Crafting for the Holidays

As we head into the holiday season the Botanical Gardens is gearing up for some fun crafting events in December!

First, on Thursday, December 6, we have two sessions for you to prepare and take home several small containers of lotions, salves and lip balms, all perfect ideas for the holidays!  You will leave with a great deal of knowledge to create your own goodies at home.
Session 1 will be held from 9-11 am and session 2 from 5:30-7:30 pm.  This event is $27.

Get ready on Friday, December 7, to learn how to make a live wreath at the Greenery Wreaths Workshop!  Participants will use greenery collected from the Garden and wire frames to build wreaths that will last through the holiday season.  Please bring your pruning shears.
The workshop will be held 5:30-7:30 pm and is $27.

On Thursday, December 20, come out and make your own holiday centerpiece!  Make sure to bring your favorite container and pruning shears and the Garden will provide a range of materials for you to use for your design.  The event will be held from 9 am- 12 pm and is $27.

So grab your friends and family and join us as we celebrate this wonderful time of year.

Please visit botgarden.uga.edu for more information.

Holiday Open House Sunday, December 2, 2012

The community is invited to celebrate the holidays at the State Botanical Garden of Georiga’s annual Holiday Open House and enjoy free, family-friendly entertainment in the decorated tropical conservatory. Holiday music by the Georgia Children’s Chorus, the Solstice Sisters, and the Classic City Band will fill the room. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available for photographs and wishes from 2-5, with photography available from Mark Parsons Photography.



Children can enjoy puppet shows that will teach them about nature. Parents can browse through the Garden shop for ornaments and gifts and visit Donderos’ Kitchen to indulge in house-made hot chocolate and treats.


Musical performances will begin with the Georgia Children’s Chorus from 2:15-3, followed by the Solstice Sisters 3:15-3:50, and concluding with the Classic City Band from 4-5. Puppet shows will be offered at 2:30, 3:30, and 4:30 in the Children’s Classroom.  Come out with the family and enjoy an afternoon of fun with us!


For more information please call 706-542-1244 or visit botgarden.uga.edu. The event is free to the public.

An Unforgettable Run

 

This is a guest blog post by UGA student Maggie Harrelson.

I can feel the slight breeze moving along with me as I watch the leaves fall around me with each step. I keep thinking I have found my own private path to run on until I see an occasional passerby. Before I know it, I have completed my routine run at the State Botanical Gardens of Georgia.

 

I had one of Georgia’s most captivating sites at my back door, and it took me until my sophomore year at the University of Georgia to finally explore the gardens.

 

After deciding to start my millionth diet for the year, my roommate convinced me to go on a run with her on one of the trails at the Botanical Garden. I honestly was not too thrilled about our planned run, but I was on my “diet” so I agreed to go with her.

 

Once we arrived at the Garden, we made our way to the White Trail and started our run. We kept a slow pace to take in the early spring weather and to figure out the path. I quickly began to forget that I was exercising, and I focused my attention on my surroundings.

The path was challenging, but I was so distracted by the scenery that I did not even care how much longer we had till we were done. We would come across the river or a rugged area of the trail, and we would take a quick break and walk the path.

 

When we made it to the end of the trail, we were surprised to find that we had covered three miles during our run. We were so excited about our discovery of an enjoyable workout that we made a point to keep the Garden as a habitual part of our college life.

 

In the weeks that followed I became more familiar with the Botanical Garden and realized it had several different attractions.

 

The Botanical Garden features several different types of gardens for its visitors including an amazing indoor garden that features water fountains and tropical plants.

 

A café can also be found at the visitor’s center, and it has free WiFi which makes for an ideal place to study.

Believe it or not, you can avoid having to fight for a study room just to find a quiet area to concentrate.

 

One of the best stories I have heard about the Garden was from a friend recently that told me about the “perfect date” her boyfriend surprised her with. He drove her to the Garden and took her on one of the trails to find a picnic set up by the river.

 

After hearing her story, the Garden did seem like the perfect place to have the perfect date with the perfect guy. Let’s all hope her boyfriend has brothers.

 

While I can’t promise a perfect date for everybody’s first experience at the Garden, I can say that it will be a memorable one. It is a landmark of Athens that we have the privilege of experiencing, so take a little time out of this picturesque fall season to visit!

Family Day: Celebrating Africa!

