Master Gardener Gazette-Nueces County, TX May 2020 Edition 48 Page 1 Nueces Master Gardener Gazette Nueces County, Texas

The mission of the association shall be to organize and promote volunteer efforts that support the AgriLife Extension programs that are advancing sound horticultural practices in Nueces County (nueces.agrilife.org)

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Holidays/Spring Feeling ...... 1 NMG Meeting/Projects ...... 2 Food Bank/Birthdays ...... 3 NMG Mtgs/Societies-Clubs....4 Local & Regional Events ...... 5 Future Events/Firescape ...... 6 Online & TV Education ...... 7 Farmers Mkt/Fam Fun ...... 8 Newsletters/Farmers Mkt ...... 8 Crossword ...... 9 COVID-AgriLife Ext Office .....10

2020 NMG LEADERSHIP

President-Beth Spirko VP 1-Vince Muscarello VP 2-Madi Church Secretary-Betty Whitt

Treasurer-Norma Hernandez (Year 2) Members at Large- Paul Parr Linda Lamprecht (Year 1) Agnes Hamilton (Year 1) State Directors- Carlos Valdez, Sr. (Year 2 President Elect) Deb Holliday (Year 1) Alternate: Karen Easton Gazette Editor-Kelly Denson Master Gardener Gazette-Nueces County, TX May 2020 Edition 48 Page 2

Nueces Master Gardeners Monthly Meetings Next Mtg: Tuesday, May 19, 2020 TENTATIVE-As of 5/13 the Center is still Closed (See page 10 for Virtual mtgs until Center Opens) Location: Garden Senior Center—5325 Greely Drive 11:00 a.m.—Board of Directors Meeting (Open to MGs Only) 11:30 a.m.—Meet & Greet Pot Luck Lunch—Menu TBD (Open to Public) 12:00 p.m.—Presentation/Education (Open to Public) NMG Awards Presentation 12:30 p.m.—General Meeting (Open to Public)

Interns and MGs are invited and encouraged to attend the monthly meetings.

Attend the entire meeting and you will earn 1 hour for the Board Meeting, 1 hour for the General Meeting and 0.5 hour for CE.

Get Connected Stay Informed Earn Hours

EARTH-KIND BEDS AT BOTANICAL GARDENS— Each of the five beds is maintained by a team, whose work day may vary. The group meets Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. If you would like to get involved contact Paul Parr for information at [email protected].

FOOD BANK PROJECT—The group meets Tuesdays at 7:30 a.m. (except MG meeting day, then Wednesday) to maintain the vegetable beds and plan for the upcom- ing growing season. FMI contact Mary Lambert at 813.7596 or [email protected] GARDEN SENIOR CENTER COURTYARD—The 1st Monday of the month at 8:00 a.m. begins the work session during which MGs prune, weed, and generally shape up the courtyard. FYI contact Jessica Latimer at 563.6008 or [email protected] RAY HIGH SCHOOL GREENHOUSE—Student activity times in the garden are 9 a.m. to 9:50 a.m. and 11 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. MGs help co- ordinate student work in the garden area and offer hands-on gardening instruction. To get involved contact Alene Burch at [email protected]. BOTANICAL GARDENS & NATURE CENTER (STXBOT)—MGs can help out at the STXBOT any time during business hours. There is always something that needs to be done within your abilities. Check in at the Gift Shop for assignments & to record your volun- teer hours.

Master Gardener Gazette-Nueces County, TX May 2020 Edition 48 Page 3

JUNE 1 to NOVEMBER 1

CONFIRMED! All home-grown produce may be donated to the Coastal Bend Food Bank Monday-Friday 8am—4:30 pm 826 Krill St—361.887.6291

5 - 16 Kathie Fernandez class 27 6 -01 Linda Early class 28 5 - 21 Rosemary Plank class 26 6 - 01 Huxley Smith class 16 5 - 23 Michael Bishop class 26 6 - 02 Barbara Ann Moses class 28

5 - 25 Theresa Stelzig class 20 5 - 28 Lisa Schmidt class 26

Master Gardener Gazette-Nueces County, TX May 2020 Edition 48 Page 4

Nueces Master Gardener Meetings/Events

 Every Fri @ 3pm—NMG Microsoft Teams Virtual Meetings. Download the app on your computer or phone and click here to email Kevin Gibbs to get on the invite list with the meeting link. See page 10 of the Gazette for more info

 Tentative- Fri—5/22 @ 1:30 pm - Monthly NMG Plant Sale Meeting at GSC

 Tentative-1ST Mon 6/1 @ 8am—Monthly Gardening Maintenance of Greely Senior Center (GSC) Courtyard (First Monday of every month)

 Fri 6/5. Submissions from Assigned & Volunteer contributors are due for Newsletter to Kelly Denson ([email protected]). The Gazette will be published without submissions if not received by deadline.

