At first I felt a little out of place. I was a teenage student in a group of middle-aged women, some of whom were far beyond me in skill drawing flowers. The class, Introduction to Botanical Illustration, was the first I had ever taken at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. […]
Read MoreMaking a Difference with Urban Greening The last few months have been a whirlwind, as the Garden launched and wrapped up its first training cohort of Ginter Urban Gardeners. I think back to conversations in 2014, when wise friends pondered together “what would it take to create a more enabling environment for community urban greening […]
Read MoreMessage from the Executive Director Crape myrtles, Lagerstroemia indica, are native to the other side of the planet, with a genus named after an 18th-century Swedish merchant. Yet crape myrtles are so common in Richmond, occasionally they are thought to be native here. Botanical gardens are good at displaying and explaining global plant diversity, but […]
Read MoreI never thought I liked beer… Then again, the only beer I had ever tasted was a “light” version out of a can. But my feelings about beer changed when I vacationed with my husband in Austria and he suggested that I try something called a radler. I was a little leery, but when […]
Read More“I wish people would put as much emphasis on their trees as their lawns,” said Joel Koci, a certified arborist with the Urban Forestry Extension of Virginia State University. “Trees are much more ecologically advantageous.” According to Koci, man’s actions and lack of knowledge are two of the greatest threats to trees. “People pressure”—such as […]
Read MorePicture a blazing sunset, moody dark gray clouds juxtaposed against bright green trees, or a tiny wildflower peeking out from between the cracks in a sidewalk – wouldn’t you agree that wild art is all around us? This season we are celebrating art in the natural world, in all of its forms, and we’re inviting […]
Read MoreI can hardly believe that it is officially butterfly season! It seems like only yesterday when all the butterfly curators, along with Exhibition Manager Kristin Thoroman, and Conservatory Horticulturist Chelsea Mahaffey took a butterfly field trip to the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History. Charles Eric Wenzel, the Butterfly Pavilion Lead at the Office of Education […]
Read MoreYou check off the first step in birdscaping when you look at your yard from a bird’s point of view. More than bird baths and feeders staged here and there, birdscaping is planning and planting to not only attract, but nurture wild birds. Megan Lacey, a horticulturist at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, is a birdscaper […]
Read MoreThe first class of Beautiful RVA‘s Ginter Urban Gardeners gathered twice a week, for 12 weeks, to do the very important work of making a difference: learning new things, building relationships, getting their hands dirty and urban gardening for the benefit of the Richmond community. Earlier this month, they became the first graduates of the program. Support […]
Read MoreWe celebrate Earth Day on April 22 each year, but there are many things you can do to make every day Earth Day. 1. Be water-wise Earth Day and every day Water early in the morning or later in the evening when less evaporation is likely to occur. It’s also best to allow water to […]
Read MoreThe Garden Shop proudly presents our collection of ideas for this year’s Mother’s Day gifts, which our staff members have thoughtfully selected for you. Bon Secours Mother’s Day Weekend Celebration is just around the corner, and perhaps you are thinking about what to give to the wonderful and amazing moms in your life. The Garden Shop understands […]
Read MoreIn January a new Children’s Garden educator, Tarneshia Evans, joined our teaching staff. Two months later, Evans was selected as one of five Outstanding Educators by Project Learning Tree® (PLT), the national environmental education program of the American Forest Foundation. It’s easy to see that Evans is a leader when it comes to helping kids get […]
Read MoreBrenda 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 Shop, then transitioned back to volunteer. As a volunteer, she’s served over 3,500 (!) hours — mostly in the Garden Shop, but also serving as […]
Read MoreRecently, 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 in Sweden, the Canary Islands, Dubai, and, of course, Canada via PowerPoint. The title of the conference was Garden Experiences + Partnerships = Tourism Success, and […]
Read MoreMessage 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, though, winter can seem like the overture of a Broadway musical: the composer introduces all the major themes the audience will hear throughout the evening, […]
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