“An estimated 15 to 30 percent of the world’s flowering plants have yet to be discovered.” —Missouri Botanical Garden Plant hunters dabble in science, adventure, horticulture and research — whether working in the eighteenth century or today. Typically, his calling is to travel the world, or sometimes just across the country, in search of undiscovered plant specimens […]
Read MorePlant fans in Richmond have been looking forward to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s plant sale since 1987, the year of our first plant sale. This year they are just as excited as ever, 29 years later we are still one of the most popular plant sales in Central Virginia. Our plant sale is still volunteer-run with […]
Read MoreNewton Ancarrow had a passion for his hometown river, the James. He’d always loved boating, and took up boat-building as an adult. With two 300-horsepower Cadillac engines and fins to match, his luxury crafts were designed for the world’s richest speed boating enthusiasts. Customers included King Paul of Greece, the sheik of Qatar, the […]
Read MoreAn Urban Forest Growing in Your City Urban forests are thriving in Richmond. For 25 consecutive years, RVA has been designated a “Tree City USA” by the Arbor Day Foundation. RVA’s urban forest is spreading its canopy. It comprises every tree in the city limits, whether planted in medians, or residential districts and parks. Each […]
Read MoreJames Draper Shares Pinhole Photos of Nature Connects Exhibit Our Nature Connects®: Art with LEGO® Bricks exhibit has been wildly popular, not just with kids and millennials, but with adults of all ages. Each age group seems just as excited about it as the next. For young children, often it’s the enormity of the sculpture or […]
Read MoreAre we friends on Instagram? We should be! As one of the readers of our blog, you are likely one of our biggest fans. You deserve to be among the first to see new blooms at the Garden too! We also post highlights of the day, sweet moments, videos and even Instagram Stories, all in real time. Plus you […]
Read MoreButterflies are some of the most beloved and charismatic creatures in nature. They excite and inspire curiosity of visitors at the Butterflies LIVE! exhibit. One of the most frequently asked questions from our visitors is: where do the butterflies come from? The answer is, from all over the world! Our butterflies have undergone one of the most […]
Read MoreWhite chairs lined up in neat rows stretch across the soft grass, surrounding a brick path on both sides, ready for a garden wedding. At the beginning of this walkway stands a beautiful bride in a white chiffon dress, a bouquet of vibrant peonies in her hands. Her veil flows delicately behind her as she steps slowly […]
Read MoreWhy plant fruit trees in backyard orchards? Store-bought fruit offers advantages: convenience, variety and year-round availability. However, sometimes commercially grown products conjure nagging questions. Where was it grown? When was it picked? Will it ever ripen? Were chemicals used, and if so, how much? And what about nutrition and flavor? Many of these questions can’t be […]
Read MoreSadly, we recently discovered southern blight on some of the tomatoes and peppers in our Community Kitchen Garden. Since our mission is education, we wanted to take this opportunity to talk about the causes and symptoms of southern blight and what can be done about it. Also, it’s a chance to show that everyone — even […]
Read MoreWe’ve been writing about our experiences in nature for as long as our story-telling tradition can remember. Some stories take place in nature, the plot driven by elements of our natural world. In other stories, nature is the spirit that finds and fills us with a deep understanding, a connection to people we’ve never met […]
Read MoreFun Butterfly Facts to Know and Tell Robert Frost called them “flying flowers.” The French call them papillon, which also means “parking ticket.” In the United States we call them butterflies, there are lots of theories about why, but no one knows for sure. Want to learn more about these curious creatures? Grab your magnifying glass and […]
Read MoreThe Garden has its own spirit and if you listen, you’ll hear it calling you to your yoga mat. Back pressed into the sun-warmed concrete or the soft grass, you can find your center, confident that you are on solid ground. You can be free to rock your hips from side to side feeling as […]
Read MoreFinches fabricated from LEGO bricks feast on fanciful food at feeders also fashioned out of LEGO pieces. A trio of pollinators (a bee, a butterfly and a hummingbird,) made entirely from LEGO parts, hovers in the summer sun. A bison cow constructed of LEGO pieces communes with her calf in the company of their curious feathered […]
Read MoreThe Rainwater Testing Project is in its third year, collecting data crucial to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s water management practice and conservation mission. Rainwater rarely goes to waste at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Did you know that Lake Sydnor can hold 10 million gallons of water and has supplied over 330 million gallons of collected […]
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