropriate tree species, how to properly plant them, how to train and manage these trees as well as harvesting and general overall maintenance. This annual opportunity will be hosted and is FREE at Milberger's Landscape Nursery, 3920 N Loop 1604 E, San Antonio, on Saturday, January 16, starting promptly at 10:30 a.m and concluding around noon. Bring plenty of questions, a pen and a notebook. 1.5 CEUs w.ill be awarded to Master Gardeners who attend.

Seguin: Extension Agents Charla Bading and Connie Sheppard will lead "Preserving Your Garden Vegetables," 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, January 16, at 210 East Live Oak St., Seguin. Preregistration if $20 per person and $25 at the door. For more information, call 830-303-3889.

La Marque: "Gardening by the Square Foot" with GC Master Gardener John Jons presenting. 6:30-8 p.m., January 19, at 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.

Conroe: The Montgomery County Master Gardeners are having their annual Fruit and Nut Tree Sale, on Saturday, January 23, at the Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Center, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. Program is at 8 a.m.; sale is from 9 a.m. until noon. For additional information or a plant list, call 936-539-7824 or visit http://www.mcmga.com/.

La Marque: "Successful Spring Vegetable Gardening" with GC Master Gardener Luke Striping presenting. 9 a.m -11:30 a.m., January 23, at 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: "Growing Blueberries" with Dr. David Cohen presenting. 1-2:30 p.m., January 23, at 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.

McKinney: The Collin County Master Gardeners Association will host, "Spring into Vegetable Gardening" on January 23, from 9 a.m. until noon at the Landing at Myers Park and Event Center in McKinney, Texas. The focus of the program will be basic vegetable gardening in Collin County. Vegetable garden experts will discuss the specifics of when and what to plant in Collin County, with month-to-month guidelines for January through May planting. Attendees will learn about the importance of soil and soil preparation, how to propagate seeds, and which varieties of plants grow well in the area. Demonstration tables will be manned by Master Gardeners who have expertise in raised bed construction, vertical gardens, row covers, water conservation, rain barrels and drip irrigation, propagation, vegetable container gardening, and more. Representatives from Texas Pure Products will be on hand with examples of various soil amendments and mulches. Spend the morning with Collin County Master Gardeners learning how to grow delicious, nutritious veggies. Tour the potager and vegetable trial gardens at the end of the program with the volunteers who work in these gardens. This ambitious project began in the fall of 2013 with 16 raised beds, including two wheelchair accessible beds, and utilizes the principles and practices of Earth-Kind Environmental Stewardship. Registration will open online January 1, 2016 at the CCMGA website, www.ccmgatx.org. There is a $10 per person fee to attend. The fee is payable at the door with cash, check or credit card. Registration is required to guarantee handouts and goodie bags. Contact 972-548-4219, or visit www.ccmgatx.org for more information. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. on January 23 at the Landing at Myers Park.

San Antonio: Whether one fruit tree or a whole orchard, Dr. Larry Stein, Professor and Extension Horticulturist, Texas A&M University, will show you how. Dr Stein will cover the basic steps of selecting appropriate tree species, how to properly plant them, how to train and manage these trees as well as harvesting and general overall maintenance. This annual opportunity will be hosted and is FREE at Fanick's Garden Center, 1025 Holmgreen Rd, San Antonio on Saturday, January 23, starting promptly at 9 a.m. and concluding around noon. Bring plenty of questions, a pen and a notebook. 3 CEUs will be awarded to Master Gardeners who attend.

La Marque: "Anyone Can Grow Roses" with GC Master Gardener and American Rose Society Consulting Rosarian John Jons. 6:30-8 p.m., January 26, at 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: "Fig Tree Pruning and Propagation": with GC Master Gardener Terry Cuclis presenting. 9-10 a.m., January 28, at the orchard in the Galveston County Master Gardener Research & Demonstration Garden 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. (Rain Date: February 4)

FEBRUARY

Overton: 2016 Annual East Texas Turfgrass Conference For School Districts, City Parks & Recreation. Lawn & Landscape Managers and Homeowners will be held Thursday, February 4, at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center, Overton. $35. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m. For additional information, call 903-657-0376.

Dallas: "Master Gardener - Water Efficient Landscape Design" will be presented Wednesday-Friday, February 17-19 at Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, Building C Classroom & Large Hall, 17360 Coit Road, Dallas. Do you have a demonstration garden or school garden project that needs help to be water efficient? The Water Efficient Landscape Design Program for Master Gardeners provides you the skills to be your own landscape designer. You bring the project and we provide the guidance. You will learn basic landscape design techniques, native/adaptive plant selection, rainwater harvesting and efficient irrigation to help your project become the envy of water efficient landscapes. This is a three-day program with Wednesday and Thursday evening optional design workshops. This workshop is only open to current Master Gardener volunteers. One registration is good for two club members to attend with design materials to share. Additional design materials available for purchase. Registration: Only 20 Master Gardener participant spots are available for this training (10 groups). Registration is first come/first served basis. Cost: $300.00: (includes lunch, dinner and design materials). For additional information please email Karen Sanders at karen.sanders@tamu.edu. To pay by credit card please contact Clint Wolfe at 972-952-9635.Registration Dallas.tamu.edu/courses.

