The Bridge | Spring 2016

THE BRIDGE MYRIAD BOTANICAL GARDENS NEWSLETTER | APRIL - JUNE 2016

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Dancing in the Gardens Returns May 5 The Jungle Book Spring Festival May 6-22 301 W. RENO | OKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73102 | MYRIADGARDENS.ORG

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Myriad Gardens Foundation 1

A letter from the Director

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The Jungle Book

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Splendor in the Gardens

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Horticulture Happenings

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Calendar of Events

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Education Spotlight

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Thank you donors!

The Myriad Gardens Foundation wishes to thank our sustaining partners, leaders in providing major ongoing annual support: BancFirst The Chickasaw Nation Continental Resources Devon Energy Corporation Herman and LaDonna Meinders Robert H. Meinders Newmark Grubb Levy Strange Beffort OGE Energy Corp.

Executive Board of Directors

Community Board Members

Chairman J. Larry Nichols*

Lynn Robberson, President

Chair Emeritus James R. Tolbert III*

Treasurer Matt Cole* Mark Beffort John Hart Herman Meinders Gary Pierson David Rainbolt Lynn Robberson* Meg Salyer* Avis Scaramucci* Myriad Gardens Foundation Staff Executive Director Maureen Heffernan Chief Financial Officer Chuck Davis

Oklahoma City Economic Development Trust

Deputy Director Debora Morey

The City of Oklahoma City

*Also a Community Board Member

The Oklahoman

Join these community leaders as a partner with Myriad Botanical Gardens and you will be connected to one of Oklahoma’s venerable community resources

Brian Alford Robert Allee Gerry Bonds Lindsey Brock Bob Calvert Janie Comstock Irma Elliott James Everest Dr. Warren V. Filley Charles L. Freede Ginny Greenberg Cary Grenrock Linda Haneborg Seyan Hefner Dannie Bea Hightower Linda Horn Gail Huneryager Dixie Jensen Michael Laird Paul Lefebvre Jean McLaughlin Robert Meinders Jim Morley Allen Paine Morton Payne Kent Phillips James. A. Pickel D. Joe Rockett Wendi Schuur Kim Searls Marsha See Carl Shortt, Jr. Beth Wells Roy H. Williams

MISSION STATEMENT

The Myriad Gardens Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization which manages and supports the Myriad Botanical Gardens by providing capital and operating funding, increasing public awareness and support and promoting the highest of horticultural, education and administrative standards.

3 THE JUNGLE BOOK

4 SPLENDOR IN THE GARDENS

5 GARDEN FAVORITES RETURN

7 HORTICULTURE HAPPENINGS

On the cover: Dancing in the Gardens last June on the Seasonal Plaza. Photo by Doug Hoke.

DEAR MEMBERS & GARDENS FRIENDS When there is an ominous financial bubble forming in some market, it’s often compared to the speculation of the 17th century Dutch tulip craze called Tulipmania, when a single tulip bulb might be bought or sold for an astonishing sum. Fortunes made and lost over a short lived spring flower. But what a flower! Providing a transporting, high voltage jolt of exuberant color, cheer and joy to our senses, they serve as botanical alarm clocks, waking us up winter fatigue to spring fever. When planted in masses or long border sweeps, the effect is like entering an enchanted Technicolor kingdom. Along with their beauty, tulips and other spring bulbs, provide a spiritual balm too. When flowering in a still bleak landscape, it’s like the consoling genius of the earth is roaring back to life in its full artistic and reassuring strength, dare we think there are no second chances in life after loss.

It’s difficult to overstate the exhilarating and encouraging delight we feel, (ode to the Wordsworth poem) “coming upon a field of daffodils” or tulips. At the Gardens, we see thousands of visitors smitten and smiling over our spring bulb displays. So, we were thrilled to receive a generous matching grant from The Robert Glen Rapp Foundation, that when met, will create a permanent endowment to support spring bulb displays every year.

It’s now mid-April and tulips are ceding center stage to other flowers and leafing out trees and shrubs. Tulipmania is giving way to what we hope will be “Prairie and Monarch Mania” this summer with our new prairie garden showing off its beauty, toughness and fascinating ecological interconnections especially with monarch butterflies, bees and other pollinators.

Our prairie garden faces a large asphalt parking lot directly to its south. The asphalt sits forlorn, decaying, mute and unmoving. While the prairie garden grows, flowers, hums, buzz and sways in the winds. Perhaps this contrast can create a Prairie Mania in OKC. Gardeners digging up lawns and hardscape to re- plant swaths of prairie grasses and flowers with garden centers and nurseries unable to keep up with the demand for little bluestem grass, liars, coreopsis, and coneflowers. In late summer, when hundreds of monarch butterflies descend on the prairie’s asters, milkweed, butterfly weed and other butterfly-attracting plants, we hope it generates Monarch Mania, i.e. the thrill of seeing these beautiful winged creatures fluttering and alighting throughout a garden. Monarch mania will also focus attention on the need for gardeners to plant plants that help them survive.

Maureen Heffernan

“Tulipmania is giving way to what we hope will be ‘prairie and monarch mania’ this summer.”

There is always some form of plant or program mania happening at Myriad Gardens. Look for new education programs for all ages on prairie plants and pollinators throughout the summer. A Prairie Plant Sale is scheduled for May 27-28. Our popular Dancing in the Gardens series returns May 5 and The Jungle Book family festival will bring this classic tale to life in horticulturally and artistic ways in our Children’s Garden May 6-22.

Thank you for your support that enables us to fulfill our mission to be a beautiful urban garden and park with horticultural programs and community events for all.

I look forward to seeing you at the Gardens.

Maureen Heffernan Executive Director Splendor in the Gardens, our fabulous outdoor farm-to-table dinner benefit, returns June 16.

Please consider supporting it as a sponsor or by purchasing a ticket by calling (405) 445-7090.

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THE JUNGLE BOOK presented by

Look for the bare necessities in our Children’s Garden as we transform the area into a jungle haven. Experience Rudyard Kipling’s story of how the man cub, Mowgli, adapts to life in the jungle with the help of Baloo, Bagheera, Kaa, and those pesky monkeys. Enjoy crafts, activities and imaginative displays that capture India’s rich culture and will educate us all on the adventures in this heartwarming story.

10am - 5pm daily Sponsored by Express Employment Professionals & Tinker Federal Credit Union Please note that the Children’s Garden is closed to the public May 2 to May 5 for set up of The Jungle Book; it reopens with admission from May 6-22. May 25 it will reopen for FREE to the public.

THE JUNGLE BOOK EVENTS Fridays and Saturdays during The Jungle Book, 1 – 1:45pm

STORIES FROM THE JUNGLE

Bagheera’s Bungalow in the Children’s Garden FREE with Admission to The Jungle Book (Admission is FREE for members!)

Best for Ages 4-9 Join us Fridays and Saturdays during The Jungle Book for an interactive reading of jungle-inspired books.

Audience members will have the chance to participate in the story and be the elephants, monkeys, and other jungle friends as we read through charming stories.

Saturday, May 7, 11am – 12:30pm

JAMMIN’ IN THE JUNGLE

Garden Room and Crystal Bridge Members $2; Nonmembers $4 Best for Ages 5-10 Register by Tuesday, May 3 Learn all about the instruments from the jungle! In this interactive class we’ll talk about the myriad of instruments we get from the jungle and the plants that are used to create many of them. We’ll make our own jungle instrument and finish up with a jam session.

Friday, May 13, 6-10pm

Saturday, May 14, 11am-1pm

NIGHT AT THE JUNGLE

PAINTING IN THE GARDENS SERIES WITH WINE AND PALETTE

Children’s Garden Activities in the Children’s Garden, 6-8pm Screening of Disney’s 1967 The Jungle Book, 8-10pm Members $7 per child ages 4-12, $5 per adult Nonmembers $10 per child ages 4-12, $8 per adult Register by Wednesday, April 27 Calling all adventurers! Come to The Jungle Book after hours to explore the Children’s Garden as the sun sets in the background. There will be jungle games, activities and treats. All guests are encouraged to dress as their favorite character and get in the jungle spirit. The evening will wind down with a screening of Disney’s 1967 animated classic, The Jungle Book. Space is limited so reserve early by registering online at myriadgardens.org

Bring scenes from The Jungle Book to life on canvas! This session will also offer a kidfriendly option to choose from. One 11”x14” canvas is offered to each participant. Make it a family day! Mom or dad can paint alongside with their young artists after being inspired by the displays seen in the Children’s Garden.