 Tentative-3RD Tues 6/16 Monthly Nueces Master Gardener Meeting at GSC (see page 2 for details) Pot Luck Lunch Theme: TBD

 Tentative-3RD Friday 6/19 @ 2:30 pm Learning to Grow Meeting at GSC (Third Friday of eve- ry month)

 2ND Tues at 10 am @ GSC—Garden Council meet the second Tuesday of the month Sept. through May (except December) at 10 am @ GSC, for info contact 361-443-1821. Receive CE hours for this club’s presentations.

 3RD Tues at 6:30 pm @ STXBOT. TX Master Naturalists meet the third Tuesday of the month (except Dec/June/July) 6:30pm at the Botanical Gardens Education Bldg, for info: https:// txmn.org/st/

 4TH Wed at 6:30 pm @ GSC—The Plumeria Society meet the fourth Wednesday of the month 6:30pm at GSC, for info contact 469.853.8523

 4TH Thurs at 7 pm @ GSC —The Bonsai Society meet the fourth Thursday of the month 7pm at GSC, for info contact 361-443.6858

 4TH Thurs at 7 pm @ STBOT—The Bromeliad Society meet the fourth Thursday of the month 7pm at the Botanical Gardens, for info contact 361-739.9889

 1ST Wed at 7 pm @ GSC—The Coastal Bend Cacti & Succulent Society meet the first Wednes- day of the month 7pm at Greely Senior Center (GSC), for info contact 361-852-7700

Master Gardener Gazette-Nueces County, TX May 2020 Edition 48 Page 5

Coastal Bend Meetings/Conferences/Training/Volunteers/Group Participation

Wetlands Preserve & Learning Center has monthly Walks & Talks.

 March 28-May 22, 2020—Walk Across Texas is still happening! If walking isn’t an option, here are exercise equivalents. Check out your Nueces County Challenge via Facebook!

• Weekly Educational Classes Saturdays 10-11am at Gill Nursery. For more info call 361.992.9674 or go to their website. • Weekly Educational Classes Wednesdays 10-11am & Saturdays 9:15-10:15am at South Texas Botanical Gardens. For more info call 361.852.2100 or go to their website and click the “education and events calendar” for a specific month or the full year. • Free monthly Orchid-ology Class meets the first Thursday of the month 7:00pm at the Botanical Gardens Education Center.

State-Wide Meetings/Conferences/Training/Education/Events FREE VIRTUAL  Thurs 5/21/20 2:00pm-3:00 pm - ALL ABOUT TREES: Forests, Water & Peo- CLASS ple. Click HERE for more info and to Register for this Free Class

 ONLINE! Every Wednesday & Friday at 1:00 pm—Aggie Horticulture Facebook Live Events

 Happenings! Texas Master Gardener Association https://txmg.org 979.845.3308 Click here for Events Calendar or Events List.

 Give Info/Get Info through the largest citizen-driven science project: The Big Bug Hunt . Identify and report pests found in your area! Led by Growing Interactive, the provider of the world's lead- ing apps for gardeners.

 Sat-Sun 5/2-17/2020 North American Beekeepers Mite-a-Thon

 CANCELLED Tue-Thurs 5/26-28/2020 @ Bexar County - San Antonio, TX. Advanced Training: Texas Superstars® Master Gardener Gazette-Nueces County, TX May 2020 Edition 48 Page 6

 Sat 6/20/2020 @ Denton Convention Center-Denton, TX. TX Beekeepers Summer Clinic fea- turing world renowned keynote speaker Thomas D. Seeley.

 Sat-Sun 8/15-30/2020 North American Beekeepers Mite-a-Thon

 Friday 8/28/2020 @ South Texas Botanical Gardens - Corpus Christi, TX Moonlight in the Gardens event.

 Fri-Sun 9/11-13 @ American Bank Center - Fall Home & Garden Show

 Thurs-Sat 9/24-26/2020 @ Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX. Advanced Training: Rainwater Harvesting

 Wed 10/7/20 @ Agrilife Dallas Center - Turfgrass & Landscape Field Day 2020-Save the Date

 Sat 10/10/20 at 9:00 am @ Garden Senior Center - Corpus Christi, TX. Nueces Master Gar- dener Annual Plant Sale

 Thurs-Sat 10/15-17/2020 @ Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX. Advanced Training: Green- house Management

Tomato Container Gardening—Common Mistakes

If you missed the April 30th virtual meeting “Preparing for Wildfires with Firescaping,” click the title for a previously recorded training.

