Home and garden calendar

Exhibition

Heathwood Hall Spring Plant Sale: Sophomore students at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School will take orders for a variety of spring plants and flowers through April 21. Orders will be ready for pickup from 11 a.m.-6 p.m., April 28, at the campus, 300 S. Beltline Blvd. Items available for purchase include herbs, peppers, tomatoes and squash grown by students in Heathwood Hall’s greenhouse. Also offered are ferns, hanging baskets, potted flowers, bedding plants by the flat, pine straw and Food, a natural organic fertilizer compost. To order, go to www.heathwood.org or call (803) 361-4554. Funds go toward the students’ future senior class community service project in Johns Island, S.C.

58th Annual Holland Bulb Sale: Sponsored by the Tree of Life Congregation Sisterhood, these bulbs are guaranteed to bloom. Different varieties and prices available. Orders need to be placed by May 30. Proceeds help support Sistercare, Cooperative Ministries and Harvest Hope Food Bank. To order, contact Cheri Alexander at (803) 530-4307, e-mail cheridonna@prodigy.net or go to www.tolsc.org.

Spring Flower Sale: Sponsored by Lexington County Family and Community Leaders, offerings include red and purple vinca, red and pink begonias and marigolds at $13 per flat of 36 plants. Mixed Gerbera daises are also available at $22 for a flat of 18 plants. Plants can be picked up from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., April 13, at the Lexington County Extension Office, 605 W. Main St., Lexington. To order call Bette Chinners at (803) 957-9163.

Midlands Plant and Flower Festival: A variety of plants, yard art and furniture, garden equipment, bird houses, fruits and vegetables are among the many items available, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., April 14, 15 and 16 and noon-5 p.m., April 17, South Carolina State Farmers Market, 3483 Charleston Highway, West Columbia. Free admission and parking. Information: (803) 737-4664.

Riverbanks Zoo and Garden Annual Spring Sale: Horticulture staff has handpicked employee and visitor favorites including 40 varieties and more than 4,000 individual plants. Sale is 9 a.m.-noon, April 16. Most plants range from $5 to $10. There will be no pre-sale. Admission is free for those who enter at 1201 Seminole Drive, West Columbia.

Workshops and Seminars

Bonsai Workshop: Chip Dutton, local Bonsai enthusiast, will be conducting this workshop from 10 a.m. to noon, Saturday, at Wingard’s Nursery and Garden Center, 1403 N. Lake Drive, Lexington. Information: (803) 359-9091 or www.wingardsnursery.com

Growing Edible Mushrooms: Mushroom grower Shane Mulholland will share his low-tech secrets to successfully growing mushrooms, 10 a.m.-noon, Saturday, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, 500 Wildlife Parkway. Learn how to use straw, unwanted phone books and coffee grounds to grow delicious and healthy mushrooms. Workshop includes creating a growing kit for you to take home. Cost is $45. Register at riverbanks.org or call (803) 779-8717.

Twenty-minute Chats: A quick chat about a variety of garden topics will be hosted by Woodley’s Garden Center. The chats begin at 10 a.m., 10015 Two Notch Road, and at 2 p.m., 2840 Dreher Shoals Road. Information: woodleygardencenter.com, (803) 788-1487 or (803) 407-0601.

Upcoming seminars at Woodley’s:

•  Wake Up and Smell the Roses: Get helpful hints to growing great roses, Saturday.

•  Deer Resistant Plants: Learn which plants are typically deer resistant and helpful hints to keep deer away, April 9

•  Growing Veggies in the South: Learn about growing the best tomatoes and veggies in our Southern climate, April 16.

•  Cooking with Herbs: Grow the plants that add flavor to your food. Enjoy samples of food prepared with fresh herbs, April 23.

•  The Great Shade Hunt: Turn your shade area into a lush garden with texture and color, April 30.

Adaptive Gardening Seminar: Container Vegetable Gardening – From Baskets to Bales: Sponsored by Palmetto Health Richland’s Total Joint Center, this interactive seminar is designed for those whose gardening may be limited by physical disabilities or arthritis. The seminar will feature Bobbi Adams, master gardener and naturalist, and physical therapist Rebecca Terry, 9:30 a.m., April 7, at the Robert Mills Carriage House, 1616 Blanding St. Seminar is free, but you must register at (803) 296-2273.

