Tarrant County Master Gardener
2013 Members Survey
102 Surveys returned 10/3/13
48 Involvement sheets returned
Texas AgriLIFE
How likely will you be to implement changes in your gardening practices due to what you learned
this year as an MG?
I love learning to use new ideas; 100%; Definitely changing to more native plants; It is not what I
have changed but what I have taught others and the change; Yes, I’m always excited to hear how
others achieve success; All the time! Plus my friends and neighbors are making changes because of
questions I can answer. Sometimes – been an MG for 10 years; some what likely; pretty likely; I
follow most of the practices; I tried to use almost everything that applicable to my gardening needs;
possibly – I always learn something new each year; fairly likely if no expensive; better watering and
use of native plants; Put ideas and suggestions to use all the time!; likely -with emphasis; very due
to impending drought; Very – at 1 mcg learned about introducing flowers into vegetable beds for
beauty – and to make more acceptable to neighbors in front yards; I find something to use at home
almost everytime I participate in an event; Likely; very likely; a 10; very likely; likely, already have;
likely – on a mission to --- in my yard; more compost; very much; very likely; sharing and
promoting MG efforts in the community, increased knowledge of design, propagation; likely,
already have; very; quite a lot, I’m redoing many things that I had done wrong before, started a
compost bin; very likely’ ; all the time; very likely; very; very; very; removing grass from front yard
and replacing with TX natives; already have; very likely; likely; I already have made some changes;
I have changed many things because of education through this organization; very; not; very likely;
yes, I will; very likely; very likely; on reports, very likely; I’ve learned several things I will use;
very; very likely; extremely likely; likely; quite likely, actually; very likely; very; very likely, yes;
likely, drought tolerant and native plants- speakers gave us a lot of great ideas;
Monthly Master Gardener Meetings
Suggestions to improve monthly meetings:
Love them as they are; more energetic speakers who do not just show a slide show; More Education,
less business; cookies, coffee, tea or bottled water ready to serve at beginning of mtg. present both
programs, then the business mtg. then dismiss. There should be far less emphasis on food. Start
mtg. at 10:00 and be done by 12:30; I am OK with current plan; too long, eliminate PM speaker;
business meeting seems to be getting longer and longer; add a “tip” jar at coffee area to help with
cost of coffee and condiments; Maybe let people who bring food get 2-5 hours credit; ½ day- open
time for questions; make some sound and audio-visuals work; shorter –fewer announcements –
that’s the newsletter job!; already well organized; I like the vendor meetings; Maybe 9-12?; I would
not want to be an afternoon speaker – many people have to leave at noon; give a two minute warning
before meeting starts (bell?); shorter business section – Don’t need reports from every committee,
Pres. Doesn’t need to talk so much; generally satisfactory as is; better speakers; sometimes speaker
can’t be heard; cut back business meeting. Treasurer’s resprt in writing not explained; love it the
way it is; start at 9 – too much business; I love all the programs; business meeting too long! Too
much time at Resource Connection, not enough on projects; explain that the meeting begins at 10,
everyone needs to be seated and quiet or go into the hall. I like having the time at lunch to get to te
various stations but it can be a long block of time; on reports, such things the entire group is not
interested in – trip to Mexico- Garden conser, - and as such there doesn’t need 45 min. report; during
business meeting have officers close at hand so there isn’t dead time while we wait for them to walk
to podium; we need to work on speaker quality; please try to streamline the business meeting so that
ir doesn’t drag on and on; give speakers ideas and topics for their area of interest to make sure the
topic is covered more; move some of more popular/busy vendor tables to other end of room to move
some of congestion near sing in table; improve speakers, perhaps from A&M and professionals in
landscape architecture, improve presentations with technology; shorter business portion, we don’t
need loads of information about personal opinions. August mtg for example had one person talking
for a long time about the trip to Mexico; I really enjoy it the way it is, maybe try this one time to see
how it works, we need the extra time to make trip worth while, visit display items, etc.;
Would you favor having a brunch with only one speaking session and ending the MG meeting
at noon?
