2016-03-23

The Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden will be hosting 11 fun, horticulturally informative and family friendly public events in April and May, including the very popular Spring Plant Sale on April 23-24 and, a Mother’s Day weekend tradition, the annual Connoisseurs Garden Tour on May 7-8.

APRIL

Weeds:

Pesky Plants of Lawns & Gardens

Monday, April 4 – 10 am to 1 pm

Mounts Auditorium

$25 for members; $30 for nonmembers

Speaker: George Rogers, Ph.D., Palm Beach State College

Attendees will walk the grounds with Dr. Rogers, a local garden guru who will identify common weeks of lawns and gardens and share fascinating facts about their biology. Price includes a South Florida weed book. Attendees can bring weeds in sealed plastic bags for identification.

Stories in the Garden:

Our Beautiful Butterflies

Friday, April 8 – 10 am to 11:30 am

Mounts – The Pavilion

FREE

Speaker: Stacey Burford, Youth Services Librarian

Celebrate the 12th year of Stories in the Garden by bringing young ones (ages 2-6) to these FREE nature-themed programs co-sponsored by the Palm Beach Library System. They’ll love the interactive stories, songs and learning activities in the Garden. Programs are held rain or shine in the sheltered Pavilion. No reservations required, except for parties of six or more. A craft activity to culminate each day will be reserved for the first 30 registrants.

Orchid Care 101:

Repotting Orchids

Sunday, April 10 – 10 am to 1 pm

Mounts – The Pavilion

$30 for members; $40 for nonmembers

Speaker: Sandi Jones, Broward Orchid Supply and Bonnett House Museum & Gardens

This hands-on workshop, with Orchid Curator Sandi Jones, will explain what orchids need—water, light, fertilizer, temperature. Attendees are encouraged to bring an orchid (up to 6”) to be evaluated and repotted or mounted. This is a hands-on interactive class, in which participants will repot their own plant with guidance from Ms. Jones.  Additionally, demonstrations of various potting and mounting such as using tree fern and cork bark will be shown. Orchid supplies will be available for purchase. (Note: This class is limited to 25 participants.)

Mounts Botanical Garden Book Discussion Series

Tuesday, April 12 – 7 to 8:30 pm

Clayton Hutcheson Complex – Conference Room

FREE

In partnership with the Palm Beach County Library System, this new series provides an opportunity for book and garden enthusiasts to meet together to experience exciting fiction and non-fiction titles related to all aspects of gardening and horticulture. The featured book in April will be The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey.

Spring Plant Sale

+ Saturday, April 23 – 9 am to 4 pm

+ Sunday, April 24 – 9 am to 3 pm

Throughout Garden

FREE for members; $10 for nonmembers

This annual two-day event will feature more than 80 vendors with an amazing assortment of quality plants and goods. This is a great opportunity to learn about the plants that grow well in South Florida and find something new for the garden. The Conrad-Sunrise Chapter of the American Hibiscus Society will hold their annual judging and show featuring many of the state’s best blooms. Rare and hard-to-find palms, orchids, bamboo, begonias, bromeliads, fruit trees will be available for purchase at various booths. By popular demand, the PBC Wood turners will be selling a large selection of beautiful woodturnings. (Note: Mounts members can enjoy a continental breakfast and pre-sale on Saturday from 8 to 9 am.)

Urban Farming:

Sustainable Backyard Vegetable Growing

Saturday, April 30 – 9 to 11 am

Mounts Auditorium & Vegetable Gardening

$20 for members; $25 for nonmembers

Speaker: Raina & Paul O’Connor, Master Gardeners

Questions about getting ready for Fall Planting will be answered in this popular and back-by-demand session, such as: Do you want to raise vegetables in a typical quarter-acre block in suburbia? Which garden beds are attractive and easy to build? Two Master Gardeners will offer tips and techniques on site preparation, seedling establishment, planting, maintenance, pest and disease control, watering efficiently, and harvesting. Attendees will learn the best way and time to start planting vegetables that grow in South Florida. This class is suited for both the garden novice and the seasoned enthusiast. Participants will receive a free packet of seeds to begin their own garden.

MAY

Connoisseurs Garden Tour

+ Saturday, May 7 – 10 am to 4 pm

+ Sunday, May 8 – 11 am to 4 pm

$20 for members; $25 for nonmembers

Spend Mother’s day weekend with your family and friends touring a half dozen beautiful private gardens in Palm Beach County. The owners of each individual garden are giving people a unique opportunity to visit at their own pace and sequence, so take one day or two for this memorable self-guided tour.

Mounts Botanical Garden Book Discussion Series

Tuesday, May 10 – 7 to 8:30 pm

Clayton Hutcheson Complex – Conference Room

FREE

In partnership with the Palm Beach County Library System, this new series provides an opportunity for book and garden enthusiasts to meet together to experience exciting fiction and non-fiction titles related to all aspects of gardening and horticulture. The featured book in May will be The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean.

Creative Vertical Gardening: Growing Up

Thursday, May 19 – 5 to 6:30 pm

Mounts Garden & Pavilion

$20 for members; $25 for nonmembers

Speaker: Joel Crippen, Mounts Horticulturalist and Garden Writer

Want to add space for plants? Create privacy? Beautify a boring wall? Decorate trees with hanging orchids, bromeliads or ferns? This hands-on workshop will offer creative ideas for “growing vertical.”

Beautify Your Yard with South Florida Native Plants

Sunday, May 22 – 10 to 11:30 am

Mounts Exhibit Hall A

$20 for members; $25 for nonmembers

Speaker: Jeff Nurge, Florida Native Gardening & Native Choice Nursery

Learn about the selection and placement of Florida native plants to maximize their beauty using the principles of texture, color and hardscape and also to minimize the use of water and pesticides. In addition, review best practices for maintaining native.

Introduction to Jewelry Making 3D Pen

Sunday, May 22 – 10 am to 4 pm

Mounts Auditorium

$225 for members; $250 for nonmembers

Speakers: Joseph Ciardullo & Jeff Kingan, Renaissance Gems Design Studio

Back by popular demand – this fun and creative jewelry making class that utilizes the latest modern technology. Participants will learn the basics of creating jewelry using the 3D Scribbles pen that they get to keep along with two pieces of artwork, which will be casted in sterling silver, finished and polished. The 3D pen is a great tool for anyone interested in 3D modeling-from the newest beginner to the expert.

To register for any of the events and workshops at The Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County, please call 561.233.1730.  Events at Mounts are accessible to people with disabilities.

With a mission to inspire the public, Mounts Botanical Garden is Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest botanical garden, offering gorgeous displays of tropical and sub-tropical plants, plus informative classes, workshops, and other fun-filled events. The Garden contains more than 2,000 species of plants, including Florida native plants, exotic and tropical fruit trees, herbs, palms, bromeliads and more. Mounts Botanical Garden is a facility of the Palm Beach County Extension Service, which is in partnership with the University of Florida and the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden. Mounts is located at 531 North Military Trail in West Palm Beach.

Mounts Botanical Garden is open everyday (except Palm Beach County recognized holidays) from 10 am to 4 pm. The suggested donation for entry to the Garden is $5 per person. For more information, please call 561.233.1757 or visit www.mounts.org.

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