SAN ANTONIO — A number of free or low-cost horticultural education opportunities will be available countywide early 2012 and beyond, said David Rodriguez, Texas AgriLife Extension Service agent for horticulture, Bexar County.
“AgriLife Extension and the Bexar County Master Gardeners association will present programs, seminars and other educational presentations and demonstrations in 2012 on various topics from vegetable gardening to landscaping and selecting, planting and pruning fruit trees,” Rodriguez said. “The vast majority of our community educational programs are free or at a nominal cost.”
He said to learn more about 2012 horticultural and gardening opportunities available through AgriLife Extension and the agency’s Bexar County Master Gardener volunteer program, go to http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu.
Programs or activities offered through AgriLife Extension for the first three months of 2012 will include:
— Jan.14 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Earth-Kind Gardening Series: The Home Fruit Orchard. Rodriguez will present this free program on the basics of growing fruit trees to be held at Schulz Nursery, 100 West Huebinger in Marion. For more information, call Rodriguez or Angel Torres at 210-467-6575.
— Jan. 21 from 9 a.m. – noon, Earth-Kind Gardening Series: Fruit Tree Planting and Pruning Seminar, Fanick’s Garden Center, 1025 Holmgreen Rd., San Antonio. Dr. Larry Stein, AgriLife Extension horticulturist from Uvalde, will present this free program on the basics of selecting, planting, growing, training and pruning fruit trees. For more information, call Torres at 210-467-6575.
— Jan. 28 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., Earth-Kind Gardening Series: The Home Fruit Orchard. Rodriguez will present this free program on fruit-tree growing basics at Schulz Nursery, 3700 Broadway, San Antonio. For more information, call Torres at 210-467-6575.
— Jan. 28 from 9 a.m. to noon, Fruit tree giveaway with accompanying jams and preserves demonstration on the Pearl Brewery grounds by Stein and Dr. Connie Sheppard, AgriLife Extension family and consumer sciences agent for Bexar County. One free fruit tree per family; the educational program is free.
— Early February — Children’s Vegetable Garden Program. For program application deadline, as well as registration and orientation information, go to http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu.
— Feb. 9-26: Free “Buckaroo Farms” youth activities at the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo, including ‘Pot-A-Plant’ on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; ‘Pollinator Pins’ on Sundays from 1-4 p.m; and ‘School Tours’ from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 13-17, 21 and 22.
— Feb. 29 – Application deadline for Spring Master Gardener Class #55 – Classes to be conducted 12-4 p.m. Wednesdays from March 7-May 30. For more information, go to http://www.bexarcountymastergardeners.org.
— March 3 from 10:30 a.m-noon, Free Spring Vegetable Seminar on selecting, planting and maintaining vegetables in a backyard garden, Fanick’s Garden Center, 1025 Holmgreen Rd., San Antonio. For more information, call 210-648-1303.
— March 24 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.., Free Spring Vegetable Seminar on selecting, planting and maintaining vegetables for a backyard garden, Cooper’s Garden Place, 87 Coopers Ln., Floresville. For more information, call 210-467-6575.
— March 31 – Free Spring Youth Gardens Educators’ Training from 8a.m.-noon at the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo grounds. For more information, call 210-467-6575.
“We will have the rodeo tomato and the Texas Superstar red-bluebonnet available for sale at the Master Gardener booth during the run of the San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo during February,” Rodriguez added.
Rodriguez will do a “Live Garden Chat” for mysa.com from 11 a.m.-noon on Jan. 31, Feb. 21 and March 27. He also can be heard from 7-10 a.m. each Saturday morning on the WOAI 1200 Garden Show with Bill Rohde.
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