ANNOUNCEMENTS
Planting Trial #3
Help is greatly needed TOMORROW, Thursday, April 11 from 8am to Noon at the San Antonio Food Bank, 5200 Enrique M. Barrera Pkwy (formally known as 5200 West Old Us Highway 90) 78227. We will be planting watermelon & cantaloupe transplants with a specialized planter and tractor, but will need a few helpers to plant on the machine, walk the beds with stakes, push in plants, etc. backside of the Food Bank, across the street at the Farm, located between Bay Valley Foods and the Animal Care Shelter. Wear appropriate work shoes, bring gloves and any extra helpers, too. If you can help, email David Rodriguez. Please use this map.
2nd Annual San Antonio Chicken Walk Coop Tour will be held THIS Saturday, April 13th; get all the details HERE and your tickets for this self-guided tour online!
Chef Dave’s Recipes! Here are three of the recipes from the demo which Chef Dave Terrazas provided at our March Meeting featuring Harvest Vegetable Creations. Enjoy!
Calling All Seniors (only): Register for the TASTE OF FIESTA by Sat, Apr 12! This event will take place Tue, Apr 16 from 2-4pm at the Gonzaba Event Center, 933 Pleasanton Rd, 78214. Email Frances Moreno-Elizondo or Angie Gutierrez to register. Details on this FLYER!
This Week (April 7-13) is the 43rd Anniversary of National Volunteer Week. The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Master Gardener Program extends a THANK YOU to all MGs. You can view some Interesting state-wide data on volunteer impact HERE.
For YOUR April Calendar!
- The next BCMG Board Meeting will take place NEXT Thursday, Apr 18, 3 – 5pm at 3355 Cherry Ridge, 78230. If you are interested in placing items on the agenda, email President Grace Emery by Thu, Apr 11. And, all members are welcome to observe the meetings; however, in order to accommodate seating, please email Grace Emery that you will be attending.
- The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and BCMG offices will be closed on Fri, Apr 19 for Good Friday, and Fri, Apr 26, for Battle of the Flowers parade.
Our April BCMG Meeting––NEXT Thursday, April 18th from 1-3pm
John Strickland will talk with us about the Greenhouse at the San Antonio Zoo and how he plans for yearlong plantings.
John is the Manager of Horticulture at the San Antonio Zoo. He started his career at the zoo in 1999 and has experience as a Gardener, Greenhouse Technician, Senior Horticulturist, and finally Manager. John worked at several nurseries in his hometown of Abilene, and also ran my own landscape company. He grew up on a 150-acre farm in north Texas and that is source of his love of horticulture.
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!
MGs Who Completed SABOT Culinary Docent Training!
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED: 10am – 1pm on Thursdays/Fridays thru Sundays. VMS has all dates/times for sign-ups! VMS Code 100.
Open Regular Shifts in April: 11, 12, 13, 14 and 18, 20, 21 and 26, 27, 28
Extra Shifts in April: Self-guided Adult Groups on Mon, 15th 10 am to 1 pm, Wed, 24th, 9am – Noon, and Tue, 30th, 9:30am – 12-30pm; plus Sat, 20th Noon – 2pm for Viva Botanica
Open Regular Shifts in May: 2, 3, 4, 5, and 9, 10, 11, 12, and 23, 24, 25, 26
Coming Up for Youth Gardens Program (Sign Up on VMS: Code 1200)
- Youth Garden Activity Prep, 3355 Cherry Ridge Dr. on Wednesdays and Thursdays in April from 10am-1pm. Need 2 volunteers each day to help cut out bees and butterflies, put youth activities together and other. Email Ruby Zavala if you are interested, or sign up on VMS.
- Locke Hill Elementary needs your help!! Need 2 volunteers each day, Sat, Apr 13, and Sat, Apr 27, to help build a garden bed and set up a Native Plant Garden. Sign up online with Locke Hill Elementary, or email Rosanne Atkinson. Also, please sign up on VMS; 1200 – Texas A&M Extension Support – Youth
- Looking for 6 (3 per shift) volunteers to take a Pot-A-Plant youth activity to Nimitz Middle School Earth Day event (5426 Blanco Rd, 78216). Expect to see approx. 500 kids from 9am-3pm on Mon, Apr 22nd. First shift is from 9am to 12pm and second shift is from 12pm-3pm. Email Ruby Zavala if you are interested, or sign up on VMS.
