Pink is the new black this summer, or at least that’s the case at the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center in Corpus Christi. From now until Labor Day, pink plastic flamingo yard ornaments dressed in hula skirts, straw hats, and other funky garb will be on display throughout the center’s lush gardens as part of a new exhibit called Flamingo Fandango.

Prior to the exhibit, locals were invited to pick up a plastic feathered friend from the nature center, bring it home with them to decorate, and then drop back off dressed however they like. Several folks returned their birds looking like Hawaiian hula girls decked out in straw skirts, coconut-shell tops, and leis, while others gave a nod to Texas with birds spiffed up like cowboys. In other words, no two flamingos are the same. What’s more, awards will be given to flamingos in a number of categories, including the most original, the one that most resembles a celebrity, and the most patriotic. If you recall Dances with Dolphins, an outdoor exhibition of fiberglass dolphins installed throughout Corpus Christi several years back, this is somewhat similar, except with birds. It’s even spearheaded by the same group, Art for All, in conjunction with the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center.

Once you’ve taken in the rose-colored flock, make sure to browse through the nature center’s many greenhouses and lush gardens sprouting with roses, orchids, and fragrant plumeria. Much of its 180-acre grounds, which are part of Corpus Christi’s Oso Creek Greenbelt System, are protected wetlands, making the area a prime spot for bird watching, even if many of them are plastic.

South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is at 8545 S. Staples St. in Corpus Christi. For more information on the nature center and Flamingo Fandango, call (361) 852-2100 or visit www.stxbot.org.