Volume 29, Issue 5 – May 2019
Hey, all you Master Gardeners!
We are taking it on the road to the San Antonio Zoo on Tuesday, May 14. We will meet at the front of the zoo at 9:45am. John Strickland, a San Antonio Zoo Horticulturist, will meet us there to take us on a gardening tour of the zoo, including the greenhouses. Group size is limited, so please sign up on VMS as soon as possible.
Spring has been a very busy season, but we still need you for upcoming Youth Activity work with our Youth Coordinator, Ruby Zavala. The last month of school is extremely important to the teachers and children for success in harvesting their gardens. I am making a special request that you log in to VMS and sign up for these school activities to help complete a successful year. Your support is vital!!
CONGRATULATIONS, TEAM!!! We have once again received recognition at the Texas Master Gardener Association Conference:
1st Place Project, Little Buckaroo Farms at the Rodeo
1st Place Research, Tomato Trials
3rd Place Written Education, the Leaflet
3rd Place Youth, our two Youth Gardens
These awards will be highlighted at the May meeting and some of the 21 conference attendees will share anecdotes about their favorite conference sessions and memories. (See photos in the Photo Gallery at the end of this issue.)
Meanwhile, back in San Antonio there are abundant volunteer opportunities available on the VMS and many educational and CEU opportunities as well. Keep on growin’ and keep on learnin’!!! It’s the Master Gardener way.
Thanks for your support,
Grace Emery
Congratulations to this month’s Bexar County Master Gardeners who have earned their 2019 certification and the Monarch Butterfly pin! They have completed at least 30 volunteer hours, 6 CEU hours, and attended 2 regular monthly meetings as of April 23 reporting.
The pins are available from Susan Noonan at the monthly meetings or can be picked up at the Master Gardener office during the Office Manager business hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. For other delivery options, please contact [email protected] The complete year-to-date list of certified master gardeners can be found on our website under Members/Master Gardener Stars.
CONGRATULATIONS:
Sharon Hughes Rosalie Iltis Lou Kellog James Knight, Jr. Matt Matthews Mary Quandt Marcia Rockne Andrew Waring
BCMG BOARD MEETING will take place 3 – 5pm on Thu, May 16 at 3355 Cherry Ridge 78230. If you are interested in placing items on the agenda, email President Grace Emery by Thu, May 9. 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 TX A&M AgriLife Extension Office and BCMG offices will be closed on Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day.
WHAT DO OUR DUES DO?
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
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RAINWATER HARVESTING: Tues., May 7, 6:00 – 7:30pm, featuring Master Gardener Lou Kellogg, SA Oasis, 2201 St. Cloud, 78228. 1.5 CEUs; Code 001. FREE.
EARTH-KIND HOME GARDENING SERIES #7: Thirty Bugs Every Gardener Should Know, featuring AgriLife Extension Integrated Pest Management Specialist, Molly Keck, Wed, May 8, 6:30 – 8:30pm, AgriLife Ext. Office, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Ste 208, 78230, $15. Register under “Here’s the Latest”. 2 CEU; Code 001.
BROWN BAG – LUNCH & LEARN FOR MAY: Texas Superstar Plants for Your Landscape. Speaker: Master Gardener, Lynn Cox. Join the lunch group on Fri, May 10, Noon – 1pm in the AgriLife Ext. Office, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Ste 208. 1 CEU; Code 001. FREE.
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GARDENING AT THE ZOO: Tues, May 14, 9:45 – 11:30am. Join SA Zoo horticulturist, John Strickland, and David Rodriguez, AgriLife Ext., for this walking tour. San Antonio Zoo entrance, 303 N St. Mary’s St, 78212. Limited to the first 75 BCMGs to register on VMS. 1.5 CEUs; Code 001. FREE.
SUCCULENTS AND CACTI: Wed., May 15, 1:00 – 1:40pm, featuring Master Gardener Marty Ruona, SA Oasis, 2201 St. Cloud, 78228. 1 CEU; Code 001. FREE.
