Gardening

This all-day seminar/workshop will feature a half dozen subject matter experts in the fields of holistic land management and monitoring, permaculture, microscopy as it relates to the soil food web, soil sampling for lab testing, soil health, and the soil food web. The day will also include a compost tea demonstration, including a microscope demo, as well as a farm tour, an overview of the farm’s future permaculture, and a land planning brainstorming session.  Lunch is included and is provided by a local client of Barking Cat Farm.

Details and registration: http://holisticmanagement.org/open-gate-barking-cat/

$20/advance; $30/walk-in. 

Presented by Ricky Linex, Zone Wildlife Biologist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Weatherford.

Need help finding the best native plants? If you can’t find the plant you want in a nursery, gather seed or transplant it from the wild. There are a lot of good native plants waiting to come into your yard or flower bed. Come hear Ricky Linex's talk on "Fifty Shades of Green, Natives for Your Landscape." Ricky has selected these plants from his 2014, 345-page, color-picture-filled book titled Range Plants of North Central Texas-A Land User’s Guide to Their Identification, Value and Management. You will have the opportunity to purchase the book for $20 and get it signed following the presentation. The book is not available through Amazon or any major publisher, so the price could be kept very reasonable at $20 cash. No credit/debit cards will be accepted, bring cash or a check to the meeting. Online sales are available through BRIT and Native American Seed.

Green Industry Sustainability 

PPA Southern Region Symposium

Designers, landscapers, growers, and retailers in the South face growing challenges when it comes to navigating the impact of extreme weather conditions. Intense heat, drought and flooding are impacting both how we do business, what we sell and the landscapes we create.

We’ve brought together an inspiring and knowledgeable group of speakers to address sustainability challenges and solutions across each area of our industry. With a focus on perennials, speakers will cover plant trialing resources, heat and drought tolerant plant selections, landscape restoration, sustainability and bio-controls for growers, supply chain issues and solutions for landscapers and retailers, plus using native plants for color.

Join us to learn some important information to help your business adapt to sustainability concerns. It’s been 20 years since the PPA hosted a Southern Region Symposium. So, let’s show some southern hospitality and support for these great speakers!

SPEAKER SCHEDULE

From farm to fork, we are losing 40 percent of our food supply. What does that mean to our local economy, our environment and our social systems and what can we do about it?

The event's goal is to reduce food waste in the DFW area by raising awareness of the problem within groups who have the power to change policy and practices for the community. 

Join in a nationwide celebration and movement toward more healthy, affordable, sustainable food.  

Kid-oriented activities include Cathy’s Critters’ petting zoo, a food scavenger hunt, free children’s recipe books, temporary tattoos and other give-aways just for the young ones.

 Gather your friends, family, scout troop, and neighbors and do the “buffalo stomp” with the herd of seeders!  Enhance the beauty of the trail system by participating in the annual seeding. This is a short event, so please arrive on time to share in the experience. Free.

 This self-guided tour showcases Coppell homes and community gardens that feature drought-tolerant native and adapted plants that require minimal irrigation. Come see what you should plant now for beautiful blooms in the spring from the homeowners of some of the most unique landscapes in Coppell!  Maps will be available 8:30-10:30am at Coppell Town Center, 255 Parkway Blvd, Coppell, TX, 75019.  Free.

Landscape designer and author Bonnie Reese will be the speaker at both sessions. Ms. Reese has more than 20 years experience designing, installing and maintaining landscapes in North Texas and is the owner of her own landscape design and consulting company - Beautiful Landscapes (BeautifulLandscapes.net). First-time seminar attendees at each session will receive a copy of Bonnie’s book, “Common-Sense Landscaping” (limit one per household). Attendees can also enter a drawing to win a bag of Green Sense organic fertilizer from Rohde’s Nursery & Nature Store (BeOrganic.com). There will be 3 drawings per session.

Water-Wise Landscape Design 101

9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Whether you have a new landscape or plan to update an existing area, it is critical to begin with a good design. This program teaches the principles of landscape design with an emphasis on how to create a beautiful landscape that will save resources - natural and financial!

Fantastic Plants for North Texas

1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Mission: Bring chefs, artisans and culinary influencers together to celebrate supporting local and regional farmers at a three-day culinary blowout.

Chefs For Farmers is proud to show off the talents of Dallas’s best chefs and food artisans while celebrating the farmers that make great food possible. In one calorie-filled weekend, we pay tribute to Dallas as an emerging food city through incredible events that highlight the entire culinary ecosystem in North Texas and beyond. As good food citizens of the world, we balance our dedication to sustainability, eco-consciousness and charity with our greatest goal: putting on the best food festival Dallas has ever seen.

Tickets $75-$125/per event

The Master Composter Program is a 3-day course offered in conjunction with the City of Fort Worth’s Code Compliance Department and the Garden’s Education Program.

Next class:  (must attend all 3)

Thursday, Sept. 10      6 – 9 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 11          6 – 9 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 12     8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

The most in-depth education on home composting!

This program is an avenue to educate residents about composting, so they can educate and encourage their friends and family to compost. The course consists of attending 3 classes (Thursday and Friday evenings and all day Saturday).  

Registration fee is $40 for Fort Worth residents and $55 for non-residents.  (Fort Worth school teachers can apply to receive a scholarship.) 

Participants will receive:

- Excellent training featuring nationally known instructor Larry Wilhelm

- Rodale Book of Composting

- C.E. Shepherd Compost Bin (if attended class all 3 days)

- Saturday Lunch