Boys and Girls Club of Fredericksburg, Texas

   Master Gardener Pat McCormick saw a need and led a variety of donors and volunteers in creating a beautiful landscape at the Boys and Girls Club of Fredericksburg.  More importantly, the project, including the BGC Director Lee Miller, felt that this could be a great opportunity to involve the kids in “The Garden Club”.
   The project began in February 2009 using funds from a small grant. The dirt parking lot was expanded and gravel from the rear of the building was moved to the front as surface for the parking area. The plants around the front entrance were trimmed and donated plants, seeds, and mulch were put in.
   In early April, the morning "Rotary" team started building the raised vegetable beds. One wheel barrow load at a time, the soil from the front was taken to the raised beds. When a Good Samaritan with a front-end loader offered his help, the daunting task was finished in short order. By the end of April the soil in the raised beds had been amended and a drip-irrigation system installed.

   With the new beds ready, Pat and "The Garden Club” gang started spring planting. The 1,666 square feet of vegetable and flower gardens produced enough that in July the boys and girls sold vegetables at the Farmers Market and ended their season with a $30 profit.    
   The latest addition is a native plant area with a rain barrel catchment system which the kids will continue to expand. In early summer, Pat and Texas AgriLife Extension Rainwater Specialist Billy Kniffen worked with the boys and girls to build a "Birdbath Water Guzzler" for the native plant area. (See Pat's instructions for making a birdbath guzzler on this site. Go to Resource Articles and scroll down to the Water section.)                                                                                      
                          Pat McCormick, in the hat, and Billy Kniffen, right,  with the kids and the guzzler