Orchid Madness 2016

Orchid Madness

This February is all about Orchids at the Garden!  Orchid Madness is back for its second year and for 2016 it’s taking over the whole month!

Orchid Madness 2015 display.

Orchid Madness is an annual fundraiser for the Horticulture program allowing us to expand our plant collections.  Attendees have the option of buying an all access pass for $80 or attend any of the individual events.  Register here.

Orchid Madness Opening Reception

Saturday, February 6                             6:00-8:00 pm

Visitor Center & Conservatory             Price: $50

Enjoy a wine and cheese reception with live music and very special orchids on display.  The orchids displayed will be from private collections and only available for viewing that evening.

Orchid Madness: Orchid Repotting

Saturday, February 13                                      10:00 am

Visitor Center                                                   Price: $15

The Northeast Georgia Orchid Society is leading this workshop, where attendees can bring up to two plants and containers and work with an expert to repot their plants.

Orchid Madness: Orchid Class

Saturday, February 20                                       10:00 am

Visitor Center                                                    $10

Join our orchid class to learn about orchids and their care from the Northeast Georgia Orchid Society.

Orchid Madness: Vanilla Sunday

Orchid Madness 2015

Sunday, February 28                                          4:30 pm

Visitor Center & Conservatory                          $20

Did you know that vanilla flavoring is extracted from the pods of an orchid plant? Let’s celebrate the vanilla bean orchid with treats like a vanilla martini or dessert from Freddy's Frozen Custard!

We look forward to seeing you there!

Support the Garden during this Holiday Season

Support the Garden during this Holiday Season  

This is a season of giving. As you give to those you care about, you can support the Garden too. Here are a few ways that you can give to the State Botanical Garden while you give to others: 

Ornaments currently available in the Garden Gift Shop.

- Shop at the Garden Gift Shop. It is filled with holiday décor, jewelry, books, educational toys, stationery, locally made handcrafts, and so much more! Not only that, but you will be gifting yourself a relaxing shopping experience, with free parking, friendly volunteers to assist, and unique gift items.

- Give a membership to Friends of the Garden, which includes a quarterly newsletter, discounts on classes and gift shop purchases, and free or reduced admission to other gardens throughout the country.

Orchid Madness 2015

- Encourage a friend to grow by gifting a class. Or help someone choose a gift for you by asking for a class you want to take. For ideas look at Beekeeping for Beginners, which starts December 13, the Native Plant Symposium on January 20, this cookingclass, or this drawing class series. What about combining a blooming orchid with an All Access Pass to Orchid Madness for a special gift?

- We are on AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com) and if you are too – and choose the Friends of the State Botanical Garden as your charity – then 0.5% of your purchases will support the Garden. Imagine what a difference that could make if dozens of us signed up!

State Botanical Garden of Georgia Celebrates National Pollinator Week with Pollinator Webinar and Walk

Across the globe, people will be celebrating Pollinator Week June 15 - 21. In Georgia, the State Botanical Garden in Athens will anticipate Pollinator Week with a webinar on June 9 featuring renowned pollinator expert, Dr. Stephen Buchmann, followed by a flower and pollinator walk around the Garden led by naturalists Dale Hoyt and Linda Chafin.

Black Swallowtail Butterfly visiting Obedient Plant along the Altamaha River.

  Photo by James Holland.

Dr. Buchmann is an entomologist and Adjunct Scientist at the University of Arizona, as well as the International Director for the Pollinator Partnership, the largest organization in the world dedicated exclusively to the protection of pollinators and their ecosystems. He is the author of two books, “The Forgotten Pollinators” and “The Reason for Flowers.” Dr. Buchmann’s online presentation will explore the complex relationships between plants and pollinators and discuss the global threats to pollinator health.

Providing pollinator habitat has been a focus of the Botanical Garden for years. “The Flower Garden was created seven years ago to be a pollinator garden,” said Shelly Prescott, Director of Horticulture at the State Botanical Garden. “The Bee Pasture especially provides year-round forage for bees. But really, all of the Botanical Garden is focused on increasing pollinator habitat and the number of pollinators.”

Pollinator Week started eight years ago with a designation of National Pollinator Week by the U.S. Senate and the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. It has since grown into an international celebration of the importance of pollinators. Without pollinators, 30% of our food crops would disappear, including most of the fruits and vegetables that Americans love. Pollinators support the plants that clean the air, stabilize soils, buffer severe weather events, and support other wildlife.

In his annual Proclamation of National Pollinator Week, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack states that pollinators “are essential partners of farmers and ranchers in producing much of our food supply” and “provide significant environmental benefits for healthy, diverse ecosystems.”

The webinar will be held from 1:00 - 2:00 pm on Tuesday, June 9, in the Administration Building auditorium at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, followed by an hour-long walk through the Pollinator Garden. Both the webinar and walk are free but the public is asked to register at http://tinyurl.com/sbgpollinate.