Garden expo offers advice

Gardeners finally have the desire to get out in their yards after our miserable winter weather.

But before you buy materials or plant your yard, you should consider attending the circle's gardening expo from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 18 at the Town 'N Country Recreation Center, 6039 Hanley Road.

Have your garden tools sharpened, buy inexpensive plants and learn the proper planting techniques.

The event will include eight seminars and 10 demonstration booths.

Seminar topics include "Florida Friendly Landscaping," "Hazardous Tree Assessment and Management - Town 'N Country's Large Oaks," "Top 40 Favorite Plants," "Growing Hibiscus," "Container Gardening," "Growing Orchids," "Maintaining a Florida Lawn" and "Daylilies for Central Florida."

Speakers will include gardening experts such as master gardeners, county extension service officials and nursery owners.

Demonstration booths will include butterfly gardening, controlling gardening pests, floral arranging, general gardening, orchids, growing pineapples, propagating hibiscus, plumeria and water-wise Gardening.

Registration begins at 10 a.m. Cost is $5 and includes lunch. For information, call (813) 884-3462.

Plant sale

And on the same day as the expo, the circle and Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation department will hold a plant sale from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the recreation center.

Garden circle members have been growing plants for months for the sale.

There will be special gifts for Mother's Day and yard art for sale.

Prices for most plants are between 50 cents and $5. Some plants may cost more. Funds from the plant sale will go to circle gardening projects in the community. Unsold plants will be donated to Webb Middle.

To donate plants, contact Aggie Pompeo at (813) 888-9144.

Bill Hebert will be available to sharpen gardening tools and kitchen knives from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monthly meeting

Master Gardener Lynn Barber's topic will be "Lazy Gardener" at the circle's noon April 7 meeting at the recreation center. Prospective members are welcome. For information, call (813) 884-3462 or visit hillsborough

county.org/parks/resources/

forms/about/upce824.pdf.