Visit and Events

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the annual Wild About Woodies event at 9 a.m. July 1 in the Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St.

The event is to acquaint nursery professionals, landscapers and enthusiastic gardeners with an in-depth look at the woody ornamental collections at SFA Gardens, particularly new woody ornamentals for Texas and Louisiana. The garden is home to a vast collection of conifers, oaks, pines, taxodium, lagerstroemia, azaleas, camellias and much more.

​In addition to Creech, guest speakers during the Wild about Woodies event include Matt Welch, a horticulturalist for Madrone Landscaping, and Dr. Andrew King, owner of King’s Nursery in Tenaha and an SFA horticulture alumnus.

Event sign-in will take place from 8:30 to 9 a.m. with coffee and snacks provided. Lectures will follow, shadowed by a minibus tour of the gardens with opportunities to view fruit research plots, crape myrtle collections and taxodium on Lanana Creek. A plant giveaway will conclude the event.

Parking is available at the plant center and Raguet Elementary School, located at 2428 Raguet St.

The event is $30 and open to all ages and online registration is required.

For more information, call 936-468-4404 or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

SFA Gardens will host a fruit research field day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 30 featuring kiwifruit, muscadine grapes, blueberries, figs, feijoas and other fruits. Speakers will include Dr. David Creech, director of SFA Gardens, and Dr. Tim Hartmann and Dr. Justin Scheiner, both of Texas A&M University’s Department of Horticultural Sciences. The day will start with presentations at 9 a.m. at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building in the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, located at 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. Participants will then go to the fruit research plots at SFA Gardens around 10 a.m. Lunch will not be provided. The cost of the field day is $15 per person. Register on-site the day of the event or in advance online. See the complete agenda. For more information, call (936) 468-4129 or email sfagardens@sfasu.edu.

Hard-to-find, Texas-tough plants grown by staff and volunteers. Proceeds from plant sales support SFA Gardens staffing and operations. Both sales run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches. Parking will be available at SFA’s Janice A. Pattillo Early Childhood Research Center. 

2022

• Fabulous Fall Festival – Oct. 1-2 

2023

• Garden Gala Day - April 1-2 - View the list of available plants
• Fabulous Fall Festival - Oct. 7-8

Our Ruby Mize Azalea Garden tour season is mid-March through mid-April (weather conditions and tour guide availability permitting). Guided tours are available to groups of ten or more and must be reserved with a two-week advance notice. Tours are $5 per person.

Ruby Mize Azalea Garden tour season is complete for Spring 2023. Thank you to all who joined us. We look forward to seeing you again next year for more beautiful blooms.

Monthly social for garden-minded individuals where a variety of themed topics are presented. Bring your own lunch. Each event is noon to 1 p.m. at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building, located at 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches.

• Aug. 17, 2027 – Introduction and welcome back 
• Sept. 21, 2022 – Plant sale preview
• Oct. 19, 2022 – Fall container combos
• Nov. 16, 2022 – Creating habitat for beneficial insects
• Dec. 21, 2022 – Greenery for the Christmas table
• Jan. 18, 2023 – Tool Maintenance
• Feb. 15, 2023 – Pest management
• March 15, 2023 – Plant sale preview/designing garden containers
• April 19, 2023 – Mulch, fungi and other fun things
• May 17, 2022 – Turf grass problem-solving
• June 21, 2023 – Summer break, no speaker
• July 19, 2023 – Summer break, no speaker
• Aug. 16, 2023 – Introduction and welcome back
• Sept. 20, 2023 – Plant sale preview
• Oct. 18, 2023 – Gardening for fall/tree planting
• Nov. 15, 2023 – Pruning: a brief overview
• Dec. 20, 2023 – Pinecones and winter decorations

Three-hour, garden-related workshops held throughout the year with experts from the SFA Gardens staff and surrounding community. Each event is 9 a.m. to noon at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building, located at 2900 Raguet St. Cost is $30 for members and $40 for nonmembers.

