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Dear Friends,
Here is the 120th issue of our weekly gardening newsletter for Houston, the Gulf Coast and beyond. We really appreciate all of our readers hanging in there with us, sharing stories and inspiring us in so many ways.
Thanks so much!
This newsletter is a project of The Lazy Gardener, Brenda Beust Smith, John Ferguson and Mark Bowen.(John and Mark are with Nature's Way Resources). We also have a great supporting cast of contributing writers and technical specialists who will chime in and tweak away regularly. We would love to keep receiving your input on this newsletter . . . . comments . . . . suggestions . . . . questions. . . .Email your thoughts to: lazygardenerandfriends@gmail.com. Thanks so much for your interest.
Please or sign yourself up to receive this newsletter by clicking the "Join Our Mailing List" link just below. We will never sell or share our mailing list to protect the privacy of our subscribers.
Enjoy!
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KEY TO SUCCESS . . . BEGONIAS . . .
TOP TEN WASTEFUL WATERING!!
By BRENDA BEUST SMITH
Looking forward to cooler weather? Good thinking, because now's the time to start planning for excitement in the fall garden. Well, okay. Something pretty or tasty in the fall garden.
Just remember, Labor Day is NOT the start of fall here. At the very earliest, mid-September is when we might start seeing cooler weather. More likely it'll be in October before the blast ends. That gives us all a chance to take advantage of all the free gardening programs now scheduled.
(We may have to put our calendar below on a diet!)
The key to success gardening in this area? Right varieties and right planting time. Unfortunately, "right for us" is often not found in national or even some statewide gardening resources. The more LOCAL, especially local to your specific area, the better. Especially with fall vegetable gardening! Best planting times/varieties can vary between Katy and Galveston, or Sugar Land and Beaumont, for example.
Where to find these? At your county Master Gardeners' Demonstration Garden and Texas AgriLife Extension Center, the whole focus is what does best in your micro-climate and - even better! - what particular challenges might be wreaking havoc in any given season. Most Master Gardener programs are open, free to the public - regardless of where you live. Want a quick view of what Galveston County MGs have accomplished? Click on this link to see their incredible demo garden. Only one word for it: Wow!
Don't know if your county has a Master Gardener program or where the AgriLife Center is located? Click on this link: mastergardener.tamu.edu/county-programs/ (Careful! Master Gardener-ing can be highly contagious! But - bar none - becoming a MG was the best horticulture time/money/energy I've ever spent.)
Master Gardeners often show up as resident experts on many of our most prestigious hort events. For example, on Sat., Sept. 19, Montgomery County Master Gardener Bob Dailey will join renowned area authorities on the podium at the big Wildscapes Workshop and Plant Sale at the Houston Zoo. Bob will expand on the way he turned his backyard into a "Pocket Prairie." (See our June 5 Lazy Gardener & Friends Newsletter . The 2015 Wildscapes is a joint Texas Native Plant Society/Houston Chapter, Texas Parks & Wildlife and the Houston Zoo event, offering an exciting lineup of area environmental and horticultural experts (including noted environmental lawyer Jim Blackburn), a sale of incredibly hardy plants and a chance to view all the new Zoo sights and sounds - 8:30am-3:30pm, Houston Zoo Brown Education Center, Hermann Park. $40 ($50 after Sept. 12). Details: http://npsot.org/wp/houston/ or 832-859-9252. Below Bob will give us a Letterman-style countdown on the TOP TEN WAYS WE GARDENERS WASTE WATER. But first . . .
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In the Spotlight article below, popular area begonia lecturer Tony Collins will hopefully help change what has always been a true mystery to me. Why don't we plant more begonias? Many of these beautiful shade plants are perennials in our in all but the worst of winters. But you have to plant the right varieties, as Tony will detail below.
BEGONIAS FOR THE GREATER HOUSTON AREA
By Tony Collins
Everyone is familiar with the tough as nails fibrous rooted "bedding" begonias. In either the green or bronze leaf version, they are useful for adding almost constant blooms to a sunny area. The begonia group, however, is much larger than these utilitarian stand-bys, and offers some excellent cultivars, especially hybrids, for the Houston area.
The two types most recommended for here are the cane type and the rhizomatous. The canes have tall growing stalks - some up to 4' or more in height - and have usually small pink or red flowers growing in clusters and hanging down from the stems. Rhizomatous - as the name suggests - sends fleshy stalks along the soil, sometimes over the edge of the pot, from which rises more or less individual leaves and bloom stalks. Although some of these types will adjust to growing in a well-drained and shaded bed, the usual practice is to grow them in pots.
One of the great charms of the begonias is the variety of leaf forms and colors they offer. The cane type usually has some version in green (plain or spotted) of the "angel wing" shape. The B.'Sinbad' and B. 'Don Miller' canes come in handsome silver tones and do well here. The Rhizomatous offer a remarkable variety of leaf shapes and colors. B. 'Plum Gorgeous' has mahogany colored leaves the size of dinner plates.
