The Travis County Master Gardeners Association and the Travis County AgriLife Extension sponsor free public seminars on gardening topics throughout the year at different locations in the county. Our goal is to help the public learn easy-to-follow tips they can do on their own that will help them get more joy from their gardens, and to learn from research-based Extension and other sources what can go wrong in the garden and what to do about it in environmentally sensitive ways.

Lectures include such common themes as rainwater harvesting, vegetable gardening, lawn care, tree maintenance, native and adapted plants, propagating plants, and much more. Join us for some really great free learning opportunities and bring your questions!

These seminars are free, open to the public and require no reservations (unless otherwise noted).

Growing Your Own Potatoes
Saturday, Feb 13, 9-11am
Texas AgriLife Extension Office of Travis County

Grow your own potatoes?  Yes, you can!  Join us at the Texas Agrilife Extension office of Travis County in the demonstration garden for a detailed look at how to grow your own crop of potatoes.  This hands-on demonstration includes planting potatoes in the ground and in baskets, recommended varieties, and tips for success. This demonstration is free, open to the public and requires no reservations. 

Everything's Coming up Roses
Saturday, Feb 27, 9:30-11:30am
Texas AgriLife Extension Office of Travis County

Roses aren't just for Valentine's Day - they can bring color and sweet smells to your garden year round! Come attend this free seminar on selecting, planting and caring for roses in your garden. Following the presentation portion of the seminar, a hands-on demonstration of pruning roses in the Extension Demonstration Garden will take place. We will discuss site selection, soil amendments, and bed preparations plus showcase a number of Earth Kind Roses worthy of consideration in your garden. Earth Kind is a designation given to select roses by the Texas A&M Agriculture program, indicating the variety has been through rigorous testing and found to possess a high level of landscape performance and outstanding disease and insect tolerance/resistance. This seminar is free and open to the public. Space is limited so please call the Travis County Master Gardener's desk at (512) 854-9600 to reserve a spot.

Spring Into Action: Starting Your Vegetable Garden Right
Friday, March 12, 9-11am
Demonstration Garden at AgriLife Extension Office of Travis County

A free, hands-on demonstration, this seminar on soil and the first steps of starting a vegetable garden will increase your vegetable gardening knowledge.  Learn about soil amendments, the correct way to prepare and handle transplants and how to prepare and plant seeds.  This demonstration is free and open to the public.

Spring Vegetable Gardening
Saturday, March 13,10am-noon
Zilker Botanical Garden

Enjoy juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and delectable green beans straight from your garden.  Learn how to plant and maintain a spring vegetable garden from Master Gardener Vegetable Specialist Patty Leander, who will share her expertise on vegetable varieties that perform well in Central Texas, recommended planting times, and composting. This seminar is loaded with basic facts and helpful ideas, useful to both new and experienced vegetable gardeners.  This seminar is free and open to the public.  This is one of our most popular seminars, so please come early to get a seat.

Cool Plants for the Shade Garden
Friday, April 9, 9-11am
Demonstration Garden at AgriLife Extension Office of Travis County

Cool Plants for the Shade Garden is a free in-the-garden discussion.  See some of the shade loving plants growing and learn about other perennials and annuals which require limited sun. This seminar is free and open to the public. 

DIY Pond Building
Wednesday, April 28, 7-9pm
Zilker Botanical Garden

Always dreamed of a little pond in your yard?  Not only can you have one but you can build it yourself.  Come attend this free seminar and learn step by step lessons on the basics of building a pond yourself.  This seminar will help you determine the supplies and equipment needed for the job, gather information about pond plants, and determine which fish will do well in your pond.  In addition, hear instructions on general pond maintenance, installing pond lighting and how to prevent unwanted critters in your pond. This seminar is free and open to the public.