Losses
Sonnie Feagley, Administrative Assistant - Sonnie will be leaving our group on April 30. She has been a constant source of information, assistance, and expertise for the Master Gardener and Junior Master Gardener programs and all of Extension Horticulture for almost a decade. She will be transferring to Soil Crop Sciences in the Bio-Fuels project. We will miss her. Thank you Sonnie.

John Cooper, CEA-Hort, Denton County - John will be retiring from Extension on April 30. John has coordinated one of the most productive and well-managed Master Gardener program in the state. His horticultural expertise among the elite and his always-questioning mind has challenge us all to view issues and opportunity a different way. The search will begin soon for a suitable replacement for one of the best. Thank you John.

Andrew King, Extension Graduate Assistant - Andrew will be leaving Extension Horticulture on April 30, but stay within the Department of Horticultural Sciences as a Research Associate working for Mike Arnold. Since August 2007, Andrew has contributed significantly to the Texas Master Gardener program. He has received high praise from all who have interacted with him. He is one of the finest young horticulturists in the state, and a wonderful young man. Andrew intends on participating as he can with Master Gardener and Extension events and trainings. Thank you Andrew.

Addition
Jayla Fry, Extension Assistant - Jayla will start work on May 1 as an Extension Assistant and Texas Master Gardener Coordinator. Like Lisa Whittlesey, Jayla has served as the program coordinator for the Horticulture Technician Training program at the Bryan Federal Prison. For the past 3 years, she has taught every chapter in the Texas Master Gardener Handbook with over 90% pass rate on the certification exam administered by A&M; coordinated landscape installation and maintenance for the 26-acre prison campus; operated two 2,880 square foot greenhouses and coordinated bedding plant production therein; managed a half-acre vegetable garden with produce utilized by the prison food services; and successfully navigated the maze of administrative bureaucracy within the Federal Bureau of Prisons. I hope you will welcome Jayla and freely provide your expertise and support to her. Welcome Jayla.

Finally, Al Wagner, Extension Food Technologist and Dr. Picante Sauce, will focus his expertise and efforts to support the ever-increasing value-added arena in horticultural crops. Thank you Al for over a decade of service and leadership to Extension Horticulture.

As of this month, I have assumed the duties of Associate Department Head for Extension in the Department of Horticultural Science. For over 20 years, I have enjoyed coordinating the Texas Master Gardener program. We have had many successes and will have many more. I have enjoyed my association and fellowship with all the County Master Gardener Coordinators. I intend on maintaining those relationships as much as humanly possible in my new position. My thanks to each of your for your counsel, support, and friendship.

Regards, Doug - Douglas F. Welsh, Ph.D. Professor and Extension Horticulturist Texas AgriLife Extension Service 225 HFSB, Mail stop 2134 Texas A&M University College Station, TX 77843-2134 979-845-8568 979-845-8906 fax dougwelsh@tamu.edu

Kaufman County Master Gardeners

Marvin Dietel, Texas Master Gardener and Project Leader for the Kaufman County Earth Kind™ Rose Trial Garden Project , presented a brief short course on Earth Kind™ Roses to the Kaufman County Master Garden Association at the association March 3rd meeting.  Marvin explained that the Earth Kind™ Trial Garden is made up of three trial plots. The plots contain  a control rose variety ( Carefree Beauty) and 5 different rose varieties which are under test: Bright Melody, Julia Child, Malaguena, Pipe Dreams, and Rainbow Knock Out . The trial will help determine which rose varieties will be given the Earth Kind™ designation. The roses are planted at the new Kaufman County AgriLife Extension office on Hwy 34 North in Kaufman. The area is open to the public to visit.

What Are Earth Kind Roses?
Earth Kind is an important designation given to select roses by the Texas A&M University Agriculture program. Earth Kind Roses have been through rigorous statewide testing and evaluation by a team of horticultural experts and found to possess the high level of landscape performance and outstanding disease and insect tolerance/ resistance required to for this special designation.

Earth Kind Roses are among the most thoroughly tested and environmentally responsible plants for the use in Texas landscapes. These roses do very well in almost any soil type, from the well-drained acid sands of East Texas to the poorly aerated, highly alkaline clays of central and Southwest Texas. Earth Kind roses are certainly not immune to pest problems. However, their tolerance to pests is so great that they rarely require the use of chemical pesticides.  The number of roses that have received the Earth Kind™ designation continues to grow as more and more varieties are tested and meet the criteria.

