Everything Nac

Stephen F. Austin State University’s SFA Gardens will host the monthly Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 10, in the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St. Tom Cox will present “Breaking New Ground with Conifers for the South.”

Cox and his wife, Evelyn, started the Cox Arboretum and Gardens in 1990 when they purchased an undeveloped 13-acre land parcel in Canton, Georgia. Over the last 25 years, this has evolved into one of the premiere collections of woody taxa in the Southeastern U.S. In 2002 and again in 2014, the arboretum was the host site for the American Conifer Society’s national meeting and is now a frequent stop for gardening enthusiasts as well as those involved in serious plant study.

A pioneer in the evaluation of conifers for adaptability in the Southeast, Cox is recognized as one of the leading authorities on growing conifers in the region. The arboretum received full accreditation in 2012 and is now a site for the preservation of rare and endangered plants from around the world.

Cox is a frequent lecturer on the subject of conifers and other woody plants and is a member of the prestigious International Dendrology Society as well as Botanic Gardens Conservation International. He is a past president of the American Conifer Society and has been published numerous times in both British and U.S. conifer journals. He is the co-author of the 2013 book, “Landscaping with Conifers and Ginkgo for the Southeast.” In 2014, his book was recognized by the Georgia Writers Association as first runner-up in the specialty category at its 50th year annual awards banquet.

Cox graduated cum laude and received a bachelor’s degree from The New York Institute of Technology. He received a master’s degree in psychology from Georgia State University.

The Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series is held the second Thursday of each month at SFA’s Pineywoods Native Plant Center. A rare plant raffle will be held after the program. The lecture is free and open to the public, but donations to the Theresa and Les Reeves Lecture Series fund are encouraged.

Parking is available at the nearby Raguet Elementary School, 2708 Raguet St., with continual shuttle service to the Ina Brundrett Conservation Education Building.

For more information, call (936) 468-1832 or email grantdamon@sfasu.edu.

SFA Gardens at Stephen F. Austin State University will host its annual Garden Gala Day Spring Plant Sale and Earth Day Celebration from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the SFA Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St.

A wide variety of hard-to-find, “Texas tough” plants will be available, including Texas natives, heirlooms, tropicals, perennials, shrubs, trees and unusual species. Most of the plants are trialed in the gardens before being offered to the public and are produced by the SFA Gardens staff and volunteers.

This popular event benefits the SFA Mast Arboretum, Pineywoods Native Plant Center, Ruby M. Mize Azalea Garden, Gayla Mize Garden and educational programs hosted at the gardens. More than 15,000 students of all ages are reached on a yearly basis through SFA Gardens programs.

The ninth annual SFA Earth Day Celebration presented alongside the Garden Gala Day Spring Plant Sale will begin at 10 a.m. Informational booths will be set up near the Tucker House and the event will feature guest speakers, activities for kids of all ages, free local food, live music and more.

The outdoor festival is sponsored by Campus Recreation’s Outdoor Pursuits program, the SFA Student Sustainability Coalition, SFA Gardens and Nacogdoches Naturally. The celebration is an opportunity for members of the SFA student body and the Nacogdoches community to join together in furthering the vision of a sustainable campus and community.

Parking is available at the nearby Early Childhood Research Center, 2428 Raguet St. The public is encouraged to arrive early and bring a wagon.

For more information, call (936) 468-4404, or visit www.sfagardens.sfasu.edu two weeks before the sale for a list of available plants.

Jeff Bradetich, regarded as one of the leading performers and teachers of double bass in the United States, will present a guest recital at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 3, in Cole Concert Hall on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus.

Regents professor of double bass at the University of North Texas, Bradetich is an active lecturer and clinician. His concert is designed to “showcase the incredible sound and expressive palette of the bass as a solo instrument,” according to Carlos Gaviria, SFA School of Music faculty member.

“The instrument featured in this concert was made in 1767 by the famous Italian maker Guadagnini and is one of the best instruments in the world,” Bradetich said.

Performing as guest artists with Bradetich will be Gaviria, double bass; Janice Fehlauer of Houston, piano; and SFA music student Ben Mitchell of Flower Mound, double bass.

A highlight of the concert will be a performance of Sonata No. 2 for double bass and piano, originally for cello, by Ludwig von Beethoven.

“The 2nd Beethoven cello sonata was performed by the leading bass player of the day with Beethoven at the piano, and he gave his blessing to perform the work on bass,” Bradetich said.

The other major work to be performed is Concierto para Contrabajo and Orquesta (concerto for double bass and orchestra) by Andrés Martin of Argentina.

“This is one of the finest new works for bass and captures the majestic spirit and vivid colors of the Hispanic culture,” Bradetich said.

Gaviria will be featured in a duo for two basses and piano, “A Day of Change” by Doc Solomon, written in memory of the 9/11 attacks on New York City. “This is a very beautiful and heart-felt work,” he said.

Proclaimed by the New York Times as “the master of his instrument,” Bradetich has won many major solo competitions, recorded six solo albums of music for double bass and piano and has been featured on radio and television throughout North and South America and Europe including CBS, CNN, BBC and NPR.

“Mr. Bradetich has performed more than 600 concerts on five continents, and he is looking forward to sharing the beautiful sounds of the bass with the people of Nacogdoches,” Gaviria said.

The recital is a joint presentation of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music. Admission is free. For more information, call the SFA Fine Arts Box Office at (936) 468-6407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu.