Welcome to
Galveston Gardening...
I’m Don Wilkerson, Professor Emeritus from Texas A&M University's Department of Horticultural Sciences in College Station, Texas - where for 28 years I worked with the commercial landscape/nursery/greenhouse industries.
Perhaps of greater importance, I’ve been living and gardening in Galveston since June of 2008. That’s right – just a few months before the devastating impacts of Hurricane Ike.
History & Origin of GG
As the result of Ike, Galveston landscapes were heavily damaged. Thousands of trees were destroyed, many plants vanished, soil was contaminated by saltwater and root/foliar diseases were rampant. To help with recovery, Dr. William Johnson (our former Galveston County Extension Horticulturist) and I prepared a number of articles for the Galveston Daily News, conducted educational meetings, assisted with damage assessments and whatever else we could to help residents, businesses and the city recover.
To assist in getting the word out, I created the Galveston Gardening website. Once storm recovery was well underway, GG changed direction.
In the months/years that followed, GG placed more emphasis on personal gardening experiences, challenges and, of course, the occasional failure (always the best learning opportunities).
Welcome to OLLI
In 2013 I began working with OLLI - the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. OLLI provides outstanding opportunities for lifelong learning, personal enrichment, and community connection. The program offers a wide range of engaging courses, lectures, and activities all designed to spark curiosity and keep the mind active. With its welcoming atmosphere and diverse curriculum, OLLI fosters friendships and encourages a love of learning at every stage of life.
Accessing Garden Information
Most of the info on the Galveston Gardening website was created to support in-person programs (mostly at OLLI) where visual aids are essential. The slide format also makes it simple to include photos, plant images, and diagrams that help explain horticultural concepts. By keeping the content in slide-based form, it remains both visually appealing and practical for teaching and outreach.
The Goal...
It seems almost incredible that GG has survived and even grown since its beginnings in 2008. That being said - the goal of GG will continue to be providing information on landscape gardening topics, events and activities for Galveston and the Texas Upper Gulf Coast area.
ALL with a HEALTHY SENSE OF HUMOR and FUN!!!
Because after all - that's what coastal gardening is all about...
