May events planned in the S.C. Botanical Garden

Published: April 23, 2012

These events are planned in May in the S.C. Botanical Garden at Clemson University. For more information or to register, visit www.clemson.edu/scbg.

Friday, May 4
FIRST FRIDAY GARDEN WALK
Meet with naturalist David Bradshaw for an unforgettable tour of the garden. Walks are offered the first Friday of every month and no two outings are the same.
Fee: Free
Time: 7 a.m. (April through September)
Location: Meet in caboose parking lot

Tuesday, May 1
DROUGHT-TOLERANT SUMMER CONTAINERS
Containers and window boxes don’t have to keep you watering twice a day. Mixing drought-tolerant annuals and perennials, herbs and hardy succulents in interesting combinations, using proper soil amendments and making the right container choices can create attractive plantings that survive in heat and dry weather.
Fee: $15 ($12 for members and volunteers)
Time: 1-3 p.m.
Location: Hanson Nature Learning Center

Friday, May 4
CONCERTS IN THE GARDEN: THE ACCIDENTALLY IRISH LADS
The Accidentally Irish Lads is a four-piece string band built largely around the fiddle performs in country, pop, Canadian and Irish styles.
Fee: Free
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Amphitheater

Friday, May 4
FAMILY NATURE NIGHT: GNOME HOMES, FAIRY HOUSES & ANIMAL ABODES
Create miniature dwellings to lure miniature creatures. Enjoy a story and micro-hike and gather natural building materials from the Gnome Depot. Feel free to bring natural items from home too. Enjoy coming back to the garden to find evidence of the creatures that have visited the village and to add new structures.
Fee: $4 per participant ($3 members and volunteers)
Time: 3:30—5:30 p.m.
Location: Hanson Nature Learning Center

Saturday, May 5
SECOND CHANCE PLANT SALE
S.C. Botanical Garden plant sales provide a choice selection of plants for home gardens and landscapes, with an even larger selection of perennials and annuals this year.
Fee: Free
Time: 9 a.m.–1 p.m.
Location: Horticultural Support Area

Saturday, May 5
HUNT CABIN DROP-IN
Step back into the 19th century as you enter the historic Hunt Cabin. Join Garden educator Sue Watts and a variety of visiting craftspeople to learn more about life on the South Carolina frontier. Enjoy a roaring fire, listen to tall tales and folk tales and experience some of the chores and entertainments of the past.
Fee: Free, donations accepted
Time: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Location: Hunt Family Cabin

Tuesday, May 8
PLANT COMBINATION MAGIC
Combining plants in pleasing combinations doesn’t have to be complicated, but benefits from considering foliage texture, seasonal color and plant characteristics. Join education director Lisa Wagner for this small group workshop. We’ll use the outstanding examples in the Children’s Garden to help illustrate design principles and show how to create winning plant combinations. Limited to 10 participants.
Fee: $15 ($10 for members and volunteers)
Time: 10-11:30 a.m.
Location: Hayden Conference Center

Friday, May 11
CONCERTS IN THE GARDEN: TUGALO HOLLER
Not your ordinary family bluegrass band, Tugalo Holler has proven to be a hard-hitting bluegrass/gospel phenomenon with a continually growing fan base and an ever-broadening repertoire of traditional, contemporary and original music written by almost every member of the group.
Fee: Free
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Amphitheater

Saturday, May 12
FABULOUS FUNGI
Learn about mushrooms with Julia Kerrigan, Clemson assistant professor of mycology and co-founding member of the S.C. Upstate Mycology Society. Begin in the classroom with an introduction to the kingdom fungi and learn the basics of how to search for, collect and identify fungal specimens. Spend the rest of the morning on a mushroom foray in the Garden putting your new skills into practice.
Fee: $30 ($25 members and volunteers)
Time: 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Location: Hanson Nature Learning Center

Monday, May 14
GARDEN NATURALIST: REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS
Discover the secret world of the Garden's reptiles and amphibians with naturalists John Garton and Ben Sill. Begin in the classroom with an overview of key issues in herpetology, and then visit the garden to search for these elusive and intriguing creatures. S.C. Master Naturalists earn advanced training credit.
Fee: $30 ($25 members and volunteers)
Time: 1-3.30 p.m.
Location: Hanson Nature Learning Center

Saturday, May 19
MOONLIGHT AND MAGNOLIAS: A GARDEN GALA
Join the South Carolina Botanical Garden for Moonlight & Magnolias: A Garden Gala, an evening of dinner and entertainment to fund the creation of a Natural Heritage Garden, which will represent South Carolina’s rich natural history. Attire for this event is elegant casual.
Fee: $75
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Fran Hanson Visitor Center

Friday, May 25
FAMILY NATURE NIGHT: GNOME HOMES, FAIRY HOUSES & ANIMAL ABODES
Create miniature dwellings to lure miniature creatures. Enjoy a story and micro-hike and gather natural building materials from the Gnome Depot. Feel free to bring natural items from home too. Enjoy coming back to the garden to find evidence of the creatures that have visited the village and to add new structures!
Fee: $4 per participant ($3 members and volunteers)
Time: 3:30-5:30 p.m.
Location: Hanson Nature Learning Center

Saturday, May 26
MONARCH MAGIC
Monarch butterflies are in trouble and they need you. Discover the amazing lives of these beautiful insects, the incredible journey they make every year and how you can help them. Butterfly games and activities will engage the youngest of visitors. Take a walk in the new butterfly garden to search for eggs, caterpillars, pupae and adults of the many butterflies that make South Carolina home. Take home a free milkweed plant to start your own monarch way station and butterfly garden.
Fee: Donations to support the Butterfly Garden
Time: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (drop-in)
Location: Hanson Nature Learning Center

Wednesday, May 30
CREATE A SAND-CAST BIRD BATH
Make a beautiful birdbath for your feathered garden visitors. Spend a relaxing and creative morning in the Garden playing in sand and concrete to permanently capture the ephemeral beauty of your chosen leaf.
Fee: $30 ($25.00 members and volunteers)
Time: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Location: Hanson Nature Learning Center

Art Gallery
Visit the Fuller Galleries to see a rotating collection of artwork by artisans inspired by the materials, nature and beauty of the Upstate. Up to six artists at a time, all connected to the Upstate area, showcase work ranging from paintings to ceramics and baskets to photography. A portion of sale proceeds benefits the S.C. Botanical Garden. There is also a permanent display of Elizabeth Belser Fuller’s extensive collection of wildflower and nature paintings.
Gallery hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Saturday and 1–5 p.m. Sunday.
Admission: Free
Location: Fran Hanson Discovery Center

Geology Museum
The Bob Campbell Geology Museum houses an impressive collection of more than 10,000 rocks, minerals, fossils, lapidary objects (carvings, gemstones) and artifacts (mining equipment, Native American tools). Educational tours are available Tuesday-Friday. Hours: 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 1–5 p.m. Sunday. Museum admission: $3 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under. Admission is free on the third weekend of every month. For more information, call 864-656-4600 or visit www.clemson.edu/public/geomuseum.

General Information
The South Carolina Botanical Garden is located on the Clemson University campus at the intersection of Highway 76 and Perimeter Road. The Garden encompasses 295 acres of display gardens, nature trails, woodlands and streams, and is open year-round from dawn to dusk, free of charge. Discovery Center and Garden Gift Shop hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday.

The Garden is partially supported by the state of South Carolina via Clemson University, but relies on private funding, memberships and proceeds from educational events to support operations. Contact the Visitors Center for more information at 864-656-3405 or scbg@clemson.edu, or visit www.clemson.edu/scbg.

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