The arrival of fall tends to be a bumpy landing along
the Texas Upper Gulf Coast region and this fall just
seems to be hiding well. Television weathermen seem
to be confident that fall temperatures will be arriving
in a few days.
I typically measure the arrival of autumn by four
milestones: 1) when I need to turn the heater on in my
car (still waiting for the milestone), 2) when my home
air conditioner gets to “rest” into the early afternoon
hours of a day (the AC unit has been getting more
rest lately), and 3) when the coconut oil in the kitchen
pantry stays solid (coconut oil melts at 76° F.).
Yes, I stipulated four milestones. The fourth milestone
that indicates that the long awaited autumn
season is at hand is the kick-off of the annual Fall
Plant Sale conducted by Master Gardener volunteers.
The offerings at this year’s Master Gardner Fall
Plant Sale will not only include perennials for the
home landscape but also citrus, vegetables, herbs
and bulbs. The Fall Plant Sale will be conducted on
Saturday, October 20, at the Galveston County Fairgrounds
Arena in Hitchcock along Hwy. 6. A preview
seminar will be provided on the day of the sale at 8:00
a.m. and the plant sale yard will be open from 9:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Since conducting Fall Plant Sales at the Galveston
County Fairgrounds Arena, the Master Gardeners
and I have observed an interesting occurrence. Many
experienced shoppers come prepared with a shopping
list. They also know where to go in the sale yard
to get to their selections since downloadable PDFs of
the sale yard layout with plant location numbers will
be posted online (http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/
galveston/) a few days before the sale.
If you desire more time to plan your shopping, I
recommend attending a pre-sale seminar on Saturday,
October 13, at the Galveston County AgriLife
Extension Office located in Carbide Park (4102-B
Main St. in La Marque). Pre-register by e-mail (galvcountymgs@
gmail.com) or by phone (281-309-5065).
Galveston County Master Gardener Karolyn Gephart
will provide a presentation that highlights plants that
will be available at the Fall Plant Sale the following
Saturday on October 20.
Cooler days over the next several weeks will make
it a joy to get out and work in the home vegetable
garden, and better yet, plant an array of delicious and
nutritious vegetables that will thrive in the fall planted
garden.
A diverse selection cool-season vegetable transplants
will be available at the Fall Plant Sale. My gardening
friends know that broccoli is at the top of my
list for vegetables to grow in the fall garden. I recommend
that gardeners try growing broccoli as this vegetable
is remarkably easy to grow in our area. When
planted in October, gardeners can expect to be harvesting
broccoli by early December.
In addition to broccoli, many other types of cool
season vegetables will be on sale including cabbage,
cauliflower, collards, kale, lettuce, mustard greens,
pak choi, spinach and Swiss chard. All of these can
also be transplanted now through mid-November.
As you can surmise, the upcoming 2018 Fall Plant
Sale will have something of interest to all gardeners.
Proceeds from plant sales are used toward development
and maintenance of the Discovery Garden located
in Carbide Park.
Upcoming Seminars
WHAT: Backyard Citrus
WHEN: 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 13
SPEAKER: Master Gardener Robert Marshall
WHAT: My Favorite Vegetables for the Fall Garden
WHEN: 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 13
SPEAKER: Master Gardener Gene Speller
WHAT: Fall Plant Sale Overview
WHEN: 3:15 – 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, October 13,
2018
SPEAKER: Master Gardener Karolyn Gephart
All programs will be conducted at the Galveston
County AgriLife Extension Office located in Carbide
Park (4102-B Main St. in La Marque). Pre-register by
e-mail (galvcountymgs@gmail.com) or phone (281-
309-5065).
PHOTO CREDIT FOR PHOTO: William M. Johnson
