Two exhibits of flowers in art go on display January 8 through March 13, 2011, in the McDermott Learning Center of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center of the University of Texas at Austin, 4801 La Crosse Avenue, Austin, Texas.

The exhibits are “Still Life,” paintings by Stella Alesi and “Wildflowers Up Close” by photographer Richard Reynolds.

You might want to time your arrival to take advantage of the opportunity for a “Tree Talk and Winter Walk” between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. January 22, 2011. Get tips on landscape design and tree maintenance, and learn about native species with walks and talks led by local tree experts. Talks start at 11 a.m. and continue on the hour until 2 p.m.

Besides, you can shop for that “just right” tree and shrub at a special plant sale that day in the Courtyard. There will be a select group of Texas native trees and shrubs grown by the skilled Wildflower Center nursery staff. Visit with staff from the Texas Forest Service and learn about wildfire awareness and the Urban-Wildland Interface.

And, Road Trips Gardeners, there’s another advantage to checking out the Wildflower Center in January: there’s no admission charge that month.

Lady Bird Johnson, our former first lady, and actress Helen Hayes founded an organization in 1982 to protect and preserve North America’s native plants and natural landscapes. First as the National Wildflower Research Center and later as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, this special place exists to introduce people to the beauty and diversity of wildflowers and other native plants. The mission of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants and landscapes.

(Photo by the Wildflower Center)