January 2015 Events
Two hundred years in the making, the Mollie Steves Zachry Texas Arboretum is the newest feature at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin. Developed as a classic arboretum, this is an interpreted collection where visitors can learn about the diversity of Texas trees in a relatively compact area. In early 2015, the arboretum will be the centerpiece for the Wildflower Center’s tree-related educational programs and events. See details in the Austin/Travis County section below. Photo courtesy of Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
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
Take a “Tree Talk Winter Walk” at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center on Saturday, Jan. 24, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The center will have a wide selection of native trees and shrubs for sale, and there will be guided walks and talks by experts, plus lots of family-friendly activities (e.g., a Kids’ Tree Climb, shelter building with tree branches, marshmallow roast and bonfire, scavenger hunt, and swinging in the Cathedral of Oaks). Tree Folks will provide native tree saplings to those who complete the scavenger hunt, and the Cafe will serve hot beverages and snack food in the Arboretum. Free admission. See details at http://www.wildflower.org/ttww/.
Dallas / Dallas County
Tour “The 12 Days of Christmas” exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum, featuring spectacular Victorian-styled Christmas displays in 25-foot-tall gazebos built around the 12 days named in the popular carol. The exhibit continues through Jan. 4. Daytime general admission is regular pricing and free for Arboretum members. Find detailed information at http://www.dallasarboretum.org/. For inquiries regarding discounted tickets for groups of 15 or larger, contact groupsales@dallasarboretum.org or call 214-515-6520.
Kick off your new year with a special $5 admission fee to the Dallas Arboretum, beginning Jan. 5 and continuing through Jan. 31. Enjoy the garden in winter and observe as the grounds and staff prepare for Dallas Blooms, which opens Feb. 28. The discounted tickets are available at the gate only. Members receive free admission all year.
Houston / Harris County
Attend Fruit Culture Day at the Arbor Gate in Tomball on Saturday, Jan. 31. Informational sessions include “High-Density Home Orchard Management” with Angela Chandler (10 a.m.), “Pest and Disease Management” with Seth Knight (11:30 a.m.); “Growing Fruit in Containers” with Angela Chandler (1 p.m.), and “Pruning and Training Fruiting Trees and Vines” with Bill Adams (2:30 p.m.). Find details at www.arborgate.com.
McAllen / Hidalgo County
Celebrate the season with Songbird Strolls or Garden Walks at Quinta Mazatlan. There are many birding events on the calendar for December and January. General admission is $3 adults and $2 seniors. Quinta Mazatlan is located at 600 Sunset Drive in McAllen. Find details at www.quintamazatlan.com
McKinney / Collin County
“Spring into Vegetable Gardening” on Jan. 24, 8 a.m. – noon, when Collin County Master Gardeners host presentations to guide your plantings from January through May. Location is The Landing at Myers Park and Event Center near McKinney. MGs will be available to demonstrate and answer questions, and participants will have the opportunity to tour the potager and vegetable trial gardens accompanied by volunteers who work in the gardens. Fee is $10. Registration opens online Jan. 3: www.ccmgatx.org. Participants also may pay at the door (cash, check or credit card).
Nacogdoches / Nacogdoches County
Attend the January lecture in the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series on Thursday, Jan. 8, when Tony Napolillo from Green Mountain Energy Company will present “Why Solar Is the Future of a Sustainable World.” The 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 are appreciated. Parking is available at the nearby Raguet Elementary School (with shuttle service). For more information call 936-468-1832 or e-mail sfagardens@sfasu.edu.
Quitman/ Wood County
Mark your calendar for Time to Plant Smarter, the Spring Conference of the Wood County Texas Master Gardeners, scheduled for March 28, 2015, at Quitman High School. Sperry Gardens writer Steven L. Chamblee, the featured speaker, will talk about “Texas Tough Plants.” The conference will also include mini-seminars on native plants, rainwater harvesting and worm farming. For more information e-mail gloriajeanrosewall@gmail.com
San Antonio / Bexar County
Take the kids to Nature Connects, an exhibit of art made with LEGO® bricks at the San Antonio Botanical Garden, now through 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/.