TRUE LOVE AND HOMEGROWN TOMATOES!
That may be a great country song, but for now, let’s just stick to homegrown tomatoes.  We will learn a brief history of the origin of the tomato and how it came to be a cultivated plant. Starting your own seedlings enables you to have a greater variety of plants, and we will also look at a listing of some of the varieties that do well in the Texas Hill Country. Included is information on the most successful growing conditions for tomatoes, also some of the most common problems associated with growing tomatoes.

Length of talk: one hour, including Q&A
Speaker: Connie Townsend

PLANT PROPAGATION
Propagating your own plants is fun! Whether you propagate from seeds or from cuttings, cultivating your own creation is rewarding and inexpensive. Learn the current techniques about how to prepare your soil, how to make cuttings depending on the plant material, and how to collect and grow seeds.

Length of talk: one hour
Speaker: Anne Brown,
Plant Propagation Specialist

 

HILL COUNTY BUTTERFLIES
and THEIR HOST PLANTS
This program begins with an introduction to the science of butterflies and then covers many of the members of the eight families of butterflies found in the Hill Country including the plants necessary for the caterpillar stage of their life cycle. The program finishes up with steps you can take to improve your chance of bringing butterflies to your own gardens and tools to help you learn to identify butterflies.

Length of talk: 45 to 60 minutes
Speaker: Thomas Collins

COMPANION GARDENING
Just as with human beings, plants have companions with which they prefer to be planted and others that they would prefer to avoid. Learn what seems to explain some of these preferences, why the companion is beneficial, and what combinations to avoid. Concentration will be on vegetable plants, although some brief mention will be made regarding flowers.

Length of talk: one hour, including Q&A
Speaker: Connie Townsend

GARDENING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
The EarthKind program, developed by Texas A&M University, uses research-proven techniques to provide gardening and landscape enjoyment while preserving and protecting our fragile environment. The object of this program is to combine the best of organic and traditional gardening and landscape principles to create a new horticultural system for the 21st century.

Length of talk: one hour
Speaker: Fay Drozd

COLOR FROM YOUR BACK YARD
Did you know that you could use some of the plants in your backyard to produce color for fabrics? Many, such as coreopsis and wandering Jew, can be used for dyeing your curtains. This program will give you the information you need.

Length of talk: one hour
Speaker: Fay Drozd

PLANT PROPAGATION
This program will show you how to make one plant into many. You will know how to preserve and care for all the cuttings your neighbors give you. This can also be the way to take the plants you don’t like to leave behind when you move.

Length of talk: one hour
Speaker: Fay Drozd

WATER CONSERVATION
What do all living things need to survive? Water! No plant, insect, animal, or human can live without it. Did you know that of all the water on earth, only 3% is potable, and we can only get 1% of that. We will discuss ways to conserve water so we will always have it.

Length of talk: 50 minutes
Speaker: Sandy Martin, Rainwater Specialist

 

VEGETABLE GARDENING
IN THE HILL COUNTRY
Information presented will be based primarily on personal experience and observation. Included will be soil, water, and nutritional requirements of various kitchen garden crops as well as timelines for best production of these veggies. Recommendations for planting dates for both fall and spring gardens will be addressed.

Length of talk: one hour, including Q&A
Speaker: Connie Townsend

NINETEENTH CENTURY FLOWERS AND
VEGETABLES IN TEXAS
Are heirloom flowers or vegetables something you have always wanted to grow? Maybe having a Victorian garden has been a dream of yours. Here is an opportunity to learn about what 19th century gardeners planted, their sources and tools. I can concentrate on period vegetables, flowers or both. After this presentation you can have a 19 century garden of your own. I am a Living Historian and will be glad to come in period dress.

Length of talk: 30 minutes or one hour
Speaker: Deborah Russell

RAINWATER HARVESTING
Texas' water supply planning process had identified that surface and groundwater supplies will not be able to meet future water demand in the State. Water conservation and development of alternative water supplies are vitally important. Rainwater harvesting captures, diverts, and stores rainwater for later use. Learn all about harvesting this precious commodity.

Length of talk: one hour
Speaker: Anne Brown, Rainwater Harvesting Specialist
 

COMPOSTING MADE EASY
Discover the value and fun of composting! Learn to improve your lawn, flowers and vegetables, by using yard and kitchen waste. Compost retains water, provides nutrients, reduces stress on your plants and more. This class includes demonstrations, discussion and take home instructions.

Length of talk: 30 to 45 minutes
Speaker: Chris Seifert

Who and What is a Master Gardener
Hill Country Master Gardeners assist their communities and the Agrilife Extension Office by answering horticulture questions and diagnosing plant problems for homeowners. Making new friends, learning continually, and working on volunteer projects make being a Master Gardener a rich experience.

Length of talk: 45 minutes
Speaker: Anne Brown

SHRUBS AND TREES OF THE HILL COUNTRY
The Texas Forest Service recommends trees and shrubs proven to tolerate our unique climate, our soil (rocks), and our weather. Learn to avoid costly mistakes by selecting and planting the best plants for your landscape.

Length of talk: 45 to 60 minutes
Speaker, Anne Brown

OAK WILT — FACTS AND MYTHS
Oak wilt is a fungal disease that attacks oaks, primarily live and red oaks. Learn how to identify the disease, prevention techniques, its life cycle, and the truth about firewood from diseased trees.

Length of talk: one hour
Speaker: Anne Brown, Oak Wilt Specialist
 

SPECIALIZING IN VEGETABLES
Vegetables are my favorite things to grow! It is so rewarding to put the food you grow on the table for your family and friends, and if you are inclined, to put it up for winter enjoyment. My programs on vegetable gardening can be as simple as how to lay out a garden bed, organic gardening, or identifying that bug or disease. I am willing to design a program to fit your group’s needs.

Length of talk: 30 to 45 minutes
Speaker: Deborah Russell



 

KNOW YOUR COLORS
IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES, THAT IS
Do you remember the 1980’s, when knowing what colors would be your best to wear was popular? Today, knowing your colors is still, or perhaps even more, important. Now it is the relationship between the different fruits and veggies and our health. All the colors of the spectrum contribute in beneficial ways to our health. This presentation focuses on these benefits. It is not truly a gardening presentation, but the emphasis is on the health benefits we derive from our gardening efforts.

Length of talk: one hour, including Q&A
Speaker: Connie Townsend

Call 830.257.6568
to book a Hill Country Master Gardener to speak at your next meeting or
email Chairperson Kathy Lewis at klewis@beecreek.net