Clippings | May - Aug

Atlanta | |Gainesville Gainesville| May | January – April Atlanta - August 20172016

Chihuly Skyline Garden opens

in the Garden

Cocktails encore Escape to Orchid Daze Tour 10 private gardens

Atlanta Blooms heats up!

| Atlanta

The essence of a beautiful flower show are plants. They are the focus, delight, curiosity and superstar of any successful show. I recall the flower shows that I have enjoyed over the years and realize that while the plants are truly the stars, design creativity and horticultural excellence are their complement and are essential in creating a delightful experience. I love that combination; we do it almost every day at the Garden with changing displays, seasonal color and the integration of art into the gardens. That’s why I am so excited that we are showcasing our first on-site Atlanta Botanical Garden Flower Show in February 2018.

As with many of our successful ventures, the show will be led by a group of knowledgeable and dedicated volunteers, chaired by Mary Katherine Greene and Mary Wayne Dixon – a dynamic duo enthusiastic about launching our new event. The show will be quite different from others around the country that are held in large exhibition or convention halls. Ours will focus solely on plants, showcasing floral design, horticulture, landscape design and photography.

Surrounding all of this will be the beauty of the Garden itself, so a visit to the flower show also will include opportunities to see the Garden in its spring glory as well as the Orchid Daze exhibition.

The other reason I am so enthusiastic about the show is its long-term sustainability; the 2018 event will be the first of many to come and start a new spring tradition. This is truly an exciting new venture for us, and we couldn’t do it without the cadre of volunteers and committee chairs who are working hard to assure a brilliant and beautiful flower show. A special thanks to all of you who will rise up and create a new tradition for the Garden and our city.

Mary Pat Matheson The Anna and Hays Mershon President & CEO

chains, Adam Schwerner 2017

President’s Message

The Curious Spring exhibition spotlights mystery of nature’s beauty

Traditionally, the Garden’s summer exhibition focuses on exquisite sculptures complemented by beautiful plants; this spring, the stars of the show are the gardens themselves, using art to draw attention to the stories of nature.

The Curious Garden, presented May 6 – October 29, is designed to encourage visitors to stop and see the Garden, its plants and nature in all their glory through a 11 surprising art installations that encourage discovery and provoke reflection. The site-inspired exhibition, which employs bold, often unexpected, manmade and altered natural materials, features the work of guest artist and design director Adam Schwerner.

Among the “unexpected” look for: • Dozens of bare cut trees, harvested off site and “planted” throughout the Garden, painted in brilliant pink, orange, lavender, blue and yellow that draw the eye, inspiring conversations about color, form and the natural beauty of trees.

• The Levy Parterre transformed into an elegant white garden, emphasizing plants with flowers and foliage in white, gray and silver, saluting great gardens around the world.

• The Fuqua Orchid Center adorned with dozens of sparkly old chandeliers dripping with plants, evoking the charm of old South architecture.

“All my life I have pursued my dual loves of art and horticulture,” Schwerner said. “With this series of site-specific art installations and the gardens, there is a

| Official News Publication for Members of the Atlanta Botanical Garden | Atlanta | Gainesville Vice President, Marketing: Sabina Carr | Editor: Danny Flanders | Designer: Bo Shell | Membership Manager: Claudia McDavid 2

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Atlanta |

Plant swaps make for colorful spring, summer

Garden

This spring’s plantings of annuals designed to complement The Curious Garden’s art installations will offer nearly double the amount of color in displays of years past.

Planning and ordering began last fall for the barrage of colorful annuals, many of which will be swapped out two and three times throughout the summer as heat-weary plants are discarded to make way for fresh new arrivals: Flanking the Great Lawn, sleepy spring African daisies will be replaced with bursts of vinca, and beds of spent zinnias will be refreshed by new plantings of cleome.

In the Edible Garden, ‘Russian Mammoth’ sunflowers will be planted at three intervals to maintain a seamless, cheerful field of yellow throughout the summer.

