 It's spring and while our beautiful state wildflower the bluebonnet graces most of the interior of our lovely state, the Texas coastline has another fair flower that heralds the coming of spring.
The oleander graces our sea blown coastlines with colors as varied as the rainbow itself. While we love our palm trees, there is something inspiring about the color brought forth each spring when the oleander blooms. And no one celebrates that more than in the city of Galveston - and thus The Oleander Festival.
Galveston's first Oleander Festival was held in 1921 and is staged each year in May. The festival is a celebration of not only beauty, but one rife with history.
And the oleander has an interesting history with Galveston. This hardy yet beautiful plant was introduced on Galveston island in 1841 from Jamaica by Joseph Osterman, a Galveston merchant.
 However it was Mr. Osterman's sister-in-law, Mrs. Isadore Dyer, that helped give birth to the city's love affair with the oleander. Mrs. Dyer had a green thumb and began to propagate the shrub and give it to neighbors who, in turn, shared it with their neighbors.
Visitors from other coastal areas came to Galveston and began to take this hardy shrub back to other regions of the coast to plant. The Texas coastline owes a great deal to Galveston for it's bountiful oleander presence.
One pink-vanilla scented variety of oleander was named after its cultivator, "Mrs. Isadore Dyer," and a rendering of the plant flies on a flag every May above Galveston's City Hall in honor of "Oleander Month".
This is no mere flower for Galvestonians, it is much more than a resilient beautiful shrub used to landscape it shorelines, homes and business districts. To Galvestonians, the oleander is a symbol much akin to the "Phoenix rising from the ashes".
 Ancient history tells us the flower was revered by the Greeks to honor their Gods. The Moors admired the plants musical ability as the wind whipped through it's beautiful flower laced limbs. The great artist Van Gogh graced his canvases with the bright and soft colors of the oleander. One of America's favorite founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson filled his famous gardens with oleanders.
But perhaps most symbolic of all are in the ruins of the city of Pompeii - murals of oleanders were among the few surviving architectural remains to survive.
So it was no surprise to Galvestonians when after the devastating hurricane of 1900 that claimed over six thousand lives, countless homes and businesses, the oleander poked through the rubble and bloomed, becoming a symbol of rebirth. The flowering bush is as revered in Galveston as it was by all those ancient societies.
 From mid-March through May, over 100 varieties of oleander cast luscious hues throughout the city in parks, around hotels, historic homes, and along the seawall. In fact, the city of Galveston lays claim to having the most extensive collection of oleanders in the world.
The oleander is often called the "sea rose". Despite it being a poisonous plant (if ingested), it's ability to tolerate sun, wind, salt spray, occasional freezes and even short droughts makes it the perfect flowering bush for the Texas coast. The oleander's colors and fragrances bring an intoxicating euphoria to an already beautiful city by the sea.
So just as the oleander is no mere flower to these Galvestonians, The Oleander Festival is a special celebration of rebirth for the coming of spring and a reminder of how strong, beautiful and yet fragile life can be. Come and enjoy the beauty and history of this amazing flower. The annual event is free to the public.
This year's expanded gardening event will feature area plant societies, garden clubs, and vendors who will display and sell their plants. There will be floral design competitions for both adults and children. A horticulture show by members of area garden clubs will be judged and experts will be scheduled during the day to give lectures and answer questions.
Oleander & Gardening Festival
SATURDAY & SUNDAY, MAY 6 - 7
10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Moody Gardens Convention Center, Expo Building - Admission is Free
This "all green" fun-filled, two-day event features an Exhibit Hall filled with dozens of booths and your favorite plants and flowers ranging from oleanders and orchids, to plumeria and palms for sale. Enjoy speakers and demonstrations every hour on various gardening and propagation techniques. Professional floral designs will be on display.
Grand Oleander Sale
This is the place to locate those hard to find varieties of this hardy plant and to get information on its culture.
Fun for Adults
A Floral Design Show and Horticulture Competition will be presented by members of the Gulf Coast Forum of Garden Clubs. The show entitled "April Showers Bring May Flowers" will be judged by nationally accredited Flower Show judges and ribbons awarded. Birding tours are scheduled at 10:00 and 1:00 on Sunday and will gather at the Audubon Society booth.
Information on gardening with birds will be available.
Fun for Kids
The Kid's Floral Design Competition will be held from 12:00 - 2:00 p.m. Sunday, May 7 for children ages 12 and under. Ribbons will awarded to first, second and third places in age categories. Each child receives a container upon entry to this event and is allowed to choose the flowers to design their own unique entry.
Kids Krafts on Saturday from 1 :00 - 3:00 will include continual hands-on activities on creating potpourri, terrariums, bookmarks and other creative projects. Registration not required.
The Island Dragon Puppet Theater will present "The Wetland" by German puppeteer Irma Hite and her assistant Carolyn Sayre featuring exquisite string and hand puppets and wonderful Paper Mache creations at 2:30 Sunday the 7th.
For more information, please call I - 800- 582- 4673 ext 4268 Email: fhead@msn.com, or visit www.oleander.org.
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Rio Grande Valley
