ANNOUNCEMENTS
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM BCMG PRESIDENT GRACE EMERY:
Don Crites has tendered his resignation from the BCMG Board of Directors. Therefore, the Board is conducting a search for someone to complete his term. The job description for the Member-at-Large is to perform duties as assigned by the Board (BCMG By-laws, Article VII).
If you have ever been interested in what the Board does, or think you might like to help guide the organization into the future, this is an excellent opportunity. If you are interested or have any questions, please email President Grace Emery.
We are happy to introduce MG Tera Marshall as our New Scion Newsletter Editor. Tera and our outgoing editor, Marybeth Parsons are teaming together for the June edition. Watch for the announcement this weekend that the June Scion Newsletter has been published!
Very Special Thanks to Marybeth for her time, energy and creativity in editing the Scion since October 2017!
Bexar County Master Gardeners will once again be participating in the Texas Folklife Festival (7-9 June). BCMGs will set up on Thu, Jun 6 and have a gardening information table, a Texas Superstar Plant display (not sale) and a children’s pot-a-plant activity located in a nice shady spot on Fri, Sat, & Sun. BCMG Volunteers will receive a wrist band for free admission to all 3 days of the Folklife Festival. VMS has seven shifts for this volunteer event!
Texas Folklife Festival includes more than 40 cultural organizations from across the state who share their traditions through 6 stages of music and dance, 100 food items and hands-on experiences. There are also artisans who maintain the skills Texas pioneers used to build the Lone Star State. You can sit and work with
basket weavers, leather workers, wood carvers, potters and dozens more.
Top Tomato Contest
Saturday June 15, 2019
Fanick’s Garden Center, 1025 Holmgreen Rd 78220
Contest Entry: 9 – 11 am
Judging: 11 am – 12 pm
Winners Announced After Judging
Contest Details on the BCMG Website!
First 100 participants receive a free, 4-lb bag of Espoma’s Organic Tomato Tone!
FOR ALL OUR GARDENING FRIENDS!
If you have thought about becoming a Master Gardener, apply now 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 (BCMG website)
- Application deadline: June 17, 2019
- Approved applications must attend a group interview in July
- For more information, visit Bexar County Master Gardeners website or Bexar County AgriLife website.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR for the June BCMG Meeting
Thursday, June 20th from 1-3pm
Mary Irish, Garden Writer-Lecturer-Educator, will present, Plants for Our Changing Climate and The Art of Writing About Them. Details on our website.
Mary Irish is a garden writer, horticultural consultant, lecturer and educator who was born and raised in Austin, Texas. She has worked for over 25 years in the field of horticultural and horticultural communications, specializing in gardens and plants for the greater Southwest.
Bexar County Master Gardener (BCMG) Educational Seminars/General Meetings are held in the afternoons (seminars) and evenings (General Meetings) 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.
Junior Beekeeping Camp
If you know any kids, ages 10 and up, who would love to put on a bee suit and learn about bees in a real bee yard, let them know about the two-day (June 27-28, 9am-1pm) Junior Beekeeping Camp at the Clearwater Ranch Apiary (24510 Clearwater Run, Leon Springs area). Kids get to open up real honey bee hives, see the queen, learn about the hive and extract honey to take home. Suits and gloves in smaller sizes for the kids and all the other equipment are available. Flyer Here.
Because the campers will be inside an actual bee hive, they should be mature, well behaved, good listeners. This camp is not recommended for campers who have issues with claustrophobia or sensory issues (the bee suit can feel constricting and the hum of the bees is loud), a fear of bees, or an allergy to bees (everyone swells a little and it hurts, but true allergy reaction should preclude participation). If you think your child might panic, it’s not safe to register them for camp for their own well-being or the other campers and beekeepers.
Cost – $150, includes sandwich lunches. Register online!
JUST ANNOUNCED!
2019 Backyard Basics EXPO: “THE ART OF SELF RELIANCE,” covering a variety of topics with concurrent sessions so you can choose what you want to learn about!
The 2019 EXPO will be held Thu, Aug 1 at the San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels, 78209. Registration check-in will begin at 8am and the program will begin promptly at 8:30am and conclude at 12:30pm. Fee: $20; Register Online. VMS CEU Code 001.
