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Greetings!
We've been loving these April Showers at Texas Discovery Gardens and hope your landscapes are as lush and green as ours are right now.
April has us gearing up for many big events in May, including our annual Butterfly Plant Sale May 11-12 and our Mother's Day Concert with the Women's Chorus of Dallas! But that doesn't mean it's quiet out here; sign up now for some great gardening classes that will get you playing in the dirt.
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Randy Johnson accepts the TNLA donation from Dennis Luczycki, Chairperson for Region IV
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We have a heartfelt thank you to each of you for voting multiple times to help us win a grant with Rain Bird's 2012 "The Intelligent Use of Water Awards." We just missed the cut off at Fourth Place, but we are excited to try again next year!
The Texas Discovery Gardens Board and Staff are so grateful for two donations in March that deserve special recognition.
The Texas Nursery and Landscape Association -- Region 4 presented a donation of $2,000 to the Gardens. The donation has gone into our general funds and is much appreciated as we gear up for a busy spring and summer.
In honor of Arbor Day, the Dallas Council of Garden Clubs
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Planting the tree at the Dallas Council of Garden Clubs meeting
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presented a tree and a donation of $60. Director of Horticulture Randy Johnson chose a Mexican Sycamore, which is drought tolerant alternative to the American Sycamore.
Happy Gardening,
Texas Discovery Gardens staff
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April & May Calendar
Composting Workshop
April 14, 2012 from 10 am - Noon
Put your yard and garden trimmings to use as you prepare for your summer garden with Director of Horticulture Randy Johnson! Explore various composting techniques, earthworms, compost tea and integrated pest management. $25; $20 for TDG Members. Register here.
Texas Discovery Gardens Volunteers: as a way to say thank you to all volunteers who have supported TDG in the past 6 months, during Volunteer Appreciation Month, we are offering 10 free spaces in this class. Please contact our Program and Volunteer Manager, Marisa Hettinger, at (214) 428-7476 x240 or Programs@TexasDiscoveryGardens.org for details and to reserve your spot.
Garden Explorers Walk  April 21, 2012 at 11 am Get out in the garden on this family friendly walk! Take a garden tour with one of our garden docents and learn how to spot a squirrel's nest, caterpillar activity, pond life and much more in the great outdoors. Included with admission.
Earth Day Dallas at Fair Park
April 21-22, 2012
Visit Earth Day Dallas 2012 for outdoor family fun,
entertainment and education. Learn about the simple choices you can make to improve your health and reduce your cost of living, all while having a positive impact on the environment. Free festival admission. See details at EarthDayDallas.org. Enjoy special activities and reduced admission to Texas Discovery Gardens.
Butterfly Gardening Workshop
April 28, 2012 from 9 am - Noon
If you build it, they will come! Discover how easy  it is to garden and attract native butterflies with Horticulture Director Randy Johnson & Entomologist John Watts. Bring home a starter flat of butterfly host and nectar plants, valued at $60. $60, $48 for TDG Members. Register in advance.
Butterfly Gardening Workshop: Educator's Edition
April 28, 2012 from 9 am - 4 pm
Educators: sign up for this day-long workshop, which includes an extended
educator's session  following the portion open to the public. A working lunch is included. Participants receive 7 hours of State Approved CPE hours. $80; $60 for TDG Members. Register in advance.
Butterfly House Discovery Tour
May 5, 2012 at 11 am
Join us for a family friendly guided tour of the butterfly house and get a behind the scenes look. Included with admission.
Container Gardening & Vermicomposting - New!
May 5, 2012 from 9 am - Noon
See how easy it is to grow a vegetable garden or add some color to your balcony or patio. Join Director of Horticulture Randy Johnson and Master Naturalist Sara Beckelman to learn sustainable gardening in a small space. Bring home a finished container & vermicompost bin! $60; $48 for TDG Members. Register in advance.
Books 'N Bugs
May 24, 2012 from 11 am - Noon Note new date!
Join the Butterflies & Bugs for story time! We'll have fun as we make crafts, read the book and have a themed snack! The session ends with our daily noon butterfly release. $10 per Child; $8 per TDG Member Child. Adults pay regular admission.
Plant Safari (Preview Day)
May 11, 2012 from 2 pm - 4 pm
This pre-sale tour by TDG's garden experts, including Director of Horticulture Randy Johnson, shows you how to incorporate native and adapted plants into your landscape. Learn about the environmental conditions they thrive in and the beneficial insects they attract. Attendees can buy plants at our Member's Preview. $15, $10 for TDG Members. Advance registration strongly encouraged.
Member's Plant Sale Preview
May 11, 2012 from 4 pm - 7 pm
Our Member's Plant Sale allows you to shop before the Saturday rush! Members also receive 10% off plants. Save time in line and renew or buy your membership online. You can also pay for your membership at the sale. We have a limited number of plants, so if you have a list of "must-haves," be sure to come early!
Plant Safari 
May 12, 2012 from 8 am - 10 am
We offer the same safari on Saturday. This pre-sale tour by TDG's garden experts, including Director of Horticulture Randy Johnson, shows you how to incorporate native and adapted plants into your landscape. Learn about the environmental conditions they thrive in and the beneficial insects they attract. $15, $10 for TDG Members. Advance registration strongly encouraged.
