+ Watercolor at the Garden – October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
+ Beginning Watercolor – October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
+ Qi Gong – October 4, 11, 18, 25
+ Palm & Cycad Sale – October 7
+ Orchids are for Everyone Potting Workshop – October 7
+ Dogs’ Day in the Garden – October 8
+ Forest Bathing: Nature Therapy Walks & Tea Ceremony
– October 13, 21, 22
+ Awakening Hearts with Casa Rituals – October 15, 22
+ DIY Garden Design & Planning – October 28
+ Full Moon Release Ceremony with Casa Rituals – October 29
(West Palm Beach, FL – September 12, 2023) Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden will be hosting 24 fun and informative workshops, classes, and special events throughout the month of October.
“As we transition from summer into fall, October is the perfect month for people of all ages to come out and enjoy many of the happy and healthy horticultural events at our beautiful 20-acre oasis, located just minutes from downtown West Palm Beach,” invites Mounts Curator-Director Rochelle Wolberg.
October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Watercolor at the Garden
With Carl Stoveland
Tuesdays, 10:00 am to 12:30 pm
$20 for members; $25 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission). Classes are nonrefundable.
Registration is required; class size is limited to 15 adults.
Join artist Carl Stoveland and share the love of art and nature with fellow art enthusiasts. This class is for adults only. Bring your pencils, pens, paints sketchpad or watercolor pad, (or journal) and your favorite photographic device (i.e., cell phone camera or tablet). Some experience preferred. True newbies should consider the beginners class. Each week or two, the class will start a new painting project. Time will be split between demos by Stoveland and supervised painting time for participants. Subjects will be chosen by the instructor with assistance from the class.
To register, please visit:
https://www.mounts.org/events/2023-10/mounts.org
October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Beginner Watercolor
with Carl Stoveland
Tuesdays, 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm
$20 for members; $25 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission). Classes are nonrefundable.
Registration is required; class size is limited to 15 adults.
If you have always wanted to try watercolor but been overwhelmed by it then this is the class for you. Geared toward novice watercolor enthusiasts, this class will focus on the basics, focusing on a new technique and a simple painting each week. Join artist Carl Stoveland and share your love of art and nature with fellow art enthusiasts. This class is for adults only. Bring pencils, pens, paints sketchpad or watercolor pad, (or journal) and your favorite photographic device (i.e., cell phone camera or tablet). Each week or two, the class will start a new painting project. Time will be split between demos by Stoveland and supervised painting time for participants. Subjects will be chosen by the instructor with assistance from the class.
To register, please visit:
https://www.mounts.org/events/2023-10/mounts.org
October 4, 11, 18, 25
Qi Gong
with Roxanne Cumberland
Wednesdays, 10:00 am to 11:00 am
$10 for members; $18 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission). Classes are nonrefundable.
Registration is required; size of “inside” classes is limited to 20 adults.
Relieve stress and increase metabolism, flexibility, and strength. Qi Gong (pronounced chee-gong) is an ancient Chinese exercise and healing technique. The exercises include simple, slow movements (which mimic nature), meditation, and focused breathing—similar to Tai Chi but less structured.
To register, please visit:
https://www.mounts.org/events/2023-10/mounts.org
October 7
Palm & Cycad Sale
Saturday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
FREE for members of Mounts Botanical Garden and/or the Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society. For nonmembers, admission is $15 (adults); $12 (seniors 65+, college students and military with ID); $7 (ages 6-17); free for children under 6. Purchase tickets at the gate (includes full Garden admission).
Join the Palm Beach Palm & Cycad Society for their annual fall sale. Talk to the experts and choose from a wide variety of palms and rare cycads, as over 500 will be available for purchase. A limited supply of top-rated fertilizer and palm and cycad reference books will also be available for purchase.
For more information, please visit:
https://www.mounts.org/events/2023-10/mounts.org
October 7
Year of the Orchid Event:
Mounts Botanical Garden & Tropical Orchid Society Present Orchids are for Everyone Potting Workshops
With Mike Sands
Saturday, 10:00 am to 11:15 am
FREE for West Palm Beach Orchid Society Members with proof of membership; $10 for Mounts members; $25 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission). Classes are nonrefundable.
Registration is required; class size is limited 30 adults.
Mike Sands, president of the Tropical Orchid Society, is the instructor for this ongoing series of Orchid Potting Workshops held in the Mounts Botanical Garden Pavilion located just inside the main gate next to the new Welcome Center. Students may bring one plant from home to repot during the workshop. Potting media, plastic pots, and orchids will be available for purchase.
To register, please visit:
https://www.mounts.org/events/2023-10/mounts.org
October 8
Dogs’ Day in the Garden
Sunday, 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (last entry at 2 pm)
FREE for MBG members and children under 6; $15 for nonmember adults; $15 for seniors 65+, college students, and military with ID; $7 for children 6-17. Ticket includes full Garden admission.
This dog-and-family-friendly monthly event is held throughout the Garden. Bring your favorite pooch and enjoy a relaxed garden stroll. There are many great spots to capture family photos for posting online with #mountsbotanicalgarden.
Note: Effective October 1, 2023, dogs are FREE for Mounts members and $5 for nonmembers.
Guidelines:
+ Non-retractable leashes only; retractable leashes are not permitted.
+ No more than one dog per adult will be admitted.
+ Rabies vaccination must be current.
+ Visitors should bring their own water and treats for the puppies.
+ For all Dogs’ Day rules, please visit www.mounts.org/dogs-day.
October 13, 21, 22
Forest Bathing:
Nature Therapy Walks and Tea Ceremony
With Kathy Andio
9:30 am to 11:30 am
$25 for members; $35 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission).
