Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County Invites the Public to 22 Informative, Fun and Tasty Horticultural Events in July & August

· Yoga in the Garden – July 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30, August 6, 13, 20 & 27
· Orchid Trilogy – July 8, 15 & 22
· Summer Evening Stroll – July 12 & August 9
· Cooking in the Garden – July 14 & 20, August 14 & 17
· Member Appreciation Day – July 15
· Propagation: Increasing Your Numbers – August 9
· Making a Garden Trough: The Hypertufa Process – August 24
· Qigong/Tai Chi in the Garden – August 31

(West Palm Beach, FL – June 21, 2017) Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden will be hosting 22, informative and tasty horticultural events during July and August, including the launch of four exciting new series: Orchid Trilogy on sequential Saturdays in July; Cooking in the Garden with Chef Nina Kauder of Bean Scene; Yoga in the Garden on Sunday mornings at 8 am; and, starting on August 31, Qigong/Tai Chi in the Garden.

July
NEW!
Yoga in the Garden
Summer Sunday Serenity
Sundays, July 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 – 8 am
At the Hutcheson Portico Area (Back of Garden)
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers
Instructor: Kristen Peterson, Yoga Teacher
What better way to relax, refresh, and reflect than practicing yoga in the tropical landscape of Mounts Botanical Garden? When postures, breath work and nature come together, there is potential to create an experience of connecting back to our environment. The sounds of nature itself can often remind attendees to center awareness, breathe more deeply, and work on stillness. In this “all-levels class” (with modifications for beginners and advanced practitioners) participants will be invited to embrace the elements, become more attune to their breath and gently move through postures that reflect nature. In this weekly series of yoga classes at Mounts, participants will connect to their bodies, connect to their breath and, by practicing outdoors, connect to the earth. A release waiver will be provided prior to the start of each yoga session.

Orchid Trilogy
Saturday, July 8, 15 & 22 – 10 am to 1 pm
Mounts Auditorium
For all three classes: $95 for members; $105 for nonmembers
Per class: $40 for members; $45 for nonmembers
Instructor: Sandi Jones, Broward Orchid Supply and Bonnet House Museum & Gardens
+ July 8 Topic: Orchid Basics – Newcomers to orchids will learn how to choose the correct orchids for their growing area and what they need – water, light, fertilizer, temperature, so they grow and flower beautifully. (Note: Growing supplies will be available for purchase at the class.)
+ July 15 topic: Orchid Repotting & Mounting
Learn how often an Orchid should be repotted, about different potting medias, the proper type of basket or pot to use or how to mount Orchids such as tree fern or cork. Demonstrations will be given.
+ July 22 – Training Your Eye – Orchid Pests and Diseases
Learn about pests and diseases that harm orchids. From bacteria and fungal rot to insects such as thrips, scale, snails and spider mites. Students will learn how to identify the culprits, what products to use to get rid of them, as well as what to do to avoid them in the future. This is information needed to know how to grow the best orchids possible. Orchids or orchid leaves may be brought in for diagnosis, but must be placed in plastic bags to prevent contaminating other plants.

Summer Evening Stroll
Wednesday, July 12 – 5:30 to 6:30 pm
Meet at the Garden Entrance on Military Trail
FREE for members; $10 for nonmembers
The best way to become acquainted with Mounts Botanical Garden is to take a sensory walking tour through specific demonstration gardens while enjoying the scents and sights of various fragrant plants and blooming flowers. Learn fascinating facts about the Garden’s history, visit demonstration garden, and tour the new Windows on the Floating World: Blume Tropical Wetland Garden with its see-through walkways and waterfalls. Invite friends and family for these special evenings in our Garden.

