Although we’re always focused on “what’s next” here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, at the end of the year it’s fun to take a few minutes and look back at activities and accomplishments. It’s not an exhaustive list by any means — just a quick overview.

Preparation for Orchids Galore!

The year 2011 marked our inaugural Orchids Galore! display in the Conservatory.  Orchids Galore! kicked off our spring A Million Blooms celebration and was so successful we are bringing the orchids back –  Orchids Galore! runs March 10 – April 22, 2012.

Spring brought A Million Blooms…and enhancements to the Central Garden.

Construction during enhancements to the Central Garden

After three weeks of intense work collecting, stripping and weaving sticks, the Diamonds in the Rough stick sculpture by world-famous artist Patrick Dougherty became part of the Garden’s landscape. If you haven’t seen it yet, the sculpture will be here at least through the end of 2012.

Diamonds in the Rough

Guests enjoyed looking for the elusive "Stick Man" throughout the Garden

Through extreme weather conditions, an earthquake and a hurricane, Garden staff and volunteers persevered.

Clean up after Hurricane Irene

Volunteers at the Plant Sale

Garden representatives on Capitol Hill receiving National Medal

The year ended on a very high note as Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden was recognized by the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the White House as one of the nation’s top museums.

All in all, there was a lot to LOVE in 2011. We wish you a very happy and healthy 2012 and look forward to seeing you at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden!

LOVE letters courtesy of Virginia Tourism Corporation

You  probably know that Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has hundreds of volunteers, who work thousands of hours each year, all over the Garden.  The Garden simply would not be what it is without the dedication and time our volunteers put in. But did you know the Garden also has a specialized volunteer & learning program just for 13- to 18-year-old volunteers?  What better way to engage teenagers than by embracing their energy and light a spark of discovery that might just lead to a lifelong passion for nature?

One of the Garden's Service Learning Students. She looks happy, doesn't she!?

Two programs fall under the umbrella of Youth Volunteer Opportunities, one is for a short-term commitment and the other is for youth who really want to sink their hands into the dirt and while learning about nature and gardening and are willing to make a longer-term commitment.

For students who want a short-term or one-time volunteer shift, the Garden has Community Service Opportunities during summer break (June -August).  Usually, we’ll work in the Community Kitchen Garden, where we raise vegetables for Feedmore‘s, Community Kitchen benefiting Meals on Wheels of Central Virginia and the Central Virginia Food Bank and herbs for the Garden Café.

Our long-term program is the Service Learning Program, where students work their way to different levels of responsibility.  Entry-level students work on weekends helping with family programs, April – October.  After the first year, the students are able to narrow their focus to match their interests.  Some students may want more experience working with children and families, and some may find that they want to learn more about plants.  All Service Learning students leave with an appreciation for the works of nature, and are a valued part of the Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden community.

The application for the Service Learning Program is due by January 31, 2012.  Visit our Youth Volunteer Opportunities section of our website to learn how to apply.

Questions?  Email Erin Wright at EWright [at] lewisginter.org  or call 804.262.9887 ext. 346.

I know what it means … saw through my telescope … woodsmen … sawing down trees … with Xs on them … like ours….  They’re going to cut down our tree!

As both author and illustrator, Ruth Brown brings to life bustling, bickering neighbors of the animal-variety in her 2007 children’s story, “The Old Tree”.  Birds, bunnies, badgers, and a few other boarders, who share not only living space as well as uncannily human personalities, join forces for a common, greater cause – to save their home by outsmarting the woodsmen.

This “book for the growing years” is the motivation behind the efforts of Garden volunteers Nancy Butler and Alexandra Slusher in the West Wing of The Conservatory at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, in following our tradition of bringing a storybook to life for GardenFest. In keeping with the Dominion Gardenfest of Lights 2011 theme, Nature’s DeLights, Nancy and Alexandra will indeed bring to life “The Old Tree”.

Their methodology is simple … or not:

1. Begin with a naval orange tree approximately 15 feet in height.
   

   The framework of the tree. Built with chicken wire & pots.

