Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Stephen F. Austin State University’s horticulture program will host its sixth annual Fall Plant Fair from 5 to 7 p.m. Nov. 2 at the SFA Plantery, located at 1924 Wilson Drive behind the Agriculture Building.
Plants available for purchase include a variety of winter annuals, such as pansies, violas, wallflowers, sweet alyssum and snapdragons. All are winter hardy and perform well in East Texas climates. Plants will sell for $2.50 per pot.
“Our horticulture program is thriving, and the Fall Plant Fair is an excellent showcase of our students’ hard work and the energy and excitement within our department,” said Dr. Jared Barnes, associate professor in the Department of Agriculture and steward of the SFA Plantery. “We can’t wait to show visitors our new trial garden and many of the projects our students have created. We welcome people to come tour the Plantery and buy some plants as all proceeds support student learning.”
The Plantery also will be celebrating SFA’s centennial with the grand opening of a new terraced trial garden that over 30 students worked on in the prior school year. In the spirit of celebration, a ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place to begin the festivities, followed by cake, music, fall-themed drinks and s’mores. The garden’s creation was funded by SFA’s Center for Applied Research and Rural Innovation.
SFA’s Plantery is a program rooted within the Department of Agriculture where students grow and raise plants in the micro-farm Sprout, the greenhouses and the teaching gardens around the Agriculture Building. This event is also an opportunity to tour the plant-growing operation and the projects students have been developing, such as the gravel garden and hydroponic system.
For more information about the horticulture program, visit their website. For information on the Fall Plant Fair, contact Barnes at barnesj@sfasu.edu.
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 37 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more by visiting the SFA website.