Everyone should be able to enjoy fresh fruit and vegetables. The Kroger Community Kitchen Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden helps make that possible by growing and harvesting produce and delivering it to Feed More’s Meals on Wheels and Kids Cafe programs serving Central Virginia’s most vulnerable populations. We started the Community Kitchen Garden with […]
Read MoreHave you ever walked through the Conservatory and heard melodic chirping or deep croaks that sounded like the grunts of a monkey? You might be surprised to know that those are the sounds of the frogs that live throughout the jewel of the Garden, our Conservatory! The Conservatory Has Frogs? That’s right! Did you know […]
Read MoreSenior Horticulturist Elizabeth Fogel studied the latest theories for sustainable and regenerative landscapes by visiting 10 eco-focused botanical gardens over the past two years. Her cross-country travel and hands-on research were made possible by the Frank L. Robinson Endowed Chair in Horticulture. In downtown Chicago, Fogel was awed by the Lurie Garden, 2.5 acres of […]
Read MoreLandscaping in Layers Nature loves a layer. She cements courses of sediment into solid stone. She laminates an annual succession of circles into living trees. She layers an onion in pungent iterations of itself, one inside the other. And, sandwiched between the strata of the earth and the envelope of its atmosphere, she has built […]
Read MoreHave you ever looked along a highway and observed all the trees covered in vegetation from trunk to branches? It was most likely English ivy (Hedera helix), the final of our 12 Dirty Dozen plants. H. helix certainly isn’t last in terms of its invasiveness in our region and at the Garden. We hope you […]
Read MoreI can’t think of a better way to spend a cool spring morning than with a cup of hot tea, celebrating the sun with the tulips. We chat about the day ahead and then I turn away, cupping a mug of Daily Wellness Tea with Peppermint from a local business, Forrest Green Farm. Building Community […]
Read MoreOur Dirty Dozen plant of the week is Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). This ornamental vine is still widely available in the horticultural trade, even though it has invaded all of the eastern United States (as far west as Texas) and caused considerable damage to native ecosystems. Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica is a member of the honeysuckle […]
Read MoreWhether you enjoy bird watching or you like to feed the birds, native plants are a great way to attract them to your yard! Should We Use Bird Feeders? So you may be wondering, are bird feeders a good idea? Like many things in life, it depends on the circumstances. When we feed birds and […]
Read MoreMilkweed might need some rebranding. It’s unfortunate that “weed” is part of its name when this plant does so much good. Asclepias is the botanical name for a genus of perennial flowering plants well known as the host plant for monarch butterflies. The monarch butterfly population has declined 80% in the past 20 years, and […]
Read MoreFor this week’s Dirty Dozen plant, we have a triple threat: autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata), Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia) and thorny olive (Elaeagnus pungens). All three Elaeagnus species are invasive, and E. umbellata and E. pungens are already widespread in Virginia (PDF). We invite you to join us in reducing their spread and ecological impact. […]
Read MoreAre you looking for a new plant to grow and to spruce up your home garden? Consider adding lotus! Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) is a relatively easy way to bring beauty and peace to your home garden. Planting Supplies You just need a few items to start things off: Lotus rhizomes or tuber A watertight container […]
Read MoreLast year was challenging for all of us on so many levels. I know for me, the ability to pause in nature, listen to music or paint, was a part of the survival mode of getting through a difficult time. As we began to plan for reopening after COVID and springtime, we realized that a […]
Read MoreIt’s easy to find inspiration when the Garden is your office! “A simple walk around the Garden really inspires me and reenergizes me,” Visual Media Specialist Claudine Reyes explains. She loves to hear other staff members and volunteers talk about the Garden. “I feel like I really feed off of their energy whenever they speak […]
Read MoreCogon grass (Imperata cylindrica) is considered one of the top ten worst invasive plant species in the world. Even with its less-than-stellar reputation, it is a popular ornamental plant. Though not yet widespread in Virginia, we are struggling to control it here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (more on that in a minute), and it […]
Read MoreOur “Dirty Dozen” plant of the week is Italian arum (Arum italicum). Even though Washington is the only U.S. state to officially recognize arum as invasive, our horticulture staff have observed its invasive qualities in the Garden. You may not hear about arum from other invasive plant resources for Virginia, so we definitely think you […]
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