It s time to start growing at the Garfield Park Conservatory!

Transcription

1 It s time to start growing at the Garfield Park Conservatory! 17 th Annual Green and Growing Fair Saturday April 25 th, 10am-3pm, Throughout the Conservatory, Free Admission Chicago GreenNet is proud to present the 17 th Annual Green and Growing Fair at the Garfield Park Conservatory. This year s fair will be reflecting on the past, while preserving our future. Activities include demonstrations, guest speakers, family fun, exhibitors and vendors, a silent auction, and more! This year s One Seed Chicago, the bean, will make its debut at the Green and Growing Fair. For more information, please visit the Green and Growing Fair website at or contact Julie Samuels at jsamuels@openlands.org. Demonstrations (11am-3pm): Square Foot Gardening Basics of Composting Rot Pot Seed Starting Tool Sharpening (small fee) Family Camping Area Stick Structures for Garden Spaces Guest Speakers ($5 each): Food Dehydration Basic Know-How, 10am, with Janet Mrowka, REI Staff Member and Tree Keeper Chicago s Native Pollinators, 11am, with Professor Alan Molumby, University of Illinois at Chicago Interested in volunteering at this year s Green and Growing Fair? We d love your help! Please contact Melanie Harding, Volunteering Programs Manager at x.16 or mharding@garfieldpark.org to sign up. Spring Flower Show Saturday January 31 st through Sunday May 10 th, all Conservatory hours, Show House, free Jump into spring early! The Spring Flower Show features colorful bulbs, annuals, perennials, and flowering shrubs. The show spotlights more than 800 azaleas over three months, including some descended from the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The second half of the show headlines more than 400 hydrangea in white, pink and blue. Let our daffodils put a smile on your face - this show is sure to banish your winter blues! Master Composting Series One Saturday a Month, 1pm-3pm, Demonstration Garden, free just drop by Join the University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners for a Master Composting Demonstration Series this summer. Learn everything you need to know to successfully compost at home during these drop-in demonstrations.

2 Basics of Composting April 25 th Learn how to start and maintain a compost bin at the Green and Growing Fair. Bring your fruit and veggie scraps to contribute! This demonstration will be given from 11am to 3pm. Setting up a Compost Bin May 23 rd Do you know the Do s and Don ts of composting? Hear the tricks of the trade from the Master Composters. Building up that Heat in a Compost Bin June 27 th Learn how to activate your compost pile and build up some heat! Harvesting and Using your Compost July 18 th Start harvesting that finished compost from the spring. Learn how to use your compost as mulch and potting mix. Compost sifting will be demonstrated. Brew a Batch of Compost Tea August 15 th Join us in the shade for a spot of tea. Compost tea works wonders on your plants and applying it is a cinch. The process of brewing the tea is slightly more complex. Basics of Composting September 19 th Learn passive composting systems such as add-as-you-go, leaf composting and leaving cut grass behind at this year s County Fair. This demonstration will be given from 11am to 3pm. Bring your fruit and veggie scraps to contribute! Compost Bins and Winter Preparation October 17 th Get those bins ready for winter. Harvest your remaining compost and use it in the fall. Remember to shred or cut large stems and branches into small pieces. Wild Wednesdays of Winter Last Wednesdays of the month through April, 3pm-6pm, Children s Garden or Sugar from the Sun, free The last Wednesday of each month, we are celebrating wild things by bringing in live animal presenter, Scott Heinrichs, to showcase select fauna to go with our flora. Visitors can ask Mr. Heinrichs questions about each animal, and get a close-up look at some fabulous critters! Additional fun activities, such as self-guided scavenger hunts and special Children s Garden digs will be available. Drop in anytime between 3pm and 6pm. Live Guest - Armadillo April 29 th

