CANCELLED: East Austin Garden Fair
2020-04-04 09:00 - 14:00 UTC | Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center, Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center 2608 Gonzales Street, Austin, TX, 78702, United States
In light of current heightened concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution for our volunteers and participants, we have decided to cancel the fair this year. Current plans are to resume the fair according to our normal routine, in spring 2021.

Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center
2608 Gonzales Street, Austin, TX 78702
Rain or Shine – come enjoy this great event.
Free Admission.
Free Plants & Seeds while supplies last.
Free Garden books, magazines, and seed catalogs.
Free Soil Screening for food gardeners – Bring a 2-cup soil sample in a quart zip lock bag.
Easy instructions for soil sampling at http://austintexas.gov/soilkitchen
Ask the experts and get garden ideas.
Kid-friendly activities!
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Cooperative Extension Program – Prairie View A&M University, Travis County Master Gardeners, and Austin Parks & Recreation present the 14th annual East Austin Garden Fair.
Free and open to the public, this fun, hands-on fair involves community members in creative, low-cost ways to grow vegetables, herbs, and fruit to improve the family diet as well as information about Earth-Kind landscaping. Travis County Master Gardeners are there to offer university-based information to fair-goers on a variety of horticulture topics, along with community partner organizations providing information on closely-related services, programs and projects.
The fair also features an assortment of DIY and demonstration activities, including tool sharpening, composting, grow boxes, and straw bale gardening, plus information about irrigation methods, rainwater harvesting, vegetable gardening, fruit trees, and Texas Superstar plants. Booths on backyard chickens, rabbits, and bee houses are a big hit with all ages and there will be plenty of activities for kids. Please click here for a full list.
Long-standing community partners include Green Corn Project, Home Depot Kid’s Workshop, and the city of Austin Resource Recovery, Urban Forestry, Water, and Watershed Protection departments.
For more information, please call 512-854-9600.
To see our favorite gardening resources for Austin and Travis County click here
Persons with disabilities who plan to attend a meeting and who may need auxiliary aids or services are required to contact Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service-Travis County at 512-854-9600 ten working days prior to the meeting so appropriate arrangements can be made.
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will provide equal opportunities in programs and activities, education, and employment to all persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
The Texas A&M University System, the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the County Commissioners’ Courts of Texas cooperating.

POSTPONED: Inside Austin Gardens Tour
2020-05-16 09:00 - 16:00 UTC | TX
In light of current heightened concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19, and out of an abundance of caution for TCMGA members, as well as for members of our community, we are currently suspending all volunteer-led community outreach programs, events, presentations, and activities.
As such, we are postponing the Inside Austin Garden Tour that is currently scheduled for May 16th to this Fall. The date is to be determined.

Originating in 2005, the Inside Austin Gardens Tour is generally held every 18 months by the Travis County Master Gardeners Association and Travis County AgriLife Extension Service. This one-day event features behind-the-scenes looks at gardens of Travis County Master Gardeners.
On May 16, 2020, the Travis County Master Gardeners will again host the Inside Austin Gardens Tour. This year’s tour will feature six diverse and interesting gardens located in and around Austin, including two at the homes of Master Gardeners.
Tour tickets are $20 and include a free raffle entry. A wristband will be provided when you arrive at your first stop.Single-garden tickets will be available at each garden on the day of the tour for $5. There is no fee to visit the Travis County Extension Demonstration Garden.
For details and to purchase tickets, go to https://www.insideaustingardens.org/

CANCELLED - Seminar Series - Turf
2020-06-27 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Austin Area Garden Center – Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX, United States
PENDING REOPENING OF ZILKER BOTANICAL GARDEN
Austin Area Garden Center – Zilker Botanical Garden
2220 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX
Deborah Parker will discuss the very popular topic of turf, sharing insights on the different turf types and their requirements.
No registration is required. Attendance to the seminars is free and open to the public. A park entrance fee is required. The Austin Area Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden is located at 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin 78746.
Park entrance fee: Adults – Austin Resident $6.00, Non-Austin Resident $8.00; Seniors (62+) – Austin Resident $5.00, Non-Austin Resident $7.00; Youths (3-17)- Austin Resident $3.00, Non-Austin Resident $4.00. Cash, Credit card or check accepted.

CANCELLED - Seminar Series - Soil Health
2020-07-11 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Austin Area Garden Center – Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX, United States
PENDING REOPENING OF ZILKER BOTANICAL GARDEN
Austin Area Garden Center – Zilker Botanical Garden
2220 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX
Linda Burch will focus on soil health, which serves as the basis for all our gardening successes.
No registration is required. Attendance to the seminars is free and open to the public. A park entrance fee is required. The Austin Area Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden is located at 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin 78746.
Park entrance fee: Adults – Austin Resident $6.00, Non-Austin Resident $8.00; Seniors (62+) – Austin Resident $5.00, Non-Austin Resident $7.00; Youths (3-17) – Austin Resident $3.00, Non-Austin Resident $4.00. Cash, Credit card or check accepted.

