I am not an Aransas MG, but I doubt you would need an appointment on a Wednesday afternoon. The garden is by the Extension office, and there is always somebody around.

This is a garden worth seeing. I first saw it in 2000, and it was pretty new then, but it was so cute! I know they have won a slew of awards with this garden.

If you have time, either coming or going, I would recommend you see the VEG right there on HWY 59 in Victoria. (At the Airport) VEG is the Demo garden for the Victoria County MG, and it is spectacular!

No, I am not a Victoria County MG, either. I am a Jackson County MG, and we are just starting our own Demo garden- the Texana Educational Garden! Look for us next year!

Janie

Here is a link that might be useful: VEG

Hi!

OK, here I am, an Aransas MG, past president, VP and secretary. Boy I've been busy. OK, our gardens are really looking good, . . .or they were before the winter weather came around. I haven't been there this month, but will be there on this Tuesday for our MG meeting.

Most of our demo gardens are open including our Children's Discovery Garden which has won several awards. There is a fenced in area with roses, cacti garden, herb garden, green house, etc. that you need someone to open up and give you a tour. I will be willing to help, but I know that there are lots of other MG's that probably would help too.

You can contact the office on Monday at 361-790-0103. Here is our website: Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners. Call the office if you have any questions or contact me via Rockport Herbs, Linda.

And please check out Janie's suggestion to check out the Victoria County MG garden. It is very, very nice. Really much nicer and bigger than ours, but then we think ours here in Rockport is pretty nice.

Hope to meet you.

Linda

This information is so timely for me. We are going to be in Port Aransas from Jan 13-16 and I will have time to tour both of these gardens!

Pam

I am just a weekend gardener, but I would drive the extra 36 miles and see the botantical gardens in Corpus. I went on April 12th and it was just beautiful, my husband still cannot stop talking about the hugh plumeria trees, and their rose garden. I think Linda said they dig up those hugh plumeria and put them inside for the winter, so they may not be out this time of the year. I have a small house in Rokport, but I have not been down for at least a month. I will be down the weekend of January 16th thru the 19th. It MLK weekend, so we are off on Monday. Pam, if you want to stop by on the 16th, just email me and I will give you directions to my house. I usually have quite a few plants in bloom this time of year. Barbra,

Barbra, you are far from a "weekend gardener"! You have a beautiful yard here in Rockport. I wish mine looked as good.

Regarding the South Texas Botanical Gardens, they, like all the gardens, are taking a winter hit! And they pull out the plummies in November, and they don't put them back in until, I think, March. And the roses aren't blooming right now, but there is a nature trail, and the native gardens are looking good too. The orchid greenhouse is always a treat for me, blooming or not blooming!

I've been sick with the stomach flu that has been going around, and it isn't fun, but I'm so much better today. I gardened this morning until it turned cold this afternoon. I sure want spring to be here soon.

I knew that I hadn't seen you around, but I hope to see you soon Barbra! I've been gone a lot too with the holidays, but things should be returning to normal soon!

Barbra,
That would be great! Let me run it by the hubby, he's pretty easygoing about my little day excursions ⺠We are planning on going to Corpus to tour the U.S.S. Lexingston one day anyway, so we may be able to get to the botanical garden also.

The only things blooming here are paperwhites, Carolina Jessamine and pansies, so anything with color (even green) will be a nice sight.

I'm glad you are feeling better Linda.

Pam

Well how was everyone trip???? How were the display gardens, did you get to see the Corpus botanical gardens? It was cold when we got down to Rockport, then Saturday ,Sunday, and Monday were beautiful. Pam, did you get to drive by??? Barbra,

Barbra it will be tomorrow.

We had a fabulous trip, but we are exhausted!!!! I visited Green Acres (the Rockport Demonstration Garden) and the VEG in Victoria and both were outstanding!!!! I have pictures galore, but still need to resize them and select some to upload to Photobucket.

Barbra,
We were in the silver Kia that was parked in front of your house on Friday evening. Sorry I didn't say hi, but I was so grubby from the day's activities that I didn't want to gross you out. Your gardens are beautiful!!! What kind of palms are those lining your fence? I liked the varieagated plants in the front bed too, what were they?