ON-GOING IN THE JUNGLE All activities are FREE with the admission to The Jungle Book.

HENNA TATTOOS Friday-Sunday, May 6-8, 10am-5pm $5-10 per design LAVENDER VALLEY ACRES Saturday, May 7, 10am-5pm SAVORY SPICE SHOP DEMOS Saturdays, May 14 & 21, 11am & 1pm JUNGLE YOGA FOR KIDS! Saturday & Sunday, May 21 & 22, 11am & 1pm

CRACK A COCONUT! $5 DAILY

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Pavilion Lawn or South Lobby of Crystal Bridge depending on weather Members $20, register by phone (405) 227-0230 Nonmembers $25, register at wineandpalette.com/ calendar.asp

NRITA-ARPAN DANCE SCHOOL PRESENTS Saturday, May 7, 1 & 2pm CLASSICAL/FOLK FUSION Saturday, May 7, 1:30pm PUNJABI FOLK DANCE Sunday, May 8, 2 & 3pm BOLLYWOOD DANCE Sunday, May 15, 2 & 3pm INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE Friday, May 15, 2:30 & 3:30pm RAJASTHANI FOLK DANCE AALIM DANCE COMPANY May 20-22, 2 & 3:30pm

DAILY SCAVENGER HUNTS 9am-5pm in the Crystal Bridge with admission to the Crystal Bridge

THE MYRIAD GARDENS’ ANNUAL SPRING FESTIVAL

Sponsored by

MAY 6 - 22, 2016, 10AM-5PM DAILY CHILDREN’S GARDEN FREE Admission for Members

FREE for nonmember children ages 3 and Under $6 per person $10 for per person for Crystal Bridge and The Jungle Book Combo Package

*Purchase a family membership for $65 and come for FREE as many times as you like throughout the 17 day festival.

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Splendor

PLANNING COMMITTEE

IN THE GARDENS Thursday, June 16, 2016

CO-CHAIRS:

Aimee Harlow Steve Mason PATRON PARTY CHAIRS:

Linda Haneborg Gail Huneryager Candace Baitz Gerry Bonds Janie Comstock Ginny Greenberg Cary Grenrock Linda Horn Paul Lefebvre Jean McLaughlin Lynn Robberson Kim Searls Glenna Tanenbaum James R. Tolbert III Beth Wells

Splendor in the Gardens Returns Thursday, June 16, 2016, 6pm Aimee Harlow & Steve Mason co-chairs Splendor in the Gardens, now in its third year, is a one-of-a-kind, farm-totable gala dinner served in grand style on the Great Lawn at the Myriad Botanical Gardens.

Aimee Harlow

This event serves to raise funds that help support the gardens and grounds, Crystal Bridge Conservatory and educational and special event programming at the Gardens. Sponsorships are available starting at $600 and includes admittance to the Patron Reception and dinner for two.

Steve Mason

Splendor in the Gardens photos

by Carl Shortt Jr.

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Limited to 375 guests, the evening begins with a champagne Patron Party at our Event Center. As the sun sets, guests stroll through the Gardens to our Great Lawn where a magnificent dinner of signature dishes is served by a bevy of OKC’s top chefs including Kurt Fleischfresser, Kamala Gamble, Allison Dake and John McBryde.

For more information on becoming a sponsor and ticket information, please contact Tatianna Cannon, Director of Development at (405) 4457090 or tcannon@myriadgardens.org. Information on sponsorship is also available online at our website, myriadgardens.org.

Another FUN Season Ahead At The Myriad Gardens The warmer weather arrives and so does another busy season in the Myriad Botanical Gardens. Last summer we welcomed more than 200,000+ people to either a SONIC Summer Movie or Dancing in the Gardens, Full Moon Bike Rides & Runs and more. This year we truly believe we’ll see ever more participants thanks to the excellent word-of-mouth generated. The Gardens is pleased to welcome back these tried and true successful signature events. We could not do these without the generous support of our sponsors including Gardner TanenBaum Holdings and SONIC, America’s Drive-In, as well as our partners like Schlegel Bicycles and Ultramax Oklahoma Sports, just to name a few.

Full Moon Bike Ride & Run Takes You On Unique Ride Through Downtown Monday, May 23 Monday, June 20 Tuesday, July 19 Thursday, August 18 Friday, September 16 Sunday, October 16

Dancing in the Gardens presented by Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings Thursday, May 5 — Salsa Friday, June 3 — Swing Dance Friday, July 8 — Line Dancing Friday, August 5 — Tango Dancing Friday, September 2 — Cha-Cha dancing On Thursday, May 5 Dancing in the Gardens returns and with two more nights added to the schedule! This season, Dancing in the Gardens will last from May to September. Join us as we transform the Seasonal Plaza into an urban dance space. Beginning at 7 p.m., instructors from 3Sixty Dance Studio will give a dance demonstration followed by a FREE lesson for all. At 8 p.m., our DJ will crank up the Salsa tunes to get the dancing started. Drink and food specials will be offered to highlight the night.

NEW THIS YEAR: DANCE LESSONS

On the evening before Dancing in the Gardens dates, a onehour dance lesson will be held. The first one is Wednesday, May 4 featuring Salsa. 3Sixty Dance Studio will break down the steps and get your truly prepared for a fun night of dancing so you can teach others the proper moves when the time is right. Limited space available. Cost is $10 for members, $15 nonmembers.

Register online at myriadgardens.org

Your favorite Gardens’ health and wellness activity is back!

Beginning May 23 and every Full Moon night through October. Join other runners in a 5K run, led by Ultramax Sports Oklahoma, through the scenic downtown area as the sun sets. Bring your bike and meet up a for a leisurely one hour ride. Downtown-area routes are specially planned by Schlegel Bicycles.

SONIC Summer Movies Returns to Wednesdays in June June 22 — The Little Rascals (1990s version) June 29 — Hotel Transylvania 2 July 6 — Three Amigos July 13 — Minions July 20 — Hook July 27 — Spiderman (2002 version) August 3 — 35th anniversary of Raiders of the Lost Ark A much-loved summer tradition is back thanks to our sponsor SONIC, American’s Drive-In! Join us each Wednesday on the Great Lawn for movies, activities, food and lots of fun.

Thanks to SONIC these movies are completely FREE. Come early to get a great seat. Bring a picnic or enjoy a hamburger and fries from the Ice House, hot dog from J’s Ice Cube or from our line-up of food trucks.

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Horticulture Happenings

By Nate Tscheann, Director of Horticulture

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Introducing Garden Explorer, Our Online Plant Database

y definition, botanical gardens are supposed to maintain an active record of their plant collections. A wellmaintained plant records database helps maximize the value of a garden’s plant collections by increasing the potential for educational opportunities, research, conservation and enjoyment of the gardens. It also helps us maintain a historical record of our plantings and make decisions about future plantings.

Over the past few years we have had major changes to the outdoor gardens at Myriad with hundreds of new plants being added each year. In order to effectively manage our plant records, we purchased a plant collection management program called IrisBG. Our horticultural staff has been working diligently over the past couple years to input the plants in our collection into this database, fill in relevant information and add photos.

This software has already been proving useful internally. Now we are making this useful resource available to the public by providing online access to the database through Garden Explorer.

Garden Explorer is an online tool created by IrisBG with several cool features that allow a more in depth look at our plants and gardens.

The primary feature is the search feature. Guests can search for a specific plant by common or scientific name or a group of plants in a certain family or in a specific area of the Gardens.

Clicking on any of the plants returned in the search results will give information on that plant including photos, if available, and even show all the locations of that plant on a map of the Gardens.

Guests can also use the map feature to explorer the plant collection by zooming in on an area of the map to reveal the plants in that section. Guests with mobile devices that have GPS can actually use the Garden Explorer map out in the Gardens. It

will track their movement throughout the Gardens and help them find a specific plant or simply reveal more information about the plants around them.

Another fun feature of the Garden Explorer site is the option to select a tour through the Gardens. These thematic tours are prepared by our knowledgeable staff and include detailed descriptions of highlighted plants. Current tours available include drought tolerant and colorful plants for each season and fragrant tropical plants of the conservatory. Look for additional tours in the future that might highlight medicinal, edible, pollinator plants, staff favorites or other groups of plants. Tours can also be accessed on a mobile device.