Plant Sale
May 12, 2012 from 10 am - 2 pm
Enjoy native and adapted plants that are rare to find in local nurseries!
Mother's Day Concert & Butterfly Release
May 13, 2012
As an encore to last year's sellout event, The Women's Chorus of Dallas performs another amazing concert at Texas Discovery Gardens on Mother's Day.
This hour-long concert, concluding with a live butterfly release in the Conservatory, is the perfect way to celebrate with the ones you love on Mother's Day. Buy your concert ticket from TWCD. Advance tickets range from $15 to $25.
To release a butterfly, you may purchase the "Butterfly Release Gift Package" from Texas Discovery Gardens for $25. It includes a butterfly plant and goodies to take home.
Beneficial Insects & their Host Plants - New!
May 19, 2012 from 9 am - Noon
Insects and wildlife are the best indicators of garden health. Learn about insects that keep your garden healthy and how to attract them with Randy Johnson and John Watts.$25, $20 for TDG Members. Register in advance.
Garden Explorers Walk
May 19, 2012 at 11 am
Get out in the garden on this family friendly walk! Take a garden tour with one of our garden docents and learn how to spot a squirrel's nest, caterpillar activity, pond life and much more in the great outdoors. Included with admission.
CityArts at Fair Park 
May 25-27, 2012
Texas Discovery Gardens is celebrating art in honor of this annual park-wide event. Enjoy half priced admission to Texas Discovery Gardens Saturday and Sunday. We will be open on Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm, with a complimentary Opening Reception for our newest art exhibition, "Truth Beauty Chaos," by Trayc Claybrook. For details on CityArts itself, visit the festival's website.
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Education Spotlight
Summer Camps and Day Camps: Sign up now!  TDG's summer camps are an excellent way to get your kid to 'unplug' and get them out in nature during the summer! Barry Garst, the American Camp Association's Director of Program Development and Research Application, said in an interview with Richard Louv, "Few places other than camps provide children with the opportunity and freedom to connect with nature and also caring mentors." We offer a wide range of opportunities for your camper -- everything from day camps that focus on being Earth Friendly to a whole week looking at Butterflies & Bugs! See details here. Erin Shields, Education Manager |
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Volunteer at Texas Discovery Gardens
We love our volunteers at Texas Discovery Gardens! We have immediate daily needs for docents inside our Butterfly House. You can directly make visitors' experience at Texas Discovery Gardens meaningful and educational! Contact Marisa Hettinger, Volunteer and Program Manager, at Volunteers@TexasDiscoveryGardens.org or (214) 428-7476 x 240.
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Art Exhibition
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Forgotten-Remembered, Then, Now, Forever Acrylic on Canvas 84" x 81"
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It's your final chance to view Echoes of Remembered Gardens, by Susan Lecky, livens up our winter landscape with vibrant, geometric patterns and colors. Working with both acrylic on canvas and colored pencil on paper, Lecky hints at natural patterns and botanic prints.
An 84" by 81" six panel piece, Forgotten-Remembered, Then, Now, Forever, greets visitors as they walk in the two story lobby, with smaller works on canvas and paper in the Discovery Gallery. The Exhibition runs through April 29, 2012. Texas Discovery Gardens admission applies. $8/adults, $6/ages 60+, and $4/ages 3 to 11. Free for members or on Tuesdays (butterfly house admission regular price). Our exhibitions are curated by Janet Reynolds. |
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Become a member today and save at our Butterfly Plant Sale!
There is still time to get a family membership to Texas Discovery Gardens for just $45! Members keep Texas Discovery Gardens going, and we're happy to have many new member specials and events this year. Another good reason to buy: Reliant Energy partnered with Texas Discovery Gardens for our Membership Drive! For new and renewed memberships sold by May, 2012, Reliant Energy will donate matching funds of up to $5,000 to the Gardens. Become a member here!
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 Donor Spotlight
Our Fourth Annual Organic in the City Fashion Show was a huge success, thanks to the hard work and dedication of so many people!
The staff and students at El Centro College's Fashion Marketing and Fashion Design programs worked tirelessly to showcase sustainable, recycled, and nature inspired fashions. See photos on our Facebook page!
You'll find gorgeous designs by Sarah Jones, FiMika, Darian Thomas, Lindsay Weatherread, and Gadol Wilson, along with students and alumni from El Centro College, Wade College, and Parsons School of Design. See details on the show on our page.
Fashion Show Sponsors
Rhonda Sargent Chambers of RSC Show Productions
El Centro College
Barefoot Wine & Bubbly
Dallas Child Magazine
KidBiz
Pun the DJ
InI PhotoGraphics
Gold Crown Valet Parking
Chipotle
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Books
'N More
Blowout
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We love sharing our knowledge of organic gardening and the natural world. We've put a large selection of our favorite books at 50% off, plus an additional 10% for members! Drop by our Gift Shop and enjoy interactive kid's books, references, photo books and more.
We've also slashed prices on great gift items, so stock up on birthday presents and help support Texas Discovery Gardens at the same time.
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