National Public Gardens Association prepares for national day Friday, May 12

Sunflower

Six North Texas members of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA) have again joined forces to promote the association’s National Public Gardens Day on Friday, May 12, 2017. The participating gardens are Texas Discovery Gardens, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Clark Gardens, Chandor Gardens, the Fort Worth Botanic Garden, and the Botanical Research Institute of Texas.

National Public Gardens Day is a celebration of the nation’s public gardens, which include botanical gardens, arboreta, conservatories, educational gardens and historical landscapes. The official day, which was established in 2009 takes place annually on the Friday before Mother’s Day. The goal of the event is to raise community awareness of the gardens’ local, regional, and national leadership in environmental stewardship.

The six North Texas public gardens will promote National Public Gardens Day with the unified message, “A day spent in nature is never wasted.” This message reinforces the value of spending time outside surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature. To further promote this message, the six participating gardens will provide North Texas residents with a myriad of activities, exhibits, classes, and workshops designed to increase one’s appreciation of our botanical heritage.

Participating gardens and programs are as follows:

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Botanical Research Institute of Texas – 1700 University Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76107 www.brit.org

Located in the heart of the Fort Worth Cultural District, the Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT®) is a non-profit, international research and education center that studies plants and teaches about their importance to the world.

May 12th – Bring this coupon: https://publicgardens.org/about-public-gardens/gardens/botanical-research-institute-texas with you to receive free plant ID’s, a free packet of wildflower seeds, and save $5 on tickets at the door for Prairie Night.

From night to day, BRIT is offering spring festival fun. Enjoy BRIT’s Prairie Night, Friday, May12, from 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. Enjoy live music, barbeque, and a cash bar. Tickets can be purchased at: http://www.ticketfly.com/purchase/event/1460920?utm_medium=bks. On Saturday, May 13, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. enjoy the seventh annual FREE family-friendly Prairie Day featuring a petting zoo, food trucks, and live music.

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Chandor Gardens, 711 West Lee Avenue, Weatherford, TX 76086 http://www.ci.weatherford.tx.us/170/Chandor-Gardens

Located in the heart of Weatherford’s Historic District, this 4-acre, 13-room garden was built from 1936-1953 by renowned portraitist Douglas Chandor. Uniquely blending classic European and traditional Chinese styles, the garden features 11 water elements, a bowling green, a labyrinth, statuary, and fanciful stone structures. The 5,600 square foot home is available for viewing as well. Come and see us!

Clark Gardens – 567 Maddux Road, Weatherford, Texas 76088

http://www.clarkgardens.org/

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Clark Gardens invites you to celebrate National Public Gardens Day on Friday, May 12th. Tour Clark Gardens and Celebrate Art in Nature. Throughout spring 2017 Clark Gardens hosts three exciting art displays featuring a rare collection of religious art exhibited in the chapel, a never-before-seen collection of vintage Texas landscape art (both by the Shafer Collection), and a bronze sculpture collection by Robert Wick. Artists from the Mineral Wells Artists Association will be working throughout the garden on their current painting projects. A free class on Zentangle will be offered at 11:00 a.m. (maximum 20 students). Regular admission fees apply.

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden – 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, TX 75218

www.dallasarboretum.org

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is one of the top display gardens in North America. The 66-acre garden is located on the shores of White Rock Lake and has changeable floral displays through all four seasons of the year, providing breathtaking color for visitors all year long.

Experience National Public Gardens Day and enjoy Zimsculpt Stone Sculpture Guided Walks 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., and make plans to visit the internationally-acclaimed Rory Meyer’s Children’s Adventure Garden for hands-on activities There is fun for the entire family. Share your Public Garden Day photos with us on Twitter @dallasarboretum or Facebook and tag ‪#‎NationalPublicGardensDay and #DallasArboretum for a chance to win a family (4) pack of general admission tickets for a Wednesday After-Hours Night.

Fort Worth Botanic Garden – 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard, Fort Worth, TX 76107

www.fwbg.org

Celebrate National Public Gardens Day on May 12 at the Fort Worth Botanic Garden (FWBG), the oldest botanic garden in Texas, where the mission is to “engage, inform and inspire with plants, landscapes and nature.” The FWBG comprises 110 acres in Fort Worth’s cultural district two miles west of downtown Fort Worth and consists of more than 23 theme gardens, including the beautiful Fuller garden, the historic rose garden, the gorgeous Japanese garden, and the newly-opened Victor and Cleyone Tinsley garden which features plants native to north central Texas at the south end of the botanic garden. The FWBG also prides itself in its nationally-recognized begonia species collection.

Enter a photo contest for a chance to win six (6) tickets to the Fort Worth Japanese Garden! Submit your National Public Gardens Day photos on Instagram or Facebook, using the hashtags #FWBG and #NationalPublicGardenDay. The winner will be selected May 13th.

Texas Discovery Gardens, located in Fair Park, Dallas

http://www.texasdiscoverygardens.org/

Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park is an organic urban oasis. See eye-to-eye with free-flying tropical butterflies, native snakes of Texas, and other wonders of the natural world. Learn how to garden for butterflies and other pollinators as we showcase native and adapted, waterwise plants throughout our 7.5 acres. Texas Discovery Gardens will offer a two-month extension to anyone who purchases or renews a membership on Friday.

“North Texas has such a diversity of gardens to visit throughout the year,” says Sarah Gardner, Director of Communications at Texas Discovery Gardens. “National Public Gardens Day is a great way to discover what each garden offers!”

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