Victoria County Master Gardener Association

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VCMGA, P. O. Box 3822, Victoria, TX 77903

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VCMGA NEWS

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MASTER GARDENERS begin a new landscape design 

for courthouse -- BY CAT DELAURA CDELAURA@VICAD.COM

The grounds of Victoria County’s courthouse will be getting a new look in the coming weeks.

The Commissioners Court formally approved the Victoria County Master Gardener Association’s proposal for the courthouse’s landscape on Monday, although they began work on the project last Friday.

The Master Gardeners will work with Kelly Hubert, the county’s facilities manager, and his team to create a landscape that highlights native Texas plants, namely ones designated as Superstars by Texas A&M, a designation reserved for heat resistant plants with low water maintenance.

Since becoming facilities manager in 2016, Hubert said he has seen several trees die on the property, either due to natural causes or Hurricane Harvey.

“After dealing with the hurricane, dealing with the buildings, and then we were dealing with COVID-19, I haven’t really put much attention to doing anything [with the landscaping],” Hubert said.

The Master Gardeners Association began discussions with the County the Friday before the week-long freeze in February. Their proposal includes a vitex tree in the alcove between the old and new courthouses, three esperanza shrubs on the south side of the building, trimming back much of the overgrown Texas sage and crape myrtles around the property, and adding succulents and a decorative log to one of the planters which is currently overgrown.

“I’m excited about this,” said County Judge Ben Zeller. “I know the wonderful work that you do, and if we can get that done for a few thousand bucks, I think that is money well spent.”

“The freeze did some damage of course,” said Barbara David, president of the Master Gardeners Association. “But things are coming back and it’s just going to be a matter of time.”

So far the Master Gardeners Association has been able to acquire all of the plants they’ve wanted without any cost hikes, and David doesn’t foresee any problems with the rest of the plants. She expects to finish the project in the next three to four weeks.

Hubert also mentioned there are two oak trees, a live oak and a red oak, on Forrest Street and a pecan tree behind the fire station that are being considered for removal.

The two oak trees are crowded by the courthouse building and beginning to lean out over the street, “creating an unhealthy condition,” said Hubert. While the red oak is at a roughly 20 degree angle and needs to come down, County Commissioners Danny Garcia and Kevin Janak requested that Hubert do “everything and anything” he can to keep the live oak.

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LIST OF DATES
April 16 (Fri) 10 a.m. - Budget Workshop
April 20 (Tues), 8:30 a.m. - Koi Pond cleanup
April 20 - Board Meeting
April 27 - General Meeting
April 27, 11:30 a.m. - Fundraising Brainstorm Session in Pavilion
June 7 - 11, 9-12 - Kid's Summer Camp - (tentative)

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AgriLife News:   From Matt Bochat

o  State has lifted all Covid restrictions, if we can socially distance correctly, we can use our buildings at 100%. 

o  There is no guidance requiring masks, but we are recommending continuing wearing them.﻿

The links below take you to a survey that is being administered across Texas to help Extension with a strategic plan to try and reach every Texan. Matt Bochat has asked us to please complete it online. It only takes a couple of minutes and everyone’s opinion is valuable and needed.

Thanks,

Barbara, VCMGA President (barbaradavid111@yahoo.com)

https://agrilife.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3CMdFuyfmKhpjSu

http://tx.ag/texasspeaks

Please contact Matt Bochat with any questions or concerns.

Matt Bochat (bo SHAY), M.S.

County Extension Agent – Ag/Natural Resources

Victoria County

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

528 Waco Circle

Victoria, TX 77904

361-575-4581

mtbochat@ag.tamu.edu

Our ONLINE STORE is tentatively closed.

Watch for info about sales at Victoria Farmers' Market

Watch for Sales periodically in the VEG

PLANT SALE tentatively planned for Fall

Victoria County Master Gardener Association remains committed to protecting both our volunteers and the public we serve. We are allowed to have indoor programs at 100% capacity in our facilities if we can socially distance correctly. We are recommending continuing wearing masks. WE WILL BE HAVING HYBRID MEETINGS on Zoom and in Pavilion.