For our guests without access to a mobile internet device, we will be installing a computer in the Visitor Lobby of the Crystal Bridge Conservatory with access to Garden Explorer this spring. We will also be providing print-outs of some of our seasonal self-guided tours at this location.

Memorial Day Weekend Prairie and Pollinator Plant Sale Friday and Saturday, May 27 & 28

This year’s Oklahoma Gardening School generated so much enthusiasm about prairie gardens that we decided to invite two of our speakers and local nursery owners back for a plant sale! We are pleased to have Bill Farris, owner of Prairie Wind Nursery in Norman, and Marilyn Stewart, owner of Wild Things Nursery in southeastern Oklahoma, setting up shop at our Pavilion for a special two-day sale with a special Members’ Preview sale Friday, May 27, 9-10am.

Bill’s nursery specializes in native plant material including unique herbs, perennials, and groundcovers while Marilyn specializes in native and wildlife plants with an emphasis on larval host plants for butterflies and moths. Bill and Marilyn will be selling an assortment of prairie and pollinator-friendly plants and herbs and Oklahoma natives. They will both be on hand to answer questions and share information about some of their favorite plants.

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Food of the Gods

By Anna Cook, Conservatory Specialist

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id you know that Americans consume around 3 billion pounds of chocolate per year?

Considering this, it’s not surprising that one of the most popular plants in our Crystal Bridge is the chocolate, or cocoa, tree. The plant itself has a colorful history. Many ancient cultures considered it sacred. Its scientific name, Theobroma cacao, means “food of the gods.” The Aztecs even used the beans as a form of currency and had many rituals to honor the plant and its sacred fruit.

Chocolate has had many uses over the years from drinks and culinary dishes to popular holiday gifts and has even been utilized for therapeutic purposes. Even with all of chocolate’s uses, many of our visitors are surprised to find that such a tasty treat comes from such an odd looking seed pod. The pod is somewhat football-shaped, and unlike most fruit, it grows right off the trunk or larger branches of the tree. They turn a golden-yellow color when ripe, and once harvested, they must go through quite a process before they become the delicious, sweet chocolate that we are so fond of.

Once picked from the tree, the pod is cut open to reveal cacao beans covered in a sweet-tasting white

pulp. The beans and pulp of hundreds of pods are piled together and left to ferment for about a week. As they ferment, the beans absorb the flavor from the pulp, Chocolate tree pod growing in the Crystal Bridge transforming them from a bitter-tasting seed to something closer to cocoa. After the beans are dried, they can be shipped to processing plants around the world. While at the processing plant, the beans are roasted and their shells removed, leaving only the cocoa nib, which is the main ingredient in chocolate. The cocoa nibs are squeezed at extremely high pressure, separating the nibs into cocoa butter and cocoa powder.

Matthew Janda These ingredients are mixed back together with various other ingredients to make all the different kinds of chocolate we see today.

Here at the gardens, we utilize our chocolate tree’s ripe seed pods as teaching tools. They are used in many of our educational classes to show visitors what chocolate looks like at the very beginning.

The chocolate tree is just one of the many plants we have that grows edible fruit. It’s always good to know where your food comes from, so swing by the Gardens and take a look; you may just learn something new about what you chew.

Russian Sage-Delicate Durability

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By Abby Curry, Gardener

hen I was approached to write an article about one of my favorite plants in the entirety of the Myriad Gardens, my choice came as a surprise to some. Perovskia atriplicifolia, known commonly as Russian sage, will not be winning any grand beauty contests and could almost be described as modest. A flowering perennial in the mint family (Lamiaceae), it is not actually a sage, though it is closely related.

Its bright, fresh scent immediately draws one in for a closer look, and with careful inspection, the beauty of Russian sage can be truly appreciated. Its dainty, delicate blue and lavender-colored blossoms are arranged in long branching panicles, which can reach up to 15 inches in length. Typically, the total height of Russian sage reaches between 2 and 4 feet, but its airy appearance gives it an almost ethereal quality in the garden.

Russian Sage Liatris pycnostachya, Prairie Blazing Star Photo by Carl Shortt Jr.

It reaches for the sky and thrives in full sun, and also does extremely well in drought conditions.

Even with a bit of neglect, Russian sage holds up splendidly during our long, hot summers making it perfect for the Oklahoma gardener who may not have time to water their plants every day.

All of these aspects make Russian sage a hidden gem not only for humans, but for wildlife as well.

If you’re looking to attract some winged friends to your garden, this plant will bring them buzzing straight for you. It’s beloved by bees and butterflies alike, and with blooms lasting all summer, you can be assured the pollinators will appreciate this fragrant beauty.

Roberta Rowland

David Jameson

Horticulture Staff Updates Nate Tscheann has been named Director of Horticulture and Matt Janda was named Gardens and Grounds Manager. Welcome to the Gardens David Jameson, Gardener, and Roberta Rowland, Conservatory Specialist.

Together with Abby Curry, Anna Cook, Josh Berry & Kerry Rapp, they are the team that make sure the Gardens are beautiful all year long.

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A P R I L 2 016 Kids & Families Saturday, April 9, 11am – 12:30pm

DRAW A FEATHERED FRIEND Terrace Room and Crystal Bridge Conservatory Taught by Abrakadoodle Art Educators M $20; NM $23 Best for ages 4-8

Kids will have a blast while learning in this hands-on, instructive workshop. More than just arts and crafts time, this workshop will have children exploring the basics of art technique, while encouraging creative expression. We’ll check out our birds in our Conservatory, create a beautiful bird drawing to take home, and gain the confidence and skills for future doodling!

Ages 4-5 and 6-8 will each create their drawing with materials and techniques best suited for their age.

Friday, April 22, 10am – 2pm

EARTH DAY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Great Lawn FREE

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On-Going in the Gardens Tuesdays, 5:45pm

YOGA IN THE GARDENS

SPONSORED BY

No Late arrivals after 5:50pm Pavilion or inside the Crystal Bridge M FREE; NM $10 Must be 16 & older This is a great, all-levels class led by Lisa Woodward. Class participants should bring a yoga mat and water. Classes will meet under the Pavilion as weather permits; when it doesn’t they will meet inside the Crystal Bridge. Drop in for a session or two or enjoy the entire series!

Wednesdays, 10 – 11am

BRINGING BOOKS TO LIFE Crystal Bridge South Lobby FREE, Best for ages 2-5

Bring your youngster for story time each Wednesday at 10am. Books are nature-themed and selected based on the season. Children will also enjoy creating a small craft after the story. Groups of 10 or more call Lily Christman at (405) 445-5162.

Note: Starting June 8, we’ll pair up with our Weekly Walkups to bring you Reading Wednesdays, 10am-noon, Children’s Garden

Last Saturday of Every Month, 10am

GARDENS WALKING TOUR

Join us for an Earth Day Celebration! We are excited to be partnering with the Kirkpatrick Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, and other naturelovers for a day of education, music, food, and fun on the Great Lawn.

South Lobby and Garden Grounds FREE, Walkups Welcome!

Join us for our Myriad Gardens Walking Tour program! The tours, “Plants for Color” or “Plants for Water Conservation,” highlight plants in each season around the Gardens. Enjoy guided tours at 10am the last Saturday of each month or pick up a self-guided tour handout in our south lobby.

Wednesday, April 27, 11 – 11:45am

BRINGING GARDENS TO LIFE Terrace Room M $2; NM $3 Best for ages 2-5

April 4-May 27, 2016

Stick around after “Bringing Books to Life” for this fun indoor activity that brings gardens to life. It’s the last one until next year, so don’t miss the fun where we’ll be making nature crafts from egg cartons! We’ll plant different kinds of seeds to take home in your own carton garden and then make a snake to get ready for our Spring Festival when we’ll bring “The Jungle Book” to life on May 6th! Groups of 10 or more call Lily Christman at (405) 445-5162.

Exhibition run: April 4-May 27, 2016 South Lobby, Crystal Bridge Opening reception Thursday, April 7, 5-7pm hosted by The Avant Gardeners, the Myriad Gardens young professional group, co-hosted by Catalyst (Allied Arts) Exhibit is FREE to the public

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O. GAIL POOLE: FLORA AND FELINES ART EXHIBIT

O. Gail Poole (1935-2013), while now revered as an Oklahoman in the canon of American Masters, privately enjoyed a whimsical, illustrative style. ‘Flora & Felines’ is an exhibit of Poole’s fantastical cats and flowers, purrfect for the awakening of spring at the Myriad Botanical Gardens. The original paintings are owned by the Estate, O. Gail Poole 1935-2013 which has licensed the first public offering of large-format, limited edition canvas giclées of Poole’s whimsy. A portion of proceeds will benefit Oklahomans for the Arts, to help ensure the arts have a solid place in Oklahoma’s future and the Myriad Gardens.

