A celebration of volunteers is upon us this week!  National Volunteer Week, April 18th-24th, is intended to celebrate the spirit of service to others in communities across the nation, including right here in Green Bay at Green Bay Botanical Garden (GBBG)!

We cannot thank our volunteers enough! The support of generous community members giving their time and energy has kept this garden growing. GBBG volunteers are here each and every day assisting us with garden maintenance, greeting guests as they enter the garden, becoming leaders in education, supervising gift shop sales, and taking time to make events extra special to our GBBG community. The Garden could not provide the quality services, events and seasonal beauty that it does without our volunteers! 

We are seeking assistance with some of our 2010 special events including:

April 30th – May 1st: Annual Mulch & Potting Soil Sale – Assist in filling orders and loading bags of mulch and soil into customer vehicles.

     Volunteers Needed: Order takers, loaders

May 20th: TasteBud – Assist with plant auction and plant purchases and greet visitors. Volunteers Needed: Greeters, auction item solicitors, loaders, cashiers, set up

 June 2nd,  July 7th, August 4th and September 1st (Wednesday evenings): Weed n’ Feed – You weed (or do other garden chores) from 5-7pm and we feed from 7-8pm.

     Volunteers Needed: Garden helpers

June 4th – 6th: 26th Annual Garden Fair – A traditional favorite, the Garden Fair features over 100 vendors of garden plants, landscaping ideas, accessories, gardening demonstrations and presentations, music and food.

     Volunteers Needed: Order fillers, concessions, admissions, traffic control, grounds keepers, set up, wrap up

July 10th – 11th: 22nd Annual Garden Walk – A rare opportunity to explore five private and one public garden in the Green Bay area.

     Volunteers Needed: Admissions, garden guides

July 15th – August 19th (Thursday evenings): Concerts in the Garden – Enjoy music in the lovely setting of the Agnes Schneider Terrace.

     Volunteers Needed: Admissions, concessions sales, wrap up

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer at Green Bay Botanical Garden or assisting us with our special events listed above, please feel free to contact Aubrey Brennan, our volunteer coordinator, at (920) 491-3691 ext. 113 or abrennan@gbbg.org

Celebrate Earth Week, April 18-24, 2010

by Kelle Hartman, Educator, Green Bay Botanical Garden

A lot has changed in 40 years. Today, we receive tax rebates for installing energy efficient windows and appliances into our homes. Alternative energy sources, like solar panels and windmills, can be seen powering area businesses. We know about the detrimental effect of water and air pollutants on the environment, and have rules and regulations regarding what and how much can be released from factories. But even 40 years after the first Earth Day, the planet is still in peril. Amidst our challenges, however, we find great opportunities. Each day, schools and businesses find ways to become more eco-friendly. Communities encourage their citizens to use better practices. Join Green Bay Botanical Garden and the entire greater Green Bay community in celebrating the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22. The Greater Green Bay Earth Week Coalition has put together an entire week of educational and service opportunities for adults and families alike. These events will teach ways to become for eco-friendly, will involve citizens in the clean-up of their communities, and will celebrate Earth Day. For a complete schedule of events, please click here.

Join Green Bay Botanical Garden in celebrating:

• Attend the Container Vegetable Gardening class on Sunday, April 18 at 1:00 pm. Growing your own vegetables can reduce both fossil fuel and pesticide use, so learn more about the varieties that will grow well in containers and how to maximize your space.
• Cheer on GBBG in the first ever GREEN PARADE! We’ll have a botanically themed ‘float’ with the slogan “Be green, plant green!”

If you would like to become more involved with the Earth Week events, please consider volunteering! Contact Kelle Hartman at (920) 491-3691 ext. 107 or khartman@gbbg.org 

• Wednesday, April 21 and Thursday, April 22 – The Coalition is sponsoring readings at local elementary schools. Volunteer to read to area kindergarten to fifth grade students. 
• Saturday, April 24 – March along with GBBG in the Green Parade. We are looking for volunteers to help hand out info to parade attendees and move the ‘float’ along the parade route (yes, it’s a people-powered ‘float’!).