CANCELLED - Seminar Series - Fall Vegetable Gardens
2020-08-22 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | TX
Austin Area Garden Center – Zilker Botanical Garden
2220 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX
Patty Leander will provide tips for planting a fall garden, including recommended vegetable varieties and pest control.
No registration is required. Attendance to the seminars is free and open to the public. A park entrance fee is required. The Austin Area Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden is located at 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin 78746.
Park entrance fee: Adults – Austin Resident $6.00, Non-Austin Resident $8.00; Seniors (62+) – Austin Resident $5.00, Non-Austin Resident $7.00; Youths (3-17) – Austin Resident $3.00, Non-Austin Resident $4.00. Cash, Credit card or check accepted.

CANCELLED - Seminar Series - Fall Perennials
2020-09-12 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | Austin Area Garden Center – Zilker Botanical Garden, 2220 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX, United States
Austin Area Garden Center – Zilker Botanical Garden
2220 Barton Springs Road
Austin, TX
Pat Mokry will share lessons on plant propagation with a focus on fall perennials.
No registration is required. Attendance to the seminars is free and open to the public. A park entrance fee is required. The Austin Area Garden Center in Zilker Botanical Garden is located at 2220 Barton Springs Rd., Austin 78746.
Park entrance fee: Adults – Austin Resident $6.00, Non-Austin Resident $8.00; Seniors (62+) – Austin Resident $5.00, Non-Austin Resident $7.00; Youths (3-17) – Austin Resident $3.00, Non-Austin Resident $4.00. Cash, Credit card or check accepted.

Restore. Reimagine. Reinvent. Prairie Landscapes for Austin
2021-02-09 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Online, TX, United States
Join Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Travis County and John Hart, host of “Central Texas Gardener”, to learn more about prairie landscapes. John designs fully functional landscapes that incorporate beauty and thread nature through urban areas, in addition to providing clean air and water and sequestering carbon. During the first half of the webinar, he will discuss his prairie restoration projects. After the short break, he will then provide guidance on how homeowners can install pocket prairie landscapes in their own gardens.
Register Now, Live Program Has Limited Capacity
Due to technological constraints, the webinar has a limit of 100 attendees, but an unlimited number of people can register and see a recording of the program. Only registrants will be given access to the live session or the program recording.
Closed captioning will be provided. There will be a short break at approximately 11 am. The webinar will end at noon.
You can submit questions ahead of time or during the webinar and get answers live as time allows. Afterward, questions that don’t make it to the webinar will receive emailed answers.

Homeowner Landscaping Plans: Site Documentation & Analysis
2021-02-19 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Online, TX, United States
Create Your Own Landscape Master Plan
Creating a landscape master plan is an important step if you are installing or redoing your garden. Planning helps you identify the unique characteristics and requirements for your particular garden. Additionally, good planning has other benefits like cost and time savings. Join Travis County Master Gardener Sandy Stone who discusses how to document and analyze your site in this webinar.
Sandy breaks the process into clear steps that you can follow and gives you tips and tricks along the way. You’ll learn how to create a plan of your property, where to gather code and zoning information, and which current site conditions to analyze.
Sandy is also the guest speaker the following week where she finishes up with design, implementation, and construction.
Register Now, Live Program Has Limited Capacity
Due to technological constraints, the webinar has a limit of 100 attendees, but an unlimited number of people can register and see a recording of the program. Only registrants can access the live session or the program recording.
Closed captioning will be provided. There will be a short break at approximately 11 am. The webinar will end at noon.
You can submit questions ahead of time or during the webinar and get answers live as time allows. Afterward, questions that don’t make it to the webinar will receive emailed answers.
This is a two-part series. You can find information for Homeowner Landscaping Plans: Design & Construction here. Register separately for each event.

Homeowner Landscaping Plans: Design, Implementation, and Construction
2021-02-26 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Online, TX, United States
Design Your Own Landscape Master Plan
Creating a landscape master plan is an important step if you are installing or redoing your garden. Join Travis County Master Gardener Sandy Stone who discusses design elements and construction how-tos. She also tells us that “You have to determine where you want to end up before you can figure out how to get there.”
Sandy breaks the process into clear steps on how to develop an overall theme and then how to select materials and plantings to support the concept. Sandy will also get into the nitty gritty with how to organize and install hardscapes, irrigation, plants, and mulch.
This is a two-part series. You can register for Sandy’s first talk on site analysis here.
Register Now, Live Program Has Limited Capacity
Due to technological constraints, the webinar has a limit of 100 attendees, but an unlimited number of people can register and see a recording of the program. Only registrants can access the live session or the program recording.
Closed captioning will be provided. There will be a short break at approximately 11 am. The webinar will end at noon.
You can submit questions ahead of time or during the webinar and get answers live as time allows. Afterward, questions that don’t make it to the webinar will receive emailed answers.

