Austin/Travis County
Attend the DinoLand exhibit, Sept. 6 – Nov. 30, at Zilker Botanical Garden. “The Hatching” on the weekend of Sept. 6–7, 10 a.m.– 5 p.m., offers many festival events, including children’s activities, storytellers and vendors. The exhibit features 30 scientifically accurate and lifelike models of prehistoric creatures, in residence along the garden’s Escarpment Trail. Admission: $5 adults, $3 ages 3-13. See details at www.zilkergarden.org/

Attend a free seminar, “Fall Vegetable Gardening,” Wednesday, Sept. 17, 7 – 9 p.m. at Zilker Botanical Garden. Offered by the Travis County Master Gardeners, the class includes the basics of vegetable gardening, with emphasis on plants and varieties that flourish in the fall and winter months. Visit www.tcmastergardeners.org for details about this seminar and others offered by area Master Gardeners.

Visit the Caddo Lake Art Exhibit, “A Place of Dreams,” at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Aug. 30 – Oct. 12. This exhibit of paintings and photos of Caddo Lake by Bruce Tinch celebrates the East Texas lake that helped Lady Bird Johnson gain a connection to Texas landscapes as a child. The area has been invaded by a Brazilian fern that chokes out other flora and fauna, and the Tinch exhibit includes signage about this environmental threat. General admission: $7 adults, $6 seniors and students, $3 ages 5-12. www.wildflower.org.

Join the family fun at the first fall Nature Night at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Friday, Sept. 19, 6 – 9 p.m. Habitat walks, discovery stations and craft activities. In partnership with the Dr. Pound Pioneer Farmstead, this first event focuses on “Plants and People,” providing insights into the use of native plants for everything from dyes to jelly, medicine to meals. Cost: $1 per person; free for members and EcoExplorers. www.wildflower.org.

Brenham/Washington County
Plan ahead for a festival weekend in Washington County Oct. 11-12, when events will include the Brenham Fine Arts Festival, the Scarecrow Festival in Chappell Hill, and Autumn Fest at the Monastery of St. Clare. See www.BrenhamTexas.com, as well as www.brenhamfineartgallery.com/festival.html or www.chappellhillmuseum.org.

Corpus Christi
Call now to pre-register for the 12-class “Beginning Bird ID Series” with birder/naturalist Gene Blacklock of the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program. The course includes six field trips and begins Monday, Sept. 8, 6:30 –8:30 p.m., at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Continues through Dec. 6. Maximum enrollment is 16. Tuition of $175 (or $150 for STBGNC members) must be prepaid by Sept. 4. Call 361-852-2100 for information.

Attend the water garden seminar, “Adding Splashes to Your Landscape,” set for Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. – noon, at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Members of the Coastal Bend Water Garden Club will share their knowledge about creating and maintaining water features that relax and cool your guests. Workshop cost, including admission: $6; members $3.50. Call 361-852-2100 for reservations.

Learn ways to make your yard a hummingbird playground at a seminar at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Saturday, Sept. 20, 10 a.m. – noon. You’ll discover what plants and feeders will attract these tiniest feathered Winter Texans well into mild winter days. Texas Parks and Wildlife biologist Brent Ortigo will give a tour of the Hummingbird Garden. Seminar fee, including admission: $6; members $3.50. Call 361-852-2100 for reservations.

Mark your calendar for “Moonlight in the Gardens” on Saturday, Oct. 11, beginning at 7 p.m. at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Guests will enjoy multiple food and music venues, moon-gazing with telescopes, and a silent auction. Tickets: $40 members; $60 non-members. Call 361-852-2100 for information.

Dallas/Collin County
Order spring- and summer-blooming bulbs suitable for North Texas landscapes from the Collin County Master Gardeners during the association’s 5th annual fall fundraiser. Many of the bulbs offered are hard-to-find varieties known to thrive and sometimes multiply in the area’s difficult soils and climate extremes. Deadline for ordering is Oct. 3. Find a color brochure, description of the bulbs, and details for ordering on the association’s website, www.ccmgatx.org, or call 1-972-548-4219.

Participate in Organic in the City’s class on Integrated Pest Management, Sept. 2, 6 – 8 p.m., Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park. Speaker is Dr. Mike Merchant, urban entomology expert at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center. You’ll learn more about low-impact insecticide products and other ways to control pests while keeping your beneficial garden visitors safe. You’ll also enjoy refreshments, music, and a behind-the-scenes look at the reconstruction of the Butterfly House and Insectarium. Cost: $10; $8 members. Call 214-428-7476 or visit www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.

Attend Artscape, the fine art and craft show and sale scheduled for opening weekend of Autumn at the Arboretum, Sept. 20 –21, at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. The art show features the work of 80 area artists throughout the gardens. The fall floral festival, aka “The Great Pumpkin Festival,” continues through Nov. 2 and features a wide variety of special events, music and activities for families, as well as colorful pumpkin displays. Admission: $8 adults, $7 seniors ($5 on Thursdays), $5 ages 3-12. Parking $5. Go to www.dallasarboretum.org for details.

Learn about Water-Wise Landscaping at one or both of two free seminars offered by the City of Dallas Water Utilities on Saturday, Sept. 20, at Mountain View College, West Building, Room W171. “Water-Wise Landscape Design 101” is scheduled for 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. “Fantastic Plants for North Texas” is scheduled for 1:30 – 5 p.m. Click here to register online. Find directions at www.mvc.dcccd.edu/1campmap.aspx.

See eye to eye with hundreds of colorful native Texas butterflies like Giant Swallowtails, Pipevine Swallowtails, Monarchs, Sulphurs, Question Marks and more during the “Skies of Butterflies” exhibit at Texas Discovery Gardens, Sept. 26 – Oct. 19. The exhibit coincides with the Texas State Fair, and the butterfly exhibit will be found near the Martin Luther King entrance (Gate 6) to the fairgrounds. Exhibit entrance fee: $3, plus all applicable State Fair/Garden entrance fees. Call 214-428-7476 or visit www.texasdiscoverygardens.org.

Experience the splendor of Native Texas butterflies in the 800-square-foot butterfly house of the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney, now through Sept. 28. Summer exhibits also include “Animals of the World: A Conservation Exhibit” and “Rat Snakes to Rattlers: Live Texas Snakes,” with live snake feedings and special animal talks. A new permanent Beehive Display, donated by the Collin County Beekeeper’s Association, allows visitors to safely observe live bees making honey. Admission: $8 adults, $5 seniors and ages 3-12. www.heardmuseum.org