Kaftan Lusthaus shown through white arbor in Marguerite Kress Oval Garden

by Kelle Hartman, Educator, Green Bay Botanical Garden

Did you know that the walkway in front of the Schierl Wellhouse is actually an upside-down sidewalk? Or that the Mabel Thome Fountain was originally designed as a reflecting basin? (Mabel thought it would look better as a fountain, so she donated the extra funds needed to change it into a fountain.) Have you ever noticed that the Kaftan Lusthaus is perfectly visible through both of the arbors in the Marguerite Kress Oval Garden, a design technique used to draw people further into the garden? These are just some of the fun facts that visitors learn during our guided group tours. Womens’ groups, garden clubs, and bus tours flock to the Garden during the growing season to enjoy the beauty of the Garden and the added information provided on these 90 minute tours. Garden Docents share the history of the Garden, stories about the donors of each garden, and some of the design concepts that helped to create this beautiful landscape. Along the way, visitors are encouraged to smell the herbs, linger over the flowers, and snap photos with their family and friends. Guided group tours are just one of the many ways that Green Bay Botanical Garden tries to educate the public about gardens and design. Group tours can be arranged anytime during our open hours from May through October, and require only four weeks advanced notice. Suitable for groups of all sizes, these tours will connect your group to the Garden in ways a simple visit cannot. If you belong to a group who may be interested in a guided group tour, please visit our website for more information. If you’d like to join the dedicated crew of volunteer Garden Docents that lead these tours, please join us on Thursday, April 8th from 10:00-11:00 am for an informational meeting. You’ll learn more about the training process and time commitment involved with bringing new experiences to these adults! For more information on the training, click here.

Spring beauty in the Garden!

by Maribeth Frinzi, Membership & Donor Relations Coordinator, Green Bay Botanical Garden

Is it possible to give away a season? Can you fit it neatly into a box, wrap it up with beautiful paper, tie it with a bow, and present it to a friend or loved one? How can you package the dramatic colors of fall, the exquisite perfection of a snowflake in winter, the much-anticipated blooms of spring, or the warm sunshine of summer? Actually, it’s easier than you would think! When you give a membership to Green Bay Botanical Garden, either as a reward to yourself or in appreciation of someone else, you are giving an entire year’s worth of inspiration, a priceless time to experience Mother Nature in all her ever-changing glory.

Of course, membership is about more than just unlimited visits to Green Bay Botanical Garden. Membership starts at just $30, and members receive special preview nights of Garden Fair and Garden of Lights, discounts on purchases in the Trellis Gift Shop, advance notice of upcoming activities, significant discounts on classes and events, borrowing privileges at our horticultural library, and free or reduced admission to more than 150 other Gardens through the American Horticultural Society’s reciprocal admission program.

This summer, we are expanding our programming to further meet the needs and wishes of our members. Members will receive free admission to Concerts in the Garden, our weekly music series held Thursday nights in July and August. We have an exceptional lineup of performers this year, and enjoying great music in the peaceful beauty of the summer Garden is truly an idyllic way to spend an evening. We are also planning a special orientation cookout for our new members to become acquainted with the Garden and fully embrace all the benefits their membership offers (Wednesday, June 23), as well as a special Members-Only Tea, in partnership with the Brown County Historical Society, on Sunday, August 8. Our Garden Angel-level members can also enjoy a special Evening in the Garden, with food, beverages, and live music on Tuesday, August 17.

In addition to the many wonderful benefits offered by Green Bay Botanical Garden, members who join or renew through June 15, 2010 will receive a complimentary one-year subscription to Better Homes and Gardens magazine courtesy of the American Public Gardens Association. Full of tips, tricks, and ideas to help you grow your Garden, the magazine, coupled with a visit to Green Bay Botanical Garden, is sure to inspire you to create beauty in your own outdoor paradise.

Unwrap the gifts of spring with a membership to Green Bay Botanical Garden and uncover a truly perennial adventure!

Children on a tour discovering daffodils in the Larsen Orchard Remnant.

