Austin Bonsai Society Monthly Meeting
Zilker Botanical Garden 2220 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX, United StatesBonsai is a living art form, with each plant constantly changing under the hand of the artist. It is a painting never quite finished. Bonsai also change with the seasons, with each plant having its own unique attractiveness during each season. Miniature maples, tiny elms, delicate pines, and junipers reflect both the seasons and the climates where they grow. Under our eyes, and in miniature form, we are privileged to watch the budding and leafing out of spring, followed by the flowers and fruit of summer, and the stark, yet beautiful, effect of bare branches against the winter sky. Bonsai is an exciting adventure that cannot be adequately described to those who have not experienced it personally. Miniature trees and landscapes, carefully nurtured in the seemingly too small containers, return to us much more than they exact in the cost of creating and maintaining these plants, which soon become our “children.” Bonsai is an adventure in which you can participate with us. You can find the Austin Bonsai Society on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Free Day at Zilker Botanical Garden
Zilker Botanical Garden 2220 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX, United StatesOn select dates throughout the year, Zilker Botanical Garden offers free days where no admission is charged. Free Days for 2024: January 15, February 19, March 12, April 28, July 14, September 7, November 11, December 26 No advance registration is necessary. Final entry to the Garden is 4:30pm. Parking is always free and available via our main parking lot, which can be accessed through the front entrance of the garden. If overflow parking is needed, our overflow lot at 2300 Stratford Drive will be open. If you park in the overflow lot, you can enter directly across the street through the Hartman Gate at the back entrance. This is a highly ornamental gate and is easily recognizable.
Native and Adapted Plants – Texas Tough Plants Series
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension 1600 Smith Road, Austin, TX, United StatesWhat are the best native and adapted plants to use in central Texas that can tolerate extremes of heat and cold, drought and deluge? Find out when the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension-Travis County kicks off the 2024 Texas Tough Plants webinar series with Native and Adapted Plants for Central Texas and Wild About Plants, on February 21st, 10 am to noon. Those interested must register in advance to receive a link to the webinar. Attendees can submit questions during the webinar and get answers live as time allows. More information on the entire webinar series can be found here.
Landscape Design Class: Curb Appeal
Lakeway Activity Center 105 Cross Creek, Lakeway, TX, United StatesJoin HGTV featured Landscape Designer Gay Gray and learn how to create an inviting landscape in your yard. Learn the basics in curb appeal and backyard design from Gay Gray who has been a featured landscape designer on HGTV and focuses on earth wise and organic gardening. Learn what deer-resistant and drought-tolerant plantings will work great in your landscape. Now your home can be more inviting to family and friends and have that extra detail which may have a potential buyer taking a closer look. The first 5 participants who register will have their pictures used as examples in class for design suggestions and ideas. About Gay Gray After a long career as an intellectual property litigator focusing on patent law, Gay Bonorden Gray decided to do her part in making the world a more beautiful place. Leaving a secure position in a Fortune 500 company as in-house counsel, Gay went back to school to pursue a career in horticulture. Since starting her business in landscaping, Gay’s designs have appeared in print in several publications by Sunset Magazines and Books (available at retailers like Barnes and Noble and Home Depot) and have appeared multiple times on HGTV. She filmed two television shows for HGTV's Landscape Smart, and had much fun doing it.
