Mark Weathington

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host its monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 19, in the Agriculture Building, Room 110, at 1924 Wilson Dr. Horticulturist Mark Weathington will present "Thoughts on Bringing Color, Form, Texture and Excitement into the Southern Landscape."

Weathington is assistant director and curator of collections at the JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University. He earned undergraduate degrees in horticulture and sociology and a master's degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech. He has served as director of horticulture for the Norfolk Botanical Garden and as horticulturist at both the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, and the Atlanta Botanic Garden.

A writer and speaker on a variety of topics in horticulture, Weathington has recently revised and updated the "Propagation Guide for Woody Plants." He has been published in Horticulture, Carolina Gardener, American Nurseryman, and Virginia Gardener magazines, as well as the Mid-Atlantic Gardeners' Book of Lists. In addition, he writes two weekly columns for the Virginian-Pilot newspaper and features for several regional newspapers.

The Theresa and Les Reeves Garden Lecture Series is generally held the third Thursday of each month at the SFA Mast Arboretum. Refreshments are served by the SFA Gardens volunteers before the lecture, and a rare plant raffle is held afterward. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The SFA Gardens Volunteers welcome anyone to attend their meeting at 6:15 p.m. in room 118 of the Ag Building prior to the lecture.

At the meeting, volunteers exchange gardening ideas and tips and discuss volunteer opportunities at SFA Gardens, including hands-on gardening, propagation, irrigation, children's educational activities, plant sale participation and azalea trail activities.

For more information, contact Greg Grant at (936) 468-1863 or grantdamon@sfasu.edu.