2023 Spring/Summer Garden Columns

GARDEN COLUMNS

Spring / Summer 2023 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1

Inside:

Saving an imperiled Alabama tree PAGE 8

Hidden gems at the Garden PAGE 10

Butterflies: More than meets the eye PAGE 12

Home gardening checklist PAGE 14

ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN PAGE 16

BOTANICAL GARDEN

HUNTSVILLE

Our ADA-accessible paths and frequent garden benches let you enjoy the Garden at your own pace.

On the cover: Summer is a great time to bring the family to the Garden for an event, a class, or simple together time.

Greetings from our CEO

Hello everyone!

From bright fresh blossoms to buzzing bees, this is a time of new growth and beginnings in the Garden. Spring and summer roll from budding growth to thriving plants as we all wake up from winter. As days lengthen, we can all luxuriate in the sunshine and stroll through the Garden to relax and reconnect.

This time of year, there is something new to see every day with so many things emerging. In serving our mission of connecting people to plants, the Garden is always seeking chances for you to learn, explore and play in nature.

Join us for ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN where larger-than-life sculptures inspired by the traditional Japanese art of origami are featured throughout the Garden. On Sundays, get brunch at the Garden Cafe and take a walk along our numerous paths.

In this issue of the Garden Columns, discover staff-recommended “hidden gems” in the Garden, find out how you can attract butterflies to your home landscape, and learn about exciting research on the Boynton oak, an imperiled Alabama native tree.

We hope this issue inspires you to connect with nature. From opportunities in the Garden to your backyard, take time to reengage and recharge.

See you in the Garden!

2022-2023 Board of directors

Jeff Showalter, Chair

Wes Kelley, Vice Chair

Kathi Tew, Vice Chair

Will Pylant, Treasurer

Carla Bossard, Assistant Treasurer

Carol Tevepaugh, Secretary

Frances Akridge

Elaine Alspach

Tracy Barrett

David Bier

Penny Billings

Gary Bolton

Clinton Carter

Lynn Collyar

Kristina Hendrix

Leta Hornbuckle DeMaioribus

Brenda Martin

Eric Mills

Thomas Petty

Prudence Pollard

Lindsay Rice

Ruchi Singhal

Brandy Smith

Sue Wagner

Julie Stephens

Jennifer Wu

Photo by Edna Farrar

Photo by Edna Farrar

Photo by Edna Farrar

Photo by Jessica Alldredge at lifeinbama

Photo by Kimberlea Hood

Photo by Lisa Shier

Photo by Lisa Shier

Photo by Lisa Shier

Photo by Lisa Shier

Photo by Lisa Shier

Events and exhibits at the Garden

APRIL

April - August

Art in the Garden: ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN

4, 6, 15 Nature Academy

7, 22 Seeds to Sprouts

8 Plein Air Paintout

8 Plant a Pot: Container Design

21 - 22 Family Campout

28 Huntsville Symphony Orchestra

29 Arbor Day Race

MAY 30 - JULY 28

13 - 14, (rain date) May 20 - 21

Fantasy Playhouse presents Tinker Bell

19 - 20 Family Campout

20, 26 Seeds to Sprouts

21 Founder’s Day Celebration

29 Memorial Day

*Free admission for military personnel and immediate family

JUNE

3 Propagation 201: Intermediate Propagation Techniques

6, 13, 20 Firefly Garden Hike

9, 24 Seeds to Sprouts

23 - 24 Family Campout

MAY

4 Spring Hat Luncheon

6 Propagation 101: Basic Tried-andTrue Methods

11 Hypertufa

12 - 21 Go Public Gardens Days

24 From Garden to Vase: Cut Flower Gardening

27 Firefly Garden Hike

JULY

4 Independence Day

*Free admission for military personnel and immediate family

7, 15 Seeds to Sprouts

11, 18, 25 Firefly Garden Hike

12 Plein Air Paintout

21 - 22 Family Campout

AUGUST

11, 12 Shakespeare in the Garden: Midsummer Night's Dream

11, 26 Seeds to Sprouts

15, 17 Nature Academy

18, 19 Shakespeare in the Garden: Henry V

18 - 19 Family Campout

SEPTEMBER

September

Art in the Garden: Anna Zoladz

8 - 9 Family Campout

8, 23 Seeds to Sprouts

12, 14 Nature Academy

15, 29 Fall Night Hike

19 Garden Soiree

21 (Member Preview Sale), 22, 23

Fall Plant Sale

To learn more about the Garden's upcoming events, visit hsvbg.org/visit

Your spring and summer checklist for home garden success

Member corner

Our members provide essential support to the Garden and our mission every day.

Learn more about the benefits of Garden membership at:

hsvbg.org/membership membership@hsvbg.org

256-830-4447 ext. 255

Edna Farrar sought escape at the Garden while coping with the death of her mother.

“I’ve found the Garden to be one of the most healing places,” said Edna. “From young families to those grieving a loved one, the Garden is laid out well for everyone to find what they need. It has a way of bringing people to nature and nature to people in any cycle of life.”

Edna has been honing her photography skills in the Garden almost daily, and now she serves as a volunteer.

“I love how the Garden staff thrill in your growth and celebrate everyone’s talents,” Edna said enthusiastically.

Save the date

Founder’s Day Celebration calendar May 21

Garden Soiree calendar September 19

Volunteers by the numbers

Volunteering is flexible, inclusive, impactful, and fun! Volunteers give their time and talent to amplify the Garden’s mission every day. Join our team! Email volunteer@hsvbg.org for details.

1,156 Volunteers gave 23,583.65 hours in 2022 in 55 areas

Saving the Garden more than $600,000

Unfolding inspiration: Unfolding

To inspire. “To inspire.”

That was the top priority for Santa Fe artist Kevin Box when he began creating the experience known as ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN.

Huntsville Botanical Garden is the temporary ‘home away from home’ through August 27 for 18 pieces of monumental origami sculptures from the collection. The exhibit is included in daytime admission to the Garden, and together with a companion audio tour and interpretive signage, Box has created an insightful experience for those seeking inspiration.

inspiration:

with artist Kevin Box

By Laura McPhail

A new take on an ancient art

Box first started making paper airplanes and little frogs in elementary school, but he had no idea at the time that folding paper into shapes was a Japanese art form called ‘origami.’ He credits his mother’s work as an archivist as a source for this love of paper and preservation.

After graduating from art school, he looked for a way to marry his old fondness for paper to his new love of and skill with bronze sculpting. Several years of experimentation led to some successful castings of paper into bronze, which he then painted white—an anathema concept for most sculptors working with bronze.

“It was not well received by my colleagues, but I wanted to capture the delicate nature of paper with museum-quality metal,” said Box.

Undaunted, he kept at it and refined his technique. A few years later, he showed a piece at his first outdoor sculpture show in Austin, Texas.

“All weekend, all I heard the whole time was, ‘Oh, that's so cool. Is that origami?’” said Box. “And honestly, maybe I'd heard the word in passing, but I never truly had encountered it before.”

Capturing light

In fact, the idea that people considered his sculptures origami didn’t sit well with him at first. He didn’t feel like it aligned with his concept as an artist.

“I wanted to describe the architecture of the soul,” Box explained. “What does the invisible nature of our being look like in a visual way? And to me, a star of white light sort of resonates with many cultural interpretations of spirit.”

The more he pondered it, the more things started to click into place, and he came to embrace the idea, with his own unique interpretation.

“That white piece of [origami] paper to me was light,” Box continued. “By folding and creasing, it was creating a star, which we all have within. And it sort of described the architecture beneath the surface of who we are.”

Interestingly, Box’s work reflects the meaning of ‘light’ not only in visual and spiritual contexts, but also in terms of weight. When viewing his origami sculptures, one can’t help but note how weightless the subjects appear. They look like actual large pieces of paper folded and refolded rather than hundreds of pounds of bronze that defy gravity.

unfolded the fruits of his labor. What he saw in the creases further affirmed the connection between the craft and his concept. The creases in the unfolded crane looked like a star. He later discovered that no matter what design he chose to create through series of folds, when unfolded, a star was revealed.

“That ability for origami to describe what we see with our eyes in nature and in life—a flower, a bird, a boat, an airplane— but to be able to unfold that thing and see all the choices and decisions that created that thing, to me, is the expression of the invisible,” Box said. “That’s the most important and most valuable component of what makes us who we are and what makes up life around us, this great mystery that we are all participating in.”

contemporary, and beautiful,” said Box. “Michael really stood out to me because he makes the paper that he folds, and paper wouldn't exist without plants.”

Bringing origami to the Garden

When Box graduated from art school, he intended to do public art. However, as he got deeper into origami, he started to realize that his work didn’t quite fit in with public art world. As he and his wife, Jennifer, refined the concept of ORIGAMI IN THE GARDEN, they agreed that origami’s ties to nature made viewing the sculptures in a garden setting made more sense than seeing them in a museum. They have been pleasantly surprised by the result.

included in the price of regular daytime admission, and includes an audio tour with comments from the artist about each piece. To learn more, visit hsvbg.org/origami.

Thank you to our Corporate Partners!

The Corporate Partner Program is designed to strengthen the relationship between the Huntsville Botanical Garden and the corporate community in the Greater Huntsville area. Through the annual support of these corporate partners, we can provide first-class programs that allow children, families, and Garden guests to connect to plants and gain a deeper understanding of the role they play in their own environment.

Platinum Huntsville Area Association of Realtors ValleyMLS.com

Silver Aviagen, Inc.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama

Dynetics, Inc.

LG Electronics

Bronze Barrios Technology

Blue Origin

CFD Research

Global Ties of Alabama

Invariant Corporation

Mission Driven Research

MTSI

RJ Young

SCHOEL Engineering

Signalink

Thompson Gray, Inc.

Turner Construction Venturi, Inc.

Supporter

a.i. solutions

Cadence Bank

Crestwood Medical Center

Green Mountain Research

Grounds Guys

Kona Grill

Lawn Pride

Northwestern MutualShane Stromei

PeopleTec

Radiance Technologies

Van Valkenburgh & Wilkinson Realtors

Vulcan Materials Company

A stroll through the Garden's lush and verdant landscape is a sensory spectacular in the warmer months.

Corporate events

You bring the vision, we’ll supply the views

If you’re planning a corporate meeting or company retreat, Huntsville Botanical Garden is the perfect place for your organization’s event. From company meetings and team presentations to training workshops and holiday celebrations, our facilities are equipped to fit a variety of needs.

Our unique venues are second-tonone with the perfect combination of technology & tranquility. We house state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment while providing a beautiful backdrop for breakaway sessions and lunch breaks.

To make the planning process easy, our team of sales specialists and coordinators will work with you to plan and prepare a successful corporate event that exceeds expectations and leaves a lasting impression for all who attend!

Email events@hsvbg.org to book your corporate event today.

“Flowers

sunshine, food

medicine for the soul.”

Luther Burbank