Pam

Pam, were we there? Neither of us remember seeing a silver Kia. We had just got down Friday, so we may have been busy unpacking. The palm trees in the front are Queen, and Cuban Royal. The front bed is my brugmansia bed, and the varieagted plants you saw were varieagated rubber trees. You did not miss anything, the only think that was in bloom were my datura plants, and gerber dasies. I wish I could have met you, Barbra,

Barbra,
I think you may have been there, although I didn't see any vehicles. The front outer door was open and I saw a small light inside. We just sat in the car and looked at your beautiful gardens! It was just before dark, maybe near 6 pm. I was a muddy mess from picking up litter (I can't bear to see what some people just toss aside in such a lovely area!). We were at the bird viewing area on the street behind McDonalds. I don't know what the street name is, but there was a lot of monofilament just thrown down for the birds and fish to get tangled in. I ended up getting really muddy trying to pick it all up.

We stayed until Tuesday since the weather was so nice. Our non-gardening friends even liked the demo garden! We were very inspired by the Children's Garden. It's obvious that a lot of time and work went into creating such a lovely garden. I loved the 'checklists' of all the plants and their needs that were available in each section.

I bet that the Brazoria County Master Naturalists loved their tour of the gardens too!

Pam, we were in Corpus, we leave the front door open, so our dogs can see outside. It was so cold, we drove to Corpus, to see about buying a heater for our garage, but their Academy did not even carry them. Then Saturday it was sunny, and we did not need one. Maybe the next time you come, we can meet. Barbra,

Hi Barbra,
It was a little chilly, but compared to my neighborhood, it didn't *seem* cold ⺠I saw the little pop up tent covers for your plants! I posted a lot of pictures of the Fulton/Rockport Demo Garden over in the gallery.

It would be great to do lunch if we are all there next time we head south! Maybe Linda can join us too!

Pam

Pam, that sounds great, Linda lives down there, but she is always doing something for the master gardeners. Rose also has a home just right down the road, but doesn't show her head until it gets warmer. Jim, lives in Port Aranasa, just 17 miles down the road. Just let us know in advance. Barbra

Great! I am always doing Master Gardener's stuff too! I maintain the website and manage the timesheets for Hood County. At this point, it will likely be at least April before we can get back down there and that depends on getting vacation days together.

Pam

Just give me a call, and I'll join you for lunch. Also, I'm working more on my gardens, and soon my new front fence will be covered with vines. I bought two climbing fairies at Buchanan's that were on sale for 1/2 price. They will be growing on the new fence very soon. And I don't garden for landscaping reasons, but rather I landscape as specimen gardens.

I gave the Brazoria County MG's & MN's (Monica) a tour at Green Acres this past Wednesday. Thankfully it was a beautiful day. I thin they really enjoyed it.

Anyone wanting a tour, just let me know or contact our office 361-790-0103. Also, I'm on the Hidden Gardens Tour committee, and we have 8 great gardens picked out for our next HGT, May 9. We have 4 gardens in Rockport and 4 in Portland with one of those being on the North Shore. And of course, Green Acres is always on tour. Hope to see some of you then if not before.

Linda, will your yard be on the hidden garden tour this year? I will check tomorrow when I get to work, to see if I am off on May 9th, if I am I would love to take Billy with me, to go see them.

Pam, I hope I will be off the weekend you come, so I can join you and Linda for lunch. Barbra,

No Barbra! It's supposed to be a hidden garden, unlike mine. BUT after I get the vines growing on my front fence and the side fences are privacy fences since my neighbors don't like my dogs, I will have a hidden garden. I don't like them (the neighbors) either, but then that is another story. And I've planted 3 vetivers right behind my front fence, and I have another one to plant, so within a year or two I will have a hidden garden. In the meantime, I'm just one of the Hummer Homes. And Barbra, you might want to consider some vetiver to put on your fence side so you don't have to see your neighbor. But I do thank him for my baby Mocha.

Call next time you are in town. I'll be traveling some, and then in February I'm flying to Hawaii to spend a week with Stacy. Shawn gets back from Iraq around March 5 to 10, so I'll go out and visit with her and the baby. Shawn will be gone for 15 months by the first of March.

See you soon, and hope to meet Pam.

ALSO, our MG Plant Sale is March 14 so mark your calendar. Later.

Great Gardening, Linda