Cooking in the Garden
Creative Culinary Class with Chef Nina of Bean Scene Productions
Topic: Detox
Friday, July 14 – 6 to 8 pm
Mounts Pavilion
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers
Instructor: Chef Nina Kauder, Organic, Plant-Based Chef & Green Champion
Join popular chef and urban farmer Nina Kauder for these informative, fun, and hands-on presentations. Chef Nina’s classes have been recognized by Florida Weekly’s The Best of 2017 for Palm Beach County! Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Nina is a local expert in organic, sustainable, and nutritious eats. Learn how to immediately implement tricks of the trade in your own kitchen and quickly leapfrog your culinary IQ—from how you interact with food, ingredients, and ways to pair and enjoy! Learn techniques that liberate, encourage experimentation, and give voice to your creative, unique culinary expression, from “mise en place” to knife skills. Discover money-saving tricks to enhance nutrients from using every part of the produce—skin, rind, peel, pit, and all. Learn a working vocabulary of tastes and textures, as well as how to use the bounty from Mounts and your South Florida yard. Don’t miss out on this refreshing, wholesome, and educational culinary adventure.
(Note: Please let Mounts know ahead of time of any food allergies, such as a nut allergy.)

Member Appreciation Day
Saturday, July 15 – 10 am to 3 pm
FREE for all members
All members enjoy a special day in the Garden including 20 percent off of everything in the Nursery and Garden Shop, complimentary docent guided tours through the new Windows on the Floating World: Blume Tropical Wetland Garden, complimentary beverages and snacks, and major exhibit announcement.

Cooking in the Garden
Creative Culinary Class with Chef Nina of Bean Scene Productions
Topic: Hydrate
Friday, July 20 – 6 to 8 pm
Mounts Pavilion
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers
Instructor: Chef Nina Kauder, Organic, Plant-Based Chef & Green Champion
Join popular chef and urban farmer Nina Kauder for these informative, fun, and hands-on presentations. Chef Nina’s classes have been recognized by Florida Weekly’s The Best of 2017 for Palm Beach County! Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Nina is a local expert in organic, sustainable, and nutritious eats. Hydrate with creative, infused waters. Please bring 2 bottles of your own drinking water and Chef Nina and her team will customize them with herbal selections, on the spot. Attendees will also take a tour of the Garden of Well-Being at Mounts.

August
Yoga in the Garden
Summer Sunday Serenity
Sundays, August 6, 13, 20 & 27 – 8 am
At the Hutcheson Portico Area (Back of Garden)
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers
Instructor: Kristen Peterson, Yoga Teacher
What better way to relax, refresh, and reflect than practicing yoga in the tropical landscape of Mounts Botanical Garden? When postures, breath work, and nature come together, there is potential to create an experience of connecting back to our environment. The sounds of nature itself can often remind us to center our awareness. Join Florida native Kristen Peterson in this series of yoga classes where participants will connect to their bodies, connect to their breath and, by practicing outdoors, connect to the earth. A release waiver will be provided prior to the start of each yoga session.

Propagation: Increasing Your Numbers
Wednesday, August 9 – 5 to 6:30 pm
Hutcheson Conference Room
$25 for members; $30 for nonmembers
Instructor: Joel Crippen, Mounts Horticulturist
Discover the process of creating new plants from a variety of sources. Joel Crippen, horticulturalist and garden writer extraordinaire, will cover a range of techniques on the topic of propagation: how to make and root soft and hardwood tissues with or without a misting system; dividing clumping plants; and collecting, preparing, and sowing seeds. Participants will learn a few “tricks of the trade” and environmental conditions for success. Hands-on and geared for novices and enthusiasts. Bring garden clippers or paper scissors.
(Note: If desired, bring in cuttings of particular plants you would like to root.)

Summer Evening Stroll
Wednesday, August 9 – 5:30 to 6:30 pm
Meet at the Garden Entrance on Military Trail
FREE for members; $10 for nonmembers
The best way to become acquainted with Mounts Botanical Garden is to take a sensory walking tour through specific demonstration gardens while enjoying the scents and sights of various fragrant plants and blooming flowers. Learn fascinating facts about the Garden’s history, visit demonstration garden, and tour the new Windows on the Floating World: Blume Tropical Wetland Garden with its see-through walkways and waterfalls. Invite friends and family for these special evenings in our Garden.

