In Houston, get gardening advice from Master Gardeners.
Master Gardeners in Houston are volunteers trained in horticulture by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service. They are members of the local community and participate in programs as teachers, speakers and guides. The Master Gardener program in Harris County, where Houston is located, sponsors educational programs for adults and children. Master Gardeners assist extension agents with other programs as well. Does this Spark an idea?
Gulf Coast Fruit Research Group
Established in 1987, the Gulf Coast Fruit Research Group maintains a demonstration orchard in Harris County’s Bear Creek Park. The orchard is open to the public and offers residents and homeowners the chance to see fruit trees that are well adapted for the Houston area. The study group also invites speakers with special knowledge of fruit crops, hosts field trips to local farms and publishes a newsletter for interested residents.
Cylinder Gardening Basics
In this hands-on program, children learn grow vegetables from seed to harvest. The program uses bottomless buckets as individual gardens. These small gardens are established in areas with little or no soil and are low-maintenance. Plants mature in 30 to 90 days, so children can watch their gardens grow quickly. It also teaches children that vegetables come from dirt, not the grocery store. As a variation, the Master Gardeners can adapt the curriculum to grow butterfly gardens.
Speaker’s Bureau
In Harris County, any interested group can schedule a presentation by a Master Gardener. Homeowners associations, local garden clubs, farmers markets and co-op members can request speakers on topics like composting, landscaping, native plants and organic gardening. Harris County Master Gardeners offer this service for free to groups of ten or more.
Lecture Series
Master Gardeners also participate in the Green Thumb Gardening series, providing free monthly lectures that are open to the public. The AgriLife Extension Service sponsors this lecture program, and the speakers include county horticulture agents as well as Master Gardeners. According to the Harris County Extension Service, these lectures are held at two locations in Houston. The lecture topics for 2010 include plant choices for Houston, lawn care and fruit trees for Harris County.
Tags: Master Gardeners, Harris County, Extension Service, Master Gardener, AgriLife Extension, AgriLife Extension Service
