Garden Dirt Jan 2011

enhancing life with plants

w ww.bbgarde ns.or g

The

January /February 2011

New Volunteer Award Added To Recognize Our “Unsung Heroes” page 4 Your Membership Questions Answered page 1

Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens 2010 B oard

enhancin g life with plants

www.bb gardens. org

The

January:

January /February 2011

Camellias

Tea Olives

Hollies

Winter Annuals

Orchids

Winter Hazels

Pansies

Winter Honeysuckles

New Volunteer Award Added To Recognize the “Unsung Hero” page 4 Your Membership Questions Answered page 1

Wintersweets

On The Cover The cover photo was taken

by Brandon Gresham of Gresham Photography. Brandon photographed The Stout Family in October 2009. The photograph features Judah with his parents walking on a path between the Crape Myrtle Garden and Dunn Formal Rose Garden. “Judah was more than happy to work it for the camera, as long as I was willing to keep up with him,” says Gresham.

Sasa vietchii, Japanese Gardens

It isn’t too late to submit your own photograph to be considered for an upcoming issue.

February: Asian Magnolias

Mahonias

Camellias

Pansies

Fringe Flowers

Quinces

Lenten Roses

Winter Annuals

Lettuce, Bruno Vegettable Garden

Please visit www.bbgardens.org for more information or email akrebbs@bbgardens.org. en han ci n g l i f e w i t h pl an t s

www. b b g ar d en s. o rg

The enhancing life with plants

www.bbg ardens.or

2010 J anuary /F ebruary . bbgardens . org www

The

M arch /a pril 2010

of

D irectors

Henry Ray ����������������������������������������������� President Tricia Noble ����������������������������������� President-Elect Scott Walton ���������������������������������������������Treasurer Lou Willie ����������������������������������������������� Secretary Elizabeth Broughton ��������������������� VP Development Fred Murray ��������������������VP Facilities & Planning Thomas G. Amason, Jr. ��Immediate Past President Carl Jones ���������������������������������������������������� Officer Janet Taylor ������������������������������������������������� Officer

g

The

M arch /a M ay /June pril 2010 2010

Glorious Gardens Set For Mother’s Day Weekend Page 3 Earth Day at The Gardens Celebrates 14 Years Page 8 Children’s Summer Camps Announced Page 9 Members -only Class “Let’s

Swap Set For June Plants” 12-page 9

Member

Trip Planned For Cheek Botanical Garde wood n& Museum of Art-page 1 Don’t miss Our Book Club-p New age 5

Looking for a past issue of The Garden Dirt?

Visit www.bbgardens.org/dirt.

Laurie Allen Shane Boatright Mena Brock Maggie Brooke Gary Burley Margi Ingram Clarke Gillespy Sheryl Kimerling Mike Malone Reese Murray, III Kathryn Porter Hanson Slaughter Lucy Tutwiler Mary Williamson Louise Wrinkle

O ur M ission Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens promotes public knowledge of plants, gardens & the environment; & receives, raises & administers resources for these purposes.

O ur V ision The vision of Birmingham Botanical Gardens is to be one of the nation’s preeminent botanical gardens.

Staff

M ain ����������������������������������� 205.414.3950 Fred Spicer ���������������������������������Executive Director Olivia Alison ������������������� Director of Development Stephanie Banks ����������������������� Director of Finance Elizabeth Drewry ���������������������������������������� Librarian Ellen Hardy ������� Education Program Coordinator Michael Hansen �������Marketing & Public Relations

Coordinator Henry Hughes ���������������������Director of Education George Jenkins ����������������������� Development Officer Jason Kirby ��������������� Library Assistant & Archivist Andrew Krebbs ������������������� Director of Marketing

& Membership Savannah Lanier ���������������Donor Relations Officer Hope Long ����������������� Director of Library Services John Manion ��Curator of Kaul Wildflower Garden Shelly McCarty ����������� Special Events Coordinator Carleen Mitchell ��������������������������������� Finance Clerk Phyllis Sutton ��������� Education Activities Specialist Mary-Bestor Grant ������������� Volunteer Coordinator Rona Walters �������������������������� Membership Assistant The Garden Dirt is the newsletter of Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The Garden Dirt is published six times a year to foster awareness and support events, services, and significant programs of Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. We welcome your comments and address corrections. Please contact: Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens Editor, Andrew Krebbs 2612 Lane Park Road Birmingham, AL 35223 205.414.3959 or akrebbs@bbgardens.org www.bbgardens.org Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens practices a policy of equal opportunity and equal access to services for all persons regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, orientation or sex. Birmingham Botanical Gardens is a facility of Birmingham Park and Recreation Board. The deadline for the March/April issue is January 15.

So far, our late fall-early winter has been colder than our previous 100-year average.

Overall, this is good for plants; because early autumn wasn’t extra-warm, plants entered dormancy in a gradual way. Winter dormancy (relative to cold hardiness) is a complex phenomenon, and plants reach this state in different ways: some are triggered by day length; some by temperature, and some by both. What’s well-known is that fully dormant plants are better able to withstand absolute low temperatures without injury. Dormancy of certain plants can be slowed (or interrupted) by unusually warm weather, or a jolt of fertilizer, or even untimely pruning (which is why the latter two are not recommended in early fall – best to wait until after several hard frosts).

Dormancy does not equate with complete inactivity. Some hardy plants, of course, flower into, during and through the winter; others produce roots; and all must continue the relentless uptake of water and soil nutrients, assuming the soil isn’t frozen, to prevent tissue injury from desiccation.

For our organization, it’s easy to look from the outside at this brief period and think we, too, are relatively inactive. I’ll admit that the pace isn’t like April or October, which are relentlessly busy (in a good way), but the upcoming flurry of spring activities would be chaos if not for the respite – and planning and preparation – that is occurring now. Ask a potting shed volunteer: plants are stirring in our greenhouses. Ask an education docent: buses of schoolchildren are arriving every morning. Ask The Gardens’ staff (indoors or out) and they’ll tell you that something’s always happening, which is how it should be for a healthy and thriving institution.

See you in The Gardens, Fred Spicer Executive Director

Save t he Date 46th Annual Member Dinner January 20 7 p.m.

