2nd Annual Bluestems & Bluejeans Native Plant Sale and Family Event

Adding to your garden this fall? Consider adding native plants to your garden. They are well suited for the area, are an important food source for birds and pollinating insects, and can add color and beauty to your garden. The perfect place to find these special plants is the State Botanical Garden of Georgia (2450 S. Milledge Avenue, Athens) on Saturday, October 5. The Bluestems & Bluejeans Native Plant Sale will be held from 9 am to 2 pm. But this free event is much more than a plant sale. There will be an opportunity to tour the Garden’s new Piedmont prairie area and tour the Mimsie Lanier Center for Native Plant Studies, plus there will be special activities for children from 10 am to 1 pm. For more information call 706-542-9353. To help you with your shopping list, the Garden has posted the list of over 200 species that will be available at this sale at www.botgarden.uga.edu. More information on this event can also be found at this website.

Gold in Your Garden Symposium and Plant Sale at State Botanical Garden of Georgia

The biennial Gold in Your Garden symposium will be held from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia on September 12, 2013. Four speakers will be teaching participants how to design with and grow Georgia Gold Medal Plants, a palette of beautiful, reliable, easy-to-grow plants for Georgia gardens. “Designing with Gold: Creating a Garden for Year-round Interest” will be the keynote talk by Erica Glasener, who received the Garden Media Award from the Perennial Plant Association and an “Award of Excellence” from the Garden Writers Association of America for her work on HGTV’s A Gardener’s Diary. Glasener has authored and co-authored many gardening books, including books specific to gardening in Georgia. Dottie Myers, of Dottie Myers and Associates, Decatur, will speak on “Favorite Gold Medal Plants and Their Best Use.” Myers has grown Georgia Gold Medal plants in many client gardens in the Atlanta area and will share experiences, design and culture advice for specific plants. Horticulturist Mike Sikes of Athens will speak on “New Cultivars of Past Winners,” updating the audience on the latest cultivars of proven Gold Medal winners. Sikes discusses these cultivars with breeders, growers, fellow garden writers and Master Gardeners and travels to nurseries and gardens around the world to stay up-to-date on the horticulture industry. Matt Whiddon, President of Columbus in Color in Columbus, GA, will discuss “Color in the Garden” and how to use Georgia Gold Medal Plants to add life to your landscape. Cost is $60 in advance or $70 at door and includes lunch. The plant sale will be from 10:30 to 3:00 in front of the Callaway Building and is open to all, whether or not attending this symposium. Find out more about the Georgia Gold Medal Symposium at www.botgarden.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-1244. The State Botanical Garden of Georgia is located at 2450 S. Milledge Avenue, Athens.

Grogus Outdoor Concert under a Full Moon on August 20

Athens, GA - Grogus will perform the next concert in the Sunflower Music Series at The State Botanical Garden of Georgia (2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens) on Tuesday evening, August 20. The two-hour concert begins at 7 p.m. on the stage of the terraced Flower Garden. A crowd favorite, Grogus will play Latin jazz, traditional Cuban and Caribbean styles and funk versions of jazz standards. They are past recipients of the Flagpole Athens Music Award in both the Jazz and World Music categories. They just make you feel good, listening to the upbeat lyrics and tempo, so kick off your shoes and dance in the super-soft grass in front of the stage. Grogus has been part of the Sunflower Music Series for years, creating a joyful dance party on the lawn. Tickets are $15 each and $5 for children ages 6-12. Admission to each concert includes beverages and light snacks. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets and picnic dinners or purchase dinner from Donderos’ Kitchen. Lawn chairs are only allowed for those with physical limitations. In case of inclement weather, the concerts will be held inside the Visitor Center and Conservatory. For information on the concert series or to purchase tickets, call 706-542-1244. Tickets also may be purchased at the Garden Gift Shop or Wuxtry Records in Athens. The Sunflower Music Series is sponsored by Friends of the Garden, Northeast Sales Distributing, Inc., Athens Coca-Cola, Musicians Warehouse, and Flagpole.

