Gardening

Visitors can tour native gardens outside, including the stunning Grande Allee fountain. Inside, a tropical butterfly house includes hundreds of free flying butterflies with daily butterfly releases at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. The annual monarch tagging demonstrations will take place at 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. New in 2011, the Texas Discovery Gardens Green Exhibit celebrates fun, easy ways to live more sustainably. Multiple vendors will be on hand with natural treats, eco-friendly transportation, and more. Sculptures and paintings throughout Texas Discovery Gardens connect art with nature, featuring the work of Silvia Thornton, Anne Neal, Dan and Lori Dudley, student sculptors at El Centro College, and more. We are also proud to unveil a public art display with the City of Dallas from Vancouver artists Michael Vandermeer and Cheryl Hamilton, featuring stunning glass and steel nature-themed pieces that hang from our two story lobby ceiling. Open daily from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. $3 admission.

ECOFEST ARLINGTON is September 17, 2011 10 am - 10 pm
Founders Plaza and Levitt Pavilion

[ibimage==2091==original_size==none==self==ibimage_left]Ecofest, a free, family oriented event, helps build a sense of community, stimulates environmental awareness, and promotes stewardship across North Texas.

We are inviting local businesses to showcase their green products and practical do-it-yourself solutions for home improvement and maintenance.

They will be lined up on the festival streets surrounding Founder’s Plaza.

“DFW Greenweavers is a power group of local, sustainable businesses that have been operating in the Metroplex as experts in their given Green fields.”

Registration required, seating limited to 25, cost $50 (per rain barrel) - Register now.

Some of the problem invasive plants of the Arlington area may be in your own backyard. Marilyn Sallee, DFW Regional Coordinator for the Invaders of Texas Program, will help us explore the situation and develop a plan of action during this adult workshop at River Legacy Living Science Center. FREE, donations accepted. Space is limited. Please RSVP to 817.860.6752.

Let Joanne Durbin, Dallas County Master Gardener, show you how to transform a piece of nature into a beautiful decoration for your garden. Using leaves from the garden and a few simple ingredients, Joanne will show you how to create your own concrete casting. Your unique finished work of art will show the beauty of Mother Nature’s work through the veins, leaf texture and shape. Joanne will show you how to embellish your piece using paint so that you may finish your piece at home once it has dried. Limited space available so sign up early! $50 or $45 for Members

Keeping honeybees is a fascinating and fun pastime that can be enjoyed by anyone.  Brandon & Susan Pollard of the Texas Honeybee Guild actively protect and support honeybee populations throughout North Texas, and they want to show you how you can invite these much needed garden guests into your landscape.  They will show you what to plant to keep them happy throughout the year and more. Whether you want to keep bees for the honey they produce or for their services as pollinators, this class will give you the buzz on bees!  $25 or $22.50 for Members

Are you sick of having your home inundated with tender plant material in the winter? If so, building a greenhouse might be the answer for you. Join Gail Donaldson, Water Conservation Manager for the City of Allen, as she tells you what you need to know to start gardening in your own greenhouse this winter.  She will cover the types of greenhouses, how they work, preparing plants for the greenhouse, maintenance and purchasing sources.  Come find out how to keep your thumb green year-round! $25 or $22.50 for Members

Compost is an invaluable ingredient in a successful garden. By duplicating nature’s recycling process you can turn leaves, grass clippings, yard trimmings and kitchen scraps into dark nutrient-rich humus that is great for your garden. Join John Hunt, local garden writer and Dallas County Master Gardener, as he shares the importance of using compost to build your soil, how to use compost in the garden, which materials can be used, techniques to ensure great results and much more! Come find out how to create a gold rush in your backyard! $25 or $22.50 for Members

Double, Double, Toil & Trouble! Once marking the change of seasons, Halloween is thought of as one of our spookiest holidays. Long ago, many of our most common herbs were called upon to aid in the transition from one season to another. Join Mary Nell Jackson, Past President of the North Texas Unit of the Herb Society of America, as she shares the love, the lore and the history of some of the herbs of Halloween. She will show you which herbs ward off spells and which increase knowledge, as well as which ones are used to make love potions. You will leave with spell bag full of enchanting trinkets to make your Hallow’s eve a bit more magical! $35 or $31.50 for Members