Leaflet – February 7, 2018

  

Rodeo Begins TOMORROW!    See you at the Little Buckaroos on the Farm Rodeo Tent!   Our website Rodeo Volunteering Page has all the up-to-date shift openings.  We still have open shifts and do expect some shifts to “re-open.”  Please visit the website page and find a shift or two that fits your calendar, or check below!

  • Show your plant knowledge and sales skills in the MG Plant Booth. We still have TWELVE SHIFTS to fill!  Contact [email protected]  
  • TWO SHIFTS are still open for School Tours. Email Ruby Zavala:  [email protected]  
  • We need to fill THIRTEEN SHIFTS (esp. 13 & 16 Feb) for Docent/Greeter (easy, sit-down task for those who have  physical limitations).  Contact [email protected].
  • ONE SHIFT for a Van Driver to shuttle volunteers to and from Peterson Bros. Nursery and the rodeo grounds every day. Contact Jack Downey at [email protected]  or [email protected].

Rodeo is our largest Pant Sale and Educational Outreach Presence reaching over 150,000 guests.  Come be part of this effort!  LET’S Rodeo San Antonio!

Rodeo PARKING At Peterson Bros. Nursery

  • During Rodeo, Master Gardener volunteers should park at Peterson Bros. Nursery on 1630 Creekview Dr, 78219. Park at the far end of the Peterson parking lot to leave room for customers and their trucks to navigate the large gates easily.
  • NOTE:  Shuttle Van does not begin running at 7:30 am daily!  First Run Begins:
    • 10:30am on Tomorrow, Thu, Feb 8 ONLY
    • 8:30am on Fri, Sat, Sun, Feb 9, 10, 11
    • 8am on Mon thru Fri, Feb 12 thru 16
    • 8:30am on Sat, Feb 17 thru the end of Rodeo on Sun, Feb 25
  • Be Careful Driving on Creekview Drive as the Rodeo is using the new private parking lot at the end of Creekview Drive for parking horse and cattle trailers (as they did last year). Sometimes there are speeding pick-ups on Creekview going to and from that parking lot.
  • Volunteers should plan on arriving a bit early due to delays caused by traffic congestion, especially on weekends.

For All Rodeo Plant Booth Volunteers!  
Please take some time to read about all the Rodeo Plants that you will be selling this year at the MG Booth.  Here are links  to “What You Need to Know” and a brochure on the 2018 Rodeo Tomato. You can download these .pdfs and use them needed.  You will be helping to brand the Texas Superstar Plan program and supporting the BCMG Scholarship Fund!

If you are volunteering for the Plant Booth, or any other Rodeo work, PLEASE save and bring HEB or other BAGS for use at the Rodeo Plant Booth! Much Appreciated!

February BCMG Meeting & Education Seminar (& Plant Sale)
Thu, Feb 15, 1-3pm, @ 3355 Cherry Ridge, 78230
Come and learn everything you need to know about the 2018 Herb of the Year: HOPS.  Leslie Bingham and Lou Kellog will discuss History and Uses of Hops.  Some rodeo plants will be sold at the meeting. You can pre-purchase 2018 Texas Superstar Blue Angel Altheas and White Angel Altheas (AKA Rose of Sharon) online at the BCMG website. Plants are 1-gallon size and sell for $10 each.  Pre-sale ends at noon on Wed, Feb 14. Pick-up is from Noon – 4 pm, on meeting day.
The Monthly Meeting of the BCMG Board of Directors will begin immediately following the Seminar. If you have an item for the agenda, please email President Grace Emery no later than Fri, Feb 9. All members are welcome to observe the meeting; and order to accommodate seating, email President Grace Emery that you will be attending.


Don’t Miss the Rainwater Harvesting and Turf Management Workshop
Fri, Feb 23, 1-5 pm, 3355 Cherry Ridge St., Suite 208, 78230
Residents in the Upper San Antonio River Watershed area can pick up a soil sample bag and instructions at the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Bexar County before the training to receive one FREE Routine Soil Analysis per Family. Simply bring soil sample in bag provided with completed form to the training. For more information, or how to collect soil samples, contact the office at 210-631-0400.
Free Event, but limited seating, so register online. 4 CEUs; BCMG Code: 001.
Healthy Lawns and Healthy Waters program is educational training offered by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in cooperation with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and other partner agencies and organizations

