Oh – you have GOT to go to the Sunflower Concerts!

Last week, at Friends First Friday, William Tonks told us about the acts that are scheduled this year at the Sunflower Music Series, held outdoors on Tuesday evenings in the Flower Garden. William created the Sunflower Music Series 11 years and 35 concerts ago, shortly after he became a staff member of The State Botanical Garden of Georgia. He has booked the many acts, usually artists involved in the Athens Music Scene, a scene that he has been a part of for decades. Tonks has played with Bloodkin, Barbara Cue, Redneck Greece De-lux and The Hot Burritos, plus releasing his own CD a few years ago. His insights into this year’s acts puts a season ticket purchase on the must-do list! Here’s why:

June 12 – Randall Bramblett; Whisper Kiss opening

Bramblett (http://www.randallbramblett.com/) has recorded and toured with fellow Georgians Gregg Allman and Chuck Leavell (now the keyboardist for The Rolling Stones) and is presently concentrating on his solo albums when not performing as the touring sax player for Steve Winwood. Randall has experience and talent and is known for his songwriting and musicianship. Expect rock, blues and jazz in this performance.

Whisper Kiss is an acoustic trio with pretty harmony singing (here’s a YouTube video from last year.)

July 10 – Romper Stompers; Danielle Howle opening

This was the act with the funny name that everyone put onto their calendar after William Tonks described the group and played a few songs. Athens’ Widespread Panic is one of the top grossing 100 touring acts in this country, and Tonks has teamed up with Todd Nance from Widespread Panic, Jon Mills from Barbara Cue, and Danny Hutchens of Bloodkin, who he described as ‘one of the best songwriters ever to come out of Georgia.’ They will be joined by Widespread Panic’s percussionist Sunny Ortiz. These seasoned rock stars came together to create a rock band for kids, one that adults enjoy listening to and kids can relate to. All this talent, singing about snow days and sweet peas! “We get a great response from childish grownups,” Tonks chuckles, “but the messages are there for kids when they can hear the words.”

Danielle Howle is feisty, funny and smart and has opened for the Indigo Girls and Ani deFranco.



August 28 – Grogus

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. You just want to 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.



September 25 – Arvin Scott Quartet

Athens is known for its music, but not necessarily jazz. But there is one Athens resident who is world-renowned as a jazz musician: drummer/percussionist Arvin Scott, who will deliver an uplifting World Beat/Jazz performance with his quartet. The mood will be perfect, since this late September concert will have an earlier nightfall and cooler temperatures.



Each of the two-hour concerts begins at 7 p.m. on the stage of the State Botanical Garden’s terraced Flower Garden. 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.



Tickets are $15 each, $10 for Friends of the Garden members and $5 for children ages 6-12. Have you heard enough to commit to season tickets? Season tickets for all four concerts are $50, $35 for Friends and $15 for children ages 6-12. Admission to each concert includes beverages and light snacks. 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.



The Sunflower Music Series is sponsored by Friends of the Garden, Northeast Sales Distributing, Inc., Athens Coca-Cola, Musicians Warehouse, Flagpole and WUGA 91.7/97.9.
Click here to read the UGA Press Release.

Fun events and classes at the Garden in early June!

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Introducing the Common Plant Families of Georgia

Saturday, June 2 from 8:30 am -12:30 pm.

Attend any wedding and you’re bound to spot some family resemblances along the pews. Wander through a garden and, if you are observant, you’ll see family resemblances there too. You might not know the name of the plant but you’ll be able to pick out its relatives and be well on your way to learning its ID. In this workshop we will spend time learning about some common plant families, recognizing their characteristics in the classroom or garden, and giving you the skills to rapidly identify the unknown plants that you might run across. This class is also an opportunity to get to know Dr. Wilf Nicholls, the Garden's new(ish) Director, who is known for his entertaining and accessible talks and classes (guaranteed the morning will fly by with lots of laughs.) $50 ($45 members) FYI - This is a Certificate in Native Plants class, so if you have been thinking about going after the certificate, this is a good introduction. You are welcome to take the class whether or not you are registered in the CNP program. Call 706-542-6156 to register or go online at botgarden.uga.edu.



