ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk
Ever thought about becoming a Texas Master Gardener?
July 12, 2019
By Gail Farquhar - Victoria County Master Gardener Intern
Edited by Charla Borchers Leon
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER BRYNN LEE
Each year, the Victoria County Master Gardeners Association members work together to spread several tons of crushed granite in walkways and other areas of Victoria Educational Gardens for regular maintenance to the almost 2-acre garden. This task takes several days with several dozen members working and accumulating required volunteer service hours working in VEG.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER BRYNN LEE
Educating children on garden plants, bugs and gardening practices through crafts is a goal of the Master Gardener program. Each year, thousands of area children tour VEG on field trips with teachers and trained Master Gardeners as guides. A summer camp just completed this year also provides instruction to youth with take-home crafts from the garden.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER BRYNN LEE
The Victoria County Master Gardener Association conducts plant sales each year with several thousand plants available at each event. All are healthy, specially-selected and labeled, with some even propagated and grown in the onsite greenhouse at Victoria Educational Gardens. Master Gardeners assist customers at a sale by providing plant information and red wagons to move plants to vehicles to be taken home.
16 weeks of concentrated learning and fun
WHEN: 1-5 p.m. Every Thursday, Aug. 1 – Nov. 14
WHERE: VEG Pavilion, 283 Bachelor Drive, Victoria Regional Airport
COST: $175 including
FOR MORE INFO:
Application and Class Schedule may be found
QUESTIONS: Contact class coordinator Barbara David at 512-879-8812 or barbaradavid111@yahoo.com.
APPLICATION DEADLINE:July 22; payment is not due until Aug. 1.
Planning a list of programs?
Need a speaker for a program on gardening?
VCMGA can provide some 20 speakers on 40 different topics
More information at vcmga.org
Call Jean Knowles for more information at 361-649-5073
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER BRYNN LEE
Victoria County Master Gardeners present a one-hour free presentation over lunch on various topics the second Monday of January through August, to educate the public on good gardening practices. This ongoing program has reached thousands of participants throughout theh past 10 years.
Do you enjoy gardening and want to learn more while making new friends who share this avocation? Do you want to share your accumulated knowledge with other gardeners and your community?
Do you want to work with children and adults while teaching them about gardens and gardening, and get new plants that your new friends wish to share – or you share your plants with them?
Would you like to get some healthy exercise taking care of the Master Gardener Victoria Educational Gardens (VEG) and socialize with great food that your fellow Master Gardeners bring for break times at classes, meetings and work days?
If so, becoming a Texas Master Gardener in Victoria County might be the perfect opportunity for you to do all of this – and then some.
What’s in store for you starting Aug. 1?
Do all this and more in the fall 2019 training class that starts in three weeks.
Speakers for the training class will include university professors, county extension agents and Master Gardeners. Access to information and answers is as easy as asking the questions, and students are encouraged to seek answers to their questions from these experts, some of whom likely could be among the most knowledgeable in the state of Texas, during the presentations.
If you have a question about some point, chances are others do as well, so step up and ask your questions.
Training topics
Topics to be covered in the program will include, but are not be limited to:
Continuing education
In addition to the initial training class, you, as a Master Gardener, will have many opportunities for continuing education, including Master Gardener conventions, both state and national; seminars; and specialist programs sponsored by Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.
Community service opportunities
If you are interested in serving the community, you will have varied and numerous opportunities to do so as a Master Gardener besides, of course, spending time helping maintain VEG. Community service hours are required to maintain the Master Gardener status.
For example,
If this sounds worthwhile to you, please submit an application for this year’s upcoming VCMGA training class. The knowledge you will gain, the people you will meet and the camaraderie of simply being around a friendly group of people who welcome you and share your interests are certain to make your class and future gardening a rewarding experience.
If you would like to speak to someone directly for more information or if you have any questions, contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Office in Victoria County at 361-575-4581 or class coordinator Barbara David at 512-879-8812 or barbaradavid111@yahoo.com.
You may also visit the Texas Master Gardener Association – Victoria County website at vcmga.org to review the class schedule and print an application, which is due July 22.
ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk