A LOOK BACK, AHEAD

Master Gardeners to provide more learning opportunities

December 25, 2020

by Barbara David/Victoria County Master Gardener

Edited by Suzanne LaBrecque/Victoria County Master Gardener



PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER/BARBARA DAVID

The Victoria County Master Gardener Association was at the Victoria Farmers' Market twice this year with many plants, hummingbird feeders and gardening books available.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER/BARBARA DAVID

Repairs were necessary on the cover of the greenhouse.  The plastic was stretched out and tennis balls were secured to the plastic to cover the entire facility.

While looking back on 2020, I am proud of the learning opportunities Victoria Master Gardeners were able to provide in the early months of the year.

We started off 2020 by hosting three seminars.

In January, Matthew Weaver from Texas A&M Forest Service talked about sustainable treescapes.

In February, our own Master Gardeners, Gerald Bludau, Sandi Coleman and Mike Martignoni, told us all about vegetable gardening.

In March, Dr. Becky Grubbs from Texas A&M brought us information about lawn care.

All three sessions were well received and extremely informative. Enthusiastic attendees encouraged us to plan for more throughout the year.


Our Lunch and Learn series also started in January with Victoria County AgriLife Extension Agent Matt Bochat presenting “What’s This?” Master Gardener Mike Martignoni talked about raised beds in February, and Master Gardener Gerald Bludau presented on backyard gardening in March.

These popular presentations have always brought educational and enjoyable information to area gardeners.

And then COVID-19 came along, and everything pretty much stopped.

Victoria County Master Gardeners had to make some difficult but necessary decisions and canceled Lunch and Learn, the Spring Plant Sale, presentations through our Speakers Bureau, and our Children’s Summer Camp.

We had to learn how to maneuver around Zoom, so meetings could be conducted. Also, we had to make decisions about the 2020 fall training class and what to do with the many plants we had for the Spring Plant Sale. In addition, we still had to maintain the 1.9 acres of gardens, while wearing masks and keeping 6 feet apart.

It has been a challenging year for Victoria Master Gardeners. But it was good for us to think of different ways to do what we do best, and we learned to be flexible and creative. We really understand how to “think outside the box.”

Looking ahead to 2021, Victoria Master Gardeners will continue to meet the challenges, while providing what the community has gotten from us in the past — many opportunities to learn about plants, trees, vegetables and gardening.

It will be different this year, but we will do our best so your interactions with us are not only informative but also safe and enjoyable.

Our plans for 2021

• Seminars:

We plan to start these in the spring via virtual seminars on topics such as the basics of gardening, composting and propagation.

• Spring Plant Sale:

As we did in the fall, we will have virtual plant sales in the spring. In fact, we are even tentatively planning a first-ever vegetable sale. You can browse the catalog, place your order, and pick up your plants several days later.

• Summer Camp for Children:

This weeklong camp will be held in June for children ages 5-12, following CDC guidelines. Please check our website or Facebook page frequently for updates.

• Gardeners’ Dirt:

We were able to continue writing weekly articles for the Victoria Advocate and will continue to do so next year. The articles will also keep you informed of upcoming events.

• Lunch and Learn with the Masters:

We plan to reconnect virtually with you the second Monday of each month until we can meet safely in groups.

• Speakers Bureau:

Our speaker coordinator is already busy booking presentations with local groups on various topics. Please contact us if you need a presentation for your group.

Please check our website, vcmga.org, or the Victoria County Master Gardeners Facebook page for updated information on special events and presentations.

It is exciting to start off the year with the hope that life will get back to “normal” soon. We hope to see you in 2021.

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.