Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 13, in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St. Greg Grant will present “A Bright Spot in the Heart of Texas: The Idea Garden.”
Grant is horticulturist for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Smith County. He also is an award-winning writer, conservationist and seventh-generation Texan from Arcadia, Texas.
Grant has authored several books, including “In Greg’s Garden: A Pineywoods Perspective on Gardening, Nature, and Family” and “Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening,” as well as co-author of “Heirloom Gardening in the South” and “Texas Home Landscaping.” “The Rose Rustlers” with Dr. William Welch is due out this fall.
Grant also writes the popular “In Greg’s Garden” column for Texas Gardener magazine and writes a monthly “Greg’s Ramblings” blog.
After receiving degrees from Texas A&M University in floriculture and horticulture, Grant attended postgraduate classes at Louisiana State University, North Carolina State University and Stephen F. Austin State University. He has experience as a horticulturist with SFA Gardens, Mercer Arboretum and San Antonio Botanical Gardens.
Grant has introduced a number of successful plants to the Southern nursery industry, including Blue Princess verbena, dwarf pink Mexican petunia, Gold Star esperanza, Laura Bush petunia, John Fanick phlox, Stars and Stripes pentas, the Marie Daly and Nacogdoches (Grandma’s Yellow) roses, among others.
Grant was presented the Superior Service Award by the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, the Lynn Lowery Memorial Award by the Native Plant Society of Texas for horticultural achievement in the field of Texas native plants, and the Lone Star Land Steward Award for the East Texas ecoregion by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
He has traveled extensively to hundreds of botanical gardens throughout the United States and Europe and has given more than 1,000 lectures. He lives in East Texas and splits his time between Tyler and his grandparents’ restored dogtrot farmhouse, where he tends a small cottage garden, a flock of laying hens, and terriers Acer, Lizzie, Mollie and Sonny Boy Desalvo Fontenot.
The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month and includes a rare-plant raffle after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series fund are always appreciated.
Parking is available at Raguet Elementary School, located at 2428 Raguet St.
For more information, call (936) 468-4129, or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.