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Special Events |
 Garden memories inspire man to teach children Williamson County Master Gardener wins JMG Extension Educator of the Year
Williamson County Master Gardener Neil Cochran (right) wins JMG Extension Educator of the Year at the annual Master Gardener Conference in Conroe. Neil was presenter his plaque during the awards luncheon where all of the winners were announced. Neil has been recognized by the Texas Master Gardener Association as an outstanding communicator for the state and has chosen him as the JMG coordinator for the state association. Neil has tirelessly worked to establish the Junior Master Gardener Program in Williamson County and through his efforts we have been able to use the greenhouse belonging to Georgetown Independent School District which we use as a teaching tool as well as propagation center for the plants we sold as a fund raising event. Congratulations to Neil Cochran for putting Williamson County at the forefront of the JMG program.
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WCMG's Rare Sighting 
On December 8th, 2007 Christine Powell, a newly graduated WCMG was volunteering at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center when the seed cleaners were told of a rare sighting and a marvelous learning oppurtunity. Everyone rushed out to the nursery to view a lone Malachite butterfly as it fluttered and danced in the breeze on the balmy fall morning. Eventually, it landed on the rotten and decaying fruit of a Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana) where it joined other like minded insects getting one last sweet meal before the onset of winter.
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 The Butterfly is Siproeta stelenes (Malachite) according to the Butterflies and Moths of North America site. It has not been recorded in Travis County before so all who gathered around were, not just enchanted, but exhilarated at such a wonderful sighting. Usually found from Brazil north through Central America, Mexico, and the West Indies to southern Florida and South Texas with a rare stray into Kansas. The southern Florida populations have become established since the 1960s; presumably having emigrated from Cuba.
Males perch on shrubs in forest or orchard openings and sometimes patrol for females with a slow, floating flight. Adults roost together under the leaves of low shrubs. Adult enjoy rotting fruit and will occasionally feed on bird droppings and nectar from flowers of lianas, trees, and sometimes herbaceous plants. Malachites may feed all day long and may fly to flowers 38 feet high in the canopy.Eggs are laid singly on host plant leaves, which caterpillars eat and rest beneath. There are usually two to three broods during the summer; one brood of the winter form hibernates. Hosts plants include Cafetin (Blechum brownei) and ruellia (Ruellia coccinea) in the family Acanthaceae. Other MGs may wish to consider these plant species in order to promote the survival of this beautiful butterfly, now that it has expanded into our area.
Photos courtesy of Christine Powell
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Doug Welsh's Texas Garden Almanac 
Think of Doug Welsh's Texas Garden Almanac as a giant monthly calendar for the entire state—a practical, information-packed, month-by-month guide for gardeners and "yardeners." This book provides everything you need to know about flowers and garden design; trees, shrubs, and vines; lawns; vegetable, herb, and fruit gardening; and soil, mulch, water, pests, and plant care. It will help you to create beautiful, productive, healthy gardens and have fun doing it.
Writer, educator, and broadcaster Doug Welsh gives a wealth of practical gardening advice in this book. Encouraging us to "think like a plant," Welsh holds pruning school in February, conducts a lawn clinic in April, builds a perennial garden in September, and shows us how to grow fresh vegetables for Thanksgiving. Yet this barely scratches the surface of all that is offered in this comprehensive, fun-to-use guide. With colorful and instructive illustrations and helpful information boxes, plant lists, charts, sidebars, and tips, the book is written in the engaging, conversational style that anyone who has listened to Welsh's radio show will recognize.
Whether your passion is roses or green beans, wildflowers or trees, reading this book is like having a personal garden consultant and friend at your side. Doug Welsh's Texas Garden Almanac will inspire you throughout the year and make you more eager than ever to get out into your garden.
DOUG WELSH is a professor and extension horticulturist at Texas A&M University and statewide coordinator for the Texas Master Gardener program. He hosts a gardening call-in radio show and provides gardening tips on television each week. He has also written a book on xeriscaping and is coeditor of the Texas Master Gardener Handbook.
