June 2014 Events
Concerts at sunset or under the stars are among the great summertime pleasures in Texas. This beautiful setting is at the Dallas Arboretum, where the Cool Thursdays summer concert series takes place on the Martin Rutchik Concert Lawn overlooking White Rock Lake. For information about this series and several upcoming Fourth of July concerts in the DFW area, see both the Dallas and Fort Worth sections of the calendar below. Photo courtesy of the Dallas Arboretum.
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
Enjoy the summer fun of Nature Nights at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center beginning Thursday, June 12, at the first of six free nights of hands-on learning for families. The series, now based in the new Luci and Ian Family Garden, includes expert talks, hikes and more. “Plants and Play” is the theme of the June 12 Nature Night. “Fossils” are the focus on June 29, and the “Colorado River” is the focus on June 26. Find details at www.wildflower.org/nature/.
College Station / Brazos County
Learn about “Corn’s Diversity: Quantitative Genetic Discovery and Maize Breeding for Texas Growers” on June 24, 7 – 8 p.m. at the monthly program of Brazos County Master Gardeners. Dr. Seth C. Murray, assistant professor of soil and crop sciences at Texas A&M, will talk about one of the largest applied public maize breeding programs in the country. The meeting takes place at the Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Dr., Room 102, in Bryan.
Corpus Christi / Nueces County
See “Metal In Motion 2” now through Labor Day (outdoors) at South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center and now through June 22 (indoors) at the Art Museum of South Texas. The displays feature the over-the-top scrap metal work of Mark “Scrapdaddy” Bradford. The artist is best known for large, robotic, recycled metal creatures that often move by pneumatics and hydraulics, some breathing fire and opening their jaws. His work has been shown throughout North and South America and Europe. Find details at http://www.stxbot.org/.
Enjoy Saturday classes this month at South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. On June 7, “In Lieu of Lawns” features Native Plant Society president Ellen Reisinger, and on June 21, “Some Like It Hot!” features staff horticulturist Carol Krank. The sessions are free with admission and scheduled for 10 a.m. – noon. Visit http://www.stxbot.org/.
Dallas / Dallas County
Learn all about the beauty of Water-Wise and Earth-Kind gardening on June 7 at the 20th annual Water-Wise Landscape Tour sponsored by the City of Dallas Water Utilities, Dallas Parks and Recreation, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, and Dallas County Master Gardeners. The tour sites are open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The first 100 visitors at each of the three tour headquarters that morning will receive a free hose spray nozzle. Visit www.SaveDallasWater.com, or call the Water Conservation Hotline, 214-670-3155 for additional information.
Discover summer concert fun on the lawn overlooking White Rock Lake at the Cool Thursdays series at the Dallas Arboretum. The June concerts include performances by The Landsharks, June 12; A Hard Night’s Day, June 19; and Fast Lane, June 26. Find ticket details at www.dallasarboretum.org.
Mark your calendar for a Fourth of July celebration at The Dallas Arboretum on July 3. The last concert of the spring/summer Cool Thursdays series features the Dallas Wind Symphony playing patriotic music on the concert lawn overlooking White Rock Lake. Find details at www.dallasarboretum.org.
Fort Worth / Tarrant County
Mark your calendar for Concerts in the Garden at Fort Worth Botanic Garden July 2 thought July 5. Break out the picnic basket and relax under the stars while listing to great music provided by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and friends. The series has been described as “Fort Worth’s best seasonal outing” (Star Telegram), and this year’s events once again include fabulous fireworks every night leading up to July 4. Click for details.
McKinney / Collin County
Visit area gardens during “Heirloom Gardens,” the Official Garden and Home Tour of the McKinney Garden Club on Saturday, June 14, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tickets are available online and at local retailers. Find details at www.mckinneygardenclub.org.
Take “A Walk in the Park” at Myers Park in McKinney on Saturday, June 28, 9 a.m. – noon. Collin County Master Gardeners have partnered with the park staff for the past five years to create award-winning research and demonstration gardens that include perennials, annuals, crape myrtles, vegetables and herbs. Master Gardeners will serve as guides, and butterfly experts will be in the perennial garden to point out host and nectar plants. Additional activities include tours of the Farm Museum, rainwater collection displays, and children’s activities in the Pole Barn. Myers Park and Event Center is located at 7117 County Road 166. Find details at www.ccmgatx.org.
Nacogdoches / Nacogdoches County
Attend the June lecture in the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series on Thursday, June 12, when Peter Loos, president of The Native Plant Society of Texas, presents “Native Plants That Work for You.” The garden lectures are held on second Thursdays at 7 p.m. in the new Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. A rare plant raffle is included. The lectures are free and open to the public, but donations will be appreciated. Parking is available at the nearby Raguet Elementary School. For more information call 936-468-1832 or e-mail sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
San Antonio / Bexar County
Tour the Birdhouses Exhibit at the San Antonio Botanical Garden now through June 29. The child-sized and kid-friendly playhouses were created in partnership with AIA – San Antonio. Find details at www.sabot.org.