New Braunfels: The Comal Master Gardeners and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will present their Spring Seminar featuring "Plants For All Seasons, Magnificent Monocots, A to Z" at McKenna Events Center, 801 West San Antonio Street, New Braunfels, on Friday, February 19, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration is $55 and includes lunch, snacks, and seminar handout. Dr. Flo Oxley, Professor of Biology at Austin Community College, will give an introduction to Monocots; Joanne Hall, owner of South Texas Growers of Bulverde, will give an overview of ornamental grasses in the landscape; Velia Sanchez-Ruiz, a member of the American Hemerocallis Society and a Region 6 Daylily Judge, will cover Daylilies; David Will, Texas Certified Landscape Professional and owner of Landscape Details, will speak on bulbs; Dotty Woodson an AgriLife Extension Specialist, will provide instruction on how to make a rain garden. Seating is limited, so register early. Registration forms are available at http://txmg.org/comal/event/seminar/. For additional information, call 830-620-3440.

San Antonio: Bexar County Master Gardeners (BCMG) and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will offer Master Gardener Intern Training Class #60 from February 24 to May 25 (Noon-4 p.m., each Wednesday) at 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, San Antonio. Application Deadline is Tuesday, Feb. 9. Application form available at http://www.bexarmg.org/get-involved/.

MARCH

Santa Barbara, Calif.: The Santa Barbara International Orchid Show returns to Earl Warren Showgrounds March 4-6. As the oldest and one of the largest annual orchid shows in the United States, the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show marks its 71st year with the theme "Wild World of Orchids." General admission to the show is $12. Seniors and students with ID pay $10; children 12 and under are free with a paying adult. Individual tickets can be purchased at the show box office or through Ticketmaster. Group sales information is available at www.sborchidshow.com, via email at sborchidshowpublicity@gmail.com or by phone at (805) 403-1533. The Show is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, March 4, Saturday, March 5, and Sunday, March 6. To learn more, visit www.sborchidshow.com.

Dallas: "Landscape Design - Be Your Own Landscape Designer, with Water Efficiency in Mind" will be presented 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Tuesdays, March 8, 15, 22, 29 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 to the confirmation email after you have registered. Registration Dallas.tamu.edu/courses.

Marshall: The Annual Spring Plant Sale of the Harrison County Master Gardeners will be held on Saturday, March 19, 8 a.m.-2 p.m., on the Tractor Supply parking lot at 105 E End Blvd (Hwy 59) in Marshall. Many Master-Gardener grown (pass-along) plants will be available, as well as commercially-grown flowers and vegetables, all at competitive prices. Arrive early for the best selection.

Orangefield: The Orange County Master Gardeners Association will host their Annual Bloomin' Crazy Plant Fair on Saturday, March 19, at Cormier Park, 8235 FM 1442, Orangefield. Available will be Texas Superstar plants, natives, perennials, annuals, vines, tropical storm, vegetables, citrus, blueberries, and many other varieties. In addition, vendors will have locally produced products, specialty plants and organic items for plants and lawns. For more information, visit txmg.org/orange.

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.

Harrison County: The Harrison County Master Gardeners meet on the second Tuesday of each month in the Harrison County Annex building, 102 W Houston St. (south side of the square), Marshall. Meetings are held in the 2nd floor AgriLife Extension meeting room. For more information, call 903-935-8413, or email wannagrow2@gmail.com.

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/.

Texarkana: The Four Corners Chapter of Native Plant Society of Texas meets at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at the Southwest Center, 3222 W. 7th St. (U.S. 67), Texarkana. Visitors are welcome. For additional information, contact Belinda McCoy at 903-424-7724 or blackmtngardens@yahoo.com.

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 AgriLife Building, 210 East Live Oak, 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 Native Prairie Association meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Cherie Flores Pavilion in McGovern Centennial Gardens at Hermann Park, 1500 Hermann Drive, 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.

Texas Gardener digital edition available

Same magazine as our print edition without the paper and at a better price. Fully compatible with your desktop, laptop, iPad or Tablet. Access Texas Gardener anywhere, anytime: at the office, home, vacation, even in the garden. Easy to use with robust features and fully searchable archive as long as your subscription is active. Visit www.TexasGardener.com and click on the digital radio button to subscribe.

Vegetable Gardening in the Southwest

By Trisha Shirey

Sweet, vine-ripened watermelon, tomatoes, bell peppers, crisp winter salads are just a few of the delights awaiting gardeners in Texas and the Southwest. While the cold winters and hot, dry summers can present challenges, there are many ways to have a productive garden and an ever changing menu of seasonal food. This book is for vegetable gardeners in Texas and surrounding states who want to get the most out of their gardens. Trisha Shirey (featured in the May/June issue of Texas Gardener magazine) is an award-winning heart-of-Texas gardener, and the head gardener at the Lake Austin Spa Resort where she has successfully overcome drought, insects and early freezes. She shows readers how to deal with these problems, along with others, and come out a winner. This book isn't loaded with lots of pretty color pictures, but it is loaded with lots of terrific gardening advice written just for gardeners in Texas and the southwest! Softback. 238 pages.

Only $26.55 (includes shipping, handling and tax).

To order using your credit card, call toll-free 1-800-727-9020 or online at
www.TexasGardener.com.

Buy two books, receive cap free!

The Vegetable Book

By Dr. Sam Cotner

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

The Texas Tomato Lover's Handbook

By William D. Adams

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

Order both books, receive a FREE Texas Gardener cap!

($15.82 if ordered separately)

Remit payment to:

TG Books * PO Box 9005 * Waco, TX 76714

or call Toll-Free 1-800-727-9020

American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover Accepted

Texas Gardener's Seeds is published weekly. � Suntex Communications, Inc. 2015. 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

www.TexasGardener.com