Garden calendar

By Times Staff Writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 29, 2000

This Week

BUTTERFLIES AND TORTOISES 8 a.m.-noon today, Fred Howard Park, 1700 Sunset Drive, Tarpon Springs. Volunteers need to clean up and plan for park's new butterfly garden, 8-11 a.m. Don Stillwaugh, field biologist for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, leads walking tour and talks about gopher tortoises, 11 a.m.-noon. Call (727) 464-3945 or (727) 726-1455.

SPRING PLANT SALE: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. today, Fairchild Tropical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables. With plants from the garden's nurseries and from plant societies. Gardens admission: $8 (free for ages 12 and under). Call (305) 667-1651.

NATIONAL ARBOR DAY: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. today, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. National Millennium Arbor Day Celebration sponsored by U.S. Forest Service, International Society of Arboriculture and National Arbor Day Foundation; part of Hillary Clinton's "Millennium Green Project," White House initiative for 2000. With tree plantings; demonstrations by ISA World Tree-Climbing champions; awards and presentations by White House dignitaries; children's activities; tree-related classes; music. Call (941) 359-5733.

DAYLILY SHOW AND SALE: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m.today, Tampa Bay Center (near center of mall), Himes Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (across from Raymond James Stadium), Tampa. Bay Area Daylily Society sponsors event with plants and books for purchase. Flower judging in morning; judging area open to public noon-5:30 p.m. Call (813) 831-8294, (727) 536-9948, or (352) 544-0330.

NATIONAL ORCHID SHOW: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. today and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., Belleview Biltmore Resort and Spa, 25 Belleview Blvd., Clearwater. National Orchid Show hosted by Tampa Bay Orchid Society, Florida West Coast Orchid Society and Tampa Orchid Club. With exhibitors and vendors from Florida, Hawaii, California, Brazil, England and more. Lectures at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and 2, 3 and 4 p.m. today ($3 fee per lecture); plants and supplies for purchase. Show admission, $2. Call (813) 968-3402.

GREEN THUMB FESTIVAL: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today-Sun., Walter Fuller Park, 7891 26th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Annual Earth Day/National Arbor Day event with horticultural and environmental exhibits; seminars; soil testing and sick-plant clinic; flower show; butterfly house; plant auction; tree and recycled mulch giveaways; plants for sale; and kids' activities. Free admission. Call (727) 893-7335.

WATER GARDEN TOUR: 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. today-Sun.; self-guided Pondscapes Water Garden Tour of 20 ponds in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Maps and garden descriptions available at Pondscapes, 4213 S Manhattan Ave., Tampa (one mile north of Gandy Boulevard). Tour includes ponds installed by professionals and others built by homeowners. $5 donation for tour benefits the Humane Society of Tampa Bay. Call (813) 839-8062.

BACKYARD CONSERVATION: Five week "Backyard Conservation" program meets 2 p.m. Saturdays beginning today (through May 27) at Boyd Hill Nature Park, 1101 Country Club Way S, St. Petersburg. Learn to create an attractive, yet environmentally friendly and low maintenance, landscape. Teaches about soil, water availability, native vegetation, bird and butterfly habitats, bat houses. Fee: $25 for full program. To register, call (727) 893-7326 (today okay).

BAMBOO WORKSHOP: 9:30 a.m. Sun. and May 7, Bamboo Gardens Nursery, CR 1 and Virginia Avenue, Old Palm Harbor. Free workshop on "Using Bamboo as a Landscape Plant" is offered twice at nursery. Limited seating, reservations required. Call (727) 784-0517.

CLUB PICNIC: 11 a.m. Wed., Fred Howard Park (Pavilion 9), 1700 Sunset Drive, Tarpon Springs. Sponsored by Garden Club of Tarpon Springs; bring covered dish or dessert, drink, plate and utensils. Call Grace, (727) 785-0132 or Bev, (727) 938-1992.

PHILIPPINE ORCHIDS: 7:30 p.m. Wed., Elfers Multi Purpose Center, 4136 Barker Drive, New Port Richey. Ken Brown presents slide tour of Philippine Islands, highlighting orchids, at this meeting of the Orchid Society of West Pasco. Call Bill Clement, (727) 942-6936.

