October - Harris County Master Gardener

HARRIS COUNT Y MASTER GARDENER NEWSLETTER  O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0
Urban Dirt
A Great Season to Plant a Tree
by Douglas F. Welsh
Extension Horticulturalist
I
http://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu
f you've bought a tree at the recent Master Gardeners plant
sales, it's time to think about getting it in the ground. Luckily,
fall is one of the best times to plant most trees, giving them
plenty of time to establish strong root systems over the winter
before putting on new growth in the spring.
Ideally, select a site that is in full sun. Dig the hole twice as
wide as the root ball (or container), and no deeper than the height
of the root ball. The soil that you dig out of the hole is what you
use to backfill around the root ball. No soil amendments are
recommended when planting a tree; therefore, no compost, peat
moss, or shredded pine bark should be added to the backfill.
After planting the tree, build a 4-inch tall berm around the
edge of the hole. Fill the berm with a mulch (i.e. shredded bark
or compost). The mulch and berm make it easier to water the
tree and reduce weed competition. For most trees, staking is not
recommended; however, if the tree trunk is not sturdy enough,
use two stakes, one on either side of the tree, and give the trunk
support for the first year only.
Right after planting, water the tree in by filling the bermed
basin with water. This will settle the existing soil around the
root ball. For the first week after planting, lightly water the tree
every day (about one pint to one quart of water each day). The
second week, water every other day with about one to two quarts
of water. During week three, water every third day with two to
three quarts of water. Week four and beyond, water once a week
Plant a Tree ...................................... 1
Promising a Rose Garden ................ 2
Volunteer Opportunities ................... 3
Precinct 2 Happenings ..................... 4
News and Announcements ............... 5
if needed. These are just guidelines. Use your index finger to
check the soil moisture under the mulch. If the soil is cool to
the touch, do not water. If it is warm and dry, then water. More
plants are killed by over-watering than by under-watering. The
goal is to wean the tree slowly off of supplemental irrigation,
and produce a root system large enough for the tree to thrive on
natural rainfall.
Garden Gifts ..................................... 6
Master Gardeners of the Month ....... 7
Continuing Ed Opportunities ........... 8
Volunteer Hours Form...................... 9
Events Calendar.............................. 11
U R BA N D I RT  O C TO B E R 2 0 1 0
Promising a
Rose Garden
by Jeri Shaw
Harris County Master Gardener
any Master Gardeners visit the Antique Rose Arbor located
behind the Rose Deck directly behind the Texas AgriLife
Extension Service building. Roses are one of the most
popular plants with gardeners. During Extension’s plant sales, the
Rose Garden is filled with visitors who are interested in learning more
about propagating
and caring for roses in
their own gardens and
the rose bushes they
anticipate buying at
the sale.
Roses are among
the most admired
plants in the world
and this garden is
a huge asset to the
Extension program.
The garden
coordinator is
Master Gardener
Virginia Joiner
who works diligently
Roses are always popular garden flowers.
as a volunteer. She
volunteers by giving mini-courses to rose enthusiasts and helps
maintain the garden. The garden requires about six volunteers to keep
the plants healthy and appealing to the eye. The Antique Rose Garden
maintenance includes propagating, maintaining the area and the roses,
pruning and checking the irrigation systems weekly. In addition, the
mother roses located in other beds need to be checked regularly and
pruned and mulched in February.
Volunteers are welcome to help out any weekday that is
convenient for them, although Tuesday is the day most folks are
there to lend a hand. It is a privilege to be a member of the team that
volunteers in the Antique Rose Garden and a rewarding experience to
assist at the plant sales.
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3033 Bear Creek Dr
Houston, TX 77084
281.855.5600
fax 281.855.5638
CEA—Horticulture............................................. Dr. Carol Brouwer
281.855.5600
CEA—Horticulture.............................. Dr. Anthony W. Camerino
281.855.5600
Volunteer Coordinator................................................... David Parish
281.855.5600
Horticulture Secretary ............................................Sheronda Bryant
281.855.5600
Photo by Antique Rose Emporium
M
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
Horticulture Program in Harris County
Harris County Master Gardener Association
2009–2010 Board of Directors
President .............................................................................Ross Palmie
713.236.1010
First Vice President .......................................................Louis Mickler
281.482.7133
Second Vice President.........................................................Teresa See
713.464.8338
Past President .................................................................... George Frey
281.888.1699
Secretary ..........................................................................Linda Brewer
832.276.1050
Treasurer ................................................................................Jo Huskey
281.829.2956
Directors: Kristina Baldwin, Judy Franco, Ori Klein, Georgia
Lau, Peggy Moore, Susan Delcambre.
