The Organic Horticulture Benefits Alliance (OHBA) will hold its third annual OHBAPalooza on Saturday, August 10 in Houston. This year’s event features four gardeners with Fayette County connections.

Mike Serant, John Ferguson, Briane Bernsen and Diana Wilson will speak at the organic gardening fair and workshop. It takes place at United Way of Greater Houston, located at 50 Waugh Dr., from 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Mike Serant, the President and Co-Founder of OHBA, owns the company that produces MicroLife Organic Fertilizers. He also owns property in Fayette County.

“Attendees will learn all about having better personal health, healthier and easier to maintain gardens and landscapes,” Serant said. “Plus, all will learn about the incredible wonders of Mother Nature.

Serant will speak on the topic of building resiliency for your gardens and landscapes.

“Climate change and increased exposure to toxicity is changing how we need to manage our personal ecosystems,” he said. “This class will give all a clear plan on what to do.”

John Ferguson, another giant in the Texas organic gardening movement, is a Director and Co-Founder of OHBA. He’s also the founder of Nature’s Way Resources, which produces some of the best mulch and soil amendments available in the state. He also owners property in Fayette County and recently moved here.

Ferguson’s topic will be “Soil: Your Ultimate Water Reservoir – Tapping The Potential.”

“Decades of using toxic chemicals has rendered many of the soils of our landscapes sterile and lifeless,” Ferguson said. “They are unable to hold nutrients or water and have caused massive environmental problems from toxic levels of bacteria in our streams to dead zones in our oceans.

“Several studies have shown that 50 percent of the residential water usage in Texas is for landscaping uses,” he added. “What if we could reduce this amount by 50% in less than a year by using biological-based landscape techniques and get even better results?

“Developing good soil structure is the most important part of water conservation in our landscapes,” Ferguson said. “It is also the most cost-effective tool we have. The benefits are many times greater than irrigation systems, rainwater harvesting, and water reuse combined. Using modern biological methods one can open the soil which then allows water to soak in and be stored till our plants need it. Even heavy clay can be turned into a rich fertile water absorbing loam that will grow almost anything.”

Diana Wilson, a landscape architect who lives in La Grange, will give a talk on the Fibonacci sequence, a mathematical phenomenon that often appears in nature.

“I am excited to give this presentation on the Fibonacci sequence in art, nature, and native plants,” she said. “Geometry in nature is something I am very passionate about. And I hope you will be inspired to look for these fascinating phenomena as you continue your horticultural endeavors.”

Briane Bernsen is a market gardener from Plum who owns Plum Fabulous Foods. She will speak about bio-intensive gardening.

“Learn simple methods to implement bio-intensive gardening methods in any size space or place to produce year-round food abundance,” she said. “If you’ve ever felt intimidated about starting your own garden or have been concerned that you don’t have the room to grow what you want, you will leave feeling empowered and excited to begin.”

The program includes 10 other speakers who will discuss topics ranging from sustainability, eating organic, therapeutic value of gardening, garden planning, beneficial insects, the benefits of raising chickens, and herbalism. There will be two headline speakers: Brad Phillips, whose topic will be “Trees Talk;” and Mark “Merriwether” Vorderbruggen, who will talk about “Growing Lazy.”

Admission is $50 for OHBA members and $70 for no-mem- bers. Register online at https:// www.ohbaonline.org/register.

The event will include exhibits and the opportunity to network with expert gardeners. Doors open at 8 a.m. The first headline session starts at 9 a.m. For more speaker information, go to https://www. ohbaonline.org/ohbapalooza.

OHBA Executive Director Victoria Velarde, who also lives in Fayette County, is trying to arrange bus transportation for any Fayette County residents who register and plan to attend. If you are interested in riding a bus to OHBAPalooza, contact Velarde via text only at (713) 410-7061.