Adam Schwerner PHOTO: GABBY RAY

coming together of these two great pursuits. And what better place to undertake this botanical-art adventure than the Garden, which so fully engages visitors with these two areas of expertise?”

Schwerner, who is director of Disneyland Resort Horticulture & Resort Enhancement, previously was director of the Chicago Park District’s Department of Cultural and Natural Resources. There, he spearheaded initiatives to increase the presence of public art in city parks, such as painting trees to highlight their beauty, form and value.

The Curious Garden is presented with support from The Home Depot Foundation and the Isdell Family Foundation.

The Levy Parterre and Rose Garden will see the most behind-the-scenes activity with the help of Alex Smith Garden Design. Maintaining that area’s white garden design will require a constant swap-out of white blooms and silver and chartreuse foliage.

Look for many comings and goings of annuals and perennials!

Tori Simmons Horticulturist

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| Atlanta

Sky’s the limit When it opens in May, the new Skyline Garden will mark the culmination of five years of design, planning and development that brought its share of challenges.

The 1.5-acre project, straddling the southeast corner of the Garden overlooking Piedmont Park, began in 2012 when staff began brainstorming a concept for how this tucked-away part of the property should be used.

From the beginning, the Garden’s cacti and succulent collection, an unusual plant palette for the Southeast, along with the Conservation Garden with plants native to the region were identified as groups to highlight. And then there was that amazing view of the Atlanta skyline from the Robinson Gazebo.

The next year, designer Tres Fromme and Display Gardens Manager Amanda Bennett traveled to the Ethnobotanical Garden in Oaxaca, Mexico, to learn from the stunning forms and visual impact cacti and succulents can make in a well-designed garden. That visit inspired an initial plant list and overall feel for the space.

In 2014, concepts for the colorful Anne Cox Chambers Flower Walk, a new contemporary Robinson Gazebo and refurbished Conservation Garden began to take shape, with plant selections continually refined.

When ground was broken in November 2015, there were immediate challenges.

Despite having geotechnical information for what was thought to be below ground, crews encountered rock. That required re-engineering the pilings and footings for the gazebo and raised planters – no easy task since construction had begun.

The plant list also proved a challenge.

Installing a large cactus and succulent garden in Atlanta isn’t done every day. Staff traveled to a field nursery in Cochise, AZ, to pick marquee specimen plants for the cacti and succulent terraces.

Eight giant Yucca treculeana, three large Dasylirion wheeleri, four Yuca whipplei, and four Nolina nelsonii were tagged for delivery. To say plants of these species 4

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and size are unusual in Atlanta is to put it lightly. They went from Austin to Houston picking up plants that rarely travel east of the Mississippi, and even shipped many more from Texas later.

Contacts have been made all over the United States to bring together such a dynamic group of plants. From a collection of species cacti from a collector in Anniston, AL, to native plants lovingly grown by experts across the Southeast, the Skyline Garden offers an urban contemporary experience unlike any other.

Amanda Campbell Bennett, Display Gardens Manager

Garden reaches new heights with modern addition

Atlanta |

Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour Go behind the gates of 10 private retreats Embarking on its 33rd year, the Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour will showcase 10 exquisite private retreats throughout metro Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday, May 13 – 14. Some of the gardens were created by landscape designers, while others are solely the fruits of the owners’ labor. Still others, like that of Bob and Margaret Reiser, are a combination. They shared their story: Describe your garden’s design style.

The Reisers: The back garden is divided into three areas starting with a cottage garden centered around a pond with an Andrew Crawford sculpture. The lawn and pool areas are surrounded by terraces with a wide variety of evergreen perennials. In the back, a large woodland garden emphasizes textures and spring- and fall-blooming plants, and features a Chartres-inspired labyrinth.

Is the garden professionally designed?

