From the Brooklyn Botanic Garden:

“Calendar of Events: Through May 2009

“I. PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOPS
II. CHILDREN’S GARDEN
III. DISCOVERY GARDEN

I.
PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND WORKSHOPS

Gallery Exhibit: Visions of Nature 2009: BBG Student/Teacher Art Exhibition
Saturday, February 7 – Sunday, March 1
This annual art exhibition in the Steinhardt Conservatory Gallery showcases the finest work of adult artists studying and teaching at BBG. Works display the range of media used in classes at the Garden, including watercolor, pen and ink, photography, printmaking, and more. Free with Garden admission.

Special Theme Tour: Chase Away the Winter Blues
Sunday, March 1| 1 p.m.
As many as half of the people living in the middle and extreme latitudes experience a dip in their moods during the winter months. Exposure to daylight, even on a cloudy day, can help restore energy, alertness, and contentment. Join Lynne Spevack, L.C.S.W., a licensed psychotherapist and veteran Brooklyn Botanic Garden tour guide, for this hour-long free outdoor narrated wintertime walk designed to chase away the winter blues. Learn how to maintain a sunny outlook through dark, cold winter days, and discover the plants and animals that enliven the garden landscape even in the “dead” of winter. Free with Garden admission. Tour is held rain, snow, or shines.

Winter Lecture: Our Life in Gardens
Wednesday, March 4 | 6:30 p.m.
Join renowned garden designers Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd at Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) for a stunning slide lecture based on their upcoming book, Our Life in Gardens, about their near-legendary garden, North Hill. Our Life in Gardens is a highly personal account covering over 30 years during the making of North Hill, five acres lovingly and ambitiously cultivated in the verdant landscape of southern Vermont, and which the garden historian Mac Griswold has called “one of the ten best private gardens in North America.” This lecture is both a biography of a mature garden and the autobiography of a relationship, and also includes valuable information on garden design and the cultivation of rare and unusual plants. A book signing of Our Life in Gardens will immediately follow the lecture. The authors will be joined by renowned botanical artist Bobbi Angell, who contributed many illustrations to Our Life in Gardens and is a member of Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Florilegium Society. Pre-registration is required; call 718-623-7230, or for rapid registration fax to 718-623-7339.

Making Brooklyn Bloom
Saturday, March 7 | 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Kick off spring gardening with this free event featuring displays, workshops, & speakers. The day focuses on building community in the metro area and offers visitors tips and tactics for urban gardening and conservation practices. Free with Garden admission.

Gallery Exhibit: My Favorite Garden: Works by Monika E. de Vries Gohlke Saturday, March 7 – Sunday, May 10
Opening Reeption: Saturday, March 21
This impressive collection of watercolors, etchings, drypoints, aquatints, and sketches in pencil were produced over the last decade. The exhibition features images of the Garden’s roses, orchids, and peonies, as well as some of BBG’s remarkable trees, including hand-colored etchings of mango and coffee trees in the Tropical Pavilion and watercolors of the lesser-known native pawpaw and the curious Japanese raisin tree. The artist is a fellow of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium Society, and her work is in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Through May 10; free with Garden admission.

GreenBridge Workshop: Starting Seeds Indoors
Tuesday, March 17 | 6-8 p.m.
Start a spring garden on the right foot this year by discovering the best methods to propagate tasty, beautiful varieties of plants from seeds. Learn what skills, equipment and techniques are needed to start you own seeds at home while getting some hands-on practice right here at BBG! Free, but registration is required; call 718-623-7220.

GreenBridge Workshop: Greening Up Your Street
Thursday, March 26 | 6–8 p.m.
Want to green up your block? The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest is now in its 15th year. Come hear from block leaders who have won the contest. Discuss street trees, front area gardens, containers, & window boxes with examples that will inspire. Free, but registration is required; call 718-623-7220.

Hanami: Celebrating the Cherry-Viewing Season
Saturday, April 4 – Sunday, May 3
Hanami is the Japanese cultural tradition of viewing & cherishing each moment of the cherry blossom season. Visitors can enjoy a stroll under a canopy of cherry trees, view Japanese artwork, taste a special menu at the Terrace Café, and celebrate Sakura Matsuri, a two-day festival of Japanese culture for all ages.