INVASIVE EXOTICS PROJECT: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Thur., Terra Ceia VIA Community Hall, 1505 Center Road, Terra Ceia Island (Manatee county, just beyond Sunshine Skyway). The island's Village Improvement Association sponsors this community education/participation project (funded by SWFWMD) April-July this year, to identify, remove and replace invasive exotic vegetation and create more healthful habitats for native plant species. This meeting: "Butterfly Gardening" with author Pamela Traas; also "Upland Landscape Design with Native Plants." Call Brad Weigle, (941) 729-0739.

Looking Ahead

BROMELIADS AT SELBY: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 6-7, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 S Palm Ave., Sarasota. 20th annual Sarasota Bromeliad Society show and sale; also exhibits, rare plant auction. Admission: $4. Call (941) 366-5731, ext. 10 or (941) 358-4953.

ORCHIDS ON PARADE: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. May 6-7, Florida National Guard Armory, Spring Hill Drive, 1/2 mile west of U.S. 41. Orchid Lovers Club of Spring Hill hosts its 5th annual show and sale with exhibits; sale of plants and orchid supplies; lectures; repotting booth. Call (352) 686-2512 or (352) 686-0202.

2000 ROSES: 1-9 p.m. May 6 and noon to 5 p.m. May 7, West Shore Plaza Shopping Mall, Tampa. "2000 Roses to Remember," 29th annual show of Tampa Rose Society with exhibitors from across Florida competing for trophies and awards in 51 classes of home-grown roses. Also fresh cut roses and arrangements for purchase (donation); rose information; tips from consulting rosarians. Free. Call (813) 626-3874.

Continuing

EPCOT FLOWER FESTIVAL: Through June 11, Epcot Center at Walt Disney World Resort, west of Orlando. 7th annual International Flower and Garden Festival with topiaries and displays using 30-million blooms. Daily demonstrations by Disney horticulturists; home gardening presentations; nationally known gardening personalities (weekends); Southern Living magazine and University of Florida expert tips; "Flower Power," '60s-'70s music series. Regular attraction admission. Call (407) 824-4321.

TOPIARIES AND FLOWERS: Through May 15, Cypress Gardens, off U.S. 27 and SR 540, near Winter Haven. Spring flower festival at the gardens with two dozen figures decked in begonia "wardrobes," amid 35,000 bedding plants. Included in park admission fee of $31.95 adults, $14.95 for ages 6-12; each single-day adult ticket purchaser in 2000 may bring in one child (ages 6-12) for free. Call (800) 282-2123.

WATER SHORTAGE Extension Cords series from Pinellas Cooperative Extension Service canceled scheduled programs for April and May to air programs on water-wise landscaping. This week: "Creating a Florida Yard, Part 1," airs 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.; noon and 11 p.m. Wed.; 10 a.m., 4 and 10 p.m. Thur.; 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Fri. and May 6; and 8 a.m., 2 and 6 p.m. May 7.

On the air

AT GARDEN'S GATE, hosted by Cypress Gardens' chief horticulturist, Joe Freeman, 3 p.m. Saturdays, WEDU-Ch. 3.

FLORIDA GARDENING WITH GIL WHITTON, live call-in radio show, 7-11 a.m. Sundays, WFLA-AM 970.

THE GARDEN REBEL, 7 a.m. Sundays and 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays on The Sunshine Network.

HOME AND LAWN PEST CONTROL SHOW, with Mona Giordano from Pest Control General Store, airs live on Time Warner Ch. 6: 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays in Pasco County; 8:30 p.m. Thursdays in north Pinellas County.

MR. GREEN THUMB, live call-in radio show with Stan DeFreitas, author of Stan DeFreitas' Complete Guide to Florida Gardening, 11 a.m.-noon Saturdays, WTAN-AM 1340.

THE VICTORY GARDEN, 2:30 p.m. Saturdays, WEDU-Ch. 3.

-- All events listed are open to the public. 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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