DATE: 5/1/05

CONTACT: Christine Drais, (864) 656-3405

UPCOMING EVENTS: THE SOUTH CAROLINABOTANICAL GARDEN

MAY 2005

For additional event information and registration: www.clemson.edu/scbg . Registration with a credit card may be made by calling (864) 656-3405 or email scbg@clemson.edu.

First Friday Nature Walk – May 6

Meet at the Red Caboose for an informative walk with naturalist and Clemson University Professor David Bradshaw. Wear comfortable shoes and appropriate dress. Walks generally last between one and two hours.

Fee: Free

7 a.m.

Location: Meet at the Red Caboose Parking Area.

SOLSTICE ART EXHIBIT – Ongoing through August

Enjoy the artwork of featured artists Heather Kline Schaffer and Joshua Schaffer during the months of April through August on display at the Fran Hanson Discovery Center. This Pendleton couple will exhibit their oil paintings and nature photography with images taken from the SC Botanical Garden. Workshops are scheduled for May and June.

Fee: Free

Mon.-Sat.: 10am - 4pm and Sun. 1pm - 5pm

Location: Fran Hanson Discovery Center.

Flow Yoga – Thursdays – May 5, 12, 26

Flow Yoga with Renee Gahan is a course ideal for beginner, intermediate and experienced yoga students. The class focus is on vinyasa or ‘flow yoga’ in addition to the Ashtanga primary series of poses designed to increase strength and flexibility. Breathing techniques will also be practiced to reduce stress, induce relaxation and clarity of mind. Wear comfortable clothes and bring a yoga mat to practice on. Class is limited to 12 students per session. No class May 19.

Fee: $10 per session

To register, call (864) 656-3405.

Thursdays: 5:45 – 7:15p.m.

Location: S.C. Botanical Garden Hayden Conference Center.

Warm-Season Container Gardening – May 6

Bring a favorite container or window box with you and create a fresh display for summer in this hands-on program. Portulaca selection, Sedum, herbs, and drought=tolerant annuals and perennials are excellent ways to brighten up a summer porch or patio, without making watering a chore. We’ll provide plants and potting mix and some different ideas for summer and early fall plantings.

Tuition: $25 ($20 for SCBG members & volunteers) includes potting media & plants

Friday, 10 am - Noon

Location: Nature Learning Center.

Friends May Fest – May 7

Join us for arts, music, food and fun. Wander through the juried local art show as you listen to the sounds of bluegrass music by Curtis Blackwell and the Dixie Bluegrass Boys at 12:30 p.m. with Clemson’s Caterwaul opening at 11 a.m. The Carriage House Café & Tea Room will be open offering delicious goodies from Catering by Shirley. Kids will enjoy building fairy houses and face painting. Sponsored in part by the South Carolina Arts Commission.

Admission: $3/adults & $2/children 4 & older

Saturday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Location: Fran Hanson Discovery Center Lawns.

Gardening with Native - May 10

Many South Carolina native plants are exceptionally attractive in garden settings, as well as being hospitable to native wildlife and adaptable to local conditions. Using a broad array of natives in your garden enriches the diversity of your backyard ecosystem, which promotes ecological balance in your garden as birds, beneficial insects, and other critters increase, and plant pests and disease diminish. In this program, Education Director Lisa Wagner will provide examples of favorite native species for Piedmont gardens, including examples from her own yard, transformed from lawn to wildlife garden through additions of native trees, shrubs, and perennials and promoting habitat diversity.

Tuition: $5 (free for S.C. Botanical Garden members and volunteers)

Tuesday, Noon – 1 p.m.

Location: Nature Learning Center.

From the Ground Up: Creating a New Perennial Bed - May 13

Whether you’re starting with an overgrown bed, a scruffy patch of lawn or bare ground following construction, creating a new perennial bed is lots of fun with the right preparation. Stretch your imagination and creativity in this hands-on workshop with S.C. Botanical Garden Horticulturist Sherry Aultman, as she shares her approach to designing and installing a new perennial bed “from scratch.” She’ll talk about design considerations, soil amendments, and plant selection, as well as proper planting techniques. Come prepared to join in the fun with gloves and work clothes.

Fee: $20 ($15 for S.C. Botanical Garden members and volunteers)

Friday, 1 – 4 p.m.

Location: Nature Learning Center.

Hands-On Vermicomposting Workshop - May 20

Worm composting or “vermicomposting” is a great way to speed up your composting efforts. In this hands-on workshop, you will investigate the components of a thriving worm bin and learn more about putting these fascinating creatures to work. Program includes worms and supplies to start putting worms to work at home in your garden. Plans for different worm bin designs will be included.

Tuition: $25 ($20 for SCBG members & volunteers)

Friday, 10 a.m. - Noon

Location: Nature Learning Center.

SC MUSEUM DAY OPEN HOUSE- May 21

Visit the Campbell Geology Museum during our fourth annual museum day celebration.Festivities include orienteering, rock and fossil identification, and a rock painting activity for children...fun for the whole family.

Fee: FREE
1 - 4 p.m.
Location: Campbell Geology Museum

Landscape Painting - May 21

Join landscape painter and muralist Heather Kline Schaffer for a morning workshop focused on painting a favorite view or vista from the gardens surrounding the Discovery Center. Schaffer will assist participants in selecting a motif, sketching a composition, mixing colors and painting an original work. She has studied art in Provence, Florence, Padua, and Rome, as well as traveled extensively and painted many countryside vistas throughout Europe and the United States. She is currently a South Carolina Artist in Residence and has carried out numerous mural projects, as well as continuing to work in other media. No experience is necessary for the workshop and materials will be provided.

Tuition: $75 ($65 for SCBG members and volunteers)

Saturday, 9 a.m. - Noon (rain date May 28)

Location: Discovery Center.

Organic Gardening in the Piedmont - May 26

Interested in converting your vegetable or flower gardens to organic ones? Learn how to care for your garden organically, without chemical pesticides and fertilizers, and you can enjoy a productive garden that is great for the environment. We’ll focus on organic gardening methods related to spring: use of soil amendments, good gardening practices, natural pest and disease control, and plant selection.

Fee: $12 ($9 for S.C. Botanical Garden members and volunteers)

Thursday, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Location: Nature Learning Center.

Be a Garden Volunteer

No matter what your background or the time you have available, there is a place for you at the S.C. Botanical Garden. Volunteer opportunities are available in grounds maintenance and gardening, education programs, special events, and visitor services. Call Melissa Bailey at 864-656-3405 or email scbg@clemson.edu or go to the web site www.clemson.edu/scbg.

Meet at the Garden!

Whether you’re planning a business meeting, birthday party, or a wedding the SC Botanical Garden offers a peaceful setting for your important day. Call Melissa Bailey, Garden Rentals, for more information at 864-656-3405, email scbg@clemson.edu or go to the web site www.clemson.edu/scbg.

GARDEN HOURS OF OPERATION:

Discovery Center & Garden Gift Shop Hours: Mon.–Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sun. 1-5 p.m.

Geology Museum Hours: Thurs.-Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sun. 1-5 p.m. Admission: $3/adults and $2/children 12 and under. Annual passes available. Carriage House Café & Tea Room now open weekends.

The Garden is located on the Clemson University campus at the intersection of Highway 76 and Perimeter Road. It encompasses 295 acres of gardens, streams and woodlands, and is open year-round from sunrise to sunset, free of charge.

Support the Garden, become a ‘FRIEND of the Garden’; contact Christine Drais for more information at (864) 656-3405 or cdrais@clemson.edu.

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