A P R I L 2 016

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Adults

REGISTER ONLINE! IT’S EASY Saturday, April 16, 5pm – 8pm

INTRODUCTION TO WILDCRAFTING DINNER Saturday, April 9, 1–4pm

MYRIAD GARDENS SKETCH CRAWL

Terrace Room and Outdoor Grounds; if bad weather, Crystal Bridge Conservatory M $45; NM $50 All levels welcome Artist/illustrator Debby Kaspari will guide sketching enthusiasts on a drawing jaunt through the Myriad Gardens. We’ll sketch our way around the Gardens, stopping at special “sketchop” spots to capture views of the Conservatory’s indoor rainforest, outdoor landscape and spectacular architecture. Material list will be provided closer to class.

Park House Event Center M $50; NM $65 Register by Tuesday, April 12 Ages 21 & up

Jackie Dill, expert Wildcrafter, will give an introduction to wildcrafting. She’ll partner with Mike Givens, Wildcrafting Chef, to prepare a delicious four course meal that has all been Wildcrafted from the Oklahoma wild. You can’t get more local than that! Mike will lead diners through preparation of the first course, while discussing some of the more commonly found wild edibles. Jackie will then talk us through each of the other delicious courses and discuss the basics of Wildcrafting safety and ethics.

Thursday, April 21, 6 – 8pm

Saturday, April 16, 11am-1pm

PAINTING IN THE GARDENS SERIES WITH WINE AND PALETTE Pavilion Lawn or South Lobby of Crystal Bridge depending on weather M $10, to register please call (405) 227-0230 NM $15 register wineandpalette.com/calendar.asp

One Saturday each month from April to October, Wine and Palette will be at the Gardens to assist in creating a unique piece of art. This month transform a bird house and a clay pot into a masterpiece inspired by botanical themes.

Each participant will receive their own bird house and a clay pot.

COCKTAILS AND CONVERSATION WITH MIKE MCGRATH: ONLY YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR NATIVE BEES Water Stage and Water Plaza Room $5 admission; Cash bar will be available Register by Friday, April 14

Join us for this unique, entertaining and enlightening event with one of our favorite Public Radio personalities, Mike McGrath, of You Bet Your Garden. From 6 – 7pm enjoy light appetizers, purchase a pollinatorinspired cocktail and enjoy the chance to talk with Mike and other earth-lovers. From 7 – 8pm enjoy a fascinating talk where Mike will convince you that only you can protect your native bees. Mike will speak on the importance of bees, native plants and our role in their lives and we’ll wrap up with questions.

Special thanks to our speaker sponsor, KGOU, and our reception sponsor, The Kirkpatrick Foundation, for making this event possible.

BY DESKTOP OR PHONE

MYRIADGARDENS.ORG Saturday, April 30, 11am – Noon

HORT 101 SERIES: PLANTING UNDER TREES

Crystal Bridge 2nd floor Conference Room and Garden Grounds M FREE; NM $5 Register by Tuesday, April 26 Join Matthew Janda, Gardens and Grounds Manager, as he takes us through the ins-and-outs of navigating a tough planting space, under trees. Matthew will discuss landscape design tips and the best plants for this tricky area of the garden. He’ll then take us around the grounds to look at examples and discuss maintenance tips.

BECOME A MEMBER OF THE GARDENS AND SAVE ON THE CLASSES! CONTACT: JESSI PINGEL RIESENBERG MEMBERSHIP MANAGER & DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE (405) 445-7089 jriesenberg@myriadgardens.org

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MAY 2 016

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Kids & Families Wednesday & Thursday, May 4 & 5

Monday, May 23, 7pm Run, 8 pm Bike Ride

DANCING IN THE GARDENS LESSONS & DANCING IN THE GARDENS

FULL MOON BIKE RIDE & RUN

Meet at the Band Shell by the Great Lawn Suggested donation of $5 per person Monthly through October SEE PAGE 6 FOR MORE DATES

SEE PAGE 6 FOR DETAILS

Sunday, May 8, 11am-5pm

MOTHER’S DAY IN THE GARDENS SPONSORED BY Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory Mother’s receive FREE admission with one paid family member admission.

The Myriad Gardens pays tribute to all mothers and motherhood. Honoring one’s mother, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society.

Your favorite health and wellness activity is back!

Join other runners in a 5K run, led by Ultramax Sports Oklahoma, through the scenic downtown area as the sun sets. Those who make their $5 donation will be entered in a drawing for prizes from Red Coyote Running and Fitness.

MONDAY – FRIDAY, 10AM - NOON Children’s Garden Porch Drop-in activities $2 suggested donation per child

Bring your bike and meet up a for a leisurely one hour ride. Downtown-area routes are specially planned by Schlegel Bicycles. Don’t have a bike?

Rent a Spokie! Lights and helmets are required.

Adults Saturday, May 14, 2 – 4pm

PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES: PHOTOGRAPHY 101

Terrace Room, Crystal Bridge Conservatory and Gardens’ Grounds M $28; NM $35 Register by Tuesday, May 10

Barre3 returns to the Gardens for more of their popular FREE community workouts. Other workouts are June 6, July 11 & August 1.

Join passionate and experienced photographer, Don Risi (www.donrisi.com), as he teaches you the basics of photography. He’ll show you how to turn a mediocre snapshot into a beautiful photograph, considering various aspects such as composition and lighting. All digital camera styles are welcome from basic compact digital to cell phone to digital SLR cameras.

Friday, May 13, Noon – 1pm

Friday & Saturday, May 27 & 28

Monday, May 2, 6-7pm

BARRE3 FREE COMMUNITY WORKOUTS IN THE GARDENS Great Lawn and Bandshell FREE, Bring mat & water

PLANT WALK SERIES: WILDFLOWERS

South Lobby and Garden Grounds FREE (Suggested $5 donation) Walkups Welcome!

For this plant walk we will explore the beauty and benefits of growing wildflowers. Jody Lesch, wildflower expert and wildlife lover, will lead us on a walk around the Garden’s grounds showing examples of wildflower plantings and discussing the benefits they offer you and our pollinator friends.

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PRAIRIE GARDEN PLANT SALE Pavilion Friday May 27, 10am - 4pm with Members only preview sale, 9-10am Saturday May 28, 9am-4pm Bill Farris, owner of Prairie Wind Nursery in Norman, and Marilyn Stewart, owner of Wild Things Nursery will provide the finest in quality plants for sale.

READ MORE ON PAGE 5.

Sorry, no groups please. Contact Lily Christman at (405) 445-5162 for group activities.

J UNE 2 016 Kids & Families Saturday, June 4, 10am - Noon

EDIBLE PORTRAITS

Terrace Room M $8; NM $10, Ages 6-10 Register by Tuesday, May 31 Join us for this entertaining, informative and edible class as we make (and then eat!) goofy portraits all out of fruits and veggies. Together we’ll read a couple books, learn interesting facts about fruits and veggies and why they’re good for us. We’ll then play with our food to make silly faces and enjoy our creations as a snack.

| C ALENDAR OF EVENT S

Friday, June 24, 1:30 – 3pm

Saturday, June 18, 7-9pm

BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLIES

TASTE OF OKLAHOMA: DINNER FEATURING KAMALA GAMBLE AND BARBARA MOCK

Terrace Room and Children’s Garden Porch M $; NM $10 Best for Ages 6-10 Register by Monday, June 20 In this class we’ll talk all about butterflies, not just how beautiful they are, but also how important and impressive their lives are.

We’ll see butterflies up close, learn all about them with a fun game and make butterfly antennae and proboscis (that’s a butterflies tongue!) to wear home. Butterfly wings are encouraged.