STILL NEED Brown Bag Lunch & Learn (VMS Code 100) Support: Come 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:
Turfgrass 101: with Lou Kellogg on Wed, Apr 10 from 6:30-8:30 pm, part of the Earthkind Home Gardening Series held at 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 212, 78230. 2 CEUs: Code 001
Landscaping With Herbs: with David Rodriguez at the San Antonio Herb Society meeting TOMORROW, Thu, Apr 11 from 6:30-8:30pm at the SA Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels, 78209. 1 CEU: Code 001
Lawn Basics: with Lou Kellogg on Fri, Apr 12 from Noon-1 pm, a Brown Bag Lunch & Learn session held at 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 212, 78230. 1 CEU: Code 001
Annual Fruit Tree Grafting Seminar: with Dr. Larry Stein, Professor & Extension Horticulture on Sat, Apr 13, 9am-Noon at Fanick’s Garden Center, 1025 Holmgreen Rd, 78220. At this FREE seminar, learn how and why fruit, nut, and citrus trees are grafted, all the different grafting techniques, and overall care of your fruit, nut & citrus trees. 3 CEUs: Code 001
Turf Grass 101: Do’s & Don’ts for Your Lawn: with David Rodriguez on Sat, Apr 20, 10:30am-Noon at Milberger’s Landscape & Nursery, 3920 N.Loop 1604, 78247. 1.5 CEUs: Code 001
Growing Backyard & Patio Citrus: with David Rodriguez on Tue, Apr 23, 6:30-8:30pm at Northeast Community Learning Center, 8750 Tesoro Dr, 78217. 2 CEUs: Code 001
Spring Vegetable and Wheat Field Day: is set for Friday, May 10, 8am-2pm at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research & Extension Center at Uvalde, 1619 Garner Field Rd, 78801. 2 CEUs for Educational Presentations; Code 100. Online registration HEREand details on this FLYER.
Beekeeping Basics: Fri, May 17 from 9am-4pm at Phil Hardberger Park Urban Ecology Classroom. Field Days on Sun, May 19 (8:30-10 or 10:30-12), or Mon, May 20 (3-5pm) – your choice! $65 fee includes lunch and tons of resources. Register online. For additional details, please see the registration site or email Molly Keck.
Learn from Master Gardeners at these 2019 Speakers Bureau Presentations:
Backyard Composting with Karen Gardner at Rainbow Gardens, 8516 Bandera, 78250 on Sat, Apr 13, 10-11:30am. 1.5 CEUs, 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!
TRY A LUNCH TIME TREAT!
And remember, you can find all the TEXAS MASTER GARDENER ADVANCED 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 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
2019 TGMA Conference will be held April 25-27, 2019 and is being hosted by Victoria County Master Gardener Association. Great speakers, plenty of good food, wonderful tours and garden-crafty workshops are planned for you! 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. f you have not registered yet, Early Registration ends on April 14th so be sure to complete it by then! You will still have until May 26th to pay in full. You can use online registration and also 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:
- Apr 12 – Butterfly Identification Walking Workshop
- Apr 12 – Taste the Music
- Apr 13 – Rain to Drain
- Apr 13 – Monarch Butterfly Monitor Training Workshop
- Apr 13 – Hanging Basket Workshop
- Apr 6 – GVST Watersaver Landscape Design School
- Apr 15 – Purpose of Grafting (1 BCMG CEU; Code 001); Water Conservation
- Apr 16 – Window on a Texas Wildscape
Read all about “Monarch Butterfly Numbers Rise Dramatically” at Texas A&M TODAY!
Earth Day San Antonio celebration will take place Sat, Apr 13 from 10am to 3pm at Woodlawn Lake Park, 501 S. Josephine Tobin, 78201. Schedule on Facebook @ earthdaysanantonio.
To receive timely, up-to-date Ag-related information, click HERE to subscribe to the Ag New & Views Blog.
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.
Wheat Field Day will take place Wed, Apr 17. 2:30-6pm in Castroville; details on this FLYER.
Orchard Management Workshop will be held Thu, Apr 25, 8:30am-1pm at Bugg Farms, 1287 CR, 314 Sutherland Springs, TX 78114; details on FLYER.
Multi-County Pond Management program is scheduled for Fri, Apr 26, 8:30am-Noon at Bugg Farms 1287 CR 314 Sutherland Springs, TX 78114; details on FLYER.
Cattle Reproduction Management program will be held Wed-Thu, May 8-9 at Tom Brothers Ranch, 770 Co Rd 412 Campbellton, TX 78008; details on FLYER.
Mark your calendar to attend “Owning Your Piece of Texas: Agricultural Laws Texas Landowners Need to Know” Fri, Jun 7, 9am-3pmat Palo Alto College. Registration and information online.
Applications are now being accepted for the TWO BCMG 2019-2020 Scholarships in Horticultural Studies. These scholarships provide financial support to undergraduates or graduate students at Texas colleges or universities who are pursuing degrees 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.
TOP TOMATO CONTEST! Get all the juicy details on our website! JUNE 15th will be here before you know it!
FOR ALL OUR GARDENING FRIENDS!
If you have thought about becoming a Master Gardener, start planning for Master Gardener Intern Training Class 63.
- Class 63 starts August 21, 2019; classes meet every Wednesday from Noon – 4 pm for 13 weeks
- Cost: $260 payable in full on the 1st day of class
- Application available online early May (BCMG website)
- Application deadline: June 17, 2019
- Approved applications must attend a group interview (Group Interviews in July)
- For more information visit Bexar County Master Gardeners website or Bexar County AgriLife website.