NOTE:  The BCMG and Bexar County AgriLife offices will be closed on Monday, February 19, in observance of Presidents’ Day.
SIGN-UPs for VOLUNTEER EVENTS are accomplished online using the Event Calendar in the VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (VMS). Find number of volunteers still needed, who has signed up, Project Code and even request an event reminder!Look for RODEO Sign Up Information on the BCMG Website!
Wed, Feb 21, 11am-2pm: SA H&G Show Booth Build; need one more volunteer to assist; note: time may change.Thu, Feb 22, 11am-2pm:SA H&G Show Booth Build; need two more volunteers to assist; note: time may change.Fri, Feb 23, 2-7pm: SA H&G Show; need 1 more volunteer to staff the Master Gardener booth. Sat, Feb 24, 2:30-7pm: SA H&G Show; need one more volunteer to staff the Master Gardener booth. Sun, Feb 25,11am-2:30pm: SA H&G Show; need 2 volunteers to staff the Master Gardener booth. 

Mon, Feb 26, 9-11am:  SA H&G Show Tear Down; need one more volunteer to break down, transport & store display items.

Tue, Feb 27 & Wed, Feb 28: Insect EXPO at McKenna Children’s Museum in New Braunfels. Need 88 volunteers per day for 8:30am-1:30pm.  Training session:  Feb 22 at the Comal County AgriLife Office 9:30-11:30am or 1-3pm.  Sign up only if you can attend the training! Email Molly Keck if you have questions.

Sat, Mar 3, 7:30am-3pm: Cultivate! educational seminar at the University of Incarnate Word. Need seven more volunteers.

Wed, Mar 7, 6-7:30pm: Spurs Challenge––Rudder Middle School; need two volunteers.

Wed, Mar 14, 8am-1pm: Fourth Annual Nutrition Summit at San Antonio Food Bank; need 2 or 3 MGs.  Email Anna Vogler for more information.

NEW!  Mon, Mar 19, 10am-Noon: 4 to 6 volunteers help design & build tabletop, Earthkind topic displays for out “Cultivating Communities” landscape fairs at 3355 Cherry Ridge. Email Anna Vogler for more information.

NEW!  Judges Needed:  From Mar 15-23, Photo Judges are needed to review photos in 15 categories; this can be accomplished at the AgriLife Office or at your home. Judging for the Project Show will take place on Sat, Mar 17, from 4-6pm, at the Helotes Activity Center. Please email Pam Axtell if you can help on one or both activities! Include your name, email address and which contest you would like to help judge.

Wednesdays, Mar 21, 28 & Apr 4, 6-7:30pm: Spurs Challenge––Rudder Middle School; need two volunteers each Wednesday.

Sat, Mar 24, 8am-2pm:  2018 Spring Youth Garden Educator Trg: need 14 more volunteers.

NEW!  Sat, Apr 21, 11:30am-2pm: Six MGs to staff the first 2018 “Cultivating Communities” Landscape Fair at Encino Park Community Center, 1923 Encino Rio, 78259. Email Anna Vogler for more information.

Thursday BCMG Monthly Meetings from Mar, Sep, Oct, Nov:  Set up and administrative logistics for each meeting; still need 1more volunteer for these future meetings.

MASTER GARDENER SPECIALIST COURSES IN 2018 

If you are interested in attending, please email David Rodriguez, Extension Agent-Horticulture, Bexar County. BCMG CEU Code: 001. Note: NO Specialist Courses are scheduled to be held in San Antonio in 2018!

VEGETABLES, Feb 14-16, Dallas – TGMA Website

EARTH-KIND SPECIALIST, Feb 19-20, McKinney Roughs Nature Park, Bastrop – TGMA Website

PROPAGATION, Mar 23-24, Tarrant Co. –TGMA Website

iRRIGATION EFFICIENCY, Mar 26-28, Dallas – TGMA Website

RAINWATER HARVESTING,Apr 30-May 2, Dallas – TGMA Website

GREENHOUSE MANAGEMENT, May 23-25, Kerrville – TGMA Website

TEXAS SUPERSTARS, Sep 18-20, Smith Co. – TGMA Website

Learn more about MG Specialists Trg & our Current BCMG Specialists o our website!

Visit the Annual Membership Dues page on the BCMG website to find the list of BCMGs who have been recertified for 2018 and are eligible to pay Membership Dues.  This year you may choose to pay the annual dues of $25 Online, By Mail, (details for each method on the webpage), or at our next meeting (Feb 15th).  Membership dues must be paid not later than March 1, 2018.  