•
Precinct 2 Steering Committee Chair............................ Jan Kapner
281.487.2065
•
Urban Dirt Editor .............................................................. Rob Lucey
[email protected]
U R BA N D I RT  O C TO B E R 2 0 1 0
Volunteer Opportunities
Sign Up to Help at Fall Plant Sale and Expo
There are still several slots available to work at the Fall Plant Sale and Expo on Sept. 25. You can register at www.volunteerspot.com
to sign up online, sign up in the Master Gardener Room, or call David Parish at [email protected] or 281.855.5635.
Assistance Needed for School Gardening Programs
Several schools are seeking Master Gardeners to help with their gardening projects:
• Carmela Simmons, a first grade teacher at Millsap Elementary in Cypress, is trying to find help expanding its gardening program
by adding a couple of raised beds for vegetables and teaching students about gardening. Contact her via e-mail at CARMELA.
[email protected].
• The Brazos School Southwest Campus in the Hillcroft and Gulfton area of Houston is requesting help with vegetable gardening,
landscaping, and hydroponics. Contact Douglas at 281.258.0223.
• Barbers Hill ISD would like some one to teach second and fourth graders at four or five schools about vegetable gardening.
Contact Susan LeBlanc via e-mail at [email protected], or phone 281.385.6038, ext. 1258.
Help Sought for Fire Ant Booth at Home & Garden Show
Enjoy being bitten by fire ants? Fight back! Free your yard and your neighborhood of fire ants for next
spring by killing them this fall. Help cut down on their population by volunteering to work the booth
at the 15th Annual Texas Home & Garden Show at the Reliant Center (Hall B) on Saturday, Sept. 18,
10 a.m.–8 p.m., and Sunday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m.–6:30 p.m. Volunteers will work in shifts handing out
literature and answering questions. Volunteers receive free admission to the show and credit toward
their Master Gardener or Master Naturalist volunteer hours. No previous experience needed. Information on fire
ants and the Fire Ant Project will be provided prior to the show. Call Terrie Lenert at 281-855-5650 to help.
Sign Up Sheets Reveal Volunteer Needs in Extension Gardens
Each month the garden coordinators list the duties and required number of workers for gardens and affiliated duties around the
Extension Office, at the Outreach Gardens and for Cylinder Gardening. Check out the volunteer sign up forms in the Master Gardener
room – first column by the light switch – to see where volunteers are needed to work. Select an area that still needs people and report
for work. Sign-up prior to arrival is strongly encouraged as needs vary weekly. Contact David Parish at 281.855.5635 or dwparish@
ag.tamu.edu if you have questions.
Ma Bell Wants You to Answer the Call of the Phone Room
Master Gardeners and interns are needed to work in the phone room at the Extension Office. At least one Master Gardener per day
is needed to serve as a Mentor plus interns and Master Gardeners to assist. If you can't work a full day, half days are available as
well. This is a great way to get your volunteer hours and stay out of the weather. This is a busy time of year for the phones, so your
help is greatly appreciated. Don't wait to get your hours in. Sign up today by contacting David Parish at [email protected] or
281.855.5635. Or you can now sign up online at http://tinyurl.com/MGphoneroom.
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U R BA N D I RT  O C TO B E R 2 0 1 0
A
ll those die-hard volunteers
working in the Friendship
Gardens deserve our thanks and
praise. The heat and humidity have been
wicked, but they work anyway. One of our
new interns, Keith Homan, is a master
electrician and has already taken a look
at our electrical systems and made some
recommendations for repair.
Photo by HMNS
Precinct 2 Happenings
by Eileen Donovan
Harris County Master Gardener
The Autumn Clematis and Peruvian
Pavonia are putting on quite a show and the
Pink Surprise and Bouncing Bet (soapwort)
have started blooming. Butterflies must be
able to read because they are visiting the
Butterfly Garden in great numbers. Jan
Kapner continued to add shade-tolerant
tropicals from the greenhouse to the giraffe
bed including additional fig ivy for the
topiary itself. The area looks lush and
tropical, as it should.