Connecting Stories and Passions: A Creative Workshop

Saturday, June 2, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon.

Writing, art, and nature are all touchpoints to stir creative souls. Connecting Stories and Passions: A Creative Workshop will explore ways to create and connect to stories and passions from our lives on Saturday, June 2, 9:00 am – 12:00 noon. By using several writing and drawing techniques, participants create mini-sensory journals focused on experiences with nature, write brief narratives that deepen a sense of personal story, and explore ways to play with language through poetry and visual art. Taught in the Gardenside Room in the lower level of the Visitor Center/Conservatory of The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens, students can gather inspiration from expansive garden views while at this three hour workshop.

Instructor Carlyn C. Maddox teaches and writes in Athens, Georgia. She has a M.A. in creative writing from Florida State University and has presented Writing and Healing workshops for statewide and national addiction conferences. Her writing manual, Voicing the Scars, is forthcoming.

Register for this $40 workshop ($35 for Friends members) by calling 706-542-6156 or online at botgarden.uga.edu.



Cooking in the Garden: Summer Salads and Stir Fry

Tuesday, June 5, 6:00-8:00 pm

$36 (Friends members $30) -- Limited to 40 people.

The cooking demonstration will be taking place in the Gardenside Room (see menu below with highlighted herbs). The fee includes dinner, demonstration, recipes, and drinks. We will close registration on Friday, June 1. Registration is open online or by calling 706-542-6156.

Come sit down for a nice dinner and cooking demonstration in the Garden. Dr. Tim Dondero, Executive Chef, Dondero’s Kitchen, will be preparing fresh items from the Garden. Coffee and tea will be provided but feel free to bring a beverage of your own choice.

Menu:

Bruschetta with gorgonzola, honey and shredded basil—appetizer (Genovese basil)

Watermelon and feta salad with lemon and herb-infused oil (Lemon and lemon thyme)

Spring mix greens with herbed balsamic vinaigrette (Marjoram and mint)

Pollo alle erbe (Italian Stir-fried Chicken with fresh herbs and white wine) (Fennel, oregano, rosemary) ---

White (wine) sangria with fruit and herbs (Tarragon, lavender, fennel, mint)



****Vegan options with bruschetta without gorgonzola and spring mix salad and sangria



Daylilly Show and Sale

North Georgia Daylily Society presents its 20th annual Daylilly Show and Sale in the Visitor Center/Conservatory on Saturday, June 9.



Free Afternoon Concert in the Visitor Center/Conservatory– Classic V Brass Quintet

Sunday, June 10 from 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Bring the entire family out for a garden stroll, lunch at Donderos’ kitchen – and a lively, free concert by the Classic V Brass Quintet. This group is only 2 years old, but has been active playing throughout the community. Now you can hear them in our air-conditioned conservatory, playing marches, dance music, medleys and Baroque music.

Go Behind the Scenes with our Research & Conservation Department

I spent an hour chatting with a couple staff members in our Research & Conservation Department yesterday and was amazed at all they do statewide. The small research & conservation staff at The State Botanical Garden of Georgia has made a major impact safeguarding and restoring habitats and rare and endangered plants by working with many landowners, volunteers and organizations throughout Georgia and the Southeast.  Tuesday evening you can hear all about it - and take a free insider's tour of our new Center for Native Plant Studies. So join us for

Plant Conservation Day—A Behind the Scenes Tour

on Tuesday, May 15 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. We will meet at the Powerline cut parking lot near the Middle Oconee River (we will put a sign out, but if you get lost, just come to the Visitor Center and we will give you directions.)
Plant Conservation Day was started in 2001 by the Association of Zoological Horticulture (AZH), and has been actively celebrated by zoos throughout the United States since then. In 2006, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) partnered with AZH to help expand Plant Conservation Day celebrations to botanic gardens. For more information call 706-542-6156.