Since begonias come from moist environments, they enjoy our Houston humidity; although with the exception of the bedding types, they cannot take our Houston sun, especially in the summer. Bright shade, as under a tree or arbor, is recommended. Being semi-succulent, begonias cannot tolerate poor drainage. Although pricey, Sunshine Mix #4 is ideal for
growing them, but any light mix will do.
Begonias are gross feeders - frequent application of a liquid all purpose fertilizer will keep them growing. Not totally hardy here - a greenhouse or heating cable with frost cloth cover are ideal protection. Begonias are easily propagated from cuttings, and although some nurseries carry hybrid begonias, the best source of plants is one of the branches of the American Begonia Society (ABS). Like all gardeners, begonia growers enjoy sharing.
You can reach Tony through my email: lazygardener@sbcglobal.net. To reach one of our many area chapters of the American Begonia Society, log onto: http://begoniahouston.org * * *
L to r: How much water are you wasting (and contributing to our bayou problems)?
One type of irrigation system. Are colored mulch okay?
TOP TEN WAYS WE HOME GARDENERS WASTE WATER!
BY BOB DAILEY
10. I can plant anything I want . . .
Of course you can. However, many tropical plants that need a lot of water were not meant to grow here. Plants that thrive in northern climes generally require colder weather. Our area gets about 46 inches a year of rain. Native plants were here before humans arrived and thrived without additional water. Many more plants have. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and Texas EarthKind have extensive recommendations.
9. I can put my plants anywhere . . . Some plants do well in shade or partial shade. Some only thrive with six to eight hours of sun. And some do well "in between." Some start out small but get really big. Before buying, find out growth patterns, sun requirements, water needs and best soil types. Putting plants in an unsuitable site is a prescription for dead, diseased, or stunted plants.
8. Dirt is dirt. All I have to do is stick something in the ground and it grows . . . "Never put a $10 plant in a $1 hole." Texas A&M Soil Laboratory will test soil for a minimal fee. Follow instructions and amend your soil. Good organic compost is the best amendment for poor soil. Good soil helps hold water (up to three quarts per cubic foot), requiring less watering.
7. I water my plants every day when it's hot. They look wilted in the afternoon . . . In very hot weather, most plants close their stomata (pores on the undersides of the leaves that release gas and water). This can give the plant a wilted look. Good gardeners wait until early evening to see if plants open up again. Watering plants every day could encourage fungal diseases, insect damage, or root rot.
6. Mulch is mulch. Red or black mulch looks really good on my beds . . .
Colored mulch is probably one of the worst things a gardener can use. It's full of dyes, can be made from treated lumber, contains heavy metals and in some areas, high levels of poisons, such as arsenic. It could also exacerbate insect and disease problems. Use a good organic mulch instead. Mulch helps soil retain moisture, so less water is needed for irrigation. Mulch also keeps the soil at more constant temperature, reducing stress on plants and prevents weeds. Good organic mulch also decomposes over time and adds nutrients to the soil.
5. I love to water my garden in the afternoon when it's really hot. That's when the plants need water the most . . .
Watering during the heat of the day ensures that a lot of water is lost through evaporation. The best time to water is in the early morning hours, when it's cooler. There is a great deal of evidence emerging now that watering before daylight may be the very best time to irrigate. 4. The best way to water my flower beds is with a sprinkler system . . . The best way to water any bed is with a drip irrigation system. Sprinklers cast a lot of water on the leaves and stems of plants, giving rise to insect damage and disease. Also, drip irrigation uses between 30 and 60 percent LESS water than sprinklers, bringing water directly down into the root system, keeping it in the soil and not allowing it to evaporate into the air as do sprinklers. Drip is also relatively inexpensive to install.
3. My plants need a lot of water. The more I water them, the healthier they are . . . Too much water on a plant can be worse than too little. Overwatering encourages the plant's roots to grow closer to the surface. The closer to the surface the roots grow, the more susceptible to diseases and pests they become. Also overwatering can kill beneficial microorganisms in the soil, leach out necessary nutrients and cause roots to rot. Watering plants deeply and infrequently will force them to grow strong,healthy root systems.
2. If I water too much, some of the water goes into the street. But it's only a small amount of water and does not matter in the scheme of things . . . Actually, it does. Fifty to 75 percent of all drinking water used in most municipal areas goes to watering lawns and gardens. In dry summer months that can increase to 80 percent or more. Of that amount, at least 50 percent is lost through runoff. And remember that run-off is wasted water. Neither the lawn nor the plants derived any benefit from it. The only thing that run-off raises is the water bill.
