Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: Liz Moore, 806-468-5543, Liz.Moore@ag.tamu.edu
Vikram Baliga, 806-775-1740, Vikram.Baliga@ag.tamu.edu
AMARILLO – A regional xeriscaping program on April 18 will offer those interested in conserving water and landscaping their homes in the High Plains and South Plains an opportunity to hear from the experts, program coordinators said.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service program will be offering “Xeriscaping in the South Plains” from 9 a.m. to noon in Lubbock and then “Xeriscaping in the High Plains” from 3-6 p.m. later that day in Canyon. The cost of each program will be $10.
This program is for those people interested in learning the best ways to be “water wise” in their landscape while maintaining curb appeal, said Liz Moore, AgriLife Extension horticulture agent in Randall County.
In addition, those attending will learn to catch and use the rain that falls on their roof for landscaping, said Vikram Baliga, AgriLife Extension horticulture agent in Lubbock County.
The Lubbock program will be in the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 1102 E. Farm-to-Market Road 1294. The Canyon program will be in the West Texas A&M University Agriculture and Sciences Building Room 101, 301 26th St.
For more information on the Lubbock program, call Baliga at 806-775-1740, and on the Canyon program, call Moore at 806-468-5543.
Rainwater harvesting and xeriscape design expert Billy Kniffen of Menard, formerly an AgriLife Extension state water resource specialist, will lead both programs on “how to turn your landscape into a beautiful xeriscape.”
The program will be the same at both locations, with the Lubbock Master Gardeners and the Randall County Master Gardeners, as well as other local experts, leading breakout sessions about water-wise plant selection, turf management and redesigning a landscape.
“This will be a great opportunity for homeowners to ask questions specific to their home,” Moore said.
“We are encouraging those who attend to bring pictures of their landscape so we can better address their interests and situations,” Baliga said.
In addition to AgriLife Extension, both programs are jointly sponsored by the High Plains Water District. The Canyon program is also sponsored by WTAMU, Canyon’s Edge Plants, Boyd’s Equipment and Irwin Greenhouses.
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