A seed packet may be small, but it speaks volumes. While seed catalogs promote thousands of types of plants, seed packets tell gardeners how to grow one. All the information is printed on the back of a paper pouch slightly larger than the size of your wallet, and at prices that won't empty it. Although the cost of seeds has risen over the past few years, they're still an economical way to garden, said Elsa Sanchez, a commercial vegetable crops specialist at Penn State University Extension. "The other option would be to buy transplants, which is generally more expensive," Sanchez said. "You also find a lot more options for types and cultivars when you start from seed.

ONGOING The Mercer Society Gift and Plant Shoppe: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays at 400 Main, Old Town Spring; 281-651-5475, themercersociety.org/ways-to-give/donate. Sale proceeds benefit flood-damaged Mercer Botanic Gardens. SATURDAY Harris County Master Gardeners' Fruit Tree Sale: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Houston Farm and Ranch parking lot, adjacent the Texas AgriLife Extension Service parking lot, 3033 Bear Creek Drive; hcmga.tamu.edu. Free. Montgomery County Master Gardeners' Fruit and Nut Tree Sale: 8 a.m. plant preview, 9 a.m.-noon sale at the Texas AgriLife Extension Service, 9020 Airport, Conroe; 936-539-7824, mcmga.com. Free. Begin Growing Your Own Fruit Trees: with John Panzarella. 10 a.m.

Now is the time to clean up the mushy, stinky stuff in your garden, advises the Harris County Texas AgriLife Extension Service. But don't prune anything with bark until danger of frost has passed.

IN JANUARY The Mercer Society Gift and Plant Shoppe: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays, 400 Main, 281-651-5475, themercersociety.org/ways-to-give/donate. Sales proceeds benefit flood-damaged Mercer Botanic Gardens. SATURDAY Urban Harvest Fruit Tree Sale: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Houston Community College West Loop Campus, 5601 West Loop S.; urbanharvest.org/fruit-tree-sale. Free admission; fruit trees starting at $12. SATURDAY-SUNDAY Weekend Market: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Another Place in Time, 1102 Tulane; 713-864-9717. Free. Conroe Camellia Show and Plant Sale: sponsored by the Coushatta Camellia Society. 1-4 p.m. at the First Christian Church, 3500 North Loop 336 W.

Urban Harvest's annual sale is the place to get fruit trees for the Houston area. It has become the largest single-day fruit-tree sale in the nation during its 18-year history.

SATURDAY Winter Bird Count: 7:45 a.m. at Jesse H. Jones Park and Nature Center, 20634 Kenswick, Humble; 281-446-8588, hcp4.net/community/parks/jones. Free. Ages 10 and older. Insider's Tour: The North Dry Garden: 10 a.m.-noon at Peckerwood Garden, 20559 FM 359, Hempstead; 979-826-3232; register at peckerwoodgarden.org. Members free, nonmembers $15. TUESDAYS-SundaysIN JANUARY The Mercer Society Gift and Plant Shoppe: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays at 400 Main, 281-651-5475, themercersociety.org/ways-to-give/donate. Sales proceeds benefit flood-damaged Mercer Botanic Gardens. MONDAY Getting Your Beds Ready for Bulbs: with Flors Tieldt. Tomball Garden Club program. 9:30 a.m.

Winter and early spring are lean times for honeybees as they emerge from their hives, where food supplies are dwindling, to forage. Adding clusters of winter-blooming plants around the yard will give them much needed nourishment. Bees take in carbohydrates from floral nectar and protein from floral pollen. Being aware of bloom times and providing flowers that overlap the seasons are important for beekeepers who want to successfully overwinter their colonies. Some bees, including many wild varieties, begin searching for food when sunny days push temperatures up to 55 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

SATURDAY Santa at the Enchanted Forest: 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 10611 FM 2759, Richmond; 281-937-9449, myenchanted.com. Free. Trees and Stars Winter Celebration: with the Houston Astronomical Society. 6:30-9:30 p.m. at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, 4501 Woodway; 713-681-8433, register at houstonarboretum.org. $30 members, $45 nonmembers, $15 children ages 5-12. SATURDAY-SUNDAY Weekend Market: 9 a.m.-5 Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Another Place in Time, 1102 Tulane; 713-864-9717. Free. Friday-Dec. 17 Weekend Market: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 17 at Another Place in Time, 1102 Tulane; 713-864-9717. Free. DEC. 16 Critters' Christmas: edible decorating for wildlife. 10 a.m. at Jesse H.