Nevertheless, the Victoria Educational Gardens at 283 Bachelor Drive remain open from dawn to dusk. Please feel free to stroll through the gardens. We continue to research and write the Gardeners’ Dirt which is published each Friday in the Victoria Advocate. We will endeavor to provide videos on various horticultural topics, frequently touching on topics that would have been featured in Lunch and Learn. Those videos will be available on our Facebook page and YouTube Channel. Learning with the Masters for 2021 is tentatively scheduled at VEG Pavilion at 283 Bachelor Dr. Our capacity is 100 to be able to properly socially distance.

Additionally, we welcome gardening questions you might have at nancyk@vcmga.org.

Thank you all who have provided your support throughout the years. We look forward to seeing you at our future programs and projects.

CLICK HERE for INFO on School Tours and Group Tours

See our YOUTUBE videos:

Succulents-Fat & Sassy Plants

by Marcia Kauffman, VCMGA Member

https://youtu.be/1ygUR3JHyD8

A Garden for Little People

https://youtu.be/qxvJ7fd4YxQ

Victoria County Master Gardener Marcia K has created this video on gardening with Fairy Gardens in the landscape or in containers. She includes many fun examples of how Fairy Gardens can be designed and enjoyed, including a whimsical creation at Victoria Educational Gardens. You can come out and see it for yourself at VEG at the Victoria Regional Airport.

https://youtu.be/52AqHjG35vw

Matt Bochat, Victoria County Extension Agent and Advisor for VCMGA made a wonderful video on April 11 showing Backyard Gardening with his own personal compact Keyhole Garden he planted in February 27, 2020. He and his sons built the garden two years ago. You can see the amount of vegetables he has and his composting feature in the middle of the garden that feeds and waters the plants.

You can also view and make comments and share on our FaceBook page.

https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaCountyMasterGardenerAssociation/videos/1589855754504434/

***Matt recommends doing a soil test. You can find information here:

http://soiltesting.tamu.edu/files/urbansoil.pdf

Soil Testing Information:

VCMGA Members. You can get your CEUs by watching Aggie Horticulture FaceBook Live Events.

CLICK for Schedule (Please notice this page has links to all the videos on FaceBook and you can also watch them on the page without going to FaceBook)

Events

Victoria County Master Gardener Association NEW YouTube Channel.

On the Calendar

Executive Board Meeting 3rd Tuesday

(Meet on Zoom - Look for invite by email)

General Meeting 4th Tuesday

(Meet on Zoom - Look for invite by email)

Plant Sales - Victoria Farmers' Market and Artisans on Main Street To Be Announced

Garden Tours - INFO HERE

Lunch & Learn - INFO for 2021 TBD

Saturday Seminars

Watch here for future seminars

EVENTS coming up in 2021

Check our events page for info!

Need the following?

Presentation, tour, order pavers, info...

A NEW TEXAS SUPERSTAR

“Lindheimer muhly grass is amazingly adapted to all parts of the state and turns fall borders into graceful wands of fawn and tan,”

– Greg Grant, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service horticulturist and Texas Superstar executive board member.

(Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Brent Pemberton)

“Lindheimer’s muhly is an extremely versatile grass with outstanding drought tolerance that makes an excellent native substitute for silvergrasses. This grass’s size allows it to serve as a low-input substitute for small to medium size shrubs.”

– Mike Arnold, Ph.D., Texas A&M AgriLife Research landscape horticulturist and Texas Superstar executive board member.

(Texas A&M AgriLife Research photo by Brent Pemberton)

Contact Matt Bochat/VCMGA Advisor:

MTBochat@ag.tamu.edu

528 Waco Circle-Victoria, TX 77904

Victoria County Master Gardener Association (VCMGA)

Mailing Address: P O BOX 3822, VICTORIA, TX 77903

Victoria Educational Gardens located at 333 Bachelor Drive

Open dawn to dusk every day!

VEG Pavilion located at 283 Bachelor Drive

2020 Photos at VEG

Mix Pix from Brynn
2. Thanks to young missionaries and all who helped put down new floor in VEG Greenhouse.

