+ Tai Chi Classes – July 1, 9, 16, 23, 30
+ Watercolor Classes – July 5, 12, 19, 26
+ Wednesday Walk and Talk – July 6, 13, 20, 27
+ Qi Gong Classes – July 6, 13, 20, 27
+ Can You Stand the Heat?
Plants That Love Florida Summers – July 8
+ Dogs’ Day in the Garden – July 10
+ Garden Explorers Summer Camp 1– July 11-15
+ Regenerative Garden in the Tropics – July 23, 27
+ Garden Explorers Summer Camp 2 – July 25-29
+ Bee Culture:
The Amazing Adventures of Bees & Beekeeping– July 30
(West Palm Beach, FL – June 9, 2022) Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden will be hosting 24 fun, healthy, educational, and awesome eco-focused open-air events in July, including the launch of a multipart workshop on permaculture and two sessions of Garden Explorers Summer Camp for nature curious youngsters ages 7 to 11.
“Despite the heat, mid-summer is the perfect time for flower lovers, gardening enthusiasts and proud ‘green-thumbers’ of all ages to come out and enjoy some of our many safe, informative, and happy horticultural activities,” says Curator-Director Rochelle Wolberg.
July 1, 9, 16, 23, 30
Tai Chi Classes
Saturdays, 10 am to 11 am
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission)
Registration is required; class size is limited to 25 adults.
Tai Chi originated from ancient China. The exercise movements are flowing and gentle, but profoundly powerful; it is an art form as well as an exercise. The movements are flowing and gentle, but profoundly powerful. The main objective of the practice of Tai Chi is to magnify, strengthen, and encourage the flow of the internal energy, the “chi”. When the “chi” flows throughout the body, one experiences over-all health, rejuvenation, and internal joy. Led by Josefina McMahon, this class is based on Sun Style Tai Chi which combines Qi gong and Tai Chi. Wear sneakers or closed comfortable shoes and loose top and pants. Classes will be held inside. Bring a towel and water.
To register, please visit https://www.mounts.org/events/2022-07
July 5, 12, 19, 26
Watercolor Classes
Tuesdays, 10 am to 12:30 pm
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission)
Registration is required; class size is limited to 15 adults.
This is the perfect opportunity to illustrate your love of art and nature. Each class begins with a nature walk through the Garden led by the instructor, artist Carl Stoveland. The purpose of the walk is to inspire you and give you an opportunity to capture photos with your phone or tablet along the way. The group will then move indoors, where Stoveland will start with a quick demo topic then assist participants in choosing a subject and starting a watercolor. 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). These classes are open to all levels from novice to artist and will be tailored to each student.
To register, please visit https://www.mounts.org/events/2022-07
July 6, 13, 20, 27
Wednesday Walk and Talk
Wednesdays, 8:30 am to 9:30 am
$5 for members; $15 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission)
Registration is required; tour size is limited to 15 adults
Come early to enjoy the quietness of the morning while reconnecting and recharging with nature. Walk for fitness and for fun, stopping along the way for a few stretching exercises. Experience the beauty of the Garden and note the changes each week. Led by April Krebs, Mounts Special Projects Manager.
To register, please visit https://www.mounts.org/events/2022-07
July 6, 13, 20, 27
Qi Gong Classes
Wednesdays, 10 am to 11 am
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission)
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. Classes are inside and will be led by Roxanne Cumberland.
To register, please visit https://www.mounts.org/events/2022-07
July 8
Can You Stand the Heat?
Plants that Love Florida Summers
Thursday, 10 am to 11:30 am
$10 for members; $15 per class for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission)
Registration is required; class size is limited to 15 adults
They say the growing season for vegetable gardening is “flipped” here in South Florida and that winter is preferred because of the extreme summer heat. But if you don’t mind a little sweat on your forehead, and taking a few A/C breaks, then there’s no reason to stop gardening. Led by Nada Virgili, this session will focus on the many tropical vegetables that thrive in hot temperatures and can provide healthy and delicious greens even through the hottest months of the year. Discover new veggies to enjoy and add new flavors to your dinner plate. We’ll also look at what ornamental species will look great on the patio.
To register, please visit https://www.mounts.org/events/2022-07
July 10
Dogs’ Day in the Garden
Sunday, 9 am to 3 pm (last entry at 2 pm)
FREE for Mounts members and children under 6; $12 for nonmember adults; $10 for seniors 65+, college students, and military with ID; $5 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.
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 and water treats for the puppies.
+ For all Dogs’ Day rules, please visit www.mounts.org/dogs-day.
July 11-15
Garden Explorers Summer Camp: Week 1
Monday through Friday, 9 am to 3 pm
$250 for Mounts members, $290 for nonmembers, includes full Garden admission. (Note: an extra $50 per camper will cover extended care, 8 to 9 am, and 3 to 4 pm.)
For nature curious youngsters ages 7 to 11, this hands-on summer camp offers science-based fun and nature experiences including:
- Learning how to catch and identify macroinvertebrates in Mounts’ beautiful Lake Orth
- Getting a close-up, dirty-hands look at the properties of mud
- Discovering the wicked, dangerous, sticky, deceptive and downright incredible adaptations plants have developed to help them survive
- Attending a dissection lab for an inside look at the fascinating structures of seeds and flowers
- Touring the edible gardens at Mounts and learn how to grow and nurture tasty fruits and vegetables.
For each session, young participants should bring a refillable water bottle, a healthy lunch, a hat, sunscreen, and bug repellant. Mounts will provide materials for all activities, snacks, and water for refilling bottles.
