Texas State Awards

“Learn at the Library,” an annual program done in conjunction with the Ritter C. Hulsey Library in Terrell, got the first place award in the Workshop/Presentation category. The series featured programs for children and adults, some of which were combined when topics allowed. Gardening for Kids paired children with ther parents to learn about seeds and planting. Basic Beekeeping was designed to help people interested in beekeeping make an informed decision about whether they wanted to dive in. The third program, What's in Dirt?, introduced kids and their parents what makes up the soil we so causually call dirt. Children saw and could touch samples of different types of soil as they learned about each important component. 

Our 2024 Horticultural Calendar, “Niche Gardening,” also received first place. The calendar featured way to landscape small, sometimes troublesome areas like mailboxes, air conditioner motors, or garbage cans. Other niche areas covered included corners, blank walls or fences, and arbors. Water efficiency and low maintenance were emphasized. Native plants, which generally meet both those requirements were suggested for each landscape. Tips for increasing success were also included.  

Our Fall Seminar, Going Native: Saving Nature in Your Backyard, won first place in the Workshop/Presentation category. It began with Dr. Doug Tallamy's "Saving Nature," a short video about how homeowners can support nature and ecosystems at home. That set the tone for the remainder of the program. MG Karel Holloway explained the "Homegrown National Park" movement and told them where to find resources and how to enroll in the program. MG Rebecca Morrow explained about the importance of "keystone" plants in successful food webs and offered tips to make any yard more nature-friendly. Dallas County MG Janet Smith closed with what was the highlight of the seminar, "Native Plants for Year-Round Bloom," with over 25 native perennials that bloom from early spring through late fall. Also included were plants that offer other interest--seeds, colorful foliage--when nothing is blooming.

Our popular "Learn at the Library" series, which is sponsored by the Ritter C. Hulsey Library in Terrell, won second place in the Youth-Other category. The series featured programs for children and adults, some of which were combined when topics allowed.Thie topics included Don't Be Afraid--It's Just a Cactus, Texas Arbor Day, which explasined why we have our state arbor day in the fall, Basics of Beekeeping, and a program about lavender that included allowing children to make seent pouches to take home. 

This category recognizes a Master Gardener whose involvement and contributions during the award year are of primary importance, although prior year contributions or involvement may also be considered. 

Since compleeting his training in 2011, Jim has served twice as President and Vice-President and four years as Treasurer. He has Advanced Training in Rainwater Harvesting and Vegetable. Jim is a versitile and popular speaker, covering his advanced training topics and several others, including beekeeping, composting, and topics related to starting a garden.

In conjumnction with the Heartland community in Forney, KC Master Garderners presented a five-part series: Making a Rain Barrel, Turfgrass, Texas Superstar Plants, Plants of the Bible, and Confessions of an Agaveholic. All these topics focus on helping homeowners gain research-based knowledge to help them improve their landscapes. 

Kaufman County Master Gardeners cooperated with the Sharing the Love Foundation and a number of other businesses and organizations in Forney to renovate an old 3/4 acre home site that had been donated for a garden space. Marian Stewart, founder of Share the Love Foundation, envisioned a garden everyone could enjoy and a place where senior and youth could learn from each other. The result was the Children’s Legacy Garden in Forney. For details, see Children's Legacy Garden in Forney 

 In 2021, Kaufman County Master Gardeners realized a long-held dream: a monthly gardening column in the local newspaper, The Kaufman Herald. While we had made previous attempts, they had stalled because we lacked a writer who could write copy for a newspaper. When Karel Holloway joined us, she brought years of newspaper experience from her previous career.

Holloway submitted two seasonally-appropriate article to the newspaper, and two were printed in February. Articles for the remainder of the year were planned and have been printed.

An article called “Plants that Really Grow in Kaufman County” was included in the Spring Home Improvement Supplement. Plants suggested by Master Gardeners were described, with accompanying pictures. This information was recreated for our website, kcmga.org, where the link to “What Grows Here” can be found.

Kaufman County Master Gardeners won a 2020 first place award in Youth-Other category for “The Science of Gardening.” The program was produced in cooperation with Poetry Community Christian School and was directed at students in Kindergarten through the eighth grade. 

Master Gardeners worked 48.75 hours helping students work with a partner on a 12” X 12” area in a raised bed and in the science lab on their journals for researching, planning, and collecting data. Then COVID forced school closures. “Ready. Set. Go Garden” was developed as an online program so students and parents could continue working from home on their journals. Available on our website, it could be utilized by any student at any time.