Home vegetable gardens can benefit you mentally, physically, and economically.
March 11, 2026 - East Texans have always had a soft spot for growing their own food, whether it’s a handful of herbs on the porch or a full vegetable patch tucked behind the house. This spring, the Smith County Master Gardeners, volunteer educators for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, are kicking off a yearlong focus on vegetable and food gardening designed to help gardeners of every skill level succeed. These workshops aim to bring innovative, science-based, gardening education to our community and offer hints and tips to help you grow nutritious, healthy food in your own landscape.
Our first major event of the year is the Successful Edible Gardening Spring Workshop, held Thursday, March 12, 2026, at the Tyler Rose Center Complex in the Camellia Room. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m., and the program runs from 9:00 a.m. until noon. The workshop is free, but preregistration helps us plan for seating and materials. You can register at https://form.jotform.com/260425356109050.
This workshop is built for anyone who wants to grow more of their own food, whether you have a sunny backyard, a small courtyard, or only a few large containers to work with. The goal is to help you navigate the unique challenges of East Texas soils, weather, and pests while building a productive, resilient edible garden.
The morning begins when Smith County Ag and Natural Resources agent, Clint Perkins, presents Roots Matter: Understanding Soil Biology for Healthier Plants from 9:00 to 9:45 a.m. Healthy soil is the foundation of every successful edible garden, and Clint will explain how to build it using Earth‑Kind principles. His session emphasizes how encouraging a healthy micro rhizosphere and fostering a diverse community of bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms can improve plant health, drought resilience, and nutrient uptake. He’ll also cover composting, mulching, and soil amendments.
At 9:45, yours truly will present Design Your Edible Garden. I’ll cover how to assess your landscape for the best garden placement, how much space you really need, how to fertilize, and when to plant each crop. In addition to sharing my wisdom from a lifetime of edible gardening experience, I’ll also show a plethora of examples to hopefully stimulate your imagination.
After a short break, Smith County Master Gardener Dale Wade will take the stage at 10:45 a.m. with Boosting Your Garden, a lively session on increasing production in tomatoes, peppers, and other warm‑season favorites. Dale promises to “spark a little garden romance” by teaching the best varieties, spacing, timing, and companion plants to attract pollinators and improve yields.
The morning concludes with a guided tour of the IDEA Garden in the Tyler Botanical Gardens from 11:30 a.m. to noon, where you can see composting demonstrations and warm‑season planting methods in action.
For more information, contact the Smith County Master Gardener Help Desk at smithmghelpdesk@gmail.com or 903-590-2994. We look forward to seeing you there and helping you grow a more successful edible garden this spring.