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2 CEUs; Code 001
EARTH-KIND HOME GARDENING SERIES #8: Texas Superstar Plants, featuring Master Gardener, Lynn Cox, Wed, May 22, 6:30 – 8:30pm, AgriLife Ext. Office, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Ste 208, 78230, $15. Register under “Here’s the Latest”. 2 CEUs; Code 001.
ADVANCED TRAINING – TREE CARE: Jun 12 – 14, Hill Country Master Gardeners, Kerrville. More information here.
And remember, you can find all the TEXAS MASTER GARDENER ADVANCED TRAINING (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.
See the BCMG Calendar for MORE learning opportunities in MAY! (Click HERE!)
YOU, Too, Can Be a Master Gardener!
- 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 applicants must attend a group interview (interviews in July)
- For more information visit Bexar County Master Gardeners website at https://www.bexarmg.org/get-involved/ or Bexar County website at https://bexar-tx.tamu.edu
YOUTH GARDEN ACTIVITIES PREPARATION: most Tues & Wed in May, 10am – 1pm, 2 vol./shift, AgriLife Office, 3355 Cherry Ridge, Ste 208, 78230. Support the School Gardens Program cutting out bees and butterflies, assembling youth activities, other tasks. Sign up in VMS. Contact: [email protected]. Code: 1200.
Culinary Garden Volunteers needed: Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun, 10am – 1 pm, 2 docents per shift through May. San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Pl, 78209. Sign up in VMS. VMS Code 100.
…. MORE opportunities available on the VMS Calendar!
WaterSaver Landscape Tour: Sat., May 4, 9:00am – 3:00pm. Free bus tour to 5 WaterSaver yards in Stone Oak featuring different design approaches. Park at Canyon Ridge Elementary School, 20522 Stone Oak Parkway, 78258, to catch the bus. More Information.
PLANTS FOR BUTTERFLIES & HUMMINGBIRDS: Sat, May 11, 10:30am – Noon. Milberger Landscaping & Nursery, 3920 North Loop 1604, 78247. FREE.
LEARNING TO LOVE BALL MOSS: Tues, May 28, 6:30 – 8:30pm, Native Plant Society of TX San Antonio Chapter Meeting, Plant/seed exchange at 6:30pm, program at 7:00pm. Lee Marlowe, Sustainable Landscape Ecologist for the San Antonio River Authority, shares ball moss’s important support of birds and bugs in our landscapes. Lions Field Adult Center, 2809 Broadway, 78209. FREE.
More fun than the County Fair!
Details, specific judging/prizes at bexarmg.org.
Tomato-Contest-Flyer-2019-v2-417th Biennial Conference for the International Master Gardener
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. Registration is now open.
2019 TMGA Conference Awards, Victoria, TX
Photos by Lou Kellogg
Victoria Educational Gardens, Victoria, TX
[envira-gallery id=”16129″]Photos by: Lou Kellogg, Anna Vogler
TMGA Conference = FUN!!!!
Lou Kellog and Grace Emery schmoozing conference speaker, Felder Rushing 
Monarch caterpillar at Victoria Educational Garden 
BCMGs clown around at the TMGA Conference
Jaguar Encounter at the Texas Zoo, Victoria, TX
[envira-gallery id=”16341″]Linda Hollingsworth’s TMGA Victoria visit included the experience of a lifetime! Her Jaguar Encounter began with an overview of jaguar conservation and an introduction to Sophia and Jax. Their training session followed: Training prepares the cats to rise up, show their tongues, and to follow a human. This allows the cats to be observed by the veterinarians without use of tranquilizers.
Linda was also allowed to enter the cage with the zoo’s lynx.
Photographer unknown.
Women’s Club Fiesta Flower Show
Photo by: Eleanor Emery
Vegetables Blossoms at the Children’s Vegetable Garden, Phil Hardberger Park
Cucumber Vince, surviving an attack of tiny beetles. 
Petunias grace the end of every bed. 
…Soon to be TOMATOES!!!!
Photos by: John Sutterby, Volunteer
Happy Spring, Master Gardeners!!