Earth-Kind Landscaping: Proven Practices For Eco-Friendly Gardens

By Dawn Oldfield, CCMGA Public Relations Chairperson

What is Earth-Kind® Landscaping? Why is it important? What does it mean to you, your family, and your community? If you’re new to North Texas, you may not be familiar with Earth-Kind® gardening principles and practices. Developed by Texas A&M University and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, this research-based program is a unique and different way of gardening and landscaping.

Research-based information is important because the results from experiments give us great confidence that the results are true and repeatable. In Earth-Kind®, since our recommendations are based on science, the public can have confidence that they will see the same results when they follow our Earth-kind principles and practices. Earth-Kind® research is designed to push the limits of gardening, landscaping, producing food and crops while preserving and protecting the environment and our natural resources.

The Earth-Kind® program has conducted state and nationwide trials and started with testing varieties of roses according to the Earth-Kind® research protocol. The research protocol excludes the use of synthetic, natural, organic fertilizers and pesticides and limits the use of supplemental irrigation. In this study, scientists with the Extension Service evaluated 100 cultivars of roses replicated 4 times. The success of this research led scientists to think that the same concept with Earth-Kind® Roses could be possible with other plants. Testing has shown that the concepts of Earth-Kind® have real merit not just for roses but for other types of plants, too.

People have an opportunity to see these research and demonstration gardens first-hand. The Earth-Kind® Research Gardens at Myers Park and Event Center in McKinney, TX, represent a partnership between Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Horticulture Agents and Specialists, CCMGA, Myers Park and Event Center, and numerous sponsors. Since the study was implemented in 2010, scientists across North America have visited McKinney, Texas, to see the research gardens. It is encouraging to see that Earth-Kind® research and demonstration gardens are now being installed in other states.

In 2013, CCMGA was recognized by horticulturalists worldwide as innovators for their Earth-Kind® Research Gardens project at Myers Park and Event Center in McKinney, TX and awarded the International Master Gardener Search for Excellence Award for Research Gardens. This recognition represents the hard work and dedication of the Collin County Master Gardeners to the Earth-Kind® Environmental Stewardship Research Program developed by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Horticulture Program.

The Earth-Kind® Research Gardens at Myers Park & Event Center were the first in the United States and are considered a Center for Excellence in Earth-Kind® because of the number and variety of research being conducted. The Earth-Kind ® Gardens are researching herbaceous perennials, crape myrtles, vegetables, grasses, annuals, flowering bulbs, herbs, grapes, fruit and nut, and shade-tolerant plants. The results from the research show that Earth-Kind® landscape principles work and that many native and adapted perennials thrive here in North Texas without fertilizer, pesticides, and excessive irrigation. The ongoing research has allowed us to test the tolerance of perennials and other plants to drought, and we have identified numerous plants with exceptional drought tolerance.

Judy Florence, Park Manager at Myers Park and Event Center, shares, “The partnership between Myers Park and CCMGA is a win-win for both groups and the community. CCMGA gets to use our land to plant and do research, and the park gets the beauty!

Through the research and demonstration gardens, people can see first-hand what Earth-Kind® planting is all about. The MG’s are readily available to talk to the public and explain their methods and research.

Homeowners can see what plants have sustained in our hot Texas weather and then can duplicate their new-found knowledge in their yards. The CCMGA is a group of people highly dedicated to horticulture and education.
Collin County is truly fortunate to have them as partners and advocates for Myers Park.”

Former CCMGA President Jim Ewoldsen says, “CCMGA and the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service have devoted a lot of hard work and love in developing and tending the research gardens. During the growing season, you will see our local master gardeners braving all kinds of weather every week to collect the data needed to conduct the research. These volunteers take tremendous pride in the results they have achieved, knowing this research will help homeowners, landscapers, and commercial nurseries in making better-informed landscaping decisions that will reduce the use of water, fertilizer, pesticides, energy, and reduce waste from entering landfills, conserve time, money, and protect the environment.”

The Collin County Master Gardeners Association is an educational service organization of volunteers trained in horticulture, landscaping, soil improvement, water conservation, and many other topics important to Collin County gardeners. The Texas AgriLife Extension Service administers the CCMGA volunteer program through the Horticulture Agent in Collin County. You can also learn more about Earth-Kind Education and Research by visiting collincountygardening.tamu.edu.

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