ANNOUNCEMENTS
Calling All Rodeo Plant Sale Shift Coordinators & Shift Volunteers!
Join us for an “After-Event” meeting on Friday, March 8, 9:30-11am In the large meeting room. Bring your observations and feedback from the 2019 Rodeo Plant Sale, to include training, scheduling, plant sale signage, shift duties, communication, and anything else that will enhance our 2020 Rodeo Plant Sale. Please plan to attend and contribute to our Lessons Learned (what worked well and what we can do better). VMS Code 400. For more information, email Lynn Cox.
SABOT New Culinary Docent & Refresher Training Coming Up!!
A new Culinary Garden Docent Class, is set for Saturday, March 9, 2019, from 10am to 1pm for all interested BCMG members, and also as a Spring refresher for current Culinary Docents. Training will take place in the Education Center Classroom at SABOT near the Culinary Garden just passed the Kiosk on the right. New docents should email, Nadezhda Garza, SABOT Volunteer Coordinator, or call 210-536-1415. If you have questions about the training or about this program in general, email President Grace Emery.
NEXT BCMG Board Meeting will take place 3-5 pm on Thu, Mar 21 at 3355 Cherry Ridge 78230. If you are interested in placing items on the agenda, email President Grace Emery by Thu, Mar 14. And, all members are welcome to observe the meetings; however, in order to accommodate seating, please email President Grace Emery that you will be attending.
AgriLife’s Spring Break Nature Camp is in need of Toilet Paper Rolls for a youth activity. If you have empty, clean toilet paper rolls, please drop off your collection either in the Master Gardener office or AgriLife office (Suite 208 or 212) at 3355 Cherry Ridge by March 11th.
Let’s Have Tons of Little Bee Houses All Over San Antonio
Molly Keck is looking for large, clean, empty cans with tops removed (larger than typical veggie can sizes; metal, plastic or cardboard) for building native pollinator homes for an educational program. Please drop off at the Bexar County Extension Office, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 212 (or in Suite 208 if you are there attending a meeting anyway!). Collecting NOW through end of March!
ALMOST HERE !!
Looking for CEUs and a morning of learning as well? Register for our workshops at CULTIVATE! and you can earn 1 CEU for each workshop you attend, for a total of 3 in one morning! If you are a SAWS Customer and a member of the SAWS WaterSaver Rewards Program, you also have the potential to earn all 7 points (if you register for the workshops that are worth 2 points) and $150 in coupons towards the purchase of mulch, plants, gardening tools and more from participating businesses. If you haven’t signed up for this program yet, SIGN UP ONLINE so you can receive credit for the CULTIVATE! workshops.
Registration for CULTIVATE! is on our BCMG website. Take advantage of this great opportunity and register soon before the workshops fill up!
MAKE YOUR BIRDIES DONATION
Using the pledge form which you received at the Rodeo meeting or received by mail, or by donating online using our custom link. Deadline for the donations is Thursday, March 28. Funds raised help support our programs and activities with 100% of the donations made to BCMG through this program benefitting us, AND Valero matches 7%. So we get 107% of donations made! If you have any questions or need pledge forms, please email Barbara Lutz or call 210-699-0663.
Mark your Calendar for Thursday, March 21st from 6-8pm
Harvest Vegetable Creations
Chef Dave Terrazas, from the San Antonio Botanical Garden’s new solar-powered culinary garden, will demonstrate new and interesting ways to prepare our Harvested Vegetables. He is known for his creative combinations of “produce forward,” tapas-style creations. A tasting of the dishes will follow his demonstration!
Bexar County Master Gardener (BCMG) Educational Seminars/General Meetings are held in the evenings of the third Thursday every other month at 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, 78230. For more information contact the BCMG President. 1 CEU. BCMG Code: 002.
SIGN-UP for VOLUNTEER EVENTS 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! REMEMBER: If you volunteer for any event and have a last minute change of plans, please contact the coordinator listed on VMS to let them know!
San Antonio Garden Center Plant Sale: Need your help to unload & arrange plants at the SA Garden Center (3310 N. New Braunfels, 78209) from 9am-1pm on Thu, Mar 14. And, need volunteers for morning and afternoon shifts on Fri and Sat, Mar 15 & 16, to help customers with plant selections ,manage sales and answer gardening questions. Email Barbara Lutz if you have any questions. VMS Code 700.
MGs Who Completed SABOT Culinary Docent Training!
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED: 10am – 1pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. VMS has all dates/times for sign-ups! VMS Code 100.