3 Chicago Bonsai Club Meeting Wednesday April 15 th, 6:30pm, Classroom, free Did you miss the inaugural Chicago Bonsai Club meeting in March? Join us in April to get in the loop! This meeting will be a beginners hands-on workshop, where you can purchase a bonsai-in-training to take home. Starter pots and plant material will be available for a nominal fee (or you can bring your own material). Soil, wire and tools will be provided. Supplies are limited, so please RSVP by April 8 th. There is no charge to observe. We will discuss repotting, styling and aftercare. Anyone interested in bonsai is welcome to attend. For more information or to RSVP, please contact Susan Babyk at suekazoo@hotmail.com. Community Banking with National City Would you be interested in supporting the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance in a new way? National City is committed to the Garfield Park community and wishes to help the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance by making a one-time donation of $25 on your behalf if you open a new checking account, or $35 if you open and checking account and a savings account or CD. In addition, National City will match 2% of the interest you earn in a savings account or CD and contribute that to the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance (even for existing National City clients). To participate in this program, open an account with National City today and give them the following Community Banking Number to make sure the Alliance receives a donation: 555. Existing National City savings account holders can use this same number to have National City match 2% of their interest and donate it to the Alliance. (Please note: these donations come from National City and do not come out of your account.) For more information or to open an account, please contact Bryan Tillman at ex Conservatory Late Night Moved to Wednesdays Wednesdays, 9am-8pm, free The Garfield Park Conservatory s late nights have moved from Thursdays to Wednesdays this year. We will be open until 8pm every Wednesday. Be sure to come experience the Conservatory at night; it s a whole new world in the dark! Inspired by Nature Photo Exhibit Open Now, Community Room Public Viewing Hours, free Formerly at the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the photo exhibit accompanying Julia Bachrach and Jo Ann Nathan s book Inspired by Nature: The Garfield Park Conservatory and Chicago s West Side is now at the Conservatory! This exhibit includes photographs, drawings and maps highlighting the history of the Garfield Park Conservatory and the West Side in honor of the Conservatory s Centennial. The book Inspired by Nature: The Garfield Park Conservatory and Chicago s West Side is available for purchase in the Gift Shop. Please note: Because the Community Room is often rented to outside organizations, please contact the front desk of the Conservatory at before your visit to make sure the exhibit will be open to the public while you are here.

4 Volunteer for the Conservatory This is a great time to give your time! Do you find it satisfying to make things grow? Do you enjoy talking to people about plants and other living things? If so, we re always looking for motivated, committed people to share their time and skills in our greenhouses and with the public. There is an application process that all volunteers need to go through, so if you re interested in helping out, please contact our Volunteer Programs Manager right away to get started! The next New Volunteer Orientation is scheduled for Wednesday April 15 th from 6pm to 7:30pm. Any current volunteers, new volunteers, or potential volunteers are welcome to attend these sessions. This is a great way to get to know some of our staff and find out how things operate around the Conservatory. Please RSVP to Melanie Harding, Volunteer Programs Manager at x.16 or mharding@garfieldpark.org. Experience Sugar from the Sun Wander. Wonder. Wake your senses. Sugar from the Sun Garfield Park Conservatory s new permanent exhibit Come experience an extraordinary new exhibit that lets you wander and wonder about the amazing happenings inside each and every green leaf around you. You ll walk through towering root gateways, gaze at overhead gardens, and meander through a budding banana grove. You ll also have the opportunity to get your hands wet in a 10-foot waterfall, stand inside a curtain of vanilla orchid, or simply contemplate the power of plants while resting on one of the 2-ton stones lining the pathways. Healthy Communities/Healthy People Walking Club Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 5pm-7pm, free What better way to enjoy an evening than by taking a stroll through the beautiful houses and outside gardens of the Garfield Park Conservatory with some great company? Join the movement to improve your health and your community with the Healthy Communities/Healthy People Walking Club on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. For more information about joining, please contact Rishona Taylor at x.17. Yoga in the Conservatory Thursdays, 6pm-8pm, Community Room, $10 Yoga is back at the Garfield Park Conservatory! Join us every Thursday evening to rejuvenate you body and mind. Classes are $10 each. For more information, please contact the instructor, Beatrice DeFranco at

5 Steppin with a Vision Wednesdays, 6pm-8pm, Community Room, $10 Love to step, or want to learn how? Steppin is a fun way to get your cardio fitness program started. This ethnic style ballroom dance incorporates stamina, style, control and grace. Take part in Steppin with a Vision to dance the night away every Wednesday evening in the Community Room. Classes are $10 each. For more information, please contact class instructor Darius at Conservatory Gift Shop Open Everyday 9:30am-4:30pm, Open Wednesdays until 7:30pm, Front Lobby Visit the Gift Shop and take a souvenir home with you to remember your trip to the Garfield Park Conservatory! The Gift Shop also offers an enticing variety of snacks, sandwiches, salads, drinks and coffee, and Horticulture Hall s bistro tables are the perfect place to sit and enjoy a meal! Weekend Plant Clinic Saturdays, Noon-4pm, Conservatory Lobby, free The University of Illinois Extension Master Gardeners want to help your plants thrive! Every Saturday their Plant Clinic in the front lobby of the Conservatory is open, and they are happy to answer all your gardening questions. You are even welcome to bring in a sick plant for them to diagnose. If you are too busy in your garden on the weekends, you can call the Master Gardeners hotline with your questions at on weekdays from 8am to 4pm. Children s Activities Sugar from the Sun Fold and Find Scavenger Hunt Available at the front desk, all Conservatory hours, free Fold and create a special origami toy containing hidden messages about plants. This educational and interactive scavenger hunt will lead you to discoveries in the Sugar from the Sun exhibit and around the Conservatory. When you re done, take it home and use it again and again! Funding provided by Science Chicago. The world s largest science celebration will awaken the inner scientist in each of us through thousands of dynamic and interactive activities. For more information, visit Family Exploration Stations: Discover the Power of Plants! Saturdays and Sundays, 11am-4pm, Elizabeth Morse Genius Children s Garden and other Conservatory locations, free Drop in for some multi-sensory activities that are sure to keep your curiosity about plants growing. Read a book under one of the giant leaves, learn about prehistoric plants and dig for dinosaur bones, plant a pretend garden in the dig pit, or take part in some sweet explorations of the Sugar from the Sun exhibit. Activities and locations will vary from week to week. Look for stations in the Children s Garden and around the Conservatory. (Themes and programs are subject to change.)

