Garden Times Spring Newsletter 2013

Non-Profit Organization U S Postage

PAID

Permit 520 Richmond, VA 1800 lakeside avenue richmond, va 23228-4700 (804) 262-9887 lewisginter.org

“Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.”

— Author Unknown

Special Events Merit a Special Place

Spring Connecting

Winter

Renewal

Seasons

Family

Butterflies Nature Summer

Inspiration

Friends Year-Round Peace

Child

Memories

Smiles

Contact a facility events coordinator at 262-9887, ext. 224 or 345 to plan your upcoming celebration.

Autumn

Community

Wonder

…all guaranteed to make your occasion even more magical, more memorable!

Events

Beauty

Excitement

Fun

The Celebration Package also includes:

• Garden admission • Beautifully appointed banquet rooms • Sumptuous menus • Tables set with linen, china, glassware • Attentive on-site catering staff • More than 35 acres of charming gardens

Learning

Love

The Garden is one of RVA’s most delightful settings for luncheons, birthday parties, baby showers and pre-andpost wedding festivities. Our Celebration Package, for events ranging in size from 24 to 96 people, includes two convenient time options with an affordable per-person cost.

2013

S p r i n g 2 0 1 3

Don Williamson

gardentimes

TylerDardenPhotography.com

n e w s l etter of l e w i s g i n ter b ota n i ca l gar d e n

Orchids Galore! Now–March 31 A Million Blooms March 30–June 2

2013 Gardening Resolution Enjoy my garden, sometimes on my bench vs. always on my knees.

“A Natural Love Affair” is more than the Garden’s 2013 theme: it’s your opportunity to explore nature through the lens of beauty, education and entertainment, all year long! Now through the end of March, Orchids Galore! brightens the Conservatory with a rainbow of glorious colors—certain to diminish any trace of winter blues. Then, as the weather warms, A Million Blooms bursts forth with a splendid succession of colorful blooms and flowering trees that magnificently transform the Garden landscape just in time for spring.

Stephanie Gross

Come often with family and friends, as there’s something different to see, different to do, each and every visit. Before long you, too, will get caught up in your own natural love affair!

Mark your calendar 2

Executive Director’s Message

8–9 Children’s Garden

3

Heritage Weekend, Garden Week 10 Community Connections

4–5 Horticulture

11

Garden Shop, Social Media

6–7 Garden Calendar

12

Celebrate with Us!

garden admission

in this issue

Orchids Galore! Sponsored in part by Dr. Arthur Burke and Mrs. Patricia R. St. Claire.

Details pages 6.

FREE for Garden members.

See lewisginter.org for visitor prices.

returns May 24–Oct. 13

Message from the Executive Director

editor’s box The Garden Times newsletter is mailed three times a year to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden members.

Volume XXVIII, Number 1 president/CEO Frank Robinson executive director Shane Tippett newsletter editor Lynn Kirk special thanks LGBG staff for editorial assistance design Elevation

OUR PASSION: 2

Connecting people & plants to improve our community.

2013 Gardening Resolution Replace a small area of turf with plants each year.

“A Natural Love Affair” Can you remember being ten and hurtling up your favorite climbing tree? Can you still feel the rough bark under your hands and the way the sturdy anchor of the tree’s trunk gave way to smaller and smaller branches until it all swayed giddily under your weight?

How long did you hold your breath the first time you watched a hummingbird hover around a bed of bee balm? Have you ever thought dancing in the air like a butterfly on the wing must be a wondrous thing? Can you picture that first fistful of dandelions, buttercups and bluets you presented proudly to your mother?

Do you remember the embarrassed smile on the face of the child who held up his own brilliantly colored bouquet to you, tightly wrapped in dimpled fingers, and how you carefully arranged the flowers in a vase on the kitchen table?

