© Hatton noThe Randall County Master Gardeners will kick off a very popular and long-running gardening series next Tuesday, March 21st, with the Masters. Here, three 3-hour lessons cover important and popular gardening tasks.
Topics offered on regular Tuesdays include: Vegetables from Seeds; Microgreens: Winter sowing: Effective irrigation; ornamental trees, shrubs and grasses; Vegetables and tomatoes; landscape design; and Xeriscape gardening. Here are some thoughts on these lessons.
Annuals and perennials are very popular indoor plants and are an alternative way to display containers as well as a separate garden. Knowing about these plants and their uses and different ways to grow them can be rewarding even for an experienced gardener.
Planting vegetables from seeds gives gardeners more options and is less expensive. Learn the basics of seed starting and maximize your planting budget.
Microgreens are delicious, nutritious and easy to grow. They have a much higher nutritional value than the adult version, which makes them a special treat with health benefits for many.
Winter sowing is an easy and safe way to germinate the seeds that are usually sown in the fall for the next season.
There are many ways to water, many of them are inappropriate or meaningless when designing. Make more money by learning irrigation best practices.
The trees of the Texas Panhandle are not only rare, but also unique in their location. They are very important in our environment for many reasons, but they must be properly selected and cared for in order to survive and thrive in our environment. Many trees can be bought, but some of them are not suitable for our conditions. Learn about trees to brighten up and spend your money wisely.
Like trees, ornamental shrubs and grasses form the backbone of a garden and are a good investment that will last for many years. Understanding the right types of shrubs and grasses will allow you to put your newly learned design techniques to good use without wasting time and money.
One of the most asked questions is what kind of tomatoes and vegetables are good here. Come learn from experienced gardeners and get your questions answered.
Many people are afraid of gardening, they are afraid of the unknown. I don't think there is a wrong way to garden if you love it, there are some great landscaping techniques that are easy to learn and use. You don't need to be an expert to design an attractive garden. Understanding a few basics will take away the fear of design and help you get creative.
I teach a class called Common Sense Gardening. I say this because when I call it Xeriscape Gardening people really understand what it means. Clay, gravel and low water plants are not suitable for xeriscape gardening. Stop thinking about this kind of gardening and see what it is.
at the Texas AgriLife Extension Center, 6500 W. Amarillo Blvd. (West of VA Hospital), $20 buys three 3-hour classes; No pre-registration is required.
This article originally appeared in the Amarillo Globe-News. Garden Guy column. Gardening with the masters