12th Annual Spencer Lecture March 10 6:30 p.m.

Spring Plant Sale Preview Party & Member Sale April 14 Spring Plant Sale April 15-17 Whole Foods Cellar Stock April 21 Earth Day at The Gardens May 1 1-4 p.m.

Your Membership Benefits Questions Answered

W e l com e

Dear Friends:

Q: Is my membership tax deductible?

A: Yes. Your payment, less the fair market value of the benefits you receive, is deductible for income tax purposes. You can waive your benefits and receive full tax-deductibility. Please indicate this on your membership form. Under Internal Revenue Services guidelines, the tax-deductibility of the membership levels are as follows: • Student - $25 • Young Professional - $40/$55 • Individual - $45 • Family - $60 • Magnolia - $100 • Oak - $225 • Ambassador - $475 • President’s Circle - $875 • Garden Sustainer’s Club - $875 Q: How do I get my free members-only gift?

A: You will receive a free gift voucher in your membership packet when you join or renew. Your free gift can be picked up in our office during normal business hours (M-F; 8-5 p.m.). When you enter the Garden Center, take the elevator or stairs to the second floor. You must present your voucher to receive your free gift. Only one free gift per membership per year and gifts will not be mailed. Student and Young Professional levels do not receive a free gift, but may purchase one for $5.

Visit www.bbgardens.org/benefits to learn more about your benefits. If you don’t see your question answered contact Andrew Krebbs, Director of Marketing & Membership at 205.414.3959 or akrebbs@bbgardens.org.

1

D e ve l o p m e n t

In Good Company Olivia Alison, Director of Development

We are in good company. Among the philanthropists honored this past fall by the local chapter of the Association of Fund Raising Professionals are some very good friends of The Gardens. Judy and Hal Abroms, donors of the Abroms Rhododendron Species Garden, are The William M. and Virginia B. Spencer Outstanding Philanthropists of 2010. The Outstanding Civic Leaders are Becky and Bill Smith. Becky was a former docent and a long time board member.

Lloyd Wilson, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Outstanding Professional Advisor, together with his wife Sherry, is a member of our Garden Sustainer Club. Daniel Foundation of Alabama, the Outstanding Charitable Organization, has long been one of our benefactors. Harbert Management Corporation, the Outstanding Corporate Citizen, has generously funded our education programs through sponsorship of Antiques at The Gardens. Congratulations and many thanks to these special friends for making our community a better place. May they inspire each of us to follow their lead and make a difference.

“Wow,

we love this place!”

Recently, after a morning jog in The Gardens, one of our volunteers was surrounded by exuberant children visiting from Tuscaloosa.

They grabbed her hand and said “Which way to the lake? Wow, we love this place!” caught up in the excitement of being on a field trip and out in nature. These students, with their sense of wonder and curiosity, are learning about the natural world, how it relates to them and their daily lives and how important it is to care for it.

2

The Gardens’ fundraising events, annual appeals and membership all support our mission to teach people about nature and the environment. We would like to thank all of you who supported us last year. Your investment in The Gardens allowed us to avoid staff cutbacks and to continue our award-winning educational programs. We urge you to renew your memberships and continue your donations in this New Year. Thank you!

Rosmarinus officinalis, Dunn Formal Rose Garden

Dr. Allan Armitage, “Legends in the Garden” Thursday, March 10 6:30 p.m.

Limited Seating The 12th annual Virginia Beeland Spencer Lecture will be held on Thursday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the LinnHenley Lecture Hall. This year the celebrated Dr. Allan Armitage comes to Birmingham Botanical Gardens for an intriguing talk titled “Legends of the Garden.”

You will learn about the people behind the plants who bear their names and get the 411 on what’s hot in horticulture this year. Guests will have a chance to meet Dr. Armitage at a reception in the Hodges Room at 5:30 prior to his lecture.

Dr. Allan Armitage is a world-renowned writer, speaker and researcher in the field of botany. He runs the Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia, where new plant material is evaluated from flower breeders across the globe. The Trial Gardens at UGA are among the finest in the nation. He has received many prestigious awards throughout his distinguished career, including the National Educator Award from the American

Horticultural Society and the Medal of Honor from The Garden Club of America. His long-standing interest in new crops for the garden has resulted in numerous introductions to the ornamental plant industry. A few plants that he has introduced to the industry are: Impomoea ‘Margarita’, Cleome ‘Linde Armstrong’, Ruellia ‘Ragin’ Cajun’, and Dicentra ‘Athens Yellow,’ among others.

The Spencer Lecture Series is made possible by the Virginia Beeland Spencer Lecture Fund at the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham. The fund, started by the late William Spencer in honor of his wife, Virginia Spencer, brings prominent speakers to Birmingham each year, giving the public a chance to learn more about gardening, flower arranging, horticulture and conservation for free. For more information or to reserve your free seat, please contact Shelly McCarty at 205.414.3965 or smccarty@bbgardens.org.

D e ve l o p m e n t

2011 S p e n c e r L e ct u re

3

Volunteers 4

A Standing Ovation:

Volunteers of the Year Honored

Mary-Bestor Grant, Volunteer Coordinator

On December 16 Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens presented the 2010 Volunteer of the Year Awards at the annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, including the inaugural A. Brand Walton, Jr. Unsung Hero of the Year award. Plant Sale Treasurers Cathy Canant, Terri DiMuro, Jeanon Massien, Patty Johns and the late Teresa Neal were collectively given this new award. Dr. John A. Floyd, Jr. was named Ida C. Burns Volunteer of the Year.

Abbott Brand Walton, Jr. (left) generously shared his knowledge and expertise by serving as legal counsel to The Friends on a pro bono basis until his death in April 2009. He was a senior partner at Burr Forman, LLP, having received a BA, JD, and an LLM in Taxation from the University of Alabama. Brand’s service ethic is shared by his wife, Louise Besant Walton, former volunteer manager of the Gatehouse Gift Shop. Staff of The Friends, along with board members, memorialized Brand’s tireless sharing of wisdom and time with the A. Brand Walton, Jr. Unsung Hero of the Year award. This award will be given annually to a volunteer(s) who has benefited the organization by working independently and/or “behind the scenes” in an essentially non-public role for a number of years.