Garden Like a Master, presented by the S.C. Midlands Master Gardeners Association. Workshops are free. Information: gardenlikeamaster.com.

Upcoming seminars:

•  For the Love of Roses: Learn what rose cultivars do best in our area and how to properly plant and care for them. 6:30 p.m., April 13, Irmo Branch, Lexington County Public Library, 6251 St. Andrews Road. Reservations suggested. (803) 798-7880. Another session will be held at 6:30 p.m., April 19, Main Branch, Lexington County Public Library, 5440 Augusta Road, Lexington. Reservations not needed.

•  Bulbs: Find out what bulbs will work for you and how to care for them, April 15,10 a.m., Cooper Branch, Richland County Public Library, 5317 North Trenholm Road. Reservations suggested: (803) 787-3462.

•  Centipede Lawn Care. It’s All in the Timing: Learn a few steps to care for your centipede grass while making it think it is in charge, 9:30 a.m., April 16, Batesburg-Leesville Library, 203 Armory St., Batesburg. Information: (803) 532-9223.

•  Butterfly Gardening: Turn your yard into a wildlife habitat by learning about plants and their roles to make your space a butterfly haven, 6:30 p.m., April 21, Cayce/West Columbia Branch, Lexington County Library, 1500 Augusta Road, West Columbia. Reservations suggested: (803) 794-6791.

Rose Workshop: Tom Seibert from Weeks Roses will discuss the various types of roses and how to care for them, 10–11 a.m., April 16, Wingard’s Nursery and Garden Center, 1403 North Lake Drive, Lexington. There is a $10 charge for this workshop, and you will receive a $10 Wingard’s gift certificate to use the day of the workshop. Register at www.wingardsnursery.com or call (803) 359-9091.

Tours

64th Annual Festival of Houses and Gardens: Sponsored by the Historic Charleston Foundation, today through April 16, this event includes a series of heritage tours providing guests an exclusive opportunity to go inside nearly 150 of Charleston’s finest historic private houses and gardens, churches and other significant buildings. A complete calendar of events, ticket prices and locations can be found at www.historiccharleston.org or call (843) 722-3405.

City Strolls, Robert Mills Historic District: Historic Columbia Foundation will host a guided tour of the Robert Mills Historic District at 1 p.m., April 8. Guests can enjoy the charm of this in-town neighborhood as they walk past some of Columbia’s oldest remaining homes. Tickets are $6 and can be purchased at the Museum Shop, 1616 Blanding St.

Obscura Day: Celebrate Obscura Day, an international celebration of unusual places happening all over the world, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Apr. 9 at The Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, 145 Broad Acres Road, Bishopville. Fryar’s garden contains over 300 individual plants, and his topiary is complemented by his junk art sculptures placed throughout the garden. A $3 donation per person is requested. Information: (803) 484-5581.

Doko Farm Tour: The farm is a small, fourth-generation, family-owned business that practices crop rotation and amends the soil with compost. No chemical pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used. Their animals are rotationally grazed and include heritage turkeys and chickens and pygmy goats. Fresh eggs, herbs and vegetables are sold at the farm. The public tour is offered at 10 a.m., April 16, and May 21, 2101 Cedar Creek Road, Blythewood. The tour lasts approximately one hour. Cost is $5 per person. Your tour fee will be credited toward any purchases you make at the farm stand the day of the tour. This is a working farm so wear sunscreen, long pants and enclosed shoes. For information, email dokofarm@gmail.com or call (803) 873-7739.

Dollar Sundays, Robert Mills House and Gardens: Take a guided tour of historic house museums, 1-5 p.m., Sunday, April 17for $1. Purchase tickets at the Museum Shop, 1616 Blanding St. Information: (803) 252-1770, ext. 24, or e-mail aposner@historiccolumbia.org.