Wednesday, June 29, 10am - Noon

INTERNATIONAL MUD DAY Pavilion Lawn and Thunder Fountain Mud Activities: M $3; NM $5 OR Mud and Clay Activities: $10 All ages welcome Register by Monday, June 27

Sunday, June 19, 7am 5K, 8am Fun Run

FATHER’S DAY 5K

Great Lawn and Band Shell EARLY REGISTRATION M 5K: $25; NM 5K: $30 M Fun Run: $20; NM Fun Run: $25 Kids - 12 & Under Fun Run: $20 REGISTRATION AFTER JUNE 5 M 5K: $30; NM 5K: $35 M Fun Run: $25; NM Fun Run: $30 Kids - 12 & under Fun Run: $25 Come celebrate Dad at the Myriad Gardens Father’s Day 5K and Fun Run. Run with your father or in honor of your father.

Ultramax Sports Oklahoma will host and time the run.

Awards will be given to the best Father/ Son Duo, Father/ Daughter Duo and the Biggest Support Group for your Father. All registrants will receive a finisher medal and a t-shirt. Refunds will not be given for this event.

Come experience the magnificence of MUD and you’ll see why playing in the dirt is proven to make you happier, healthier, and even smarter. We’ll make mud pies, mud fairy houses, and so mud more! You can even roll in the mud if the spirit moves you. House of Clay will be on site for some “make and takes” like pinch pots, mud medallions, seed bombs, and snails for your fairy house! A rinsing area will be available, but remember to wear your play clothes and shoes— and kids, don’t forget to bring your swimsuit for the Thunder Fountain!

Adults Saturday, June 11, 11am-1pm

PAINTING IN THE GARDENS SERIES WITH WINE AND PALETTE Pavilion Lawn or South Lobby of Crystal Bridge depending on weather M $30, register by calling (405) 227-0230 NM $35 register at wineandpalette.com/calendar.asp Get in touch with your roots to create an Oklahoma Indian Blanket painting!

Each participant will receive a 16” x 20” canvas to create a masterpiece that can be enjoyed for years to come.

Meinders Terrace Cash Bar, Ages 21 and Older M $65; NM $70 Register by June 15

Join us at the Meinders Terrace for an intimate dinner under the stars and in the gardens.

Chefs Kamala Gamble and Barbara Mock will guide guests through how to make their own appetizer from locally grown foods that they could grow in their own backyard. After the appetizer lesson, the Chefs will treat us to a farm-to-table dinner made with fresh, local ingredients from their Urban Farm, Guilford Gardens. Limited seating is available.

Friday, June 24, 6 – 8pm

MONARCH EXHIBIT SNEAK PEAK AND CELEBRATION

Crystal Bridge South Lobby and Conservatory $10 admission includes appetizers, 1 drink and a sneak-preview of the Conservatory Exhibit Register by Friday, June 17 Ages 21 and up Did you know the monarch population has decreased by 90% in recent years?

Artist Christie Hackler has long been fascinated by this creature and is focused on creative ways to turn the decline around. Join us and get the first glimpse into our conservatory at Christie’s captivating and beautiful exhibit.

Pollinator-inspired food and drinks will be served and Christie will be around to discuss her works, her efforts to save the monarch, and to share a little about the smaller pieces we’ll have for sale during the exhibit.

Saturday, June 25, 11am – 2pm

POLLINATOR WORKSHOP

M $35; NM $40 Terrace Room & Children’s Garden Register by Tuesday, June 21 In this informative and fascinating workshop we’ll focus on why pollinators are so important and the little things you can do to help pollinators and their favorite plants thrive in Oklahoma.

11am– Noon Beekeeping 101 with Randy Brady, Beekeeper and Owner of Cripple Creek Farms Noon–1pm Lunch with Monica Arndt, Herbalist and owner of Skyridge Farm Café 1–2pm Lovely Lavender with Lori Coats, Myriad Gardens Employee and Herb Expert

Education Spotlight

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By Dr. Ann Fleener, Director of Education

id you know that every third bite of food you take is there because of a pollinator? Additionally, the monarch population has declined by about 90% in recent years. While that statistic is staggering it’s not too late! There are many things we can do to prevent further decline of pollinator populations and to even encourage regrowth of the population. At the Gardens we’re partnering with many other organizations around the city this year to focus on these important creatures. That’s why this year has been dubbed The Year of the Pollinator in Oklahoma City.

Already this year we’ve done some behindthe-scenes work with other organizations and also hosted an event that focused, in part, on pollinators: • In January: We joined with the National Wildlife Foundation and around 25 other organizations for a day of considering how to save the Monarch. We’re continuing our work with them in these efforts.

• In February: We hosted a Pollinator Meet & Greet for organizations around the city who were making an effort to protect and attract pollinators. At this Meet & Greet, individuals who might never have met were able to discuss their efforts, and in many cases, form partnerships to produce events together, promote existing events, and educate one another.

• In March: We hosted the 16th Annual Oklahoma Gardening School and this year focused on the Prairie Garden, a garden that is very pollinator friendly. One of our speakers, Marilyn Stewart, spoke about plants to attract pollinators and other steps you can take to attract and protect them.

UPCOMING EVENTS THIS YEAR April • Cocktails and Conversation with Mike McGrath: Only You Can Protect Your Native Bees • Earth Day Birthday Celebration June •National Pollinator Week, June 20-26 ~ Beautiful Butterflies ~ Pollinator Workshop ~ Monarch Exhibit Sneak Peak and Celebration September • Pollinator Garden Tour • Monarch Festival at the OKC Zoo Look for these events in our upcoming calendar!

We hope to see you this spring and the rest of 2016 for all the exciting happenings!

Did you know that every third bite of food you take is there because of a pollinator?

-Ann Fleener, PhD

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BOOK A TOUR and/or CLASS! To book a program from our calendar of events call (405) 445-7080. To book a group, call (405) 445-5162.

Myriad Gardens’ Pollinator Prairie Garden

By Maureen Heffernan, Executive Director

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hen I moved to Oklahoma City from Maine over four years ago, I was captivated by the Great Plains’ endless stretches of wild prairie landscapes. Rolling in the winds that blow as constantly as ocean breezes, the prairies are like the oceans of the Plains.

These vistas of grasses and flowers are stunningly beautiful and the plants are stoic and tough to thrive in such a challenging climate. When the summer heat meets up with drought, these plants still appear seemingly joyous as they bask and sway in the brilliant sunshine and shimmering Plains’ heat and winds. Their bright flower colors dot the fields like red, yellow, purple and pink stars.

The Myriad Botanical Gardens is smack dab in the middle of a region richly blanketed with prairies. Last year, when we decided to create a new garden in a sunny, south facing site near our south entrance, we quickly decided on a prairie theme. It met all our wants for a new garden. Botanical sense of place? Check.

Outdoor classroom to teach about heat and drought tolerant plants? Check. A garden to help sustain bees, butterflies, (especially Monarchs) and other pollinators? Check.

Indeed, a Prairie garden solves most challenges that gardeners face in this region. The weather in Oklahoma is a meterological rodeo. Very rough and unforgiving.

But like many gardening problems, observing what grows well naturally where you live, is a good place to start in order to solve them. Oklahoma gardeners can look out at prairies and see plants that thrive in hot and dry summers and red clay soils.

While we wanted a natural looking prairie, we didn’t want it too wild. We were after an ‘urban prairie’ result. This aesthetic could inspire home gardeners to install such a landscape yet not draw the wrath of neighbors or municipalities with a too ’weedy’ look.

To date, there are a total of 55 different (taxa) kinds of plants and a total of 5,082 were planted. Grasses formed the backbone of the plantings and included: Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) Switch grass (Panicum virgatum) and Mexican Feathergrass (Nasella tenuissima). Sweeps of flowers included: Coneflowers (Echinacea sps.), Handsome Blazing Star (Liatris aspera), Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) Large Penstemon (Penstemon grandiflorus) Autumn Sage (Salvia greggii ‘Pink Preference’) Prairie onion (Allium stellatum) Helen’s Flower (Helenium autumnale) Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia sphaerocarpa), Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida) and more.

We carefully prepared soil by amending ph to make it less alkaline before planting.

Prairie plants don’t need a highly fertile soil but they do need well-drained, wellworked so their roots can grow deep to access water which helps them withstand drought. A few inches of new compost and topsoil were worked down to a depth of about 8” in the planting area to improve texture and drainage. The site had previously been a parking lot and building site, so it wasn’t possible to cultivate soil much deeper than 8.” A more ideal depth would be 18”- 24.” After planting, all plants were mulched and then deeply watered for the first few months as roots got established. Careful and frequent weeding of this type of garden is critical so weeds don’t choke out the grasses and flowers.

Coming into its second year, our Prairie Garden is developing into one of our more popular gardens by visitors and butterflies.

