For one of my secret Santa gifts this past Christmas, I got a raised garden bed with seeds that couldn't be planted until April. I was counting down the days (seriously, I had a countdown on my phone!) until I could set it up and get my garden started. Now that it's all ready to go, I'm just waiting for my beautiful morning glories to start sprouting. It's such an exciting feeling, and if you also share the thrill of the green thumb, you are getting ready to start your own gardening. Tulsa has many avenues to check out when it comes to gardening.
From stores to festivals to garden clubs, we'll explore a few of Our Town’s gardening activities!
GARDEN FESTIVALS
The SpringFest Garden Market
The annual SpringFest Garden Market hosted by the Tulsa Garden Center at Woodward Park is one of the biggest gardening events in Tulsa...and, fun fact, it's actually the longest running garden market in the entire state! This year is a great milestone for the event, as this year will be the 70th celebration.
You can check out SpringFest from 9a-3p this Friday and Saturday at the Teaching Garden and Visitor Center, where there's plenty of food to fuel you for your plant shopping! From art to learning from gardening clubs, there will be multiple vendors to explore during your time. SpringFest admission is free admission - and event proceeds benefit the upkeep of the park and support educational programs. Want to learn more? Click here!
Jenks Herb & Plant Festival
The popular Jenks Herb & Plant Festival packs a variety of vendors to explore! Free to the public and happening on Saturday, April 26th from 8a-4p in downtown Jenks, the festival will feature booths with a wide selection of locally grown herbs and plants, as well as garden decorations. There will also be a wide array of food vendors selling food and offering live entertainment. Got a question about gardening? They'll have experts on hand to answer your questions!
The vendor plant selection includes annuals, perennials, garden decor, herbs, and fresh vegetables and heirlooms. Outside of the green thumb galore, you can find vendors offering Oklahoma wine, home decor, jewelry, arts and crafts, bath and body products, and more. Feel free to bring the kiddos, as they will have some fun options for them! Visit here for more information.
Herbal Affair & Festival
The annual Herbal Affair & Festival in Sand Springs is a staple here in the metro! Celebrating its 36th year on Saturday, April 19th from 8a-4p, folks can check out over 100 different vendors selling cooking, medicinal, and ornamental herbs along with a wide variety of plant selections! You'll want to come hungry too - this festival provides a variety of food trucks with all sorts of international cuisine. Wine lovers, be sure to check out the wine garden featuring Oklahoma wineries!
Along with all of the shopping festivities, you can catch live music performances and other entertainment. From magic tricks, to cloggers performing, you'll be sure to find something that catches your attention! This festival is also kid-friendly, providing fun game options as well as face painting and group building activities. More Herbal Affair & Festival information can be found here.
Sapulpa Petunia Fest
A newer festival that deserves an honorable mention for plant lovers, the Sapulpa Petunia Fest is back for it's second year! Hosted by the Sapulpa Chamber of Commerce, this festival will be held in downtown Sapulpa at Herald Square on May 10th from 9a-4p. This family-friendly event will have experts around to help answer questions you might have about these beautiful petunias!
This festival also offers a selection of food trucks for some good grubbing. Vendors will also have their own booths to explore. Want to participate in this event? Register here.
PUBLIC GARDENS
Gardens at Woodward Park
If you know Woodward Park, you know its gardens. Woodward Park is well known for two garden areas: the rock gardens and the Tulsa Rose Garden. Detailed on their website, the rock gardens were originally made with honeycombed limestone slabs to create lily pools and help with erosion control. Later on, sandstone blocks and beds of azaleas were added.
While the Tulsa Rose Garden was devastated several years ago by the Rose Rosette Virus, careful tending by the Tulsa Garden Center staff and volunteers is bringing it back to life. Visiting this stately garden in the spring is good for the soul.
When exploring Woodward Park, you can also find yourself also in the Teaching Garden, designed to create a space for people to learn about gardening, or admiring the trees at the Tulsa Arboretum. Wherever you end up at Woodward Park, there is a spot for every garden lover to take a moment and appreciate the beauty that is here.
Tulsa Botanic Garden
A T-Town favorite, the Tulsa Botanic Garden is another place to get lost in the beauty of gardens. Visiting solo or with your family, the area is filled with gardens, terraces, and art installations. Through your exploring, you'll feel their mission of promoting the beauty and importance of plants and nature.
Check out all parts of the botanic gardens, including the arboretum that features over 100 trees. I highly recommend taking a moment to check out the floral terrace, which is filled with different blooming flowers and trees, and in the middle there's a waterfall fountain that flows right through the center. It is captivating to say the least! Another feature is the kid's discovery garden, which I could argue isn't just for kids. There are beautiful art installations throughout this area sparking curiosity and wonder.
Philbrook Gardens
The Philbrook Museum may be nearly as well-known for its magnificent gardens as for its art collection! Once you're finished admiring all of the beauty of the art inside, take a step outside to admire the beauty of the natural art. The garden offers walking paths throughout, as well as sitting spaces for you to soak in everything you see.
While you're admiring the gardens, you might get lucky and spot the garden cat! This furry friend helps the gardens by catching pests that lurk about. You can also enjoy the Westby Sculpture Walk, showing work from artists all over the world.
Gilcrease Gardens
Although Gilcrease is closed for construction, their gardens are still a spot worth an honorable mention. The Gilcrease gardens are covered with all types of plants and rocks, specifically picked to ensure beauty in these gardens no matter the season. Founder Thomas Gilcrease encouraged growing native plants, as well as bringing in exotic plants, providing a wide variety to discover during your visit.