Still Open in March: 8th (Fri), 9th (Sat), 21st (Thu), 22nd (Fri), 23rd (Sat), 28th (Thu), 30th (Sat)
PLUS, Spring Break Week, now has two shifts each day from 10am-1pm and 1-3pm: Tue – Mar 12, Wed – Mar 13, Thu – Mar14, Fri – Mar 15, Sat – Mar 16, Sun – Mar 17
Coming Up for Youth Gardens Program (Sign Up on VMS)
Need 2 volunteers each day to help cut out butterflies, put youth activities together and other tasks in support of Youth Garden Activities at 3355 Cherry Ridge Dr. on Thursdays March 7, 14 and 21 from 9am-Noon. Project Code: 1200.
Volunteer Sign-up for Monarch Festival on VMS now. Need your help at the Zoo, on Sat, Mar 23 from 9am-5pm & Sun, Mar 24, 9am to 3pm. If you have questions, please email or call President Grace Emery at 210-875-6919.
- Sat, Mar 16: City of Converse Goes Green Day
- Sat, Apr 13: Earth Day
Come and Provide BCMG Monthly Meeting (VMS Code 700) & Brown Bag lunch & Learn (VMS Code 100) Support: Arrive one hour before Meeting start time to help set up the general monthly meeting room, sign-in sheets and distribute raffle tickets and meeting information. Assist with the plant sales and plant information. After the meeting help in cleaning up the meeting room and place the items back in the master garden office for the monthly meeting. Need volunteers for June thru November meetings!
For Brown Bag, come and help set up, hand out info, and clean up; arrive 30 minutes prior to session. Need help July & November. Contact President Grace Emery if you have any questions.
See all the Details for Classes in the Bexar County area on the MG Calendar! Classes listed below may be of special interest to you:
THIS MORNING! The San Antonio Garden Center invites you for coffee at 9:30am and speaker at 10am on Wed, Mar 6. BCMG Monika Maeckle, Texas Butterfly Ranch Blogger, will present a program on The Monarch’s Return from Mexico. 1 CEU; Code 001Next Seminar in 2019 Earth-Kind Home Gardening Series! Register Now Online Weds, Mar 6 at 6:30pm in the Master Gardener’s classroom at 3355 Cherry Ridge, join David Rodriguez for Fruits & Nuts. Great training for new homeowners and residents of Bexar County; cost is $75/series or $15/session. 2 CEUs; Code 001.
THIS EVENING: Next Seminar in 2019 Earth-Kind Home Gardening Series! Register Now Online Weds, Mar 6 at 6:30pm in the Master Gardener’s classroom at 3355 Cherry Ridge, join David Rodriguez for Fruits & Nuts. Great training for new homeowners and residents of Bexar County; cost is $75/series or $15/session. 2 CEUs; Code 001.
BROWN BAG – LUNCH & LEARN FOR MARCH: Growing a Spring Vegetable Garden, presented by MG Karen Gardner. Join the lunch group on Fri, Mar 8, at Noon in the County Extension Office, Suite 208. 1 CEU, Code 001.
Spring Bloom 2019:Saturday, March 9, 9am to 1pm, SAWS Headquarters (2800 US HWY 281 at Mulberry) with three presentations. Opportunity to earn up to three (not five as noted last week) WaterSaver Rewards points and a $50 coupon to use toward water-conserving mulch for your landscape, plus first 1,000 visitors get a free plant.
- 9:30am – Good Bug, Bad Bug: 10 Bugs Everyone Should Know by Molly Keck (1 CEU; Code 001)
- 10:30am – Texas – It’s a Whole ‘Nother Country: A Newcomer’s Guide to Gardening in South Texas by Anna Vogler (1 CEU; Code 001)
- 11:35 am – What Everyone New to San Antonio and Gardening Should Know – The Organic Perspective by Bob Webster
Free Spring Vegetable Seminar (and 20% OFF Everything Sale): Sat, Mar 9 from 10:30am- Noon at Fanick’s Garden Center, 1025 Holmgreen Rd, 78220. Learn how to plant, grow and harvest your vegetables properly with David Rodriguez. 1.5 CEUs; Code 001.
Your Family’s Spring Vegetable Garden: Sat, Mar 16 from 10:30am- Noon at Milberger’s, 3920 N Loop 1604 E, 78247. Learn how toselect the plants for your garden, how to plant and care for them, and what to do when you spot problems with David Rodriguez. Free seminar. 1.5 CEUs; Code 001.
Overcoming Gardening Challenges: 11am, Sat, Mar 23 at Rainbow Gardens Thousand Oaks, hear David Rodriguez’s tips on turf, veggies and pests. 1.5 CEUs; Code 001.
Overcoming Gardening Challenges: 3:30pm, Sat, Mar 23 at Rainbow Gardens Thousand Oaks, hear David Rodriguez’s tips on turf, veggies and pests. 1.5 CEUs; Code 001.
