No matter the season, Shades of Green can help you complete your gardening project, maintain your lawn and landscaping, and answer any and all questions that may come up. From free clinics and classes to craft-making happy hours, we want to provide the knowledge you need to succeed so that you can truly enjoy your outdoor space. Learn about organic gardening, native plants, lawn care, and much more. You'll find all of our upcoming classes and events listed here and on our Facebook page.
April
Building a Raised Bed Garden
Saturday, April 29
FRISCO - 10 am
CELINA - 1 pm
Gardening in the heavy clay soil of North Texas is hard work, so why do it? It’s much easier to grow flowers and vegetables above our soil than in it. All you need is the right container. Flower pots will work, but if you want lots of plants, you’ll need more space. One solution is a wooden raised bed. They work well and can last for years if they’re built properly, but doing so does require a bit of skill. Another option that’s really gained traction in recent years, are metal raised beds. These come in kits that are very easy to assemble. They look great and will last far longer than wooden raised beds. At this FREE hands-on clinic, we’ll show you how to build a Vego Garden Modular Metal Raised, demonstrating what to do and how to do it.
What We’ll Cover:
- Site preparation & why it matters (Hint, you’ve got to get rid of the grass.)
- What size should a raised bed be (Too big is too much.)
- Tools & Technique – what to use and how to use it
- Filling & Planting – what and how much
The clinic – held rain or shine – is free and begins at 10 am in Frisco and 1pm in Celina. You’ll receive 45 minutes of quality instruction from one of our professional staff followed by an opportunity to ask specific questions.
May
Lawn Care & Watering for Summer Months
Do you have a bad case of lawn envy? You know the feeling – when your neighbor’s yard is green and growing, while your yard is full of weeds and brown patches. There is a cure, and it starts with attending this FREE clinic about lawn care and maintenance in summer heat.
North Texas summers can be brutal to a lawn, but there are steps you can take to ensure that yours survives and thrives – even when it’s 105 degrees!
What We’ll Cover:
- Watering do’s and don’ts
- When to water
- How long to water
- How to water – cycle and soak vs. drowning the lawn every other day
- Proper mowing technique (Yes, there is a right way to do it.)
- The ins and outs of weed & pest management
- To fertilize or not? (If yes, when, how & with what?)
- Organic vs. chemical fertilizer programs
The clinic – held rain or shine – is free and begins at 10 am in Frisco and 1pm in Celina. You’ll receive 45 minutes of quality instruction from one of our professional staff followed by an opportunity to ask specific questions.
City of Frisco Water Resources – Weekly watering recommendations, what to water, when to water, how to water, and more. A great resource for Collin County residents whether you live in Frisco or not. There’s a link for Frisco residents to schedule a free sprinkler system check.
Best Summer Annuals (plants that can take the heat)
Did you know that there are annuals that will look great in a flowerbed all summer long? It’s true. These plants will not only survive, but thrive in the heat and not get eaten by rabbits! (Some of them, anyway.) We’ll tell you all about them and provide tips to help the rest of your landscape look great all summer at this FREE clinic.
What We’ll Cover:
- The best annuals for eye catching color even in a HOT Texas summer
- Combinations that work well together
- Rabbit resistant options for those with bunny problems
- Pest and disease issues common in the summer months and what to do about them
The clinic – held rain or shine – is free and begins at 10 am in Frisco and 1pm in Celina. You’ll receive 45 minutes of quality instruction from one of our professional staff followed by an opportunity to ask specific questions.
Xeriscaping Isn’t Zero-scaping
Would you like to have outdoor plants that (almost) never need water? The practice of landscaping with low or no irrigation is called Xeriscaping. The term comes from the Greek word “xeric” meaning dry or arid, but that doesn’t mean a yard full of cactus with zero blooms. There are many plants, including some beautiful native Texas flowers, that do very well in with very little water. We’ll tell you all about them in this free gardening clinic.
What We’ll Cover:
- Xeriscape design
- Best plants for xeriscapes – trees, shrubs and flowers
- How to care for them
- What about water? Do the plants need any? If so, how much & how often?
The clinic – held rain or shine – is free and begins at 10 am in Frisco and 1pm in Celina. You’ll receive 45 minutes of quality instruction from one of our professional staff followed by an opportunity to ask specific questions.
Creating Colorful Containers
Why do some flower pots and container gardens look Instagram-worthy while others just look sad? There are tricks to making a potted plant display that looks magazine quality amazing and we’ll share them with you in this FREE clinic.
What We’ll Cover:
- The best spring annuals & perennials for eye catching containers
- Plant combinations for best results (hint, don’t mix shade-loving and sun-loving plants in the same container)
- The magic of Thriller, Filler, and Spiller
By the end of this class, you will be able to identify appropriate plants and create a container garden to make your patio pop!
The clinic – held rain or shine – is free and begins at 10 am in Frisco and 1pm in Celina. You’ll receive 45 minutes of quality instruction from one of our professional staff followed by an opportunity to ask specific questions.
Stop By Our Garden Center or Call For More Information
We look forward to meeting you and learning more about your yard and landscaping projects. Feel free to call us any time, or simply stop by! Most of the year we're open seven days a week for your convenience, and we'd love to send you home with some plants that are truly suited to the environment here in Frisco, Texas.