Yes - lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
No - llllllllllllllllllll
Only if we can get 3 hours of credit; either is fine; but only if the business portion were reduced;
Yes, this is a good idea; for some meetings; So many people leave after lunch, I always feel bad for
the 2nd speaker; How would this effect time keeping requirements? Either; for most meetings except
BBQ days w/longer speaker those days; definitely; either or both;
TCMGA Meeting Programs
Suggestions for topics or speakers at monthly meeting:
Dragonfly experts from Tarleton State Univ. Since Tarleton is now in the TA&M system, we should
see who else would be a good speaker for us.
FW Nature Center – Chad Etheridge – I have heard him give this program (817-392-7410).Excellent
program on the Trinity River (Not Trinity Vision or Uptown)
More TAMU involvement. Get speaker from TAMU – Less Selling; Residential landscaping, Plant
education; Arboretum Children’s Garden George Bush library landscape follow up on BRIT; easy
fixes for adding color to front yards, native plants, plant diseases, esp. tomatoes and other vege,
gardens plants; another weather man; house plants; Native plant gardens – introducing natives into
existing gardens; container gardening, perennials, vines; We never hear enough about drought
tolerance, water conservation, not just in plants but on a systemic basis. Also serious vegetable
gardening advice, not just tomatoes; gardening by season at appropriate time of year; wildscaping,
native grasses, container gardening, rock gardening, rain gardening, hedgerows; Citizen Forestry –
contact Courtney Blevins – City of FW; more info on landscapes and plants; invasive aquatic plants;
class on redesigning residential garden w/ suggestions on plant pairings for shade- light, sun, soil
suggestions, rock design, etc.; plant identification, identifying pests and problems, treatments; lily,
grounds of the Perot; BRIT; the woman who spoke in Jan. 2011 about critters the – from Dallas;
water issues in Tarrant area, Linda Christie of Tarrant Regional Water district; more rainwater
harvesting, landscape architecture, picture tour thru famous Gardens (Monticello); specific plants to
grow for all seasons and companion plants; garden design; more info on native plants; lily and iris
society; at a naturalist meeting, there was an excellent film about the Tx horned lizard (horney toad).
It emphasizes how humans effect the environment, so I think it would be relevant; container
gardening, plants, gift certificates to nurseries, iris in spring; Neil Sperry, Howard Garrett;
vegetables, roses; native trees for our area; rose rosette; we have enough funds, we might consider a
major speaker, i.e., Brent Anderson from Brent and Becky’s bulb. Might be able to share costs with
another organization, Dallas MG. One meeting a year it would be interesting to have a “seminar”
format – set up eight classrooms w/MG speakers and you can attend 2-3. Evan McKibbinViticulture, a program by one of the foresters on urban forestry and trees, winter vegetable gardening
in Tarrant County, state parks landscaping; Programs are good; great job on programs; organic
speakers, authors; landscape architecture, lectures from A&M, speakers from other MG towns, MG
Real gardens; already fabulous; I have enjoyed all payments; great selection this year, suggest 1.
water frugal native plants for DGW area, water 1-2-3-4-5 times a year, example McKinney research
project- Sept field trip, 2 a talk from one of the Master Gardeners or all of those who went to Alaska
on the MG cruise;
TCMGA Monthly Raffle - money raised is divided among all Projects
Suggestions to improve the Raffle;
Visibility in room – needs to be next to sign-in table; it’s Okay; currently too expensive; raffle
tickets too expensive; quit funding projects; yes, if monthly; keep doing this!!! Projects need the
money and more!; Donna Fry has done a great job!; Donna did a great job this year; no; too
expensive; like it now; multiple items better than single large; charge less for tickets; none; like the
old way – maybe ; more marketing at beginning of meeting and at door; really $10 – look how many
more could participate at $5; it’s a great format; better and more interesting items for auction, trips,
spa package, garden drawing, planting guide’s, gift certificate to nursery’s; keep it up – fun;
Activities / Field Trips
What field trips do you enjoy the most?
Check all that apply
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll_____ Public garden tours (example: Chandor)
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll _____Private / Home garden tours
llll No lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll_____ Tours that include shopping at a garden center
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll_____ A combination of above
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll_____ Thematic garden tours (all roses, all native plants, etc.)
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll_____ Morning only tours
llllllllllllllllllllllllll_____Morning through mid-afternoon tours
What local or regional (public or private) garden would you recommend the membership tour?
