September 2014 Events
The Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney tempts kids and grownups alike back into the wild with Dinosaurs Alive! Beginning Sept. 16, visitors to the sanctuary will encounter the 46-foot T-Rex and eight new life-size animatronic dinosaurs along the nature trails. Expect lots of photo ops, stroller-friendly paths, plus real excitement when the dinosaurs move and roar. See details at www.heardmuseum.org/dinosaurslive.
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
Shop the Labor Day Weekend Sidewalk Sale at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Aug. 31-Sept. 2. Bargains on gifts, decorative accessories and apparel. Find details at http://www.wildflower.org/events/.
Celebrate National Grandparents Day at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on Sunday, Sept. 7, when there will be special self-guided family activities in the Little House and the new Luci and Ian Family Garden. Or enjoy Austin Museum Day with free admission on Sunday, Sept. 21. The many activities include a scavenger hunt. Find details at http://www.wildflower.org/events/.
Brady / McCulloch County
Enroll now in the fall training sessions to become a Central Texas Master Gardener. Classes will be held on Tuesdays from Sept. 9 through Nov. 11, usually from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Call the McCulloch County Texas AgriLife Extension Office at 325-597-1295 for details, or download the application form at http://txmg.org/centraltexas/.
Bryan / Brazos County
Learn the “Pollinator-Friendly Approach to Landscape Design” at a free workshop sponsored by Brazos County Master Gardeners on Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. Master Gardener Suzanne Milstead will explain how to attract, maintain and grow the pollinator population and have a landscape overflowing with flowers, bees and butterflies. The class is scheduled at the Brazos Center, Rm. 102, 3232 Briarcrest in Bryan. Learn more at www.brazosmg.com.
Mark your calendar for the 2014 Town and Country Garden Tour sponsored by Brazos County Master Gardeners on Saturday, Oct. 25, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. Tickets will go on sale at the Brazos County Extension Office, 2619 Hwy 21W, on Sept. 25 (checks only). See the group’s website for details: http://www.brazosmg.com.
Make plans to attend the Third Annual Texas Fruit Conference Oct. 6-7 at the Hilton Garden Inn in College Station. This educational program is aimed at bringing together commercial and recreational fruit growers from around Texas to hear and discuss the challenges and successes of fruit growing in our state. Featured speakers include Dr. Arlie Powell (Auburn U), Dr. George Ray McEachern, Dr. David Byrne, Gary Marburger and Larry Don Womack. For full details contact Monte Nesbitt, 979-862-1218, MLNesbitt@tamu.edu.
Corpus Christi / Nueces County
Learn all about “Trees for South Texas” on Saturday, Sept. 13, 10-noon, at South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Executive director Michael Womack, Ed.D., shares information about tree varieties, growth rates, soil preferences and planting/pruning. Free with general admission. See listings at www.stxbot.org.
Mark your calendar for Moonlight in the Gardens 2014 at South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. It’s a casual evening jam-packed with entertainment and good food under the stars. Click here for details.
Dallas / Dallas County
Shop one of two September Iris Sales presented by the Iris Society of Dallas – the first on Saturday, Sept. 6, beginning at 9 a.m. at Les Lac Linear Park, 3901 Beltway Dr. in Addison, and the second on Sept. 13 at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 11425 March Lane in Dallas. This year’s sales offer some of the newest in bearded irises on the market, the result of the Dallas group’s sponsorship of two recent American Iris Society annual conventions. Rhizomes are sold bare root. Come early; plants sell out fast. Find photos and details at www.irises-dallas.org.
Enjoy music under the stars at the Dallas Arboretum this fall. The Cool Thursdays Fall Music Series begins Sept. 11 with Blaze of Glory – The Bon Jovi Experience and continues with Hunter Sullivan’s Big Band (Sept. 18) and the Official Blues Brothers Revue (Sept. 25). In a setting that includes the beauty of White Rock Lake and the Concert Lawn, you can enjoy a picnic brought from home or purchase edibles and beverages from food trucks like Easy Slider and Cajun Tailgators. Purchase tickets online at http://www.dallasarboretum.org/visit/seasonal-festivals-events.