Bob: It’s a collaboration between us and landscape designer Tim Gartland. I came up with the concept of turning our ivy-covered woods into a woodland garden. I laid out the general structure of the paths and the labyrinth, and Tim recommended many of the plants. The woodlands includes plants

Margaret and Bob Reiser. (For more about the tour, see Page 8.) acquired at the Garden’s rare plant auction, including a Franklin tree, Big Leaf Witch Hazel, Woodward’s Bejeweled Fern and the Willow Leaf Spiketail.

What’s your favorite plant in your garden?

Bob: The Franklin tree because it was found to grow only in the Altamaha River Valley in Georgia.

Margaret: I love perennials, and my favorite rose is “Carefree Beauty”. It is true to its name and blooms throughout the summer, with gorgeous red rosehips in the fall.

Why did you agree to do the Tour?

Margaret: As avid gardeners and with Bob on the Garden’s board, we like to support the Garden’s mission, encouraging people to tour local gardens and to

give financial support. We were honored to be asked.

What is the best gardening advice you have ever received?

Bob: To accept that plants have life cycles and special needs that mean constant attention to a garden’s health.

Margaret: Remember to get out in the beautiful garden you have created and enjoy it!

Tickets for the self-guided walking tour, held from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., are $28 in advance ($22 members, online only) or $35 day of tour. For tickets (valid both days; rain or shine), visit atlantabg.org.

Devin Cowens, Development Officer

Stewartias perform year round Looking for a small to medium-sized deciduous tree that offers year-round interest?

Stewartias are the perfect solution.

Stewartias produce fresh green leaves in spring and showy white Camellia-like flowers during early summer. In the fall, their leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow, red, or purple, and the winter show is the textured bark.

The two more common species are Stewartia pseudocamellia and Stewartia monadelpha. S. pseudocamellia is native to Japan and often called the Japanese Stewartia. This

tree is slow growing and reaches a maximum height of 40 feet and about 25 feet wide. Its white flowers are two and a half inches in diameter and contain showy orange/yellow anthers in early summer. The exfoliating bark has a mixture of orange, grey, and olive green colors and becomes the focal point in winter. S. monadelpha, commonly called tall Stewartia, also is native to Japan and grows to 25 five feet tall. When mature, this tree becomes multi-trunked, and its branches become more horizontal. In early summer, this Stewartia is

covered in white cupped flowers that are about one and a half inches in diameter with yellow stamens. The bark of the tall Stewartia is smooth with a cinnamon brown color.

Michael Sheek, Senior Horticulturist

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| Atlanta

What’s cooking at Longleaf?

The Garden’s year-old restaurant is becoming a culinary destination, and leading Longleaf’s success is Executive Chef Jason Paolini, recently named a Georgia Grown Executive Chef by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.

Meet Chef Jason: What’s your background? I was born in Belle Chasse, Louisiana, near New Orleans and went to the Culinary Arts Institute of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.

After graduating I moved to Atlanta and began working as a line cook at Canoe in Vinings. After three years I opened Taurus as Sous Chef. Three years later I helped open Craft in Buckhead as First Cook, but shortly thereafter I was offered and accepted a Sous Chef position at Holeman and Finch. Over the next seven years while working for Resurgens Group I became Chef de Cuisine and then Executive Culinary Director for Holeman and Finch, Restaurant Eugene, Linton’s, H&F Burger and Hops Chicken.

When did you learn you wanted to be a chef? I was always interested in cooking. When I was a kid I loved making breakfast for my family, and as a teenager I worked in a seafood restaurant in Belle Chasse, shucking oysters and boiling crawfish, shrimp and crabs. After high school I became a server at Palace Café in the French Quarter and then realized I wanted to make this my profession and enrolled in culinary school.

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Garden of Eden Ball set for Sept. 23 What excites you most about Longleaf?

Building a restaurant that will be here for years. I feel we have a great opportunity to create a dining institution for Atlantans to enjoy for generations.

Describe a few new dishes. For spring, one is a salad of multi-colored beets, baby carrots and asparagus, local chevre and pesto. It will be very colorful and delicious.