SATURDAY Peckerwood Garden Open Day: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Peckerwood Garden, 20559 FM 359, Hempstead; 979-826-3232; register at peckerwoodgarden.org. Members free, $10 nonmembers. SATURDAY-SUNDAY Weekend Market: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Another Place in Time, 1102 Tulane; 713-864-9717. Free. WEDNESDAY Holiday Interior and Exterior Landscaping: with gardener Diane Bulanowski, designer Chuck Kremers and stylist Susan Kuhn. 6 p.m. at Buchanan's Native Plants, 611 E. 11th; 713-861-5702, tickets at buchanansplants.com. $25. Friday-DEC. 3 Weekend Market: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 3 at Another Place in Time, 1102 Tulane; 713-864-9717. Free. DEC.

SATURDAY Urban Harvest's Edible Landscapes: 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Moran Hall, 5555 Hermann Park Drive; 713-880-5540, urbanharvest.org. $30. Pecan Celebration: with Kelsey Low. 10 a.m.-noon at Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, 4501 Woodway; 713-681-8433, register at houstonarboretum.org. $20 members, $35 nonmembers; ages 13 and older. DIY Paper: with Kelsey Low. 1-3 p.m. at Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, 4501 Woodway; 713-681-8433, register at houstonarboretum.org. $20 members, $35 nonmembers; ages 16 and older. Plant Texas Natives: 10 a.m. at Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center, 20634 Kenswick, Humble; reservations at 281-446-8588, hcp4.net/community/parks/jones. Free.

SATURDAY Lone Star African Violet Council 2017 Convention: show 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., plant sale 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Wyndham Houston West Energy Corridor, 14703 Park Row Blvd.; Karla Ross, 281-748-8417, kjwross@yahoo.com. Free. Christmas Open House: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at Cornelius Nursery, 2233 S. Voss; 713-292-0898, workshop schedule at corneliusnurseries.com. Free. Unplugged Adventure: Putting Down Roots Volunteer Prairie Planting: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Katy Prairie Conservancy's Indiangrass Preserve, 31950 Hebert, Waller; katyprairie.org/directions. Free. Peckerwood Garden Open Day: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Peckerwood Garden, 20559 FM 359, Hempstead; 979-826-3232; register at peckerwoodgarden.org. Members free, $10 nonmembers.

SATURDAY Urban Harvest's Starting a Community or School Garden Workshop: 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the University of St. Thomas, Jerabeck Athletic Center, Building 30, 3812 Yoakum; 713-880-5540, urbanharvest.org $20. 45th annual Herb Fair: presented by the South Texas Unit of The Herb Society of America. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Judson Robinson Community Center, 2020 Hermann Drive; herb plants, jellies, blends, crafts, bath and beauty products, light refreshments; herbsociety-stu.org. Free. Open Gardens Day: sponsored by Montgomery County Master Gardeners. 9-11 a.m. at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, 9020 Airport, Conroe; 936-539-7824, mcmga.com. Free. The Secret Life of Squirrels: with Kelsey Low. 9:30-11:30 a.m.

WASHINGTON - U.S. home sales slid 3.6 percent in December, as rising prices and a declining number of available properties stifled purchases. The National Association of Realtors said that sales of existing homes fell last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.57 million units. Despite the monthly setback, sales totaled 5.51 million in 2017. That was the highest level since 2006, yet it marked a slight 1.1 percent gain from 2016 as the months' supply of properties on the market fell to the lowest level ever recorded by the real estate group. The strengthening U.S. economy helped to lift home sales last year, but homeowners are choosing not to list their properties despite the rising prices and relatively low mortgage rates.