Gold in Your Garden Symposium and Plant Sale - September 12

It’s time for the biennial Gold in Your Garden symposium, teaching us how to design with and grow Georgia Gold Medal Plants, a palette of beautiful, reliable, easy-to-grow plants for Georgia gardens. This year’s speakers include Dottie Myers, Matt Whiddon, and Mike Sikes. Keynote speaker Erica Glasener received the Garden Media Award from the Perennial Plant Association and an “Award of Excellence” from the Garden Writers Association of America for her work on HGTV’s A Gardener’s Diary. She has authored and co-authored many gardening books. Find out more about this symposium at www.botgarden.uga.edu or by calling 706-542-1244. 8:30 am – 3:00 pm, $60 in advance, $70 at door. 
The plant sale will be in front of the Callaway Building from 10:30am-3:00pm and is open to all, whether or not you attend this symposium.

Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance Receives National Award

The Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance (GPCA, gpca.uga.edu) was recently presented with the 2013 Award for Program Excellence at the American Public Gardens Association annual meeting in Phoenix, Ariz. Each year the Association honors one of its 500 members for innovation in developing programs and pioneering horticultural disciplines. GPCA joins recipients such as Missouri Botanical Garden, Smithsonian Institution, and Chicago Botanic Garden.


GPCA was created in 1995 by the State Botanical Garden, Call¬away Gar¬dens, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the Georgia Depart¬ment of Nat¬u¬ral Resources’ Nongame Conser¬va¬tion Sec¬tion, the U.S. For¬est Ser¬vice, and The Nature Conservancy of Georgia with the goal of creating a network for statewide conservation projects. The mission of GPCA is to facilitate partnerships among private and government agencies that have the knowledge, land, and resources to implement high-priority, science-based plant conservation and education projects statewide. The plant conservation priorities of the GPCA developed from the Georgia Natural Heritage Program’s Biotics database, and reflect the 'high-priority species' and 'high-priority habitats' outlined in the State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP).

Almost 20 years later, GPCA includes 31 gardens, organizations, universities, and agencies working together on more than 70 rare and endangered plant species throughout Georgia. These organizations, ranging from the US Fish & Wildlife Service to Zoo Atlanta, Georgia Power to the Chattahoochee Nature Center, and Georgia Botanical Society to Georgia Native Plant Society, are supported by the Botanical Guardians, a team of citizen volunteers recruited to help monitor and restore imperiled native plant populations. GPCA has been so successful in meeting conservation goals that several states have created their networks based on the Georgia model, including Alabama, North Carolina, Texas, and Arizona.

During the tenure of GPCA, critical mountain bog habitat has been restored to the point where multiple generations of rare plants have reproduced in the wild, a sure sign of conservation success. More than 55 rare plant species have been brought into cultivation, into temporary safeguarding at gardens for study. And more than 27 rare species have been planted into wild safeguarding sites on protected lands. Two species have been removed from the GPCA priority project list, because the populations on protected land are thriving in the wild in Georgia.

In support of GPCA for the 2013 Program Excellence Award, Peter White, Director of the North Carolina Botanical Garden, described the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance as “one of the best integrated conservation programs in the country, reaching across many individuals and institutions.”

“What you see in this program is robust and uplifting,” White added. “It is about plants in the wild. It is about plants in our hands, schools, and landscapes. It is about plants in botanical gardens. It is about germplasm samples stored for future use and as a last resort for conservation. It is about graduate student projects and public involvement and education at all levels. It is about people and the good they can do when they work together.”

GPCA Member Organizations:
Atlanta Botanical Garden
Augusta State University
Brenau University
Callaway Gardens
Chattahoochee Nature Center
Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
Columbus State University
Fort Valley State University
Georgia Botanical Society
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Georgia Department of Transportation
Georgia Exotic Pest Plant Council
Georgia Native Plant Society
Georgia Power
Georgia Southern Botanical Garden
Georgia Tech
Georgia Wildlife Federation
Joseph W. Jones Ecological Research Station
Kennesaw State University
Piedmont College
Southeastern Technical College
Shorter College
The Nature Conservancy of Georgia
TNC at Fort Benning
North Georgia College and State University
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia
The University of Georgia
USDA Forest Service
US Fish and Wildlife Service, Field Office
Valdosta State University Herbarium
Zoo Atlanta

Jennifer Ceska accepts the award on behalf of the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance at the 2013 annual conference in Phoenix. (From left, Ray Mims, APGA board member and Conservation Horticulturist of the U.S. Botanic Garden, D.C.; Jennifer Ceska; David Price, chair of the APGA Awards Committee and Director of Bok Tower Gardens, Fla.)