The Kaufman County Master Gardener Association’s annual Spring Seminar will be held Saturday April 5th at the Church of Christ in Terrell. This event is free to the public. Information on square foot gardening, Earth Kind  landscaping, beekeeping, composting, rainwater harvesting, and new plants for 2008 will be available at this event.

For more information on any of these topics, the Spring Seminar, or to learn more about the Texas  Master Gardeners contact us at Kaufman-Tx@tamu.edu or call the office at 972-932-6069. 

SOMERVELL COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS AT WORK IN THE COMMUNITY

On Saturday, April 19, the SCMGA participated in Fossil Rim’s early celebration of Earth Day.  Attendees at our booth were able to purchase native and adapted plants as well as rainwater harvesting barrels.  Master Gardeners were on hand to answer questions about the plants and rain barrels as well as explain some of the benefits of using native/adapted plants and wise water usage.  The public will have another opportunity to purchase inexpensive native and adapted plants at our May Public Program.  Submitted by Sandi Stringer

On April 22, we had a major workday at Heritage Park.  This is home to our EK Rose Trial Garden, which was just planted in March.  The roses are already looking robust and are blooming; additional mulch was added to prepare them for the Texas summer.  From there we moved to the Farr house, which is a historical building near the EK Rose garden.  The SCMGA has landscaped and maintained the area around this building for several years.  After some weeding and mulch application the spring blooming plants really showed their outstanding color.  It was a busy and gratifying day for all.   We hope that residents will visit Heritage Park and enjoy walking around the gardens. Submitted by Sandi Stringer

BEXAR COUNTY MASTER GARDENER SCHOLARSHIP in HORTICULTURAL STUDIES*
$2000 2008-2009 Academic Year Qualified applicants must: ● be a Texas resident. ● be at the sophomore level (24 hours) or above with at least a 2.8 GPA. ● continue studying on a full-time basis for the 2007-2008 academic year at a Texas institution. (Full-time enrollment is defined as a minimum of 12 hours for an undergraduate and 9 hours for a graduate student.) ● major in Horticultural Science, Landscape Design, or Turf Grass Management. *Two $2000 scholarships are available for the 2008-2009 academic year. Deadline to apply: June 30, 2008 Additional information and Applications are available at the Bexar County Master Gardener website:
http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/HomeHort/MasterGardener/BCMGIndex.htm

Somervell County Master Gardeners Association

EARTHKIND ROSE TRIAL GARDEN TRAINING Tuesday, April 15th, members of the Somervell County Master Gardeners attended a joint training session with Hood County Master Gardeners to learn the process for evaluating the performance of the rose cultivars planted in their test gardens. The training session was taught by none other than Dr. Steve George, Extension Landscape Specialist, Texas AgriLife Extension Service and founder of the EarthKind Rose program. After the training session, Dr. George inspected the Glen Rose EarthKind Rose Test Garden and was very pleased with the site selection, bed preparation and the health and appearance of the newly planted roses. The purpose of the training was to ensure all participants evaluate the test roses throughout Texas in a similar and consistent manner. Those attending the training from the Somervell County Master Gardeners included, Sandi Stringer, Yvonna Brown, Carolyn Norman, Joan Orr, Donna Hagar, Bob Lancaster and Extension Agent Josh Blanek.
Article written by Bob Lancaster, Chairman of the EarthKind Rose Committee Somervell County Master Gardeners Association

TEACHING CHILDREN ABOUT GARDENING - ARANSAS/SAN PATRICIO MASTER GARDENERS

In April and May 2008 the Aransas San Patricio Master Gardeners have a schedule jam-packed with learning activities for kids and will teach and reach about 500 children in all at various events. For more information, contact the Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners at 361 790-5456 or via email at aransas-tx@tamu.edu.

1 - On April 8, 2008, Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners, brought a special program to 175 Ingleside School District first graders. The five classes of first graders were divided up and the Master Gardener Team rotated through the groups. Each Master Gardener had an informative and fun filled 12 minute program that was presented 5 times. Those presenting were:  Mary Ann Davis--seeds, plant growth, Pat Baugh--compost, soil, Ellen Reisinger--Parts of the Plant that we eat--veggies, etc, Frances Frizzell--Good Bugs, and DJ Chilcoat--Bad Bugs. The program is the culmination of a unit on plants the children completed.

2 - On April 19, 2008, Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners host Kids Garden Fest, a fun filled day in the Children’s Discovery Garden for ages 4 to 12. Approximately 100 children are expected to attend and enjoy activities and a Learning Loop in the Children’s Discovery Garden.

