2022 Gardening Expo

Mission

San Antonio is a great place to grow fruits and vegetables! However, our crazy weather, lack of good soil, and an abundance of bugs make growing a great garden challenging. The South Texas Gardening Expo is an ongoing celebration of gardening, and an amazing learning opportunity for anyone and everyone interested in gardening and self-sufficiency.

Tradition

The South Texas Gardening Expo began in 2014 as a free, community event and is open to the public. Each Expo is a new opportunity to benefit from 3 hours of free classes, workshops and Q&A exhibits. Come meet other gardeners, learn from the experts, and get the skills you need to grow delicious, healthy food for you, your family and friends! It’s still free and open to the public!

Perennial Learning

It’s never too late to learn something new! Whether you want grow herbs or veggies, preserve your harvest, collect rain water, install irrigation, sharpen your tools, or more, you’re bound to find something that will interest you. Check out the tabs above for more information.

Fruit Trees for San Antonio

Mike Stevens

Can anything beat a crunchy tree-ripe apple? Apples are only one of many fruits that we can grow in San Antonio. Learn all about how to have your own backyard orchard as Mike Stevens shares his knowledge of growing fruit in San Antonio.

Growing Herbs

Grace Emery

Herbs are great multi-taskers! They make ordinary dishes taste exceptional, are beautiful in the landscape and help deter pests. Growing your own herbs is easy and economical. Learn all about them from Grace Emery, Bexar County Master Gardener.

Herbal Soaps & Candles

Heather Wickern

Being self-reliant and providing the best for your family can come in many different forms. Join Heather Wickern as she demonstrates the many various ways to create safe and effective bath and body products, from homemade soaps to candles and lotions, using herbs that you can grow yourself!

Constructing Raised Beds

Doug Young

One of the greatest obstacles to growing veggies in San Antonio is the lack of good soil. Using raised beds is a great solution. Learn how to build them from construction contractor, Doug Young, in this hands-on workshop.

Grow Veggies!

Michelle Hobbs

Growing a veggie garden in the San Antonio area can be challenging, but it can be done! Learn how from successful veggie gardener, Michelle Hobbs, of the Bexar County Master Gardeners.

Container Gardening

Bill Swantner

Want to grow your own vegetables, but don’t have room? Is the soil in your yard lousy? Want to add interest to your landscape? Container gardening to the rescue! Bexar County Master Gardener, Bill Swantner will share how to choose the correct containers, soils and plants to grow a successful container garden.

Backyard Composting

Peter Hernandez

Compost is a great soil amendment, but can be pricey. Learn how to make your own “black gold” using materials that you might otherwise throw away. STAR Certified Master Composter, Peter Hernandez, will share his vast knowledge to set you on the path to successful composting.

Gardening with Succulents

Jessica Sorensen

Looking for water-wise plants that grow almost anywhere, look gorgeous, come in a huge variety, and thrive on neglect? Succulents are user-friendly for beginners and experts alike. Come learn about succulent basics and beyond. Ask questions, watch hands-on demonstrations, and check out a huge variety of exhibit plants.

Seed Starting

Yolanda Smith

Ever excitedly planted seeds in anticipation of a wonderful harvest, only to have the seeds fail to sprout or grow into weak, spindly seedlings? Starting your own seeds can save money, extend the growing season and give you greater variety. Yolanda Smith will teach you how to grow strong, healthy seedlings.

Rain Barrels

Lou Kellogg

Save water and $$$ by collecting and storing rainwater to use on your plants. Learn how to make a rain barrel from Bexar County Master Gardener, Lou Kellogg. Your plants will thank you!

Texas Tough Turf

Lou Kellogg

Tired of a brown lawn? Learn how to have a beautiful lawn even in our brutal climate without draining the aquifer from Bexar County Master Gardener, Lou Kellogg.

Good Bugs, Bad Bugs

Bill Swantner

Yuck! What is that creepy crawly? Stop! Don’t smoosh it! It might be helping your garden. Most insects are not harmful. Learn about garden friends and foes, and how to control plant pests from Bill Swantner, Bexar County Master Gardener.