Did you think writers exaggerated when they described a stand of century-old evergreens as being cathedral-like until you walked through such a grove? Have you come to recognize the buds of early spring and the brilliant green shoots erupting through March snows like the faces of old friends? When you first took your young daughter out into the garden, did you think that dirty fingernails and scraped little knees could be a source of such keen pleasure? When you and your

dog leave your apartment, walk down six flights of stairs and past seven blocks of buildings to arrive at the neighborhood park, do you marvel how your heart expands as the vista does? Once you’ve memorized the name of a woody shrub in that park from the plastic label alongside it, then see its sister a dozen yards down the path and can name her without a label, do you feel that your world got just a little bit bigger? When you stop at a farmer’s market on the way home, and buy fresh honey from a Hanover County beekeeper, do you feel that your world just got a little bit better?

In naming this year’s activities at Lewis Ginter—symposia and exhibits, orchids and butterflies, galas and GardenFest, education for those thirsty for knowledge and food for the hungry—can you imagine a better phrase for the passion of our staff, volunteers, members and neighbors than “A Natural Love Affair”?

Neither can we.

Shane Tippett Executive Director

Annual Events

Please refer to lewisginter.org and the Garden’s Facebook page for exact times, locations and details.

Heritage Weekend at Historic Bloemendaal Saturday, April 13, Noon–3PM Sunday, April 14, Noon–4PM Celebrate tulips at their peak, as well the Garden’s historic past as you experience the early days of the original Lakeside Wheel House, where cyclists gathered and enjoyed ice cream on the porch after a ride to the “country.” The family-friendly fun includes: • R agtime-era music by “The Titanic String Band” • Informal tours of the Bloemendaal House with a special exhibit about “The Entrepreneurial Mr. Ginter” • Costumed portrayals of Lewis Ginter and Grace Arents (Sat. & Sun., 1–3PM) • Dress-up trunk with vintage-inspired clothing • High-wheeled vintage bicycle displays and demonstrations

• “ Four in the Morning” quartet serenades throughout the Garden • Alberti Flea Circus in the Vaudeville tradition • Hand-dipped ice cream cones by the Ice Cream Connection (for purchase) • Tea House brunch, 11:30AM–2:30PM (for reservations, ext. 399; Garden admission required).

Additional details and updates posted at lewisginter.org.

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Historic Garden Week in Virginia April 20–27....................................................... Statewide Celebration April 23–25....................................................... Richmond CelebratioN April 24 (Wednesday only)....................Extended hours ’til 9PM for public & LGBG Member Night Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is always a highlight of Historic Garden Week! Where else, in one convenient location, can you stroll along expertly themed gardens, breathtaking landscapes, lakeside paths, an orchid-filled Conservatory…and gather countless ideas for your own garden?

• E xtended hours for evening visitation (open to public ’til 9PM) • LGBG MEMBER NIGHT • Informal tours of Historic Bloemendaal House (’til 8PM) • Knowledgeable garden hosts (’til 8PM) • Garden Shop extended hours (’til 7PM)

• Wine tastings at Bloemendaal House (6–8PM for those 21+ years with photo ID and purchased wine-tasting ticket); one free wine sample for LGBG members • Live music • Casual dinner fare at Bloemendaal House (for purchase)

Details at lewisginter.org (Garden info) and vagardenweek.org (statewide info).

Stephanie Gross

On Wednesday, April 24, Historic Garden Week features Laburnum Park homes and gardens. This lovely neighborhood is near the Garden, so bring your Garden Week ticket and save $1 on Garden admission that evening. Also enjoy these special opportunities on Wednesday, April 24 (only):

Horticulture Ginter Garners Golden Trowel

Albert brian Vick

Consider 12,454 pounds of fresh, nutritious vegetables - enough to fill the produce section of a grocery store!

That’s the cumulative total of last year’s Community Kitchen Garden harvests, which were contributed to FeedMore for distribution to hungry residents across central Virginia. In recognition of the significant donation, which is the equivalent of 9,580 meals, Tricycle Gardens* honored Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden with the 2012 Golden Trowel Award in the “Focus on Community” category. Congratulations and thanks to more than 300 volunteers, Community Kitchen Garden coordinator Brian Vick and research intern Laura Schumm.

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2013 Gardening Resolution Determine the cause of underperforming plants vs. arbitrarily adding fertilizer.