2. Layer terra cotta flower pots graduating in size, upside down and stacked, spidering towards the base of the tree from four directions (these are the roots).
3. Cover the whole thing with chicken wire and subsequent paper mache.
4. Complete with paint and animal vignettes.

Nancy Butler

Nancy inherited her love of art, and paper mache’, from her father, a former float-builder.  She expresses her talents by also making and decorating extraordinary cakes for friends and family, and by volunteering here at the Garden, where she met Alexandra.  Alexandra is a Virginia Commonwealth University School of Art graduate and now a portrait and mural artist.  Together, these volunteers extraordinaire have contributed over 560 hours to Lewis Ginter since they joined in 2010.  Consequently, because they spend so much time in the “Jewel of the Garden”, the Conservatory, they are regularly approached with horticulture-related questions, which prompted them to pursue and complete the Hanover Master Gardener program together in March, 2011.

Alexandra Slusher

The work-in-progress in The Conservatory is a collaborative effort.  Frank Robinson, President and CEO of the Garden, chose the story.  Dick Abbott of the “Geezers” volunteer group handcrafted two mini-wooden and engraved arched doors for the tree.  And, of course, there are the tireless efforts of volunteers like Nancy and Alexandra, among others.  They are even testing the waters as mini-seamstresses by fashioning the little animals in hand-designed couture, as the carrier pigeon vignette in its little red cap and mailbag can attest.

The Old Tree

’HIP, HIP, HOORAY!’ everyone cheered.  And that night they had a wonderful party.

Candlewick Press’ “The Old Tree” is also available for purchase in the Garden Shop.  The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden version is scheduled to be completed for Dominion GardenFest of Lights, opening  on Friday, November 25,  and is available in the 11,000 square-foot classical domed Conservancy – the only one of its kind in the mid-Atlantic.  We hope that this vignette will appeal nature-lovers everywhere, from the young to the young-at-heart.

In my last post, I wrote about my journey to the Children’s Garden, and my short vacation to the tree house in the Children’s  Garden. I also introduced Gourd Quest, the exclusive gourd-themed segment of Kids Quest held at the Children’s Garden throughout the month of October. Now, I want to bring you the news on  Weird Plant Lore — our first event in a month-long exploration of October Oddities, starting tomorrow.

Because this weekend is both Rose Fest and October Oddities  we’ll feature activities on both days.  So for the first October Oddities event, Weird Plant Lore, you will have two opportunities to join in the fun,  Saturday from 10 am. to 3 p.m.  and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.

I spoke with Suzanna Stone, of Sacred Plant Traditions, to find out a little more about what she has planned for her demonstration. Stone will be teaching us about the healing benefits of roses.  She says, ”Roses have a long and historical and mythological tradition. Originally from Asia, they have traveled the world and become renowned for their ability to ease sadness, heal the heart, nourish and sooth the skin and provide overall health…”

Stone says she’s  excited to share lots of activities with our visitors — making rose beads with clay and dried rose petals, powdering herbs with a mortar and pestle, and sampling rose petal tea.

Our other guest is Sabrina Walters, owner of Umami Tea. After speaking with Walters, I learned that many herbal teas contain rose petals, and others contain rose hips. Rose hips are considered the fruit of a rose.  Rose hips have high levels of vitamin C, which strengthen the immune system, and also contain other healing properties.  Walters will have samples of several teas if you’d like to sample a few and learn more about teas blended with rose hips.

Both Walters and Stone will have their displays set-up in the Rose Garden this weekend, but don’t forget to drop by the Children’s Garden. There is a special Investigation Station themed activity for Weird Plant Lore being held in the Children’s Garden. With the help our our  Children’s Garden staff, kids will be making tissue paper roses with pipe cleaners and can add a finishing touch to their creation with a spritz of rose water. The featured book for the Investigation Station is Wanda’s Roses by Pat Brisson. While you’re in the Children’s Garden don’t forget to pick up a scavenger hunt sheet and try out Gourd Quest, the gourd-themed segment of Kid’s Quest that makes its debut tomorrow.

