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
See the display of bluebonnets, Indian paintbrushes, winecups, and other wildflowers during Wildflower Days at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, March 15 – May 31. Many family and children’s activities. An Artists and Artisans Festival on March 13 - 14 kicks off the season with a showcase of watercolors, metalwork, pottery, jewelry, photography and other work from more than 20 American artists. Admission: $7 adults, $6 seniors and students, $3 children. Visit www.wildflower.org or call 512-232-0100 for details.

Attend a free, hands-on seminar about soil and vegetable gardening on Friday, March 12, 9 – 11 a.m. in the Demonstration Garden at the Travis County AgriLife Extension Office, 1600B Smith Rd., Austin. Travis County Master Gardeners will demonstrate soil amendments, seed planting, and the handling of transplants. For details, call 512-854-9600.

Load up on Spring Vegetable Gardening facts at one of the most popular seminars offered by the Travis County Master Gardeners, scheduled this year for Saturday, March 13, 10 a.m. – noon, at Zilker Botanical Garden. Vegetable Specialist Patty Leander will share her expertise on vegetable varieties that perform well in Central Texas, recommended planting times, and composting. Free and open to the public. Come early to get a seat. For information, visit www.tcmastergardeners.org or call the Master Gardeners desk at 512-854-9600.

Dallas and Collin County
Put on your walking shoes 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. On March 20 - 21 more than 90 artists will fill the Pecan Grove with photography, jewelry, painting, sculpture, woodworking and much more for Artscape, a two-day art fair that is held when the garden is at its peak. Details at www.dallasarboretum.org.

Discover how to plan and plant a butterfly garden by attending Butterfly Gardening 101 at Texas Discovery Gardens on Saturday, March 6, 10 – 11 a.m. The class will cover basics like the butterfly life cycle and host/nectar plants. Fee: $10 ($8 members). A tour of the new Butterfly House will be offered free with butterfly house admission, 11 a.m. – noon. Visit www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.

Learn the essentials of Vermicomposting at Texas Discovery Gardens on Saturday, March 20, 1 – 3 p.m. Worms can play a vital role in cold composting, consuming junk mail, paper bags, food scraps and yard waste. Fee for this Organic University class: $20 ($15 members). Or attend a Garden Walk, “Earthworm Extravaganza,” earlier in the day, 11 a.m. – noon, free with garden admission. Visit www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.

Hike through the beautiful Heard Wildlife Sanctuary and benefit your favorite partner organization at the same time, Saturday, March 27, 9 a.m. – noon. Choose the half-mile, mile or one-and-a-half mile trail and hike at your own pace in this fun family event. Your entry fee is shared with the participating community organization of your choice: $20 adults ($10 goes to your organization), $5 ages 3-17 ($3 goes to your organization). Special rates for families or three or more. See details at www.heardmuseum.org.

Join community organizations for a free community fair, “Conservation in Action,” at Texas Discovery Gardens, Saturday, March 27, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. Eco-friendly projects, kids’ crafts, giveaways, lunch and more. New this year for adults: free in-depth sustainable gardening talks by the Dallas County Master Gardeners Speakers Bureau. Other sponsors include City of Dallas, University of North Texas, and Texas AgriLife Extension Service. See www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.

Sign up for the annual Big Bend Trip sponsored by the Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary. The trip, scheduled for March 29 – April 4, is led by Heard Wildlife biologist Roger Sanderson. Many hiking destinations include little-known Ernst Tinaja and the exciting Upper Burro Mesa. See details and pricing at www.heardmuseum.org. 

Encourage your favorite budding naturalist to apply for the 2010 Scholarship Award of the Collin County Master Gardeners Association. The $1,000 scholarship will be awarded May 30 to a Collin County resident graduating from high school in 2010 who intends to major in botany, entomology, environmental science, forestry or horticulture. Deadline for applications is April 15. Application form is available at www.ccmgatx.org/association/scholarship.asp, or by contacting Greg Church at gtchurch@ag.tamu.edu or 972-548-4232. 

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 is open daily now through 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.

Mark your calendar for the Spring Plant Sale at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden on Saturday, April 10, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Houston
Enjoy the beautiful 75th Azalea Trail sponsored by the River Oaks Garden Club on March 5, 6 and 7. The trail highlights 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.

Learn all about “Hummingbird Gardens” at the Backyard Habitat Builder Series of the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center on Sunday, March 7, 1-5 p.m. Arboretum conservation director Joe Blanton will lead hands-on activities that include designing and planting a small garden at the Arboretum. Participants will each make a hummingbird feeder to take home. All supplies, including handouts, will be provided. Cost: $50 ($40 members). Register online at www.houstonnaturecenter.org/backyardhabitatbuilder.asp.

Join the excitement at the March Mart Preview and Volunteer Training Session scheduled for Wednesday, March 10, noon – 2 p.m., at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. Learn what new plants will be featured at March Mart, and pick up a 2010 Plant Guide. Volunteer training follows the preview. Bring a sack lunch to enjoy during the program. Or attend the March Mart Preview scheduled for Saturday, March 13, 10 a.m. – noon. Call 281-443-8731 for reservations.
 
Shop the March Mart Plant Sale, Friday and Saturday, March 26-27, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., at Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens. Seasoned and novice gardeners won’t want to miss Mercer’s annual plant sale, featuring not only the essentials, but also rare, exotic and new varieties. “If it’s sold at March Mart, it grows in Texas!” Members of The Mercer Society are treated to an early shopping day on Thursday, March 25, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Call 281-443-8731 for details.
 
Nacogdoches
Attend the March lecture in the Stephen F. Austin Mast Arboretum Les Reeves Lecture Series on Thursday, March 11, 7 – 8:30 p.m., when Mike Arnold of Texas A&M speaks on “Knowing the Flowers from the Weeds, and Other Fun Things We Learn from Aggie Horticulture.” 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 plant raffle is held afterwards. For more information, contact Greg Grant at 936-468-1863 or grantdamon@sfasu.edu.

Pre-register for the Nacogdoches Azalea Trail Symposium scheduled for 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.; the program is 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Fee ($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.

Mark your calendar for the annual Garden Gala Day at Stephen F. Austin State University, April 17, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., in the lower arboretum parking lot on Wilson Drive. The event includes the annual spring plant sale. For more information call 936-468-4404 or visit http://arboretum.sfasu.edu and click on “upcoming events.”

San Antonio
Join Texas AgriLife Extension horticulturist David Rodriguez at another in his continuing Earth-Kind Landscape Series on Saturday, March 13, when he presents “Tomatoes, Peppers, and More!” 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.

Washington County
Mark your calendar for some of the month-long events scheduled in April in Washington County – the Bluebonnet Festival of Texas in Chappell Hill on April 10-11 and the Burton Cotton Gin Festival on April 17, to name just two. For a visitor's guide or more information about all the events, call 1-888-BRENHAM (273-6426) or visit www.BrenhamTexas.com.