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Texas Gardening

Why no garden fests in Central Texas?

16 years ago

I was reading the responses to the Lampasas Herb 'n' Art fest posted by texazgal. Ten years ago, Waco hosted a great two day garden show--lots of vendors, seminars and garden supplies.It ceased to be several years ago. Belton had nurseries and landscapers at their Expo in February, along with several speakers on a variety of gardening topics--now it is just the Master Gardeners' booth with a few talks.Lampasas had a great spring garden festival, and then repeated it with variations in the fall. Both of these festivals have sadly gone downhill. Gardening on Fifth in Waco was wonderful, with lots of plants for sale, as well as other gardening "stuff." No more. The Earth Day at the Cameron Park Zoo has replaced some of the gardening void, but usually has only four or five vendors selling plants. Why can't Central Texas support a garden fest/show?

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Comments (5)

seamommy
16 years ago
I'm wondering that same thing. The few Home and Garden shows that we do have are mostly home and virtually no garden. Those shows even had reps from all the local animal shelters last time we went to one-so kinda wondering why they don't call it a Home and Dog show. *heavy sigh*

It even took a year of whining from a zillion avid gardeners to get HGTV to put a few gardening shows back on their weekend programming schedule.

So who does have really great garden shows, festivals, sales and displays in their area-maybe I'll move there? Cheryl
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
16 years ago
The San Antonio Botanical Center used to host a great one every year. I don't know why they stopped. There were lots of speciality venders from afar and local clubs selling their stuff, good food, plants the Center propagated that you couldn't buy, lots of people attending, but it is no more :-(

They do have certain days that they sell plants they propagate.
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hitexplanter
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The wildflower center in Austin had there big fall sale last weekend and it was close to the spring one in size and variations of plants. So for you Central Texas folks and South Central put that on your calender for next fall. They do a spring one in April and October for fall. Yes it is a paid event for non-members but for a great cause. I picked up some more wild flower seeds from Native American seed. The best for wildflower diversity IMHO.

They have a Friday night members only preview sale and then total mayhem on Saturday for all the unusual stuff and then pretty mellow on Sunday (worked Fri-Sat), so we went Sunday)
Happy Growing David
austinwildflower
16 years ago
I agree, the wildflower center's fall and spring sales are pretty cool. I always forget to bring my cart, though, and end up carrying everything on my shoulders! I like it because all the sellers know so much about native plants. I just walk around and eavesdrop. I went to the member's preview on Friday and it too is kind of a madhouse. I can't even imagine what Saturday is like. Within 2 hours they had sold out of "blue mistflower"--I guess that's the 'hot' flower this year ;). Probably because the entrance way was covered with them, and thousands of butterflies. Very pretty.
hitexplanter
16 years ago
Yeah Greg's Mist and butterflies sure go well together. My wife thought they must have released some butterflies just for the weekend and I had to remind her to look below the deck and see all the butterflies flittin aroun our mist flower. I plant all this cool stuff for us to enjoy and she only notices it when we are elsewhere go figure:). I love her with all my heart and soul but sometimes it amazes me how she misses all the neat flora and fauna going on with 100 feet of the house....
Happy Growing Y'all David

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