Night Pollinators Webinar
BCMG Cultivate Webinar San Antonio, TX, United StatesWhen you think of pollinators you often think of butterflies, bees and birds flying around during the bright of day. But there are nocturnal pollinators of equal importance. Some studies have shown that one third of plant families have nocturnal pollinators visit them. Join Molly Keck, AgriLife Extension IPM Specialist and Board Certified Entomologist as she shares which pollinators come out at night and what you can do to help their populations
Texas A&M AgriLife Open House – Rose Pruning
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension 1600 Smith Road, Austin, TX, United StatesJoin Us in the Texas A&M AgriLife Demo Garden for our monthly Open House! The first Friday morning of every month is designated as a FREE open house for the Texas A&M AgriLife Earth-Kind Demonstration Garden at 1600 Smith Road, Austin. You’ll be able to visit the garden and speak with the Travis County Master Gardener volunteers who maintain it as well as get your gardening questions answered by the Plant Clinic staff. Each month will also feature some sort of demonstration or workshop that deep dive into subject areas. See monthly topics below. Monthly Topics January 5th - Tree Trimming February 2nd - Houseplant University March 1st - Rose Pruning April 5th - Spring Vegetable Gardening May 3rd - Mulch 101 June 7th - IPM Insect Management July 5th - Shade Cloth August 2nd - Solarization August 16th - Light Requirements September 6th - Soil Texture and Composting September 20th - Landscape Design Site Analysis October 4th –Entomology and Plant Pathology Scavenger Hunt November 1st – Vegetable Garden layout and rotation December 6th – Tool Care
Austin Ikebana Group Monthly Meeting
Zilker Botanical Garden 2220 Barton Springs Road, Austin, TX, United StatesThe Austin Ikebana Group was founded by Isamu Taniguchi (circa 1902-1992), who started building the Taniguchi Japanese Garden when he was 70 years old. Ikebana is more than simply arranging flowers-its Japanese characters mean “giving life to flowers.” This art form has spiritual and philosophical roots, where the relationship between every flower, stem, branch, leaf, and even container expresses a balanced and harmonious nature. The feelings of the arranger play a key role as well. Members rotate leading demonstrations and workshops. Because members have trained in various schools of Ikebana, including Ohara, Sogetsu, Ikenobo, and Ichiyo, they bring a rich atmosphere of learning and growth to the meetings. This becomes a contemplative practice of expressing gentleness and elegance through the art of flower arrangement. Meetings are monthly on the first Friday at 10am.
Rose Pruning Workshop
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension 1600 Smith Road, Austin, TX, United StatesTravis County Master Gardener Holly Plotner will be demonstrating rose pruning starting at 10 am. She’ll discuss the different types of rose growth habits and how you modify pruning to suit each. The class will be outside in the garden so please dress appropriately. The event is free and open to all. No RSVP needed. The first Friday of every month is designated as an open house for the Texas A&M AgriLife Earth-Kind Demonstration Garden at 1600 Smith Road, Austin. You’ll be able to visit the garden and speak with the Travis County Master Gardener volunteers who maintain it and get your gardening questions answered. Each month will also feature some sort of demonstration or workshop that deep dive into subject areas. In March, the topic is rose pruning.
Texas Superstar®Trees Webinar
BCMG Cultivate Webinar San Antonio, TX, United StatesTrees are the most important investment for your landscape and often bring a significant increase to your home’s value. David Rodriguez – Extension Horticulturist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service will talk about selecting, planting, and maintaining trees for your residential landscape.
Let’s Talk Lawncare Webinar
BCMG Cultivate Webinar San Antonio, TX, United StatesConcerned about having reasonable expectations of your lawn with our summer heat, winter freezes, and drought conditions? Join Bill Swantner, Bexar County Master Gardener, as he explains how to keep turf grass healthy and attractive. Bill will share tips on mowing, fertilizing, watering, controlling weeds and insects, and more on a month by month basis.
Spring into Landscape Gardening Webinar
BCMG Cultivate Webinar San Antonio, TX, United StatesSpring is the season for renewal. Come join Lynn Cox, Bexar County Master Gardener, as she discusses what can be done to refresh, renew, and revitalize your garden this spring.
Wildflower or Weed? Webinar
BCMG Cultivate Webinar San Antonio, TX, United StatesSome of our native wildflowers have bad reputations as weeds, but do they really deserve so much hate? Join Lee Marlowe, Sustainable Landscape Ecologist from the San Antonio River Authority as she shares the benefits of some of the “weedy” native plants that might find their way into your yard uninvited. You may discover that some of these wild plants are perfect for your landscape goals.