Did you know that Green Bay Botanical Garden held its first annual Spring Thaw Symposium in 1985?  Even before our gardens opened to the public we were holding classes, symposia, and other events for our members and other gardening enthusiasts.

Symposium topics have ranged from tropical plants and roses, to native and edible landscapes, to water gardening and rock gardening.  We’ve featured speakers well known by the gardening community, such as Melinda Meyers, Tracy DiSabato-Aust, and Lauren Springer Ogden, as well as local favorites like Roy Diblik, Roy Klehm, Pam Duthie, and Lee Hansen. 

This year we are excited to have two mid-western authors speaking for our Spring Thaw Symposium – Busting Garden Myths, scheduled for Saturday, February 27.  Jeff Gillman, who wrote The Truth About Garden Remedies, The Truth About Garden Myths, and How Trees Die, is joining us from the University of Minnesota where he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science.  Jeff will be sharing his studies and findings of the home-made and hand-me-down garden remedies that work and do not work.  He will also investigate the truths and myths that relate to good and bad organic gardening practices.

Lynn Steiner, author of Landscaping with Native Plants of Wisconsin, is our other featured speaker.  Lynn will share the benefits of using native plants and bust some of the myths associated with growing natives.  Enjoy examples of successful landscapes and learn about lesser-known varieties suitable for your gardens. 

Green Bay Botanical Garden’s Spring Thaw Symposium is generously sponsored by Jan Wos, owner of the extraordinary Mayflower Greenhouse.  Jan will also be giving participants a sneak peak at the new up-and-coming products to be featured at Mayflower this year. 

Attend to learn something new about gardening or attend to get excited about the upcoming growing season.  Either way, we hope you can join in our spring tradition!

Has the winter weather gotten you down lately?  Feeling tired and trapped inside?  Well, escape the mid-winter slump by adventuring out to Green Bay Botanical Garden!  Enjoy a refreshing late afternoon hike, snowshoe or cross country ski; followed by an evening of delicious soup to warm your soul, a lecture to rouse your mind, and a concert to satisfy your musical ear. 

The Garden’s Soup with Substance Series will be kicking off January 29th and continuing every other Friday through March 26th.  For a mere $7.00 (Green Bay Botanical Garden Members)/ $12.00 (Non-Members) you can enjoy an evening out with friends as you savor all you can eat homemade soup, bread, and dessert from local restaurants.  Following dinner, a brief lecture will be given by local experts on various horticultural topics.  To end the evening, local entertainers will share their talents as they perform a wide range of music from roots music and western swing to classical instrumentals.  Each of the five evenings offers something different in food, lecture, and music to satisfy the wide range of participants that attend.

Tickets are available, but selling fast!  **Advance ticket sales only**

Call the Garden at (920) 490-9457 or stop in during open Garden hours, to purchase your advance tickets.

Hope to see you there!

Click here for more information on the Soup with Substance Series at Green Bay Botanical Garden.

What better way to bring some green into your home, whether winter or summer, than by adding some houseplants?  In fact, studies have even found that houseplants can remove pollutants from indoor air (check out this link)! 

So now that you want a plant, what do you need to know?  Houseplants, like all plants need light, water and nutrients. 

Light – Some houseplants have evolved as understory plants in jungles making them great for the low light conditions inside a typical home.  Others, such as cacti, evolved in the high light intensity of desert climates.  Typically, a south facing window has bright, high light conditions; east and west facing windows have medium light conditions; and north facing windows have low light conditions.  Remember that overhangs can affect light levels on any windows, and that the further back from the window into the home you place a plant the less light it receives.  Take a look at the tags on the plants at the store you purchase them from and match the plants’ light requirements to the light conditions you have.

Water – Remembering that some plants evolved in the moist jungle and some in the dry desert, it is important to water accordingly.  In general, plants can be allowed to dry between watering; however, some indoor plants must be kept moist, so you will need to research each individual plant you choose.  Tags will have valuable information on watering requirements.  When planting, use a soil-less media, and when watering do so thoroughly.  Let water drain through the bottom of the container, collect the excess water, and dispose of it. Do not let the soil become waterlogged. 

Nutrients – During the winter, plants grow slower and therefore need less fertilizer.  Typically, the best time to fertilize is when plants are actively growing and need extra nutrients.  With houseplants this would be in the late spring and early summer, especially if they are being moved outdoors to benefit from increased light and warmer temperatures.  Use a dilute liquid fertilizer or slow release capsules.  The key to growing houseplants is to remember that they are plants.  Use what you have learned growing plants outdoors and bring it inside! 

For more information on growing houseplants, click here. 

Keep it green!

Green Bay Botanical Garden is a beautiful location for a wedding!  There are three areas available for wedding ceremonies and countless locations for the perfect wedding photo!

Woodland Garden has a naturalized style which contrasts beautifully with the more formal gardens that overlook it.  Native trees, shrubs and wildflowers surround a bluegrass lawn that was created as a setting perfect for a wedding ceremony and seats approximately 150 guests.

Kress Oval Garden is a colorful, perennial garden which includes a grassy area surrounded by two large white arbors, one on either side, flanked by a peaceful water fountain and the beautiful Stumpf Belvedere.   Kress Oval Garden seats approximately 150 guests.

Kaftan Lusthaus offers an indoor facility with a Scandinavian feel.  The interior features hand-painted rosemaling and quaint chandeliers.  It seats approximately 50 guests and is perfect for smaller weddings or bridal showers.

2010 dates are filling up fast!  For more information, contact Site Rental and Volunteer Coordinator, Aubrey Brennan at (920) 491-3691 x113 or abrennan@gbbg.org.  Please stop by our booth at the Wedding Expo at Shopko Hall this Friday and Saturday, January 8^th from 5:00 – 9:00pm and January 9^th from 10:00 – 5:00pm.