Total production for the month of
July was 355 pounds. We harvested
watermelon, cantaloupe, butternut squash,
We had several visitors to the garden
okra, eggplant, peppers, Malabar spinach,
including James Denman who graduated
onions, greens, cucumbers, yard long
from P2 in 2002 but now serves Victoria
beans, peas, pears, figs, peaches, basil,
County as a Master Gardener. He was very
rosemary and arugula. New plantings
impressed with the improvements made in
in the vegetable garden include pink
the Genoa Friendship Garden since those
Could P2 be growing a celebrity flower
eyed/purple hull peas, orangetti squash
early days. Jan Kapner led a tour of the
like Lois at the Houston Museum of
and sweet potatoes. Most of the mini
garden for four women from the Tomball
Natural Sciences?
pumpkins and ornamental squash vines
Garden Club. They plan to return with
were infested with squash vine borers
the rest of their membership next spring.
and had to be ripped out. Gerry Gafka has an ongoing battle
Clayton Lau (Georgia Lau’s husband) built us a chickadee
raging with leaf rollers and can usually be found armed with BT.
birdhouse that has been hung in one of the trees.
Sid Kapner and other interns built an experimental raised
screen for use in the production garden. Because we have noted
insect infestation in produce that contacts the ground squash, we
expect that being able to guide new shoots through the screen
so that the fruit will develop on top of the screen instead of on
the ground will reduce insect and fungus problems. The screen
is being trialed in Plot D, so take a look at it when you are at the
gardens and you may want to try it in your own plots. Thanks to
everyone who worked on this.
The pond is beautiful with the blooming water lilies and new
flowers at the pond perimeter; the Texas Natives Garden received
new gayfeather, partridge pea, giant goldenrod and blue and
white mistflowers. The Shade Garden and nearby fence were
planted with violets, aurelia, moss rose and coral bells.
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The corpse flower that Terri Simon donated has sprouted
and been named Terri in her honor. Wouldn’t it be great if we
someday have crowds lining up to see and smell our very own
celebrity plant?
Gardenia is our new garden kitty. She wandered in and seems
happy in the garden and not overly skittish. Tom Solomon
and others keep her fed and watered so that she is not dependent
on her hunting prowess, but we hope she will keep the varmints
away from the crops. Our other resident animal, Captain Legarto,
the faux alligator in the pond, must be doing his job because
there have been no more reports of snakes and Brenda Hesse
still wades bravely in where others fear to tread.
The hospitality team is putting together an electronic
cookbook of recipes from P2’s gardeners. They hope to have it
completed by the holiday. More on that at a later date.
U R BA N D I RT  O C TO B E R 2 0 1 0
News and Announcements
Urban Bug Site Updated
Dr. Michael Merchant, professor and Texas AgriLife Extension
Service Urban Entomologist, has
updated his decade-old website
"Insects in the City" with more,
better-organized, easier-tonavigate information. There is
also a new subscriber feature
if readers wish to receive future
updates and news from the site.
The site is designed to provide information for agents,
volunteers and the public on insects, arthropods, and even a
few other pests. "A significant portion of phone calls to county
Extension offices each summer relate to insects around the
home and landscape," Merchant says. "If you or your office
staff sometimes struggle coming up with good answers to those
questions, the new Insects in the City website might be for you."
The web address remains the same: http://citybugs.tamu.edu/.
Humming into Lake Jackson
The Eighth Annual Xtreme Hummingbird Xtravaganza comes
to the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory in Lake Jackson on Sept. 18
with Barbara Burkhards
talking about butterfly
and hummingbird
gardening.
As thousands of
these tiny creatures
migrate through
the state, nature
enthusiasts welcome
them with nectarproducing plants and special
feeders filled with fresh sugar water. “Essentially, all the Rubythroated Hummingbirds that breed in the eastern half of the
United States and Canada — estimated at 7.3 million — migrate
along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico each fall,” says John
Arvin, the Observatory’s Research Coordinator.
Many Ruby-throats travel 600 miles straight across the Gulf
to the Yucatan Peninsula while some fly around the edges of
the Gulf to points in Mexico. Visitors can watch the thumbsized hummers at the observatory dart in and out of flowers like
lantana, trumpet-vine, and honeysuckle. Or spy them sipping
nectar at feeders hanging from tree limbs and building awnings.