For visitors who would like to plant their own prairie plants, we are planning a Prairie Plant Sale May 27-28 at the Gardens. Prairie plant experts will be available to help answer questions and help you select plants for your gardens.

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A Heartfelt Thank you to Our Donors!

Listed are financial and in-kind donors to the Myriad Gardens Foundation from January 1, 2015 to February 2016.

$50,000+

$2,500-$4,999

The Chickasaw Nation Devon Energy Corporation The Meinders Foundation The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation OGE Energy Corp.

Allied Arts Foundation Boathouse District Enterprise Holdings Foundation The Jean I. Everest Foundation Dr. and Mrs. Warren Filley HoganTaylor LLC JAX Investments Mr. Don A. Karchmer Lingo Construction/ Greenshade Trees Marco Capital Group Mason Realty Investors, LLC Mattison Law Group PC Midtown Vets Mr. and Mrs. James R. Tolbert, III Mr. and Mrs. Miles Tolbert

$25,000-$49,999 The Anschutz Foundation Bancfirst Continental Resources Kirkpatrick Family Fund Mr. Robert H. Meinders Newmark Grubb Levy Strange Beffort Parks & Public Space Initiative

$10,000-$24,999 Downtown OKC Inc. Express Employment Professionals Gardner Tanenbaum Holdings E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation McGee Foundation, Inc. Mr. and Mrs. David McLaughlin Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits Scaramucci Foundation SONIC, America’s Drive-In Tinker Federal Credit Union

$5,000-$9,999 Ad Astra Foundation American Energy Partners Cox Communications Delta Dental of Oklahoma Mariner Wealth Advisors McGladry Quinn Oil and Gas, Inc. Records-Johnston Family Foundation, Inc. Resnick Family Foundation Simmons Foundation Thunder Community Foundation Urban Land Institute of Oklahoma

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$1,000-$2,499 Mr. and Mrs. Brian Alford Mr. and Mrs. Van and Pat Barber Mr. and Mrs. Dan Batchelor Mr. and Mrs. Bill Beals Mr. and Mrs. Bob Calvert Mr. and Mrs. Richard Champlin Clements Foods Foundation Cox Enterprises, LLC Mr. James B. Crawley Crowe & Dunlevy Ms. Irma B Elliott Fred Jones Family Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Bob Greenberg Mr. and Mrs. Steve C. Haneborg Mr. and Mrs. John Hefner Mrs. Dannie Bea Hightower Mr. and Mrs. Kenny W, Holloway Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Jirous KIND Healthy Snacks Mr. and Mrs. James R. Morley Mrs. Jeaneen Naifeh Mr. and Mrs. Allen Paine Mrs. Glenda Payne Mr. and Mrs. Brian Pugh Marsha and Carson See Mr. R. L. Sias Mr. and Mrs. Lee Allan Smith Smith & Pickel Construction, Inc. Total Environment, Inc. Triple C Lighting & Controls Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Wiggin

Contributing Members at Garden Leader Level Peter, Hillary, and Rowan Farrell

$250-$999 Ms. Marie Ackerman American Fidelity Foundation American Plant Products Bank of Oklahoma Bill Gumerson & Associates Mr. and Mrs. Ken Bonds Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Booker Mr. Justin Brady Mr. Lindsey Brock Mr. and Mrs. Robert Browne Mr. and Mrs. John Budd Mr. James Burnett Calvert’s Plant Interiors Center For Economic Dev Mrs. Joanna M. Champlin and Mr. Shawnee Brittan Mr. and Mrs. Jim Clark Mr. Andy Coats Cosmo Energy LLC Ms. Christy Cronin Cuppies & Joe LLC Shirley E. Dearborn, MD Dobson Technologies Mr. Richard Dulaney Mr. and Mrs. Carl Edwards Ms. Elizabeth Eickman EVOKE Mr. Charles L Freede, Jr. Mrs. Josephine Freede TLC Florist & Greenhouses, Inc. Havenyield Tree Farm, LLC Ms. Maureen Heffernan Mr. and Mrs. Frank D. Hill Mrs. Jann Hook Mr. and Mrs. Dale Hume Junior League of Oklahoma City, Inc. Ms. Jean Laughlin Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Mavon Mr. Tony Miles Minick Materials Mock Foundation Mr. and Mrs. Ron Morey Mr. Phillip Moyer

Mr. and Mrs. Greg Mullen Oklahoma City Community Foundation Oklahoma City Gynecology & Obstetrics Oklahoma City University OU Health Center Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Page Panhandle Oil and Gas Inc. Paycom Mr. Kent Phillips Precure Nursery & Garden Center Mr. and Mrs. Lee Reynolds Mr. and Mrs. John Robberson Mr. and Mrs. D. Joe Rockett Roxy’s Ice Cream Social Ms. Meg Salyer Scissortale Salon LLC Mr. and Mrs. Tom Searls Mrs. Tiffany Self Mr. and Mrs. Carl Shortt Dr. and Mrs. Gregory Skuta Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Stover Dr. and Mrs. Andy Sullivan Uptown Kids Clothing Boutique Ms. Erin M. Van Laanen and Mr. John Myles Mr. and Mrs. Ed Wells Dr. Ellen Jayne Wheeler Ms. Linda Whittington Whole Foods Market OKC Williams Box Forshee & Bullard P.C. Wonderful Giving Mrs. Anne Workman Mr. Charles Michael Zeeck

Contributing Members at Benefactor Level Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Hudson Mr. Lee Marrs Mr. Gene Rainbolt

$1-$249 Andrews Davis Ms. Sylvia Andrews Annefranc and Grady Brewer Mr. and Mrs. William Archibald Arts Council of Oklahoma City

Ms. Gurpreet Atwall Mrs. Judith Fell Austin Mr. John Bachle Ms. Susan Barber Barkocy Construction Ms. Karen Beckman Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Bendorf Ms. Eloise Bentley Ms. Alison Berger Dr. and Mrs. Bob Blackburn, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Bob Black Mr. and Mrs. Kevin Blaney Mrs. Annie Bohanon Mr. David Bozalis Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bright Mr. and Mrs. Steve Bruno Mr. Kris Bryant Mr. Jay Burns Ms. Leisa Burton Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Campbell Ms. Teresa Carter Catholic Charities Mr. and Mrs. David Cheek Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Clark The Honorable Nancy L. Coats and Mr. Charlie Ashley Cole + Reed Communication Federal Credit Union Mr. and Mrs. Bill Comstock Mrs. Teresa Cooper Mr. Brad Craver Ms. Linda Crawley Mr. and Mrs. David Dautenhahn Mr. Steven Davis Mrs. Libbi Davis Dean A McGee Eye Institute Mr. and Mrs. Rowland Denman Ms. Pam McDermott Mr. and Mrs. RT Devero Mr. Max D’Souza Ms. Kristy Elam Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Evans Ms. Carol Eyster Mr. and Mrs. Jay Farber Dr. and Mrs. James M Flynn Mrs. Mary Fitzsimons Mr. and Mrs. Bill Frankfurt Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Furseth Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Glover Dr. and Mrs. Robert Gordon Greater Oklahoma City Chamber Greg and Glenda Crotchett Ms. Andrea Griggs Mr. and Mrs. Barry Grove Ms. Debbie Hane Dr. and Mrs. Don W. Haskins, DDS Mr. and Mrs. Dan Hays Ms. Nita Henderson Mr. and Mrs. Edward D. Hervey Mr. and Mrs. Larry Herzel High Caliper Growing, Inc. Dr. and Mrs. Dodge Hill