I’m also excited about the ingredients that we harvest from the Edible Garden. We recently received a lot of leeks and will be doing leeks vinaigrette with country ham.

The 2017 Garden of Eden Ball is set for Saturday, September 23 on the Great Lawn. The Garden’s largest annual fundraising event, the ball will honor Susan and Jim Spratt for their leadership and support of the Garden. Cox Enterprises Inc. is returning as presenting sponsor. For more information call 404-591-1730 or visit gardenofedenball.org

What’s life like outside the Garden? I live in Decatur with my wife Stacey and 10-month-old son Luca. I enjoy golf, hiking and eating out on Buford Highway.

What’s your favorite junk food? I’m a sucker for chocolate-covered almonds.

Longleaf is open 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Tues-Sun. Enjoy brunch 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Sat-Sun. Reservations are recommended.

Hear more on Chef Jason Paolini’s plans for Longleaf at atlantabg.org/clippings

On sale now!

Take a trip down memory lane with the Garden’s new book, Atlanta’s Urban Oasis: The Atlanta Botanical Garden, with a special price of $29.95! Take advantage of this limited offer on the beautifully photographed coffee table book tracing the Garden’s history, development, programs and exhibitions since 1976. Available for purchase in the Garden Gift Shop and at most Garden member events.

Atlanta |

New flower show blooms in ’18!

Atlantans who fondly recall escaping the winter blues by exploring the beauty and fragrance of an indoor flower show are in for a blooming treat next year. In 2018, the Atlanta Botanical Garden Flower Show will debut February 23–25.

“We are so excited to present this new event showcasing the finest displays of floral design, horticulture, landscape design and photography imaginable,” said Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s President &

CEO. “Our facilities and gardens will serve as a beautiful backdrop for these entries while providing the show with a permanent home.“ Atlanta enjoyed a flower show for 25 years, staged at various venues around the city, including the Garden, through 2013.

With the theme Ingenue: A Toast to Georgia’s Film Industry, the new show will start out small, staged inside several of the Garden’s facilities, and include

professionally-judged competitions in Floral Design, Horticulture, Landscape Design and Photography. The competition is open to the public in all categories except Landscape Design, and division classes will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis (Look for details this fall on atlantabg.org).

Honorary chair for the 2018 event is Pat Hartrampf, founding chairman of the Atlanta Flower Show 25 years ago.

KIDS, MAKE A SPLASH!

Croton alabamensis

Place your bid on rare plants Calling all die-hard fans of truly unique plants! The Explorer’s Plant Auction will be held at the Garden on May 25, focusing almost exclusively on unique and hard-tofind trees, shrubs and perennials grown at the Gainesville garden’s greenhouses.

Many of the plants are made available from the efforts of the Garden’s International Plant Exploration Program.

The new program focuses on seed collecting, education and conservation primarily in southeastern Asia, and money raised by the auction supports those efforts through the Jitsuko Johnson Plant Explorers Fund.

Keep in mind “rare” doesn’t mean hard to grow but rather the plant is not found in abundance in the wild and not yet in the nursery trade. Among the plants to be auctioned: Croton alabamensis – Commonly known as Alabama Croton, this rare southeastern native is found only in a

handful of counties in Alabama and oddly enough, a handful in Texas. Not grown for flowers but rather its silvery foliage and brilliant orange color, this plant was grown from seed collected in the wild in Alabama.

Xanthocyparis vietnamensis – The Vietnamese Golden Cypress was first discovered in late 1999. By 2001, it was deemed a completely new genus to science. This plant is grown from only an estimated 560 individuals in the remote mountains between Vietnam and China.

The plant being offered was a cutting grown from individuals that were originally collected in Ha Giang, Vietnam.

Tickets for the auction, which begins at 6:30 p.m., are $50. For details visit atlantabg.org.

Scott McMahan, Manager, International Plant Exploration

The Lou Glenn Children’s Garden is open for its first full season of programming in 2017. Family favorites like the honeybee hive, treehouse, and the splash pad are back, along with a new slate of fun and engaging programs for little ones.

Learn more about this summer’s children’s programming at atlantabg.org/clippings

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atlanta happenings

| Atlanta

Gardens for Connoisseurs Tour

Saturday – Sunday, May 13 – 14, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Tour 10 private home gardens featuring a variety of design styles throughout metro Atlanta during the Mother’s Day weekend tradition benefiting the Garden. For tickets, visit atlantabg.org.

Garden Chef Cooking Demos

Mother’s Day Sale

Saturdays & Sundays, Noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m.

Each weekend in the Outdoor Kitchen, the Garden Chef showcases fresh seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs in tasty mouth-watering recipes.

May 1 – 14 Find unique jewelry for Mom at special discounts in the Garden Gift Shop.

Alston Lecture: Mary Kay Andrews

Photo: Bill Miles

Monday, May 1, 7 p.m.

Beach House Cooking: Perennial New York Times bestseller and “Beach Read Queen” Mary Kay Andrews brings to your kitchen a cookbook full of her favorite recipes during this free lecture. Presented with the easy breezy flair that made her novels a summertime favorite, The Beach House Cookbook is sure to find a place at many kitchen tables. A book-signing will follow.

The Philip and Elkin Alston Lecture series is made possible through the generous support of the Charles Loridans Foundation.

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The Curious Garden May 6 – October 29 Explore a dozen art installations designed to focus attention on the Garden’s plants, gardens and conservation mission.

Cocktails in the Garden

Thursdays, May 11 – September 28, 6 – 10 p.m.

Explore Atlanta’s urban oasis in the cool of the evening when Cocktails in the Garden returns on Thursdays beginning May 11 after a two-year hiatus.

The after-hours event offers specialty drinks from full cash bars, deejays and live entertainment, and games and other activities. Cocktails is free to members.

This year’s event will move to different areas of the botanical garden each month, each with its own theme and specialty cocktail. In May, for example, festivities will take place in the new Skyline Garden with the theme “Spiked” highlighting the many thorned plants there.

Also, Science Café returns to Cocktails at 7 p.m. on June 29, July 27, August 31 and September 28. For speakers and topics, visit atlantabg.org.

Atlanta Rose Show Saturday – Sunday, May 13 – 14, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Hosted by the Greater Atlanta Rose Society, the cut-flower show features roses of every variety and color.

Atlanta |

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CONCERTS IN THE GARDEN Soak up the sounds of great musical acts in this favorite outdoor series. In Atlanta, featured performances are: June 18 July 7 July 21 July 23 Aug 11

Aug 20 Aug 25 Sept 8

Gladys Knight Michael Feinstein Barenaked Ladies Brandi Carlile American Acoustic: Punch Brothers & I’m With Her Lifehouse & Switchfoot Buddy Guy Garrison Keillor: Prairie Home Love & Comedy Show

In Gainesville* appearing on the amphitheater stage will be: June 10 Vince Gill Sept 30 TajMo: The Taj Mahal &

Keb’ Mo’ Band *Third Gainesville show to be announced.

FOR THE KIDS Garden Playtime Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Introduce the little ones to the joys of nature with hands-on learning and sensory stations that will stimulate their interest in the natural world. Suggested ages: 6 months – 5 years

Endangered Species Day

Alston Lecture: Annie Martin

Saturday, June 3, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Celebrate rare plants and animals at the Garden. Meet exceptional creatures and learn about conservation efforts happening throughout Georgia.

Tuesday, Aug. 22, 7 p.m.

Emerald Jewels: Annie Martin (aka Mossin’ Annie) of Mountain Moss Enterprises and author of The Magical World of Moss Gardening provides valuable insight on how to transform a garden or lawn into a serene, green retreat showcasing the world’s oldest living land plants – eco-friendly mosses. Mosses are a great solution if year-round green appeals to you, you have a spot where nothing seems to grow, or you are just tired of mowing grass. A book-signing will follow.

