SFA Gardens Lecture Series to Feature Greg Grant

NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16, in the Agriculture Building, Room 110, at 1924 Wilson Drive. SFA Gardens horticulturist and writer Greg Grant will present "Gardening for Love - An Arcadian Dogtrot."

Grant will share the story of his lifelong quest to restore his grandparents' old farmhouse and how he landscaped it with pass-a-long plants from friends and ancestors along with his own ornamental introductions. The house and garden were featured in the July issues of Southern Living and Neil Sperry's Gardens magazines.

Grant was born in Tyler, raised in Longview, and has called Shelby County home for more than a decade. He earned degrees in floriculture and horticulture from Texas A&M University and previously worked for the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Louisiana State University, Lone Star Growers, the San Antonio Botanic Garden, and Mercer Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.

He writes regularly for Texas Gardener and Neil Sperry's Gardens magazines and recently published "Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening" and "Heirloom Gardening in the South," which received a 2012 Silver Merit Award from the Garden Writers Association. He also writes a monthly blog at arborgate.com.

The Theresa and Les Reeves Garden Lecture Series is normally held the third Thursday of each month at the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture's SFA Mast Arboretum. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves lecture series endowed fund are always appreciated.

For more information, call (936) 468-1832 or e-mail grantdamon@sfasu.edu.