Gardening Volunteers

Our Story

Gardening Volunteers of South Texas (GVST) began as a group of gardeners who were part of the BCMG program. These members wished to take a different path and, with the encouragement of several prominent garden mentors, started the organization in 2002. Today, it's great to have members who are not only current and past members of the Master Gardener program but also members of other organizations such as the San Antonio Garden Club, Native Plant Society, Rose Society, Herb Society, and other groups that focus on water conservation and best practices gardening in the South Texas area. The original "charter group" were all members of Texas A & M's Dr. Jerry Parsons' Research and Development team, which researched and propagated new-to-the-market plants at the old Peterson's greenhouse on Seale Road. Dr. Calvin Finch, who was then the Conservation Director at SAWS, saw the potential in a new outreach group with a "Can do! When do we start?" attitude. With Calvin's encouragement, a non-profit 501c3 corporation, GVST, was formed. Calvin suggested that "educator turned Hill County Gardener" Tom Harris, Diane Dondero, and Anne Schiller get things organized. When Diane passed away a few years later, her legacy continued through the work of GVST.

Services Offered

GVST's primary focus is on water conservation and environmental awareness. We work collectively with private, public, and educational organizations to serve as an educational resource for the community. Our services include monthly classes on gardening essentials, semi-annual landscape design seminars, and a series of learning experiences called Gardening 101. We also participate in various gardening events throughout the year and offer service projects involving our volunteers. Additionally, we coordinate Neighborhood Landscape Fairs in partnership with San Antonio Water System, bringing information on water-saving landscaping and gardening, drought-tolerant plants, and the latest rebate and coupon programs offered by SAWS.

Community Involvement

GVST has been involved in several major gardening events over the years, including the SAWS Spring Bloom, Garden Center Plant Sale, Festival of Flowers, Top Tomato Contest, Garden Conservancy Tour, Herb Market, and the Mitchell Lake Hoot n Harvest Festival. We also participate in service projects, such as those at the Warrior and Family Support Center, Brooke Army Medical Center. Our goal is to educate and engage the community in water conservation and sustainable gardening practices.

News and Updates

GVST is currently working with the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District to produce a new monthly gardening show called "Go Gardening." Each show features three segments: a landscape showcase for ideas, a "how to" segment in the garden, and a segment on water conservation. A new episode is available every 1st Friday of each month from February to November. We also provide regular updates and news on our website and social media channels.