Next Erath County Master Gardener class to focus on pocket prairies in home gardens.

Special to Beneath the Surface News

Pocket prairies are growing in popularity and local gardeners can learn more during Erath County Master Gardeners’ next “Adventures in Gardening” program, Pocket Prairie Power: Small Space, Big Impact.

Pocket prairies are small garden spots - less than an acre in size – that provide birds, bees, butterflies, and other wildlife with food, shelter and breeding spots.

The class will be held from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at the AgriLife Research Center, located at 1229 US HWY 281 in Stephenville.

In this class, Meghan Peoples Kanute will guide gardeners through creating a thriving pocket prairie.

Meghan is well versed in prairie restoration and pocket prairie creation.

She is a native plant horticulturist with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University and Master’s in Natural Resource Ecology from Tarleton State University.

For more than 10 years, Meghan has worked with native plants in landscape design, botanic gardens, research, and prairie restoration.

Most recently, she was the Central Texas Director of the Texas Native Seeds Program with Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Center.

That experience has given her a unique understanding of prairie plant cultivation in north central Texas. 

“Gardening in Central Texas can be challenging,” says Alice Anne Brown, president of Erath County Master Gardeners executive board.

“Gardeners here in Erath County are struggling with the intense heat we’ve experienced this summer.

“Prairies and pocket prairies are ideal for this type of climate because they include deep-rooted native plants.

“That means they don’t need a lot of water, fertilizer or maintenance to thrive when we have these frequent heat advisories.”

There is no charge for this class, although the Erath County Master Gardeners group welcomes donations.

If you are interested in attending, please call Texas AgriLife Extension Service at 254-965-1460 or send an email message to erathmg@gmail.com.