The first recipients of this award are a quintet of volunteers, Cathy Canant, Terri DiMuro, Jeanon Massien, Patty Johns and the late Teresa Neal, who served as Treasurers for the Spring and Fall Plant Sales. Jeanon’s first was Spring of 2002, after which she soon recruited the team who became an indispensable presence through the 2010 Fall Plant Sale. Stephanie Banks, Director of Finance, compared their dedication to mail carriers, saying “neither rain nor sleet nor snow can take them from their duties…first to arrive before the doors are unlocked and the last ones to leave each day as they give the final day’s count to anxiously awaiting staff.” One member of this team, Teresa Neal, passed away on November 6, 2010. Many remember Teresa’s superhuman loyalty as she continued her volunteer work through busy Spring and frigid Fall Plant Sales despite her ongoing battle with cancer.

The inaugural A. Brand Walton, Jr. Unsung Hero of the Year award winners Cathy Canant, Jeanon Massien and Terri DiMuro. (Not pictured: Patty Johns)

The service of Dr. John A. Floyd, Jr. embodies the legacy of leadership distinctive to the Ida C. Burns Volunteer of the Year award. From his service as President of Birmingham Botanical Society (1982-1983) to being the keynote speaker at the 2010 Member Dinner, Dr. Floyd’s active dedication to The Gardens has spanned decades. On a weekly The 2010 Ida C. Burns Volunteer of the basis, he assists with Year award winner Dr. John A. Floyd, Jr. detailed horticultural maintenance including pruning, plant evaluation and collections verification (comparing electronic records with actual living plant collections) that involves finding, verifying and placing identification tags. He specializes in the Hess Camellia and Curry Rhododendron Gardens, but generously cares for every inch of the grounds, including the Garden Center’s Lobby Flowers which he designs from cuttings from his own garden and travels.

We will honor Dr. Edwin Fineberg (Planstperson of the Year), Carol Hinshaw (Educator of the Year) and FOX 6 (Volunteer Partner of the Year) in the March/April issue of The Garden Dirt.

Jason Kirby, Archivist and Library Assistant

Visit the Gerlach Plant Information Center (GPIC) inside the Garden Center during January and February for the exhibit:

Buds, Berries and Bark: Plants for Winter Interest

Thyme to Read Book Club

We are pleased to announce that the Archives and Rare Book Room was mentioned in a published book! Jason Kirby, library assistant and archivist, recently unearthed five scrapbooks in the archives titled Manual of Beautification. These manuals were from Marion Thomas Brooks (1897-1977), landscape supervisor during the Works Progress Administration (WPA). They cover all of the garden projects throughout the state of Alabama and the city of Birmingham during the WPA era.

Jason knew exactly who to call: Marjorie L. White from the Birmingham Historical Society. And the rest is, well, history. We would like to thank Marjorie for all of her help with this project, and for including us in her new book, Digging Out of the Great Depression – Federal Programs at Work in and Around Birmingham, published by the Birmingham Historical Society. Our scrapbooks can be seen in chapter six, “Creating a City Beautiful: WPA Beautification Efforts.” The book is available for check out in The Library.

Join us in The Library at 6 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month to discuss a new, fun book pertaining to gardening, plants or the environment. Contact Director of Library Services, Hope Long at 205.414.3931 or hlong@bbgardens. org for more information or to get involved.

U p comi n g T itl e s

January 4: Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology,

by Eric Brende

Library Services

Archives and Rare Book Room Recognized!

February 1: Flower Confidential,

by Amy Stewart March 1: Honeybee: Lessons From an Accidental Beekeeper,

by C. Marina Marchese

Main Librar y Art Galler y January/February 2011

Carlye Daugird

“Larger Than Life” Opening Reception January 21 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.

The Library at Birmingham Botanical Gardens

5

G ardening

Good Things Growing…

In The Gardens

Fred Spicer, Executive Director

As illustrated by the popularity of Buxus, boxwood, symmetrical form and broadleaf evergreen leaves are highly ornamental features, especially in winter.

Even savvy gardeners are often unaware of the diversity of boxwood cultivars, believing, rather, that boxwoods are monolithic in their appearance and characteristics. To be sure, aside from basic differences in form, variation in the 40 different taxa we grow here at The Gardens is not always obvious. However, tolerance of heat and heavy soils, and resistance to boxwood leaf miner (our most important local insect pest) varies widely.

Texture and winter color differ as well. Here are three different, lesser-known boxwood cultivars that have shown excellent site tolerances and leaf miner resistance at The Gardens.

Buxus sinica var. insularis ‘Grace Hendrick Phillips’, a cultivar of littleleaf or Japanese boxwood, is one of our favorites. It’s a slow grower with tiny leaves about half an inch long and one-third as wide, with a slight outward curl. These are borne on short, curved twigs, all helping to create a dwarf, irregularly mounded shrub about twice as wide as high. The texture is very fine and the matte-finish leaves are a medium olive green; as winter wears on, newer leaves take on a slight brownish appearance.

This might seem to some to be “off-color”, but it is by no means objectionable like the orange winter coloration on cultivars like the poorly-named (for the south) ‘Wintergreen’.

It’s interesting that a boxwood selected for cold hardiness, Buxus sempervirens ‘Vardar Valley’, from Romania, shows excellent heat tolerance as well.

Leaves are larger and more round than “Grace”, and the texture is less fine; they are highly glossy, too, and deep, dark green with an undertone of blue. The plant’s growth habit is flat-topped and spreading.

6

Buxus harlandii, Harland’s boxwood, from China, has the greenest and shiniest winter leaves of any boxwood we grow. In the species, the leaves have a pronounced indentation at the tip, reach up to 3” long and are narrow. In the cultivar ‘Richard’, the leaves are greatly rounded. While this species has outstanding tolerance of heavy clay soils and high heat and humidity, most gardeners find its uprightarching, “bare-at-the-ankles” habit wanting – it’s not the best form for hedging – and the plant, despite its adaptability to the south, is little-used.

