Wildflowers will be the main topic of the 2023 Ellis County Master Gardeners Gardeners Lawn and Garden Expo.
The expo is a popular springtime tradition in Waxahachie, Texas and will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at the Waxahachie Civic Center, at 2000 Civic Center Lane in Waxahachie, Texas.
Admission to the E.C.M.G. Lawn and Garden Expo is $5 for anyone older than 12 years old, and free for children who are younger. A limited supply of tickets may also be obtained from the expo’s various sponsors listed on the Ellis County Master Gardeners website.
The 2023 Ellis County Master Gardeners Lawn and Garden Expo will feature native Texas plant experts who will share tips on how to grow your own patch of Texas prairie. Photo by Marshall Hinsley.
Schedule of Presentations
Each year, the expo focuses on a gardening theme with experts of various topics giving presentations and demonstrations; for 2023, the speakers scheduled to give presentations throughout the day will emphasize wildflowers, prairie restoration and native plant landscaping.
Special guests include John Thomas, owner of Wildseed Farms in Fredericksburg, Texas, a source for more than 80 varieties of wildflowers seeds, and Andrea Delong-Amaya who’s the director of horticulture for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin with more than 30 years of experience in native plants and native landscaping.
The expo presentation schedule:
- 10:00 a.m.: Pocket Prairies with Ellis County Master Gardener Rob Franks
- 11:00 a.m.: What, When, Where and How to Grow Wildflowers with John Thomas of Wildseed Farms
- 12:30 p.m.: Pollination with Ellis County Master Gardener and Master Naturalist Sara Gouge
- 2:00 p.m.: Creating Beautiful Landscapes with Native Plants with Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Director of Horticulture Andrea DeLong-Amaya
Plant Sale and Other Attractions
Also among the attractions to the expo, vendors from local landscaping and natural living oriented businesses will showcase their offerings.
The Ellis County Master Gardeners will also man a booth for answering any gardening question alongside their plant sale that will offer hundreds of garden- and landscape-ready plants. The plant sale is an ever-popular attraction among the 2,000 or so expo attendees each year.
Ellis County Master Gardener and Expo Chair Cheryl Sandoval says the Texas Discovery Gardens at Fair Park in Dallas will also host children’s activities and that the expo has a little something for everyone.
“Visitors to our expo will find a wide variety of plants, shrubs and trees, landscaping services as well as pool and hardscape designs for your backyard,” she says. “You’ll find creative yard art and birdhouses, pest solutions, garden tools, locally-made food from canners and bakers and much more. Our children’s workshop is always filled with fun and excitement for kids of all ages. This year includes Texas Discovery Gardens talking about the life cycle of butterflies and how pollination works. Kids will learn about bees, compositing, planting — plus there’ll be various craft activities.”
Final Weekend of Tulipalooza
The 2023 Ellis County Master Gardeners Expo just so happens to take place at the same time and location as the final weekend of the Waxahachie-based tulip festival, Tulipalooza. Cheryl says that the festival and the expo, which are separate events with separate admission fees, will make the Waxahachie Civic Center the place to be for gardeners and nature lovers throughout Ellis County and the Dallas area on the last Saturday in March.
More about Pocket Prairies
Are you interested in creating your own little spot of native Texas wildflowers? Hear from the experts, including author Doug Tallamy, in this podcast that’s all about Texas pocket prairies.