B Best Edibles for Pollinator Gardens

Master Gardener Gazette-Nueces County, TX May 2020 Edition 48 Page 7

• On PBS see show times & more re: GardenSmart.tv or In the Garden with Bryce Lane. On sister station CreateTV watch Growing a Green- er World & P. Allen Smith’s Garden Home • Purchase Amazon Prime and watch shows like Gardener’s World, Love your Garden, Big Dreams Small Spaces, Garden Rescue • You can also catch Growing a Greener World & Joe Gardener on Fa- cebook TV with Joe Lamp’l • Find Vegetable Gardening Instruction Videos at Growveg.TV • Even if a show is no longer being filmed, you can search online for “gardening shows” and find lots of YouTube or website-based epi- sodes!

VIRTUAL EVENT GREEN AGGIES? YUP!

Mondays at 6:00 pm—Aggie Turfie Tuesdays Talks Click their Facebook page for live Q&A on any questions you may have from the previous week's video or other relevant turf topics. Thursdays in May at 12:12 pm CDT—Chat Live online or by phone with Extension Experts re: the Texas Green Industry — Register here! View previous recordings here Did you know there’s an Aggie Water University? Click here! Keep current on all Aggie Info at AgriLife Today

Master Gardener Gazette-Nueces County, TX May 2020 Edition 48 Page 8

Enjoy more National & State Gardening news & info here:

National Gardening Assoc Weekly Newsletters Nueces 4-H Clover Chronicles Monthly Newsletters South Texas Chapter-Texas Master Naturalist Newsletters TCEQ-Take Care of Texas Publications Texas Nursery & Landscape Assoc Publications Texas Gardener Magazine Current Issue Texas Master Gardener May 2020 Newsletter Texas Chapter ISA (Int’l Society of Arboriculture) Newslet- ters

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL

 May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 - Every Saturday of the Month; Rain or Shine, 9am until sold-out. Southside Farmers Market, 5800 block of Everhart near Holly in the parking lot. Featuring lots of home-grown/made produce, plus beef, eggs, honey, jellies, breads, honey, sweets, coffee, kombucha, juices, soaps, jewelry, wood art, pottery, greeting cards, plants. Get on the email list of who will be there each week: [email protected]

 May 6, 13, 20 & 27 - Every Wednesday of the Month 5pm-8pm. Corpus Christi Downtown Farmers’ Market, 100 North Shoreline Blvd at The Art Center of Corpus Christi. Featuring fresh, local produce, eggs and meat. You will also find local artisans’ fare of jams & jellies, honey, live music and more. Everything at the market is grown, raised, or made within 200 miles of Corpus Christi, TX. FYI: https://growlocalstx.com/access/corpus-christi-downtown-farmers-market/

Master Gardener Gazette-Nueces County, TX May 2020 Edition 48 Page 9

Master Gardener Gazette-Nueces County, TX May 2020 Edition 48 Page Corona Virus/COVID-19—Stay In The Know NOW USING MICROSOFT TEAMS! for the Covid-19 Weekly MG Meeting To attend, check your email for an appointment and link or go to/click this link teams.microsoft.com Join our Kevin Gibbs, Nueces County AgriLife Ext Office Agent every Friday (April 24th thru June 5th) from 3:00—4:00 pm

• Go to the City’s website for current case data and safety orders for Corpus Christi: www.cctexas.com/coronavirus

• Call the Hotline with questions, if you think you are sick, to make an appointment to be tested: 361.826.7200

For General Info:

Nueces Master Individuals with Texas A&M Agrilife Disabilities Gardener Gazette Extension Office who require auxiliary aid, is produced monthly with service or accommodation in 710 E. Main Ave., Suite 1 submissions due to the Editor order to participate in any Robstown, TX 78380-3148 by the 5th of each month. If extension event are 361.767.5217 you have any submissions, encouraged to contact their [email protected] comments, corrections or suggestions please send County Extension Office at 361.767.5217 at least one them to week in advance of the [email protected] program in order for proper arrangements to be made.

Disclaimer Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides equal opportunities in its programs and employment to all persons, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The information herein is for informational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Master Gardeners is implied.

The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating