The Montrose Management District, temporarily barred from collecting or spending any of its assessments, has set up an account to keep the bridge lights over U.S. 59 burning.

Pipeline Realty is getting into co-working with the launch of Local Office at 2617 Bissonnet near Rice Village. The Houston-based real estate firm has converted a two-story industrial/office building into shared workspaces and private offices with capacity for about 125 members. Local Office, in West University Place, targets entrepreneurs and professionals who want the flexibility of a month-to-month arrangement in a neighborhood setting. Most of its initial members hail from nearby West U, Braes Heights, Bellaire and the Texas Medical Center. "Most of the co-working and shared office spaces that we see tend to be located in kind of the downtown cores or some of the trendier parts of town," said Scott Rubenstein of Pipeline Realty.

Hundreds of grassy acres in a semi-rural area near Tomball for years were home to an elite horse farm where Egyptian Arabians were bred, shown and sold to equine enthusiasts from far and wide. But the local family that operated the farm until a few years ago has sold it to a Houston development firm planning to build 1,000 home sites on the 370 acres and turn an existing 7,000-square-foot building on the site into a recreation center for the community. Michael Cox, president of Johnson Development Services, envisions an outdoor area with cabanas, a lanai and pools that cascade toward a lake. A show arena used for the horses would be converted into a dog park for the residents.

DrillChem Drilling Solutions has leased 5,500 square feet at 8701 New Trails in The Woodlands, Newcor Commercial Real Estate announced.

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.