Garde ning Tips

for January/February Courtesy of

www.aces.edu

for more information, see www.aces.edu

Visit the Gerlach Plant Information Center inside the Garden Center during January & February for the exhibit Buds, Berries and Bark: Plants for Winter Interest.

By February, some outer leaves of Buxus ‘Grace Hendrick Phillips’ have turned brownish; this is coloration only, not winter injury.

January FRUITS AND NUTS -Set out apples, peaches, pears and grapes. Start grafting pecans. Prune dormant trees.

SHRUBS -- Plant shrubs and trees, including broadleaf, narrowleaf and deciduous.

Graft camellias in South Alabama. Spray all deciduous shrubbery with a dormant spray to control diseases and insects. Spray when weather is on warming trend.

Buxus ‘Vardar Valley’ has exceptionally dark green winter leaves with a touch of blue and excellent leaf miner resistance.

LAWNS -- Soil test before setting up fertility program.

ROSES -- Visit nurseries and garden centers to select varieties. Start planting.

These rich green and highly glossy winter leaves belong to ‘Richard’ a slow-growing selection of Buxus harlandii.

&MFHBOU HJGUT GPS UIF IPNF HBSEFO ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS-Plant hardy annuals.

BULBS-Late plantings of Dutch bulbs will flower if planted now. Lilies of all types, except Madonna, may be planted. Check stored bulbs and discard rotten ones. Make indoor plantings of amaryllis, callas and gloxinias.

MISCELLANEOUS-Prune winter-damaged limbs. Give houseplants a bath in lukewarm water to remove dust. To keep poinsettias that have finished flowering, turn pots on their sides and let them dry completely. Cut them back lightly. Keep in a temperature of 55 to 60 °.

Leaf & Petal

;]QObSR Ob bVS 1W`[W\UVO[ 1]bO\WQOZ 6O`RS\a At The Gardens !% ! ;O\S ?O`Y A]OR

6A0=3 >?4=8=6 >2C>14A #C7

VEGETABLE SEED-Plant hardy vegetables, root crops, roots, and tubers in southern-most areas. Plant lettuce, cabbage, and broccoli in coldframes.

VEGETABLE PLANTS-Set out cabbage plants.

February FRUITS AND NUTS-Planting season continues for dormant trees. Fertilize fruit trees. Apply half of the fertilizer recommended for grapes now; apply the other half soon after fruit sets. Continue dormant pruning and grafting. Start strawberry plantings.

SHRUBS-Planting season continues. Visit camellia shows to learn of hardy varieties in your area. Graft camellias in Central and South Alabama. Spray all shrubs with a fungicide before new growth starts.

T he G ardens

]PXSQba RžO`b Tc`\Wbc`S XSeSZ`g P]]Ya QVWZR`S\ža

The gift shop for all your holiday giving.... home decor . furniture . books . stationery . jewelry . lighting . children’s gifts containers . garden items . floral designs Located at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens 2612 Lane Park Road, Mt. Brook 205.877.3030 . leafnpetal.com

Kathy G nov dec newsletter

9/23/08

Good time to prune all shrubs before new growth starts. Don’t prune early-blooming species because flower buds will be removed.

7:56 AM

Page 1

The Art of Kathy G

ROSES-Prune hybrid tea roses in South Alabama; delay pruning for a few weeks in North Alabama. Continue planting.

ANNUALS AND PERENNIALS-Replant early plantings of hardy annuals. Prepare beds for summer annuals.

Catering • Event Planning • Design

BULBS-Plant cannas, amaryllis, gladiolus, and zephyranthes in South Alabama; delay planting for a few weeks in North Alabama.

MISCELLANEOUS-Houseplants are beginning to show signs of activity. Fertilize with liquid or soluble fertilizer according to manufacturer’s directions.

Remember Valentine’s Day. Why not send roses or a potted plant?

Birmingham Botanical Gardens Members receive 10% discount on lunch at the cafe *please show member card when ordering

Wonderful Lunches • Extraordinary Events The Beauty of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Box Lunches • Event Menus • Patio Seating

Lunch: Tuesday - Saturday, 11-2 • Host your next social or corporate event at The Gardens CafÊ

VEGETABLE SEED-Plant some vegetables listed for January in Central Alabama plus collards, salsify, and Swiss chard. Add tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts to coldframes.

VEGETABLE PLANTS-Plant cabbage, onions, lettuce, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

2612 Lane Park Road • Birmingham • 205.871.1000 • thegardenscafe@kathyg.com

The GardensCafe

by Kathy G

7

E v e n ts

Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens cordially invites you to the

46th Annual

Member Day Trip: Westervelt Warner Museum of American Art & Gardens March 31 Join us for a Friend’s Day Trip to Tuscaloosa’s Westervelt Warner Museum of American Art and a private tour of the Warners’ personal garden on Thursday, March 31. We will tour the museum and gardens and enjoy a few surprises along the way. The cost of the trip is $60/person, which includes Charter Bus transportation, entrance into Westervelt Warner Museum of American Art, special tour of the Warners’ private garden, lunch at the NorthRiver Yacht Club, and another tour of a private garden in Tuscaloosa. The trip is open to all members of Friends of Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Each member may bring one non-member on the trip. For the trip itinerary and registration form please visit www.bbgardens.org/ member-travel.php or contact Shelly McCarty 205.414.3965 or smccarty@bbgardens.org. Payment for the trip must be received by March 18, 2011.

Member Dinner Thursday, January 20 | 7 p.m.

Strange Auditorium $25 per person

A Garden of Change – The Importance of Planning Mary Carolyn Boothby Past President & Chairman of the 1979 Master Plan Committee, Co-designer of Bruno Vegetable Garden and others Leaf & Petal at The Gardens Gift Shop Reception 6-7 p.m.

Catered by Echelon Catering RSVP

by January 14 at www.bbgardens.org/annualdinner

or call 205.414.3965.

8

Magnolia x ‘Centennial,’ Japanese Garden

Andrew Krebbs, Director of Marketing & Membership

When you visit www.bbgardens.org expect to see exciting new changes. Social media is now fully integrated into our website. Visitors can tweet, write on our Facebook Fan Page and share content without ever leaving the site. Stay up-to-date and connect with other garden supporters in real time.