1. I need to water my lawn at least every other day in the summer . . .
Actually, studies at Texas A&M, Texas Tech and many other agricultural universities in the south that specialize in warm season grasses, conclude that turf like St. Augustine requires no more than an inch of water a week, even in the hottest, driest months. If it rained an inch during any given week, the grass would require no additional water. Too much water will actually create a shorter root system, decrease the lawn's ability to fight off infection, and increase the danger of take-all patch and other diseases. Details on the 2015 Wildscapes Workshop and Plant Sale: http://npsot.org/wp/houston/
Contact Bob through his blog: gardeninginthewoodlands.com
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Over the last few weeks we have discussed the extreme dangers of chemicals like Round-Up and the issues with GMO foods. There are numerous investigators exposing the corruption in some of the agencies that are supposed to protect us and our families. Below are brief reviews of four recent and excellent books on the subject. As I mention in an article a while back from the book of Proverbs (paraphrase):
"If we do not obtain knowledge about a subject, then we will make bad decisions and suffer the consequences."
These books are a great way to learn more so one can protect their families:
NOTE: The State of Texas has introduced a bill to mandate GMO labeling. Representative Carol Alvarado of Houston (D-Texas) introduced in March, HB 3499 which would require GMO foods to be accurately labeled in Texas and was referred to the Public Health committee at that time.
1) Altered Genes, Twisted Truth - How the Venture to Genetically Engineer Our Food Has Subverted Science, Corrupted Government, and Systematically Deceived the Public, Steven M. Druker, Clear River Press, 2015, ISBN: 978-0-9856169-0-8
This book is the story of an investigative report on how toxic genetically altered food has been allowed into our food supply. Druker is a public interest attorney and Founder of the Alliance for Bio-Integrity. He has been collecting evidence for 15 years to show that GMO's are not safe and should never have been approved by the government.
In 1998, his organization along with a group of life scientists and religious leaders filed a lawsuit on the Department of Health and Human Services challenging the FDA's ruling in 1992 that GMO's were safe, which then allowed them to enter the marketplace. As a result the FDA was forced to turn over 44,000 pages of documents relating to the FDA's GMO food policy.
Their review found that the FDA scientists did not support the safety of GMO's and recommended against their release. The FDA administrators appointed by the various administrations ignored their own scientists and set about an agenda to deceive congress and the American people.
The agency through their power systematically suppressed truth and research, covered up health problems, and consistently lied to the American public. The FDA used their power to get researchers opposing GMO's fired, reputations tarnished and even illegally punished.
Ingredients in GMO foods now are in more than 80% of all foods in the USA. As we saw in the previous articles on Round-Up and GMO's they have failed miserably and are causing tremendous health problems. They have lower yields, cost more, have more problems, have far lower nutrition, and cause many health and environmental problems.
From the book's cover: "One of the most important books of the last 50 years" - Jane Goodall
This book is for anyone concerned about the health and safety of their families.
http://alteredgenestwistedtruth.com/additional-content/executive-summary/
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
NOTE: All these points are solidly documented within the book. They will form the first part of the Executive Summary. The second part (which is not yet completed) will provide a chapter-by-chapter summary.
Key Points
* Numerous scientists (including those on the US Food and Drug Administration's Biotechnology Task Force) have concluded that the process of creating genetically engineered (GE) foods radically differs from conventional breeding and entails greater risk.
* Consequently, not only has there never been a consensus within the scientific community that GE foods are safe, many eminent experts have issued cautions, as have respected scientific organizations like the Royal Society of Canada and the Public Health Association of Australia.
* In contrast to the experts who counsel caution, many of the scientists and scientific institutions that promote GE foods have systematically suppressed evidence and distorted the truth in order to advance them.
* In fact, the GE food venture has been chronically and crucially reliant on such deceptions and could not have survived without them.
* For instance, GE foods first achieved commercialization only because the US Food and Drug Administration covered up the extensive warnings of its own scientists about their abnormal risks, lied about the facts, and deliberately violated federal food safety law by allowing them onto the market without having been proven safe through standard testing.
* Yet, the FDA and other GE proponents have created so much confusion that although US food safety law in regard to GE foods is much stricter than EU law, most people are under the illusion it's weaker - and don't realize that these inadequately tested foods have entered the American market, not due to the law's failings, but to the FDA's failure to obey it.
* Moreover, not only did GE foods gain entry to the market through a major fraud, their continued marketing has depended upon its continuation - and its augmentation by a stream of misleading statements from scientists and scientific institutions that have likewise abused their positions of authority.
* Through this disinformation, the manifold problems caused by GE foods have been obfuscated; and if they had instead been openly and accurately reported, the agricultural bioengineering enterprise would have collapsed.
* For example, most people are unaware that, contrary to the claims of biotech advocates, humans have indeed been harmed by consuming the output of genetic engineering - and that the technology's first ingestible product (a food supplement of the essential amino acid L-tryptophan) induced an epidemic that killed dozens of people and seriously sickened thousands, permanently disabling many of them. Moreover, the evidence points to the genetic alteration as the most likely cause of the unusual contamination that rendered the supplement toxic.
* Nor is it widely known that numerous laboratory animals have also suffered from eating products of genetic engineering and that well-conducted tests with GE crops have yielded many troubling results, including intestinal abnormalities, liver disturbances, and impaired immune systems.