Learn from Master Gardeners at these 2019 Speakers Bureau Presentations:
- Sat, Mar 9 from 9 am – Noon: South Texas Gardening Expo at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 13153 Iron Horse Way, Helotes 78023. Lou Kellogg will discuss Rainwater Harvesting; Owen Keiser will give a Drip Irrigation presentation: and Don Crites will talk about Container Gardening. The event is open to the public. 1 CEU per session, Code: 001
- Spring & Summer Vegetables with Karen Gardner, at Rainbow Gardens Bandera on Sat, Mar 16 at 10am. 1 CEU, Code: 001
- Xeriscaping with Oliver Smith, hosted by San Antonio OASIS, at 2201 St. Cloud, 78228 on Tue, Apr 16, from 10:30am – Noon. 1.5 CEUs, Code: 001
BE SURE TO MARK YOUR 2019 CALENDAR FOR THESE GREAT CLASSES!
AND OUR NEW LUNCH TIME TREATS!
And remember, you can find all the TEXAS MASTER GARDENER ADVANCED (formerly Specialist) COURSES offered at the TMGA website. If you are interested in attending any courses, please email David Rodriguez, Extension Agent-Horticulture, Bexar County. BCMG CEU Code: 001.
Tree Care – Mar. 13-15, 2019, hosted by Dallas County, Dallas
FIRST EVER Budding & Grafting – Apr 2-3, hosted by Waller County, Brookshire (Fee reduced to $200 until March 15)
Plant Propagation – Apr 12-13, Hosted by Tarrant County, Fort Worth
First Detector #1 – May 2-3, hosted by Ellis County, Waxahachie
First Detector #1 – May 20-21, hosted by Williamson County, Georgetown
Earth-Kind® – May 16-18, 2019, hosted by Henderson County, Athens
Turfgrass – May 23-24, 2019, hosted by Montgomery County, Conroe
Tree Care – Jun. 12-14, 2019, hosted by Kerr County, Kerrville
Vegetables – Aug. 13-15, 2019, hosted by Bexar County, San Antonio
2019 State & International Conferences
Registration for the 2019 TGMA Conference is underway for the April 25-27, 2019 event being hosted by Victoria County Master Gardener Association. Great speakers, plenty of good food, wonderful tours and garden-crafty workshops are planned for you! Registration thru Apr 1 = $200. Leadership training (Topics = Mentoring, Fundraising and Technology) will be held on April 24th. Visit the Conference website for tons of information!
The 17th biennial conference for the international master gardener community, Penn’s Woods: Digging into Our Roots, will be held June 17-21, 2019 at the Valley Forge Casino Resort, Valley Forge, PA. Online registration is now open, and you can subscribe to the IMGC newsletter for conference updates.
Great Gardening Events on the BCMG March Calendar. Bookmark the Calendar and visit it frequently! Here is a sampling of what is coming up:
- Mar 6 – The Monarch’s Return from Mexico
- Mar 6 – Growing Miniatures in a Warm Climate
- Mar 6 – Hill Country Native Plant Working Workshop
- Mar 7 – Hydroponic Gardening
- Mar 7 – Mint in Traditional Chinese Medicine
- Mar 9 – Spring Open House — Mitchell Lake Audubon Center
- Mar 9 – Pruning Seminar
- Mar 11 thru 16 – Spring Break Plant Sale at SABOT
- Mar 11 – Pests and Diseases on Roses
- Mar 12 – Restoring Our Woodland
- Mar 13 – Hill Country Native Plant Working Workshop (FREE)
JUST ANNOUNCED:Bexar County – Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service is holding a Food Handlers Permit Training class on Mon, Mar 18 from 5:30-7:30pm. Details on Flyer.
GVST Watersaver Landscape Design School – Course and Consultation will be held on Sat, Apr 6, 9am-1pm at the The Wells Center, 303 Pearl Parkway, Suite 114, 78215 Fee: $30 per person or $50 household; more information online.
SHARE WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS!
SAVE THE DATE: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will host a Texas Community Futures Forum on Friday, April 5 to assess the community’s needs. Four program areas will be addressed: Agriculture & Natural Resources, Families & Health, Youth Development and Community Development.
Applications are now being accepted for the BCMG 2019-2020 Scholarship in Horticultural Studies. This scholarship provides financial support to an undergraduate or graduate student at a Texas college or university who is pursuing a degree in Horticultural Sciences, Landscape Design, Turfgrass Management, or any affiliated “Green Industry” area. All the details and the scholarship application are available on the BCMG website. Applications must be submitted by April 30, 2019.
SAWS Residential Customers can apply for up to four $100 WaterSaver coupons in order to replace part of your thirsty lawn with lush, drought-tolerant garden beds and/or permeable patios. Up to $400 in savings!