(Please give location/area and as much information as possible.)
Dallas Arboretum; I enjoyed the tour of some of our Master Gardeners successes. I have enjoyed
every trip I’ve gone on; Roy Myers Children’s Garden; Lavender Ridge Farm- located just outside
Gainesville – good day trip; local MG projects – many haven’t been visited since intern year, if then;
Grapevine botanic; Tx Discovery garden in Dallas; Weatherford, Chamblea Garden; FW Botanical
Garden, BRIT; Blue Moon Gardens near Edom, Tx: Dallas Arboretum by bus or Tyler Roses; FW
Botanic Garden, Chandor Garden, have not visited a bad garden recommended by this organization;
Arboretum; Chandor Gardens, Clark Gardens, Dallas arboretum; One of the best field trips I’ve
been on is a visit to Plano’s compost facility; Dallas arboretum; history and ---of this UTA- garden
developed with----between city/architects/ and market, these is a vegetarian restaurant?
Suggestions to improve Activities and Field Trips:
Please don’t schedule trips so far away. Ie, McKinney; I don’t walk very well. I need to bring my
own car. Very often am not able to tay the entire time and I don’t want to ask my friends to miss
part of the field trip. Please that that into consideration when you declare Car Pools ONLY. I’m not
the only person that doesn’t go on field trips anymore because of that. Some need portable PA
system for guide to be heard; Hard to go in the summer, too hot; improved maps and directions to
location; lunch provided; it was impossible to get to the recent McKinney tour. I was going to arrive
later and it never happened; try to find something closer to FW; rotate members of committee; Post
intern trips so others can join; I hope to participate in more of the field trips and activities after
March when I quit my full time job. I haven’t gone on very many of thse because of my work so I
really can’t comment; the Collin county MGs had an amazing facility, the tree farm near there wold
have been better in the spring, I missed some of the tours, would love to go to Fredericksburg in the
spring; don’t plan too many stops for a field trip. The McKinney field trip had too many places to
see in one day, very exhausting; Historical houses with gardens, doesn’t’ have to be a “historic
garden” – maybe someone in Dallas MG Ass. May know about some on “M” street (This isn’t very
helpful, sorry); a bus to far away places; better planning for lunch; schedule at appropriate time.
McKinney to see crepe myrtles was fabulous, but blooms were not oat their peak; McKinney was
too far;
TCMGA Education:
Have you ever attended a MG class? Yes- 1lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lll
No lllll
(too far from where I live plus cannot do Saturdays
Which ones? Propagating bulbs; Compost,rainbarrell harvest, stone leaves, hypertufa; compost,
hypertufa, cement leaves; various;
Only to teach it; composting; several; fall veggies, mosaic stones; succulents; veg. growing, rain
gauge and others I can’t remember; tomato plants, herb gardening, irrigation water barrel,
transplanting vegetable gardening, perennial gardens, propagation; drip irrigation – class was
worthless, same info I had already heard; all of the pruning classes; cement leaf making; copper rain
gauge, cement leaves; spring and fall veg. gardening; vegetable gardening; several – rain barrel,
canning, cactus class (speaker); hypertufa, cactus, vegetable gardening, backyard chickens, herbs,
irrigation, greenhouse, glass totems; pruning; herbs; prune blackberries; making garden stones; rain
barrel, community immigrant day; hypertufa; The orchard, blackberry pruning; totems; many;
vegetable gardening; rain gauge building; perennials, gourds; many, mushroom cement; canning;
pruning, veg specialist, fruits, veg (intern classes); glass totem poles; fall veg gardening; vegetable
gardening; rain barrel, stepping stones; native plants; vegetables, roses, diseases; propagation,
perennials, rain barrel, vegetable gardening; propagation, garden leaves; plant seeds, drip irrigation;
perennials, crafts; making a rain chain, herbal vinegar, composting; many; many; bulbs, rain gauge,
cement planter; perennials, natives, farie gardening; terrariums, hypertufa; rain barrels, herbs; bulbs;
composting, companion planting, pruning fruit trees, blackberries, roses, native plants, herbs;
children’s garden; bugs; hypertufa, terrariums; leaf, glass totem, orb, wreath; cement leaves, bulb
pots, hypertufa, glass totem;
What are some topics you would like to learn about?