Better yet, watch a bird-bander hold a tiny hummingbird while
taking measurements of the bird and clamping a thin, coded band
on one of its tiny legs. Visitors can also adopt a hummingbird,
browse the Nature Store, walk the nature trails, and buy plants to
attract hummingbirds and butterflies. Visit www.gcbo.org.
Bus Tour Visits Historic Galveston
Get a glimpse of Galveston's gardens Oct. 28 with a guided
step-on bus tour. This two-hour tour will include tree sculptures
carved from the ravages of Hurricane Ike, private gardens,
yards and community gardens located throughout Galveston’s
neighborhoods including the East End Historical District, Silk
Stocking Historical District, Cedar Lawn and Harbor View.
There will be a stopover at Forburg’s Farmer’s Market in
Alvin en route. The $5 fee covers the bus tour. Lunch at the
Sunflower Restaurant is on your own. Sign up at Hamburger
Tuesday, Oct. 5, at the Extension office.
Fruit Group Samples Pomegranates
The Fruit Study Group will learn all about pomegranates at its
Nov. 9 meeting. Featured speaker will be Richard Ashton, who
organized the first annual symposium on
Pomegranates for Texas in San Marcos
earlier this year. He has authored several
books on fruit crops. He plans to bring
some unusual pomegranate examples
he has grown in Brownwood, Texas, for
participants to sample. The group invites
participants to bring other examples of
this fruit, which is well-suited for Texas
growers. The meeting at the Extension Office begins with
desserts at 6:30 p.m. followed by the talk at 7 p.m.
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U R BA N D I RT  O C TO B E R 2 0 1 0
Garden Gifts
News from Our Outreach Gardens
by Kenneth Dorman
Harris County Master Gardener
T
For fall we have already planted three types of cucurbrita
moschata winter squash, Gina bush green beans and Japanese
multiplying onions. By the time you read this we will have added
beds of Savoy di Piacenza, Jersey Wakefield and Charleston
Wakefield cabbages and be preparing to plant lettuce, cilantro,
arugula and carrots. The big onions will be planted in late
December and potatoes in February.
The moschata winter squash is immune to the squash vine
borer because it has a solid vine and the varieties I selected are
an interesting mix. One is Carrizo, a butternut type; Guarijio
Segualca is a mixed breed looking squash of different shapes
and colors and lots of warts; and Magdalena, a pumpkin looking
thing. I hope the clients like them because if they don’t, I and the
volunteers will be eating a lot of calabaza con pollo and pumpkin
pie. Or, better yet, maybe we could get Jean Fefer to sell them
at the Urban Harvest Farmer’s Market for us.
Courtney Goff, who is a pastry chef, baked a beautiful
and tasty peach and strawberry cobbler, and Bobbie Wisecup,
Ron Smith and Barbara Harms brought ice cream and
drinks and the fixings and gave me a surprise birthday party in
the Gethsemane garden. It was wonderful! Of course, they all left
two days later on vacation except Courtney who is helping me
plant the fall garden.
Jean Fefer has propagated grape vines for us; now if we can
get some soil to fill in the swamp we will plant them in a row just
in front of the citrus trees, which incidentally, are looking very
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Photo by Kenneth Dorman
he little we have growing in the gardens looks
good in spite of the heat and the west wind; of course
having free water from the churches and automatic timers
helps. We do still have a drainage problem with six beds at the
Gethsemane garden, but we have been assured we will have
the problem corrected shortly. I hope so because we lost one of
our beautiful papaya trees to drowning before we realized how
serious the problem is. The new papaya trees in the Central
Presbyterian garden are loaded with fruit and the trees are only
three feet tall. We are still picking a lot of eggplants and many
kinds of peppers and will soon be digging the sweet potatoes.
Master Gardeners Celeste Mead and Elizabeth Castro tend to
a papaya tree at the Central Presbyterian gardens.
good. The winter rye and vetch I planted in July mostly burned
up, as I knew it would, but I had to plant it anyway. Now that the
weather is getting a little cooler, the second planting should give
us a nice cover crop in the orchard. Bob Strawn has brought
us some red clover seeds to put in the mix and with the purple
flowers of the vetch we should have some pretty color next
spring.
By far the best crops we have grown at the two gardens are
dedicated volunteers. All the people at Central have been with us
at least five years, and three of them a lot longer. We are just in
the second season at Gethsemane, but everyone there has been
with us from the start, and they labor every working day they
are not on vacation. Raising food for needy families is nice, but
toiling with and being around good folks is wonderful. It makes
me feel good most all the time.
