LUNCH AND LEARN WITH THE MASTERS

There are plenty of free learning opportunities in 2020



January 10, 2020

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER HELEN PARKS

Master Gardener Helen Parks has a history of preserving harvest and sharing it with others in presentations and gifts from the heart.  Shown here are kosher pickles with homegrown garlic and dill along with wild chili petin peppers.  Don't miss her sharing of hands-on knowledge safely preserving harvest at Lunch and Learn with the Masters on Monday, April 13, 2020.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY BRENDA HEINOLD/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

Visit the Master Gardener Victoria Educational Gardens (VEG) at Victoria Regional Airport in May and see for yourself the numerous and various beautiful daylilies in bloom as shown here two seasons ago.  Learn how to hybridize daylilies May 11 at Lunch and Learn with the Masters.

If You Go

Lunch & Learn with the Masters Free horticulture classes

WHEN: Each second Monday, January through August, 2020

WHERE: Pattie Dodson Health Center, 2805 N. Navarro

TIME: Noon to 1 p.m. over lunch hour

Bring lunch and drink, if desired

Something new this year: Saturday seminars

• 9-Noon
• Jan. 18: Sustainable Treescapes
• Feb. 8: Spring Vegetable Garden
• Feb. 29: Lawn Care

Check vcmga.org for speakers and how to register



PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY CHARLA BORCHERS LEON/VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER

Lunch and Learn with the Masters began in 2008 with Master Gardener Helen Boatman at the helm.  Boatman has continued to organize the sessions each year and remains theh chairwoman of the project again in 2020.

Happy New Year, everyone. Here’s to another year of successful gardening. Hopefully, you will find useful information in the Lunch and Learn programs we have planned for you.

Free educational gardening programs

Starting Monday, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension in coordination with Victoria County Master Gardener Association will offer horticultural classes through the Lunch and Learn with the Masters program.

While most of our speakers are certified Master Gardeners, one speaker is our own AgriLife Extension Agent Matt Bochat.

Monday: “What’s This? – Volume V”

We begin our program this year on Monday, Jan. 13, with “What’s This? – Volume V,” presented by County Extension Agent Matt Bochat. If you missed Volumes I through IV, you missed out on the fun trying to identify the many things in the pictures Bochat has accumulated throughout the past years from the public as well as those he has taken himself. He has a new collection, so come join in the fun and challenge yourself to making the correct identification. Hint: He may even give you the password so you will be able to download the pictures after the presentation.

Feb. 10: “Ease of Gardening Using Raised Beds”

Spring is just around the corner, so we must begin to prepare garden areas. Feb. 10, Mike Martignoni will present “Ease of Gardening Using Raised Beds.” It is one thing to say, “I’m going to plant a garden,” and another to do that in hard, maybe untillable soil. Martignoni has experience in building various types of raised beds, and actually using them, so you will no doubt be receiving some very valuable information.

March 9: “The Benefits of Backyard Vegetable Gardening”

OK. So you have learned all about building and using raised beds. Now you are ready to plant those seeds or transplants, and Gerald Bludau will be here to share his expertise on March 9, when he presents “The Benefits of Backyard Vegetable Gardening.” Bludau has had a lot of experience growing his own vegetables and will probably be sharing lots of things to do, and also what not to do, as you look forward to harvesting your bounty.

April 13: “Save it for A Rainy Day – Preserving the Harvest”

Now that you know what to do to get a good harvest, what is next? Helen Parks has the answer to that on April 13 when she presents “Save It for A Rainy Day: Preserving the Harvest.”

Parks has been “putting up” food for quite a while and will no doubt share valuable information on safe preservation.

May 11: “How to Hybridize Daylilies”

Daylilies should be blooming in our Victoria Educational Gardens in May, so be sure to come out to see and enjoy their beauty. You may – or may not – be aware of how many varieties, including colors, there are of this beautiful flower. Brenda Heinold will share with you how this occurs when she presents “How to Hybridize Daylilies” on May 11.

June 8: “Annuals and Perennials – What’s Best for the Victoria Area”

June 8, Janet McCrea and Suzanne LaBrecque will present a program on “Annuals and Perennials: What’s Best for the Victoria Area.” Since both of these ladies have lots of experience with bedding plants, you will hear of their successes for the various seasons.

July 13: “Importance of Native Plants, including trees, in the Landscape”

Catherine Koenig will present “Importance of Native Plants, including trees, In the Landscape” on July 13. Besides being a Master Gardener, Koenig is also a Master Naturalist. She has worked with native plants for many years, and truly understands and is able to communicate the importance of them in our environment. I think you will be surprised at the number of other living things that depend on our native plants.

Aug. 10: “Easy Steps to Propagate Your Own Cacti and Succulent Plants”

The 2020 schedule concludes with Lupe Cook presenting “Easy Steps to Propagate Your Own Cacti and Succulent Plants” on Aug. 10. Cacti and succulents are Cook’s specialty, and over time, she has a varied collection of these plants. She will be able to share with you some special ways of getting new plants from those that are established.

Thank you to the many supporters we have had since we began this program in 2008. Hopefully, you will be returning to learn more.

If you are new to gardening, new to the area or haven’t had the opportunity to attend the noon programs, we hope you will join us for these monthly sessions.

Remember, the time is noon-1 p.m. at the Dr. Pattie Dodson Public Health Center – and all of the programs are free to the community.

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

Sixty to ninety participants from Victoria and up to seven surrounding counties have attended each of the free gardening sessions for the past 12 years at noon on the second Monday, January through August.  Shown here are those that attended Master Gardener Kathy Chilek's program on wildflowers last March.