MASTER GARDENERS begin a new landscape design
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.
Victoria County Master Gardener Association