Sakura Matsuri
Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3 | 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Participate in New York City’s “rite of spring!” BBG’s flowering cherries take center stage during this phenomenal weekend celebrating Japanese culture with over 60 events and performances. Enjoy world-class music & dance, taiko drumming, tea ceremonies, and workshops for both adults and children—all under a magnificent cloud of cherry blossoms!
GreenBridge Workshop: Basic Tree Planting
Thursday, April 2 | 5–7 p.m.
Trees clean the air, shelter birds, provide shade, and improve property values. In this workshop, learn how to plant a tree and join the MillionTreesNYC movement to make our city a greener, healthier place to live. Meet at Green-Wood Cemetery (5th Avenue and 25th Street entrance) for a hands-on demonstration by a certified arborist of the correct way to plant a container tree. Where to buy trees and how to care for them after planting will also be discussed. Free, but registration is required; call 718-623-7220.

Male Fish on the Pill
Tuesday, April 7 | 6 p.m.
Join us for a fascinating free lecture about how human birth control pills can affect fish in the wild. Scientists have documented alterations in male minnows exposed to common contraceptive ingredients found in our waterways. The chemicals can alter the hormones in the fishes’ blood, the growth and health of their organs, and even courtship and other social behaviors. No pre-registration required.

Container Gardening
Thursday, April 16 | 6-8 p.m.
Making the most out of every inch of available soil is a must for urban gardeners! Window boxes and containers are the perfect solution to a small amount of growing space. Learn about design elements, soil mixtures and suggestions for edible and ornamental plants, plus tips for planting and maintaining containers year-round and this year’s GreenBridge Window box kit sale! Free, but registration is required; call 718-623-7220.

Creating a Rain Garden
Wednesday, April 29 | 6-8 p.m.
Want a garden that looks good year-round, requires little maintenance, and helps prevent water pollution? Learn why rain gardens are a great new gardening trend, how to design one for your property, and what plants to choose. Free, but registration is required; call 718-623-7220.

BBG’s Annual Benefit Plant Sale 2009
Wed. May 6 | 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Thurs., May 7 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
With the largest quality selection of plants in the metro area, BBG’s Plant Sale draws thousands of plant lovers each year who take advantage of the unmatched value in addition to the helpful gardening advice of on-site BBG experts. Over 20,000 plants will be on display on Cherry Esplanade, with the garden’s glorious cherry trees in full bloom. Best of all, the Plant Sale benefits children’s education programs at the Garden. Free with Garden admission.

Street Tree Bed Gardening
Tuesday, May 21 | 6-8 p.m.
Street trees do so much to improve our environment, but they often receive little care. In this free class, learn the benefits of street trees, how to improve the health of a street tree by caring for the bed, get tips on tree-bed gardening and more in-depth information on street-tree care. Bring street-tree care questions and find out more about the city’s efforts to increase and protect the urban forest canopy. Free, but registration is required; call 718-623-7220.

How Not to Kill Your Houseplant
Tuesday, May 21 | 2-4:30 p.m.
After this class you will never again have to wonder whether you watered too much or too little, when it is time to “pot up” a plant into a bigger container, or about any other fundamental questions of indoor plant care. Fee and registration required; call 718-623-7220.

II. CHILDREN’S GARDEN
Become a part of the spring tradition during our 95th year of helping children grow and harvest food in Brooklyn! Kids experience spring firsthand, from the muddy fields of April to the first tender sprouts of May to the delicious salad veggies of June. Come back for another year of Garden fun or participate for the first time and find out what ’s so special about serving to family and friends salad that you have grown and prepared yourself. All of our Children’s Garden classes are designed with a low child-to-instructor ratio to help ensure quality programming. Register now to save a space in our popular spring programs. Independence Community Foundation Scholarship Fund for the Children’s Garden provides limited scholarships for all age groups based on need. For information, call the Registration Office at 718-623-7220.

KinderGarden: Seeds
For Pre-K through 1st Graders (Four-, Five-, and Six-Year-Olds)
Our youngest gardeners work communally in the KinderGarden plots. Structured play, games, and arts and crafts are used to teach the basics of gardening both indoors and out! Children plant and maintain cool-weather crops and help prepare the Garden for summer. Kids take home flowers and vegetables they have grown and harvested themselves. Fee and registration required; call 718-623-7220.
5 Saturdays: April 25, May 9, 16, 30; June 6 | Noon – 1:30 p.m.

