ANNOUNCEMENTS
Grab Your Cowboy Hat!
Serve as the Overall Chair/Co-Chairs for the 2020 Rodeo!
This position reports to Ruby Zavala & David Rodriguez and involves periodic updates to the BCMG Board of Directors. The time commitment is August 2019-January 2020 for monthly meetings with San Antonio Livestock Exposition, Inc. (S.A.L.E.) at their location on AT&T Center Parkway, and meetings, as needed, with Ruby and David. By the February 2020 Rodeo, we should have a well-oiled machine.
– Direct all phases of the Rodeo from preplanning which starts in August to final post-Rodeo meeting at SALE in March.
– Coordinate existing committee chairs for Volunteer Coordination, Construction, Hospitality, Landscape Design, Plant Sales, Transportation, School Tours, Tree Give-Away and Kids Activities.
This may seem formidable, but the existing chairs are experienced and excellent! We need a Chair/Co-Chairs to provide direction and coordination for this major and long event in a most efficient way.
Please email President Grace Emery (or call: 210-875-6919) if you are interested in volunteering as Rodeo Chair or Co-Chair.
CELEBRATE A SAFE & HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!
NOTE: The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office and BCMG offices will be closed on Thursday, July 4 for Independence Day.
HELP MOLLY KECK WITH JULY ENTOMOLOGY CAMPS!
Three camps with 24 kids (ages 7-11) registered for each camp will take place July 10-12 @ Clearwater Ranch (24510 Clearwater Run, SATX 78255) in the Leon Springs area and July 17-19 & July 22-24 @ Hardberger Park. Each camp is three days from 9am-2pm (lunch provided), but if you can only help with one or two days, that’s fine too! You can sign up via Sign Up Genius to help Molly track volunteers and provide reminders. Please ALSO sign up on VMS! Code 1200
Camp will include outdoor collecting in the mornings for about an hour, but the majority of camp will be held indoors in the AC. Using the outdoors as a classroom depends on the weather; AC is never far if you need to cool off!
Help at camp includes: helping keep an eye on the kids in the park while collecting; assisting with collections or getting insects from nets, and with experiments or crafts; keeping the kids safe and quiet when doing experiments or crafts; prep work to get crafts or experiments ready & clean upward; snack preparation.
AND HAVING FUN PLAYING WITH BUGS! Email Molly Keck if you have questions.
Calling All Aspiring & Inspired Garden Writers!
Our June meeting speaker, Mary Irish, spoke about the Art of Writing about plants. During her interactive presentation, Mary challenged those present to organize a written piece on their favorite plant. Our BCMG President, Grace Emery, has extended that challenge!
Whether you attended the June presentation or not, give some thought to testing your writing skills and pick a plant ,or any gardening topic in which you have a strong interest, good or difficult experience, or about which you might just have some fun writing. Sit down and “have a go” at it.
It would be wonderful to include your writing in a future issue of The Scion newsletter. Please email BCMG President Grace Emery or our Scion Editor Tera Marshall if you have any questions, or if you have a piece ready to go!
Mark Your Calendar for July’s BCMG Meeting
Thursday, July 18th from 6-8pm
Come and learn all about the “new” gardens at TAMU, the Leach Teaching Gardens, with the Gardens Manager, Joseph Johnson.
Details on our website.
Joseph Johnson is a TAMU graduate and a Texas Master Certified Nurseryman having managed the gardens at M.D. Andersen Cancer Center in Houston and served as director of horticulture at Shangri La Botanical Gardens & Nature Center in Orange, TX before taking the helm for development of the Leach Teaching Gardens and now his role in the future phases to restore, preserve and develop 27 more acres.
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.
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!
SUMMER NIGHTS at SABOT are underway and docent volunteers are needed for the 5:30-8:30pm shifts on Thursday nights through August 15th (except July 4th) Also, docents can schedule a shift for Dog Days on Sat, Aug 3 and Sun, Aug 4 from Noon to 2pm, or for the Big Bug Exhibit, Sat, Aug 31 from Noon to 2pm.
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED 9am-Noon on Fridays thru Sundays throughout July and August.
VMS has all dates/times for sign-ups! VMS Code 100.
