To submit a garden-related public event for the e-gardens calendar, please e-mail details to events@sperrygardens.com. Deadline is the 15th of the month prior to the event date.

Austin/Travis County
Learn the secrets of gardening successfully in Central Texas at “Central Texas Gardening 101,” a free educational workshop scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30, 10 a.m. – noon at Zilker Botanical Garden. Daphne Richards, Texas Agri-Life Extension horticulture agent, will cover the basics for those establishing new roots in the area. Presented by the Travis County Master Gardeners Association. No reservations required. For details, call 512-854-9600.

Enjoy information-packed sessions about the queen of flowers at a Rose Workshop hosted by the Austin Rose Society on Saturday, Feb. 13, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., at Zilker Botanical Garden. Local rose enthusiasts will pass on time-saving techniques and economic ways to grow roses. Fee ($30) includes lunch and a one-year membership in the Austin Rose Society. Call Terri Kendal at 512-894-3455.

Attend a free seminar sponsored by the Austin Herb Society and the Herb Association of Texas on Saturday, Feb. 20, 9 a.m. – noon, in the Garden Center at Zilker Botanical Garden. The schedule includes 20-minute demonstrations and mini workshops on such topics as culinary uses of herbs and xeriscaping with herbs. The public is invited, and all levels of gardeners will find something of interest. For a complete list of speakers and topics, see www.austinherbsociety.org.

Corpus Christi
Take in several February seminars at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Guest speakers will present unique perspectives on regional topics on Saturdays, 10 a.m. – noon. Schedule: “Iris for the Coastal Bend” on Feb. 6 with Master Gardener John Gilbreath. “Purple Martin Invasion” on Feb. 13 with martin expert Louise Chambers and carpenter John Barrow. “Freeze Damage – Prune or Replant” on Feb. 20 with the botanical gardens staff. “Challenges of Growing in Sand” on Feb. 27 with retired professor John Fucik. Seminar fee for each event is $7 ($3.50 members), including general admission. Call 361-852-2100 for reservations. For details, visit http://stxbot.org/events.htm.

Dallas and Collin County
Join friends for a Friendship Tea or a Fireside Wine Flight at the Dallas Arboretum any Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday, now through Feb. 28. Teas are scheduled at 11 a.m. Wine Flights begin at 3:30 p.m. Reservations required; call 214-515-6610. See details of menus and prices at www.dallasarboretum.org .

Participate in a day-long Outdoor Living Extravaganza, Saturday, Feb. 6, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., at Eddie Deen’s Ranch in Downtown Dallas and sponsored by Proven Winners. Experts include the Dallas Arboretum’s Jimmy Turner and the Today Show’s P. Allen Smith. The fee ($85) includes a catered luncheon, beverages and snacks, a goody bag of exciting gifts, including a plant, and a chance to win great prizes. Click here for details and to register on-line.

Enjoy a guided tour of the new Butterfly House at Texas Discovery Gardens, Saturday, Feb. 6, 11 a.m. – noon. The tour is free with butterfly house admission. See www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.

Earn certification as a Master Composter in a day-long course offered at Texas Discovery Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 13, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Learn about composting techniques, helpful insects, worms, and compost tea. With completion of optional volunteer hours, participants will receive a certificate. Fee of $50 ($40 members) includes lunch, compost thermometer and worm bin. See www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.

Discover the “Love Bugs,” Sunday, Feb. 14, 1-2 p.m., at Texas Discovery Gardens. Learn how the bees and many other fascinating insects reproduce to survive. Fee: $10 ($8 members). See www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.

Join a Garden Walk featuring “Roses,” Saturday, Feb. 20, 11 a.m. – noon, at Texas Discovery Gardens. The walk is free with paid garden admission: $8 adults, $6 seniors, $4 ages 3-11. See www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.
 
Learn about herbs from seed and about dill, the 2010 Herb of the Year, at the Feb. 27 meeting of the North and Central Unit of the Herb Society of America. Presenter is Sara Holland of Wimberley. The group meets at 9:30 a.m., with program at 10:30 a.m., in the conference room at North Haven Gardens, 7700 North Haven Road. Open to the public. For additional information, call 972-881-9428.

Mark your calendar for “Dallas Blooms, Fiesta de las Flores” at the Dallas Arboretum, opening March 6 and continuing through April 11. The spectacle will include 450,000 spring-blooming bulbs and a 12-foot-tall Ferdinand the Bull topiary. Details at http://www.dallasarboretum.org/special_events/blooms.html.

Fort Worth
Get tickets now for “Butterflies in the Garden,” an exhibition of tropical butterflies from around the world in the spectacular conservatory at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The exhibit will be open daily Feb. 27 - April 4. Tickets are sold for timed entrance every 30 minutes beginning at 10 a.m., with the last ticket sold at 4 p.m. Ticket prices: $10 adults, $8 seniors, $6 ages 3-12. The exhibit is hosted by the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, the Fort Worth Garden Club, the Fort Worth Botanical Society and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. Media sponsor is the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. See details at www.fwbg.org.