Our new features include: • Connect to Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Yahoo! directly from our site; • Recommendations from Facebook based on your interests; • Explore our Facebook Fan Page and Twitter profile and see the latest posts;

• See live feeds from our Facebook Fan Page, Twitter profile and The Garden Dirt blog; • Watch our latest YouTube Videos or view thousands of fan photos in an integrated Flickr browser; • Engage with other visitors to our site in a a live chat room; and • Receive live messages from us about recent updates to the site Join the conversation today! Sign up for our e-newsletter, become a fan on Facebook or tag us in photos you take at The Gardens. There is always something happening at The Gardens. Thank you for making us Alabama’s Number One Free Attraction!

Echo, Southern Living Garden

T he G ardens

Join The Conversation - Social Media now integrated into bbgardens.org

9

Education

Education in Action…Digging Deeper Ellen Hardy, Education Program Coordinator

So exactly how does a Discovery Field Trip experience at The Gardens impact teachers and students? Students from Bush Middle School in Birmingham, AL visited this fall as part of an interdisciplinary science and social studies unit. Prior to their visit, Donna Ross, National Board Certified Teacher, explained that this experience for students would play a major role in their unit of study. Often it is simple to look at the big picture of the sheer amount of students we educate yearly through our programs, but upon closer investigation, the details make it clear that our programs make a lasting impact on teachers and students. Where does our impact begin and how far might it take students?

We followed up with Mrs. Ross after their Discovery Field Trip focused on George Washington Carver. She said they were so thankful for the opportunity to attend and commented, “It was really beneficial in helping students to dig deeper into both social studies and science.” She said her social studies students were inspired as they learned about a famous scientist, inventor, and teacher with strong connections to their own state of Alabama who overcame adversity during his time to achieve great success. One student remarked: “If George Washington Carver was able to achieve such greatness, we can all be great.”

“The exhibit was also beneficial because it contributed to hands on learning in my colleague’s science class,” Mrs.

Kid’s Korner: Salt Crystal Snowflake

Create your own sparkly snowflake!

Ross explained. What a great example of the positive outcomes of teacher collaboration.

After learning about peanuts, cotton, sweet potatoes, and soil, students planted and now care for their own terrariums “using their newly acquired knowledge from the field trip.”

It is our goal to work together with teachers to provide hands on active engagement in science during students’ early years through Discovery Field Trips.

We are thankful for the teachers who take the extra time and the extra mile, like Mrs. Ross, her colleagues, and students.

Discovery Field Trips are free of charge to all schools. Junior League of Birmingham funds transportation costs and a classroom book for Birmingham City Schools. Vulcan Materials Foundation funds transportation for Bessemer City Schools. For more information, contact Ellen Hardy, 205.414.3953 or ehardy@bbgardens.org.

or cardstock. We found that plain construction paper will not work.)

• Paintbrush Instructions: 1. Boil water and pour it into a cup that can withstand hot water.

2. Add a couple of teaspoons of salt and stir with the paintbrush until it dissolves.

3. Continue to add salt a teaspoon at a time until it no longer dissolves and there are salt crystals at the bottom of the cup even after stirring for a while.

Materials: • Hot water (preferably boiled beforehand) • Salt (we used table salt)

5. Tip: Every time you go to dip your brush in the salt water be sure you to stir the solution so that your salt crystals don’t all sink to the bottom of the cup.

• Black construction paper (It should be heavy paper

6. Leave your art to dry overnight.

• A cup or mug

10

4. Dip your paintbrush into the salt water and paint a snowflake, or any winter scene, onto the black construction paper.

Director Mrs. Claire H. Fairley Advisor Mr. & Mrs. Carl E. Jones, Jr. Benefactor Southern Progress Corporation The Hill-Allison Charitable Lead Trust Mr. R. Shane Boatright Mrs. Tom Tartt Brown Dr. and Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Arant Stockham

Patron Mayer Electric Supply Company, Inc Ms. Elna Brendel Mr. & Mrs. W. Frank Cobb, III Mr. & Mrs. Walter S. Fletcher Mr. & Mrs. James M. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Jon Kimerling Mr. & Mrs. Guy K. Mitchell, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Fred W. Murray, Jr. Dr. James L. Newsome Mr. & Mrs. Charles S. Northen III Mrs. Dorothy L. Renneker Mr. & Mrs. B. Hanson Slaughter Mr. & Mrs. Jarred O. Taylor, II Mr. & Mrs. W. Hall Thompson Mr. & Mrs. Lloyd R. Wilson Mr. & Mrs. John N. Wrinkle

Garden Sustainers are our top annual donors, who in the words of the late charter member Bill Spencer, “give more to support a garden that’s free for everyone else.”

Mr. & Mrs. Edgar G. Aldridge

Hugh & Bobbe Kaul

Mrs. Ruby S. Ansley

Dr. Bodil Lindin-Lamon

Mr. & Mrs. Michael Balliet

Fran Lawlor

Mrs. Lucille S. Beeson

Dr. Michael E. Malone

Mrs. Tom Tartt Brown

Ms. Louise T. McAvoy

D. Joseph & Ida C. Burns

Mrs. Mary Jean Morawetz

Ms. Suzanne G. Clisby

Mr. Philip Morris

The Daniel Foundation

Mr. & Mrs. Fred W. Murray, Jr.

Mrs. Martha Stone Cobb Daniel

Dr. & Mrs. A. I. Perley

The Dunn-French Family

Steve & LeAnne Porter

Mr. F. Lewter Ferrell, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. William M. Spencer, III

Mr. R.R. Herbst

Mr. Frederick R. Spicer, Jr.

Mr. J. Ernest & Mrs. Ora Lee Hill

Mr. Douglas Arant Stockham

Mrs. Faye B. Ireland

Dr. Wendell H. Taylor

Mr. George L. Jenkins

Mrs. Carolyn D. Tynes

Members of The Perennial Society have made a planned gift, a bequest, or an endowment gift of $10,000 or more to The Gardens.