Attend one or both of the no-cost water-wise seminars sponsored by Dallas Water Utilities on Saturday, Sept. 13: “Water-Wise Landscape Design 101,” 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., and “Fantastic Plants for North Texas,” 1:30 -5 p.m. Landscape designer and author Bonnie Reese is the speaker at both sessions. She has more than 20 years experience designing, installing and maintaining landscapes in North Texas and is the owner of Beautiful Landscapes. Attendees will receive a copy of her book, Common Sense Landscaping. The classes will be held in the Performance Hall (Building “E”) at Mountain View College, 4849 W. Illinois Ave. in Dallas. Please pre-register at www.SaveDallasWater.com, or call 214-670-3155.
See an exhibition of student photographs, “Nature Thru the Lens,” at the Dallas Arboretum on Sept. 14, 3-5 p.m. The exhibit and awards take place in Rosine Hall. Find details at www.dallasarboretum.org.
Bring your favorite adult to “First Anniversary Adventures, A Celebratory Soiree” at the Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden at the Dallas Arboretum Sept. 21. The event commemorates the opening of the nationally acclaimed children’s garden by giving adults hands-on access, plus food, music, wine/cocktails, and an opportunity to honor the top donors. Festivities begin at 6 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets.
Check out the fall adult programs schedule at the Dallas Arboretum. Class topics in September include year-round color, raised bed gardening, herb gardening and hoop houses. Find details here.
Don’t miss Texas Discovery Gardens when you attend the State Fair of Texas, Sept. 26-Oct. 19. Great exhibits and kid-friendly fun, plus extended hours and half-price admission. State Fair fees and parking apply during the fair. Click for details.
Houston / Harris County
Hone your gardening skills at a series of lectures and workshops at The Garden Gate in Tomball during September. The schedule includes “Fall Vegetable Gardening,” Tom LeRoy and Bill Adams, Sept. 6, 10 a.m.; “The Art of Rooting Cuttings,” Gaye Hammond, Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m.; “Attracting Bluebirds,” Linda Crum, Thursday, Sept. 18, 10 a.m.; “Bulbs and Buddies,” Chris Wiesinger, Saturday, Sept. 20, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Other topics this month include bees, berries and citrus. Find details at www.arborgate.com.
McKinney / Collin County
See the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex and his buddies when “Dinosaurs Live!” returns to the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, Sept. 16 through Feb. 15, 2015. Photo buffs and onlookers are also welcome on installation day, Sept. 3, when Billings Productions, based in Allen, installs the beasts. www.heardmuseum.org.
Nacogdoches / Nacogdoches County
Attend the September lecture in the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series on Thursday, Sept. 11, when Dawn Stover and Greg Grant give a preview of the upcoming plant sale – “Picking the Best of the Best.” 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 grantdamon@sfasu.edu.
San Antonio / Bexar County
Shop the Fall Plant Sale at the San Antonio Botanical Garden on Sept. 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Choose from a selection of adapted and native plants and let volunteer “experts” guide you to the best water-saving performers. Free entrance to the sale with Garden admission. (Free to members.) See www.sabot.org.
Enjoy an evening of Brews and Blooms at the San Antonio Botanical Garden on Sept. 13, 5:30 – 10 p.m. This casual evening of craft brew sampling paired with delicious food truck fare and music is set in the beauty of the blooming garden. Tickets go fast: $20 ($18 members) and $10 designated driver. Find details at http://www.sabot.org/events/.
Take the kids to Nature Connects, an exhibit of art made with LEGO® bricks at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, from Sept. 6 to Jan. 4, 2015! The exhibit features 27 sculptures in 14 displays created from nearly 500,000 LEGO ® bricks by artist Sean Kenney. The largest sculpture is a mother bison, made from 45,142 bricks. Regular admission rates apply. See details at http://www.sabot.org/events/.