Ayya Khema, in Be An Island, wrote, “If we’re looking for
outer conditions to bring us contentment, we’re looking in vain.”
Be happy with yourself.
U R BA N D I RT  O C TO B E R 2 0 1 0
Master Gardeners of the Month
Dr. Paul and Mary Ellen Hicks - Precinct 2
P
aul and Mary Ellen Hicks are honored as Master Gardeners of the
Month for August 2010. From their roots in Oklahoma, Paul and Mary have
brought with them their positive attitudes, a quiet, humble manner and their
active participation in community service. Commitment to community is an ideal
that Mary has carried on since her 4-H affiliations during high school.
Paul and Mary graduated with the 1996 Master Gardener class. We are proud
that, as Pasadena residents, they have been a part of the Precinct 2 family for many
years. Paul has been instrumental in several heavy lifting projects at the Genoa
Friendship Garden including establishing a bed specifically for the Peggy Martin
rose at the front fence and hauling mulch for all the rose gardens. He has moved
mulch, dirt and gravel on countless occasions for numerous projects including
the entrance to the classroom and was also responsible for moving large chunks
of gravel that now line the tropical gardens. Paul and Mary have always been
involved in the seeding and bumping up of vegetables as well as organizing the
vegetables for plant sales. Paul and Mary always help whenever asked. They share
their knowledge and love of gardening with all their Master Gardener family.
Nominate a Master
Gardener of the
Month
Volunteers are doing a wide varity of great
work, some quietly, some behind the scenes.
Do you know of such an individual? Please
submit nominations to the Membership
Committee by placing the individuals name
and why they should be selected in the
suggestion box in the Master Gardener room
or email them to [email protected] (Ext.) or
[email protected] (P2).
Paul and Mary celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary on Sept. 2. Paul, a semi-retired urologist, is currently teaching at Baylor
College of Medicine. They have raised two daughters, two sons and now have 10 grandchildren. Their family is a dominant force in
their lives. Their positive attitudes and dedication to community is a legacy of which they can be very proud.
Ethel Hodges - Extension Office
Photo by Aggie Horticulture
E
Lilium Vivaldi
thel Hodges is the September Master Gardener of
the Month. She was recognized for going above and
beyond after taking a call in the Master Gardener phone
room. A friend of long-time Houston horticulture fixture Sally
McQueen Squire called to say that Squire was moving into an
assisted living facility. That necessitated paring down Squire's
belongings — including the former author and book publisher's
600-plus volume horticulture library. Hodges not only accepted
the donation on behalf of the Extension office, but she and her
husband made numerous visits to Squire's home to pick up
loads of books and deliver them to the Extension office. Many
volumes have already been added to the reference library. Others
— including 15 cases of Squire's definitive book "A Gardener's
Guide to Growing Bulbs on the Gulf Coast" — are being sold.
The first glimpse of the collection was at Hamburger Tuesday in
September. The book sale will also be rolled out at the Fall Plant
Sale and Expo on Sept. 25.
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U R BA N D I RT  O C TO B E R 2 0 1 0
Continuing Education Events
September 2010
November 2010
Master Gardener Lecture Series
Master Gardener Lecture Series
Sept. 15. Daylilies by Nell Shimek, owner of Shimek
Gardens. The Meeting Room at Clear Lake Park (on the Lake
side). 10 a.m.
Nov. 2. Plants of the Bible by Master Gardener Jean Fefer.
Extension Office. Noon.
Sept. 21. Plant Sale Preview by Heidi Sheesley,
Treesearch Farms. Extension Office. 6:30–9 p.m.
Green Thumb Lecture Series
Sept. 16. Landscape Maintenance by Dr. Anthony
Camerino. Tracy Gee Community Center. 6:30–9 p.m.
MG Specialist Training Workshops*
Sept. 27-29. Tree Stewardship. Palestine. Obtain the
knowledge and skills required to communicate tree care and
stewardship information to others. 979.845.5341
October 2010
Nov. 16. Basics of Irrigation by Jay Hartley, Houston
Irrigators Association. Extension Office. 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 17. What is Organic Gardening by Dr. Anthony
Camerino. The Meeting Room at Clear Lake Park (on the Lake
side). 9:30 a.m.