If you want to add a little excitement to your garden visit, Gilcrease offers free scavenger hunts in the gardens. Suited for all ages, it's an easy activity to enjoy with your family or friends. You can download the scavenger hunt on your phone, or take a printed version with you, and take your exploring to another level!
GARDEN STORES
Southwood Landscape & Garden Center
If you are a long-time listener of Public Radio Tulsa, you know how much we value our friends at Southwood Landscape & Garden Center! Over on 91st and Lewis, Southwood has been serving Tulsans for over 40 years, providing the help and supplies needed to turn your garden into your vision. They are not just a store to buy all of your needs, they also help create your vision by providing landscaping and installation packages!
On Southwood's website, you'll find their blog, It's Just Gardening, authored by gardener extraordinaire, Paul James, and their YouTube channel, Southwood TV, both of which cover all manner of gardening topics, giving tips and tricks for best gardening practices.
Under The Sun Garden Center
Under The Sun Garden Center is a home and garden center providing plants for all seasons, as well as garden tools and decor. This garden center originally started off as a seasonal plant store, but has since grown into an all-season center. Locally grown here in Oklahoma, Under The Sun is widely known for their annuals and perennials. They're also a sweet go-to spot for your traditional house plants as well!
Along with their garden plants, there are buckets of hanging baskets and garden decor to choose from. They are also a great resource for help with your landscaping. Plus, Under The Sun can help with custom containers and potting, helping you put that perfect plant into it's perfect pot or hanging basket.
Riddle Plant Farm
With two retail locations and greenhouses throughout the metro, Riddle Plant Farm operates in and serves the Tulsa metro division. This family-owned business truly belongs in the family's DNA, as the Riddle family has farmed since way before Riddle Plant Farm ever started. With their first location in Sand Springs, they have recently opened their second location in Broken Arrow.
As spring is here, Riddle Plant Farm is offering hanging baskets, annuals and perennials, and the necessary supplies to care for them. Interested in trying out fruit plants or trees? This spring, they have a selection of herbs, tropical plants, and fruit trees to help grow your own produce right at home!
Grumpy's Garden
A garden store with a bit of quirkiness to it, Grumpy's Garden has captured people's attention with the variety they offer! Located on Cherry Street, you can find unique features to add to your garden, home, or even wardrobe.
If you are a fan of chimineas, Grumpy's offers a large selection of eclectic styles for your patio. In addition to plants, Grumpy's also provides selections of home goodies, like candles incense, and sage (to burn for cleansing). In the wintertime or if you just need some good burning wood, they keep a big stock of piñon wood! Grumpy's also has a selection of merch, from graphic t-shirts to jackets to fun socks!
GARDENING WORKSHOPS/CLASSES
Classes with Tulsa Master Gardeners
Even experienced gardeners need to...er...grow, and to help, the OSU Tulsa Master Gardeners offer a "lunch and learn" series: a free six-week course exploring different gardening topics each week, giving you the chance to collaborate with other gardeners and ask questions. This current course has classes through the end of the month, and are held at the TCCL's Central Library and Hardesty Regional Library.
And if you want to dip your (gloved) hands into vegetable gardening, check out Tulsa Master Gardeners Urban Gardener Training about how to grow vegetables! Enjoy a day of learning about the basics, from the soil you need, to harvesting your veggies. (A pizza lunch is included! Tickets available here.
Tulsa Garden Club Gardening Education Programs
The Tulsa Garden Club offers a variety of educational programs, either open to the public or exclusive for members. Open to the public, they offer flower shows, tours of gardens, and exhibits to broaden your knowledge of gardening from expert gardeners. Check out their events calendar to see upcoming opportunities to join.
There's also student education for young gardeners. Known as Generation Green, they provide events and activities to help kiddos learn about gardening in a fun and interactive way! They meet at the Buds and Blooms children's corner of the teaching garden at Woodward Park, dedicating the space for these green thumbs to grow!
Tulsa County City Library Universal Class for gardening
Perks of having your Tulsa County City Library card? You can get access to their universal classes. Offering multiple resources for your gardening education, they make it easy to learn and start your garden off the right way! The Universal Class has courses for gardening, ranging from an introduction to gardening, to more specific courses about herbs or vegetable growing. For a full list of these courses, you can search for anything gardening related here.
Did you know you can check out seeds at TCCL??? You can choose up to 15 packets you'd like to grow. After you check out seeds and grow your garden, you can return seeds of the best plants to the library! Here's a step by step guide to how this process works.
And, of course, there are more than enough books at the library for you to check out and read to learn more tips on gardening. Check out a librarian made book list for gardening to help you find reads to help with your gardening.
Tulsa Community College Start Your Own Edible Garden Course
There's something about growing food right in your own garden and turning it into a meal for yourself. And Tulsa Community College provides a course that helps you learn to grow fruit and vegetables right in your backyard! This TCC course has a self-guided option as well as a six-week instructor-led option.
Not finding a class that interests you? The National Garden Club offers a variety of classes year-round that you can try out.
GARDEN CLUBS
Interested in joining in an organization for a specific flower or herb, or just gardening in general? Explore some clubs right here in Tulsa and join a community to learn more about what interests you. Tulsa has a variety of horticultural and environmental clubs, and usually meet on a monthly basis at Woodward Park.
For a list of these organizations you might be interested in, visit here. Whether you have a specific niche, or just want a more general knowledge of gardening, there is a community that fits your preference.
This story was originally shared in PRT's arts-and-culture newsletter Our Town. Subscribe here to get these stories first.
