10/21/2026
Bulb Conference and Sale (Greg Grant)
One of the best things about gardening in East Texas is that we can grow an amazing assortment of bulbs. One of the frustrating things about gardening in East Texas is that many of the bulbs sold in stores, online, and even in specialty sales were never meant to live here.
Our heat, drought, floods, and unpredictable winters can quickly separate the survivors from the short-term showoffs. I have spent much of my life growing, killing, evaluating, and farming bulbs, and I have always been particularly fond of those old-fashioned kinds that survive for multiple lifetimes with little or no attention.
That will be the subject of the Smith County Master Gardeners’ annual From Bulbs to Blooms Conference and Sale on Saturday, October 24, at Pollard United Methodist Church, 3030 New Copeland Road in Tyler. The free educational program begins at 9 a.m., followed by bulb shopping and order pick-up from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
This year I’ll be presenting “Earth-Kind Bulbs: No Water, No Fertilizer, No Pesticides.” The title pretty much sums up my gardening philosophy. I like sustainable, long-lived plants that can be grown organically.
An Earth-Kind bulb should be adapted to our climate and soils, tolerant of our weather extremes, and capable of surviving without watering, fertilizing, spraying, digging, dividing, and fussing. The best bulbs are those you plant in the right place, then stand back and enjoy for years to come.
During the program, I’ll discuss why some bulbs thrive in East Texas while others gradually disappear. We’ll talk about choosing the proper planting location and selecting bulbs that are naturally suited to our conditions.
The sale is a popular part of the event because the Master Gardeners promote heirloom, hardy, and hard-to-find bulbs along with commercial cultivars that have been trialed for years in East Texas. Many are the kinds of bulbs that once passed from gardener to gardener, yard to yard, and generation to generation. Those survivors have already proven something important. They can live here. They are what my late mentor Dr. William C. Welch called “time-tested.”
The online store opened October 12 and remains open through October 21. Online purchases must be picked up at the October 24 sale. Certain quantities are limited, so ordering early is a good idea for anything you particularly want.
Along with bulbs, the event will include door prizes, raffles, children’s activities, educational displays, garden art, signed gardening books that I’ve authored, and the Smith County Master Gardeners’ annual garden guide and calendar. Proceeds support Master Gardener scholarships and educational events in our community.
Admission to the conference is free. Whether you are an experienced gardeners or simply want sustainable perennial flowers that come back every year without requiring irrigation and pesticides, come join us.
Greg Grant, Ph.D., is the Smith County horticulturist and Master Gardener coordinator for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service in Tyler. He is the author of Texas Fruit and Vegetable Gardening, Texas Home Landscaping, Heirloom Gardening in the South, and The Rose Rustlers. You can read his “Greg’s Ramblings” blog at arborgate.com, find his “In Greg’s Garden” column in each issue of Texas Gardener magazine (texasgardener.com), or follow him on Facebook at “Greg Grant Gardens” and “Pines, Pawpaws, and Pocket Prairies.” More science-based lawn and gardening information from the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service can be found at aggieturf.tamu.edu and aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu or by contacting the Smith County Master Gardener Help Desk at [email protected].
Image caption: Only certain cultivars of daffodils thrive and bloom yearly in East Texas.
