February 2015 Events
McGovern Centennial Gardens is the newest feature of Houston’s 100-year-old Hermann Park. The Gardens offer visitors traditional features like a rose garden, and new areas to explore such as an interactive family garden, an arid garden, a 30-foot garden mount, and a sculpture promenade featuring public art donated by countries around the world. See the Houston section in the calendar below for events taking place at Hermann Park. Click here for the story of the new McGovern Centennial Gardens.
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 Wildflower Days Spring Preview at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Feb. 28 and March 1. (Be the first to own this year’s T-shirt or art print!) Then mark your calendar for Wildflower Days, March 15 through May 31. The Center will be open seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. as spring comes alive with wildflowers. Visit http://www.wildflower.org.
Bryan / Brazos County
Attend the Home and Garden Expo sponsored by the Brazos County Master Gardeners, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 14-15, at the Brazos County Expo Center. Presentations include “Want to Win Yard of the Month?” plus “Things with Wings and Flights of Fancy,” “Veggie Tales for the Wannabe Gardener,” “Toy Story, a Gardeners Toolbox,” and “Roses: A Parody of Life.” For additional information, call 979-823-0129.
Corpus Christi / Nueces County
Take a Saturday class this month at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Classes include Water Gardening: Getting Ready for Spring, Feb. 7; Rose Pruning Workshop, Feb. 21; and Gardening for the Birds, Feb. 28. All are scheduled for 10 a.m. – noon. Free with general admission (members free). Visit http://www.stxbot.org.
Enjoy a Wednesday lecture this month at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Lectures include “Animal Rehabilitation at Texas Sealife Center,” Feb. 4; “Peppers, Peppers, Peppers,” Feb. 11; “Legends and Lore of Texas Wildflowers,” Feb. 18; and “Ranchhand Cooking,” Feb. 25. Visit http://www.stxbot.org.
Dallas / Dallas County
Learn ways you can maintain a healthy lawn with less frequent watering by attending the Dallas Water Utilities’ Lawn Care Seminar, Saturday, Feb. 7, 9 – 11 a.m., at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center Auditorium, 17360 Coit Rd., Dallas. Patrick Dickinson, horticulturalist with the Urban Water Program, will cover basic lawn care, common turf problems, water efficiency and much more. Space is limited. Register at Save SaveDallasWater.com or call 214-670-3155.
Learn all about “Soil Biology for Gardeners” at North Haven Gardens on Saturday, Feb. 7, 1-2 p.m. Randy Johnson, horticulture manager at the Dallas Zoo, shares his understanding of how and why healthy soil is the basis for garden vitality. Visit www.nhg.com.
Earn your Landscape for Life™ certificate by attending a five-session program at the Dallas Arboretum. The sessions (Feb. 10, 17, 24, March 3, 10 at 6-8 p.m.) will focus on harnessing nature’s power for a healthy, beautiful garden. Based on the principles of the Sustainable Sites Initiative™, this program was created by the U.S. Botanic Garden and Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. The series will take participants step by step through the process of transforming their landscapes into gardens that work with nature rather than against it. Space is limited in this class, so don’t wait to register. Click for more information.
Celebrate President’s Day weekend, Feb. 13-16, at the Dallas Arboretum, when all-American festivities take center stage. There will be complimentary admission for active and retired military personnel (with proper ID), patriotic music, hot dogs, cherry pies and more. Guests can observe the building of the topiaries in preparation for Dallas Blooms. Find details at www.dallasarboretum.org.
Attend the largest floral festival in the Southwest — Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum, Feb. 28 – April 12. This year’s theme is “Deep in the Hearts of Texans.” The Texas-sized extravaganza features more than 500,000 spring blooming bulbs, along with life-sized Texas-themed topiaries, entertainment, food and special activities. Find details here.
Grapevine / Tarrant County
Mark your calendar for the March meeting of the Grapevine Garden Club in its new home, the Grapevine Convention Center. Tim Thompson of Three Creek Gardens will speak on “The Delight of Daylilies” on March 24, discussing his passion for growing and crossbreeding daylilies. The convention center is located at the corner of Vine and Municipal Way, one block east of Main Street. Social time begins at 9:30 a.m., and the program begins at 10 a.m. Visit www.grapevinegardenclub.org.
Houston / Harris County
Enjoy one or more performances by area student groups taking place on Lake Plaza at Hermann Park during the 5th Annual Student Performances series. Students from KIPP Houston perform at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, and students from Burrus Elementary School perform at 11 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 16. Find other events by visiting www.hermannpark.org.
Bring your Valentine to Hermann Park for a romantic dinner overlooking serene McGovern Lake, then continue the fun on a half-hour cruise for two in a pedal boat on the lake. Two dining hours on Feb. 14: 5:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. Space is limited, and advance ticket purchase for dinner is required. Visit http://www.hermannpark.org/calendar/.
Attend “Rose Pruning Made Simple” on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 10 a.m. at Arbor Gate in Tomball. The presenter is Gaye Hammond, international lecturer and writer, and past president of the Houston Rose Society. Find details at www.arborgate.com.
McAllen / Hidalgo County
Emjoy 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
Bring a group to hike the unique landscape of the Heard Natural Science Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney on a guided trail walk Feb. 21, 1 a.m. – noon. You’ll experience the ecology, geology, flora and fauna of the sanctuary, led by one of the center’s trained guides. Find details at www.heardmuseum.org.
Nacogdoches / Nacogdoches County
Register soon for the East Texas Commercial Fruit and Vegetable Conference, taking place on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at the Expo Center, 3805 NW Stallings Drive, Nacogdoches. Participants may earn Master Gardener or TDA credit. For more information, contact Ricky Thompson, Texas AgriLife Extension agent, 936-560-7711 or r-thompson@ag.tamu.edu.
Attend the February lecture in the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series on Thursday, Feb. 12, when Jared Barnes, SFA assistant professor, presents “South from the Land of the Pines: Reflections on the Plants, People and Places of North Carolina.” 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.
Mark your calendar for the 2015 national Azalea Society of America convention, co-hosted on March 26-29 by the Stephen F. Austin State University SFA Gardens and the Texas Chapter of the Azalea Society of America. The theme is “Texas Forest Country – Azalea Trails and Gardens.” Speakers, garden tours and plant sales. Find details at www.sfagardens.sfasu.edu or the national ASA site, www.azaleas.org
Make note of the Sixth Big Thicket and West Gulf Coastal Plain Science Conference hosted in April by Stephen F. Austin State University. The conference provides a forum for scientists and resource managers to share their research in the West Gulf Coastal Plain ecosystem. Optional field trips are planned. Find details at www.bigthicket.org.
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
Have fun at Family Flashlight Night at the San Antonio Botanical Garden on Feb. 20, 6-8:30 p.m. Your family will encounter nighttime insects, create a constellation craft, and test your directional skills in a light maze. Free with general admission; free for members. Visit http://www.sabot.org/events/.
Waxahachie / Ellis County
Mark your calendar for the Lawn and Garden Expo sponsored by Ellis County Master Gardeners on March 28, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., at the Waxahachie Civic Center. Special guest speakers include Steve Smith and James Jeffers of Eat the Yard, Randy Johnson, horticulture manager at the Dallas Zoo, and Monica Nyenhuis, seed saving enthusiast. Other features include plant sales, exhibitor booths, children’s workshops, door prizes and more. Ticket: $5, ages 12-adult. Visit http://txmg.org/ellis/lawn-garden-expo/.