Topics include: Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds, House Plants, Backyard Chickens, The Benefit of Bees, Selecting and Growing Fall Tomatoes, Oak Wilt & Other Tree Issues, How to Deal with City Critters, Rainwater Harvesting, Making Every Drop of Water Count in your Lawn/Landscape, Benefits of Compost & Mulch, Planting Basics 101, Landscape Watering 101, Homemade Gifts from the Heart of Texas: Raspberry Chipotle Jam, and Controlling Diabetes through Healthier Food Choices.
Renowned Speakers: Horticulturist David Rodriguez, Entomologist Molly Keck, Senior Area Horticulturist Dr. Calvin Finch, Kim Rocha from San Antonio Food Policy Council, and many more!
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: 9:30am-12:30pm on Thursdays thru Sundays in June. VMS has all dates/times for sign-ups! Code 100.
Open Shifts in June: 1, 2 and 6, 7, 8, 9 and 15, 16 and 20, 21, 22, 23 and 27, 28, 29, 30
Volunteers Needed for JUNE 15TH TOP TOMATO CONTEST! Help with this fun, first annual BCMG Top Tomato Contest! Tasks include tomato entry check-in, hosting the tomato prep station, setting up tomato entries, as well as general set-up and take-down duties. Arrive at Fanick’s Garden Center, 1025 Holmgreen Rd .78220, no later than 8 am. Water will be provided; bring a snack or lunch if you like. Sign up on VMS; CODE 0100.
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 one helper in 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:
Around the World: Taste of the Philippines. Make the most of this tropical weather with a deliciously Filipino cuisine program on Sun, Jun 2, from 11am to 1pm at SABOT. Join Chef Dave and MG Nora Richards in the Outdoor Teaching Kitchen for a horticultural and culinary presentation of Nora’s native Philippines, showcasing unique herbs and spices in a four-course tasting experience. Fee is $25.00 ($22.50 member); register online. 2 CEUs; Code 001
Earth-Kind Home Gardening Series – Rainwater Harvesting & Drip Irrigation on Wed, Jun 5 from 6:30-8:30pm. Register Online. 2 CEUs; Code 001. Come learn and enjoy how to maximize your garden and landscape with Lou Kellog & Anna Vogler at 3355 Cherry Ridge Suite. 212, 78230.
Growing Citrus on Your Patio & in Your Backyard with David Rodriguez on Sat, Jun 8, 10:30am-Noon at Milberger’s Landscape & Nursery, 3920 N.Loop 1604, 78247. 1.5 CEUs: Code 001
Keep Your Lawn & Landscape Alive thru the Summer Heat: with David Rodriguez on Tue, Jun 11, 6:30-8:30pm at Northeast Community Learning Center, 8750 Tesoro Dr, 78217. 2 CEUs: Code 001
BROWN BAG – LUNCH & LEARN FOR JUNE: Harvesting & Storing Your Spring Vegetables presented by MG Brenda Burell.Join the lunch group on Fri, Jun 14 at Noon in the County Extension Office, Suite 208. 1 CEU, Code 001.
JUNE BCMG Monthly Meeting & Presentation: Learn about Plants for Our Changing Climate and The Art of Writing About Them with our guest speaker, Mary Irish, Garden Writer-Lecturer-Educator on Thu, Jun 20, 1-3pm at 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, 78230. 1 CEU; Code 002.
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.
Tree Care – Jun 12-14, 2019, hosted by Kerr County, Kerrville
Vegetables – Aug 13-15, 2019, hosted by Bexar County, San Antonio
Greenhouse Management – Oct 17-19, hosted by Tarrant County, Fort Worth
HOLD THE DATES: May 12-14, 2020
It’s time to look towards the Texas Master Gardener Annual Conference 2020! Hotels will begin accepting lodging reservations mid-May. Stay tuned!
Great Gardening Events on the BCMG March Calendar. Bookmark the Calendar and visit it frequently! Here is a sampling of what is coming up:
- Jun 1 – Pond Seminar: Living Swimming Pools
- Jun 1 – Herb Gardening
- Jun 1 – Terrarium Gardening
- Jun 1 – Deer “Proof” Gardens
- Jun 3 – Whimsical Fairy Gardening, Beginner
Saturday, June 1st is the CVG @ SABOT Contest, Picnic, and Recognition Ceremony.
All Military Veterans are invited to attend a Free Day-Long Seminar: Farm Produce Safety for Military Veteranswill be held from 0900 to 1500 hours on Thursday, 13 Jun in Nixon TX (1 hour from San Antonio). Details on this flyer!