SATURDAY Peckerwood Garden Open Day: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at Peckerwood Garden, 20559 FM 359, Hempstead; 979-826-3232; register at peckerwoodgarden.org. Members free, $10 nonmembers. The Foodscape Revolution: with Brie Arthur. 5:30 p.m. at Peckerwood Garden, 20559 FM 359, Hempstead; 979-826-3232; registration at peckerwoodgarden.org. $15. Fruit Tree Class: with Jim Maas and Pat Cordray. 10 a.m. at Maas Nursery, 5511 Todville, Seabrook; 281-474-2488, maasnursery.com. $25. Creating Containers for Holiday Enjoyment with Judy: 10 a.m. at Enchanted Forest, 10611 FM 2759, Richmond, 281-937-9449; myenchanted.com. Free. Monarch Butterflies & Milkweed: with Barbara Willy, executive director, founder of Monarch Butterfly Gateway, Fort Bend County.

SATURDAY, OCT. 21 Dirt into Soil: with Galveston County Master Gardener Jim Gilliam. 9-11 a.m. at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Building, 4102 Main-B, La Marque; 281-534-3413, aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/galveston, email registration to galvcountymgs@gmail.com. Free, but registration required. ArBOOretum: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, 4501 Woodway; 713-681-8433, register at houstonarboretum.org. Members free, $15 nonmembers. Pumpkin and Succulent Make and Take: 10 a.m. at Enchanted Forest, 10611 FM 2759, Richmond, 281-937-9449; 2 p.m. at Enchanted Gardens, 6420 FM 359, Richmond, 281-341-1206; myenchanted.com. Prices start around $29.99. Rain Gardens: with Angela Chandler, The Garden Academy. 10 a.m.

Stoneleigh CP Apart-ments has secured a loan to refinance The Cape, a 228-unit apartment complex at 10810 Spring Cypress Road, Tomball. Mark Brandenburg of JLL arranged the loan through Freddie Mac. Built in 2006, the three-story complex encompasses 200,000 square feet across 13 buildings. A subsidiary of Stag Industrial has purchased Stafford Commerce Center, a 68,300-square-foot distribution warehouse at 13720 Stafford Road. The property is leased to Quest Design and Fabrication. Trent Agnew, Rusty Tamlyn and Charlie Strauss of HFF represented the seller, Black Flag Properties. Finial Group has purchased a 49,640-square-foot multi-tenant industrial and office building at 500 Century Plaza.

Sage Plaza, a 25-story office building at 5151 San Felipe between the Tanglewood neighborhood and the Galleria, has landed two new tenants. Insgroup, a privately held property and casualty insurance broker, has leased 43,296 square feet. Legal Access Holding Co., a diversified employee benefits company, has leased 19,816 square feet. CBRE's Jason Presley and Debbie Wilson represented the landlord, Granite Barnhart Sage Plaza, in the deals. David Bale with JLL represented Insgroup, while Jay Kyle of Colliers International represented Legal Access. Recent upgrades to the building, which opened in 1983, include outdoor seating areas and a fitness center.

The Montrose Management District, unable to pay its bills, provide services or keep U.S. 59 bridge lights on, will learn Tuesday whether it will be able to resume operations as the district seeks to fight off a lawsuit seeking its dissolution. After a three-hour hearing Friday, a district court judge said he will rule Tuesday whether to extend a court order that prohibits the management district, whose operations are funded by assessments on commercial property owners, from issuing, collecting or spending those assessments. If the judge extends the order, the district could be shut down until a trial is held on the lawsuit.

Buyers spent less to get into a new house in the Houston area in December.

The average new home sales price in the local market dropped to $358,176 in December, down 3.2 percent from $369,908 in November, according to the HomesUSA.com New Home Sales Index. The index, which tracks price and sales activity in four Texas markets, reflects 12-month rolling averages.

Ashley HomeStore recently opened stores at 9000 San Jacinto Mall in Baytown (33,702 square feet), 3465 Gulf Freeway in Dickinson (17,133 square feet) and 100 Texas 332 West in Lake Jackson (58,324 square feet). Showrooms display packages for living rooms, bedrooms, home office, kitchen, dining and bath, in addition to outdoor furniture, home accents, mattresses and bedding. The company, which has grown to 14 area locations since 2007, has donated more than $1 million in home furnishings to storm victims after Hurricane Harvey.