Come to the Visitor Center at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia Saturday morning – November 3^rd - from 10 a.m. to noon. As part of the UGA African Studies Institute 25^th anniversary celebration, the Garden, the African Studies Institute and the Georgia Museum of Art are coming together to Celebrate Africa!  

 

At this family friendly event, visitors will have the opportunity to explore African culture, plants, cuisine and art through an African dance class, storytelling and much more. Children can make their own African drum or a bracelet, learning as they have fun. Listen to a storyteller or drummer (none other than the very talented Arvin Scott!) Dancers will spend time with curious children, teaching them a few moves after the dance performance. The whole event is only two hours long, so don’t miss a minute! Here is the schedule for Saturday:

Performance Schedule (upstairs)

10:00   Drumming - Arvin Scott, Hugh Hodgson School of Music, UGA

10:30   African Singing - Savior Anyidoho, African Fellowship Music Ensemble
11:00   Storytelling - Karim Traore, African Studies Institute, UGA  
11:30   Dancing, African Student Union, UGA

 

African Activities in the Gardenside Room (downstairs)
 
·         Origins of Humans:  Skulls Collection - Dr. Norm Thompson
·         Make Your Own African Drum - Georgia Museum of Art
·         Maasai Beaded Bracelets - Georgia Museum of Art
·         What are Some Popular Snacks in Africa?
·         Mapping African Countries through Natural History & Culture - State Botanical Garden
·         Images from Africa--Culture and People

 

For more information, please call 706-542-6156 or visit botgarden.uga.edu.

 

 

It's that time of year again!  We are now accepting artwork for our statewide art competition sponsored by the J.A. and H.G. Woodruff, Jr. Charitable Trust.  If you're a Georgia student in the 9th grade or above, including both full and part-time college students, we want to see your artwork.

The artist with the first place winning piece will be awarded $1,000.  There will also be second and third place awards of $500 and $250, respectively, as well as certificates of merit. 

Winning artwork will also be used to create items such as T-shirts, stationary, and totes, to be sold in the Garden's gift shop, therefore pieces should follow guidelines closely.  Artwork must be two-dimensional in square, horizontal, round, oval, or vertical format and be within 24" x 36".  Pencil, pen and ink, photography, collage and computer enhanced graphics are all welcomed.  Please remember to sign your artwork.
For more guideline information and the entry form visit  http://botgarden.uga.edu/docs/visit/artcomp.pdf#.

Submissions will be taken at the lower level of the Callaway Building at the Gardens or mailed to Connie Cottingham at 2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens, GA, 30605.

Deadline for submissions is November 30, 2012, at 3 p.m.

Perennial Symposium Focuses on Plants from Around the World

Plants that are familiar in Georgia’s landscapes and on our dinner table and the plants we use for medicine come from all over the world. Embark on a day-long plant exploration at Plants from Around the World in our Everyday Lives: Ornamentals, Foods, Drinks & Medicines on Tuesday, October 16. Learn from several experts about plants that have come here from Mexico and the desert Southwest, the Mediterranean, Africa, and China. Knowing more about the origins of these plants helps us to understand the best growing conditions for them to thrive in our gardens and to choose the best plants for specific growing conditions. This symposium will also include a talk about important drinks of the world: coffee, chocolate and tea, and how these crops affect environments, cultures and songbirds. After hearing about plants from throughout the world, participants are invited to stretch their legs and follow International Garden Curator Billie Gotsch on a walking tour through the International Garden.

This symposium will be held on Tuesday, October 16 from 8:45 am to 3:00 pm in the Callaway Building Auditorium, The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, 2450 South Milledge Avenue, Athens and costs $60 (including a buffet lunch.) Preregistration is required. A plant sale offering perennial plants will be held in the front plaza of the Callaway Building and open to the public from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. For more information or to register call 706-542-6156 or visit botgarden.uga.edu.

Free Concert on Sunday, October 21

Come join the Athens Flute Choir in The State Botanical Garden of Georgia’s Visitor Center/ Conservatory for their fall concert, 'Food for the Body, Food for the Soul' – Sunday, October 21 at 2:00 pm. The AFC is a non-profit community music ensemble dedicated to the enrichment of Athens and the surrounding areas through music performance. Admission is free, donations accepted.  www.athensflutechoir.org