*Tricycle Gardens is a nonprofit organization focused on bringing agriculture, nutrition education and healthy food access to the urban core of Richmond

These Plants Portray History Displays in the Community Kitchen Garden and Healing Garden are being enhanced through collaboration with the Thomas Jefferson Center for Historic Plants. The Center “collects, preserves, and distributes historic plant varieties and…centers on Thomas Jefferson’s horticultural interests and the plants he grew at Monticello.” The Garden is thrilled to incorporate and interpret plant interests of an American Founding Father!

Research Earns Recognition “I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.”

— Ruth Stout

Magnolia hybridist Bill Smith (a.k.a. “The Magnolia Man”) has produced a new magnolia cultivar: ‘Ginter Spicy White,’ which is described as a cross between Magnolia Tripetala ‘Bloomfield’ and Magnolia ‘R20-1’ (Magnolia sieboldii x M. ashei).

He developed the cultivar here at the Garden and named the tree in its honor. Now more than 7 years old, the tree grows in a test bed near the irrigation lakes behind the Conservatory. The tree bloomed for the first time last year, and its blossoms exuded a lemony-mint fragrance. ‘Ginter Spicy White’ was spotlighted in the Fall/Winter 2012 issue of “Magnolia,” which is the journal of the Magnolia Society International, and is being propagated for future commercial sale.

Smith’s work also was touted by Belgian horticulturist Jef Van Meulder of Arboretum Bokrijk in Belgium, who wrote: “We have planted a lot of grafted plants of your hybrids in the arboretum of Bokrijk (as an experience lot) together with a lot of seedlings of crosses you have made.”

It’s rewarding to hear that Smith and Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden are contributing to cutting-edge propagation that is recognized not only locally and regionally, but also internationally.

Bright Spots Weather impacts actual blooming times. See related note under A Million Blooms, page 6.

Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra spectabilis)

conservatory

Iris (Iris)

Why do collections matter?

By Grace Chapman, Director of Horticulture Did you know that botanical gardens are actually museums?

The big difference is that instead of having collections of artwork or historical objects, we have living collections. All of our plants are documented, numbered and tracked, just like other museum collections.

The Garden combines various types of plants into landscaped gardens to support its mission of educating the public and connecting them to the natural world. These gardens are designed for beauty, function, structure or theme, while the botanical garden itself is a place for visitors to view, enjoy and learn about the plants in a garden setting. The specimens in our collections are some combination of new, unusual, interesting, native, exotic or rare plants in beautiful, creative and sustainably managed settings.

Plants are added or removed based on our “Living Collections Policy,” which sets us apart from a display garden. The Policy provides protocols for plant acquisitions, deaccessioning, collecting, propagating and disseminating plant material. When adding to our collection, a plant must fit into a category of one (or more) of five core collections: • Historic Collections: Plants growing here during Grace Arents’ time.

• Stewardship Collections: Plants well adapted to our area, both native and non-native.

• Display Collections: Plants that inspire visitors and interpret our natural world.

• Economic Botany Collections: Plants providing crucial nourishment, healing or practical benefits to mankind.

• Natural Area Collections: Uncultivated grounds that are subject to spontaneous generation of native, as well as exotic plants. These areas are maintained by natural regeneration of the present vegetation and are controlled only for invasive species.

Expanded Collections!

This year, we are excited to add to our collection of living specimens, with the help of a few new donor-funded gardens. The Joan Van Arnam Memorial Azalea Walk will display evergreen and deciduous specimens of rhododendrons and azaleas in a rainbow of colors. The George Bragdon Daffodil Garden will show a spectacular display of spring-blooming daffodils, and also provide all-season interest and sensory plants in universally accessible raised beds. The Linda Simon Hosta Collection will enhance our woodland display with new hosta varieties in all shapes and sizes. Come check them out as the seasons progress!

Orchid (Phragmipedium)

Richmond Horticultural Association

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meets first Monday of each month, 1 p.m.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Visitors welcome.