KinderGarden: Seedlings
For Pre-K through 1st Graders (Four-, Five-, and Six-Year-Olds)
The Seedlings plant and maintain cool-weather crops in the Children’s Garden communal plots. Later in the season, we will plant warm-weather crops for the upcoming summer. Kids take home vegetables they have grown and harvested themselves. Children listen to garden-related stories and participate in structured play, including games and arts and crafts, to learn the fundamentals. Fee and registration required; call 718-623-7220.
SECTION A: 7 Fridays: April 3, 17, 24; May 8. 15, 29, June 5 | 4 – 5:30 p.m.
SECTION B: 7 Saturdays: April 4, 18, 25; May 9, 16, 30, June 6 | 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

City Farmers
For 2nd through 7th Graders
Spring gardeners dig, line rows, plant seeds and seedlings, weed, cultivate, and harvest a variety of crops. City Farmers work in twos or threes on their own plot of fertile soil. An instructor leads each small age-based groups Nature-based activities, science projects, cooking and crafts are often part of the day’s program. Fee and registration required; call 718-623-7220.
SECTION A: 7 Fridays: April 3, 17, 24; May 8. 15, 29, June 5 | 4 – 5:30 p.m.
SECTION B: 7 Saturdays: April 4, 18, 25; May 9, 16, 30, June 6 | 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

City Farmers Spring Break Mini-Session
For 2nd through 7th Graders
Help jump-start the Children’s Garden during Spring Break! Activities include measuring & lining out garden beds, planting seeds, and preparing planters. Kids take home their own plants and seeds, as well as a rare early-spring garden experience. Call 718-623-7220 to register.
3 Sessions: April 14, 15, 16 | 9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

III. DISCOVERY GARDEN

BBG’s children’s outdoor adventure garden provides year-round excitement and opportunities for families to explore and discover together! Children’s activity areas are designed for small children with supervision. Sit and relax or join in while children explore birds in winter, smell fragrant spring flowers, and enjoy the transition from winter to spring. The Discovery Garden is open during regular Garden hours. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Visit often!

Plants and People: Colors and Fabrics
Sunday, February 22 | Drop in between 2-4 p.m.
From the clothes that we wear to the blankets we sleep under, plants truly make up the fabric of our lives! Join us in exploring plants used around the world to make fabrics and colorful dyes. Learn how people have transformed plant materials into fabric throughout history—and continue today. Investigate plants that produce dyes to brilliantly color fabrics and paper, and try your own hand at dyeing fabric using plant dyes. Free with Garden admission.

Around the World in the Conservatories
Saturday, March 21 | Drop in between 2-4 p.m.
The plants in BBG’s Conservatory come from all around the world! How have these plants adapted to growing in different climates? How do people use them in their daily lives? Come to this free, fun-filled scavenger hunt to explore these global gems & pot up a plant to take home. Free with Garden admission.

Spring Sprouts
Sunday, April 19 | Drop in between 2-4 p.m.
Celebrate spring by planting seeds in a garden or windowbox! In this free workshop, kids will learn about seeds, how they sprout, and different types of seeds to grow easily at home. Taste some yummy seed treats and explore the many ways seeds are important in our lives. Free with Garden admission.

Discovery Tuesdays: Flower Fun!
Tuesdays in May | Drop in between 2-4 p.m.
April showers DO bring May flowers to the Discovery Garden! Explore flowers in the garden of all shapes and kinds and discover why they’re so important in our lives (and in our gardens). Free with Garden admission.
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Founded in 1910, Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG) is an independent nonprofit institution committed to education, research, and the display of horticulture. BBG serves communities in New York City and internationally through its world-class gardens, extensive research collections, and numerous educational and community programs. Situated on 52 acres in the heart of Brooklyn, the Garden is home to over 10,000 types of plants and hosts more than 700,000 visitors annually. Brooklyn Botanic Garden was rated Brooklyn’s number one tourist attraction in Zagat’s recently released 2008 Best of Brooklyn.

From mid-March through November, Brooklyn Botanic Garden is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. From November through mid-March, the Garden is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sunday, and holidays. From November through mid-March. The Garden is closed on Mondays; open holiday Mondays, except Labor Day. Admission is $8 for adults and $4 for senior citizens (65 and older) and students with ID. Children under 12, all school groups, and Garden members are admitted free at all times. Seniors are admitted free all day Friday, and the Garden is free to the public all day on Tuesdays and until noon on Saturdays (except Saturdays of major Public Programs such as Sakura Matsuri). Visitor entrances are at Flatbush Avenue, at the parking lot gate at 900 Washington Avenue, and at Eastern Parkway. By subway, take the 2 or 3 train to Eastern Parkway or the B (weekdays) or Q train to Prospect Park, the 4 train to Franklin Avenue, or the Franklin shuttle to Botanic Garden. By bus, use the B16, B41, B43, B45, B48, or B71. Parking is available at 900 Washington Avenue for a fee. For more information call 718-623-7200. Additional information is also offered online at bbg.org