Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Blog

Mar 30th, 2017

Volunteer Brenda Bartges

Brenda Bartges has worn many hats at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. She started as a volunteer the Garden Shop about 11 years ago, then she became staff as a buyer in the […]

Mar 24th, 2017

Gardens Around the World to Add to Your Bucket List

Recently, I had the chance to travel to gardens around the world. I attended the North American Garden Tourism Conference in Toronto, Canada. While it snowed outside, we “visited” gardens […]

Mar 20th, 2017

Old Friend: Spring

Message from the Executive Director Spring comes softly in Virginia. Not the weather necessarily, which can be gentle or harsh, with snows and gales not being uncommon. For our plants, […]

Mar 14th, 2017

Cutting Gardens: Inspiration

Vases and jars brimming with fresh-cut flowers make a house “home.” It can create a dilemma, though – where to find flowers? Florists can be pricey, and commercial growers leave […]

Mar 11th, 2017

Flower Shows are a Rite of Spring at Lewis Ginter

Updated 2/10/22 I still remember my first flower show. It was in 1997, and my husband pointed out that the newly opened Robins Visitor Center at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden was […]

Mar 8th, 2017

Erica Lohan: Nature in Detail

Drawings by Virginia-based artist, Erica Lohan are now on view in Ginter Gallery II. When I saw Lohan’s artist submission to Ginter Gallery II at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, I was enamored […]

Mar 7th, 2017

Morton Native Plant Garden

First Look at the Marion Morton Native Plant Garden If you peered out the window the last time you visited the Lora M. Robins Library, you may have noticed a […]

Feb 27th, 2017

Attracting Wildlife to Your Winter Garden Although some animals migrate for the winter, there are many species that remain in the Richmond area over our coldest months. Non-migratory birds, mammals, […]

Feb 16th, 2017

Witch Hazel: Winter Wisdom

Witch hazel always rings a mystical note. Blooming in the middle of the winter, those delicate bits of yellow, copper, or red ribbon blow outward from bare branches like sparks […]

Feb 9th, 2017

Beneficial Bugs: Facebook Live!

In case you missed it, here’s a recap of our Facebook Live post with Director of Horticulture Grace Elton and Conservatory Horticulturist Chelsea Mahaffey. In this video, we take you on a brief […]

Jan 29th, 2017

Garden Trends for 2017

Gardening basics seldom change — like “right plant, right place”— but preferences can be downright trendy. So before tilling dirt this spring, check out what’s hot and what’s not for […]

Jan 23rd, 2017

The Verdant Heart

The first class of Beautiful RVA‘s Ginter Urban Gardeners gathers twice a week, for 12 weeks, to do the very important work of making a difference: learning new things, building relationships, getting […]

Jan 19th, 2017

GardenFest Instagram Contest

Announcing the Winning GardenFest Photos! Congratulations to this year’s ‪GardenFest‬ Instagram contest finalists! We loved pouring through the hundreds (….and hundreds) of entries you submitted and truly enjoyed reliving Dominion GardenFest of Lights through your […]

Jan 14th, 2017

Ryan Syrell Paintings

Ryan Syrell Artist Bio Ryan Syrell is a painter whose work focuses on the interrelationship between haptics, perception, and the recollection of sensory information. He received his BFA from SUNY […]

Jan 12th, 2017

Forest Bathing

Updated 1/17/17 Awash in the Health Benefits of Nature My mother was right. She may not have known why, but she was right. When she sent me outside to play […]