Registration is required; class size is limited to 15 adults; classes are nonrefundable.
Forest Bathing—also known as Nature Therapy—is an immersive experience in nature that gives participants an opportunity to reset their outlook on life and have an encounter with the nature in a way that they have never before experienced. It is a sensory practice away from phones, computers, and social media and back to what the body yearns for—a connection with nature, a sense of peace, a sense of relaxation, and a sense of being in the present moment. It provides the perfect time to become a human “be-ing” instead of a human “do-ing”. During a Forest Bathing experience, attendees will be invited to slow down and reconnect with nature’s perfect balance using their senses to see the sunlight playing through the leaves, smell the flowers, and feel and hear the gentle wind whispering to return to one’s native roots and discover a deeper self. The nature encounter concludes with a tea ceremony to connect with other like-minded nature lovers. Forest Bathing has been scientifically proven to boost immune strength, lift depression, reduce stress, and improve sleep. But beyond these physiological changes, this contemplative experience demonstrates how important it is for well-being to take time in nature on a daily basis.
Note: Please plan to arrive 15 minutes before start time and bring a chair or yoga mat.
To register, please visit:
https://www.mounts.org/events/2023-10/mounts.org
October 15, 22
Awakening Hearts:
A Cacao Ceremony & Sound Immersion Experience
With Casa Rituals
Sunday, 10:00 am to 11:30 am
$25 for members; $35 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission).
Registration is required; class size is limited to 30 adults; classes are nonrefundable.
Under the guidance of instructors Marit Tuisk and David Lepp, participants will receive a ceremonial smudging and blessing upon arrival to release the burdens of day-to-day life and will be given a cup of the highest quality, Ceremonial Cacao to take part in a sacred heart-opening Cacao Ceremony. This will be followed by a Yoga Nidra mediation and deep sound healing during which everyone will be immersed in the healing energies of the Gong, Crystal singing bowls and other high-frequency instruments.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat or blanket, and do not drink alcohol on the day of the ceremony or consume caffeine three hours before and after the event.
To register, please visit:
https://www.mounts.org/events/2023-10/mounts.org
October 28
DIY Garden Design & Planning: Introductory Workshop
With Nada Vergili
Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm
$40 Members $50 Nonmembers
Registration is required; class size is limited to 25 adults; classes are nonrefundable.
Do you have a lot of ideas for your outdoor space but don’t know where to start? Are you tired of staring at a blank lawn? Make the most of your yard and create natural beauty around you with this introductory class focused on garden design. The instructor will share best layout plans for an outdoor space to be both functional for your lifestyle, as well as revamp the home’s curb appeal. She will also discuss what is needed to get started: from analyzing site conditions, planning, and what to plant that will best fit the surroundings. The program will begin at Mounts’ front entrance with a tour through the gardens, focusing on the themes, structures, and design elements that make Mounts Botanical Garden the gem that it is. Attendees will then move into the Exhibit Hall to learn about the basic principles of garden design and how to apply them to their own yards.
Note: Please bring:
+ A note/sketch pad and a pencil/marker to practice and experiment with some design concepts during class and perhaps be inspired to apply some ideas to your garden when you return home.
+ A print-out of a Google satellite view of your property.
+ Water and sunscreen, mosquito spray, and hat, as needed, because the first part of the class will be outdoors.
To register, please visit:
https://www.mounts.org/events/2023-10/mounts.org
October 29
Ful Moon Release Ceremony:
Re-setting with Ceremonial Cacao and Sound Healing
With Casa Rituals
Sunday, 10:00 am to Noon
$35 for members; $45 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission).
Registration is required; class size is limited to 30 adults; classes are nonrefundable.
Under arrival participants will receive a ceremonial smudging and blessing to release the burdens of day-to-day life and will be given a cup of the highest quality, Ceremonial Cacao to take part in a sacred heart-opening Cacao Ceremony. This will be followed by a Yoga Nidra mediation and deep sound healing during which everyone will be immersed in the healing energies of the Gong, Crystal singing bowls and other high-frequency instruments.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat or blanket, and do not drink alcohol on the day of the ceremony or consume caffeine three hours before and after the event.
To register, please visit:
https://www.mounts.org/events/2023-10/mounts.org
Mounts Botanical Garden & Bloomberg Connects
Explore Anytime, Anywhere with New Mobile Garden Guide
Visitors can now explore Mounts Botanical Garden anytime from anywhere across the globe with the new Mobile Garden Guide. Recently launched in partnership with Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and cultural app created by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the guide is designed to elevate and enrich the visitor experience by making it easy to discover more of what people love before, during, and after their visit to the Garden. Multi-media content includes maps and information on Mounts Botanical’s 25 display gardens, art in the garden, and current and upcoming exhibitions, as well as an ever-growing spectrum of new photo, audio, and video content available exclusively via the app. To learn more and download the app, visit www.mounts.org/mobile-garden-guide/ [mounts.org].
About Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County:
With a mission to inspire and educate through nature, Mounts Botanical Garden is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest botanical garden. Visitors to this 20-acre tropical oasis will see an acclaimed collection of 25 unique garden areas containing more than 7,000 species of tropical and sub-tropical plants, including Florida natives, exotic and tropical fruit trees, herbs, palms, roses, cactus, bromeliads and much more. Mounts Botanical Garden is part of the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Department, in partnership with the University of Florida and the non-profit Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden. This project is sponsored in part by The Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council, and the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County. Mounts Botanical is located at 531 North Military Trail in West Palm Beach. For more information, please visit www.mounts.org.