After this weekend, October Oddities will continue each Saturday from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., so stay tuned for more information on October Oddities events. The Garden has a lot planned for this weekend, so I hope that you decide to join us this weekend for Rose Fest, and the kick-off October Oddities event, Weird Plant Lore.

Hi, I’m Garrett McLees, the new PR & marketing intern here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. A hardworking and studious graduate of Virginia Tech, I take every job seriously and do my best in whatever I do. Last week, my first at the Garden, I headed tothe Children’s Garden to learn about a new event that the Garden is starting — October Oddities.   As part of the month-long celebration of everything “odd” I found out that instead of the traditional KidQuest, treasure hunt that the Children’s Garden staff creates,  we’ll  have a Gourd Quest instead. And this was my first assignment and the topic of my very first blog post. As I drew nearer to the Children’s Garden, I realized there was something else I had to do first. The Children’s Garden Tree house was calling my name.

During my childhood, my parents had never taken me to the Children’s Garden at Lewis Ginter.  Even if they had, I wouldn’t have seen it — it wasn’t built yet.  As I climbed the ramp to the accessible-to-all CWD Kids Tree House, I thought about how silly I might look. Here I am all grown up, having just begun my very first internship, and I am winding my way up to see a tree house at the Children’s Garden.

But, I didn’t care.

As soon as I entered,  I was transported back to the simpler days of my childhood. I rushed to the window to take in the view of Syndor Lake, and snapped a few pictures, then I looked up and took note of how high the ceiling was.  I walked around the Tree House a few times, sat in the rocking chair in the middle of the room, taking it all in, until I remembered my original mission. I needed to learn about Gourd Quest.

My view from the tree house in the Children's Garden.

I made my way back down from the Tree House and met a few of the of the Children’s Garden educators. They were all very friendly and happy to share with me the exciting details of the upcoming October Oddities events — specifically Gourd Quest.

I learned that Kid Quest, the engaging scavenger hunt activity for our younger visitors, is featuring a very special fall theme this year.  Starting October 1st, children and families can explore the Children’s Garden while keeping an eye out for interesting and unique gourds, including the mini white boo pumpkin, caveman’s club, and apple gourds.  Once kids find all the gourds, they can turn in their Gourd Quest sheet for a prize. As part of October Oddities, Gourd Quest is free with Garden admission.

As I left the Children’s Garden, I took one last look back at the tree house and thought about how much fun it would have been for me to have been able to enjoy Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden tree house and events like  Gourd Quest when I was growing up.

Look for more updates about other features of October Oddities in my next blog post.

This October, I hope that you’ll bring the kids by for some “odd” fun.

Trees often have a special place in childhood memories. For me, it was a dogwood I loved to climb in my parents’ backyard. About five feet up, the branches made a “V” providing a perfect perch to view the world.

Hopefully the mulberry in our Children’s Garden will provide the same kind of memories for our young visitors. We find it wonderfully ironic that with all of the well-planned features in the Children’s Garden, one of the favorite activities is climbing the mulberry.

Davey Tree professional pruning mulberry in Children's Garden

As you might expect, this affection has taken a toll. After all, we estimate the tree is more than 100 years old! Trees, unfortunately, do not live forever, but the Garden is doing what it can to extend the life of the mulberry. Yesterday, professionals from Davey Tree visited and carefully removed dead or compromised branches. “Mulberries are very tough trees,” explains Mark Bennett, manager of Davey’s Richmond office. ”The work done should help keep the tree available for people to enjoy for years to come. “

The next step will be placing “tree props” beneath it. If you’re familiar with the mulberry, you know low-lying, sprawling branches are part of its great appeal. The tree props will be placed strategically under the branches to take the weight of the climbers and to preserve the integrity of the tree. The Garden’s Geezers, a group of “well-seasoned” volunteers, are building the tree props, so look for them to appear soon.