Making a tile table; Trees; foundational things- setting pathways, building, construction tips and
points to save time and money; propagation, landscape design; native plants, rainwater harvesting,
landscape design; plant propagation; as in specialist? Or Interns? Yes, I have oak wilt and ENTO;
seed saving, mixed flower and vegetable beds – what plants go together for beauty and edible too
(spring bulbs and purple lettuce – intriguing example; good design, vegetable gardening – fall and
spring; see meeting program suggestions; advanced tree pruning for young trees; cement mushroom;
landscaping class @ min cost; propagation; rose propagation, leaf molded, stepping stones and
decorative items, bulb propagation; veggies, tree pruning; Pic w/specific info on the plants,
greenhouse; would like a lawn grass class, many questions come in the ext office about lawn
grasses; propagation, raised bed gardening, getting rid of “bird dropped invasives” in a garden; it
was an excellent informative class; have a bulb class; irrigation; more classes on trees; making
pathways in shade; soil test readings; make stepping stones; vegetable; many;
Suggestions for improving the classes:
Hands-on; drought watering, planning and installing drip irrigation (wehre to buy hardware); RC
classes during the week; give better notice; be more familiar with the power point, sometimes
speakers use other’s power point and are lost in its presentation; more advertising; stay on subject,
handouts are good; reduce price, hold some on east side of Tarrant Co.; the best one I attended this
year – propagation class for 39 visitors across TX, excellent;
TCMGA Monthly Newsletter, the Sharecropper
How often do you read the newsletter?
Check most appropriate
lllllll Always lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Usually llllllllllll Sometimes
lllllll Rarely
-I don’t have time to read online, it’s easier for me to read a paper copy when I am sitting watching
TC after diner, I realize I could print a copy;
l Never – no time and don’t like online format;
Of the following list: Mark your favorite features
Check all that apply
Llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Cover article by expert llllllllll Committee Profiles
Lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Photo pages
lllllllllllllll Member Profiles
Lllllllllllllllllllllllllll Project Profiles
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Articles by members
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Upcoming Events
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Announcements / Goings On
llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Calendar
lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll Field
Trip Info
llllllllllllll Birthdays
llll Other really all of it; state info; all; Class offering;
Jackie is a jewel!
Suggestions to improve the Sharecropper Newsletter:
It is excellent – how could it be improved! Hats Of to the Editor and all involved; More articles by
members; Sometimes my computer doesn’t let me open things. I’m sure it’s more me than the
computer but it won’t call me a liar; more plant education; more “tips”; make sure it is current,
sometimes seems out of date; I like it now; shorter, what is going on around the state or MG
organizations; its great- you have all necessary info as well as good articles; fab; good job; great the
way it is;
TCMGA Website
How many times per month do you look at the website?;
0-1 –I go in to read the Sharecropper ; 0; At least once if not more; 6; 2; 1-3;1;2; at least 1; 1; 3-4; 1;
2-3; 3-4; 2-3; 0-1; 8; 2-3; never; several; 4-5; 2-3; 1; every few months; several – it is good!; 1;1-2;
several; 1; 3-4; 1-2; 2-3; maybe once every 3 months; 2-3; 1; almost never; 2; 0-1; 1-2; 3; seldom;
daily, sometimes; 1-2; 1; 2; 1; 1; 5 +; 2; 1-2; twice a year; 4-5; 1; 2-3; 1; 20-25; 1-2; 20+; maybe 2;
1-2; 1-2; maby once; not often; at least once; 2-3; varies- 1-3; 1; 1; 2;2-3; 1-2; twice; 2; 1-3; 3-5; 02; when needed; once or twice; 4 or more; once; 2; 1-2; 0 occasionally; 1-2; depends what I look up;
15; 1; 1-2; 1; 2; 2-3; 1; 1-2; monthly;
What reasons do you most often use the website?
