|
Our
History |
|
John Coleman retired as a chemical engineer and
moved from Houston to Kerrville in 1981. He and
his wife purchased and operated The Greenery, a
nursery, for many years. It was during this time
that John began to write a gardening column for
the Kerrville Daily Times. His extensive
knowledge of landscaping, trees, and native
plants was a welcomed resource for everyone
living in the Hill Country.
John's newspaper column was noticed by a very
over-worked and under-staffed County Extension
Agent, Eddie Holland. With a little cajoling,
Holland convinced John to help with the
many horticulture questions coming into the
office, and while John proved to be a great
help, it quickly became apparent even more
assistance was needed.
|
 |
It occurred to John that this was exactly the
situation that led to the founding of the Master
Gardener program. So began his search for Master
Gardeners who might be living in the Kerrville
area. In good time, he met Tommie Airhart, a
Certified Master Gardener from Galveston, and
Loren Hutchinson, a Certified Master Gardener
from San Antonio.Shortly thereafter, the three began the process
of forming a Master Gardener organization for
the Hill Country. According to Tommie Airhart,
"It was like the Keystone Cops. We were running
around everywhere. This was in February of 2002,
and we had our very first class in March!"
Serving on the first Board of Officers were Jim Mans, Annese
Thomas, John Osborn, and Dusty Gilliam. And as
they say, "The rest is history." |
|
|
|
|
