ANNOUNCEMENTS
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 TOMORROW, 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.
BCMGs, Here’s a REMINDER for Recording Both CEUs and Volunteer Hours: If you earn both CEUs and Volunteer Hours at the same event, you MUST record separate entries with the related CEU and Volunteer Codes! Please be sure to include the Event Description in its box to help us verify the Project Code you enter. And, Many Thanks for recording your hours on a timely basis!
Staff Support for CEA-Hort Office: Still seeking one special MG to volunteer two to three times a month at the Bexar County Extension office (3355 Cherry Ridge Ste. 212). Duties include, but not limited to: tally sign in sheets, obtain precinct information, data entry, extract/maintain MG spreadsheet programs sessions. Please email Denise Perez, or call 210-631-0400, if interested. VMS Code 1100.
Another Great Volunteer Opportunity: Project to extract seeds from a bucket of Oscar Okra pods can be accomplished at the AgriLife office or at home. The only catch is that it needs to be completed by the beginning of next week (March 18). Email Denise Perez or call: (210) 631-0400, if you want to help out!
YOU CAN STILL 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.
NEXT 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.
COMING UP in TEN DAYS!
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 (listed on the registration page) fill up!
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!
THIS WEEK! 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.
Seminar Assistants: Two volunteers are needed for each session to manage sign-in sheets, distribute handouts, etc. VMS Code: 1100.
Sat, Mar 16, from 10:15am to Noon at Milberger’s, 3920 N Loop 1604 E, 78247
Sat, Mar 23, from 10:45am to 12:30pm at Rainbow Gardens, 8516 Bandera Rd
Sat, Mar 23, from 1:45 to 3:30pm at Rainbow Gardens, 2585 Thousand Oaks
Sat, Mar 30, from 10:45am to Noon at The Garden Center, 10682 Bandera Rd
Please email Denise Perez, or call 210-631-0400, if you have questions.
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: 22nd (Fri), 23rd (Sat), 28th (Thu), 30th (Sat)
PLUS, This Week (Spring Break): Two shifts each day from 10am-1pm and 1-3pm: Wed – Mar 13, Thu – Mar 14, 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 is 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.
Come and Provide Brown Bag Lunch & Learn (VMS Code 100) Support: Cme and help set up, hand out information, and clean up; arrive 30 minutes prior to each 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:
Your Family’s Spring Vegetable Garden: Sat, Mar 16 from 10:30am- Noon at Milberger’s, 3920 N Loop 1604 E, 78247. Learn how to select 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
Lawn Management Guidelines 101: Tue, Mar 19 from 10:30am- Noon at Northeast Community Learning Center, 8750 Tesoro Dr, with David Rodriguez. Fee: $35. 2 CEUs; Code 001.
Launch & Learn – 30 Bugs Every Gardener Should Know: Wed, Mar 20, Noon-2pm with Molly Keck at SABOT; Fee: $10 w/lunch; $5 program only. 2 CEUs; Code 001.
Earth-Kind Home Gardening Series – Warm Weather Vegetable Gardening: Wed, Mar 20 from 6:30-8:30pm. 2 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.
Spring Gardening To Do LIst: David Rodriguez will speak at the San Antonio Garden Center meeting from 10 to 11am at 3310 N. New Braunfels, 78209. Coffee at 9:30am. 1 CEU: Code 001.
Learn from Master Gardeners at these 2019 Speakers Bureau Presentations:
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
MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THESE GREAT EARTH-KIND CLASSES!
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.
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 15 & 16 – Annual San Antonio Garden Center Plant Sale
- Mar 15 – Native Plant Walking Workshop
- Mar 16 – Explore Texas Wildflowers!
- Mar 16 – Succulent Arrangement
- Mar 16 – Fun With Herbs
- Mar 16 & 17 – Dog Days: Rovers and Clovers-SABOT
- Mar 18 – Ethnobotany of the Plants on the South Texas Trail
- Mar 19 – Folkfest Plant Preview: Fabulous Faves Fly Under the Radar
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.
Join the AgriLife Staff on April 16, 2019 from 8am to Noon for the 2019 South Texas Agriculture Symposium at 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208. Please find details and RSVP information on this 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.
Purple Martins: Their Role and Requirements in San Antonio Ecosystems will be presented by John Henry, retired educator and purple martin house manager at San Antonio Botanical Gardens (SABOT) for 15 years. Learn about habits, habitat requirements, role in our ecosystems, and how to attract them to your yard. Class will include a tour of SABOT birdhouses. Sponsored by San Antonio Water System and held at SABOT on Sat, Apr 6, 10 am to 11:30 am; Fee: ($9-$12), or free with membership or general admission. Registration required.
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!
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!
