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
Attend the 10th Native Plant Spring Symposium at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on Saturday, Feb. 19, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. The theme is “Native Grasses: Not Just for Mowing,” and topics include landscape grasses, grass identification, grass propagation, grasses for wildlife, and invasives. A morning plenary session will be followed by two afternoon hands-on workshops. Co-sponsor of the event is the Native Plant Society of Texas. Advance registration (by Feb. 11) $65; later registration $75. (Box lunch is included.) Find details at http://www.wildflower.org/springsymposium/.
 
Corpus Christi
Enjoy the Winter Lecture Series at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Wednesday mornings, 10-11:30 a.m. Feb 2: “Innovations in Corpus Christi's Nature Tourism”; Feb 9: “The Return of the Brown Pelican”; Feb 16: “King Cotton”; Feb 23: “Global Butterfly Adventures.” General admission only; members free. (Reservations not needed.) Visit http://www.stxbot.org/stxbot_education_events.html.

Learn all you need to know to grow gorgeous roses in South Texas when Jan Shannon and other Corpus Christi Rose Society rosarians present “Rose Bed to Rose Bud,” Saturday, Feb. 5, 10 a.m. – noon, at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Fee: $7 (includes general admission); members free. Visit http://www.stxbot.org/stxbot_education_events.html.

Decide how organic you want your spring garden to be; attend “Organic Options for Growing Veggies” Saturday, Feb. 12, 10 a.m.-noon, at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Carol Krank, Turner's Gardenland Texas Certified Nursery Professional, and Nueces Master Gardener, discusses latest organic methodology and other options for healthy vegetables. Fee: $7 (includes general admission); members free. Visit http://www.stxbot.org/stxbot_education_events.html.

Dallas and Collin County
Take the Butterfly House Tour at Texas Discovery Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 5, 11 a.m. – noon. The guided tour gives you a behind-the-scenes look at these winged wonders. Included with garden admission. Phone 214-428-7476, ext. 230, for details.

Celebrate the Valentine’s Day flower of love and beauty on a Rose Garden Tour with Dr. Peter Schaar at Texas Discovery Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 12, 11 a.m. – noon. You’ll learn how easy it is to grow these flowering shrubs in your yard. Included with garden admission. Phone 214-428-7476, ext. 230, for details.

Attend “Herbal Roots, Shoots and Blooms,” the educational seminar sponsored by the North Texas Unit of The Herb Society of America, set for Saturday, Feb. 26. Time is 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and the location is the Heritage Ranch Country Club, 465 Scenic Ranch Circle in Fairview. Registration fee of $30 ($25 members) includes all seminars, handouts and a herbal-inspired lunch. Call 972-886-4700 for information, or register online at www.northtexashsa.org.

Enter the 33rd Annual Photography Contest at McKinney’s Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary. The many contest divisions for adults and youngsters include Wild Nature, Shared World, and Artistic/Creative Interpretation. Submit in person on Feb. 5, 6 and 12, or mail submissions, which must be received between Jan. 31 and Feb. 12. Find all rules and registration form at http://www.heardmuseum.org/PhotoContest.asp.

Learn all about vegetable gardening or water conservation at upcoming workshops at Texas Discovery Gardens. Feb 19: “Victory Gardens Workshop, 9 a.m. – noon, $25 ($20 members). Feb. 26, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. “Methods of Efficient Irrigation.”  Fee: $60 (sign-up through El Centro College’s continuing education program). Phone 214-428-7476, ext. 230, for details.

Mark your calendar for the inaugural Garden Show sponsored by the Collin County Master Gardeners on March 26-27 at the Myers Park event center and research gardens in McKinney. Learn about the hottest horticultural trends and have your trickiest gardening questions answered by local experts. Presentations by Neil Sperry, Jimmy Turner, Steve George, Mariana Greene, Dotty Woodson, Kim Schofield and others. Attendees will be able to tour the Earth-Kind Perennial Research and Demonstration Garden, the first such garden in the U.S. Admission either day is $2 or 2 cans of food per car to benefit the North Texas Food Bank. Find details at www.ccmgatx.org/TheGardenShow.

Houston and Harris County
Learn about “Edible Wild Plants – The Real Organic Food” at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, Saturday, Feb. 5, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. The instructor is intrepid explorer Dr. Mark Vorderbruggen. Fee: $40 members, $60 non-members. See details at http://www.houstonarboretum.org/ediblewildplants.asp.

Bring a diagram or photos or your backyard and learn all about “Designing Your Backyard Wildlife Habitat” at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, Sunday, Feb. 13, 2-5 p.m. The instructor is Joe Blanton, the Arboretum’s conservation director. Fee: $35 members, $45 non-members. See details at http://www.houstonarboretum.org/WildlifeHabitat.asp.

Nacogdoches
Attend “Soils in Your Garden,” presented by Dr. Leon Young, SFA agriculture professor, on Feb. 3, 6:30-8:30 p.m., on the SFA campus. Dr. Young (aka Dr. Red Dirt) will discuss the basics of soil-pH, use of lime, fertilization and soil testing. Cost is $5. Questions welcome. To register, call 936-468-1832, e-mail erodewald@sfasu.edu, or send payment with name, address, daytime phone number, and seminar title to: SFA Gardens Seminars, P.O. Box 13000-SFA, Nacogdoches, TX  75962.

Bring the family to the next in a series of the “Nacogdoches Naturally” Family Outdoor Adventures events for 2011: Feb. 12, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m., “Gardening 101 for the Whole Family” by Dawn Stover. Meet in Room 110 in the Stephen F. Austin Agriculture Building, Wilson Drive. $10 per family. Call the Nacogdoches Chamber of Commerce for details.

Attend the February lecture in the 2011 Stephen F. Austin Garden Seminars, “Mechanics for Dummies” with Dr. Craig Morton, Feb. 26, 9 a.m.-noon, in the SFA Ag Mechanics Shop on East College (next to ROTC).  Fee: $20 Mast Arboretum members; $25 non-members. Click here for series listing.

Register now for the 2011 Nacogdoches Azalea Trail Symposium slated for March 12, 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m., in Room 110 of the Agriculture Building on Wilson Drive on the Stephen F. Austin campus. Featured speaker is SFA horticulturist Dr. David Creech,  sharing his enthusiasm for native and other azaleas. Lunch is provided, followed by tips on propagating, growing, and pruning azaleas, plus a guided tour of the Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden. Fee: $40 ($30 SFA Gardens members). Call 936-564-7351 or e-mail info@visitnacogdoches.org. See details at www.nacogdochesazaleas.com.

Waxahachie and Ellis County
Mark you calendar to attend the Ellis County Master Gardeners' Expo on March 26, 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. The theme is “Master Your Lawn and Garden,” and the keynote speaker is Neil Sperry, speaking on “Myths and Mystique of Gardening.” Expo location is 2000 Civic Center Lane, Waxahachie. Admission at the door, $5; ages under 12, free. Free tickets are available from sponsors. Find more information at www.ecmga.com.