2021 BVGC TV Programs

The January 2021 Program guest is Beth Kastl, member of the Bella Vista Garden Club and a Benton County Master Gardener.  The topic of the show is "Gardens in England" and pictures of the gardens we visited together in May of 2019 are shown.   On a ten day tour with 45 Master Gardeners from Arkansas we visited 11 gardens, some were Royal Horticultural Society Gardens or National Trust Gardens and some were private or public gardens.  Each garden was beautiful and inspirational and we had exceptionally good weather.  The trip also included a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show and Windsor Castle.     

The February 2021 Program  guest is Barb Templin, member of the Bella Vista Garden Club.  The topic of the show is "Early Bloomers" and photos of various trees, bushes, perennials and bulbs that bloom early in the year are shown.  These are the signal plants that let you know that spring is on its way.  Planting these in your garden this year can start blooming early next year.

The March 2021 Program guest is Tony LiCausi, member of the Bella Vista Garden Club and a Benton County Master Gardener.  The topic of the show is "Getting a Head Start" and the most important elements for successful seed starting are discussed.  A demo was given of the best way to start seeds and continued care.  A sample of seeds that sprouted in styrofoam cups was shown.  The seed package contains most of the information needed for successful seed germination.  A larger variety of flowers and vegetables are available using seeds.   

The April 2021 Program host is JB Portillo and the guest is Tim Pschierer, owner of Green Ninja Taxi and a Community Connector.  The topic of the show is "Yard of the Month" Program sponsored by the Bella Vista Garden Club and expanding the gifts given to the winners is one of JB and Tim's goals.  Also discussed are the "6 in 60" cleanup project along Highway 71, the 'Bella Vista' daffodil project, native plants and favorite gardening tools.  

The May 2021 Program guest is Ginny Vance, member of the Bella Vista Garden Club and a Benton County Master Gardener.  The topic of the show is "Container Gardening" and the things to consider when creating a garden in a pot are discussed:  Container type, Soil, Amendments, Plants, Mulch and Watering.  A demonstration of planting a container with plants called a thriller, filler and spiller is shown.   Containers are used on porches, patios and in garden beds and can add a lot of color through the entire gardening season.

The June 2021 Program guest is JB Portillo, member of the Bella Vista Garden Club, a Benton County Master Gardener, a NWA Master Naturalist and a newly elected Board Member on the Bella Vista Property Owners Association.  The topic of the show is "New Kids on the Block" which highlights new annuals hitting the market in 2021 with pictures of several that you should look for to add to your garden.  Also it was announced that the Creek's Nursery is a new sponsor of the show.  Their support is really appreciated.  A number of new annuals and the process that takes place before they are offered to the nursery trade are discussed.  Also an example of a 'Polka Dot Plant' was shown which is a new variety of an Angel Wing Begonia.   

The July 2021 Program guest is Ginny Vance, member of the Bella Vista Garden Club and a Benton County Master Gardener.  The topic of the show is "True Blue Beauties" featuring blue blooming plants that start adding color to your garden from early spring to late fall.  All plants shown can grow in the NW Arkansas Zone of 6 and some may be available at the Bella Vista Garden Club plant sales or other local sales.  Others may be a little harder to find or may be ordered on line.

The August 2021 Program guest is Pat Meyer, the new President of the Bella Vista Garden Club and a Benton County Master Gardener.  The topic of the show is "Bella Vista Garden Club 2021-2022" and Pat describes all the activities and events planned each month for this coming year.  The garden club will be giving two $4,000 Dorothy Wallace Scholarships to the University of Arkansas students at the September general meeting to start off the year.  The club will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2022 and many events are planned to celebrate this special occasion.  An additional $4,000 scholarship will be given to a U of A student by Pat Meyer at the June 2022 luncheon in memory of her mother, Adalina McGill.

The September 2021 Program guest is Ginny Vance, member of the Bella Vista Garden Club and a Benton County Master Gardener.  The topic of the show is "Busy Bees" and the solitary bees are discussed which are almost as important as the honey bees as pollinators.  Pictures of Mason bees, Leafcutter bees, Fairy bees and Digger bees are shown and their nesting areas, mostly in the ground or in holes in wood, are discussed and illustrated.  These solitary bees do not sting and lay their female eggs first in the tunnels and the male eggs last.  The deeper the tunnel, the more females will hatch next year. 

The October 2021 Program guest is Barb Templin, member of the Bella Vista Garden Club.  The topic of the show is "Leaves, Leaves and More Leaves" and various ways to use every leaf that falls on your property is discussed.  They are so beneficial to your garden once they are mulched or composted.  A funny skit of what a conversation  between God and St. Francis of Assisi would be like about grass and leaves is presented.  

The November 2021 Program Host is Andrea Klokow, a Benton County Master Gardener and the guests are Michele Stamps Pritchett and Terry Weiderhaft fellow Benton County Master Gardeners.  The topic of the show is "Benton County Master Gardeners - Update" and several awards have been presented recently to this organization:  The Spirit of Bentonville Award from the city of Bentonville was awarded in large part to the new Children's Garden at the Bentonville Public Library, the Helping Hands Pantry Garden and other projects supported by the BCMG.  In addition, the State Master Gardeners awarded the Project of the Year Award for the work at the Helping Hands Pantry Garden.  An update on the pantry garden's poundage for 2021 is given along with teaching opportunities, and future plans for the garden. 

The December 2021 Program - No program was produced in December 2021 due to scheduling problems.