Garden calendar

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 15, 2000

All events listed are open to the public.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: 8 a.m.-noon today, Lake Seminole Park, 10015 Park Blvd., Seminole. Remove air potato vines, roots and tubers by hand. Must be 16 or older; register on-site. Bring hat, gloves, sunscreen, repellent and tools if you like (some are provided); no knife edge or power tools, please.

NATIVE PLANT SALE: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. today, Pinellas County Cooperative Extension Service Office, 12175 125th St. N, Largo. Pinellas Chapter of Florida Native Plant Society sponsors sale of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, grasses for Florida habitats. (727) 544-7341.

CARNIVOROUS PLANTS: 10-11:15 a.m. today, Botanical Gardens at University of South Florida, off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard (corner Pine and Alumni drives on campus), Tampa. Tom Massey of Tampa Bay Carnivorous Plant Society presents class. $15; $12 for botanical gardens members. Space limited; to reserve, call (813) 974-2329.

EARTH DAY AT BOK TOWER: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. today, Bok Tower Gardens, 1151 Tower Blvd., Lake Wales (east of Bartow). Second annual Earth Day Celebration, with exhibits and hands-on activities. Closes with carillon recital 3-3:45 p.m. $6 adult; $5 for 62 and older; $2 5-12. Free admission Saturdays before 9 a.m. (863) 676-1408.

SPRING FLOWER SHOW: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. today. Dade City Garden Club annual event. Horticulture portion at club's center, 13630 Fifth St., Dade City; design portion inside newly renovated Old Pasco County Courthouse, Meridian Avenue (S.R. 52) and Seventh Street (U.S. 301). Plant sale held outdoors same location. (352) 567-3844.

WATER GARDENING: 11 a.m. today-Sun., Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Bob Heagey, fish biologist and breeder and filtration specialist, offers program on "Fountains and Waterfalls -- Aeration for Ponds" at gardens. Aeration methods and number of fish your pond can safely support. Free with gardens admission of $4 adult, $3 seniors, $1 children. Garden hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Sun. (727) 551-3100.

ORCHID LOVERS CLUB: 2:30 p.m. today, Spring Hill Enrichment Center, 1244 Mariner Blvd. Orchid Lovers Club of Spring Hill monthly meeting. Call (352) 686-2512.

SPRING ORCHID SALE: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. today-Sun., Louis Del Favero Orchids, 6601 Gant Road, Tampa. From Veteran's Expressway, exit at Gunn Highway, go east 1/2 mile to Cain Road, then north to Gant, left on Gant to nursery. Orchids from the greenhouses and guest vendors. (813) 961-8277.

HERB DAYS: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. today and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., Beckett Lake Nursery, 2251 Montclair Road, Clearwater. Seminar by Maryon Marsh, grower of organic herbs, on use and care of fresh herbs (noon both days); cooking demonstrations by chefs from Bobarosa's Gourmet and the Black Pearl; demonstrations on making herbed oils and vinegars and fresh herb dips; culinary and medicinal herbs for sale. (727) 796-7950.

JAPANESE GARDENS: Film showings at 2 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Polk Museum of Art, 800 E Palmetto St. (off Lake Morton), Lakeland: free. Dream Window: Reflections on the Japanese Garden offers a journey through classical and contemporary Japanese gardens. (863) 688-7743.

TOUR OF GARDENS Noon-5 p.m. Sun. at seven private gardens in Tampa. Rose Circle sponsors tour (not exclusively rose gardens). Proceeds finance improvements to Fred Ball Park and grounds of Tampa Garden Center. Tickets $10; available 9 a.m.-4 p.m. today at garden center, 2629 Bayshore Blvd. Includes tea party in park, 2-4 p.m. Sun. (813) 251-5059.

"OBSESSION WITH ORCHIDS": 8 p.m. Sun., on WEDU-Ch. 3. Actor Stockard Channing narrates "Obsession with Orchids." Filmed in Thailand, Majorca, Central America, the Caribbean, England, U.S. and at 1999 World Orchid Conference in Vancouver.

IKEBANA GROUP 10:30 a.m. Mon., Pinellas County Cooperative Extension Service Office, 12175 125th St. N, Largo. Ikebana International (Chapter #65) hosts meeting with hands-on program on using creative containers for Japanese floral arrangements. Call (727) 376-6841 to assure flowers for all attending.

VIOLET SOCIETY: 10 a.m. Fri., Seminole Heights Garden Center, 5800 Central Ave., Tampa. Anniversary luncheon of Tampa African Violet Society. Members asked to bring finger foods. Free. Call (813) 251-1581 or (813) 681-1910.

FERN FUN: 10-11:15 a.m. April 22, Botanical Gardens at University of South Florida, off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard (corner Pine and Alumni drives on campus), Tampa. Eileen Hart of Tampa Bay Fern Club presents class. $15; $12 for botanical gardens members. Space limited; call (813) 974-2329.

BOUGAINVILLEA SALE: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. April 22-23, Fairchild Tropical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables. American Bougainvillea Society show and sale. Free admission to show and 83-acre botanical gardens if you arrive 9:30 a.m.-noon April 23 only (you may stay all day). At other times, show included in gardens admission of $8 (free for ages 12 and under). Call (305) 667-1651 or visit Web site at http://www.ftg.org.

EZ ORCHIDS II: 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. April 25, Selby Classroom, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 S Palm Ave., Sarasota. Workshop led by Ed Golden for intermediate orchid growers offers look at orchid identification, hybridizing, propagation and growing requirements. $50; $40 for members. Call (941) 366-5731, ext. 52.

Continuing

EXTENSION CORDS, Extension Cords series from Pinellas County/University of Florida Cooperative Extension cancels scheduled programs for April and May to air programs to better use water in landscapes during water shortage. This week: "Xeriscape: Water-wise Gardening," on Pinellas County Government Access TV at 10 a.m., 4 and 10 p.m. Mon.; 8 a.m., 2 and 8 p.m. Tue.; 11 and 12 p.m. Wed.; 10 a.m., 4 and 10 p.m. Thur.; 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Fri. and April 22; and 8 a.m., 2 and 6 p.m. April 23.

EXTENSION SERVICE INTERNS: Florida Cooperative Extension Service needs college students to work six weeks this summer in University of Florida's Extension Intern Program. Open to juniors and seniors with at least a 3.0 grade average. $400 a week for 40-hour work week. Write to Extension Service at P.O. Box 110210, Gainesville, FL 32611 or call (352) 292-1761. Applications accepted through end of April.

-- Address submissions to: Garden Calendar, Home&Garden, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731. Deadline is Monday before the Saturday of publication.

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