 

World-renowned violinist Robert McDuffie to perform Vivaldi’s Four Seasons with the McDuffie Center for Strings Orchestra of Mercer University

Free concert in a tropical conservatory on April 25th.
We are excited about this concert at the Garden. Yesterday a woman called me from Atlanta and said she was thrilled to hear about the concert, because she heard Robert McDuffie perform in Europe and was a great fan. Here is our press release, telling you all the details. Just make sure you call in a reservation, because seating is limited.

Students and faculty from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings, Mercer University, Macon will perform Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s Visitor Center & Conservatory on Wednesday, April 25, 2012.

Founded as a special institute within Mercer University’s Townsend School of Music, the McDuffie Center for Strings is a highly selective program that prepares string students for success in the real world. Enrollment is limited to twelve violinists, six violists, six cellists and two double bassists. This exceptional evening will feature the gifted students in this program. This Botanic Musicale concert is part of a series created in honor of Neva Langley Fickling, whose talent as a pianist helped her become the only Miss Georgia to wear the Miss America crown. Neva has performed as a guest soloist with the Macon, Atlanta, Utah, and Benevento, Italy, Symphony Orchestras and given numerous recitals.

Highlighting the evening will be Robert McDuffie, a Grammy-nominated violinist who founded the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings and serves as distinguished university professor of music at Mercer University. McDuffie has appeared as soloist with most of the major orchestras of the world, including the New York and Los Angeles Philharmonics, Santa Cecilia Orchestra of Rome, Venice Baroque Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony, Orquesta Sinfonica Nacional de Mexico, and all of the major orchestras of Australia. He has been profiled on NBC’s “Today”, “CBS Sunday Morning”, PBS’s “Charlie Rose”, A&E’s “Breakfast with the Arts”, and in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Performing on the harpsichord, Elizabeth Pridgen, the G. Leslie Fabian piano chair in music at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings, has distinguished herself as a soloist and chamber musician and has appeared as soloist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Rome Symphony Orchestra, and DeKalb Symphony Orchestra. She performs regularly at festivals, including the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival, the Rome Chamber Festival in Rome, Italy, the Strings Music Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, and the Madison Chamber Music Festival in Madison, Georgia.

This concert is free to the public, but with limited seating. Advance tickets may be reserved by calling 706-542-6014. The concert begins at 7:00 pm and is followed by a reception in the Gardenside Room.

Restoring Native Habitat

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens is developing The Center for Native Plant Studies within the Garden to develop methods for propagating and growing native plants, research endangered and other native plants, and work on habitat restoration. Several acres of privet were cleared last fall as an initial step toward restoring the biodiversity of the floodplain forest understory. You can see in this photo that light returns to the forest floor in the areas where the dense evergreen privet is removed. We were pleased to see trillium, mayapple, corydalis and wild geranium pop up in that area this spring.

Botanical Garden staff are working with UGA classes to determine the best way to restore this habitat, with the goal of developing a template for landowners and government agencies to reclaim lands overrun by privet and other invasive species. On Tuesday, May 15, from 5:30 – 7:00 pm, the Garden’s Research & Conservation Department is leading a free behind the scenes tour of the Center for Native Plant Studies. Meet at the powerline cut parking lot near the Middle Oconee River. For more information call 706-542-6156.

Looking for a different way to spend the evening? Why not dance among the palms?

Free Cha-Cha Lesson on March 27th!