Ms. Elizabeth Hines Ms. Teresa Helt Mrs. Kristen Holmes Mr. Robert Horn Ms. Linda Horn Ms. Mary Houston Ms. Betsy Hyde Ms. Dixie S. Jensen Mr. Tom Johnson Mrs. Brenda Johnson Ms. Charlene Jones Ms. Jo Lynne Jones Mr. and Mrs. Walter Kennedy The Kerr Foundation, Inc. Ms. Linda Koenig Ms. Mary Krieg Mr. Mike Krywucki Ms. Peg Kunneman Mr. and Mrs. Stephen LaFollette Mr. and Mrs. Tim Larason Mr. and Mrs. Sam Leake Ms. Jeanine Limberger Dr. Donald Liss Mr. and Mrs. James Loftis Ms. Sue Loftis Ms. Carol Magness Mr. and Mrs. Richard Marshall Ms. Patricia C. McAboy Ms. Sharon McGukin Merco Energy Ms. Lori Merhib Mr. and Mrs. John Michalski Ms. Karen Miller Mr. and Mrs. Hank Moore Mr. and Mrs. David Neff Mr. and Mrs. J. Larry Nichols Ms. Kristin Nixon Mr. and Mrs. Timothy O’Connor OKC Beautiful Ms. Melinda Paine Richard and Gayle Parry Ms. Mary Pearson Ms. Melissa Pepper Mr. and Mrs. R. Curtis Phillips Phillip Truss Insurance Agency Mr. George Prendergast Ms. Jan Prestwood Mr. James Prock Dr. Roger and Joy Quinn Ms. Anjani Rao Ms. Susan Rao Mr. and Mrs. John Reid Mr. and Mrs. Brent Richards Mr. and Mrs. Terry J. Schuur Mr. and Mrs. Lee Segell Mr. & Mrs. Mike and Patrica Seney Mr. and Mrs. John Seward Mr. & Mrs. David Shapard, III Mr. Jason Shepherd Ms. Ann Simank Ms. Sally Simon Mr. Richard Smith Mr. and Mrs. Weston Solomon

Ms. Judith Clouse Steelman Mr. and Mrs. Roger Stong Mr. and Mrs. Allan Storjohann Mrs. Marilyn Summers Mr. and Mrs. Hatton Sumner Mr. and Mrs. Udho Thadani Ms. Jennifer Thomas Tree Bank Foundation Ms. Andrea Tsatoke Ms. Nancy Hill Tucker Weeders and Seeders Garden Club Mr. Dean White Wilshire Garden Market Mr. and Mrs. Harry Woods Mrs. Brittany Yeager Mr. and Mrs. James J. Yoch, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Don Zachritz Ms. Claranell Zimmerman

Contributing Members at Patron Level Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Michael Arnett Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Braun Mr. Jonathan Bryant Mr. and Mrs. Tom Capucille Mr. and Mrs. Cory Chambers Ms. Sally Dasovich Mr. and Mrs. Craig Evans Mary Ellen and Bill Gumerson Mr. and Mrs. David Harlow Kim and Suzette Hatfield Mr. and Mrs. Frank D. Hill Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Page Mr. and Mrs. William Paulk Mr. and Mrs. Bill Shdeed Mr. and Mrs. Roger Stong Ms. Nancy Hill Tucker Sidney Dunagan and Sherry Wood Mrs. Anne Workman

Donors In-Kind 405 Magazine Accel Financial Staffing Always Greener BC Clark Jewelers Blue River Construction, Inc. Bricktown Starbucks Broadway Wine Merchants Cedar Valley Nurseries CocoFlow Colcord Hotel Cox Communications Cottonwood Salon Spa Cultivate Garden Market Devon Energy Corporation Devon Ice Rink DG Productions Dust Bowl OKC Earl’s Rib Palace Bricktown Express Employment Professionals First National Bank of Oklahoma Flint Full Circle Bookstore Great Plains Coca-Cola Greenshade Trees JRB Art at The Elms Louie’s Grill and Bar LUSH Cosmetics Midtown Renaissance Ms. Andrea J Limberger Oklahoma City Party Tent & Events Ozarka Water & Coffee Service ParkHouse Petco Red Coyote Running and Fitness S Design Sam’s Club Signs by Tomorrow Smart Pots Southwest Airlines Southwestern Stationery & Bank Supply Sprouts Farmers Market The George The Painted Door The Park House Restaurant THG Financial Advisors This Land Yoga Topgolf Okc TRADE Men’s Wares Whole Foods Market OKC Wild Birds Unlimited Wine and Palette Zone 4 Fitness

Every effort has been made to present a complete and accurate list of donors. We apologize for any errors or omissions and invite corrections.

Seeking Young Professionals: Become an Avant Gardener The Avant Gardeners are a fun group of young professionals who love Oklahoma City’s unique treasures – especially the Myriad Botanical Gardens.

They’re a fun group who knows that it’s up to the next generation to make sure our city’s urban oasis continues to thrive, and that they need to give their support so everyone can enjoy the Gardens for years to come! Join this fun young professionals group for lawn games, happy hours, yoga classes, concerts, movies and more throughout the year!

Membership cost is $125 per year. For more information, contact Jessi Riesenberg, (405) 445-7089 or email jriesenberg@myriadgardens.org “Each time I visit the Myriad Botanical Gardens, I’m reminded of how special it is to be an Avant Gardener Member. Oklahoma City is lucky to have such a gorgeous, world-class backyard that is open to all in our community.

It is important to me that my husband and I contribute to its longevity through our annual membership and our time as volunteers. I am proud to be part of the Myriad Botanical Garden’s history and look forward to seeing it continue to thrive and grow for years to come.”

— Rachel Durham, President, Avant Gardeners “The Myriad Gardens is a special place in Oklahoma City.

It serves as a gathering place for many, and has an energy that reflects that of the city itself. Becoming a member of the Avant Gardeners provides a unique way to become involved in this active community, and provides young people the opportunity to invest in the future of the Gardens. From casual Avant Gardener happy hours to larger events, I enjoy getting to meet young professionals from across the city-people who share the same passion for giving back to this city and who are excited about contributing to its future.”

— Michael Nash, Treasurer, Avant Gardeners

Take Advantage of your Gardens’ membership with our Green Thumb Partners Members of the Gardens now receive discounts at participating garden and nursery related stores throughout Oklahoma City. To receive your discount, just show your current Myriad Garden membership card at the time of purchase.

These merchants offer a 10% discount.

Check our website for restrictions: ADORN CALVERT’S PLANT INTERIORS CENTRAL POWER EQUIPMENT FOSTER’S NURSERY AND TREE FARM NEW LEAF FLORAL ORGANICS OKC PRECURE NURSERY AND GARDEN CENTER TLC GARDEN CENTERS TONY’S TREE PLANTATION WILSHIRE GARDEN MARKET WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED 15% off entire purchase

Making Travel Plans? Your Membership Gets Your Family Into 300 U.S. Botanic Gardens Members of the Myriad Gardens receive special admission privileges and discounts at more than 300 gardens through the American Horticultural Society’s Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP). Membership supports the Gardens’ continued success and is 100% tax deductible.

Members also receive free admission to one of Oklahoma’s most treasured landmarks, the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory. Individual/ Dual membership is $50 and the family membership is $65.

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From Cat Videos to Easter Bunnies, Tinker Federal Credit Union Supports the Fun!

Photo by Doug Hoke

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klahoma’s largest credit union, Tinker Federal Credit Union began partnering with the Myriad Botanical Gardens in 2013 when they held Save-A-Tron 5000’s, TFCU’s SaveAbles Kids Club mascot, birthday party at the gardens. Since then, TFCU has been glad to be a corporate sponsor of the Myriad Botanical Gardens.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

“The best part about partnering with the Myriad Gardens is the variety of events we get to be a part of. Our time with them is never boring,” said TFCU Marketing Representative Anthony Garcia.

TFCU has been a part of several events including the Internet Cat Video Festival, Star Wars Day, the annual Easter Egg Hunt, and most recently, Deceptive Orchids. The Internet Cat Video Festival has been the most fun and surprising event TFCU has been a part of. “We had no idea thousands of people would come out to watch cat videos,” Garcia said. “It brings a wide range of people from teenagers to families, and everyone loves the cat glasses we give away. The

Team Tinker Federal Credit Union (left to right) TJ Relerford, Bailey Brooks, Anthony Garcia and Lesley Clark.

Myriad Gardens is so innovative when it comes to bringing new things to OKC. They have helped shape what this city has become and it is an honor to be involved with them.”

TFCU is excited for a third year of the Internet Cat Video Festival, scheduled for Saturday, August 6, 2016. They don’t know if they will give away cat glasses again, but guarantee that attendees will have a great time.

IT’S THE PURRRFECT FIT!

Dr. Leonardo Baez

Midtown Vets Sponsors Animal Related events: Internet Cat Video Fest, Doggy Easter Egg Hunt & Spooky Pooch Parade

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r. Leonardo Baez, born and raised in Cuernavaca, Mexico, is very well known in Oklahoma City, especially to his fourlegged patients. Nestled in Midtown next to Bleu Garten, his mid-century modern styled office tells you, the visitor, that he’s fun, artful, and cares greatly for his patients and community. The Myriad Gardens is grateful to Dr. Baez for especially sponsoring our animal-related events.

