Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 11, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches.

 

Tim Hartmann, Earth-Kind program specialist with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, will present “Gardening for Food or Beauty – Why Not Both?”

 

Hartmann earned his Bachelor of Science in horticulture with an emphasis in fruit and vegetable production and his Master of Science in plant breeding and horticulture from Texas A&M University in 2009 and 2013, respectively. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in horticulture.

 

Originally from Blanco, Texas, Hartmann developed a passion for horticulture while working for a commercial greenhouse operation and while also operating a home-based nursery business in high school. He began working for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in 2014, focusing on water conservation in home landscapes.

 

Aside from daily tasks, Hartmann’s responsibilities include delivering educational presentations to homeowners and master gardeners, conducting statewide plant trials and developing printed and Web-based materials for the Earth-Kind Landscaping Program. Additionally, he has special interests in propagation, exotic fruits and in incorporating well-adapted edible plants into residential landscapes for both food and aesthetic value. 

 

The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month at SFA’s Pineywoods Native Plant Center. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves lecture series fund are always appreciated.

 

Parking is available at the nearby Raguet Elementary School, 2428 Raguet St., with continual shuttle service to the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building.

 

For more information, call (936) 468-1832 or email grantdamon@sfasu.edu.