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia recently opened its Visitor Center to the public on Tuesday evenings so people could experience the Garden at a different time of day.
“Evenings are a special time to come and visit. In the Conservatory or out in the gardens, there are scents and sounds and an atmosphere totally different from the daylight hours” explains garden director Wilf Nicholls. “Every Tuesday night, the Visitor Center with Dondero’s Kitchen and the Garden Shop will be open and we are planning all sorts of different events to draw people to the garden.”
One upcoming event will be an opportunity for people to learn a new dance inside the great room of the Visitor Center & Conservatory. On March 27, 2012 at 6:30 Ron Putman will be teaching the cha-cha to couples and singles who have always wanted to try a dance class. This free event will start with a demonstration of the cha-cha, then Putman will teach basic steps and variations. “In an hour participants can be dancing the cha-cha to Latin music, Maroon 5 or Lady Gaga” says Putman.
Now a professional instructor and an award-winning competitive dancer, Ron has competed in several states and two countries with four professional and three amateur partners. When not competing, Ron teaches Ballroom, Swing and Country dance as well as wedding choreography to individuals, couples and groups. On April 1st, 2012 Putman will be performing with Barbara Dooley at the Classic Center in Dancing with the Athens Stars 2012, a fundraiser for ProjectSafe.

Mark your calendars - Major Plant Sales in Athens area on April 14th!

Plantapalooza:
The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, The UGA Horticulture Club and
The Trial Gardens at UGA Combine Spring Plant Sales in Athens on April 14th

Athens, Georgia, the hotspot of horticulture, is home to outstanding public gardens, including The State Botanical Garden of Georgia and The Trial Gardens at UGA, as well as many specialty nurseries, the top school in horticulture, and horticulture celebrities. Athens has long been a travel destination for plant enthusiasts, but on Saturday, April 14, 2012 many gardeners will journey to Athens to attend Plantapalooza at the State Botanical Garden, the UGA Horticulture Club and The Trial Gardens at UGA. A wide array of garden plants that thrive in the Southeast will be available at each location from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, along with horticulturists, volunteers and Master Gardeners to help with plant selections. Admission is free for all plant sales.

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia (botgarden.uga.edu), headquarters of the Georgia Gold Medal Plant Program (www.georgiagoldmedalplants.org), will have Gold Medal plants noted among its broad selection of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, herbs, vegetables, and more. This sale will also offer many native plants grown at the State Botanical Garden. The Garden Gift Shop and Donderos’ Kitchen (serving coffee drinks and a selection of handmade breakfast and lunch items) will be open.

The Trial Gardens at UGA grows and tests the newest annuals and perennials from plant breeders throughout the world and will offer unique plants that are difficult to find anywhere else in the state. Dr. Allan Armitage will be available to sign his books (which will be for sale) and lead tours of the Trial Garden (www.ugatrialgardens.com). Profits from all sales help fund research and student employees in the gardens.

The UGA Horticulture Club will be selling a wide range of garden and landscape plants near the intersection of Riverbend Road and College Station Road. Profits from all sales fund projects for students in the Horticulture program.

Gardeners who participate in the 2012 Plantapalooza will be able to get a special card stamped to receive discounts in many area nurseries. Each participating retailer will have a drawing for $25 worth of plants for Plantapalooza participants. Directions and information about participating retailers are available online at ugatrialgardens.com. Information on Athens hotels and attractions can be found at www.VisitAthensGA.com.

Participating retailers:

Cofer's Home and Garden Showplace
1145 Mitchell Bridge Road, Athens
(706) 353-1519, cofers.com

Goodness Grows
332 Elberton Road, Lexington
(706) 743-5055, goodnessgrows.com

Specialty Ornamentals
3650 Colham Ferry Road, Watkinsville
(706) 310-0143, specialtyornamentals.com

Thomas Orchard and Nursery
6091 Macon Highway, Bishop
(706) 769-5011, thomasorchardsandnursery.com

Thyme After Thyme
550 Athens Road, Winterville
(706) 742-7149, thymeafterthyme.com

Wildwood Specialty Nursery
4970 Lexington Road, Athens
(706) 201-6559, wildwoodspecialtynursery.com

Wolfskin Nursery
10325 Double Bridges Road, Winterville
(706)543-5051.


Site Locations:

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia botgarden.uga.edu
2450 S. Milledge Avenue, Athens

The Trial Gardens at UGA www.ugatrialgardens.com
220 W Green Street, Athens behind Snelling Dining Hall

The UGA Horticulture Club www.hortclub.uga.edu
near the intersection of Riverbend Road and College Station Road