Enjoying the Blooms, Birds, and Butterflies of South Texas!

The theme of the state Master Gardener Conference this year is “Blooms, Birds, and Butterflies” and they will experience these wonders here in south Texas, October 17, 18, and 19,2013. We’re hosting this conference and have a great line-up of tours, speakers, authors, and vendors. And, Master Gardeners are willing to share part of the conference with the public.

Friday, October 18, begins with a great bus tours, including Jaber Estate Winery in Mission, Rivers End Nursery (a tropical fruit trees) and Hill Top Gardens at Lyford (historic home of aloe vera), the Texas A & M Kingsville, Citrus Research Center and Estero Llano Grande State Park; along with USDA-APHIS at Moore Air Force Base, the largest insect and biological control research center in America.

The insect rearing facility at Moore Air Base has partnered with Master Gardeners to raise and release the tiny Tamarixia radiate, a little wasp that attacks the Asian Citrus Psyllid, the insect that carries citrus greening disease. This little wasp made the front page of the Houston Chronicle last Wednesday with a story about Dr. Dan Flores, entomologist and conference speaker, and our Master Gardeners who helped USDA. But our work is another story you can view on the conference web page!

After the tours, which include lunch, Chris Wiesenger, owner of Southern Bulbs and author of “The Bulb Hunter,” will open the conference. After Chris’s presentation, attendees have a choice of eight speakers in two sessions. These sessions range in topics, from establishing hummingbird gardens, coping with drought in the landscape, tips on roses, backyard strawberry production, pomegranates for south Texas, uses of native plants, and establishing butterfly gardens.

Saturday’s agenda, starts at 9:00 a.m. and runs to 3:00 p.m., offers a variety of gardening programs from a choice of twenty-four speakers! Lunch is included with Saturday’s registration. There is also ample time for shopping with over 40 vendors throughout the two day program. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for folks to see what Master Gardener’s do across the state to help serve Texans and participate in an educational program with speakers from across the country.

Cost of registration on Friday is $25.00 and the bus tour is $45.00, including lunch. A workshop on making your own bonsai is available for $35.00. The evening award program on Friday is private.

Saturday’s program is $60.00 for registration, including lunch. There are several points in the program where authors will be autographing their books. Texas A & M University Press will have a large variety of books for sale, including those of the speakers. For registration and program information, go to our web site at http://2013TMGAconference.org.

Barbara Storz is an Extension horticulturist with Texas A & M AgriLife Extension Service. She can be reached at (956) 383-1026, or by e-mail at [email protected].