6 Discovery Dig Wednesdays Wednesdays, 3pm-6pm, Elizabeth Morse Genius Children s Garden, free Join us every Wednesday afternoon starting January 14 th in the Children s Garden for an open exploration in our popular dig pit! Each week, kids will get the opportunity to dig for dinosaur bones, plant pretend flowers, or help construct a mini banana habitat in our kid-friendly soil table (Note: dig themes rotate weekly). Touchable plants and interactives will also be provided. This is a great activity for toddlers as well as older school-age children. No registration required, just drop in! Family Make-And-Take Activity Saturdays and Sundays, 1pm-3pm, Elizabeth Morse Genius Children s Garden, free Come share in some hands-on family fun with activities that explore the power of plants and highlight the Conservatory s plant collection. Fern bookmarks, soil-less plantings, tropical tableware, and more projects are on the schedule for this season. Projects take minutes to complete. Drop in anytime between 1pm and 3pm. (Themes and programs are subject to change.) Grow a Pea Pod in a Snap April 4 th and 5 th Get ready for spring and plant a pea seed to take home. Did you know that when you eat peas, you are actually eating seeds? Learn this and more fun facts, including the life cycle of a pea plant. Plant this cool weather crop now and get ready for yummy summertime snacks in June! Sugar and Spice Necklaces April 11 th and 12 th Discover the more fragrant plants in the Conservatory s collection, including cinnamon and orange trees. Then make a necklace using parts of these plants to take home. Participants will also learn about the function of each plant part. Where s the Soil? April 18 th and 19 th Learn about what a plant actually needs to live and grow by making a soil-less planting to take home. Afterwards be sure to visit the four sections of the new Sugar from the Sun exhibit: air, water, sunlight, and sugar. Green and Growing Fair April 25 th No regular make-and-take program will be held today. Instead, join us for our Annual Green and Growing Fair! Morning Glories for Families Mondays, 10am-Noon, Elizabeth Morse Genius Children s Garden, free Enjoy learning together with your preschooler in this weekly drop-in activity and story-time. Projects are fun, interactive and encourage children s curiosity towards plants. Projects change seasonally, and a detailed schedule is available on our website. Children and their parents will participate within a group of 6-12 children to complete their project and then listen to a related story. Each group session (activity and story) takes minutes, and the last group is taken at 11:45am.

7 After you complete your project, be sure to stick around to dig for worms and bugs, play with our musical plant instruments, or view leaves on our light-table (interactives change weekly). Adult supervision is required for participation in the Morning Glory Mondays Program. If you are a Pre-K group of more than 6 children, please attend the Morning Glories for Schools session on Thursdays - see below for registration information. For more information about Morning Glories for Families, contact Kelly Katzmann at x.23 or kkatzmann@garfieldpark.org. Morning Glories for Schools Thursdays, 10am-Noon, free If you are interested in bringing a larger group or an entire class for Morning Glories story-time project, we have a new feature just for you! Morning Glories for Schools allows larger groups of preschoolers to enjoy a project together. Please contact Yadira Correa at x25 to learn more and to schedule a Thursday morning visit - registration is required. Origami Open House Second Saturday of Each Month, 1pm-4pm, free On the second Saturday of each month, stop by for an Origami Open House presented by the Chicago Area Origami Society. For more information please contact Robert at robertcubie@earthlink.net or visit the Chicago Area Origami Society website at Children s Birthday Parties Interested in having your child s birthday party at the Garfield Park Conservatory? Check out the information on our website at and scroll down to the Children s Birthday Party section. Memberships Available Online Becoming a member of the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance is now easier than ever! Join on our webpage at to support your favorite conservatory. Benefits of membership include 10% off in the Gift Shop, 20% off workshops, a subscription to our member magazine Greenscapes, and invitations to special events and previews of exhibits before they open to the public. You will also receive reciprocal benefits at other gardens and conservatories across the country. Membership levels start at only $25 per year, but join at a higher level to receive a special gift! See our website for more details, or call Donor Services at x.13. Upcoming Activities Make sure to view our Spring Flower Show in the Show House, and prepare yourself for the Conservatory s outdoor gardens to burst into bloom. The Summer Tropical Flower Show will open on June 6 th. The Spring Tree ID Walk is scheduled for May 15 th. And as always, please watch for more information about programs and events in coming E-Letters and on our website at