Jonah Holland is Digital Content Manager at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden managing social media, the blog, and website. She's been known to go for a walk in the Garden and come back with hundreds of plant photos, completely inspired to write her next blog post.
One of the most frequent questions we get this time of year is about the magnificent beautyberry shrub. It seems that many of our visitors are enamored with this striking plant as soon as they spot it! With almost surreal metallic purple berries cascading down branches of vibrant green leaves, this is one handsome plant! […]
Read MoreMother Nature is truly amazing, and a trickster too! She created two butterflies that look indistinguishable at first glance to a bird, or to a human. The butterflies I’m speaking of are the viceroy and the monarch. Both, as you see when you look at the photos below, feature orange wings, a black body and […]
Read MoreShrimp and grits. Roasted red pepper and crab soup. Pimiento cheese. Along with the Southern hospitality here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden we also like to throw in a little bit of comfort food from the South. Our in-house caterer Meriwether Godsey is happy to oblige. In fact, one of our most popular blog posts […]
Read MoreA waterwise garden works with nature and natural forces (like rain) to hydrate plants while conserving water. Reducing the need to water your garden requires a little bit of research and some planning, but we think you’ll find the investment worthwhile. If you don’t already have a rain barrel installed, not only will you be […]
Read MoreThere’s a question we’ve been hearing a lot these days. “What do I do when Japanese beetles are eating all my plants?” Japanese beetles happily consume and damage the plants that you’ve worked so hard to carefully tend. They are pretty indiscriminate and they love roses especially! Where Did They Come From? Japanese beetles (Popillia […]
Read MoreSince Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden closed its gates to visitors in March of this year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteer Elaine Loomis has spent some of her days on the outside looking in. Once a week, she packs a picnic and eats her lunch at the Garden’s front entrance. From there, and from […]
Read MoreOn June 19, 1865, two and a half years after Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived in Texas and announced that 250,000 Texan slaves were free. Since that time, Juneteenth has been a time of commemorating the end of slavery and has traditionally been a day with food, praying and cultural festivities, often focused on […]
Read MoreDid you know that each year May 16 is set aside as Love-a-Tree Day? We, like you, probably love trees every day. But it’s important to set time aside each year to really recognize and show our gratitude for trees. After all, trees are invaluable; we simply could not live without them. Here are some […]
Read MoreWe’re bringing you a Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Zoom background gallery to kick off National Public Gardens Week. Why not use a custom virtual Zoom background in your next meeting to show your love of gardens and to highlight the importance of gardens in our lives. Our favorite way to celebrate National Public Gardens Weeks is, […]
Read MoreAmanda Parker believes everyone can find joy in plants. She and her husband Mike have raised their kids with a focus on being outdoors and gardening has always been a big part of their lives. During the COVID-19 pandemic, family gardening can play an even more important role in bringing the family together to focus […]
Read MoreChildren are natural gardeners and remind us that playing in the dirt should be fun. Curiosity. Imagination. A love of playing in the dirt. All are qualities that make children natural gardeners. Whether you’re looking for a fun project to do while you are home social distancing or just a simple opportunity to get outside […]
Read MoreWith the COVID-19 pandemic making social distancing now the norm, many of you probably have some time on your hands. Bet you’re a garden lover too! Let’s make the most of it by starting seeds for a flower and vegetable garden. Not only will this put you in a better frame of mind because gardening […]
Read MoreYou can find a rare beauty, Magnolia amoena, right here in Richmond, blooming now at the north end of Sydnor Lake at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. With plants, like people, I try not to have favorites, but when you are in love, you are in love. And the striking form of this magnolia — the […]
Read MoreHave you ever walked into a grocery store, spotted a tropical fruit and said, “I’m going to try to grow one of those!”? You’d have to be a bit of a visionary to think that you could, but you never know what is possible until you try. For Craig O’Der, Sr., it was a pineapple […]
Read MoreVolunteers at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden are the heart and soul of everything we do. Simply put, there would be no Dominion Energy GardenFest of Lights without them. Each year our volunteers spend countless hours preparing for the show, wrapping lights, building structures, and brainstorming ideas about how they can make this year’s show even […]
Read More