Gardening

Monday, May 21     7:00 PM
Recognizing Good Bugs in your Environment by John Watts - ITMN monthly meeting (AT)

Indian Trail Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist May 2012 Meeting Program – free and open to the public - will be on May 21st at 7:00 p.m. in the Covenant Room of the Waxahachie First United Methodist Church. The Church is located at 505 W. Marvin Avenue in Waxahachie.

John Watts, Insect Specialist / Entomologist at the Texas Discovery Gardens at Dallas’s Fair Park will present an informative and interesting program on the good bugs of our environment -the ones that shouldn’t bug us!

John Watts began studying insects at six years of age and went on to received his Masters Degree in Entomology from the University of Florida where he specialized in insect husbandry. With 18 years of experience in the live butterfly and arthropod exhibit business and an inordinate fondness for nature, John will gladly share his wealth of knowledge with us.

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Hundreds of years ago, settlers marveled at the wide-open prairies in North Texas. Today, most of those grasslands have been replaced by cities and towns. The Botanical Research Institute of Texas will recapture the vibrancy and history of the North Texas landscape at the second annual Prairie Day event, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, May 19, at BRIT’s headquarters, 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, 76107.

Prairie Day celebrates the beauty of the North Texas native landscape through a series of family-oriented, hands-on events that showcase the native grasses, wildflowers, and vegetation blanketing the BRIT site.  Maintaining and researching native landscapes is part of BRIT’s ongoing conservation effort. BRIT’s 70,000-square-foot, two-story research center received the highest sustainability award possible from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2011, the Platinum LEED certification.

Entertainment will be provided by the Katie Keenie Band, a country-western band, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Lone Star Bar-B-Que will serve lunch for $5.

A Peep At The Coops Urban Coop Tour in East Dallas will be on May 20th from 11:00 - 5:00. The tour headquarters is at Stonewall Jackson Elementary, 828 E. Mockingbird Lane in Dallas. Tour maps can be purchased for $5 at the headquarters and there will be 12 backyard chicken coops on the tour this year. Please go to www.apeepatthecoops.org if you would like more information about the event.

http://www.meetup.com/DallasSustainability/events/60009102/

Beneficial Insects & their Host Plants - New! 
May 19, 2012 from 9 am - Noon

Insects and wildlife are the best indicators of garden health. Learn about insects that keep your garden healthy and how to attract them with John Watts. 

$25, $20 for TDG Members. Register in advance.

http://texasdiscoverygardens.org/events_and_classes.php

Plant Safari 
May 12, 2012 from 8 am - 10 am

We offer the same safari on Saturday. This pre-sale tour by TDG's garden experts shows you how to incorporate native and adapted plants into your landscape. Learn about the environmental conditions they thrive in and the beneficial insects they attract. $15, $10 for TDG Members. Advance registration strongly encouraged.

http://texasdiscoverygardens.org/events_and_classes.php

Plant Sale 

May 12, 2012 from 10 am - 2 pm

We are having our sale earlier this year to give you more time to plant. Enjoy native and adapted plants that are rare to find in local nurseries!

Questions? Contact our program manager at (214) 428-7476 x 240  or programs@texasdiscoverygardens.org for details on classes and events. To register over the phone, call (214) 428-7476 x 343.

Want to learn how to capture some rainy day water for use in the hot summer months ahead? Discover how to start collecting water and where to find materials for rainwater harvesting. 

Registration required- to register, please visit https://livegreeninplano.obsres.com/Info.aspx?EventID=3

TUE, May 29     7-8:30PM 

Drip irrigation is 90% efficient, promotes healthier plants, and is usually inexpensive and easy to install. Come and learn about types of drip irrigation and the basics of how to install it at this free class. Registration of 8 people is required in order to hold the class.

To register, please visit: https://livegreeninplano.obsres.com/Info.aspx?EventID=3

Class meets at the Environmental Education Center, 4116 W, Plano Parkway, Plano 75093 Hope to see you there! 

TUE, May 15     7:00pm-8:00pm
MON, June 25     7:00pm-8:00pm
MON, July 23     7:00pm-8:00pm
MON, August 20     7:00pm-8:00pm

Opening America's Best Private Gardens since 1995

5 Gardens, $5 each or all 5 for $20.  May 5, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

http://www.gardenconservancy.org/opendays/open-days-schedule/openday/487-dallas-open-day

Spring is finally upon us, and we are extremely excited about the private gardens you can visit through our 2012 Open Days season. Hundreds of gardeners around the country are awaiting your visit. See the complete schedule of Open Days gardens here!

If you don't see gardens in your area and would like to help us change that, please do call or e-mail us at 1.888.842.2442 or opendays@gardenconservancy.org. In the meantime, we are happy to share some photographs from our 2011 season and invite you to do the same. Click here to visit our Open Days Flickr group.

Is your yard work piling up? Let it! Learn the basics of turning that garden debris into garden gold through composting. We cover what to put in, what to leave out, and how to mix, moisten and manage your way to successful soil enrichment. We'll also teach you to use specialized red worms to compost your food waste and create a fertile soil amendment for plants. 

Class meets at the Environmental Education Center, 4116 W. Plano Parkway. 

Saturday, May 5, 2012 8:00am-11:00am 

Registration required! - Please go to: 

https://livegreeninplano.obsres.com/Info.aspx?EventID=3