H o n o r s

9 . 1 . 1 0 - 1 0 . 3 1 . 1 0

Olivia Alison

Henry F. Hughes

John Manion

Frederick R. Spicer, Jr.

General Sumter Chapter D.A.R.

Cambridge Study Club

W GA Chapter of the GA Native Plant Society

Shelby County Master Gardeners Association

Susan S. Elliott

Hope Long

Mrs. William M. Slaughter

Janet Taylor

Dr. & Mrs. James R. Williams

Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Steele

Mr. & Mrs. Frank M. Bainbridge, Jr.

Snippers Garden Club

G arden S uppor ters

Chairman Mrs. Fay B. Ireland Mrs. Louise D. Johnson

Salix chaenomeliodes, Sonat Lake

Betula nigra ‘Culley’ Heritage™, Rushton Garden

11

G arden S uppor ters

m e m o r i a l s

9 . 1 . 1 0 - 1 0 . 3 1 . 1 0

Gillian B. Beavers

Nell J. Hurley

Betty Morrow

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Cox, Jr.

Mr. & Mrs. A. Stephen Meadows

Mr. & Mrs. Harry Reich

Danny Irwin

Patricia Peay

Millbrook Garden Club

Jack Coley

Mrs. J. W. Bledsoe, Jr.

Ms. Linda C. Askey

Mrs. Virginia Burnum

Mrs. Lee B. Chapman

Alyce Cox Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Cox, Jr.

Florence Wannamake B. Iseley

Mr. & Mrs. Walter S. Fletcher

Mr. & Mrs. Andy Brian

House & Garden Club

Baptist Health Systems Medical Education Department

Michael D’Autilia Mr. & Mrs. Earl Trafton

Dr. & Mrs. Eugene C. Sherlock

Ethel Griffin

Mrs. Lee B. Chapman

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Cox, Jr.

Charles Lupton

Bea Thompson Mr. George M. Thompson

Belle Meade Garden Club

Walter B. Henderson

Dottie J. Travis

Adeline Mary Mancuso

Dr. & Mrs. Eugene C. Sherlock

Mr. & Mrs. Marc Cropp

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Cox, Jr.

Mary S. Hooper

Netagene Alston Ray Williams

Alice J. McGriff

Birmingham Fern Society

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas M. Pearce

Hilda Sauer

Lynn Levenson

Mr. & Mrs. Thomas B. Cox, Jr.

Mrs. Lee B. Chapman

Tom McWilliams Barry Kirkpatrick

Cephalotaxus fortuneii, Japanese Gardens

G i fts

to

Rubus calycinoides, Southern Living Garden

The Library

at

Carex sp, Japanese Gardens

B i r m i n g h a m B ot a n i c a l G a r d e n s

S e p t e m b e r / O c to b e r 2 0 1 0

Bruce and Susan Steele in honor of Hope Long

Deane Cook in honor of Linda Emerson

Birmingham Fern Society in honor of Hope Long

Library Staff in memory of Mary Hooper

Edgewood Garden Club in honor of Rep. Paul DeMarco

Birmingham Fern Society in memory of Mary Hooper

Susan Elliott in honor of Tricia Noble and her commitment to Antiques at The Gardens

Daniel D. Jones Carolyn Satterfield Blair Cox John Floyd Carol Mathews Dr. Thomas G. Amason, Jr. June Mays Bernadine Faulkner Marcia Mancill Kathleen Stack

Shelby County Master Gardeners in honor of Fred Spicer

12

Mr. & Mrs. Hobart A. McWhorter, Jr.

Lenore Kreisberg

Shelley Lindstrom in honor of Linda Emerson

X Fatshedera lizei, Japanese Gardens

&

R e n e wi n g

P R E S I D E N T ’ S C I RC L E $ 1 , 0 0 0 Mrs. Frances Blount Mr. Arnold L. Steiner

A mbassador $ 5 0 0 Mr. Richard M. Adams Mr. & Mrs. William F. Denson, III Dr. & Mrs. James Johnston, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John Lyon Cliff & Cindy Martin Ms. Colleen I. Norton

O A K $ 2 5 0

Mr. & Mrs. Russell W. Chambliss Mrs. Nanci Chazen Mr. & Mrs. Richard F. Cockfield Mr. & Mrs. James H. Emack Dr. & Mrs. Winfield S. Fisher, III Mr. & Mrs. Charles W. Pryor Dr. & Mrs. Douglas Rollins, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Roland B. Smith Mrs. Louis H. Wilson

M A G N O L I A $ 1 2 5

Mr. & Mrs. Frank M. Bainbridge, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. David Ballard Dr. & Mrs. Jerry W. Chandler Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Cosby Mr. & Mrs. Reaves Crabtree Mr. & Mrs. Thomas N. Davidson Mrs. Betsy Faucette Ms. Dorrie Fuchs & Mr. Gareth Vaughn Mr. & Mrs. Michael Gaffney Mrs. Holly Goodbody Mr. & Mrs. W. Alec Grant Mrs. & Mrs. Stella K. Grenier Mrs. Lynn D. Grimsley Mrs. Jeanette Hancock Mrs. Yvonne J. Hardy Rev. & Mrs. John Harris Harper Mr. & Mrs. John L. Hartman, III Dr. & Mrs. Basil Hirschowitz Mr. Frank Hrabe Mrs. Lynn B. Jackson Ms. Carolyn M. Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Gerard J. Kassouf Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Key Mr. & Mrs. William T. Killian Mr. & Mrs. Robert A. Kreider Joyce A. Lanning Matt & Ashley Leavell Mrs. Sandra Lonergan Mr. & Mrs. Willard McCall, Jr. Dr. Charles A. McCallum Mr. & Mrs. Walter F. Morris Dr. & Mrs. Steven O’Sheal Mr. Ralph W. Quinn III Mrs. Sandra S. Simpson Ms. Dorinda M. Smith Dr. Phillip Smith & Dr. Beverly Vonderpool Mr. & Mrs. Neal J. Spangler

m e mb e rs

Ms. Glo Spruill Mr. & Mrs. Eugene H. Taylor, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Bill Tevendale Mr. & Mrs. Paul S. Ware Mr. & Mrs. C. Lawrence Whatley Ms. Lucile White

