Hit the Flora

THU 1/20
Part-time plot tenders might think January means hiatus, but KC's Total Yard Gardeners know better. At their 11:45 a.m. open meeting Thursday at the Central Exchange (1020 Central), Rainy Day Books' Vivien Jennings recommends gardening books for the upcoming season. Call 816-471-7560. -- Annie Fischer

Dirt Track Date
Drink some Bud, look at some fat tires.
1/21-1/23
The U.S. Hot Rod Association's Monster Jam, which thunders into Kemper Arena (1800 Genessee) this weekend, will definitely draw a large crowd. And why not? America, like ancient Rome, is a country obsessed with the ideas that bigger is better and destruction is the order of the day. Naturally, then, a car-crushing frenzy in which 10,000-pound, 1,500-horsepower trucks pulverize everything in sight is perfect for an evening out with the fam. Though the association has yet to debut its line of Disney-themed monster trucks (aww!), the rally brings a few newer models, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (cowabunga!). Old-school favorites such as Grave Digger are revving up, too. But the most exciting part of Monster Jam is Quad Wars, in which teams of racers careen across a bumpy dirt track on ATVs modified for power. The motorized mayhem starts at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. For tickets, call 816-931-3330. --Todd Broockerd

Squeals on Wheels
SAT 1/22
The ascent of our teeth-gnashing, elbow-lashing Kansas City Roller Warriors reaches its peak at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Winnwood Skate Center (4426 Northeast Winn Road), where the Bionics and the Dogfightin' Dames throw down in the roller derby club's first exposition bout. Call 816-931-4928. -- Jason Harper