April 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
Head out to Wildflower Days at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, now through May 31. Forecasts following a wet fall and winter are for spectacular wildflower shows across most of Texas. 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.

Athens / Henderson County
Shop early for best selection at the Henderson County Master Gardeners’ Spring Plant Sale on April 25, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. Offerings include trees, shrubs, bulbs, perennials, annuals, natives, heirlooms, vegetables, and herbs. Master Gardeners will be on site for consultations. Location is inside the Henderson County Senior Citizens Center, 3356 State Hwy 31E, Athens. For more information, e-mail hendersoncmga@gmail.com.

Bonham / Fannin County
Attend the 2015 Garden, Lawn and Home EXPO sponsored by the Fannin County Master Gardeners this 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
Shop the 2015 Brazos County Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale this 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/.

Attend the “Texas Learn, Grow, Eat, Go!” class offered on Tuesday, April 28, by Dr. Judy Warren of Texas AgriLife Extension Services and the Brazos County Master Gardeners. The 7-8 p.m. class is part of a classroom curriculum emphasizing science, math, and reading through gardening, vegetable tastings, recipe demonstrations and other activities related to positive health outcomes. The location is the Brazos Center, 3232 Briarcrest Drive, Room 102, Bryan. Visit www.brazosmg.com

Corpus Christi / Nueces County
Enjoy Big Bloom and Dollar Day at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center on Saturday, April 4. Call 361-852-2100 or visit http://www.stxbot.org.

Talk to the 30-plus exotic parrots at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, at 2:30 p.m., during 40-minute segments of “Parrot Talk.” Guests will be able to visit and take photos of the macaws and cockatoos in the collection. Free with general admission (members free). Visit http://www.stxbot.org.

Dallas / Dallas County
Enjoy special Easter Weekend activities at the Dallas Arboretum this year. Events include an Eddie Coker Children’s Concert on Friday, April 3, and a special concert by Matt Tolentino’s Cement City Ramblers on Saturday, April 4. Sunday festivities also include pony rides in the Pecan Grove, complimentary with admission. Find details here.

Join in with Friends of the University Park Public Library for “Growing UP with Neil Sperry” on Wednesday, April 8, 7-9 p.m. at the UP Public Library. Learn from Neil and horticulturists Josh Bracken (Nicholson-Hardie) and Gerry Bradley (UP Parks and Recreation). Admission ($35 in advance; $45 at the door) includes a signed copy of Neil’s new book. Click to register.

Attend the largest floral festival in the Southwest — Dallas Blooms at the Dallas Arboretum — now through 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.

Fort Worth / Tarrant County
Explore the Annual Flowercade “Art in Bloom” flower show of the Garden Club Council of Fort Worth on Saturday, April 28, noon – 6 p.m., and Sunday, April 19, 1-5 p.m. Displays include specimens and arrangements by members of 33 gardens clubs. The weekend also includes Market Day (Saturday), with opportunities to purchase plants and garden-related items. Location is the Deborah Beggs Moncrief Garden Center at the Botanic Garden Center, 3220 Botanic Garden Drive, in Fort Worth. For further information, e-mail p.braak@verizon.net.

Houston / Harris County
Bring your dog to Hermann Park on Saturday, April 4, for The Third Annual Dog Walk sponsored by the Houston Rockets. (The March event was re-scheduled because of weather.) 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.

Attend one of several classes at the Arbor Gate in Tomball this month. Topics include Ornamental Climbers, Southern Gardens, Landscape Design, Bees, and Evergreen Herb Gardens. Presenters include Dr. William Welch of A&M and Chris Wiesinger, owner of Southern Bulb Co. Lunch with the Experts guests this month include Rand Hopkins of Monrovia Nursery (April 8), and Dawnvolynn Callahan of Big Chicken Daylily Farm (April 22). Find full details at www.arborgate.com.

Nacogdoches / Nacogdoches County
Discover hard-to-find, Texas-tough plants at the annual Garden Gala Day Plant Sale and Earth Day Celebration, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., on Saturday, April 11, at the Stephen F. Austin Pineywoods Native Plant Center. Most plants have been trialed extensively in the SFA gardens. Earth Day events, beginning at 10 a.m., include activities for kids of all ages, free local food, live music, and more. The location is 2900 Raguet Street in historic Nacogdoches. Bring a wagon, and find a plant list two weeks in advance at www.sfagardens.sfasu.edu.

Attend the April lecture in the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series on Thursday, April 9, when Matt Welch of Austin’s Madrone Group presents “Plants, Planting, and Pushing the Envelope in Austin Landscapes.” The lectures are held on second Thursdays at 7 p.m. in the 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.

Plano/ Collin County
Shop the 12th Annual Plant Sale of Collin County Master Gardeners on Saturday, April 11, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Myers Park and Event Center in McKinney. Selections include plants that are Texas-tough, water-conserving, insect and disease resistant, and Earth-Kind favorites. Choose from hundreds of varieties of annuals, perennials, trees, shrubs, roses, vegetables, herbs, and grasses that thrive in sun, part-sun, and shade. Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer questions and offer timely tips. Visit www.ccmgatx.org.

Take 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.

Shop the Spring Plant Sale at the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary on April 18, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and April 19, 1 – 5 p.m. Water-wise plants and rare plants are among the extensive offerings. The sale will also feature a number of native milkweed plants, essential as host plants to help combat the decline in the Monarch butterfly population. Shoppers are encouraged to bring carts or wagons to facilitate their purchases. Visit www.heardmuseum.org.

Quitman/ Wood County
Attend Time to Plant Smarter, the Spring Conference of the Wood County Texas Master Gardeners, scheduled for this Saturday, March 28, 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 now through Sept. 20. The maze exhibit takes guests inside the rainforest, from soaring canopies to forest floor, with lessons on ecology, biodiversity, adaptability and conservation. Find details about this and other events at www.sabot.com

Join the fiesta fun at the San Antonio Botanical Garden on Saturday, April 18. Viva Botanica offers a plant sale and spring celebration in the gardens, including children’s craft activities and entertainment. www.sabot.com.

Waxahachie / Ellis County
Attend the Lawn and Garden Expo sponsored by Ellis County Master Gardeners this Saturday, 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/.

Weatherford / Parker County
Bring the family to the largest home and garden festival in Parker County on Saturday, April 25, in Weatherford. The Weatherford Blooms Home and Garden Festival, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., will fill the four quadrants around Courthouse Square with displays by more than 80 home and garden vendors, plus entertainment, children’s activities and much more. At both the festival site and at Chandor Gardens, Master Gardeners will offer advice about beautiful lawns and water conservation. Free to the public.