Mounts Botanical Garden to Host Nine Fun and Informative Public Events During January & February 2013
Stories in the Garden / Veggies – January 11
Florida Arbor Day / For the Love of Trees – January 18
Urban Farming: Vegetable & Fruit Growing – January 19
57th Annual Tropical Short Course – January 29-30
Nature Journaling for Children – February 2
Stories in the Garden / Flowers – February 8
Photograph the Sunset at Mounts – February 8
Weeds: Pesky Plants of Lawns & Gardens – February 22
Making a Garden Trough – February 23
(West Palm Beach, FL – December 17, 2012) The Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden will be hosting numerous fun and horticulturally informative public events during the first two months of 2013.
Stories in the Garden – Veggies
Friday, January 11 – 10 to 11 a.m.
Mounts Pavilion
FREE for both members and non-members
Co-hosted by the Palm Beach County Library Services and the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden, this free program is targeted for children, ages 2 to 6, and includes interactive stories and songs followed by an activity in the Garden. This event is perfect for young nature lovers and their guardians. Rain or shine. Reservations are required for parties of six children or more and can be made by calling 561.233.1757.
Florida Arbor Day – For the Love of Trees
Friday, January 18 – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Throughout the Garden
FREE for members and Suggested Donation of $5 for non-members
For the seventh year in a row, Mounts will celebrate Florida Arbor Day. The Garden will salute trees with the planting of a native mastic tree, guided tours and a special Tree Trek for children. Vendors will be on hand selling trees suitable to south Florida yards. Youngsters will enjoy the kids’ activities and the visit from Smokey Bear, who will share tips on fire prevention. Attendees can pick up free tree seedlings, picnic in the Pavilion and get the latest information on selecting and maintaining trees.
Urban Farming: Vegetables & Fruit Growing
Saturday, January 19 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mounts Exhibit Hall A
$30 for members; $40 for nonmembers
Mike Page, Mounts Horticulturalist, and Charlotte Gomes, GMG Tropical Fruits, PB Rare Fruit Council, will teach how to grow healthy food, nature’s way – even on a small lot or in containers. In this hands-on workshop for homeowners, participants will gain the knowledge they need to raise vegetables from seed to harvest. They’ll also learn the basics of backyard fruit growing, and get the scoop on soil preparation, fertilizers, growing organically – and they’ll even take home a seedling to help get started.
Florida Federation of Garden Clubs Inc., District X Tropical View – 57th Annual Tropical Short Course
Tuesday, January 29 – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Wednesday, January 30 – 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Throughout the Garden
Come and enjoy the experts’ views on horticulture, the environment, and flower design. View the gardens while strolling with old and new gardening friends. Vendors will provide a variety of plants and related items for sale.
Note: Registration open to all garden club members, friends and family. Contact Barbara Hadsell, District X Director at barbarahadsell@cs.com, 561-635-8809. For more information and a registration form, please go to: www.districtx.org.
Nature Journaling for Children
Saturday, February 2 – 9 to 11 a.m.
Mounts Auditorium
$8 for one adult and child; $5 for each additional child
Stimulate a child’s senses, observational skills, and appreciation
of nature. Mounts will provide the materials and creative tips on how to get a child started on keeping a journal. Accompanied by their parents/guardians, the children will then go out in the Garden to release the young artist, writer or poet within. For children age 5 to 13. (Limit of two children per adult.)
Stories in the Garden – Flowers
Friday, February 8 – 10 to 11 a.m.
Mounts Pavilion
FREE for both members and nonmembers
Co-hosted by the Palm Beach County Library Services and the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden, this free program is targeted for children, ages 2 to 6, and includes interactive stories and songs followed by an activity in the Garden. This event is perfect for young nature lovers and their guardians. Rain or shine. Reservations are required for parties of six children or more and can be made by calling 561.233.1757.
Photograph the Sunset at Mounts
Friday, February 8 – 3:30 to 7 p.m.
Mounts Pavilion
$30 per person
Join professional nature photographer John J. Lopinot for this rare
opportunity to capture the sunset at Mounts. The program starts
with a presentation of photos and tips on technique, followed by a
move into the Garden to take dramatic images. Class limit: 20.
Register early. Net proceeds are donated to the Garden.
Weeds: Pesky Plants of Lawns & Gardens
Friday, February 22 – 1 to 3:30 p.m.
Mounts Auditorium & the Garden
$20 for members; $25 for nonmembers: $25
Walk the grounds with a local garden guru. Dr. George Rogers of Palm Beach State College will identify common weeds of lawns and gardens and entertain participants with fascinating facts about biology. Price includes a south Florida weed book. Bring weeds in sealed plastic bags for identification.
Making a Garden Trough
Saturday, February 23 – 10 a.m. to noon
Mounts Pavilion
Trough containers are all the rage. They resemble old stone and are lightweight, durable and perfect for small plants or miniature gardens. Participants will create their own troughs in this workshop and then take them home to dry. Mounts will provide materials needed to make an eye-catching masterpiece, as well as tips on potting mixes and planting ideas. Participants should wear old clothes and bring well-fitting, waterproof dishwashing gloves. For information on the cost to attend this workshop, please contact Mounts Botanical Garden at 561.233.1796.
To register for Mounts events and workshops other than the Tropical Short Course, please call 561.233.1757.
About Mounts Botanical Garden:
With a mission to inspire the public, Mounts Botanical Garden is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest botanical garden, offering gorgeous displays of tropical and sub-tropical plants, plus informative classes, workshops, and other fun-filled events. The Garden contains more than 2,000 species of plants, including Florida native plants, exotic and tropical fruit trees, herbs, palms, bromeliads and more. Mounts Botanical Garden is a facility of the Palm Beach County Extension Service, which is in partnership with the University of Florida and the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden.
Located at 531 North Military Trail in West Palm Beach, Mounts Botanical Garden is open Monday-Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The suggested donation for entry to the Garden is $5 per person. For more information, please call 561.233.1757 or visit www.mounts.org.