March 2015 Events

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 this Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 28 and March 1. (Be the first to own this year’s T-shirt or art print!) Then head out to 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.

Enjoy the abstract photographs of Austin photographer Brenda Lindfors and the vibrant watercolors of wildflowers by Sherri Jones at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center this spring. Find details at http://www.wildflower.org.

Bonham / Fannin County
Attend the 2015 Garden, Lawn and Home EXPO sponsored by the Fannin County Master Gardeners on Saturday, March 28, at the Bonham Civic Center. The fun begins at 8:30 a.m. with vendors, plants, gifts, outdoor equipment and more. Presentations during the day will cover topics like drip irrigation, aquaculture, and drought-tolerant plants. The Civic Center is located at the corner of Hwy 121 and Hwy 56, behind the Trade Days Pavilion. For more information e-mail fannin@ag.tamu.edu or call 903-583-7453.

Bryan / Brazos County
Discover the habitats, flora and fauna of the Salter Research Farm in Robertson County at a public meeting sponsored by the Brazos County Master Gardeners on Tuesday, March 24, 7 – 8 p.m. The speaker is Dwight Bohlmeyer, program manager for the Salter Farm Education Research Institute for Quantum Physics and Engineering at Texas A&M University. There will be a follow-up invitation to Master Gardeners and the public to visit Salter Farm in April. Location for this initial lecture is the Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Drive, Room 102, Bryan. Call 696-5687 with questions.

Shop the 2015 Brazos County Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale on Saturday, March 28. Offerings include heirloom plants, pass-along plants, natives, perennials, vegetables, herbs and bulbs. Pre-sale talk and early preview of plants is scheduled for 8:30 – 9 a.m. Plant sale times are 9 a.m. – 1 p.m., and the location is 2619 Highway 21 West, Bryan. Bring a wagon to make shopping simple. Find details at http://www.brazosmg.com/.

Corpus Christi / Nueces County
Take a Saturday class this month at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Classes include “Miniature Fairy Gardens,” March 14; “Attract Butterflies to Your Garden,” March 21; “Herbs from Garden to Table,” March 28. All are scheduled for 10 a.m. – noon. Free with general admission (members free). Visit http://www.stxbot.org.

Attend “Blacklock’s Beginning Wildflower ID and Natural History,” a short course offered this month at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. A class session is scheduled for March 6, 6:15-9:15 p.m., and a field trip is scheduled for Saturday, March 7, 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Pre-registration required by March 3. Visit http://www.stxbot.org.

Dallas / Dallas County
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.

Enjoy a special Spring Break Concert at the Dallas Arboretum on Thursday, March 12, at 7 p.m. Performing group is the Molly Ringwalds: The World’s Greatest ‘80s Tribute Band. Find details at www.dallasarboretum.org.

Grapevine / Tarrant County
Join Grapevine Garden Club members at their March 24 meeting, when Tim Thompson of Three Creek Gardens speaks on “The Delight of Daylilies.” Social time begins at 9:30 a.m. and the program at 10 a.m. Meeting place is the Grapevine Convention Center, located at the corner of Vine Street and Municipal Way. Address questions to publicity@grapevinegardenclub.org

Houston / Harris County
Bring your dog to Hermann Park on Sunday, March 1, for The Third Annual Dog Walk sponsored by the Houston Rockets. The walk features a picturesque 1-mile walk around McGovern Lake and the Jones Reflection Pool. All participants receive one ticket to a Rockets game, plus a commemorative T-shirt (for owners) and doggie giveaways (for four-legged companions). A portion of the proceeds benefits the Hermann Park Conservancy. A post-walk party at Lake Plaza features vendors, prizes, etc. Registration is 6:30-7:30 a.m.; walk begins at 8 a.m. Find details at www.hermannpark.org.

Learn the details of “Tomato Grafting” on Sunday, March 1, at 11 a.m. at Arbor Gate in Tomball. Presenter Tom LeRoy will demonstrate how to combine desirable tomato varieties for increased productivity and disease resistance. Participants will take home their own grafted stock. Reservations required. Find details at www.arborgate.com.

Attend one of a dozen classes at the Arbor Gate in Tomball this month. Sample topics are Best Herbs, No-Till Gardening, Attracting Bluebirds/Butterflies, Gardening with Children and much more. Plantsman Greg Grant will present “The Greg Grant Collection” on Saturday, March 21, at 10 a.m. Find full details about the class schedule at www.arborgate.com.

McAllen / Hidalgo County
Attend Quinta Mazatlan’s biggest fundraiser of the year, “Moon Over Mazatlan” on Thursday, March 19. It’s a night under the stars that features great entertainment, dinner, music and more. For ticket information consult the calendar at www.quintamazatlan.com

Nacogdoches / Nacogdoches County
Attend the March lecture in the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series on Thursday, March 12, when SFA experts Greg Grant and Dawn Stover present a preview of the upcoming Stephen F. Austin Gardens plant sale: “Is This the Best Plant Sale in Texas or Not?” 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.

Register 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

Mark your calendar for 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.

Plano/ Collin County
Mark your calendar for a tour of five Plano gardens sponsored by the Plano Garden Club on Saturday and Sunday, April 25-26. “Gardens to Inspire and Delight” features an opportunity to see xeriscaping, exotics, perennials, herbs, Texas natives and water-wise plants. Advance tickets are $12 ($15 on days of the tour). Purchase tickets and find more information at www.planogardenclub.org.

Quitman/ Wood County
Attend 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
Bring the kids to a Rainforest Adventure at the San Antonio Botanical Garden March 7 – Sept. 20. The maze exhibit takes guests inside the rainforest, from soaring canopies to forest floor. with lessons on ecology, biodiversity, adaptability and conservation. Or bring your dog to Dog Days, March 21-22. Find details about these and other events at www.sabot.com

Shop the Spring Plant Sale at the San Antonio Botanical Garden March 9-12. Selections include hundreds of varieties of native and adapted plants suited to the area’s climate. Greenhouse volunteers are available to assist in your selection, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. daily. www.sabot.com.

Waxahachie / Ellis County
Attend 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/.