Contact Norie Burnet, (804) 272-2663

Don Williamson

Chinese Fringe Flower (Loropetalum chinensis)

may

Don Williamson

april

Brad Alston

Don Williamson

march

“Flowers are conspicuous things, too colorful and appealing to be overlooked. One need not be an experienced naturalist to appreciate their aura of poetry.”

— Friedrich G. Barth

Garden Calendar

* Free for members and included with Garden admission Details at lewisginter.org

Major Events & Exhibits Orchids Galore!* A Love of Living Color Now–March 31

A Million Blooms* March 30–June 2

Escape from winter’s drab to a glorious spectrum of color and fragrance!

Organized around spectacular specimen plants, living walls and artful installations, this showcase of fascinating and diverse orchids is a must-see!

Don Williamson

Related family activities.

Sponsored in part by Dr. Arthur Burke and Mrs. Patricia R. St. Claire.

april

March Madness

Ginter in the Morning

NOW–Sunday, 31 Garden Members (only) enjoy 15% discount on purchases in Garden Shop, Cafe & Tea House.

TUESDAY, 2 Explore display gardens with a knowledgeable Garden Guide.

Free/Members; $15/Adults. Pre-registration required at lewisginter.org.

Cheers to Art

Visit often to enjoy spring’s succession of blooming beauties: March: Crocuses, hyacinths, flowering cherries April: Daffodils, tulips

Easter Weekend with Peter Rabbit SATURDAY, 30 & SUNDAY, 31 Both days Peter Rabbit greets visitors & poses for photos*.....................1–4PM Saturday Only Concert by the Richmond Concert Band*...........................2–3PM Sunday Only Tea House brunch……….10AM–3PM Reservations required, 262-9887, ext. 329; regular Garden admission.

SATURDAY, 6..................................2–5PM SUNDAY, 7.........................10AM–3:45PM Education and Library Complex Outstanding specimens, growers & experts on site.

Richmond African Violet Society Show* & Sale Sale: FRIDAY, 12........................1–5PM SATURDAY, 13 & SUNDAY, 14....9AM–5PM Show: SATURDAY, 13.................1–5PM SUNDAY, 14..............................9AM–5PM Visitors Center Atrium & Robins Room Interesting & unusual African violets on display & for purchase.

Open free to the public; regular admission for Garden visitation.

June: Lotuses, pitcher plants, roses

may Groovin’ in the Garden Concerts Various evenings, MAY–AUGUST Terraced Lawn Outdoor, ticketed events featuring variety of music. Rain or shine. Food & beverages (fee). No coolers please.

Performers & dates posted to lewisginter.org & Facebook once announced by promoter.

THURSDAY, 21..........................6–9:30PM

Virginia Daffodil Society Show*

May: Irises, peonies, azaleas

Weather impacts actual blooming times, so for updates check the Garden’s Facebook page or log on at http://bit.ly/bloomsbymonth.

april continued

brad Alston

6

march

Daily, 9 aM–5 pm

Ginter in the Morning Heritage Weekend at Historic Bloemendaal*

TUESDAY, 7 Details in April listing.

SATURDAY, 13 & SUNDAY, 14 Details page 3.

Seasonal Opening of WaterPlay* Saturday, 20 & Weekends..... 9AM–4:45PM Children’s Garden Weather permitting.

Details and tips at lewisginter.org/children.

Historic Garden Week in Richmond TUESDAY, 23–THURSDAY, 25 Details page 3.

Garden Week Celebration & LGBG Member Night* WEDNESDAY, 24 (only) Garden open ’til 9 p.m.

Details page 3.

LGBG Spring Plant Sale THURSDAY, 2........................ 1–6PM FRIDAY, 3........................ 9AM–5PM SATURDAY, 4.................. 9AM–3PM Parking Lot B Outstanding variety of plants, container plantings, garden ornaments & more!

Special focus: demonstration butterfly garden & mosquito-repelling plants.

Presented by LGBG volunteers.