H Y D R A N G E A $ 6 0

flower magazine Mr. & Mrs. Blake Alexander Mr. & Mrs. Hugh Alford III Ms. Linda B. Arnold Angela Averitte Mr. Robert Bailey Dr. & Mrs. William C. Bailey Ms. Carolyn J. Bailey Mr. & Mrs. Michael Balliet Mr. & Mrs. Joseph S. Bean Mrs. Mindy Bennett Ms. Sarah Benton & Mr. Brent Walker Mr. & Mrs. Peyton D. Bibb, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Earle Bidez Mr. & Mrs. Al Blanchard Dr. & Mrs. Kirby Bland Mr. & Mrs. Van Blankenship Dr. & Mrs. Kenneth Botsford Mr. & Mrs. Ashby Boulware Dr. Samuel Bowen & Dr. Kathleen Bowen Ms. Melissa Brisendine Mrs. Sandie Brown Forsyth Winfield Burks Joyce Cahoon Mr. Chris Campanotta & Mr. Scott Ford Mr. & Mrs. Eric Carlton Bill & Lynn Carter Mr. & Mrs. James W. Cauthen Mrs. Jane H. Chace Dr. & Ms. Robert B. Chadband Mr. & Mrs. Thomas C. Clark, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Corvin Clark Mr. & Mrs. David M. Clark Mr. & Mrs. James Clark Dr. & Mrs. Orville W. Clayton Mrs. Linda Cohn The Honorable Betty F. Collins Dr. & Mrs. Charles H. Colvin, III Mrs. Shirley E. Cunninhgam Mr. Ralph Daily Ms. Frances S. Daugherty Mrs. Suzanne Dickinson Mrs. Natalie Dillard Mrs. Anna Donald Mrs. Rebecca A. Donaldson Ms. Dorothy Drake Mr. & Mrs. Harold B. Dunn Mrs. Joyce Edwards-Johnson Mr. & Mrs. Brent Falkenhagen Mrs. Lynne Faulstich Mrs. Jeri Finchum Lloyd & Jennifer Fitzpatrick Ms. Nicole Fortune Mr.& Mrs. Louis Franks Ms. Lyn Froning & Mr. Michael Froning Mr. & Mrs. James Frost Tom & Anne Garrett Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Germann Mr. & Mrs. Sharp Gillespy, IV Mrs. C. William Gladden, Jr. Mrs. Alexandra Goodrich Lewis & Valerie Hansen Mr. & Mrs. Victor H. Hanson, III Mr. Scott Harris

Ms. Elizabeth Harrison Dr. & Mrs. Griff Harsh Mr. & Mrs. Richard Hempstead Mrs. Gretchen Holcomb Mrs. Mary L. Holt Mr. & Mrs. John S. Hornsby Mr. & Mrs. David Israel Mr. & Mrs. Gregg Janowski Mr. & Mrs. James E. Kemp Mr. & Mrs. Murray Kidd Ms. Mary H. Krebs Ms. Frances H. Lawlor Mr. & Mrs. William M. Lee Mr. & Mrs. Rudy Lewis LaRue Lockhart Dr. & Mrs. John A. Maloof, Jr. Mrs. S. Hassel Marcus, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Jack Martin Mr. & Mrs. Gene E. Martin Mr. & Mrs. John H. Martin Ms. Donna F. Matthews Ms Kim McClafferty Dr. & Mrs. Walter C. McCoy Mr. & Mrs. Thomas McGahey Mrs. Sharon McKeone Jerry McKnight Dr. & Mrs. Thomas H. McNutt Mr. & Mrs. Frank D. McPhillips Peggy McVay Mr. & Mrs. Joe Miller Dr. & Mrs. Constantine Morros Dr. & Mrs. Leonard M. Mueninghoff Mrs. Joan M. Newell Mr. & Mrs. Paul Nurre Mr. & Mrs. Patrick M. O’Donnell Mr. & Mrs. Gregory Odrezin Mr. John Osborne Dr. & Mrs. W. Crawford Owen, Jr. Mr. Leighton C. Parnell, III Mr. & Mrs. Tunstall B. Perry, III Mr. Carl Pettyjohn Mr. & Mrs. Henry W. Poellnitz, III Mr. & Mrs. Charles K. Porter Mr. & Mrs. Arthur Powell Mrs. Carol Prater Mr. & Mrs. Bill Prewitt Mr. & Mrs. Dan Price Ms. Leslie Price Mr. & Mrs. Hunter J. Price, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. John Randolph Ms. Leslie Reed Mr. & Mrs. James L. Richardson Ms. Anna Roberson Dr. & Mrs. David Roberts, IV Mr. & Mrs. Mark Rogers & Rachel Rogers Mr. & Mrs. Joseph N. Roth Mr. & Mrs. John B. Rudulph, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Scott Salter Mr. Carl Sanders, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Lane Savage Mr. & Mrs. Charles E. Sharp Mr. & Mrs. Walter Shelnutt Dr. & Mrs. Alan Siegal Ms. Barbara Simpson Mr. & Mrs. Robert H. Smith Ms. Jessica Smith Ms. Mary Susan Smith Mr. & Mrs. Bruce Sokol Mr. & Mrs. Larry Spangler Dr. Paul Spence Ms. Rose H. Steiner Mrs. Debbie Stevens Mr. & Mrs. Charles D. Stewart Mrs. Linda Stone

D o n ors Barbour Media Management Group Inc Birmingham Fern Society Butrus Family Advised Fund City of Mountain Brook Crape Myrtle’s Cafe Ford Fiesta Leaf & Petal Lucille S. Beeson Charitable Trust Oak Street Garden Shop

9 . 1 . 1 0 - 1 0 . 3 1 . 1 0 Mr. Calvin C. Crowder & Dr. Martha Strange Mrs. Peggy Thompson Dr. & Mrs. Scott Tully Mr. & Mrs. Laurence D. Vinson, Jr. Ms. Despina Vodantis Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth Wade Mr. & Mrs. Richard Waguespack Mrs. Alecia Warnock Mr. George C. Watts Mrs. Elizabeth Weber Ms. Kitty C. White & Mr. Tryg Hoff Mr. & Mrs. Bill Williams Mr. & Mrs. Frank Williams Mr. & Mrs. Tommy Williamson Ms. Lynn Wilmoth Mr. & Mrs. Dusty Yates

