Mounts Botanical Garden to Host
11 Fun and Informative Public Events
During March & April 2013
+ Designing, Creating & Maintaining Your Home Landscape – March 2, 9 & 16
+ Stories in the Garden / Butterflies – March 8
+ Edible Well-Bring from the Garden – March 9
+ Tree Pruning for Homeowners – March 23
+ What’s Bugging Your Garden – April 3
+ Stories in the Garden / Bees – April 12
+ Photographing Butterflies – April 13
+ Going Native: Bringing Butterflies & Nature Into Your Yard – April 13
+ Butterfly Fest – April 13
+ Creative Vertical Gardening: Growing Up – April 20
+ More Than a… Spring Plant Sale, Hibiscus & Rose Show – April 27-28
(West Palm Beach, FL – February 11, 2013) The Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden will be hosting numerous fun and horticulturally informative public events during March and April 2013.
Designing, Creating & Maintaining Your Home Landscape
Saturday, March 2, 9 & 16 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mounts Auditorium & Garden
$55 for members; $60 for nonmembers
This three-session workshop with Laura McLeod of Sanctuary Landscape Design is perfect for those seeking to improve their home landscape. Participants will start with the basics of good design and go through each step of the planning process. Tours of the Garden will help them gather ideas for their own landscape plan, which they’ll complete at home. In the final class, attendees will review their design with experts.
Stories in the Garden – Butterflies
Friday, March 8 – 10 to 11 a.m.
Mounts Pavilion
FREE for both members and nonmembers
Co-hosted by the Palm Beach County Library System 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.
Edible Well-Being from the Garden
Saturday, March 9 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mounts Exhibit Hall A & Garden
$35 for members; $45 for nonmembers
For an effective well-being kick-start, join Donnie Brown and Meg Vandereedt from the Evening Herb Society and Geraldine Whidden from Nature’s Symphony for a morning of demonstrations, tastings, and talks on the versatility of herbs. Attendees will see how medicinal, fragrance, health and culinary herbs can be used in teas, tonics, recipes and more. A leading aromatherapy expert will teach how to incorporate essential oils into a person’s daily life. Participants can even stock up on herb plants, herbal items and essential oils at the herb sale.
Tree Pruning for Homeowners
Saturday, March 23 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mounts Auditorium & Garden
$25 for members; $30 for nonmembers
Enhance the beauty, structural integrity and longevity of trees. This workshop taught by Palm Beach County Environmental Horticultural Agent Laura Sanagorski begins indoors with a presentation on pruning concepts. Out in the Garden, attendees will watch a demonstration and later practice their newfound skills. Participants should bring sharp, sanitized bypass pruners and a handsaw, or they can purchase them at the Mounts Garden Shop.
What’s Bugging Your Garden?
Wednesday, April 3 – 9 to 11 a.m.
Mounts Auditorium & the Garden
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers
Search the Garden for problem and beneficial insects with an expert. Bill Schall, Palm Beach County Commercial Horticulture Agent, will help identify common garden pests and suggest the most effective, least toxic method of control. Bring samples in sealed plastic bags for identification. Get the latest information about whiteflies, too.
Stories in the Garden – Bees
Friday, April 12 – 10 to 11 a.m.
Mounts Pavilion
FREE for both members and nonmembers
Co-hosted by the Palm Beach County Library System 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.
Photographing Butterflies
Saturday, April 13 – 7 to 9:30 a.m.
In the Garden
$30 per person
Get Butterfly Fest at Mounts off to a great start by photographing some of nature’s winged wonders. Begin with tips on how to capture great butterfly images and then venture out in the Garden to take compelling images. Class limit: 20. Register early as photography classes fill quickly. Pre-paid registration required by April 5, 2013. Net proceeds are donated to the Garden.
Going Native: Bringing Butterflies & Nature Into Your Yard
Saturday, April 13 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mounts Exhibit Hall A
$35 for members; $40 for nonmembers
Planting Florida natives is the low maintenance and eco-friendly way to bring birds and butterflies into a yard. In this short symposium, participants will delve into the fascinating connection between south Florida’s butterflies and native plants and learn about native substitutions for common exotics. Stop by the native plant sale to purchase some of your new “must haves,” and stay for Mounts “Butterfly Fest.” Co-hosted by the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, this event will also include a guided tour of the native plant collection at Mounts and tips for developing a native wildlife habitat in a homeowners association.
Butterfly Fest
Saturday, April 13 – 1 to 4 p.m.
In the Garden
Free for Members; $5 entrance donation for non-members
Celebrate butterflies with fun and educational activities for the young and young-at-heart. Participants will learn about the stages of butterfly development through displays, interactive demonstrations and stories. They’ll go on guided tours of the Mounts butterfly garden to watch and identify winged beauties. Attendees will be able to purchase butterfly-attracting plants. Other scheduled activities and programs include butterfly face painting, monarch videos and more.
Growing Up: Creative Vertical Gardening
Saturday, April 20 – 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Mounts Auditorium & Garden
$30 for members; $35 for nonmembers
Want to add space for plants? Create privacy? Beautify a boring wall? Decorate trees with hanging orchids, bromeliads or ferns? In this hands-on workshop, Joel Crippen, Mounts horticulturalist and garden writer, will offer creative ideas for “growing vertical.”
More Than a… Spring Plant Sale, Hibiscus & Rose Show
Saturday, April 27 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(Member’s Breakfast starts at 8 a.m.)
Sunday, April 28 – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
In the Garden
FREE for members; $10 for nonmembers
This annual Spring Plant Sale features more than 80 vendors with an amazing assortment of plants and goods. Palms, orchids, bamboo, begonias, bromeliads, fruit trees, and many other types of plants will be for sale. This is a great opportunity to learn about plants that grow well in South Florida and find something new for the home garden. Once again the American Hibiscus Sunrise-Conrad Chapter will be having their annual judging and show in Exhibit Hall B featuring many of the state’s best blooms. The Greater Palm Beach Rose Society will host their annual judging and show in the Auditorium building. Plants will be available for purchase. In addition, the PBC Woodturners will be selling a large selection of beautiful woodturnings in Exhibit Hall A.
Note:
To register for any of the events and workshops at Mounts Botanical Garden, please call 561.233.1757. Events at Mounts are accessible to people with disabilities.
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.
Available for Interview:
Allen Sistrunk, Garden Director
561.233.1757
Media Contact:
Gary Schweikhart
PR-BS, Inc.
561.756.4298