Exhibits

may continued

Don Williamson

Spring Hours Garden Daily: 9AM–5PM April 24 of Historic Garden Week: 9AM–9PM Garden Shop Monday–Saturday: 10AM–5PM Sunday: 1–5PM April 24 of Historic Garden Week: 10AM–7PM

Mother’s Day Celebration SUNDAY, 12............................. 9AM–5PM Free outdoor concert*............1–4PM Tea House brunch..............10AM–3PM Live music, family fun & memory making! Tea House brunch (reservations required, 262-9887, ext. 329), informal Garden Cafe meals or a la carte dining in the Garden.

Regular Garden admission.

Armed Forces Day*

Garden Cafe Daily: 10AM–4PM Tea House Daily: 11:30AM–2:30PM Reservations, 262-9887, ext. 399

New!

WaterPlay in Children’s Garden Opens April 20 (weather permitting)

SATURDAY, 18................................1–2PM Concert by The Thomas Jefferson Cadet Corps Alumni Band.

Don Williamson

“Ginter Botanical Garden Synthesis” “Natural Kaleidoscope: Photographic Montages by Joan Rosenstein”* April 6–June 8, Ginter Gallery II, Education and Library Complex Abstract color photographs taken at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden are digitally manipulated to create complex mosaics of striking, enigmatic spaces.

“Butterflies LIVE!”* Friday, 24–Oct. 13 (daily)......9AM–5PM Conservatory North Wing Get up close & personal as hundreds of tropical butterflies feed, flutter & take flight.

See lewisginter.org for tips on best times to visit.

Experiment with new plants & combinations.

Pinwheels for Prevention Garden* April 1–30, Children’s Garden 3,000+ “planted” pinwheels represent children served this past year by Prevent Child Abuse Virginia’s Healthy Families program.

Recognizing Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Richmond Rose Society Show* SATURDAY, 25................................1–4PM SUNDAY, 26.......................11AM–3:30PM Education and Library Complex Auditorium Displays of specimen roses & seminars by consulting experts.

2013 Gardening Resolution

Adult Education Intriguing. Inspiring. Enjoyable. Sample the Adult Education opportunities at the Garden, and you’ll be glad you did! For a seasonal schedule, visit lewisginter.org/adult-education, or watch for the next catalog that will be mailed to members and printed in the April 3rd issue of “Style Weekly.”

“Lovely gardens— delightful tea room.”

— Review posted on Trip Advisor

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Children’s Garden

* Free for members and included with Garden admission.

Details at lewisginter.org.

Where children grow...

2013 Gardening Resolution

In the Children’s Garden, youngsters experience up-close and personal interactions with the natural world - not indoors as passive bystanders, but outdoors as active participants who touch, smell, taste and explore!

Share my garden’s wonders with a child, senior, neighbor.

New!

Orchids Galore! Family Activities* Now–March 31, Conservatory Details at lewisginter.org.

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Youth volunteerism in the Garden “is a great program where you get to work with nature, meet new people, learn new things about plants and the environment, get outside and get exercise, and have lots of fun.

I would highly recommend it.”

— Isabella, Youth Volunteer

Where’s Stickman?* April–October, Daily, 9AM–5PM He’s on the move! Look for clues as to his whereabouts at Facebook.com/lewisginter.

Garden Art Studio* April–October, Mondays, 1–3PM Children drop by to create, collaborate and artistically express their garden experiences.

Garden Explorations for Families Now–May, Tuesdays, 3:30–4:30PM Child with adult Guided program combines Garden exploration with creative play and fun-filled, hands-on activities.

Registration required. Fee. Program descriptions at lewisginter.org.

Drop-In Programs* April–October • Garden Art Studio • Drop-in and Dig • Good Green Fun • Breezeway Activities Schedules at lewisginter.org.

“The Best Birthday Ever” That’s how youngsters (and moms!) describe Children’s Garden birthday parties. They’re packaged for ease and packed with fun, including a 45-minute Garden Explorers program with a craft activity…and more! Reservations for select Sundays offered April–October on a first-reserved basis, for children ages 3–12.

Contact the Garden registrar at 262-9887, ext. 322.

...as they learn Spring Break Garden Adventures

“I recently attended a pre-service teacher workshop at the gardens and wanted to commend you.

I learned valuable information that I plan on integrating in my future classroom.