Drip Irrigation

John Vann

Drip irrigation can save you time, water and $$$. Bexar County Master Gardener Irrigation Specialist, John Vann, will answer questions about drip irrigation and teach you how to make a drip irrigation system for raised garden beds in this hands-on class.

Vermicomposting

Peter Hernandez

What is vermicomposting? Come find out from STAR Certified Master Composter, Peter Hernandez of the Guadalupe County Master Gardeners. Learn the benefits of worm composting, setting up a worm bin, which worms to use and what to feed them.

Tool Sharpening

Wayne Gardner

Sharp tools make garden work much easier and safer. Wayne Gardner will show you how to sharpen your tools and keep them in good shape.

Microgreens

Tom Cantrell

Microgreens are tiny, but pack a big nutritional punch! Learn how to grow your own at home from commercial grower, Tom Cantrell.

Native Plants

Adams

What are the many benefits of growing native plants? Find out from Bexar County Master Gardener, Dave Adams and his wife, Sara Holland-Adams.

Homesteading

GayLyn Scholes

Have you ever had the desire to move out to the country, grow your own food and be more self-sufficient? What does it take? GayLyn Scholes will share her first-hand experience.

Beekeeping

Michael Allsop

Interested in keeping bees, but don't have the foggiest idea how to get started? Michael Allsop can give you a basic overview - equipment needs, managing the hive, and pest & disease management, etc.

Low Water Plants

Pam Mitchell

Low water doesn't mean low impact. Pam Mitchell has had years of experience growing low-water beauties in our tough Texas climate. Come learn how you can grow them, too.

Download flyer PDF

	1^st hour (9:00-9:50)	2^nd hour (10:00-10:50)	3^rd hour (11:00-11:50)
Room 103	Seed Starting Corona-Smith	Seed Starting Corona-Smith
Rooms 104-106	Children ages 8+ Lunt/Mendez	Children ages 8+ Lunt/Mendez	Children ages 8+ Lunt/Mendez
Relief Society	Super Succulents! Jessica Sorensen	Super Succulents! Jessica Sorensen	Super Succulents! Jessica Sorensen
Rooms 107-108		Fruit for SA Mike Stevens	Fruit for SA Mike Stevens
High Council Room	Growing Herbs Grace Emery	Herbal Soaps & Candles Heather Wickern	Growing Herbs Grace Emery
Primary Room	Good/Bad Bugs Bill Swantner	Container Plants Bill Swantner	Good/Bad Bugs Bill Swantner
Rooms 110-111	Children Ages 5-7 Deanna Hughes	Children Ages 5-7 Deanna Hughes	Children Ages 5-7 Deanna Hughes
Rooms 114-115	Composting Peter Hernandez	Vermiculture Peter Hernandez	Composting Peter Hernandez
Room 116	Face Painting Courtney Warner	Face Painting Courtney Warner	Face Painting Courtney Warner
Room 118	Rain Barrels Lou Kellogg	Rain Barrels Lou Kellogg	Texas Tough Turf Lou Kellogg
Outdoor Pavilion	Make Raised Beds Doug Young	Drip Irrigation John Vann	Grow Veggies! Michelle Hobbs
Gym - A	Tool Sharpening Wayne Gardner	Tool Sharpening Wayne Gardner	Tool Sharpening Wayne Gardner
Gym - B	Microgreens Tom Cantrell	Microgreens Tom Cantrell	Microgreens Tom Cantrell
Gym - C	Native Plants Adams	Native Plants Adams	Native Plants Adams
Gym - D	Homesteading GayLyn Scholes	Homesteading GayLyn Scholes	Homesteading GayLyn Scholes
Gym - E	Refreshments Selena McCoig	Refreshments Selena McCoig	Refreshments Selena McCoig
Gym - F	Beekeeping Michael Allsop	Beekeeping Michael Allsop	Beekeeping Michael Allsop
Gym - G	Low Water Plants Pam Mitchell	Low Water Plants Pam Mitchell	Low Water Plants Pam Mitchell