3 - On May 20, 21 and 22, 2008, the Aransas/San Patricio Green Acres Demonstration Gardens, will be hopping with Rockport/Fulton third graders. In all, 220 will visit over three days. During their 3 hour stay at the Gardens, they will enjoy a learning loop of stations with activities related to gardening and the environment. Each child will receive a learning packet of “garden goodies” to take home.

Highland Lakes Master Gardener Association

NEW MASTER GARDENERS COMPLETE TRAINING The 2008 Master Gardener Class from The Highland Lakes Master Gardener Association gathers with Coordinator Roger Scarborough for their final class at the home and gardens of Sylvia Williams at Stonebidge. They have completed a ten week training program and will be certified after completing their service to the community. Class members include Sue Allis, Linda Armstrong, Sam Center, Mike Childers, Sammye Childers, Cynthia Chisolm, Amy Cowan, Marilyn Curtis, Marta Day, Deborah Douglas, Dennis Ellison, Nancy Gramm, Pamela Green, Billie Gunther, Nancy Heath, Candace Henderson, Joyce Howell, Teri Kimball, Nancy Kinard, Donna Maier, Lynn Melvin-Deville, Glenda Moore, Mark Morgan, David Richison, Debbie Roper, Jayne Schoonmaker, John Shuber, Donna Swanson, Judy Vanatta, and Terri Whaley. The Highland Lakes Master Gardeners and Texas AgriLIFE Extension offer classes each spring to those who wish to increase their knowledge of Hill Country gardening and serve the community with their knowledge and skills.  Submitted by Marilyn Curtis

Bell County Master Gardeners

Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay, legends in herb gardening, garden design and uses of herbs welcomed Bell County Master Gardeners to their home at Festival Hill in Round Top. The group of 48 master gardeners and interns were awed by the beautiful and unique grounds of Festival Hill.

Victory Boxes

In April 2004, Mary Margaret Halleck of Colleyville, Texas, started sending goodie boxes to her stepson and his unit in Iraq.

When her stepson, Tom Halleck, returned from Iraq in November 2004, she randomly sent boxes to other soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan until she received a letter from LT Gary Bartholomew who requested school supplies to win the hearts of the children.

After she started sending those items she learned from Gary and other soldiers how this outreach builds faith and trust with the people towards our soldiers and our country. Eventually boxes of shoes, socks, and even used clothes from her friends and nearby garage sales were sent to help the children.

It was gratifying to hear that the simple act of giving a pencil, beanie babies or candy to an Iraqi child led to the discovery of storehouses of dangerous weapons. Everyone was safer when these were removed by our soldiers. This was also a way to help build a better Iraq and to develop a positive spirit with the future leaders of a free country - one child at a time.

In June 2005, Mary Margaret enlisted the help of her friends to find ways to send more supplies to the children and people of Iraq so victory would be near and our soldiers could come home.

After many discussions the Victory Box was born. The weekend of October 1st, 2005, Mary Margaret and a few friends handed out Victory Boxes at the Fort Worth Home and Garden Show. Over this weekend, 128 Victory Boxes were handed out.

Encouraged with the support, Mary Margaret went on to speak at numerous venues where she could actually explain and show pictures of the great things our soldiers are doing to help the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

She has also handed out Victory Boxes in many different places including the Sam’s store in Grapevine, Texas, the Neil Sperry Home and Garden Show in Arlington, Texas, Southlake Stars and Strips Celebration, etc, and many civic groups.

In the Spring of 2007 Mary Margaret and her fellow Tarrant County Master Gardeners and members of the Fort Worth Gardening Council and Seeds for Life of Houston, Texas and began collecting items and donations for postage to send Victory Gardening Totes to Iraq and Afghanistan. In November 2007 the first 200 were shipped. As of April 30th, 2008, 499 of the Victory Gardening Totes had been shipped.

Victory Boxes are now available for pick-up at the Southlake Library, Mail Boxes Plus across from TCU in Fort Worth, Hart Pool in Colleyville and there are people working hard to distribute Victory Boxes in Houston, TX, Tallahassee, FL, Canby, Oregon, Seattle, WA and Colorado Springs, CO.

In over 3 years almost 14,000 Victory Boxes have been sent from over 40 states.

Effective June 14th, 2007, Victory Boxes became a non-profit organization 501(c) 3.

In January 2008 Victory Boxes became a member of the Department of Defense, America Supports You. If you are interested in becoming involved in this project send e-mails to: hallack@mac.com