The association’s President Lee Pacatte became a master gardener in 2018.
“The dream is to provide to the [food] pantries and maybe nursing homes,” Pacatte said. “We've got all these people with these skills ... I know that we have people who grow more than they can eat.”
The details
Offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the Master Gardener program is a 50-hour intensive course partnered with 50 hours of volunteer work.
The Bastrop County Master Gardener Association provides training to the community as well as demonstrations and community gardens.
“I wanted to get more engaged in the community and it has just been an awesome experience,” Pacatte said.
- One of the association’s recent gardens can be found at Bob Bryant Park.
- The garden project was led by Rudy Zuniga, featuring five keyhole beds placed in a giant flower petal design.
- Other projects around the city include the Cedar Creek Park butterfly garden led by Marianna Hobbs and the downtown planters led by Joni Groom.
“I met other people who are also into gardening,” Harris said. “It's a really nice group of people and the people teaching are great.”
Also of note
Pacatte said the Master Gardener Association is involved in a number of projects around Bastrop. Howard Nemerov is the project lead for the Mayors’ Monarch Pledge, a collaboration among the association, the city of Bastrop and The Lost Pines Master Naturalists to produce a more butterfly pollinator-friendly environment in Bastrop.
Stay tuned
The Bastrop County Master Gardener Association will host its semiannual plant sale Oct. 7.
- 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Mayfest Park, 25 American Legion Drive, Bastrop
Those interested in becoming a master gardener can visit the association's website here.
