Better Gardening through Science

Speakers Bureau

Does your garden club, service group or other organization need a speaker? Kaufman County Master Gardeners are available at no cost to speak on a variety of topics. Select a topic from the list of specific topics below to open a new tab/window with more information.

If you don’t see the topic you want, contact the Speakers Bureau to find out if we have something being developed or revised. If not, we may be able to create something if we have enough lead time (at least a full month).

Contact the Speakers Bureau using the contact form on the Contact page or by calling the Extension Office at 469-376-4520 to make arrangements; please make your request at least two weeks before the presentation date.

Available Topics

Get a copy of our topic list: 2022 Speakers Bureau Topics–Printer-friendly version

Lady beetles on a leaf. Lady beetles on a leaf.

All About Ladybugs

All About Ladybugs All about lady beetles: life cycle, history, identification, native lady beetles, use as a biological control and how to attract lady beetles.

Breaking ground for a new garden bed.

Bed Preparation

Bed Preparation Advantages and disadvantages of raised beds, permanent beds, mulching in vegetable gardens. Trench composting.

Robber fly with prey.

Beneficial Insects

Beneficial Insects Definition of beneficial insects, why they are important, and how to attract them. Includes an overview of biological controls.

Title graphic for Bugs: Friends or Foes? Produced by KCMGA.

Bugs: Friends or Foes?

Bugs: Friends or Foes? A discussion of beneficial insects and pest insects, with several examples of each, including lacewings, dragonflies, fall army worms, Mexican bean beetles and others. Two new potential pest insects to look out for are the brown marmorated stink bug and the emerald ash borer.

Backyard site for garden.

Choosing a Garden Site

Choosing a Garden Site How to select a garden site, what to try and avoid. What plants require the maximum amount of sunlight, what plants can tolerate some shade, garden orientation (north /south beds), poorly drained areas.

Compost bin with tools.

Composting

Composting What is composting, benefits of composting, backyard composting, how to build a compost bin, composting materials (good and bad), using your compost, testing your compost.

Group of agave in a bed.

Confessions of an Agaveholic

Confessions of an Agaveholic Learn about the different varieties of agave and how to care for them from a self-confessed agave fanatic. 

Selection of seed packets. Photo: Garland Cannon,  CC BY 2.0/

Crop Selection

Crop Selection What types of vegetables to grow in your garden, what do you like to eat?  Cool season crops vs. warm season crops, how to select cultivars for your area.

Title graphic for The Dirty Dozen Invasive Species. Produced by KCMGA.

Dirty Dozen: Terrestrial Invasive Species of the Blackland Prairie

Dirty Dozen: Terrestrial Invasive Species of the Blackland Prairie Invasive species can threaten the survival of native species and can cause significant economic damage. Learn about the twelve least-wanted species, according to TexasInvasives.org, that are found in the Blackland Prairie. Includes photographs, habitat, growth characteristics and origin.

Part of a drip irrigation system. Photo: Bruce Dupree, ACES,  CC0 1.0/

Drip Irrigation

Drip Irrigation Basics How to design and select the proper drip irrigation equipment, how to connect to your house water system, how to use rain water. The different controllers, timers and emitter types available.  

Example of an edible landscape.

Edible Landscaping

Edible Landscaping Ways to incorporate fruit, vegetables, herbs and more into your landscape without having the “vegetable garden” look. Plant list provided.  

A grouping of fall vegetables.

Fall Vegetable Gardening

Fall Vegetable Gardening How a fall vegetable garden is different from spring and summer gardens. Plant selection and growth requirements.

Butterflies on yellow flowers.

Gardening for Butterflies

Gardening for Butterflies Find out what you need to do to attract butterflies and other pollinators to your landscape or garden. Learn about the life cycle of butterflies and what they need to thrive. A list of butterflies common to our area and the plants they need is included.

Senior woman working in garden bed.

Gardening Made Easier

Gardening Made Easier An overview of the many tools and techniques that can make gardening easier for older adults and those with physical limitations.

Kids digging in the garden.

Gardening with Kids

Gardening with Kids Find out why gardening with kids is important and why you should be doing it. Learn what you need to know to garden with kids and how to get started.

Women cleaning in a garden. Benoit Rochon,  CC BY 2.0

Getting the Garden Ready for Winter

Getting the Garden Ready for Winter An overview of tasks that should be done to prepare your garden for winter, and some that will help get the garden ready for spring. 

Diagram of keyhole garden. Photo: Public Domain.

Keyhole Gardening

Keyhole Gardening A discussion of the history of  keyhole gardens, what one is, how it is made, and what its benefits are. Examples of  keyhole gardens are shown.  

Participants work on their rain barrels at the 2009 rain barrel workshop. Photo: KCMGA.

Making a Rain Barrel

Making a Rain Barrel How to build and maintain your rain barrel. Tools required, filters, how to install a hose bib.

Planning Your Garden

Planning Your Garden Covers important things to consider in planning your garden: location, orientation, size, and timing. Discusses putting all these pieces together

Native bee.

Plants for Pollinators

Plants for Pollinators After a brief overview of the types of pollinators and what they need to thrive, characteristics of plants that appeal to a wide variety of pollinators will be discussed. A list of online reference sites for more information is provided. 

Plants grouped around an open Bible. CC 0

Plants of the Bible

Plants of the Bible Plants were an important part of life in Biblical times. They provided many of the things needed for survival: food, fuel, medicine and building materials. Explore some of the most important plants, including trees like olive and cedar and grains like wheat and barley, and learn how they were used in daily and ceremonial life.

Witch's broom of rose rosette disease.

Rose Rosette Disease

Rose Rosette Disease Thorough discussion of symptoms, with illustrations. Causes and remediation.

Seedlings in improvised cardboard containers.

Seed Starting

Seed Starting Learn how to start seeds, and get a jump on the spring growing season or grow those summer greens year-round. Growing medium, water and light requirements, easiest seeds to start.

Man using a rototiller to improve soil. Ryan Hagerty, USFWS,  CC BY-ND 2.0

Soil Preparation

Soil Preparation How to prepare your soil for a garden: what compost is, how to build a compost bin, composting in the rows, proper soil ph, how to improve clay soil.

Logo for Texas Superstar Plant Program. texassuperstar.com

Texas Superstar® Plants

Texas Superstar® Plants Texas Superstar® plants are tested and selected for superstar performance in the Texas Landscape. This program discusses the Texas SuperStar® program, explains which plants are Texas Superstars and where to find them.

Leafcutter bee.

Texas’ Native Bees

Texas’ Native Bees Honeybees get most of the press, but our native bees are also threatened. They are also more efficient pollinators of native plants than honeybees. Learn about our native bees, how they live, and how to help them survive.

Contact Us

Please complete the form.  Required fields are marked with an asterisk (*). We will reply in 2 to 3 business days.