Aberdeen Easter Family Tour: The home of Jack Brantley, built around 1810 by Samuel Mathis, brother-in-law of Joseph Kershaw after whom Kershaw County is named, will open his home located at 1409 Broad St., Camden, 2-5 p.m., April 16 and 17. The home was built with pine and each beam was labeled with a Roman numeral. The wide pine flooring is fastened with pegs and most rooms have 12-foot ceilings. The tour is open to children and adults. Live rabbits, face painting and refreshments will be available, along with tours of the home. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased at Graham’s Tire Company, 828 Mill St., Camden or by calling Debbie Massalon at (803) 432-7955. Tickets are also available the day of the tour.

Garden Tours, Robert Mills House and Gardens: This 60-minute guided tour is at 11 a.m., April 21. Guests can compare and contrast the visual aesthetics of the late 18th- and 19th-century landscape gardening to an earlier-style English boxwood garden based on formal French gardens. Tickets are $6. Information: (803) 252-1770, ext. 24, or e-mail aposner@historiccolumbia.org.

Lexington County Midlands Gardener Volunteers 10th Annual Garden Tour: This year’s tour will take place on May 26, 28 and 29 and features seven Midlands gardens and Big Moon Farm — a working farm with gardens, hens and cattle. Advance tickets are available now. Tickets and directions to the gardens will be mailed after May 1. Information and tickets: Patricia Dukes, (803) 796-0884, patdukes@bellsouth.net or visit www.scmmga.org.

Other

Clean up with the Cops: Join the city of Columbia Police Department’s ProActive Community Enforcement Team in the beautification of the Lyon St. community, 8 a.m.-noon, Saturday, St. Anna Park, 1313 Liberty Ave. Information: Officer Morris at cmmorris@columbiasc.net or (803) 315-5428.

City of Columbia Community Gardens Program: Residents of the city of Columbia can lease 5-by-12 plots at various garden locations for $20 per year. There is a limit of two plots per household. For information on how to apply and garden locations, go to www.columbiasc.net/communitygardens or call (803) 545-3078.

Spring Fling: Food, games and fun for the entire family, 9 a.m.–6 p.m., April 9, Rebekah’s Garden, 927 Leesburg Road. Container planting demonstration at 11 a.m. Information: (803) 647-1557.

International Design Historian and Author Andrea Wulf: Hosted by the S.C. Midlands Master Gardeners, in cooperation with Historic Columbia Foundation, Wulf will discuss her latest book, “Founding Gardeners: The Revolutionary Generation, Nature and the Shaping of the American Nation,” 6-7:30 p.m., April 11, at the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, 8301 Parklane Road. Admission is $7 and free for members of the S.C. Midlands Master Gardeners. Reservations are encouraged. Information: Mary Kelly, (803) 782-9960, email mhkelly@scrr.com or go to www.scmmga.org

Good, Clean Fun Saturday: Booker Washington Heights neighborhood cleanup, 9-11:30 a.m., April 16. Volunteers will meet at the St. John Baptist Church, 3404 W. Beltline Blvd. Please wear sturdy, closed-toed shoes and dress for the weather. Keep the Midlands Beautiful will provide trash bags, water and gloves. Food will be provided for volunteers in the church parking lot following the cleanup. Registration is not required. Information: (803) 733-1139.

Two Notch Road Litter Pickup: Hosted by District 9 Councilwoman Val Hutchinson and concerned citizens, in conjunction with Keep the Midlands Beautiful, 9 a.m., April 16. Meet in the parking lot of the old Hollywood Video in front of Kroger. To ensure an adequate supply of gloves and safety vests, sign up by April 14by emailing Jackie Prueitt at jprueitt@att.net.

Sixth Annual Carolina Wildlife Care Kid’s Day: Kindergarten and elementary age children can see and learn about the rehabilitation of injured wildlife from Carolina Wildlife’s Joanna Weitzel and her team, 10 a.m.–2 p.m., April 20, Wingard’s Nursery and Garden Center, 1403 North Lake Drive, Lexington. Receive a free tomato plant, hotdog, chips and a drink and enter the “Tomatomania” tomato growing contest. The first 200 children will be able to make a bird house to take home. Cost is $5 per child; parents are free. All proceeds benefit Carolina Wildlife Care. Space is limited. Reservations: www.wingardsnursery.com or call (803) 359-9091. You may also bring a donation of much needed supplies used to care for the animals. A list of desired items is found at www.carolinawildlife.org/wishlist

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