Midtown Vets came aboard for first-time events that have proven to be very popular!

The Spooky Pooch Parade last October was a wonderful first year success!

Leonardo and his wife, Margaretta, live in Mesta Park with their rescue dog Thunder, and their French bulldog Franquie. They have

The Doggy Easter Egg Hunt saw close to 150 dogs participate this year.

three beautiful daughters, Gabriela, Tess, and Amanda. Dr. Baez is an avid tennis player and a die hard Thunder fan. He and his wife have worked with several pet humane organizations and like to get involved in community events. Their favorite traveling spot is Akumal, Mexico.

At the end of 2013, after two months of retirement, Leonardo and Margaretta decided to open Midtown Vets with the help of friends and neighbors. Dr. Baez works to help spay and neuter stray animals found at the Garden and he also treats animals free of charge for members of OKC’s disabled and homeless population. We are grateful for his support and the work he does in the community.

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Robert Glen Rapp Foundation’s Matching Grant To Create a Spring Bulb Endowment at Myriad Gardens Maureen Heffernan, Executive Director In 2012, we started planning ways to celebrate the Gardens 25th anniversary date on March 25, 2013. We decided what better way to mark that early spring date than with an extra dazzling spring bulb display. We raised funds to plant 25,000 bulbs in late 2012 and the resulting display the next year fittingly and memorably marked this milestone date and delighted visitors with a richly colored rainbow of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths throughout the grounds.

Having seen how smitten visitors were with the bulbs, we wanted to again plant at least as many bulbs for the following year, indeed, in every future year.

Of course, to achieve this vision every year takes significant funds. Fortunately, generous and forward thinking donors in our community stepped forward to help us. Thanks to Tony and Jil Boghetich, residents of Oklahoma City and La Jolla, California, and who both serve on the board of the Robert Glen Rapp Foundation, we were awarded a $25,000 Rapp Foundation grant in 2014 to primarily purchase extra bulbs for our 2015 spring display.

Tony and Jil were delighted with the results and saw first-hand how taken visitors of all ages and walks of life were with the beauty.

They share our vision of having striking bulb displays in the heart of downtown, to not only uplift and delight individual hearts and spirits, but to also add a wonderful quality of life dimension to further burnish OKC’s reputation as a city transforming itself.

We were thrilled when the Robert Glen Rapp Foundation recently awarded the Gardens a $200,000 matching grant to establish, when fully matched, a $400,000 permanent endowment to grow and be used toward funding spring bulb displays.

We extend our sincerest thanks and appreciation to the vision and generosity of The Rapp Foundation. Their legacy gift, along with donors who help us meet the match, will bring beauty and joy to countless people every spring for generations to come.

Tulip photo by Carl Shortt Jr.

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Jil and Tony Boghetich enjoying the 2016 spring bulb display at Myriad Botanical Gardens in the Meinders Terrace.

To make a donation, of any amount, to help the Gardens raise matching funds for the Robert Glen Rapp Foundation grant, please visit our website’s support page or call our development office at (405) 445-7090.

Volunteer Program: Partner Volunteers vs. Occasional Volunteers

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By Lori Coats, Volunteer Coordinator

hat a wonderful time to be part of the Myriad Botanical Gardens! I’m excited to be working with the fantastic volunteers that were in place, as well as the new ones who have come on since I arrived in January. We’ve had great discussions with many of the volunteers and have received valuable feedback about our program.

We’ve made some adjustments and improvements and are so happy about the direction that our volunteer program is moving. There are many ways that people can help at the Gardens. Partner volunteers make a commitment, and in return receive a wonderful list of benefits for their time and effort. Occasional volunteers participate when they are available or when an activity or event of interest to them is going on. Our high school volunteer program is really growing and we are excited for the second set of VolunTeens to come through this summer. If you are looking for a great place to give back, please consider joining us!

Become a Partner Volunteer Requirements

• Must agree to volunteer a minimum of 36 hours per year • Must be 18 years of age or older • Complete a simple application and background check

Benefits

• Receive a free parking pass to use while volunteering at the Gardens • $20 off Myriad Botanical Gardens Membership • Reduced/Complimentary access to various Myriad Gardens’ special events, including all education programs at staff price • Receive free, instructional orientation and trainings • Receive free admission plus 10 free passes to our Spring and Fall Festivals to share with your family & friends • Invitation to our Annual Appreciation Banquet and Holiday Party • Opportunities to guide indoor and outdoor garden tours

Occasional volunteers: Students from the University of Central Oklahoma volunteering on Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Giving.

Opportunities for Occasional Volunteers With so much going on at the Gardens we always need and appreciate the help that our Occasional Volunteers provide.

Due to a variety of reasons, these volunteers cannot commit to being a Partner Volunteer. However, they are faithful to come help whenever we have special activities and events.

For more information email Lori Coats at lcoats@myriadgardens.org

Partner Volunteers Nelda Paden, Roger Quinn, Patsy Dodson and Sue Loftis stuffing Oklahoma Gardening School Packets

Occasional volunteers: Bishop McGuiness Catholic High School students volunteering in the Gardens in March.

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Wedding? Corporate Dinner? Birthday? Book the Park House Events Center for Your Next Event With beautifully landscaped acres of formal and natural gardens, the Myriad Botanical Gardens offers you a choice of so many striking places to gather for your next happening. The Park House Events Center is new in the line-up to rent for your special occasion. It’s perfect for corporate events, weddings, wedding receptions, networking events, birthday celebrations and more. With its natural light and striking panoramic views of the Gardens, breathtaking sunsets and nighttime glow of the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory, the Events Center will make your next gathering a truly special occasion. The Events Center holds 120 people for a ceremony, 120 guests for dinner and 200 for a standing reception.

Prices vary depending on day of the week and more.

Contact Jessica Rahill, (405) 200-1547 jrahill@myriadgardens.org

Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park Returns to The Water Stage Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park launches it’s 32nd season with Shakespeare’s romantic comedy masterpiece, “Much Ado About Nothing” (director Lance Marsh) at the Gardens in June and “Romeo and Juliet”(director Kathryn McGill) in September. Tickets are $20 but for Gardens’ members, you receive two, non-transferrable tickets to each performance. Show your membership card at the ticket table at the Myriad Gardens’ Water Stage.

Much Ado About Nothing Thursdays - Saturdays, June 2-25

Romeo and Juliet Thursdays - Saturdays, September 8- 24

Love’s in the air when Don Pedro’s army, drunk with victory from the war, descends upon Leonato’s country estate in Messina. Traveling with him is Claudio, who wants to marry Leonato’s daughter Hero. Meanwhile, Claudio’s friend Benedick and Leonato’s lively niece Beatrice hide their mutual attraction behind a volley of witty insults. But their world is shattered when Claudio, influenced by a scheming malcontent, levels a shocking accusation at Hero. A linguistically challenged guard and his sidekicks uncover the plot, casting a beam of hopefulness in this tempestuous landscape of love.

The intense feud between the Montague and Capulet families devastates the city of Verona and foreshadows tragic consequences for young Romeo and Juliet. Revenge, passion and a secret marriage lead the world’s most famous starcrossed lovers to a harrowing end.

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For ticket information visit oklahomashakespeare.com or call (405) 235-3700

T K OU S C E H C LLY’ A C F !

CHE MENU W E N

Wise Guys presented Summer Concert Series at Ice House Plaza The Wise Guys band will perform monthly at the Ice House. The concerts are FREE and open to the public on the beautiful patio at the Ice House Restaurant at Myriad Gardens.

Concert performances are tentatively scheduled for the following dates: Friday, May 27; a special Thursday edition on June 30; Friday, July 15; Friday, August 19; Friday, September 23 and Friday, October 21. Band performances are 8pm to 11pm.

Avis Scaramucci pictured second to the left enjoys iced tea with staff Deborah Morey, Maureen Heffernan, Kerry Rapp, Jessi Reisenberg, Tatianna Cannon, Erin McPhall

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID OKLA. CITY OK PERMIT NO. 100

301 WEST RENO OKL AHOMA CIT Y, OK 73102 myriadgardens.org

CRYSTAL BRIDGE

TROPICAL CONSERVATORY

OPEN DAILY: MON-SAT 9AM-5PM, SUN 11AM-5PM $8 Adults; $7 Seniors (62+), Active Military, Students (13-19); $5 Children 4-12; FREE for Members & Children Under 4