The 2021 Drought to Deluge Austin Gardening Programs

Learn from Gardening Experts

wildflowers are a mainstay to gardening in Austin

If you’re gardening in Austin, sometimes it feels like everything is conspiring against you. The weather, the soil, the topography, and the number of pests and diseases can overwhelm even the most experienced gardener. Help is on the way!

Travis County Texas A&M AgriLife will be hosting several programs in 2021 to help Austin area gardeners be more successful. Topics range from Planning and Design to Vegetable Gardening.

The program features experts from Texas A&M University, AgriLife Extension, Travis County Master Gardeners, and the Wildflower Center. The focus is on the seven principles of xeriscaping as featured in the publication: From Drought to Deluge, The Resilient Central Texas Garden. The program also has two sessions on growing fruit and vegetables.

All Programs are Virtual

The programs utilize an online webinar format with advance registration. The webinar capacity is 100 attendees, so please register early and sign-in on time. Participants will be able to submit questions to the speakers before and during the presentations.

The individual webinars will be posted on the Travis County Texas A&M AgriLife event calendar. You can get notified once the event links are available by subscribing to email notifications, or just by visiting the Events Calendar on the website. Events are also typically featured on the Travis County Horticulture home page.

Scheduled Topics

April – Practical Turf

Chrissie Segars, from Texas A&M University will talk about lawns and how to manage them during drought and deluge. Chrissy will also take questions on your specific challenges as time allows. Currently scheduled for April 8th from 10 am to noon. Registration link coming soon.

May – Irrigation

Kirk Walden, Travis County Master Gardener, will teach us how to have efficient irrigation for your entire garden. He’ll provide examples on matching systems with the plants being grown and share the maintenance checks you should be conducting. This is currently scheduled for May 11 from 10 am to 11:30. Registration link coming soon.

June – Native and Adapted Plant Selection

Daphne Richards, County Extension Agent – Horticulture for Texas A&M AgriLife – Travis County, will provide strategies for selecting the best plants for your garden. She’ll discuss which plant origins and growth habits of native plants to choose for our area. She’ll also share which plant characteristics will provide you the best chance for success with the weather and geological challenges of gardening in Austin. It’s on the schedule for June 15th from 10 am to noon. Registration link coming soon

Travis County Master Gardener Jo Anne Hargraves served as project manager to landscape the entrance of her RiverPlace neighborhood. She coordinated with her home owners association (HOA), TxDot, Texas Gas Service, various trades people, and landscape architects. If you’re doing similar landscaping projects with your HOA, don’t miss this session on June 22nd from 10 am to noon. Jo Ann will take questions as time allows. Registration link coming soon.

September – Edibles

Photo courtesy Kerry Drake, Sunshine Community Gardens

Dr. Larry Stein, Horticulture Department Head from Texas A&M University will help you plan for and manage fruit in your landscape on September 14th from 10 am to noon. Travis County Master Gardener Sheryl Williams will talk about Successful Fall Vegetable Gardening with tips on how to manage the soil, weather, and pest problems. Sheryl is scheduled for September 21st from 9 am to noon. Both will take questions as time allows. Registration details coming soon.