Photo by Darrylee Cohen of Haute Photography (Phoenix, Ariz.)

Sunflower Music Series

It’s almost summertime and that means the Sunflower Concert Series is just around the corner here at the State Botanical Garden. There is a great line up for you this year!


Shonna Tucker and Eye Candy will kick-off the series on Tuesday, June 4, with their debut performance at the Garden. Enjoy southern soul with pop overtones as the five piece band, including two original members of the Athens-based band Drive-By Truckers, gives you a night to remember.
www.shonnatucker.net

2006 Grammy nominee Caroline Aiken will return to the Garden stage to perform on Tuesday, July 9. The folk rock singer has toured with the Indigo Girls and Bonnie Raitt and released an impressive seven albums during her career.
www.carolineaiken.com

Get ready to dance! The annual favorites, Grogus, will be returning again this year on Tuesday, August 20, to perform a mixture of original and cover songs. From salsa to rumba this is sure to be a lively night.
www.myspace.com/grogus

World-renowned artist, Arvin Scott, will deliver a delightful show full of jazz with overtones of world music with his quartet on Tuesday, September 17. The jazz artist will play keyboard, drums, bass and guitar.

So bring a blanket and picnic basket with your favorite goodies or grab dinner at Dondero’s Kitchen at the Garden and settle in for a wonderful night of music!

Each concert is 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. on the stage of the State Botanical Garden’s terraced Flower Garden. Admission to each concert is $15 and includes light refreshments. Children’s tickets are also available. Tickets can be purchased at The Garden Shop, online, and at Wuxtry Records. Concerts will take place at the Visitor Center and Conservatory in case of inclement weather.

2013 Plantapalooza!

Plantapalooza!

Imagine a huge plant sale with the latest cultivars displayed beside heirloom and tried-and-true plants, just as spring is warming up and you are in the mood to garden. Now add a group of experts to help you with your plant selections – horticulturists, garden curators, UGA professors and Master Gardeners – and multiply that image by three. Welcome to Plantapalooza!, when three plant sales will happen at the University of Georgia in Athens on Saturday, April 6 from 8 am to 2 pm:

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia – 2450 S. Milledge Avenue

The Trial Gardens at UGA – 220 W. Green Street

UGA Horticulture Club – Intersection of College Station Road and Riverbend Road


Each sale offers a different experience and the opportunity to gather plants and information to help grow a beautiful garden. Trees, shrubs, annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables and more will fill the Visitor Center & Conservatory and its front and back plazas at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, with garden curators, horticulturists, and master gardeners in full force to help. UGA horticulture professors will share their knowledge at the UGA Horticulture Club sale. Allan Armitage will be offering tours and book signings at The Trial Gardens at UGA. All locations have free parking and the State Botanical Garden has a coffee/sandwich shop and garden-themed gift shop. More information is available at 706-542-6014 or plantapalooza.uga.edu.

Participants will receive a 5% discount stamp at each plant sale that can be used at the following local nurseries. All three stamps will add up to a 15% discount on full price plants during normal business hours that weekend:

Cofer’s Home and Garden Showplace     706.353.1519
1145 Mitchell Bridge Road, Athens

www.cofers.com

Goodness Grows     706.743.5055
332 Elberton Road, Lexington
www.goodnessgrows.com

Piccadilly Farms     706.769.6516
1971 Whippoorwill Road, Bishop
www.sites.google.com/site/piccadillyfarm

Specialty Ornamentals     706.310.0143

3650 Colham Ferry Road, Watkinsville
www.specialtyornamentals.com

Thomas Orchards and Nursery     706.769.5011

6091 Macon Highway, Bishop
www.thomasorchardsandnursery.com

Wildwood Specialty Nursery     706.613.3758

4970 Lexington Road, Athens

www.wildwoodspecialtynursery.com