Green Thumb Lecture Series
Nov. 2. Soils and Composting by Dr. Anthony Camerino.
Bass Pro Shops (Hwy 288 at Bltwy 8). 6:30 p.m.
Nov. 18. Fruit Trees for Harris County by David Parish,
Harris County Mater Gardener. Tracy Gee Community Center.
6:30–9 p.m.
December 2010
Master Gardener Lecture Series
Oct. 5. Buffalo Bayou Watershed by Robert Long, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers. Noon–1 p.m. Extension Office.
Oct. 19. Rainwater Harvesting by Tina Mirdjani.
Extension Office. 6:30 p.m.
Oct. 20. Year-round Care of the Landscape by Dr.
William Johnson. The Meeting Room at Clear Lake Park (on the
Lake side). 9:30 a.m.
Master Gardener Lecture Series
Dec. 7. Gardening with Natives by Flo Hannah, Houston
Audubon Society. Extension Office. Noon–1 p.m.
* Fees may apply. Visit http://texasmastergardeners.com or
contact the Harris County Extension Office, 281.855.5660,
[email protected] for registration details.
Green Thumb Lecture Series
Oct. 12. Tree Care by Dr. Carol Brouwer. Bass Pro Shops
(Hwy 288 at Bltwy 8). 6:30–9:30 p.m.
Oct. 21. Tree Care and Selection by Carol Brouwer.
Tracy Gee Community Center. 6:30–9 p.m.
MG Specialist Training Workshops*
Oct. 27-29. Irrigation Efficiency. Dallas. Learn system
control and water conservation techniques.
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All activities listed here are eligible for Master Gardener CEU’s.
U R BA N D I RT  O C TO B E R 2 0 1 0
Volunteer Hours
Service and continuing education
Instructions:
•You can submit and check your hours online anytime at http://hcmga.tamu.edu. Completed forms can also be submitted to David
Parish at 3033 Bear Creek Dr., Houston, TX 77084 or by fax: 281.855.5638.
•The list of Approved Service and Educational Activities is on the back of the printed form (next page if electronic.) Additional
qualifying events are listed in each issue of the newsletter (Urban Dirt.) Any exceptions must be approved in advance by Volunteer
Coordinator David Parish.
•Include address and phone number only if your information has changed.
•Call 281.855.5600 if you have questions.
Name: Address: Home: Cell: Work: Service Hours
Remember: only Approved Service and Educational Activities qualify for service hours.
Date
Job
Task
Hours*
* Number of hours volunteered
** Number of people you educated during volunteer activity
Contacts**
Total
Continuing Education
Additional qualified events are listed in each issue of Urban Dirt.
Date
Event/Location
Topic & Speaker
Hours*
Total
* Remember to include education hours only (i.e., don't include travel time to/from event, or transportation time during a tour.)
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Approved Service and Educational Activities
Continuing Education Hours
Approved Activities
Note: Additional events are listed monthly in Urban Dirt.
Service Hours
Green Thumb
Gulf Coast Fruit Study Group
Mercer Arboretum ed. events
MG Home Tour
MG Lecture Series
MG or Fruit Study Group Field Trips (not including any travel time)
State MG Conference
State MG Specialist Trainings
Other presentations by Texas AgriLife Extension Service speakers
Other event (prior approval required)
Association Business
Job
Task
Job
Board of Directors
Budget Committee
Fundraising Efforts
Meeting and Planning
Meeting and Planning
Book Sales [specify event]
Meeting and Planning
P2 Store
Fundraising Efforts
Task
Job
Task
Job
Task
Community Outreach
Armond Bayou Nature Center
CCSC Garden
Cockrell Butterfly Center
EIH Garden at UH Clear Lake
Gethsemane UMC Garden
Hermann Park
Houston Arboretum
Community Outreach
Mercer Arboretum
MG Habitat for Humanity Projects
Multi-Use Center Community
Garden
REACH
Ronald McDonald House
Shore Acres
Turning Point Community Garden
Plant Sale [specify sale] (Not
symposium, expo or workshop
associated with sale. See
Educational Activities.)
Rose Production – Ext.