Pieces of the mulberry tree removed yesterday will continue to play an important role in the Children’s Garden. They’ll be used for educational programs and also in Woodland Pointe, where children create fairy houses and other structures crafted from found objects. Chosen as one of the Remarkable Trees of Virginia , the beloved mulberry in the Children’s Garden continues to provide gifts to us all.

by Erin Wright, Children’s Garden Educator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Everything changes in the spring.  Suddenly, the garden is a riot of color and activity.  The birds are building nests, the turtles come out of hibernation, and the bees seem so relieved to find flowers again.  The entire garden is bursting with blossoms, and the Children’s Garden is bustling with activity.  Here are some photos I took recently in the Children’s Garden.

Do you want to learn more about gardening with your family?  Join us for our Nature Works! family workshops.  This family friendly series will give you a chance to learn through hands on activities in the Children’s Garden.  The next family workshop is on Saturday, April 17 at 10 a.m. April’s theme is ‘A Garden is a Home’, where we will make a soil blend and plant dill seeds, as well as a dill plant for you to take home.  You will even make dirt shakes and a terrarium for home study.  Krissi,  the  workshop instructor says, “This workshop is so fun because we search for garden-dwellers,  animal clues and their homes.  Last year we saw a garter snake, tadpoles and lots of turtles!”  Click here for more information on the Nature Works! Family workshops. (April 17-18 is also Heritage Weekend at the Garden with lots of other special activities.)

On April 25, we hope you will join us for the annual Children’s Garden Spring Fling.  This event includes activities promoting environmental stewardship and highlights the work of local “green” partners, including the Central Virginia Food Bank, Plant a Row for the Hungry, stuff, and the Virginia Native Plant Society among others.  We love the music by the Indigenous Gourd Orchestra, and they will be back this year with their original, funky, folk sounds.

Of course, we will continue our popular family programs through the season, including Drop In and Dig, Investigation Stations, Kid Quests, Good Green Fun, the Green Hour.  We are also happy to introduce Garden Art on Monday afternoons.  Check our calendar for more information on those programs.  Hope to see you soon!

]]> http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/2010/04/08/springtime-in-the-childrens-garden-is-full-of-activities/feed/ 0 http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/2010/01/28/winter-entertainment-in-the-childrens-garden-the-birds/ http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/2010/01/28/winter-entertainment-in-the-childrens-garden-the-birds/#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:37:13 +0000 ErinWright http://www.lewisginter.org/blog/?p=1221 by Erin Wright, Children’s Garden Educator, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

One of the favorite wintertime activities of the Children’s Garden staff is bird watching. We hang feeders outside of our office windows, and keep them well stocked. The most popular feeder is outside of the kitchen window of the Children’s Garden Carriage House, where we keep a field guide handy to identify all of the beautiful birds who visit.

Of course, the birds don’t know we are watching them when we are inside. When I went outside to get some photos, they were not sure what to make of me. I stood outside for a long time, waiting for one of them to visit the usually busy feeder. First, birds of all kinds gathered in the bushes.

Can you see the four  different birds in these photos? They are pretty well hidden, but there is a Slate Colored Junco with a Purple Finch, a Tufted Titmouse and a Carolina Wren.

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Then one of the birds hopped around on the ground under the feeder…

and finally, one brave chickadee figured that I wasn’t interested in his food, and landed on the feeder.

Working in the garden itself leaves no shortage of bird sightings.  The great blue heron (who I have named Ichabod) and several hawks have been quite busy of late.  Not to mention the goose fight I witnessed yesterday, and the mockingbirds who taunt us endlessly as we work (all of them are named Marguerite).

We can hardly wait until spring, when the fruits of the Mulberry tree brings the more elusive and migratory species to our garden.  The  Scarlet Tanagers and Goldfinches are my favorites to see — their colors are so vibrant, they always take me by surprise.

I encourage you to hang a feeder outside of a window where you can leisurely watch all of the species that come to eat. I think you’ll be surprised at how many kinds of birds live in your neighborhood!