Spring brings many gardening events to the area. Grab a friend or two and head out.

• Mondays in March Green Thumb Series — Warren County Extension Office, 5:30-7:30 p.m., home gardening programs presented by Vicksburg Master Gardeners and invited guests:

March 7: Creative Container Gardening: Ease Those Growing Pains with Dr. Wayne Porter, Mississippi State University horticulturist from Lauderdale County; March 14: To Bee or Not to Bee by Dr. Eugene and Joyce Ferris, Master Gardener and Warren County Bee Keepers; March 21: Water, Water Everywhere… Give Your Plants a Drink with Drip Irrigation by Jack Williams, Faulk’s Garden Center; March 28: Wildflowers in the Trenches by Virginia DuBowy, Master Gardener; free to public.

• Third Annual Everything Garden Expo — Mississippi Horse Park at MSU, Starkville (716 E. Poorhouse Road or .8 mile east from Poorhouse and South Montgomery Street); Saturday, March 5, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, March 6, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; presented by the Starkville Area Arts Council and sponsored by MSU, the MSU Extension Service, Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and Starkville School District’s Family Centered Programs; vendors, plants for sale, children’s activities, gardening experts Nellie Neal on vegetable gardening and Dr. Lelia Kelly on herbs, plus talks on garden design, growing daffodils, organic gardening, controlling pests, container gardening and gardening with children; cost $5; younger than 6, free.

• Greenhouse Tomato Short Course — Eagle Ridge Conference Center, Raymond; Tuesday, March 8-Wednesday, March 9; for those interested in greenhouse vegetable production; info at http:greenhousetomatosc.com or Dr. Rick Snyder 601-892-3731; $125 advance registration fee.

• Jackson Garden and Patio Show – Mississippi Trade Mart, Jackson; Friday-Saturday, March 18-19, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, March 20, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; sponsor, Mississippi Nursery & Landscape Association; educational presentations, plants, retail vendors, children’s activities; guest speakers Catherine Strange, author of Fearless Entertaining Flowers; Walt Grayson, WLBT anchor and host of “Look Around Mississippi” and Mississippi ETV’s “Mississippi Roads”; Garden Mama Nellie Neal and Dr. Gary Bachman, host of MSU’s “Southern Gardening”; seminar schedule at www: msnla.org; $8 for adults, younger than 10 free when accompanied by an adult.

• 40th Annual Audubon Tour — St. Francisville, La.; Friday, March 18-Sunday, March 20; tour historic homes and gardens; 1-800-798-4221 or 225-635-6330 for info and tickets.

• Festival of Flowers — Providence Hospital campus, 6801 Airport Blvd., Mobile, Ala.; Thursday-Saturday, March 24-26, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, March 27, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; rated as one of the Southeast’s Top 20 Events, the festival includes eight acres of floral exhibits, life-sized landscaped gardens, designer tablescapes, demonstrations and educational speakers; $12 at gate, younger than 12 free; advance tickets and group rates available; festivalofflowers.com; 1-877-777-0529.

• Second Annual Monarch Festival — Clinton Nature Center; Saturday, April 9- Saturday, April 16.

• Annual Nature Day Celebration — Clinton Nature Center; Saturday, April 16, 9 a.m.-12 noon; free to members, donation requested from visitors.

• The Gardens of Madison County — Saturday, April 30, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, May 1, 1 p.m.-5 p.m.; eight landscaped gardens and creative tablescapes by 17 local designers, gardening tips, cooking demonstrations, party ideas and gift shop; contact Madison-Ridgeland Academy, 601-856-4455 or visit http: mragardens.com

• Symphony of Gardens Tour — Natchez; Friday, May 6- Saturday, May 7; features private and estate gardens. Friday tours, 4-7 p.m., include Bluff Top, Brown Garden, Williams Garden and Wills Garden; Saturday tours, 9 a.m.-noon include Brandon Hall, The Garden at Anna’s Bottom, Holder Garden and Jordan Garden; garden workshop, 2 p.m. Saturday with Harvey Cotten, chief horticulturist and vice president, Huntsville Botanic Garden; $15 for one day or $25 for both; www.visitnatchez.org or call 1-800-647-6724.

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Miriam Jabour, a Master Gardener and Master Flower Show judge, has been active in the Openwood Plantation Garden Club for over 35 years. Write to her at 1114 Windy Lake Drive, Vicksburg, MS 39183.