Houston
Mark your calendar for the 75th Azalea Trail sponsored by the River Oaks Garden Club on March 5, 6 and 7. The trail will highlight two historic homes and gardens and four private homes and gardens. Tickets for seven admissions: $15 before March 1 and $20 during the Azalea Trail ($5 per location). Former First Lady Barbara Bush will cut the ribbon for the opening of the Azalea Trail on Friday, March 5, at 10:30 a.m. at Bayou Bend Gardens. Phone 713-523-2483 or visit www.riveroaksgardenclub.org.

Join the fun at the Backyard Habitat Builder Series of the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center on Sunday, Feb. 7, 1-5 p.m., when the project is “Building Spring Nesting Sites for Wildlife.” Joe Blanton, the Arboretum's conservation director and a certified Backyard Habitat Designer, will lead the group in the construction of bird nest boxes and solitary bee houses. Cost: $50 ($40 members). Register online at www.houstonnaturecenter.org/backyardhabitatbuilder.asp.

Sign up for Gardening 101, scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 10, noon – 2 p.m., at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. This Lunch Bunch program offers beginning gardeners all they need to know to become gardening gurus. Bring a sack lunch to enjoy during the program. Call 281-443-8731 for reservations.
 
Learn more about “Japanese Maples,” Saturday, Feb. 13, 10 a.m. – noon, at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. Included is a variety of information about these versatile plants and tips on creating a bonsai plants with them. Call 281-443-8731 for reservations.
 
Explore the best vegetables and methods for growing a vegetable garden at a Continuing Education session on “Vegetable Gardening,” Tuesday, Feb. 16, 10 a.m. – noon, at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. Call 281-443-8731 for reservations.

Nacogdoches
Attend the February lecture in the Stephen F. Austin Mast Arboretum Les Reeves Lecture Series on Thursday, Feb. 18, 7 – 8:30 p.m., when Celia Jones of Gibsland, La., speaks on “Granny’s Daffodils.” The monthly lectures are held on the third Thursday of each month in room 110 of the Stephen F. Austin State University Agriculture Building on Wilson drive (between the Art building and the intramural fields). No charge; refreshments are served before the talk, and a fun rare-plant raffle is held afterwards. For more information, contact Greg Grant at 936-468-1863 or grantdamon@sfasu.edu.

Register now for the annual Nacogdoches Azalea Trail Symposium March 13 in Room 110 of the Agriculture Building on the Stephen F. Austin Campus. Featured speaker is Texas A&M horticulturist William C. Welch, who will share his enthusiasm for camellias and other heirloom plants. Other topics include pruning camellias and propagating azaleas. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the first program set for 9 a.m. Admission price ($30 SFA Gardens members, $40 non-members) includes lunch. For details and to register, contact the Nacogdoches Convention and Visitors Bureau (888-OLDEST-TOWN, fax 936-462-7688) or visit www.nacogdochesazaleas.com.

San Antonio
Join Texas AgriLife Extension horticulturist David Rodriguez at another in his continuing Earth-Kind Landscape Series on Saturday, Feb. 6, when he presents “Growing Berries in South Texas” at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Fee: $20. Please contact Sasha Kodet at 210-207-3270 or e-mail sasha.kodet@sanantonio.gov for details and to register.

Have some coco-licious fun at Chocolate Day at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 13. Special chocolate-“flavored” activities are scheduled for 10 a.m. -2 p.m. See details at www.sabot.org/.

Learn all about rose pruning at an extensive hands-on pruning demonstration and clinic conducted by members of the San Antonio Rose Society in the Rose Garden of the San Antonio Botanical Garden on Saturday, Feb. 20, and
Tuesday, Feb. 23, 9 a.m. – noon. See details at www.sabot.org/.

Learn how to work beautiful, fragrant and useful herbs into your landscape at “Designing Herbal Landscapes” Saturday, Feb. 20, 9 a.m. – noon, at the San Antonio Botanical Garden. Herbalist and designer Diane Lewis will discuss such topics as history, design basics, the right herbs, and compatible hardscape elements. Participants will tour the herb gardens and create designs of their own. A $5 supply fee covers materials, herbal snack, beverage, and admission to the gardens. Details available at www.sabot.org/.

Tyler
Attend the East Texas Spring Landscape and Gardening Conference Feb. 13 at the Tyler Rose Garden Center, 420 Rose Park Drive. Registration ($15) begins at 7:30 a.m. Programs begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 3:20 p.m. with the awarding of prizes. Sessions will focus on topics like Home Vegetables, Fruit Gardening in the Landscape, and Perennial Favorites for East Texas. Speakers include Texas AgriLife specialists Keith Hansen, Joseph G. Masabni, Monte Nesbitt and Billy Higginbotham. Detailed programming can be found at http://easttexasgardening.tamu.edu/, or call Dr. Hansen at 903-590-2980.