Buying flowers from Parker County Master Gardeners annual plant and flower sale does more than beautify your home. Proceeds from your purchases are spread across the county to beautify public gardens, educate the public, and help fund agriculture projects for clubs, schools and churches.
Spring plant sales are in April at the Weatherford Heritage Park maintenance facility, directly south of the First Monday Flea Market grounds on Sante Fe Drive. Funds for current Master Gardener public gardens are used throughout the year and grants are awarded in October.
Joy Bailey said Parker County groups can fill out an application to help finance an agriculture project. Bailey has been a Master Gardener for five years.
"Two years ago we gave a grant to Peaster High School for a bee hive colony and this year we are giving them another grant because they want to add an additional bee hive." Bailey said. "Applicants describe in detail what their project is and how they intend to complete it."
Bailey is an Aledo resident and former Weatherford Middle School principal. Now retired, she has found gardening and assisting others through the Master Gardeners a satisfying passion.
"A few years ago we began to have a surplus of funds beyond what we needed to keep up our training gardens and we thought helping fund other projects in the county through grants would be a good idea," Bailey added.
Current Parker County Master Gardener public gardens include Azle Central Park, The National Vietnam War Museum Gardens near Mineral Wells, Chandor Gardens in Weatherford, Town Hall of Annetta, Aledo Community Center, Weatherford Public Library, Parker County Extensions Garden in Weatherford, and Willow Park Gardens. The public gardens are also used as hands-on education for Master Gardeners in-training.
The 2024 Parker County Master Gardener grant winners are the Tarrant Area Food Bank West serving Parker County, Weatherford High School, Grace First Presbyterian Church Weatherford, Peaster FFA, Sanctified Hope Women's Transitional Home, Saint Stephens Catholic Church Weatherford, Parker County Extension Office, Love Weatherford beautification projects, and Saint Francis Anglican Church, which maintains a public co-op vegetable garden in Willow Park.
The grant to Weatherford High School is supporting an ongoing project coordinated by educator Tiel Jenkins to teach students how to grow and cultivate fruits and vegetables. Dave's Stove Shop also donated large livestock water troughs as raised garden beds for the Weatherford project.
LeeAnn Nave, who oversees the grant program, said applications are available after the group's April plant sale and due by September and projects must be horticulturally beneficial for the county.
For gardening tips, information about how to become a Master Gardener, or to request a grant form after April, visit www.pcmg-texas.org, visit the Parker AgriLife Extension Office at 604 N. Main St. in Weatherford or call 817-598-6168.
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