Cooking in the Garden
Creative Culinary Class with Chef Nina of Bean Scene Productions
Topic: Convenient, Portable, Plant-Based Meals in a Mason Jar – Breakfast (Muesli, Oats and Chia Puddings)
Monday, August 14 – 6 to 8 pm
Mounts Pavilion
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers
Instructor: Chef Nina Kauder, Organic, Plant-Based Chef & Green Champion
Join popular chef and urban farmer Nina Kauder for these informative, fun, and hands-on presentations. Chef Nina’s classes have been recognized by Florida Weekly’s The Best of 2017 for Palm Beach County! Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Nina is a local expert in organic, sustainable, and nutritious eats.
(Note: Please let Mounts know ahead of time of any food allergies, such as a nut allergy.)

Cooking in the Garden
Creative Culinary Class with Chef Nina of Bean Scene Productions
Topic: Convenient, Portable, Plant-Based Meals in a Mason Jar – Salads, Dressings and Snacks
Thursday, August 17 – 6 to 8 pm
Mounts Pavilion
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers
Instructor: Chef Nina Kauder, Organic, Plant-Based Chef & Green Champion
Join popular chef and urban farmer Nina Kauder for these informative, fun, and hands-on presentations. Chef Nina’s classes have been recognized by Florida Weekly’s The Best of 2017 for Palm Beach County! Graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Nina is a local expert in organic, sustainable, and nutritious eats.
(Note: Please let Mounts know ahead of time of any food allergies, such as a nut allergy.)

Making a Garden Trough:
The Hypertufa Process
Thursday, August 24 – 9 am to Noon
Mounts Pavilion
$20 for members; $25 for nonmembers
Instructor: Ted Johnson, Master Gardener
Trough containers are all the rage. These functional planters resemble old stone but are lighter in weight. They’re also durable and perfect for miniature gardens or small plants. In this workshop, attendees will watch a pro demonstrate how to create a hypertufa container so they’ll be comfortable with the process if they choose to practice it at home. (Think hostess and holiday gifts!) Mounts will supply tips on potting mixes and plantings. Wear old clothes and bring clear plastic safety glasses and well-fitting, waterproof dishwashing gloves.
(Note: Class limit is 15, so sign-up early to avoid the wait list.)

NEW!
Qigong/Tai Chi in the Garden
Thursday, August 31 – 9 to 10 am
Mounts Pavilion
$10 for members; $15 for nonmembers
Instructor: Dorothy Rettay, Level IV Qigong
Pronounced “chee-gong,” Qigong literally means “energy practice” and is for people interested in taking charge of their health and inner peace. Natural benefits include reducing stress, increasing vitality, improving concentration and sense of balance, how to heal or better manage an illness and more. Dorothy Rettay, who has obtained the highest level of Spring Forest Qigong, is also a professional practitioner of Wu-Style Tai Chi. She is a certified instructor and owner of The Qigong Studio and Up Your Qi!™, a system that uses her unique regimen of applied Qigong/Tai Chi principles and exercises to increase the Qi energy of the body and to restore health, balance and vitality. She has studied mind-body-spirit disciplines for over 30 years and is a member of the National Qigong Association and American Tai Chi Qigong.

Note:
To register for any of the events and workshops at The Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County, register online at www.mounts.org/eventcalendar or call 561.233.1751. Events at Mounts are accessible to people with disabilities.

About Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County:
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. Mounts is located at 531 North Military Trail in West Palm Beach.

Mounts Botanical Garden is open everyday (except Palm Beach County recognized holidays) from 10 am to 4 pm. The suggested donation for entry to the Garden, including the new Windows on the Floating World: Blume Tropical Wetland Garden, is $5 per person. For more information, please call 561.233.1757 or visit www.mounts.org.