As the tulips and daffodils in the Garden start blooming, so do the sounds of OOHs and AHHs as students arrive for guided garden tours.  For many teachers, the arrival of May means an annual field trip to Green Bay Botanical Garden.  The students look around in amazement by the sight of more flowers and color than they have ever seen.  They are thrilled to find plants in the herb garden that spell like mint, pizza, and licorice, and become as excited as bees when they find the pollen on the flowers’ anthers.  The chaperoning teachers are just as pleased as the students.  They watch with pride as their students name the parts of the flower that were learned last winter, or explain how the flowers will produce seeds that will continue the cycle of life.  Even Garden Docents are happy, as they show the students the ladybug larvae hiding on the plant leaves and hear the laughs of the children as they run through the maze.  This is the reward of educational tours at Green Bay Botanical Garden – watching students make new discoveries and helping them learn about horticulture in a different and exciting way.  But don’t think that education at the Garden ends once school is out!  Scout troops visit and participate in activities to earn their badges, day care centers stop by to explore for the afternoon, and families attend story hours and learn to tend gardens.  Click here for more information on the school field trips at Green Bay Botanical Garden.  You can also check out all of the wonderful programs we offer for children and families by clicking here.  If you’d like to join the dedicated crew of volunteer Garden Docents that lead school tours and help with summer and family programs, please join us on Thursday, April 8th from 10:00-11:00 am for an informational meeting.  You’ll learn more about the training process and time commitment involved with bringing new experience to area youth!  For more information on the training, click here.

Come see the splendor of the Garden through a child’s eyes!

Tool Care featured on Fox 11\’s Living with Amy

by Green Bay Botanical Garden’s horticulturist, Loretta Dorner

Spring is just around the corner and before you start your garden work, you need to get your tools ready!  Clean, sharp tools save time on garden chores, giving you more time to enjoy your creation. 

If you do not currently own any gardening tools and are considering purchasing, here are a few things to keep in mind.  The tools you use in your garden are important – they should be the type of tools that do the work for you.  Sometimes we buy the cheaper tools to save money.  However, when purchasing your tools, ask yourself “Is this tool going to work for or against me?”  It’s been my experience (doing gardening for years), that saving money does not always save my back or prevent blisters on my hands.  Buying a tool for each task does not save money either and it’s hard to get a lot of work done when you have to switch tools for each task.  I highly recommend two tools and they are the tools I carry with me in my tool sheaths at the Garden:  a soil knife made by A.M. Leonard and a #2 FELCO pruner.  The A.M. Leonard soil knife is made of high quality, rust resistant stainless steel and has a 6″ blade with dual edges: a tapered slicing edge, plus a deeply serrated edge for root cutting.  It can be used to plant bulbs, annual flowers and herbs, dig weeds out of your flower beds and lawn, scrape out cracks in your drive, walk, patio, etc, loosen compacted soils, chop the greens off of your root vegetables, saw through roots, divide perennials and grasses and so much more.  Along with a soil knife, a pruner is great gardening tool to have.  Click here to read more about the benefits of a FELCO pruner.  I use both of these tools for the majority of my garden tasks and have them with me at all times.  The A.M. Leonard soil knife and FELCO pruner can both be purchased at the Trellis Gift Shop located inside the Visitors’ Center at Green Bay Botanical Garden. 

For those of you who already own gardening tools, here are a few tips on how to care for them.  Tools you have stored should have been oiled and sharpened last fall.  If this is not the case, it’s time to sharpen and check for wear from the previous season.  Shovels, rakes, hoes, loppers and hedge trimmers should all be checked for wear.  If you find rust on any of your tools, it can be removed by spraying ‘PB Blaster’ or ‘WD-40’ (available at Fleet Farm) and using # 1 steel wool (for rustier surfaces use a courser # 3 steel wool) to polish the surface.  The handles on your tools should be tightened and should be checked for cracks.  Blades on hedge trimmers, FELCO pruners and others should be sharpened.  You can sharpen them by filing with a fine metal file or honing stone.  Always remember to file in one direction across the tools beveled edge.  Shovels and hoes can be sharpened as well.  However, it is important not to make them too sharp, as this will cause the edge to bend and wear faster. 

For more information on how to clean and sharpen tools, read this article from Fine Gardening magazine.   

Think spring!  And remember, well cared for tools make gardening easier and make for happy gardeners!