* Additionally, besides being unsound from the perspective of biological science, the GE food venture is unsound (and outright reckless) when examined in light of computer science; and compared to the careful manner in which software engineers revise life-critical information systems, the radical way in which biotechnicians alter complex cellular information systems is not really "bioengineering" but biohacking.
* Thus, contrary to the assertions of its proponents, the massive enterprise to reconfigure the genetic core of the world's food supply is not based on sound science but on the systematic subversion of science - and would implode if subjected to an open airing of the facts.
2) I was at the car dealership this week getting my 30,000 mile service and while waiting I had a couple hours to read a new book. From the back cover of the book is the question: What do Agent Orange, DDT, PCB's, Roundup, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have in common? Monsanto
"We're MONSANTO Feeding The World, Lie After Lie", Brett Wilcox, Wilcox Works LLC, 2013, ISBN 13: 978-1492312918
I have known for years that Monsanto is not a good company and that they have earned "The Most Evil Corporation in The World" award multiple times. Brett Wilcox goes through Monsanto's marketing claims one by one covering the top 50 lies. He cites numerous studies showing the extreme danger of eating GMO foods and the health risk to those that eat them. There was also a lot of information on Roundup and how the American public has been deceived into using it, again with numerous studies showing the health risk from large decreases and abnormal sperm in men to cancer for all to the thousands that have died. He documents how well known politicians benefited financially by being puppets of Monsanto and documents the revolving door between the USDA, EPA and Monsanto. After reading this book I realize the way Monsanto has manipulated the media, government regulatory agencies, etc. they make the tobacco companies seem like rank amateurs. This book is for anyone concerned about their food and protecting the health of their families. I like the following from the books conclusion:
Every time we buy a Monsanto product, we give Monsanto more power to create unnatural life forms, bribe government officials, buy out competitors, conduct unethical "scientific research", manipulate scientific findings, discredit independent scientific research, fight GMO labeling, sue farmers, ....
3) PHARMOCRACY - How Corrupt Deals and Misguided Medical Regulations are Bankrupting America -- AND What to Do About It, William Faloon, Praktikos Books, 2011, ISBN: 978-1-60766-011-8
This book is about the corruption in our health care system. "Readers will be shocked to learn how today's bureaucratic stranglehold ruthlessly denies human beings access to life saving medical technologies". It is about how the FDA uses its power to suppress any new technology that would hurt the profits of the drug companies. It goes through example after example from 1998 through 2011 of how the FDA suppressed new therapies.
For example many studies have shown the benefits of eating walnuts and the numerous contributions to our health. The FDA claims walnuts are illegal drugs and have sued producers from making any health related claims. At the same time the FDA allows potato chips fried with toxic trans-fats to claim they are heart healthy.
This book explains why health care costs so much due to the FDA incompetence and abuse. "Pharmocracy presents factual and irrefutable logic to reform today's broken healthcare system that is financially devastating the United States".
4) FDA - Failure, Deception, Abuse - The Story of an Out-of-Control Government Agency and What It Means For Your Health, Life Extension Foundation, Praktikoa Books, 2010, ISBN: 978-1-60766-001-9
I read this book last year and it was scary in how the FDA suppresses new technology that would save lives. It describes how the FDA uses its power to raid researchers and Doctor's offices, confiscate materials, and suppress any new life saving therapy.
In numerous stories the authors describe how the FDA worked to prevent new and better treatments from entering the market. Many of these therapies and treatments are now recommended by the FDA even though they were suppressed by the FDA for decades. This has resulted in the needless deaths of millions of Americans. From the book's cover:
This book documents how the FDA
- denied the introduction of life-saving therapies
- suppresses safe methods of preventing disease
- causes the price of drugs to be beyond the means of most
- fails, by its own admission to keep pace with science
- criminalizes giving scientific information to consumers
- censors medical information that would educate Doctors
- fails to protect the safety of our food
- approves prescription drugs that prove lethal
This book is a documented list of an government agency out of control. Even a US House of Representatives study concluded that the agency "cannot fulfill its mission", that its science is weak," and in need of a complete reform.
The corruption in the FDA is a disservice to the many wonderful Doctor's and medical community that seek to serve us.
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WEEKLY GARDENING EVENTS &
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CALENDAR
TO SUBMIT EVENTS - PLEASE - USE OUR FORMAT!
Find a similar event in our calendar below and copy the format EXACTLY.
Then you can add additional information. Email to lazy gardener@sbcglobal.net
Not using our format will result in a delay in publication.
Events will not be picked up from other newsletters.
