After a wet spring and hot summer, gardening experts are trying to keep fort worth residents informed on how to conserve water in their yards.
The YardSmart seminar is a semiannual event that takes place at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. Speakers from the Texas Agrilife extension service talked to residents during the seminar about the importance of water conservation through landscaping.
A speaker from Saturday’s panel, Steve Huddleston, said population growth in Texas has a big influence on why people should conserve water.
“Water is an issue for us,” he said. “Our population is increasing, we need to conserve water, and we all need to think of the best ways to do that.”
In addition to saving water, this fall’s event featured lectures about attracting birds to gardens, growing water-saving perennials, and combatting various types of plant disease.
A panel of the seminar’s speakers spent time answering the gardening questions the attendees asked, often injecting humor into their answers.
One attendee asked the speakers about removing particularly pesky bamboo.
“Our best suggestion for bamboo is that – if you have it – your only option is to move,” said panelist Bob Beyer, prompting laughs from the audience.
Teri Jones and Betsy Currie have been gardening for over 40 years. The women said they attended the seminar because it offers new gardening ideas and attracts interesting people.
Currie said that for new gardeners, perseverance is key.
“Stick with it, and never give up,” she said.
The next YardSmart seminar will take place on March 5, 2016.