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Upcoming Events for Arkansas
To submit your gardening event to our staff, submit it using our contact form or send an email to calendar@statebystategardening.com.
February 7
Pine Bluff
Schoolyard Habit Outdoor Classroom Teacher Workshop
Delta Rivers Nature Center
9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Make and take sessions, field experiences, hands-on activities, networking opportunities. Free resources, including curriculum correlated to state frameworks.
1400 Black Dog Road
Cost is free but registration is required. Bring a sack lunch. To register, email info@deltarivers.com with the following information: Name, Organization, Email Address, Phone Number, Workshop Name or call the nature center at 870-534-0011.
February 10
Hot Springs
Gardening 101 Workshops
Garvan Woodland Gardens
Soils, Composting and Vermiculture – 9:30 a.m. to 12 Noon
Propagation – 1-3 p.m.
Magnolia Room
Advanced Master Gardener Larry Averill and Garden Director Bob Byers will tell how to start now to get your beds ready for spring planting by preparing the soil. They’ll also discuss “nature’s way of recycling” by composting and vermicomposting.
GWG horticulture supervisor Paula Wallace and Kristin Warner give hands-on lessons in propagation including various grafting, root cutting and layering techniques. The class, limited to 20, will meet in the Magnolia Room before going to the Garden’s Greenhouse.
Gardening 101 sessions are free to Garden members and previously registered volunteers; regular Garden admission applies to non-members. Advance reservations are recommended.
Call 501-262-9300/800-366-4664.
www.garvangardens.com
February 15 - March 7
Hot Springs
Daffodil Days, Garvan Woodland Gardens
Enjoy the dance of more than 200,000 daffodils in various shades of yellow when these happy blooms make their annual appearance in the Gardens. Open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Regular Garden admission applies. Call the Gardens for peak bloom times at 501-262-9300/800-366-4664. www.garvangardens.com
February 18
Hot Springs
Off the Garden Path
Garvan Woodland Gardens
10:00 a.m., Magnolia Room and Gardens
Take a stroll down memory lane with Garden Director Bob Byers as he shares some of the early history of the Gardens. He’ll take you “off the garden path” for a view of some of the first plantings made by Verna Garvan and visit the site of the Gardens’ first entrance where visitors came by boat. Mrs. Garvan, alias Susan Harper, will also make an appearance and share her life story.
www.garvangardens.com
February 25
Fayetteville
Home Greenhouse for $100, Botanical Garden of the Ozarks
Workshop with Gerald and Lissa. Learn how to build your very own greenhouse for $100. $5 raffle tickets will be available at the door for a chance to win the demo greenhouse. 10 a.m. to noon. 479-750-2620, www.bgozarks.org
March 13
Hot Springs
Mrs. Garvan’s Tea, Garvan Woodland Gardens
This delightful afternoon tea features a living history presentation of Mrs. Verna Garvan, the Gardens’ benefactress. Enjoy traditional tea fare and be entertained by Susan Harper, alias Mrs. Garvan. Teatime is 3 p.m. in the Magnolia Room. Cost is $20 for GWG members and $25 for non-members (includes applicable tax and admission to the Gardens). Seating is limited so make your reservations early by calling 501-262-9300/800-366-4664. www.garvangardens.com
March 15 - April 7
Hot Springs
Tulip Extravaganza, Garvan Woodland Gardens
Depending on the mood of Mother Nature, the Gardens’ annual exhibit of spring color, including 121,000 vibrant tulips, daffodils and tens of thousands of fragrant hyacinths, hundreds of red, pink and white azaleas and thousands of delicate dogwood blossoms will be on center stage for a show like no other in the Natural State. Open daily 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Regular Garden admission applies. Call the Gardens for peak bloom times. www.garvangardens.com
March 17
Springdale
Language of Flowers, NWAR Technical Institute
Joyce Mendenhall, president of Flower, Garden and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas, Master Gardener and garden writer, will discuss the “Language of Flowers.” Social time begins at 9:30 a.m. Programs start around 10:00 a.m. and last about an hour, including Q&A. Meet in Student Center of NWAR Technical Institute, 709 S. Old Missouri Rd. (red light at Ford and Hwy 265), Springdale. Meeting is free and open to the public. Contact: Lynn Rogers, 479-521-9090.
April 6-7
Mountain View
Herbal Field Trip & Medicinal Herb Workshop
Ozark Folk Center
Pre-registration is required by March 30, 2012. On Friday, bring a sack lunch, water, walking stick and dress for the weather. Come rain or shine, wild plant enthusiasts will board the Ozark Folk Center bus at 9 a.m. for a fieldtrip to the homestead of local Stone County plantsman, Paul White. His property showcases greenhouses, ephemeral wildflowers and herbs, spring-fed creeks and a restored wetland. The trails range in difficulty between easy and very challenging. Walk lightly used, rocky, footpaths along wooded mountainsides to visit sensitive plant communities. Expect frequent resting and interpretive programming. Sasha Daucus, of the Golden Light Center in Doniphan, Missouri, is one of the featured hike leaders and will present “Deep Ecology in Herbalism.” The practical study of plants and their uses is a particularly inviting door to experiencing deep appreciation and wordless connection; especially when you are with the herbs in their habitat.
On Saturday, enjoy a Spring Greens Cooking Class with Jeanette Larson and her students followed by a Seasonal, Wild Greens and Herbal Luncheon. Susan Belsinger will take on “The Bitters Truth.” Susan is a culinary artist who will bring a collection of bitters that she keeps on hand, including some of her own creations. She will discuss their medicinal uses and how they are incorporated at home, as well as how wildly popular they are now in the commercial restaurant and bar industry. Participants will learn the bitter herbs and spices, how to make bitters and will taste a variety of flavors in sparkling water and on ice cream. Tina Marie Wilcox will present “A Simple Introduction to Glycosides,” those valuable compounds in plants that herbalists need to cherish and understand.
www.ozarkfolkcenter.com
April 21
Mammoth Spring
Herbfest and Plant Sale
Mammoth Spring State Park
8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Meeting place: Welcome Center
Mammoth Spring Garden Club members are out early with herbs and garden plants to sell. Enjoy a stroll through the park’s herb garden and see what your purchases may grow to be!
Admission: Free
Contact Mammoth Spring State Park: 870-625-7364 or mammothspring@arkansas.com.
April 21
Fayetteville
Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Plants, Fayetteville Public Library
Amy Stewart, author of Wicked Plants, Wicked Bugs, From the Ground Up and Flower Confidential, will be speaking on “Wicked Plants.” Program starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Fayetteville Public Library. Contact: Lynn Rogers, 479-521-9090.
May 5
Bella Vista
Spring Plant Sale, Tanyard Creek Pavilion
The Bella Vista Garden Club will have their Spring Plant Sale from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The plant sale is the main fundraiser for the club that supports the Dorothy Wallace Scholarships and their many other community projects. It is a great opportunity for the community to purchase wonderful plants grown in our area at great prices. 479-426-2749
June 22-23
Paris
Mount Magazine Butterfly Festival XVI, Mount Magazine State Park
Our future flies on the wings of pollinators! Join us for a weekend celebrating the park’s butterfly and wildflower diversity. Discover how everything in nature is connected through programs, guided walks and the ever-popular Bug Bonanza Pavilion. Don’t miss the special concert that closes this celebration. The Mount Magazine Butterfly Festival is one of the most popular nature-related family events in Arkansas! Contact the park for a detailed schedule as the event draws near. Admission: Free. 479-963-8502, mountmagazine@arkansas.com
State-by-State Gardening assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of listed events. It is recommended that you verify the date, time and location of any event you plan to attend.
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