SAT., AUG. 22: THE PATIO GARDEN BY TOM LEROY, , 9-11am, Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main, La Marque. Free. Master Gardener event. Reservations to galv3@wt.net. www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston; 281-534-3413
SAT., AUG. 22: ORGANIC GARDENING STAGE OF THE FALL HOME & GARDEN SHOW AT THE WOODLANDS MARRIOTT, 1601 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands: SAT. TOPICS: 1) HOW TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, LOW-MAINTENANCE, LOW COST LAWN AND GARDEN FOREVER- ORGANICALLY OF COURSE BY MIKE SERANT. 10:30-11:30am. 2) BUILDING HEALTHY SOILS SAVES MONEY NOW BY JOHN FERGSON. 11:30am-12:30pm. 3) FALL IS FOR PLANTING- THE FAB 50 PLANTS FOR MAKING ANY FALL LANDSCAPE FESTIVE BY MARK BOWEN. 12:30-1:30pm. 4) ALL ABOUT MULCH- THE SECRET WEAPON FOR A BEAUTIFUL LAWN & GARDEN BY JOHN FERGUSON. 1:30-2:30pm 5) ORGANIC LAWN CARE EXPLAINED BY JIM FAULK. 2:30-3:30pm.. 6) ORGANIC BY DESIGN BY MARK. 3:30-4:30pm. BOWEN.http://www.woodlandsshows.com/saturday-organic-gardening-stage/
SAT., AUG. 22: RAINWATER HARVESTING FOR HOMEOWNERS, 9-11:30am, University of St. Thomas, Strake Hall, Room 207, 3918 Yoakum Blvd., $45. Urban Harvest event. 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
SUN., AUG. 23: ORGANIC GARDENING STAGE OF THE FALL HOME & GARDEN SHOW AT THE WOODLANDS MARRIOTT, 1601 Lake Robbins Dr., The Woodlands: SUN. TOPICS: 1) ORGANIC LAWN CARE EXPLAINED BY JIM FAULK. 12-1pm. .2) .WATER CONSERVATION, WATER FOR TODAY, WATER FOR OUR FUTURE BY BOB DAILEY. 1-2PM. 3) .TOP FRUIT TREES FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY BY DANNY MILLIKIN. 2-3pm. 4) DO IT YOURSELF BACKYARD COMPOSTING BY GAIL SONES. 3-4pm.
WED., AUG. 26: IGUASU FALLS & THE AMAZON BY DICK & PHYLLIS McEUEN, 7:30pm, Metropolitan Multi Service Center, 1475 W. Gray. Free. Houston Cactus & Succulent Society event. http://hcsstex.org
TUES., AUG 25: HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS OPEN GARDEN DAY AND SEMINAR: LOW MAINTENANCE LANDSCAPING, 9-11:30am, 3033 Bear Creek Drive. Free. Details: https://hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/docs/2015-open-garden-days.pdf; 281-855-5600
WED., AUG. 26: GREEN BUILDING EDUCATION SEMINAR: SUSTAINABLE DIRECTION IN HOUSTON, 6-8pm, Green Building Resource Center, 1002 Washington Ave. City of Houston event. Free but registration requested, Details: www.greenhoustontx.gov/gbrceducation.pdf
THURS, AUG. 27: FALL GARDENING SEMINAR with PAUL EYRE, 6-8pm, Waller County Road & Bridge Bldg., 775 Business 290 East, Hempstead. $10 pre-register, $15 door. Waller County Master Gardener event. Details:
SAT., AUG. 29: SUCCESSFUL FALL VEGETABLE GARDENING BY LUKE STRIPLING, 9-11:30am, Galveston County AgriLife Extension in Carbide Park, 4102 Main, La Marque. Free. Master Gardener event. Reservations to galv3@wt.net. Details: www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston; 281-534-3413
SAT., AUG. 29: ALL ABOUT HERBS, 9-11am, University of St. Thomas, Strake Hall, Room 207, 3918 Yoakum Blvd., $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org.
SAT., AUG. 29: JUNIOR MASTER GARDENER LEARN, GROW, EAT, GO TEACHER/LEADER COMMUNITY PARTNER TRAINING, AgriLife Extension Service, 3033 Bear Creek Dr. $32.64. Registration deadline: Aug. 24. Details: 713-274-0978 or snolen@ag.tamu.edu
TUES., SEPT. 1: PRE-ORDER BULB DEADLINE FOR THE OCT. 1-3 2015 BULB & PLANT MART. Details: www.gchouston.org, 713-683-9450 or cgerikson99@gmail.com
WED., SEPT. 2: INSECTS IN THE GARDEN - FRIEND OR FOE, 9:30am, University Baptist Church, 16106, Middlebrook. Free. Gardeners by the Bay event. Details: 281-474-5051
THURS., SEPT. 3: ENJOYING A NIGHT BLOOMING GARDEN BY JUDY ULKE, 9:30 am at the Municipal Utility Building, 805 Hidden Canyon Drive, Katy. Free. Nottingham Country Garden Club Program. Details: nottinghamgardenclub.org or 832-390-7321
WED., SEPT. 9: ORGANIC VEGETABLE GARDENING. 10am-noon. Houston Museum of Natural Science, Moran Hall, 5555 Hermann Park Dr . $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org.
