Online homeowner landscaping programs slated for February
Two-part webinar to help homeowners create, implement a landscaping master plan
The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Travis County Master Gardeners will host two free webinars designed to help attendees create and implement their own home landscaping master plan.
Travis County Master Gardener Sandy Stone will present at both webinars.
The first webinar, Homeowner Landscaping Plans: Site Documentation and Analysis, will be at 10 a.m. on Feb. 19. The second program, Homeowner Landscaping Plans: Design, Implementation and Construction, will be at 10 a.m. on Feb. 26.
Closed captioning will be provided for both webinars. There will be short breaks at approximately 11 a.m., and programs will conclude around noon.
“These two webinars are designed to help Austin area residents find gardening success with the challenging weather and geological conditions found in Travis County,” said Daphne Richards, AgriLife Extension horticulturist for Travis County.
Richards said the webinars coincide with 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.
“Both the book and the webinars, which are part of the 2021 Central Texas horticulture educational series, revolve around xeriscaping principles,” Richards said.
Richards said the AgriLife Extension horticulture program in Travis County provides free or low-cost public programs on gardening and food preservation topics throughout the year.
“These interactive programs help the public get more joy and productivity from their gardens, troubleshoot problems and develop environmentally sensitive gardening techniques,” she said.
Many of the programs also offer continuing education units for those holding Texas Department of Agriculture pesticide applicator licenses and Texas Nursery and Landscape Association membership. Contact Richards for more information on professional CEUs.
Home landscaping education
“The Feb. 19 program will focus on the steps to follow to begin your landscaping plan,” Richards said. “Participants will receive instruction on how to create a plan, where to gather code and zoning information and which current site conditions to analyze.
“The Feb. 26 webinar will delve into design themes and how to select materials and plantings to support the concept. It will also get into the nitty-gritty on how to organize and install hardscapes, irrigation, plants and mulch.”
Richards said due to technological constraints, the webinars have a limit of 100 attendees, “but an unlimited number of people can register to view the recorded webinars.”
“Those who register but are not among the first 100 attendees or who miss the webinar for any reason will be able to view it later,” Richards said. “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 webinars and receive answers during the live program as time allows. Questions not answered during the live webinars will be answered by email.
“Sandy’s presentations expand on the homeowner landscaping planning and design topic,” Richards said. “Other programs in the series will address soils, lawns, irrigation and plant selection. Then we will have backyard fruit and vegetable growing webinars in the fall.”
All programs will be presented by experts from Texas A&M University and 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.