• Dec. 3, 2022
  Deck the Halls: Creating Evergreen Decorations for the Holidays - Join Dawn Stover, study leader with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's NRCS East Texas Plant Materials Center, to create elegant wreaths, garlands and centerpieces using materials from nature. Participants will take home several creations. Class size is limited, and advance registration and payment is required. Registration opens Nov. 15. Tickets are $25 for SFA Gardens members and $30 for nonmembers (nonrefundable). Credit Card payment is preferred. To register, call (936) 468-4129.
   
• Mar. 11, 2023
  Grafting Workshop - Dr. David Creech, SFA Gardens director, will discuss the propagation technique of grafting in a workshop where participants will have the opportunity to try their hand at tree grafting. 
   
• June 17, 2023
  Spectacular Science Saturday - Families with school-age children are invited to join Alan Sowards in an exploration of science activities, demonstrations and games. Who thought science could be this much fun? This is a great way to share time with your child and extend their excitement for learning.
   
• Nov. 4, 2023
  Fall Photography - Greg Patterston, owner of House of Photography in Nacogdoches, will explore the basic principles of garden photography. Participants will have an opportunity to use some of these techniques to take photos of their own in the beautiful fall colors of SFA GArdens.

Free monthly lecture series featuring speakers from throughout the U.S. Each series event is 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Brundrett Conservation Education Building, located at 2900 Raguet St. in Nacogdoches.

• Sept. 8, 2022 – "Phase II of the Gardens at TAMU: Manifest Destiny in Action!”
  Dr. Mike Arnold 
   
• Oct. 13, 2022 – "Containing Edibles to Maximize Your Garden's Beauty and Yields"
  Dr. Kathryn Fontenot 
   
• Nov. 10, 2022 – "A Path to Successfully Growing Mediterranean Plants in Southeast Texas"
  Fran de la Mota 
   
• Dec. 8, 2022 – End of the Year Review
  Dr. David Creech 
   
• Jan. 12, 2023 – "Everything you wanted to know atout pruning and training trees but were afraid to ask."
  Ben Miller, landscape architect with Goodwin-Lasiter-Strong
   
• Feb. 9, 2023 – "Your Friendly Neighborhood CSA."
  Cincy Pruett with Appleby Community Farm
   
• March 9, 2023 – "Making Scents of the Genus Narcissus.” Greg Grant, Smith County extension horticulturist
   
• April 13, 2023 – "Finding the Ephemeral: Chasing Elusive Botanical Treasures of East Texas."
  Dawn Stover, study leader with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's NRCS East Texas Plant Materials Center
   
• May 11, 2023 – “Tips and Tricks for Maximizing Sustainable Space in Your Garden.”
  Heather Kirk Ballard, assistant professor of consumer horticulture at Louisiana State University
   
• June 8, 2023 – “Looking back and looking forward: Our recipe for introducing new plants that make a difference.”
  Jim Berry with JBerry Nursery in Gran Saline 
   
• July 13, 2023 – “Spread It Around: Fun facts on the history and manufacturing of fertilizer, and tips on when, why and how much.”
  Jay White, owner of Texas Gardener magazine
   
• Aug. 10, 2023 – “All About Bulbs.”
  Denise Cummins, retired LSU horticulture extension specialist
   
• Sept. 14, 2023 – “I Wish I Never Planted That.”
  Keith Hansen, retired horticulture extension agent
   
• Oct. 12, 2023  – “Common Landscape Shrubs: Varieties and Keys to Success.”
  Allen Owings, LSU professor emeritus, Bracy's and Clegg's Nursery Product Development of Baton Rouge
   
• Nov. 9, 2023 – “Garden Design: Creating a Dynamic Landscape.”
  Megan Proska with the Dallas Arboretum
   
• Dec. 14, 2023 – "A Treatise on Biophilia: Are great gardeners born that way or is it learned?"
  Dr. Dave Creech, SFA Gardens director