FRI., SEPT. 11: GREATER HOUSTON PLANT CONFERENCE, 8am-3:30pm, Extension Office, 3033 Bear Creek Rd. $60 (until 9/9). Texas A&M AgriLife Extension industry event. Registration/details: www.eventbrite.com/e/greater-houston-plant-conference-2015-tickets-17232611204)FRI., SEPT. 11: WALL GARDENS IN MANY WAYS WITH SUCCULENTS AND SEDUM BY BOBBIE MASON, 10am, White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive. Free. Houston Federation of Garden Clubs. Details:
SAT., SEPT. 12: BASIC ORGANIC VEGETABLE GARDENING, 9-11am. Houston Museum of Natural Science, Moran Hall, 5555 Hermann Park Dr . $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org.
TUES., SEPT 15; INDOOR GARDENING-PEST PROBLEMS & ANIMAL SAFETY BY HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS. 6:30-8:30pm, Spring Branch Memorial Library, 930 Corbindale. Free. Details: hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/docs/2015-green-thumb.pdf;
281-855-5600
TUES., SEPT. 15: GARDENING BY THE SQUARE FOOT BY JOHN JONS, 6:30-8:30pm, Galveston County AgriLife Extension, 4102 Main, La Marque. Free. Master Gardener event. Details: 281-534-3143; www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston.
WED., SEPT. 16: KITCHEN VEGETABLE GARDENING BY MARY DEMENY, 10am, Clear Lake Park Meeting Room, 5001 NASA Parkway, Seabrook. Free. Harris County Master Gardeners at Precinct 2 event. Details: hcmga.tamu.edu
SAT., SEPT. 19: "MAKING GARDEN MEMORIES" GARDEN TOUR, 10am-4pm, League City, TX. $10 advance ticket, $15 door. League City Garden Club event. Details: www.leaguecitygardenclub.org, or leaguecitygardenclub@gmail.com
SAT., SEPT. 19: SQUARE FOOT GARDENING. 9-11am. University of St. Thomas, Malloy Hall, Room 14, 3918 Yoakum Blvd. $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
SAT., SEPT 19: BULBS & BUDDIES, 10am, The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Free.Details: www.arborgate.com or 281-351-8851
SAT., SEPT. 19: WILDSCAPES WORKSHOP & NATIVE PLANT SALE, 8:30am-3:30pm, Houston Zoo Brown Education Center, Hermann Park. $40 ($50 after Sept. 12). Native Plant Society of Texas Houston Chapter, Texas Parks & Wildlife and Houston Zoo event. Details: http://npsot.org/wp/houston/ or 832-859-9252.
SAT, SEPT 19; INDOOR GARDENING-PEST PROBLEMS & ANIMAL SAFETY BY HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS. 10 am-Noon. Maude Smith Marks Library, 1815 Westgreen Blvd., Katy. Free. Details:
SAT., SEPT. 19: MCMGA FALL PLANT SALE, 9am-1pm, PROGRAM, 8am, Montgomery Co. Extension Office, 9020 Airport Road, Conroe. Details: 936-539-7824 or www.mcmga.com
MON., SEPT. 21: OPEN GARDEN DAY, 8:30-11am, Genoa Friendship Garden, 1202 Genoa Red Bluff Rd. Free. Harris County Master Gardeners at Precinct 2 event. Details: hcmga.tamu.edu
TUES., SEPT 22: HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS OPEN GARDEN DAY AND SEMINAR: INDOOR GARDENING, 9-11:30 am, 3033 Bear Creek Drive. Free. Details: https://hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/docs/2015-open-garden-days.pdf; 281-855-5600
WED., SEPT 23: TREES FOR ANY LANDSCAPE, noon-1pm, The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Free. Details: www.arborgate.com or 281-351-8851
THUR., SEPT 24: BASIC ORGANIC GARDEN - IT'S ALL ABOUT THE SOIL, 10am, The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Free. Details: www.arborgate.com or 281-351-8851
SAT., SEPT. 26: AUTUMN PLANT SALE & MARKET, 10am-4pm, Mercer Botanic Garden , 22306 Aldine-Westfield, Humble. Free. The Mercer Society and Mercer Botanic Garden event. Details. 713-274-4160;
www.hcp4.net/community/parks/mercer
SAT., SEPT. 26: GARDEN TO TABLE. 9-11am. University of St. Thomas, Malloy Hall, Room 14, 3918 Yoakum Blvd. $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
SAT., SEPT 26: FALL INTO SPRING - CONNECT THE SEASONS WITH COLOR, 10:00 am, The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Free. Details: www.arborgate.com or 281-351-8851
SUN., SEPT. 27: SUSTAINABLE LIVING THROUGH PERMACULTURE - CLASS 1. 2-6pm, I-610/Stella Link area residence. $40. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
SUN., SEPT 27: GRAFTING 101, 11:00 am, The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Free. Details: www.arborgate.com or 281-351-8851