T R I L L I U M $ 4 5

Mrs. Joyce Allred Mrs. Carole Armistead Mrs. Brenda Bagley Ms. Dale Baldwin Mr. James Barrett Ms. Nancy Beeler Dr. & Mrs. Matthew Berchuck Sally Blackerby Ms. Cindy Bloom Mrs. Margaret Blount Ms. Allison Boone Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Bowling Mrs. Celeste Brewer Ms. Lauren Brooks Mr. & Mrs. Thomas A. Broughton, III Mrs. Lee B. Chapman Mrs. Laura Chapman Mrs. Nita Collinsworth Mrs. Warren B. Crow, III Ms. Carole C. Cudd Dr. Megan Cusson Mrs. Pamela A. DeBardeleben Dr. Eleanor DelBene Vivian E. DeVan Joyce S. Downing Mr. Michael Dyer & Mr. Dale Gann Ms. Anna K. Ellis Ms. & Mr. Laurie M. Elmets Mr. & Mrs. Sam Faires Mr. & Mrs. William Featheringill Rosemarie Fernandes Mr. Godfrey J. Fies Ms. Janice Fleming Mr. Ray Floyd Ms. Lyn Frazer Mrs. Sissy Galloway Ms. Marie Garner Mr. & Mrs. Sam Gillis Mallory Gray Mrs. Becky Greenlee Mr. & Mrs. Edward L. Grund Ms. Kathy Hagood Ms. Elizabeth Hamlin Ms. Mary Jo Hamre Mr. Gregory J. Harber Mr. Ken Harris Louis Heck Ms. Jessica Hecker Clyde Heisler Mr. & Mrs. William M. Hiden Ms. Patricia Hoover Mr. & Mrs. Mike Hughes Ms. Jean Jarrell Mr. & Mrs. Carl Johnson

Mrs. & Mrs. Paddy Joseph Mrs. Legare Kane Mr. & Mrs. John Kearney Mr. & Mrs. Leland Keller Dr. Cheryl Killingsworth & Mr. James McMinn Ms. Charlotte King Mildred C. Knight Ms. Polly Kratt Sheryl Latham Mr. Paul J. Latino Ms. Emily Littrell Ms. Becky Lofty Mr. David M. Loper Mr. John W. Lovin Mrs. Mila A. Luketic Ms. Sandra Lynn Ms. Tonnia C. Maddox Ms. Judy Mann Mr. & Mrs. Jay G. Maples Ms. Margare D. Mason Inez McCollum Ms. Natalie McGee Mrs. Evelyn Merrick Ms. Leesa Miles Mr. Scott Miller Ms. Cynthia L. Millican Ms. Linda Montgomery Bettie Morales Ms. Sally Morano Mr. Neal NeSmith Mrs. Lucy Ann Nichols Ms. Linda Noland Mr. Donald Oglesby Ms. Anita Peters Ms. Betty Pewitt Ms. Sheila Poinsett Dr. Linda Reed Dr. Zachrida Retief Ms. Melissa Robinett Mrs. Annette Rodgers Mrs. Mary Rooney Ms. Jeanne Rudzki Mr. Brad Russell Mrs. Joseph E. Sandner, Jr. Mrs. Henry Schoppert Mr. Lee C. Scott Ms. Donna Scroggins Mr. & Mrs. Everett Shepherd, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Sikes Mr. Lee Sims Ms. Judith A. Sipple Mr. & Mrs. Morris Slingluff Ms. Kelly Smith Ms. Thuan Tan Mrs. Larry Taylor Ms. Judy Thomas Ms. Nancy Jean Thomas Joe Thomas Mrs. Elyce Thompson Carolyn Titone Mr. Jason Turner Mr. Doug Unkenholz Ms. Frances Verstandig Ms. Emily Vogtmann Gary Walker Ms. Vicki Walker Mrs. Betty Warnock Ms. Loretta Warren Ms. Jessica Wehby Mrs. Mary Beth Wood Mrs. Janis T. Zeanah Ms. Elizabeth Ziers

G arden S uppor ters

N e w

9 . 1 . 1 0 - 1 0 . 3 1 . 1 0 Regions Financial Corporation Shades Valley Rotary Club Travelers Foundation TriVis Inc Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation Mr. & Mrs. Frank M. Bainbridge, Jr. Mrs. Wendy Barze Mr. & Mrs. Harold E. Bissell Ms. Elna R. Brendel

Mr. & Mrs. John Buchanan Mrs. Virginia Burnum Mrs. James J. Bushnell Ms. Michelle Cardel Mr. & Mrs. James P. Cowin Mr. & Mrs. Douglas F. Elliott, II Dr. & Mrs. John A. Floyd, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. J.S.M. French Mr. & Mrs. William M. Gresham

Dr. & Mrs. Lawrence S. Hawley Mr. David Hezlep Mr. Jim Ingram Mr. & Mrs. Norman Jetmundsen, Jr. Dr. & Mrs. Michael Keller Ms. Joann Lewis James Linn Dr. & Mrs. Edward R. Meadows Mr. & Mrs. Donald Y. Menendez

Mr. & Mrs. Guy K. Mitchell, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Andrew J. Noble, III Mr. & Mrs. Henry B. Ray, Jr. Mr. & Mrs. Bruce F. Rogers Mr. & Mrs. Leo A. Shaia Dr. & Mrs. Eugene C. Sherlock Dr. & Mrs. David H. Sibley Mr. Frederick R. Spicer, Jr.

13

Non-Profit Org. US Postage

PAID

Birmingham, AL Permit No. 2513

Bi rm i n g h am Botani ca l Ga rdens e n han cin g lif e with pl ants 2612 Lane Park Road Birmingham, Alabama 35223 205.414.3950 www.bbgardens.org

The Garden Dirt is printed using vegetable based inks. Please recycle.

Don’t miss a thing with the new community events calendar from the Cultural Alliance of Greater Birmingham.

there’s always something going on