To register, please visit https://www.mounts.org/events/2022-07
July 23, 27 (& August 3, 10)
Regenerative Gardening in the Tropics
The first session will be live in-person at Mounts, followed by three classes on Zoom. After registering, participants will receive an email with the Zoom links as well as additional class resources.
+ Saturday (July 23), 11 am to 12:30 pm at Mounts
+ Wednesdays (July 27 & August 3, 10), 6 to 7:30 pm on Zoom
$100 for members; $125 for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission)
** Package only; classes not sold separately **
Registration is required; class size is limited to 45 adults.
Led by Megan Kelley, this series is designed so people can participate through Zoom from wherever they happen to be this summer. In this four-week course, participants will learn the foundations of permaculture and how to design and create ecological landscapes filled with edible, medicinal, and native plants while gaining skills to recognize patterns in nature, regenerate soil, and reconnect with our living world. Permaculture is a whole systems design philosophy that works with nature to create a healthy, productive, regenerative garden. Come join us and discover a unique way to garden in the tropics.
+ Saturday, July 23 – 11 am to 12:30 pm at Mounts
Course Overview:
Introduction to Permaculture
The first workshop of this new summer garden series will be held live at Mounts where attendees will gain a strong foundation in the ethics and principles that define permaculture design, followed by a plant walk through the Mounts newly planted sunflower garden.
+ Wednesday, July 27 – 6 pm to 7:30 pm on Zoom
The Tropical Food Forest Garden
Summer is the perfect time to begin a tropical food forest garden. This class will cover the basics of forest gardening; participants will get to know essential plants that make up the foundation of a tropical food forest garden, and gain skills to feed friends and family from backyards in the tropical urban environment. Learn how to create balanced, regenerative ecosystems by harnessing the energy of the elements like sunlight, wind, and perhaps the most important sector for a person living in our coastal community—water.
+ Wednesday, August 3 – 6 pm to 7:30 pm on Zoom
Regenerative Soil Building
The foundation of all life in the garden lies in the soil. Learn the basics of building soil by using regenerative practices like composting and growing your own fertilizer. This workshop will provide practical skills to reduce local waste stream, clean up waterways, provide self-renewing fertility, and create abundance.
+ Wednesday, August 10 – 6 pm to 7:30 pm on Zoom
Holistic Garden Care
In the final workshop class, participants will learn the essentials of holistic garden care. From “pests” like iguanas to plant disease, how do we take a whole systems approach to work with nature rather than against it when challenges arise? Leave this class with a strong foundation in whole systems garden care that will bring peace of mind and a new outlook on growing and life in our place that will last a lifetime.
To register, please visit https://www.mounts.org/events/2022-07
July 25-29
Garden Explorers Summer Camp 2: Week 2
Monday through Friday, 9 am to 3 pm
$250 for Mounts members, $290 for nonmembers, includes full Garden admission. (Note: an extra $50 per camper will cover extended care, 8 to 9 am, and 3 to 4 pm.)
For nature curious youngsters ages 7 to 11, this hands-on summer camp offers science-based fun and nature experiences including:
- Learning how to catch and identify macroinvertebrates in Mounts’ beautiful Lake Orth
- Getting a close-up, dirty-hands look at the properties of mud
- Discovering the wicked, dangerous, sticky, deceptive and downright incredible adaptations plants have developed to help them survive
- Attending a dissection lab for an inside look at the fascinating structures of seeds and flowers
- Touring the edible gardens at Mounts and learn how to grow and nurture tasty fruits and vegetables.
For each session, young participants should bring a refillable water bottle, a healthy lunch, a hat, sunscreen, and bug repellant. Mounts will provide materials for all activities, snacks, and water for refilling bottles.
To register, please visit https://www.mounts.org/events/2022-07
July 30
Bee Culture:
The Amazing Adventures of Bees & Beekeeping
Saturday, 10 am to Noon
$25 for members; $35for nonmembers (includes full Garden admission)
Registration is required; tour size is limited to 25 adults
Come see what all the buzz is about. This class will cover how to become a beekeeper and things to consider before becoming one. Discover why honeybees are so important, why honeybees are struggling to survive, and what can be done to help them. Peek behind the scenes of a live bee removal and learn the facts behind swarms and swarming. Find out why and how bees make honey and how they are able to share their bounty with a hungry world. This introduction to Orchid Bees and other pollinators will also offer honey for sale and tasting and refreshments will be provided.
To register, please visit https://www.mounts.org/events/2022-07
Also available to visit in July 2022:
Moai at Mounts Botanical Garden
Located in the Tropical Forest Garden
Bringing the awe and wonder of Easter Island to West Palm Beach is this new permanent installation of three imposing moai statues, replicas of the iconic monolithic, human figures located on Rapa Nui, Chile. Designed by artist Dennis MacDonald with great attention to authenticity and detail, each of the statues is made of solid, reinforced, poured concrete and has been stained to create a weathered appearance. The larger moai stands 20 feet tall and wears a “hat” known as pukao, two additional pukao rest on the ground.
The Moai at Mounts Botanical Garden installation is included with Garden admission:
FREE for MBG members and children under 6; $12 for nonmember adults; $10 for seniors 65+, college students, and military with ID; $5 for children 6-17. Ticket includes full Garden admission.
+ Tickets available for purchase at the gate.
Garden hours are Tuesday-Sunday, 9 am to 3 pm.
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 16-acre tropical oasis will see an acclaimed collection of 25 unique garden areas containing more than 6,000 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.
(Photo courtesy of Megan Kelley)
(Photo courtesy of Joanna Diamond)