THUR., OCT 1: ATTRACTING BLUEBIRDS TO THE GARDEN, 10:00 am, The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Free. Details: www.arborgate.comTHURS., OCT. 1: ANTIQUE ROSE EMPORIUM & VERSATILITY OF ANTIQUE ROSES IN GARDEN SETTINGS BY MICHAEL SHOUP, 9:30am, Municipal Utility Building, 805 Hidden Canyon Drive, Katy. Free. Nottingham Country Garden Club event. Details: nottinghamgardenclub.org or 281-351-8851
SAT., OCT. 3: ART OF FALL LANDSCAPE DECORATING, 10:15am, AND FAMILY DAY! FALL FESTIVAL, 9am-6pm, Cornelius Nursery, 2233 S. Voss Road; free. Details: www.corneliusnurseries.com/events
SAT., OCT. 3: CONTAINER VEGETABLE GARDENING. 9-11am. University of St. Thomas, Malloy Hall, Room 14, 3918 Yoakum Blvd. $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
SAT., OCT 3: CITRUS FOR THE GULF COAST, 10:00 am, and ORNAMEDIBLES - THE EDIBLE LANDSCAPE, 1:00 pm, The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Free. Details: www.arborgate.com or 281-351-8851
SUN., OCT. 4: SUSTAINABLE LIVING THROUGH PERMACULTURE - CLASS 2. 12:30-5:30pm. University of Houston Central Campus. $50. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
THURS, OCT 8: PROPAGATION & SEED SAVING BY HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS. 6:30-8:30pm. Barbara Bush Library, 6817 Cypresswood Dr., Spring. Free. Details: https://hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/docs/2015-green-thumb.pdf; 281-855-5600 FRI., OCT. 9: 12th ANNUAL WATER QUALITY SYMPOSIUM FEATURING CHAD PREGRACKE, 7:30am-3pm, United Way Community Resource Center, 50 Waugh. Bayou Preservation Association event. Details: www.bayoupreservation.org
FRI., OCT. 9: WATER FOR TEXAS, WATER FOR THE FUTURE BY KATHLEEN JACKSON, 10:15am, White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive. Free. Houston Federation of Garden Clubs. Details: www.houstonfederationgardenclubs.org
SAT., OCT. 10: CONSTRUCTING THE HOME VEGETABLE AND FRUIT GARDEN. 9-11am. Westbury Community Garden, 12581 Dunlap. $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
SAT., OCT. 10: PECKERWOOD GARDEN OPEN DAY. 10am-3pm. Peckerwood Garden, 20559 FM 359 Road, Hempstead. $10. Garden Conservancy event. Details: www.peckerwoodgarden.org, 979-826-3232; info@peckerwoodgarden.org
SAT., OCT 10: HERBS - THE BASICS & MORE, 10:00 am, The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Free. Details: www.arborgate.com or 281-351-8851
SUN., OCT. 11: DESIGNING BOUNTIFUL GARDENS THROUGH PERMACULTURE. 6-classes. University of Houston Central Campus. $404. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
WED., OCT 14: HERBAL BEVERAGES, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Free. Details: www.arborgate.com or 281-351-8851
THURS., OCT. 15: PECKERWOOD GARDEN TAKING ROOT LUNCHEON WITH MICHAEL VAN VALKENBURGH, 11:30am-1pm, Bayou Club, Houston. $150. Peckerwood Garden Conservation Foundation event. Details/reservations:
THUR.-SUN., OCT. 15-18: MASTER COMPOSTER PROGRAM, Green Building Resource Center, 1002 Washington Ave. Details: Steve Stelzer, 832-394-9050, steve.stelzer@houstontx.gov
SAT., OCT. 17: THE EDIBLE LANDSCAPE. 9-11am. University of St. Thomas, Malloy Hall, Room 14, 3918 Yoakum Blvd. $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.orgSAT, OCT 17; PROPAGATION & SEED SAVING BY HARRIS COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS. 10am-Noon. Maude Smith Marks Library, 1815 Westgreen Blvd., Katy. Free. Details: https://hcmga.tamu.edu/Public/docs/2015-green-thumb.pdf; 281-855-5600
SAT., OCT 17: GARDENING IN THE HELL STRIP, 10am, and TOUGH AS NAILS, PRETTY AS A PICTURE, 2pm,The Arbor Gate, 15635 FM 2920, Tomball. Free. Details: www.arborgate.com or 281-351-8851
WED., OCT. 21: BACKYARD COMPOSTING AND VERMICULTURE. 10am-noon. Houston Museum of Natural Science, Moran Hall, 5555 Hermann Park Dr. $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
SAT., OCT. 24: BACKYARD COMPOSTING AND VERMICULTURE. 10am-noon. Houston Museum of Natural Science, Moran Hall, 5555 Hermann Park Dr. $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
SAT., OCT. 31: HIGH DENSITY ORCHARD. 9-11am. University of St. Thomas, Malloy Hall, Room 14, 3918 Yoakum Blvd. $45. Urban Harvest event. Details: 713-880-5540 or www.urbanharvest.org
FRI., NOV. 13: MOTHS OF TRINITY RIVER REFUGE - THE GOOD, BAD AND UGLY BY STURAT MARCUS, 10:15 am, White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive. Free. Houston Federation of Garden Clubs.
