VOLUNTEERS AT PHILIPPE: 8 a.m.-noon today, Philippe Park, 2525 Philippe Parkway, Safety Harbor. Pinellas Chapter of Florida Native Plant Society has received a grant from Tampa Bay Estuary Program to replant the Ceremonial Indian Mound at the park with native plants; volunteers are needed to assist. Interpretive talk on park history follows. Wear closed-toe shoes and bring gloves; water and snacks provided. RSVP (727) 669-1947.

XERISCAPE UNIVERSITY: 8 a.m.-3 p.m. today, Pinellas Technical Education Center, 901 34th St. S, St. Petersburg. Learn to modify your landscape design for maximum water conservation and to make smart selections of Florida-friendly, drought-resistant landscape plants. Also, plant sale; tours of demonstration gardens; free recycled mulch. $20 for morning workshops (if space available); no charge to attend plant sale or view demonstration gardens. (727) 893-2500 ext. 1101.

FRANGIPANI: 11:30 a.m. today, Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Exotic plant specialist Phil Elting displays plumerias (frangipani), whose flowers are often used to make Hawaiian leis, and talks about care of the plants. Free with gardens admission: $5 adult, $3 seniors (55 and older), $1 children (under 12). (727) 551-3100.

HERB DAYS: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. today and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., Beckett Lake Nursery, 2251 Montclair Road, Clearwater. Maryon Marsh of the Misting Shed, grower of organic herbs, leads seminars at 2:30 p.m. both days on care and use of fresh herbs; cooking demonstrations using herbs at 1:30 both days (limited free samples). Culinary and medicinal herbs for sale. (727) 796-7950.

FERN SALE: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. today and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 S Palm Ave., Sarasota. Sarasota Fern Society sponsors show and sale of ferns and related plants. Regular Selby admission applies. (941) 426-1133.

ORCHID LOVERS CLUB: 2:30 p.m. today, Enrichment Center behind Oak Hill Hospital, 11375 Cortez Blvd. (SR 50 behind the hospital), Spring Hill. Members bring plants to sell or show at meeting of Spring Hill club. Call (352) 686-2512 or (352) 686-0202.

ORCHID FESTIVAL: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sun., Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Five commercial growers offer thousands of orchids for sale. Also workshops on repotting orchids, 10:30 a.m.; cattleya culture, 11:30 a.m.; vandas, 12:30 p.m.; oncidiums, 1:30 p.m. and phalaenopsis, 2:30 p.m. Free with gardens admission: $5 adult, $3 seniors 55 and older, $1 for 3-11. (727) 551-3100.

RAIN FOREST EXPERT: 7 p.m. Tue., Cooley Theater at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, 811 S Palm Ave., Sarasota. Lecture by Dr. Donald Perry, called "the Jacques Cousteau of the tropical rain forest" by the New York Times and author of Life Above the Jungle Floor: a Biologist Explores a Strange and Hidden Treetop World. In 1994 Perry opened the rain forest aerial tram in Costa Rica, offering eco-tourists a bird's-eye view of the rain forest. $5. (941) 366-5731.

HIBISCUS TALK: 7:30 p.m. Tue., Church of Christ annex, 6045 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park. Curt Sinclair, a noted hybridizer and grower of hibiscus, offers growing instruction and hibiscus plants for sale at this meeting of the Rare Plant Network. (727) 527-2821.

ROSE GROWING PRODUCTS: 7 p.m. Wed. at Morton Plant Hospital's Tuttle Auditorium, 300 Pinellas St., Clearwater (note: different meeting place this month). Ken and Susi Muncy of Muncy's Rose Emporium talk about using the latest in rose growing products at meeting of Pinellas Rose Society. Also rose growing advice, literature available. (727) 584-8923.

WATER-WISE WORKSHOP: Master Gardeners from Hillsborough Cooperative Extension Service present workshop on water-wise micro-irrigation, 10 a.m. Wed., Westgate Library, 7606 Paula Drive, Tampa. Free. Call (813) 744-5519 ext. 146, (813) 554-5031 or visit Web site http://hillsborough.extension.ufl.edu/.

TAMPA BAY FERN CLUB AUCTION: 7 p.m. Thur., Seminole Garden Center, 5800 Central Ave., Tampa. Annual sale of ferns and other plants. (813) 839-2486.

CACTUS AT FAIRCHILD: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Fri. through May 27, Fairchild Tropical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables. South Florida Cactus and Succulent Society sponsors show and sale. Admission by donation to show and 83-acre botanical gardens if you arrive 9:30 a.m.-noon May 27 only (you may stay all day). At other times, show is included in gardens admission of $8 adult, $4 for 3-12. (305) 667-1651 or www.ftg.org.

PLANT PROPAGATION: 11:30 a.m. May 26, Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Horticultural specialist Bill O'Grady talks about plant propagation, including growing from seed, cuttings, air-layering and division. Plants and cuttings for purchase. Free with gardens admission: $5 adult, $3 seniors (55 and older), $1 children (under 12). (727) 551-3100.

Continuing

SELBY VOLUNTEERS: Marie Selby Botanical Gardens of Sarasota needs volunteers to help out in many areas of the gardens. Needed are greenhouse helpers; Myakka Canopy walkway guide; docents for the gardens, museum and the Tree Lab; clerical assistant for the research library; book and plant shop help; and more. Hours vary by area; training is provided for all positions. Contact Pam Eisele at (941) 366-5731 ext. 236.

EPCOT FLOWER AND GARDEN FESTIVAL: Through June 3, Epcot Center at Walt Disney World Resort, west of Orlando. Visiting green thumbs give presentations at 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat.; horticulture presentations 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sun.-Thur.; Southern Living home gardening series 1:30 and 4:30 p.m. daily; plus guided garden tours. Regular attraction admission applies. (407) 824-4321 or visit http://www.disneyworld.com.

IMPATIENS DISPLAY: Through June 15, Cypress Gardens, off U.S. 27 and State Road 540, near Winter Haven. Included in park admission fee of $31.95 adults, $14.95 for ages 6-12. Call (800) 282-2123, or visit Web site at http://www.cypressgardens.com.

On the air

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

EXTENSION CORDS, Pinellas County Cooperative Extension Service horticulturists air programs on home economics, marine science and urban wildlife. Schedule varies; for program guide, send self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Extension Cords TV Schedule, 12175 125th St., Largo, FL 33774-3695.

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

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. This week: a visit to Wilson Botanic Garden in Costa Rica; also discussion of research on medicinal plants and tropical medicine studied there.

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

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