My instructors were absolutely wonderful and provided a great experience.

Thank you for all your hard work, it shows!”

Tuesday, April 2, 9AM–5PM Thursday, April 4, 9AM–5PM Fun with Fairies | Ages 5–7 Green Works | Ages 8–12 Where education, investigation and excitement never end!

Registration and details at lewisginter.org. Fee.

WaterPlay* Opens Saturday, April 20 Schedule and tips at lewisginter.org.

Green Adventure Summer Camps June–August, Select Mondays–Fridays, 9AM–NOON Transform summer boredom into enriching experiences!

Week-long day camps entertain as they educate youngsters of various ages and interests: • Growing Minds | Pre-Schoolers Age 4 (potty trained) | June 17–21 • Wow Your Senses! | Rising K | June 24–28 • Fairies In The Forest | Rising 1st Grader | July 8–12 • Amazing Adaptations | Rising 2nd & 3rd Grader | July 15–19 • Herbology 101 | Rising 4th & 5th Grader | July 22–26 • Adventures in Science | Rising 6th & 7th Grader | July 29–August 2 Space is limited, so reserve now at lewisginter.org. Fee.

Especially for Educators Select Saturdays, 9AM–2PM Step out of the classroom and into the garden to recharge your curriculum and renew yourself.

— Excerpts from note sent by Caitlin Ramsay, pre-service teacher working on her master’s degree in teaching at VCU

• Science in Your Schoolyard | 3rd–12th Grades | April 6 • Literacy in the Schoolyard | Pre-K–2nd Grades | April 27 • Forestry and Tree ID for Teachers | 3rd–12th Grades & Scout Leaders | May 4 Space is limited; visit lewisginter.org for details and online registration.

Summer Opportunities for Youth Volunteer when young, learn lessons that last a lifetime! Teens ages 13–18 assist in the Community Kitchen Garden, Children’s Garden and other areas as needed. They receive guided horticulture training, learn about local food systems, gain understanding of human–plant

interdependence and accumulate community service hours—all while exploring career options. What an awesome way to maximize summer vacation!

Find out more and apply at lewisginter.org/volunteers.

Related testimonial page 8.

ALBERT BRIAN VICK

June–August

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Rosarian Society Members

Don Williamson

Community Connections

Thank you, Rosarian Society members, for your valuable support.

March 31 marks the Garden’s fiscal year end, so there’s still time to demonstrate your support. We invite you to make your gift online at lewisginter.org or by calling 262-9887, ext. 311.

Want to enjoy the Garden to the fullest? Gather your group, club or gaggle of friends for a guided tour!

Visit lewisginter.org/groups/guided_tours or call 262-9887, ext. 322 for tour options, group rates and reservations (which are required).

SJ COLLINS PHOTOGRAPHY

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Ms. Susan H. Armstrong The Honorable and Mrs. Gerald L. Baliles Mr. and Mrs. Roger L. Boeve Mrs. George H. Bragdon Mr. and Mrs. Doug Bretz Mrs. Charles L. Brown Mr. and Mrs. J. Stewart Bryan III Dr. Arthur W. Burke, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Langdon T. Christian IV Mr. and Mrs. J. Harwood Cochrane Mr. Everett Fahy Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Farrell II Mr. Charles H. Foster, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Francisco Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Gottwald Mr. Bruce C. Gottwald, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Bruce C. Gottwald, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Floyd D. Gottwald, Jr. Mrs. John G. Hayes, Jr. Mr. William H. King, Jr. and Mrs. Grace DenHartog The Nathalie L. Klaus Charitable Trust Mr. and Mrs. Linwood Lacy, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Loupassi Mr. and Mrs. John A. Luke, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. E. Morgan Massey Mr. and Mrs. Ivor Massey, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. T. Justin Moore III Mr. and Mrs. Stanley F. Pauley Mrs. Virginia F. Redick Mr. and Mrs. John M. R. Reed Mr. David T. Richardson Ms. Sarah H. Richardson Mr. and Mrs. Edgar M. Roach, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Robertson III Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert M. Rosenthal Dr. and Mrs. Dennis J. Rudzinski Mr. and Mrs. Dave Shafer Mr. and Mrs. John W. Snow Mr. and Mrs. Richard P. Sowers III Mrs. Jane B. Spilman Virginia H. Spratley Charitable Fund II of The Community Foundation Mr. and Mrs. John C. Stanchina Mrs. Phyllis Cothran and Dr. Arnold L. Stolberg Mr. and Mrs. Addison B. Thompson Mr. and Mrs. Richard G. Tilghman Ms. Terry S. Tosh Mr. and Mrs. Marcus Weinstein Ms. Laura West Mr. and Mrs. John H. Wick III Mr. and Mrs. Daniel R. Wilkinson, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Williams Ms. Mary Denny Wray