The Philip and Elkin Alston Lecture Series is made possible through the generous support of the Charles Loridans Foundation.

Refugee Recipe Celebration Saturday - Sunday, June 24 - 25, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The Garden Chef and special guests from Friends of Refugees will spice up the cooking demos in honor of World Refugee Day. Refugee cooks from Sudan, Burma, and Syria will serve up tastes of freshly grown food highlighting regional recipes. Families will enjoy seed planting and other discovery activities.

Storybook Time Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.

Listen to stories about bees, flowers, butterflies and other garden friends.

Garden Grooves Thursdays, 10:30 a.m.

Get ready to wiggle and warble with songs and dances inspired by the beautiful outdoors. Suggested ages: 2 – 5 years.

Shows for Seedlings Fridays, 10:30 a.m. or Saturdays, 10:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Enjoy a variety of live performances from some of Atlanta’s best storytellers, puppeteers, musicians and magicians. Visit the “Kids Programs” section under “Learn” at atlantabg.org for a list of performers.

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| Gainesville

A Note from the Director As we move into the warmer, but not necessarily slower, days of summer, the Garden looks forward to hosting our first visiting scholars from China as part of our International Plant Exploration Program.

IPEP, established last year under the direction of IPEP Manager Scott McMahan, is important for expanding the Garden’s plant collections and broadening the plant palette of gardens in the southeastern United States. Also, through networking with colleagues from around the world, the program creates mutually beneficial relationships with collaborators in southeast Asia.

In January, Mary Pat Matheson, the Garden’s President & CEO, visited Chenshan Botanical Garden near Shanghai and entered an agreement outlining avenues of cooperation between the two gardens. The Garden will host two Ph.D. researchers from Chenshan in June and early July. These scientists will be based in Gainesville and will be working with Dr. Donglin Zhang of the University of Georgia, studying his plant propagation and plant breeding efforts. In addition, the scientists will travel throughout the Southeast to examine native wild populations of Magnolia and Hydrangea with McMahan and Ethan Guthrie, the Gainesville garden’s Horticulture Manager. The scholars also will visit other botanical gardens and university programs in the Southeast as well.

This staff exchange will provide a web of shared information, best practices and skills enhancement. We look forward to this first step of hosting the visiting scholars and to many more exchanges in the future.

Mildred Fockele Vice President, Horticulture; Gainesville Director

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take a

LEAP Meet the artist behind the frogs: Andy Cobb

The Gainesville garden is hopping this spring with 23 whimsical frogs. Ribbit the Exhibit, presented through July 15, features 19 installations of the copper sculptures, each with its own personality, taking part in a variety of everyday activities. North Carolina artist Andy Cobb shared his story: Tell us how you launched a second career as an artist. I was having a successful career in medical equipment sales and doing my copper sculpting as a hobby. I was living at the beach, and we were hit with a hurricane and flooding, and I had 4 feet of water in my house. When pressured to attend a sales meeting while my house was flooded, I did some real soul searching. I decided to quit my job and declared myself an artist.

Since then, how has your team grown?

For 20 years I did strictly commissions, and I was the team. When I decided to promote Ribbit the Exhibit, my wife joined me to help with delivery, set up and pickup. Two years ago, I had back surgery, and my brother-in-law came to help me load the pieces to go to Orlando for the winter. He never went home. So, that makes three of us.

You’ve created many animal sculptures, but frogs seem to be your signature. Why do you think those are so popular?

My frogs are both whimsical and

anthropomorphic. They have human-like qualities and do human-like things. We seem to love to see animals, acting like humans.

Walk us through the process of completing a sculpture.

My raw material are sheets of 16-ounce copper in 2-foot-wide, 50-foot-long rolls.

