The Near Northwest Management District and Treesearch Farms will hold a Plant Sale to raise funds to plant the White Oak Butterfly & Hummingbird Garden. The Sale will take place March 31 at the White Oak Conference and Community Center beginning with a 9 am presentation by Heidi Sheesley, owner of Treesearch Farms, on plants to attract wildlife after which the sale will begin at 10:15 am.
“The Plant Sale is one more piece of the community revitalization puzzle,” said Wayne Norden, President/CEO of the Near Northwest Management District. “Adding gardens in the area, both public and private, is one extremely visible way that we can make our community more attractive and inviting.”
Vision for Gardens at White Oak
The White Oak Conference Center is being created on the grounds of the former Inwood Forest Golf & Country Club. The District plans to develop the White Oak Conference Center Botanic Demonstration Garden to inspire and educate businesses and residents to improve their properties with adaptive trees, shrubs, flowers and grasses, to attract visitors from throughout the region who will be customers of local businesses, to begin the changes that will lead to the revitalization of the White Oak area community, to inspire community garden programs, to provide habitat for butterflies and hummingbirds, and to beautify the entrance and grounds of the White Oak Conference Center.
The White Oak Conference Center Botanic Demonstration Garden (the Garden) has three components: (1) adding understory trees that add spring blooms, fall color and winter berries to the stand of towering pines at the entrance, creating “The Grove”, (2) creating a butterfly and hummingbird garden full of flowering plants in the space anchored by the historic Inwood Pine, a very large and gnarled specimen that has been in place since the site was a dairy farm, and (3) beginning a demonstration community garden program that will provide education opportunities for gardeners, will foster gardeners working together, and will add interest and beauty to areas around the Conference Center buildings. The project has been conceived by District Board of Directors member Heidi Sheesley and Dr. Joe Novak, a recently retired horticulture professor from Texas A&M University who created their holistic garden program.
Future additions to the White Oak Complex include a demonstration garden, the addition of native grass prairie areas and hike and bike trails. The improvement of the White Oak Conference Center grounds is the first step in changes to transform the Antoine Corridor and is being supervised by Heidi Sheesley of Treesearch Farms, a long-time business owner in the area who is passionate about sustainable, usable public gardens.
Call for Volunteers
Community Volunteers are needed to make this event a success. We will need strong backs to help move the plants for set-up and moving sold plants to cars, plant enthusiasts to help with sales and a few people handy with making change to serve as cashiers. All volunteers will have the opportunity to purchase plants at discounted rates commensurate with the time committed. To volunteer, contact Melanie Fahey at 713-895-8021 or melfahey@nearnorthwestdistrict.com.
More information about the plant sale is available at: http://www.nearnorthwestdistrict.com/Programs/WOCC.shtml
About the District
The Near Northwest Management District was created by the Texas Legislature to promote and coordinate economic growth for businesses and improve the quality of life for everyone in Northwest Houston. The District, which covers an area bounded by T.C. Jester Boulevard on the east, Pinemont Drive on the south, Hollister Drive projected to State Highway 249 on the west and 249 on the north, has developed a detailed service plan to address issues important to commercial property owners in the area including security and public safety, planning and urban design and development.
For more information, go to www.nearnorthwestdistrict.com or become a fan of our Facebook page.
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