Believe it or not, spring is just around the corner!  I am sure you are already thinking about gardening, even though we have a few months until we can get out into our gardens and yards.  Have you been thinking about what you will need to nourish your garden.  Will you be purchasing compost, potting soil or mulch?  Green Bay Botanical Garden can help you out - we are now taking orders for our Annual Mulch, Compost and Potting Soil Sale.  Each year we sell bagged Cocoa Bean Mulch, Cocoa Bean & Rice Hull Mix, Fafard Mix 3B, Rice Hull Mix and Worm Castings.  This year we are offering two new products: STA Certified Leaf Compost and Organic-Based Potting Soil.  Purchasing these products through Green Bay Botanical Garden is easy and convenient (we load everything into your vehicle for you) and it supports the Garden too!  Click here for more information on the products available and to download a printable order form. 

All pre-orders are due by March 30, 2010 and products will be available for pick-up on Friday, April 30, 2010 for GBBG members and on Saturday, May 1, 2010 for non-members.  Interested in membership to Green Bay Botanical Garden, click here.  Limited quantities of these products will be available on the pick-up days and throughout the spring to accommodate those who missed the deadline. 

Happy Gardening and thank you for supporting Green Bay Botanical Garden!  THINK SPRING!

Green Bay Botanical Garden (GBBG) is excited about the new gardens that are being installed in 2010!  Both areas are located across the asphalt path from the existing Gertrude B. Nielsen Children’s Garden.  GBBG received gifts from Herb and Gladys King to create a shade garden and from the estate of Elsie Jenquine to create a pavilion, overlook, and garden. 

The King Shade Garden includes numerous boulder walls as well as a constructed ruin of a spring house.  The garden will have a strong collection of hostas with approximately 190 different cultivars.  There will also be about 75 other species and cultivars of shade tolerant perennials as well as understory trees and shrubs including a large variety of hydrangeas. 

The Jenquine Project planting includes numerous species and cultivars of native plants.  The many new cultivars of coneflowers and false indigos are well represented in the collection.  The area also will have many new trees and shrubs.  Together the King Shade Garden and Jenquine Project will add 200 trees and shrubs to the garden.

The majority of the hardscapes (paths and stonework) for both areas were installed in the fall of 2009.  In early 2010, the spring house will be constructed in the King Shade Garden and the pavilion will be erected in the Jenquine Project.  GBBG staff along with NWTC students, volunteers, and local garden clubs will install the plants.  We hope to have the majority of the plants in the ground by the end of June and for sure by the 2010 Garden Walk (July 10th and 11th).

So, get ready for the roll out of a 1.5 acre addition to your local botanical garden and experience a perennial adventure – literally!!

Do you ever wonder what the staff at Green Bay Botanical Garden are doing during the winter months?  Winter gives the staff and other gardeners time to plan for the upcoming gardening season.  While winter has laid its blanket of white all around us, color is being fed to us through magazines, brochures, seed catalogs, and if we are lucky, trips to faraway places where color abounds.  Winter gives us a fresh start, a clean slate.

So where do you start?  First, seek inspiration- inspiration from fellow gardeners, magazines, other gardens and of course, Green Bay Botanical Garden (check out our resource information section on our website)!  And for special gardens such as our Gertrude B. Nielsen Children’s Garden, inspiration comes from kids.  Consider what you like and what you don’t like… gardening is truly a personal thing.  Then start with the “bones” and work from there (“bones” are fixed objects such as hardscape, trees, etc).  Some things to keep in mind: are the plants you are choosing tolerant of sun or shade, dry or moist soil, annuals or perennials?  (Annuals are plants that have a plant hardiness zone rating that is higher than the current zone that you live in.  Around Northeast Wisconsin, the plant hardiness zone tends to be Zone 4 or 5).  Also consider the space you have to work with.  Drawing or mapping out your plans can be helpful; others prefer to visualize in their mind their plans.  Whichever method you choose, sometimes the hardest part is getting started.

Gardening is truly an expression of you… not anyone else, so let yourself be the guide.  Once you have an inspiration, there will be no stopping you!  Share your inspiration with me – send me an e-mail at spingel@gbbg.org (Sarah Pingel, Horticulture & Education Specialist)

Still don’t know where to start?  Sign up for our Landscape Design classes this spring and get expert advice on how to plan your spring garden!

Think spring and happy planning!