I hand draw and cut out each piece – feet, body, head, belly. They are then hand shaped and soldered, and put together over a steel skeleton. The last addition is the eyes, which are made from 75 mm polycarbon lenses that I hand paint on the back side.

They really bring the piece to life.

What’s next on the horizon for you?

I will be perfectly content to drive these exhibits of frogs around the country for the next 10 years. Seeing the country by truck and getting to know the people in each garden is quite a reward. The demand for spring and summer shows is great enough that I might develop a Ribbit 3, but probably not in the near future.

Gainesville Atlanta |

Soak up the sounds of great musical acts in this favorite outdoor series. In Gainesville appearing on the amphitheater stage will be Vince Gill, June 10 and TajMo: The Taj Mahal & Keb’ Mo’ Band, September 30. Stay tuned for a third show annoucement. For Atlanta performances, see Page 9. For tickets and info, visit concertsinthegarden.org

Woven Whimsy: Stickworks by Patrick Dougherty Tuesday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Visit “Made from Scratch”, an unplanned sculpture crafted from tree saplings, branches and twigs.

NEW! Ribbit the Exhibit Saturday, April 15 – Saturday, July 15 Explore this exhibition of 23 whimsical frog sculptures accompanied by frogthemed activities for children and families.

NEW! Dia del Nino (Children’s Day) The sight of a bee may send some running, and a caterpillar munching on leaves might get squished on site, but thankfully one of the current gardening trends is to keep eager hands off the trigger.

Most plants used to attract pollinators to gardens are native species that are perfect companions to native insects. One of the native mountain mints, Pycnanthemum incanum, draws masses of beneficial wasps and bees. Unlike other mountain mints, the Hoary Mountain Mint is much easier to control while still having very fragrant foliage and flowers. Rattlesnake Master, Eryngium yuccifolium, not only has a very cool name but also is a very cool looking native pollinator plant. Its leaves resemble yucca leaves and produce dusty blue globelike flower clusters on tall stems. This plant reliably reseeds in dry meadow-type gardens.

Some trees and shrubs even act as pollinator havens, such as Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum. This is a medium-growing tree that is a favorite of bees and also provides amazing fall color. The native dwarf buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis ‘Sugar Shack’, yields fragrant white flowers in summer while providing

great red fruit in fall. Other honorable mentions include New Jersey Tea, Ceanothus americanus, and the many species of Milkweed, Asclepias, such as incarnata and speciosa.

As urban environments throughout the Southeast become more densely populated at the expense of natural habitats, efforts are under way to promote pollinator gardens. The botanical garden, in partnership with Park Pride, recently received a $60,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation to develop pollinator gardens in five Atlanta parks. Visitors to Blue Heron Nature Preserve in Buckhead, Four Corners Park in south Atlanta, Gilliam Park in East Atlanta, Grove Park in west Atlanta and Welch Street Park in southwest Atlanta will soon enjoy bees and butterflies mingling around beautiful blooms.

Isaac Kirwan,

Sunday, April 30, 1 – 4 p.m.

Celebrate children with an emphasis on Latin American cultures, including entertainment, face painting, crafts and more. Refreshments for purchase.

gainesville happenings

Pollinator gardens become the buzz

Concerts in the Garden

Spring Woodland Ramble Saturday, May 6, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Shop a selection of arts & crafts created by local artisans while spending a fun, relaxing day in the Garden. Food trucks will offer food for purchase.

Mother’s Day Brunch Saturday, May 13, First seating, 11 a.m; second seating, 1 p.m.

Bring your favorite mom for a delightful brunch in the Garden. Stroll the woodland pathways and treat her to a special day.

Wine in the Woodlands Last Thursdays, May – October, 6 – 9 p.m.

Sip a glass of wine from cash bars and enjoy light bites with live musical entertainment while strolling the paths and mingling with friends.