P2 Steering Committee Meeting and Planning
Policies and Bylaws
Meeting and Planning
Community Outreach
Educational Activities
Job
Task
Ask a Master Gardener
Demonstration Garden Education Committee
Education Event
Plant Sale Educational Event
Host Kiosk; Meetings and Planning
Ext Activities at Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo; Levy Park Demo Garden
Meetings and Planning
[Specify event] Facilitate event; Hospitality; Meetings and Planning; Speaker/Presenter
[Specify sale & event] Facilitate event; Speaker/Presenter
(Do not include work at a plant sale unrelated to the educational event. See Association Business.)
Ext. Office Demo Gardens
Work in garden [specify garden]; Meetings and Planning; Tools & Equipment
Field Trips
Facilitate event; Meetings and Planning
Fire Ant Booth
Host Kiosk
Fruit Study Group
Facilitate event; Meetings and Planning; Speaker/Presenter
Genoa Friendship Garden – P2 Greenhouse; Meetings and Planning; Perennial Gardens; Production Gardens; Structures and Maint.
Individual Assistance
Assist individuals
Phone Room
Caller Assistance; Maintain Library
Publications
Bulk Mail; Data Entry; Editor; Fact Sheets; Meetings and Planning; Newsletter layout; Writer
Publicity
Flyer Distribution; Meetings and Planning; Press Release Distribution
Speakers Bureau
Meetings and Planning; Speaker/Presenter
Training Class – Ext
Facilitate event; Graduation; Hospitality; Meetings and Planning; Speaker/Presenter
Training Class – P2
Facilitate event; Graduation; Hospitality; Meetings and Planning; Speaker/Presenter
Extension Research Projects
Job
Task
Chilli Thrips Research Project
Green Roof Research Project
Data collection; Data Entry; Maintain gardens
Data collection; Data Entry; Maintain gardens
Volunteer Management
Job
Task
Awards
Office Assistance
Record Keeping
Facilitate event; Meetings and Planning
Clerical at the Extension Office
Data Entry; Meetings and Planning; Reporting
Youth Education
Job
Task
4-H
Cylinder Gardening
Junior Master Gardener
School Gardens
Science Fair
Judge contest
Assist teacher; Delivery; Meetings and Planning; Supply preparation
Group Leader or Facilitator; Host chia people activity; Host kiosk; Meetings and Planning
Meetings and Planning; Teach
Judge botany or horticulture contest
090724 v2
U R BA N D I RT  O C TO B E R 2 0 1 0
October 2010
Sun
3
Mon
4
Work Day: P2
Tue
5
Wed
6
Work day: Ext. Off.
Work day: P2
MG Lecture: Ext.
Off. Buffalo Bayou
Watershed by Robert
Long, Corps of Eng.
Newsletter deadline
Thurs
7
Fri
1
2
8
9
Make Your
Own Rain
Barrel
workshop
Ext. Off.
9 a.m.-noon
$50, RSVP
Mercer Lunch Bunch:
Fall Veg Tips by Brent
Moon
MG Board of Directors
Mtg: Extension Office
10
11
12
13
Work Day: P2
Work day: Ext. Off.
Work day: P2
Sat
14
15
16
20
21
22
23
Work day: Ext. Off.
Work day: P2
MG Lecture: Ext. Off.
Rainwater Harvesting
by Tina Mirdjani, MG
MG Lecture: Clear
Lake Park Meeting Rm.
(lakeside). Year-round
Landscape Care by Dr.
William Johnson
Green Thumb:
Tracy Gee CC.
Tree Care and
Selection by Dr.
Brouwer
Green Thumb: Bass Pro
Shops. Tree Care by Dr.
Brouwer
17
18
Work Day: P2
24/31
25
Happy
Halloween
Work Day: P2
19
26
Work day: Ext. Off.
27
28
Grow
Your Own
Vegetables.
Lee Cmmty
Cntr. 8:30
a.m.-2:30
p.m. $5 RSVP
29
30
Work Day: P2
11
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
3033 Bear Creek Dr.
Houston, Tx 77084
281.855.5600 fax 281.855.5638
http://harris-tx.tamu.edu/hort
http://hcmga.tamu.edu
U R BA N D I RT  O C T O B E R 2 0 1 0
Make Your Own Rain Barrel
Oct. 9, 2010
Extension Office 9 a.m.–noon
Do your part to alleviate regional water
shortages by harvesting rain.
$50 fee includes supplies and snacks.
Register by Oct. 5 – 281.855.5600
Limited to 45 participants.
http://harris-tx.tamu.edu/hort/event/201010.htm