PHOTOS TAKEN AT VEG BY VISITOR

Read about our sweet VEG Cats here at the Victoria Advocate. Thanks to Chase Rogers

Find old photos of VCMGA HERE:

Contact us about our

2020-21 Cookbook Sales

Thanks for your support during recent Online Plant Sale: CLICK FOR PLANT DESCRIPTIONS

FACEBOOK LIVE PRESENTATIONS BY AGGIE HORTICULTURE

FACEBOOK LIVE Spotlighted

Any master gardener who needs CEUs may watch for credit.

Looking forward to "Learning with the Masters" in Victoria County. Tentatively planned for VEG Pavilion.

Monday, June 14-How to Hybridize Daylilies by Brenda Heinold

Monday, July 12-Importance of Native plants, including Trees, in the Landscape by Catherine Koenig

Monday, August 9-Save It for a Rainy Day: Preserving Your Harvest by Helen Parks

Monday, September 13-Pollinator Garden by Janet McCrea and Suzanne LaBrecque

Monday, October 11-Gardens of the World by Pat Plowman

Matt Bochat, Victoria County Extension Agent, takes us on a virtual tour of Victoria Educational Gardens: https://youtu.be/C-Se41l3DEw

Watch the VEG Tour Video on Facebook

Yes, we are still OPEN during face to face distancing. Come visit from dawn to dusk at Victoria Regional Airport.

Victoria Educational Gardens

Please come to visit VEG & Pavilion

at 333 and 283 Bachelor Dr.

Victoria, TX

SEE VEG Tours Schedule

All tours are postponed for now

until further notice.

If you go out to VEG, pleae enjoy this Scavenger Hunt created by Marcia Kauffman

Print OUT pdf of

Scavenger Hunt HERE:

Forms

Plants at VEG during November and December

Salvia madrensis, Country Girl Mum, Pandora Vine, Mexican Flame Vine, Blue Sky Vine, Hibiscus, Encore Azalea

PHOTOS BY PAT PLOWMAN

Pat harvesting the sweet potatoes just in time for the holidays!

How many MGs does it take to cut back the Butterfly Vine?

New signage in our herb garden - Thank you Barbara Buethe for printing the cute signs and Marcia Kauffman for providing the info.

A huge thank you to Brenda and Larry Heinold for donating this trailer so VCMGA can now keep up with hauling off cuttings!!! It's perfect.

PHOTOS BY BRYNN LEE

Above - Noreen giving "Fat Cat" a little loving;

Don't look, Matt! Joy trying to push water bubble between plastic layers of greenhouse!

Mr. Ed draining hoses;

Preparing for the big freeze! Thank everyone who helped put up all the plants from shade house to greenhouse, Joy, Eddy, Noreen, Sandi, Pat, Betty, Brynn, Ed, Jack and Barbara! Wrapped citrus trees, turned off the water and removed all the timers.

PHOTOS BY BRYNN LEE

Greenhouse Work Day -Thanks to all who came out and a special thank you to Mike for making Greenhouse Work Day a success for VCMGA!

PHOTOS BY BRYNN LEE

Butterfly Weed seed pods bursting open!! Hope the Monarchs will have lots to eat soon!

PHOTOS BY BRYNN LEE

More progress at VEG with the signs being put up by Michael and Jack.

PHOTOS BY BRYNN LEE

Boot was painted by Barbara David, Cindy Brewer, and Brynn Lee. The plaques are excellent. Thanks to whoever chose the perfect words.

PHOTOS BY BRYNN LEE

Cliff's 99th Birthday - October 26! Master Gardeners help him celebrate

PHOTOS BY BRYNN LEE

Happy Birthday to Laurel and Pat! Both celebrated a "milestone"!! They each had November birthdays.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY BRYNN LEE

Plant Sale at Victoria Farmers' Market

PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED BY TAMMY G.

Seating Ideas for the Landscape (from VEG)

Whether you are visiting VEG for ideas of what annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, or specialty plants to use in your landscape or if you need information about those plants-- you will also find ways to add seating to your own landscape. Come and enjoy VEG. There are many places in the shade to sit and relax or listen to the waterfall by the pond in between walking around and visiting special flowers and foliage.

These photos are a collections of seating places and hardscaping in the landscape.