To read the newsletter; Activities and events; Calendars, Programs, classes; check times, dates;
Phone calendar, project info; Gardening info and schedule of events; to read newsletter; to read
newsletter; telephone duty, back issues of Sharecropper; newsletter; for new info – timekeeping;
read newsletter, check for classes, look at rose ad bulb when they’re for sale; check on classes that
are scheduled and opportunities to volunteer; to sign up for phone duty or to down load a time
keeping sheet; general information; Info; upcoming events; variety of reasons; looking for articles of
personal use and info to pass on to neighborhood and friends; check upcoming events; timekeeping
total hours; remind me if 1st article and telephone schedule; calendar- phone duty, events; info on
projects, check on hours; calendar; Sharecropper and announcements; look at newsletter; info on
specific subjects; check my hours reported, newsletter, events, forms; newsletter, timesheet; time
keeper, Sharecropper; check for times – activities; info; timekeeping or newsletter; to check for the
meeting location, check recorded hours, lookup native plant info; calendar; phone duty, contact info;
look up newsletter; to check my calendar and events; check upcoming events and now it will be used
for timekeeping; to see what’s going on; info; to see newsletter; the phone duty sign up,
announcements; calendar, newsletter; phone duty, upcoming event info; phone duty; timekeeping,
phone duty, project info, events; for newsletter; information I forget, check on project dates;
calendar for phone; timekeeping, activities; plant info or MG info; to read newsletter; sign up for
phone duty; to check on performing;, phone duty; to find out about classes, fieldtrips, and plant
sales, also to sign up for phone duty; time and info; information; access newsletter, check hours;
sign up for phone duty; timekeeping, newsletter; newsletter, calendar; info; information; reporting
hours, telephone sign up, activity info; put myself on calendar for phone; scheduling, checking dates,
timekeeping; check on classes, schedule phone duty; look up info; newsletter, time sheet, --schedule; information on speaker plants; to read the newsletter, or to sign up for phone duty; look at
news and calendar; classes and events; calendar; look up hour codes; newsletter, timekeeping, info,
phone duty, calendar or project times/contacts; get newsletter; research problem; hours; see what’s
new; for info on classes/ goings on; checking info on trips, telephone duty, etc.; reporting hours,
Toni’s tips;
Suggestions to improve the website:
Get rid of 2 year old articles; keeps getting better; more tips; cooking with vegetables grown; keep it
current; none from a non-geek; already send eblast when new newsletter available but website
sometimes seems old w/out of date info; continue to try to keep as current as possible on events with
a time frame; making it easier to navigate; I like it now; more pictures; info, events; guidelines for
establishing a community garden; We need more general articles specifically about gardening in
Tarrant County (North Central) maybe by season; keep it current; advertise it; it’s been improved, I
like it; information, calendar;
TCMGA Facebook
Are you friends of TCMGA on facebook?
No –llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll
Yes – lllllllllllllllllllllll
But I forget to look at it; but will join; I think so, not sure; don’t do facebook 111l; I am technology
inept;
Tarrant County Master Gardener Association
Suggestions to improve our organization:
Keep the politics of A&M in the executive sessions. We really are not interested. We want good
information to pass along to the public; More people involved; outreach to minority populations; try
to have interns visit each of the TCMG projects during training; I would like to see less activities
only on the weekend. Weekend is my family time and this does reduce the activities I am able to
attend. More concentration on fewer projects and be sure projects is teaching or learning – not
maintenance!; already well run. Maybe more attention to mentoring for committee jobs for retention
after intern year; I love it the way it is; diversify leadership, tends to be “clickish”; There are a few
long-term members who use their position on the state board to intimidate and bully interns and new
members – someone needs to do something about them; more field trips and activities on weekend
days; more financial support for projects; require minimum 100 hours/year; encourage interns to
work at all projects … not just the resource Connection; BBQa are great! Sponsor a big speaker like
Neil Sperry or Dirt Doctor; I love the luncheons. They are a great combination of foods. It would be
nice when holding an open house that you always have something that comes from the ground on the
table. Let’s help fight obesity and diabetes when we opt to have refreshments. Don’t eliminate, add
the good stuff; turn committees over; more labels on food table @ lunch time; better speakers, spend
some money, we have it, bring in authors or experts; as an intern, I hope to get more involved once I
complete this portion my work does limit my involvement, however; put term limits on positions, If
yo headed a committee, you need to be off the board/committee for at least a year before you head
any committee again.