Texas Garden Club, Inc. - Education Programs

Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. offers a wide variety of in depth studies. No matter what your interest is in horticulture -- growing superb flowers, knowing what is a superb flower, designing a scape that is environmental-friendly or using that plant material in an exqusite floral design, we have it! Come join us.

TEXAS DESIGN SEMINARS:
The Texas Design Seminars are a continuing education program of the Benz School of Floral Design at Texas A&M University in cooperation with Texas Garden Clubs, Inc. The Seminars are offered to Nationally Accredited Flower Show Judges as a personal enrichment program, an opportunity for advanced study and to broaden the scope for design ideas. Student Judges are invited to audit the course seminars.

Instructor for the Seminars is Jim Johnson, head lecturer at A&M, holder of the Benz Chair and renowned floral designer.

The purpose of the Texas Design Seminars is to give advance training in floral design to Nationally accredited flower show judges.

We held 2 very successful seminars the first week in August 2007 at the Horticulture Building on the Texas A&M Campus with Professor Jim Johnson as our instructor.

Designs studied in Course 4, Series VI were the Multi-Rhythmic, Exhibition Tables Type I & Type 2, and Pot-et-Fleur Designs.

Following the completion of TDS Course 4, we have ten new Design Consultants. They are:

The Design Consultants held their seminar preceding Course 4. Their principle activity was displaying Multi-Rhythmic Designs at the Texas A&M Art Gallery. These designs were well received and much discussed by the many visitors to the Art Gallery.

Our new Master Consultants are:

Renewal XVII will be held July 29 - 31, 2008 with interpretative designs – “If I were ________(name of artist to be inserted)” to be displayed at the A&M Art Gallery. This will require a little research on the chosen artist before coming to A&M next summer but should provide an exciting floral display for all to enjoy. We will repeat the study of the Tapestry Design, hopefully with a full understanding of what a Tapestry Design is, and will delve further into the study of Abstract Design.

Course 1, Series VII follows on July 31 & August 1 with the written test on August 2, 2008. The designs to be studied: Creative Line, Creative Line-Mass, Hanging Designs and Framed Spatial Designs.

For more information please contact Chair: Joyce Cochran Jcochran@texasgardenclubs.org

FLOWER SHOW SCHOOLS:
Why not join us in our fun and informative hobby of being NGC, Inc. Flower Show Judges? You will love being a judge and will meet interesting and informative people.
Any member of a member garden club may be National Garden Clubs,Inc. Flower Show Judge. As well as belonging to a garden club, it requires taking four Flower Show School Classes over two years. There is homework but the rewards are many. You gain knowledge about horticulture and floral design through your studies. In judging Flower Shows, discover new and interesting plant material and unusual designs. During the schools, judging and studying, the people who come into your life will share their knowledge, their interest and their love of horticulture. Chair: Andrea Story Astory@texasgardenclubs.org

SYMPOSIUMS:
After you pass your Handbook Exam you are an accredited judge, YEA! In order to continue your quest for knowledge there are symposiums. These advanced studies are needed to continue to be a well-informed judge. There is much to be learned about the field of horticulture from other judges. This will be a constant and growing knowledge to be enjoyed all your life. Emeritus Judges are retired and revered by their friends as very knowledgeable but they may no longer judge. Chair: Andrea Story Astory@texasgardenclubs.org

LANDSCAPE DESIGN SCHOOLS:
The National Garden Clubs and Texas Garden Clubs welcome all students, both members and non-members, to its educational program in Landscape Design. The NGC Board of Directors adopted the regulations to govern this educational program, a series of four courses on Landscape Design training, on October 7, 1958. It was established in order to develop in its membership a greater appreciation of the environment, both natural and man-made, in keeping with its Bylaw Article II, Number 5, “to advance the fine art of gardening, landscape design, and the study of horticulture.”

The diversity of the course curriculum, from history of landscape design to that of contemporary landscape architecture, appeals to a broad range of interests. It’s well-regarded instructional staff, setting high standards for students, has helped to maintain the superior status of this continuing education program. Members who complete the series, passing the examinations with grades of 70 or above, are eligible to receive the Consultants Certification Card, a NGC credential. This certification does not qualify the graduate to go into professional practice, but is recognized as a sign of special achievement among NGC members.

Objectives of the landscape Design study Program:

Develop a greater sense of appreciation, pride, and knowledge about our private and public gardens.

Become better educated to make changes in our surroundings so that they will be more beautiful, useful, convenient, ecologically sound, and easily maintained.

Stimulate interest in all phases of landscape design, including community planning, that will affect all of our lives.

Develop a contingent of qualified Landscape Design Consultants to serve in such decision-making areas of public life as providing leadership, educational programs, scholarships, awards, and promoting better landscape design.

The most recent series of four courses ended February 19 – 20, 2007 with Course 4. The next series of Courses will begin in February, 2008 (No course scheduled for September 2007). Visit the Southern Garden section of the Aggie Horticulture web site for information on dates and registration forms when available.
Chair: Charlie Marr cmarr@texasgardenclubs.org

GARDEN STUDY SCHOOLS:
All gardeners can become accomplished horticulturists. The Gardening Study Courses offered by TGC, Inc. and NGC, Inc. can assist members in achieving this goal! They are designed to stimulate interest in growing plant materials to their peak of perfection. Subjects covered are soils, weather conditions, pest and disease control agents, growth regulators, plant propagation, plant identification, growing techniques for garden plants, vegetables, fruits, houseplants, trees and shrubs, and specialized styles of gardening. One can learn more about gardening than they thought possible. Anybody interested in gardening will enyoy attending these courses and becoming a "Gardening Consultant". Chair: Sue John SJohn@texasgardenclubs.org

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY SCHOOLS:
The Environmental Studies Schools are designed to help the general public become aware of, and concerned about, the total environment and its associated problems. It will give the knowledge, attitude, motivation, skill and commitment to work individually and collectively toward solutions of current problems and the prevention of new ones. Chair: Ina Brundrett IBrundrett@texasgardenclubs.org