Assistant Horticulturist

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Atlanta Botanical Garden | Atlanta 1345 Piedmont Avenue, NE Atlanta, GA 30309

NONPROFIT ORG U.S. Postage PAID Permit No. 1162 Atlanta, GA

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Volunteer of the Year:

Jack Nolen Position: Nolen began volunteering in 2004 and is a trusted and reliable volunteer, taking on the most challenging tasks in a timely and professional manner, working well with other volunteers and staff. Working in the Conservatory, he has built water features and constructed new planting areas and also helps on projects in the headhouse and conservation bog garden. He does a variety of plant maintenance, including dividing and repotting, planting, transplanting, watering and sweeping.

Supervisor Paul Blackmore, Fuqua Conservatory Manager: “Jack takes on any task with a smile and positive attitude. His gracious, friendly manner and easy laugh have made him a favorite with visitors and staff alike. He is a key part of the team, a trusted assistant, and we are quite honored to have him around.”

Volunteer hours: He has been a member of the Centennial Club (100+ hours) every year since 2005 – 12 years in a row – and is a three-time Volunteer of the Month.

ATLANTA

LIGHT BITES & GARDEN INSIGHTS

Personal/Hobbies: Staff look forward to Thursdays knowing he’ll be in the Garden, especially when he brings in his popular cheese straws and pecan pies.

He is always described as a Southern gentleman and enjoys spending time with his family and friends, fishing, golfing, Georgia Southern football, reading, and cooking.

Nolen on the recognition: “I don’t do more than most volunteers. I guess I just must be one of the best guys with a broom in the Garden,” said Nolen, who’s often seen talking with visitors, answering their questions and pointing out plants and animals. As the late volunteer Sig Guthman would say, “He’s much more than just the man with the broom.”

Josh Todd, Volunteer Manager

Help the Garden claim a $2.5 million challenge grant!

Early investments in the Nourish & Flourish Capital Campaign have brought exciting changes to the Garden, including the Gardens in Storza Woods, the reimagined Lou Glenn Children’s Garden, the new Longleaf Restaurant and the newly opened Skyline Garden. But there is more to come, and members are needed to make it happen by helping the Garden claim a $2.5 million challenge grant.

Watch for mailings or a call from the

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Garden, and please consider giving generously.

Gifts will help support the new Conservation and Training Center and Education Orientation Center as well as a new Children’s Garden in Gainesville. These vital facilities will dramatically increase the Garden’s ability to touch the lives of young people and safeguard the future of our planet.

To donate, visit atlantabg.org/nourish

Clippings is available online at atlantabg.org/clippings

Tuesday, May 9, 8:30 - 10 a.m.

Tuesday, August 15, 8:30 - 10 a.m.

Contributing-level and above members are invited to enjoy light bites and a behindthe-scenes experience. On May 9, explore an exquisite private garden featured on the Garden for Connoisseurs Tour, and on August 15 get a look at the many curiosities in the Atlanta garden. An email with RSVP information will be sent before the events.

MEMBER SUMMER EVENING Monday, July 24, 2017, 6-9 p.m.

Tour The Curious Garden, listen to live music, shop the artisan market and sample fresh recipes at chef demos. Kids activities are included, and food may be purchased at the Quick Café or enjoy dinner at Longleaf restaurant.

GAINESVILLE

MEMBER WELCOME Saturday, May 6, 9 - 11 a.m.

Before browsing the Woodland Ramble craft show, grab a complimentary coffee and mingle with fellow members at a private welcome area. Food trucks will provide food for purchase.

ATLANTA & GAINESVILLE SUMMER STRINGS

Monday, July 10, 6:30 - 9 p.m. , Gainesville Monday, August 28, 6:30 - 9 p.m., Atlanta Supporting- level and above members are invited to spend two summer evenings under the treetops, mingle with fellow members, indulge in delicious hors d’oeuvres and libations, and listen to a live string performance by outstanding musicians. Invitations will be mailed. (To upgrade to the Supporting level or above, call 404-591-1544) For membership FAQs, visit atlantabg.org/membership.