PEAS Community Farm “Spring into Fun Day”
I went to the “Spring into Fun Day” garden tour hosted at Cummingham Elementary by PEAS (Partners for Education, Agriculture, and Sustainability.) During my time in Austin, I’ve crossed paths with PEAS’ educational and outreach efforts. I’m very impressed with what they have achieved and how they leverage partnerships within the community.
After parking and walking onto the school grounds, I headed over to the elementary school garden. This is both an educational and production garden. Students are taught how to grow and care for produce, along with science lessons.
Fort Worth Botanic Garden
I travelled to Fort Worth for a friend’s wedding in September. Before their wedding, I made plans to finally visit the Fort Worth Botanic Garden!
I was thoroughly impressed with the gardens, especially their educational features and event-friendly spaces! Check out the City of Fort Worth’s garden tour video below.
BRIT and Garden Front Entrance
“The Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) is an international scientific research and learning center focused on plant conservation and knowledge sharing.” – Facebook
I’ve followed BRIT for years regarding their latest research. I even applied for a marketing position with them a few years into my conservation career path.
Wasn’t able to go inside because of weekend hours, but it was still cool to see the outside — which featured a green, living roof and an a web of cables for training foliage upwards on exterior walls!
Dallas Arboretum – Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden
The Rory Meyers Children’s Adventure Garden was one of my favorite destinations here in Dallas. I hadn’t been to the Dallas Arboretum since they had open this new section and I was really looking forward to seeing what all had been built in terms of the exhibits.
Austin Trip – The Natural Gardener
The Natural Gardener
After the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, my grandma and I went to check out The Natural Gardener, a very impressive garden center and teaching facility, tucked away on the southwest outskirts of Austin. The offered an educational class a few days before that I came across online, but didn’t manage to attend – but it peaked my interest enough to want to visit the facility itself – and I’m really glad we did!
“The Natural Gardener is one of the most beautiful and unique garden centers in the world. It’s like a candy store for gardeners, but non-gardeners love it, too. It’s a fun, beautiful, educational destination for everyone. Bring the whole family to The Natural Gardener- even the dog! ” — TNG Webpage
Austin Trip – Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center and The Veloway Park
While in Austin, my grandma recommended we go see the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. My dad had taken my little brother and I years ago, but I can’t remember that visit – so I felt like it was the first time going to the center, especially with all the funding, improvements and expansions within the past several years.
“The University of Texas at Austin Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is the official state botanic garden and arboretum of Texas. The Center promotes its mission to inspire the conservation of native plants through its internationally recognized sustainable gardens, education and outreach programs, research projects, and consulting work.” — LBJWC Webpage
Austin Trip – Sunshine Community Garden
Sunshine Community Garden Tour
After Zilker Botanical Garden and Pease Park, my grandma and I drove over to the Sunshine Community Garden (SCG), which is located next to the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI). Some of the front-desk workers at ZBG recommended we stop here if we wanted to see one of Austin’s local community gardens, where residents can rent out plots for gardening!