Garden calendar

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 3, 2000

All events listed are open to the public.

This Week

BROMELIAD SERIES: 11:30 a.m. today, Sunken Gardens, 1825 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Dave Johnston of West Coast Florida Chapter of the Bromeliad Society presents the first in a series of programs on bromeliads. Johnston will talk about using plants of the genus Neoregelia in a landscape. Large assortment of bromeliads for sale. Gardens admission: $4 adult, $3 seniors, $1 children. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Sun. (727) 551-3100.

FAIRCHILD FERNS: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. today-Sat., Fairchild Tropical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables. Show and sale of the South Florida Fern Society. Free admission to show and 83-acre botanical gardens if you arrive 9:30 a.m.-noon Sun. only (you may stay all day). At other times, show is included in gardens admission of $8; free for 12 and under. (305) 667-1651.

TOUR OF GARDENS: 10 a.m. Wed., Davis Islands Garden Center, 81 Columbia Drive, Davis Islands, Tampa. Join the garden club in celebrating National Garden Week (June 4-10 this year) with a tour of gardens at four homes on the islands. Meet at the center; following the tour, return to center for refreshments. No reservations. For information, call (813) 251-2903.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES: 7:30 p.m. Wed., Pinellas County Cooperative Extension Service Office, 12175 125th St. N, Largo. Attorney Tom Reese, whose practice includes environmental and land use law, will discuss projects he has been involved with to create connecting regional wildlife corridors from Pasco to Pinellas and Hillsborough counties at this meeting of Florida Native Plant Society (Pinellas Chapter). Reese will also answer questions about current and local environmental law issues. Free. Call (727) 544-7341.

ORCHID CULTURE: 7:30 p.m. Wed., Elfers Multi-Purpose Center, 4136 Barker Drive, New Port Richey. At this meeting of the Orchid Society of West Pasco, orchid hobbyist Mike Malloy shares master plan he has used to build his collection. Free. Call Bill Clement, (727) 942-6936.

TIPS FROM THE GROWERS: 7:30 p.m. Thur., Central Christian Church, 1200 Keene Road, Clearwater. Grower Louis Del Favero presents program about easy-to-grow Encyclia species at this meeting of Florida West Coast Orchid Society. Doors open 6:45 p.m. for sale of plants by members and speaker; beginners' educational program on growing Cattleyas by Mike Pollen of Art Stone Orchids, 7-7:25 p.m. Call Chad Whetstone, (727) 446-0504, or Bertha Stanfield, (813) 837-6876.

WHO'LL CATCH THE RAIN?: 9:30-11:30 a.m. June 10, Hillsborough Cooperative Extension Service, 5339 S C.R. 579, Seffner. Anticipating the rainy season, the "Florida Yards and Neighborhoods" program of the extension service offers hands-on program on making a rain barrel using 55-gallon food-grade drum and faucet (materials included; you will take home your rain barrel). Deadline to register is Wed. Send check for $15 to Master Gardener Program at address listed above, Zip code 33584-3334. (813) 744-5519, ext. 144.

Looking ahead

BUTTERFLY COUNT: Meet 7 a.m. June 10, at south entrance gate to Weeki Wachee Preserve, C.R. 595 (Ossowaw Boulevard), Hernando County. Part of national survey of North American butterflies. Call Clay (352) 592-4949.

WATER GARDENING: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. June 10, Dolins Garden Center, 801 62nd Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Dolins hosts program for novice water gardeners with presentations throughout the day on installing a pond and getting it established with pond and bog plants; also container water gardening. Variety of related plants and supplies for purchase. Call (727) 525-3434.

FAMILY BUTTERFLY AND HERB FAIR: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. June 10 and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. June 11, Botanical Gardens at University of South Florida, off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard (southwest corner of USF campus, at Pine and Alumni drives), Tampa. Visit walk-through butterfly house; butterfly garden; herbs and butterfly plants for purchase. Childrens' activities area with "caterpillar petting zoo"; kids make butterfly finger puppets and decorate clay pots. Admission $2, free for garden members and ages 12 and under. Butterfly house admission, $1 additional. (813) 974-2329.

BAMBOO AT FAIRCHILD: 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. June 11, Fairchild Tropical Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, Coral Gables. Many species of bamboo, from dwarf to giant, offered at show and sale of Caribbean Chapter of American Bamboo Society. Also, tour garden's bamboo collection. Free admission to show and 83-acre botanical gardens if you arrive 9:30 a.m.-noon (you may stay all day). After noon, show is included in gardens admission of $8; free for 12 and under. (305) 667-1651.

HIBISCUS SHOW AND SALE: noon-6 p.m. June 11, West Shore Plaza, West Shore and Kennedy boulevards, Tampa. Sunset Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society and West Shore Plaza co-host show and sale with hundreds of hibiscus blooms on display. Plants for sale; tips on successful growing. Call Curt Sinclair, (727) 541-7944, or Tom Miller, (727) 530-9118.

Continuing

EPCOT FLOWER FESTIVAL: Through June 11, Epcot Center at Walt Disney World Resort, west of Orlando. Seventh annual International Flower & Garden Festival. Special events this week: "Great American Gardeners" series today with Barbara Pearlman of Manhattan, author of Gardener's Fitness, guide to staying healthy through working in the garden; and Fri. through June 10 with Tom Turpin, professor of entomology at Purdue University who educates on beneficial and fun aspects of insects. Also, Southern Living magazine and University of Florida expert tips, today-Fri.: "Gardening with Children." Regular attraction admission. (407) 824-4321.

"GARDENS" FILM SERIES: Film showings at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in June, Polk Museum of Art, 800 E Palmetto St. (off Lake Morton), Lakeland: free. Audrey Hepburn narrates series Gardens of the World. This week: Formal Gardens visits gardens of Italy, France and England, with guest appearance by garden authority Penelope Hobhouse. June 10-11: Flower Gardens visits Claude Monet's garden at Giverny, the Tintinhull House garden in England and native flora of the American southeast. All films are 27 minutes in length. (863) 688-7743.

SPONSOR A TREE: The Bay Bouquet Garden Club sponsors tree plantings in honor of/memory of loved ones or for Father's Day. A $10 donation to the City of Dunedin's Tree Bank enables your tree to be planted at the Oasis Trailside Park, Alt. U.S. 19 and Curlew Road. A kiosk will list your name and honoree's and a letter of recognition will be sent. Call Pat Wollman, (727) 726-5066.

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.

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.

-- 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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