SALE

GET PLANTING:

Find all you need at Victoria County Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale

March 15, 2019

PHOTO BY BARBARA DAVID/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

When designing a new garden, consider constructing raised beds, like shown here at Victoria Educational Gardens, for vegetable, herb or specialty plants that will do well in a designated area in full sun with scheduled watering and easy monitoring for pests.  Other advantages of raised beds include ease in building and maintenance as well as in care for plantings due to size and height, location and potential mobility of a raised bed.

It’s that time of the year for the Victoria County Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale on March 23.

Time to evaluate your garden/yard

It’s also that time of year when we start thinking of what needs to be done in our gardens or yards. What better time than now? The weather will be getting nicer, and it will be more pleasant to be outside.

• Check existing plants/shrubs

So take the time to take a good look at your yard and evaluate it. Start by checking existing plants and shrubs. Are they doing well where they are? Which areas get mostly sun or mostly shade or something in between?

Do you have some empty spots where you’d like a plant or two? Do you want to hide something like the garbage cans? Do you want to start a compost area? This year, you may want to start a vegetable garden and think a raised bed is the way to go. Do you want to attract hummingbirds? All these questions and answers might help you decide what you’re going to do this year in your yard or garden.

• Use available resources to choose plants

Once you have made an assessment, it is time do some homework. There are many resources available for you to get more information about various gardening topics.

Members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association (VCMGA) write weekly columns in the Victoria Advocate offering ideas about plants, flowers, container gardening and more. You can pull up the VCMGA website to see what’s been published.

Go to vcmga.org and look for Gardeners’ Dirt columns. Once you click on it you will see articles that have been published within the last few years – or follow the link and go back to articles when the column began 15 years ago.

You can also check out gardening books at the public library or go to victoria.agrilife.org and click on the various links for information from Texas AgriLife Extension publications and educational programming materials. These many resources can help you determine the plants you may choose as well as give you some ideas you could incorporate in your yard.

Draw a plan

Now you need a plan. Get some paper (graph paper works well) and draw existing structures, like the house, garage, walkways, existing beds and fences. Now you know what you have to work with.

• Start compost area

Let’s say you are determined to start a compost area. Refer to the article published Jan. 19, 2018, on the VCMGA website and you will have good information about where it should go and what you need to do to get it going. Then pencil in the compost area on your plan.

• Add raised bed for vegetables/herbs

Maybe you want to add a raised bed for vegetables or herbs. There’s a great article on keyhole gardening Aug. 24, 2018, which incorporates a compost area. Again, pencil that area on your plan.

Begin the journey

Bear in mind that this plan is not set in stone and having several stages is a good thing. This is a journey, and it can be fun if you’re not overwhelmed by it. So, identify the area that you want to work on now and enjoy the journey.

• Choose the plants

The fun part is choosing the plants. You may have one in mind so answer the following questions to see if it will work in your yard. Does the sun exposure meet that plant’s sun requirement? How big is it going to grow and how much space does it need?

You can find this information on the plant tag at the upcoming plant sale or ask a master gardener for advice or look it up in Gardeners’ Dirt articles.

For example, there’s a great article on succulent displays in the Aug. 31, 2018, column on Confederate Rose in the Sept. 30, 2011, issue as well as salvias dating back to the June 12, 2008, issue. All of these plants are expected to be options at the upcoming sale on March 23.

• Look for these kinds of plants

The Victoria County Master Gardener plant sale is right around the corner, so take the time to come out with your list of plants and questions.

Included will be several varieties of citrus and fruit trees that sold out at the recent citrus tree sale several weeks ago as well as those known to attract butterflies, hummers and bees. Several, like the leopard plant and bright color bowls, will be back by popular demand.

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.