July Entomology Camp Volunteers: Three camps with 24 kids (ages 7-11) registered for each camp will take place July 10-12 @ Clearwater Ranch (24510 Clearwater Run, SATX 78255) in the Leon Springs area and July 17-19 & July 22-24 @ Hardberger Park from 9am-2pm (lunch provided). If you can only help with one or two days, that’s fine too! Email Molly Keck if you have questions. You can sign up via Sign Up Genius to help Molly track volunteers and provide reminders. Please ALSO sign up on VMS! Code 1200
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.
NEW CEU OPPORTUNITY
You can now earn one CEU of the minimum six CEUs required for Master Gardener re-certification by listening to at least one archived WOAI 1200 AM Lawn & Garden Show podcast.
All of the Saturday morning episodes are available. You will surely find a topic that meets your knowledge needs!
Or, you can earn one CEU (of the minimum six required CEUs) by listening to a LIVE broadcast of the WOAI 1200 AM Lawn and Garden from 7-10am on a Saturday morning. You can only record one CEU per year using the radio broadcast option!
VMS CEU Code 001
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:
Rainwater Harvesting and Drip Irrigation Systems: with David Rodriguez on Tue, July 9, 6:30-8:30pm at Northeast Community Learning Center, 8750 Tesoro Dr, 78217; $35 fee. 2 CEUs: Code 001
BROWN BAG – LUNCH & LEARN FOR JULY: Home Composting presented by MG Leslie Butterworth.Join the lunch group on Fri, Jul 12 at Noon in the County Extension Office, Suite 208. 1 CEU, Code 001.
JULY BCMG Monthly Meeting & Presentation: Joseph Johnson will give us An Introduction to the ‘New Gardens”, the Leach Teaching Gardens, at TAMU. Mark your calendar for Thu, July 18, 6-8pm at 3355 Cherry Ridge, Suite 208, 78230. 1 CEU; Code 002
Growing Texas Superstar® Plants in Your Landscape with David Rodriguez on Tue, July 23, 6:30-8:30pm at Northeast Community Learning Center,8750 Tesoro Dr, 78217; $35 fee. 2 CEUs: Code 001
Junior Master Gardener Adult Leader Training: Earn CEUs during training designed for teachers, educators, and volunteers in support of youth gardening during this session which will be held Wed-Fri, Jul 24-26. Details on the flyer & application. Email Ruby Zavala if you need more information.
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 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
BROWN BAG – LUNCH & LEARN FOR August: Lawns and Landscapes Surviving the Summer Heat presented by MG and Irrigation Efficiency Specialist Anna Vogler.Join the lunch group on Fri, Aug 9 at Noon in the County Extension Office, Suite 208. 1 CEU, Code 001
AUGUST BCMG Monthly Meeting & Presentation: Hear Greg Eckhardt, Senior Analyst with San Antonio Water System talk with us about “The History of Water in San Antonio.” Mark your calendar for Thu, Aug 15, 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.
Vegetables – Aug 13-15, 2019, hosted by Bexar County, San Antonio
Save the Date: JMG® – Sep 24-26, hosted by Denton County, Corinth
Greenhouse Management – Oct 17-19, hosted by Tarrant County, Fort Worth
Great Gardening Events on the BCMG Calendar. Bookmark the Calendar and visit it frequently! Here is a sampling of what is coming up through the end of June:
- Jul 6 – Pond Building Seminar
- Jul 13 – Adult Bonsai Class
- Jul 13 – Salad Contest! — Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard
- Jul 16 – Pollinator Beetles of Texas
SHARE WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS: Registration is NOW OPEN for the Fall 2019 Children’s Vegetable GardenProgram at SABOT. Program will include sixteen Saturdays from Sep 7 to Dec 14.
SABOT is extending its hours to 8:30pm so you can enjoy Summer Nights every Thursday beginning June 27 and ending on Thursday, August 15 (exception: July 4th); regular admission rates; details online.
Bexar County Land Management Workshop is scheduled for Wed, Jul 24 from 8:30am to 3:30pm at the Bexar County Elections Building, 1102 S. Frio St., #100. Program details HERE. $20 fee (or $25 at the door) includes lunch & refreshments. Please register by Tuesday, Jul 16 by emailing Denise Perez.