Practical Lawns
2021-04-08 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Online, TX, United States
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Travis County and Dr. Chrissy Segars, Turfgrass Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension will present “Practical Lawns” as part of the continuing Drought To Deluge Gardening series.
Like many areas in Texas, water restrictions and protection of aquifers and rivers from runoff is having a big impact on how we look at lawns. Dr. Segars’ presentation will help Austin area residents manage their lawns for pest and disease resistance while maintaining water-efficiency. She will explain which turfgrasses work well with the challenging geological conditions in Travis County
The free webinar will be presented live on April 8 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The program will be recorded. Space is limited to 100 attendees. All attendees must register to either attend the live seminar or view the recording. To register click here or paste this link in your browser: https://traviscountytx-gov.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/8516147239488/WN_cNQr3PWSTtuxsxIV7J392A
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions prior to the webinar and receive answers during the live program as time allows
The seminar series complements the recent publication of the book From Drought to Deluge: The Resilient Central Texas Garden, which can be purchased online from the Travis County Master Gardeners Association.
More information on the seminars can be found by signing up for event notifications and subscribing to the blog. Also visit the AgriLife Extension’s Events Calendar

Water Wise Ways
2021-05-25 10:00 - 11:30 (America/Chicago) | Online, TX, United States
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Travis County and Kirk Walden, Travis County Master Gardener Irrigation Specialist, will present “Water-Wise Ways” as part of the continuing Drought-To-Deluge Gardening series. Kirk will provide helpful strategies for designing and managing a water-efficient home irrigation system. Participants will come away with specific knowledge and reference material on how, when, and how much to water.
The free live webinar will begin at 10 a.m. on May 25 and will conclude around 11:15 a.m. Click here to register or copy and paste this link into your browser: https://traviscountytx-gov.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/4716184097981/WN_GW9Th6naTMWyFybCA02QeA.
Current droughts and municipal water restrictions add to the challenge of designing water-wise landscapes that recognize water as a precious commodity. This program covers water-wise garden design principles and plant selection, as well as watering equipment and techniques that can keep a garden thriving despite hot arid conditions. Kirk will provide examples on matching systems with the plants being grown and share the maintenance checks you should be conducting.
The webinar has a limit of 100 attendees, but an unlimited number of people can register and see a recording of the program. All attendees must register to either attend the live seminar or view the recording. After registering, participants will be provided a link for the live session or to view a recording of the program.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions prior to the webinar and receive answers during the live program as time allows. Questions not answered during the live webinar will be answered by email.
This seminar complements the recent publication of the book From Drought to Deluge: The Resilient Central Texas Garden, which can be purchased online from the Travis County Master Gardeners Association.
More information on the seminars can be found by signing up for event notifications and subscribing to the blog. Also visit the AgriLife Extension’s Events Calendar.

HOA Entrance Makeover!
2021-08-04 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Online, TX, United States
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Travis County and Travis County Master Gardener Jo Anne Hargraves will present “HOA Entrance Makeover” on August 4th. Jo Anne served as project manager for her RiverPlace HOA entrance makeover after a road improvement project destroyed the existing intersection. Her presentation will help Austin area residents who may be involved in HOA or other community projects that require new landscaping.
The free live webinar will begin at 10 a.m. and conclude around 12 p.m. To register click here or paste this link in your browser: https://traviscountytx-gov.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/6016257728518/WN_ezhnUSwRRRq3v3g1p_mMew
Jo Anne coordinated the installation and development of the new entrance through cooperation between HOA, city services, state agencies, and regulatory agencies for a project on private property. You’ll learn how she became involved, the scope of the project, the constraints and opportunities she faced, and the project phases for the major construction and new landscaping. She’ll also talk about the major challenges that were presented when doing this during a pandemic and the February 2021 freeze.
If you’re doing similar landscaping projects with your HOA, neighborhood, or church, don’t miss this session on August 4th. The webinar has a limit of 100 attendees, but an unlimited number of people can register and see a recording of the program. All attendees must register to either attend the live seminar or view the recording.
Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions before the webinar and receive answers during the live program as time allows.
This seminar is part of the Drought-To-Deluge seminar series. More information on the seminars can be found by visiting the Travis County Extension Education website. You may want to sign up for event notifications and subscribing to the blog
You may also be interested in the book, From Drought to Deluge: The Resilient Central Texas Garden, which can be purchased online from the Travis County Master Gardeners Association.
