Birmingham Botanical Gardens and Local Garden Clubs Reforest George Ward Park

Little Garden Club and Red Mountain Garden Club are teaming up with Birmingham Botanical Gardens and holding a tree planting ceremony at George Ward Park on Saturday, October 24 at 8 a.m. to reforest what is considered the gem of the Birmingham park system. The Garden Club of America (GCA) issued a challenge to its affiliated clubs across the nation to develop and enact a project in their local community focusing on trees to celebrate and honor 100th anniversary in 2013.

The Garden Club of America itself is doing a renovation project in New York City's Central Park, which was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, Sr. The city of Birmingham commissioned his son, Frederick Olmstead, Jr., to develop the Birmingham park system, beginning with the "naturalistic" Green Spring Park, now known as George Ward Park. Since the creation of the park, however, not one native seedling has been able to take root and mature because of the poor soil conditions and erosion problems in the park.

Henry Hughes, director of education at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, has been collecting and germinating blackjack oak, post oak and red hickory seeds from the older park trees for the past two years for future planting. Part of the project includes scattering clippings and brush throughout the park to regenerate the soil’s organic nutrients; it is believed that seeds from the native trees will eventually germinate naturally, initiating the forest’s self-regeneration over time. Birmingham Park and Recreation Board, the Glen Iris Neighborhood Association and Friends of George Ward Park are also contributing to the project.

Cocktails in The Gardens Music Lineup

THIS JUST IN: Cocktails in The Gardens has its best music lineup to date! Cocktails in The Gardens presented by smart center Birmingham is in its third season, and it keeps getting better.

Birmingham indie-acoustic rising star Matthew Mayfield kicks off the first of three Cocktails in The Gardens on August 13. Todd Simpson & Mojo Child bring the blues to The Gardens on September 10 with their flare for southern and classic rock. Birmingham darlings The White Oaks, best described as a unique gospel-inspired, indie garage band, take the stage October 8 for the last Cocktails in The Gardens.

Last year, over 1200 came out to enjoy the music, food, mixing, mingling and cocktails. The Gardens Cafe by Kathy G is catering the spread of hors d’oeuvres and signature drinks this year. Tickets are only $10, but members of The Gardens get in free.

Many thanks to this year's sponsors: smart center Birmingham at Crown Automobile, Live100.5, The Gardens Cafe by Kathy G, RealtySouth’s Young Realtors Council, Southeastern Attractions, Fox 6, Birmingham Magazine, Birmingham Home & Garden and Cool People Care.

Staff Retreat

The staff of Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens closed the office for the annual staff retreat on Friday, May 29. On our way to our destination, we stopped at a dive called Twix & Tween in Centreville, AL and enjoyed catfish, fried pickles, onion rings and their famous icebox pies. We then went to Perry Lake, an oxbow lake of the Cahaba River, a characteristically “Southern” swamp with bald-cypress and tupelo trees covered in Spanish moss and supporting clusters of the shrub Itea, still blooming, at their bases.

We owe a special thanks to the Cahaba River Society's Randy Haddock for giving us the tour and allowing us to explore the unique and beautiful swamp right off the Cahaba, at no cost to The Gardens.

Below are a few pictures of the fun 'field day.'

Click here to see more pics from our retreat on Flickr.

Spring Plant Sale 2009 - Most Successful Ever!

Despite a lingering financial crisis, last weekend's Spring Plant Sale was the most successful of all time. In its 40th year, Birmingham Botanical Gardens' annual sale brought in over $265,000 with nearly 7,400 visitors coming through the doors. There were more than 85,000 plants available with the Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' being the signature plant (which was clearly a hit, as it sold out on Saturday).

This massive undertaking was made possible by the hundreds of loyal and knowledgeable volunteers at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. As any volunteer-based organization can atest, these tireless workers are the heart and soul of Birmingham Botanical Gardens; from working events to sitting on committees to being field trip docents, our volunteers do it all.

Money earned at the Spring Plant Sale goes to Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens' education programs and activities. Friends' mission is to promote public knowledge and appreciation of plants, gardens, and the environment and to receive, raise and administer resources for these purposes. Some of these programs include Discovery Field Trips, Children's Summer Workshops, Adult & Family Classes and Horticultural Therapy. Last year more than 10,000 school children were able to take advantage of the free Discovery Field Trips to learn about science and nature.

Stay tuned for some fun videos and pics from the Spring Plant Sale

Class: Medicinal Plants of North America

Medicinal Plants of North America

Instructor: Tellur Fenner, Clinical herbalist/educator, Oakland, CA

North America is home to a diverse array of medicinal plants long valued for their therapeutic effects. We will explore both common and lesser known plants used historically and presently in American herbal practice. Indoors, we’ll discuss the basic taxonomical and phytochemical characteristics of selected plant families.

Outdoors, we’ll observe many species of medicinal plants of the southeast U.S. Preparation methods, harvesting ethics, and botanical safety issues will be addressed. We’ll conclude with a simple medicine-making demonstration.

Details
Sunday, March 22
Noon – 5 p.m.
$40 Members/$80 Non-Members
www.bbgardens.org

Spring Plant Sale

Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Spring Plant Sale
Set For First Frost Free Day

Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Spring Plant Sale is set for Thursday, April 16 through Sunday, April 19. The average annual date of frost-free temperatures in Alabama is April 15 which makes Spring Plant Sale perfectly timed for worry-free planting. The Gardens’ annual sale is the largest in the state of Alabama with more than 85,000 plants for sale.

Free to the public, the annual sale is The Gardens’ largest event of the year. Last year thousands from around Alabama the Spring Plant Sale saw tens of thousands of plants sold and raised more than $200,000 for education programs.

While so much national attention is focused on economic hardships and financial troubles Spring Plant Sale is not only free, but many plants start at just $2. Spring is a great time to plant gardens and there will be a vast selection of herbs and vegetables. The signature plant is the award-winning, drought-tolerant Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost', a hybrid plant only in its second year.

Susan Grimes and the Horticultural Therapy program will also sell pet grass and catnip to help raise awareness and money for the program, one of The Gardens’ best kept secrets. Horticultural Therapy utilizes gardens and the practice of gardening as a modality suitable for a diverse population that includes people of all ages with intellectual or developmental disabilities, physical limitations, mental or emotional impairment. Susan works with clients from all over the Greater Birmingham area, including United Cerebral Palsy, Children’s Hospital, Exceptional Students at Hewitt-Trussville High School, and retirees at The Oaks and Kirkwood.

Hours
Thursday, April 16
Preview Party* from 5-6:30 p.m.
*$45 in advance and $50 at the door

Friday, April 17
9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Saturday, April 18
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Sunday, April 19
11 a.m.-3. p.m.

For more information about Spring Plant Sale, please contact Event Coordinator Shelly McCarty at 414.3965 or smccarty@bbgardens.org. If you're interesting in volunteering for this huge fundraising event, contact Volunteer Coordinator Carolyn Snow at 414.3962 or csnow@bbgardens.org.