Gala Co-Chairs Jennifer Rector (far left) and Peyton Wells (far right) pause with Honorary Co-Chairs Vickie and Dennis Belcher.

The latter, a partner at McGuireWoods, was instrumental in the founding of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in 1984.

“An Enchanting Evening Among Cherry Blossoms” More than 450 guests enjoyed the Garden’s ninth annual gala and fundraiser, Splendor Under Glass, on November 17, 2012. The cherry blossom theme coincided with the 2012 centennial of Japan’s gift of cherry trees to our nation’s capitol, and alluded to the Garden’s plans to create a Cherry Tree Walk around Lake Sydnor.

Guests were greeted by a teahouse scene featuring a geisha made of chrysanthemums in the art form known as Kiku Ningyo. The setting was adorned by Japanese-inspired vignettes, as well as a canopy of cherry blossoms, and unique floral displays artfully arranged by Ikebana of Richmond members. Meriwether Godsey catered the affair with exceptional flair.

The Presenting Sponsor was Bon Secours Virginia Health Systems. Supporting Sponsors included BB&T, CapitalOne Bank, Hourigan Construction, MeadWestvaco and McGuireWoods. Contributing Sponsors included Dominion Resources, New Market, Patient First and Wells Fargo.

Garden Shop, Social Media Made in the USA

Blenko Glass

The Garden Shop is brimming with newly arrived merchandise, and we know you’ll appreciate our buyers’ renewed efforts to spotlight American-made products.

Check out the Betsy Drake pillows; Baye Pottery vases and trivets; Neena J. Designs handmade vases imprinted with florals; and specialty items from Henrietta Glass.

Enhance your home decor with an exquisite vase from the Blenko Glass Company, which has crafted hand-blown glass in West Virginia since 1893.

Remember: now through March 31, March Madness offers a 15% discount on members’ purchases with member ID.

Hashtag #lewisginter When you see something interesting or beautiful, do you pull out your phone and take a photo on Instagram to share with friends? If you do, you’re not alone. Each month, thousands of photos are taken at the Garden, and hundreds are posted to Instagram with the #lewisginter hashtag. In fact, photos tagged #lewisginter are featured in a slideshow on the Garden’s website! What a great way to see the Garden through another visitor’s eyes – and for you to show off your awesome images. Plus, it’s easy-to-access “insider info” on what’s blooming RIGHT NOW at the Garden. View the photos at http://bit.ly/InstagramConnect.

2013 Gardening Resolution Keep a journal to record my thoughts and learn from my gardening endeavors.

Journals Journey to the Library NOW–March 31

Librarian Janet Woody describes nature journals as “a place to document your thoughts as you observe natural surroundings.

You might sketch a flower or seed pod, jot down words that come to mind, collect objects such as leaves or feathers or write about how it felt being in an outdoor setting.

Each is unique to the individual and doesn’t have to fit any set rules. They appeal to writers, artists, poets and anyone who enjoys being outdoors.”

SUSIE KOWALIK

The Garden’s 2013 theme, “A Natural Love Affair,” extends to the Lora Robins Library through “Nature Journaling.” This intriguing exhibit, curated by artist and journaling teacher Susi Kowalik, showcases pages from nature journals. These, as well as a number of books on nature journaling and a large collection of botanical art books, may inspire you to consider journaling!

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