www.houstonfederationgardenclubs.org
FRI., DEC. 11: A WARM WELCOME BY BARBARA BAKER, 10:15 am, White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive. Tickets required. Houston Federation of Garden Clubs. www.houstonfederationgardenclubs.org
FRI., JAN. 8: PERSONALIZING YOUR GARDEN FOCAL POINTS BY DARNELL SCHREIBER, 10:15am, White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive. Free. Houston Federation of Garden Clubs. www.houstonfederationgardenclubs.org
FRI., FEB. 12: THE HOLISTIC GARDEN, BY DR. JOE NOVAK, 10:15am, White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive. Free. Houston Federation of Garden Clubs. www.houstonfederationgardenclubs.org
FRI., MAR. 11:BULLET PROOF VIBURNUMS FOR THE GULF SOUTH BY DR. DAVID CREECH, 10:15am, White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive. Free. Houston Federation of Garden Clubs. www.houstonfederationgardenclubs.org
FRI., APR. 9: XPLORING CREATIVITY BY LILLIAN RICO, 10:15am, White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive. Free. Houston Federation of Garden Clubs. www.houstonfederationgardenclubs.org
FRI., MAY 13: NIGHT SOUNDS - A TWILIGHT WALK THROUGH THE GARDEN BY DEBBIE BANFIELD, 10:15am, White Oak Conference Center, 7603 Antoine Drive. Free. Houston Federation of Garden Clubs. www.houstonfederationgardenclubs.org
If we inspire you to attend any of these events,
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THE LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS NEWSLETTER!
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ABOUT US
BRENDA BEUST SMITH
WE KNOW HER BEST AS THE LAZY GARDENER . . .
. . . but Brenda Beust Smith is also:
* a national award-winning writer & editor
* a nationally-published writer & photographer
* a national horticultural speaker
* a former Houston Chronicle reporter
When the Chronicle discontinued Brenda's 45-year-old Lazy Gardener" print column a couple of years ago, it ranked as the longest-running, continuously-published local newspaper column in the Greater Houston area.
Brenda's gradual sideways step from Chronicle reporter into gardening writing led first to an 18-year series of when-to-do-what Lazy Gardener Calendars, then to her Lazy Gardener's Guide book and now to her Lazy Gardener's Guide on CD (which retails for $20. However, $5 of every sale is returned to the sponsoring group at her speaking engagements).
A Harris County Master Gardener, Brenda has served on the boards of many Greater Houston area horticulture organizations and has hosted local radio and TV shows, most notably a 10+-year Lazy Gardener run on HoustonPBS (Ch. 8) and her call-in "EcoGardening" show on KPFT-FM.
Brenda recently ended her decades-long stint as Production Manager of the Garden Club of America's BULLETIN magazine. Although still an active horticulture lecturer and broad-based freelance writer, Brenda's main focus now is THE LAZY GARDENER & FRIENDS HOUSTON GARDEN NEWSLETTER with John Ferguson and Mark Bowen of Nature's Way Resources.
A native of New Orleans and graduate of St. Agnes Academy and the University of Houston, Brenda lives in Aldine and is married to the now retired Aldine High School Coach Bill Smith. They have one son, Blake.
Regarding this newsletter, Brenda is the lead writer, originator of it and the daily inspiration for it. We so appreciate the way she has made gardening such a fun way to celebrate life together for such a long time.
JOHN FERGUSON
John is a native Houstonian and has over 27 years of business experience. He owns Nature's Way Resources, a composting company that specializes in high quality compost, mulch, and soil mixes. He holds a MS degree in Physics and Geology and is a licensed Soil Scientist in Texas.
John has won many awards in horticulture and environmental issues. He represents the composting industry on the Houston-Galveston Area Council for solid waste. His personal garden has been featured in several horticultural books and "Better Homes and Gardens" magazine. His business has been recognized in the Wall Street Journal for the quality and value of their products. He is a member of the Physics Honor Society and many other professional societies. John is is the co-author of the book Organic Management for the Professional.
For this newsletter, John contributes articles regularly and is responsible for publishing it.
PABLO HERNANDEZ
Pablo Hernandez is the special projects coordinator for Nature's Way Resources. His realm of responsibilities include: serving as a webmaster, IT support, technical problem solving/troubleshooting, metrics management, quality control, and he is a certified compost facility operator.
Pablo helps this newsletter happen from a technical support standpoint.
MARK BOWEN
Mark is a native Houstonian, a horticulturist, certified permaculturist and organic specialist with a background in garden design, land restoration and organic project management. He is currently the general manager of Nature's Way Resources. Mark is also the co-author of the book Habitat Gardening for Houston and Southeast Texas, the author of the book Naturalistic Landscaping for the Gulf Coast, co-author of theBayou Planting Guide and contributing landscape designer for the book Landscaping Homes: Texas.
With respect to this newsletter, Mark serves as a co-editor and periodic article contributor.
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