Note: if you believe your name is inadvertently missing from the list, please notify our Membership Assistant, Lisa Nixon.
SPECIAL CALLOUT for a TX Superstar Plant speaker at Point Bluff Swim Club and a Pest Control in the Garden Speaker at Green Spaces Alliance, both at 11am on Sat, Feb 17. Email Lauren Willis!Check out all the other speaking opportunities by heading over to the BCMG webpage for the Speakers Schedule. Here’s the direct link to the Schedule! If you see RED, that means we need your help.  If you are an active speaker, a MG Specialist, or a MG who might like to become a speaker, email  LAUREN WILLIS  and she will guide you.
You can still register for the Conference!  Now over 750 registrations with TMGA aiming for 1,000!  Statewide Master Gardeners raised $149,000 for garden naming rights for the new Gardens at Texas A&M University. View the promotion video.

Conference Lodging Opportunity from Fellow BCMG! Barbara Linick’s family owns a wedding venue (Peach Creek Ranch) 10 miles south of Texas A&M (20 minute drive from campus).  This 7-bedroom barndominium (multiple beds in most rooms) is available to BCMGs for 3 nights (Tue thru Thu nights, Apr 3, 4 & 5) with check out by 8 am on Fri morning, Apr 6.  Total cost of $200 would be shared by everyone (not per person) cover) cleaning cost. Email Barbara Linick for details!

See All the Details on the MG Calendar! 

– Thu, Feb 8, 6:30-8:30pm:  TX Wine Industry & Grape Growing, 1 CEU, Code 002

– Sat, Feb 10, 10am-12:30pm:  Gardening w/Natives That Attract Butterflies and Birds, 2.5 CEUs, Code 002

– Mon, Feb 12, 7-9pm:  Pruning Roses for Beautiful Blooms 1 CEU, Code 002

– Tue, Feb 13, 6:30-8:30pm:  Nitty Gritty of Gardening–Soils, Fertilizer & Composting, 2 CEUs, Code 002

– Wed, Feb 14, 1-3pm: Worm Composting, 2 CEUs, Code 002

– Thu, Feb 15, 1-3pm:  BCMG Mtg & Seminar featuring Leslie Bingham and Lou Kellog on the History & Uses of the Herb of the Year – Hops, 2 CEUs, Code 003

– Sat, Feb 17, 9am-6pm:  Honey, I’ve Got the Bees Workshop, 2 CEUs, Code 002

– Sun, Feb 18, 9-11am:  Beginner Wildscaping for Your Garden, 5 CEUs, Code 002

– Mon, Feb 19, 9am-3:30pm:  Edible Natives Workshop, 1.5 CEUs, Code 002

– Sat & Sun, Mar 3 & 4:  This event held raises funds for youth gardening and classroom environmental grants, including Bexar County. For more information email Dr Finch. Call 830-393-7357 to register for the Sunday Landscape School (9am-2pm); fee of $25/person, or $40 for two members of same household (5 CEUs).


– Thu, Mar 15, 1-3pm:  BCMG Mtg with Speaker Andrew Labay, SABOT Horticulturalist, discussing Grape Growing and also collaboration at the Culinary Garden, 1.5 CEUs, Code 003

  Birdies for Charity pledge forms were mailed out last month. It will really help support our many programs if you use this form to make your donation or pledge! You might just win a great prize!  100% of all we pledge will come back to BCMG. The more we collect, the more incentive dollars we receive, and the more our programs are helped. All pledges and donations are tax deductible.

Please support your BCMG association! Make your check payable to “Birdies for Charity” and send in your pledge forms. Or, make your donation online. For questions, more information or a pledge form, email Barbara Lutz or call 699-0663. And THANKS to you who have already responded!

Visit TMGA’s new YOU TUBE CHANNEL!  

Amazon celebrated the opening of its Spheres building last week, a greenhouse-office space hybrid that was five years in the making. This video is an extended tour of the Amazon Spheres with horticulturist Ron Gagliardo, who explained how the unique office space came together in downtown Seattle.

Dinner Tonight: Here’s a healthier quesadillas recipe:   Black Bean & Spinach Quesadillas.

Check out all the Watersaver Coupons and Rebates at SAWS Garden Style SA website.

2018 Spring Children’s Vegetable Garden Program:  The San Antonio Botanical Garden is now accepting registrations for children ages 8-13 to get hands-on horticulture experience.  Classes will be held Saturday mornings, February 17 through June 2nd from 8:00 am – 12:00 pm  Click on the link below for additional information. Go to the Spring 2018 Children’s Vegetable Garden Program and use “Click here to register”.