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Fall is for Planting
 Remember everyone - Fall is for planting. Local nurseries are full of plants just waiting to beautify your gardens. Let's get out there and plant. Whether you desire natives or adaptive plants, why not share your finds with other Master Gardeners and just maybe we can add new heights of beauty to our neighborhoods.
Asclepias asperula ssp. capricornu
Antelopehorns, a member of the milkweed family and a great Monarch butterfly plant. Photo courtesy Christine Powell. |
Great learning oppurtunity
 This fall, October 18th-21st, Georgetown hosted the 2007 Joint Symposium of the Native Plant Society of Texas (NPSOT) and the Native Prairies Association of Texas (NPAT) and what a success it was. Held at the beautiful location of Sun City the symposium was graciously welcomed. The weekend was full of great speakers and presentations with field trips in the afternoons. Although not really a gardening seminar there was lots to learn about the area we live in, the soil that is here and the native plants that grow to give this area its special character. Local gardens that have embraced naive plants were visited and all of us will who attended were able to take some new knowledge away.
As a special treat Williamson County NPSOT was awarded Chapter of Year 2007. This is quite a coveted award from the outgoing President who is solely involved in the decision. Williamson County NPSOT had been hoping to receive this highly prized award ever since they became a chapter in 1997. The Chapter has become increasingly involved with all sorts of happenings in our county and they intend to continue with their work. |
Now theres what I call some bugs!
It is hard to know if halloween has come early to Lake Tawakoni State or if they have a really bad spider problem. This natural wonder has been created by as many as eleven different spider familes of which the most prevalent species is the Tetragnatha guatemalensis. The range of this particular spider is from Canada to Panama as well as parts of the Caribbean. This arachnid is about an inch long with a reddish-orange head and thorax. The massive spider web covers several acres of oak-elm woodlands along trails in the state park. It is not really known why the huge web has been created but it is possible that it is the result of “mass dispersal.” In such an instance, millions of tiny spiders or spiderlings spin out silk filaments to ride air currents in a phenomenon known as “ballooning.” The Parks increased spider population is probably the result of our very wet summer which has lead to the abundance of small insects on which the spiders feed.
I guess from now on none of us will complain about the odd spider web or two on our garden plants.
Park Photo by Donna Garde on 08/23/07 © Tx. Parks & Wildlife Dept.
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Oak Wilt Seminar
 Oak Wilt In Williamson County
Oak Wilt is a fungal pathogen which causes death to a large number of liveoaks and red oaks every year. Trees can be infected by this pathogen in two manners:
1. exposure vascular tissue to fungal spores at an open wound, or
2. movement of the fungus through the interconnected root system of liveoaks.
The Williamson County Extension Office receives a large number of phone calls, office visits, and County Extension Agents conduct site visits to educate people concerning this issue. In order to increase awareness concerning Oak Wilt, the Williamson County Extension Office and the Parks and Recreation Departments of the Cities of Georgetown, Round Rock, and Hutto hosted an Oak Wilt Educational Seminar on Tuesday, October 2, 2007. Almost one hundred people attended at the Central Maintenance Facility Training Room located at 3151 SE Innerloop Road in Georgetown, making this an exceptionally successful evening.
Image: Courtesy Texas A&M University
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MG 2008 State Conference  Montgomery County Master Gardeners invite you to join fellow Texas Master Gardeners for the 2008 Texas Master Gardener Conference April 24-26, 2008 in Conroe, Texas. The 2008 Conference promises opportunities for sharing gardening interests, fun, educational activities and enjoyment of the numerous amenities offered in the lovely Lake Conroe area of Montgomery County. Registration forms will soon be available the MCMG web site. The host hotel for the conference will be announced soon along with other lodging options. For a great learning experience and a delightful time come to the 2008 Texas Master Gardener Conference. April 24-26, 2008 - Conroe, Texas
Visit Website - Texas Master Gardener Conference
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Keep Checking A website to keep an eye on is the Texas Master Gardener Association main site at Texas Master Gardener Association. This is a continually changing program of events that provide opportunities for us all.
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