Talk a Walk Through a Book on the Garden’s Pollinator Pathway
School is out for the summer, and caregivers are always looking for fun activities to keep kids happy, busy–and learning. One suggestion from the Garden’s family education team: go on a StoryWalk®. “In a StoryWalk, the pages of a book are placed along a pathway to propel the reader along,” says Early Childhood Program Manager Cheryl Potemkin. “It makes reading an active experience involving movement, attention and reflection.”
Beauty in Blue: Exploring the Earliest Form of Photography, Cyanotypes
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Bring on the Bees, Butterflies and Hummingbirds with these Plants for Pollinators
The Garden’s Pollinator Pathway is a-buzz this month with bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and other pollinators busy collecting nectar from blooming plants. To enjoy this whirl of activity in your own garden–and help support the overall health of our ecosystem–look to summer-blooming native plants.
Beauty Bus an Immediate Hit with Guests Excited to Visit the Garden in Comfort
The Garden’s new free shuttle service, the Beauty Bus, has been celebrated as a wonderful addition by guests, who are taking to social media to share their excitement. “Just what the Garden needed!,” wrote one poster on Facebook. “Wonderful!” said another, and “Wow! That’s awesome!” wrote a third poster.
For Reliable Summer Color, Look to Red Yucca
Many plants flower in May and into June, but as the temperatures rise, the blooms fade away and then stop altogether. Not red yucca (Hesperaloe parviflora.) This Texas native combines easy care and drought tolerance with reliable color all summer long. “It’s one of the most carefree plants you can find,” says Sr. Horticulturist Steve Huddleston.
Capture the Beauty of Botanicals in the Summer Blooms Acrylics Workshop
As spring slips into summer, the Garden explodes with color as flowers of all sorts come into bloom. If you have ever wanted to recreate that beauty in art, the new Summer Blooms Acrylics Workshop will give you the tools and techniques to paint your own botanical masterpiece.
Turn to Nature to Support Mental Health in Children
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, when Americans are urged to recognize the toll of mental illness, fight stigma and advocate for better support for the millions of people affected. One increasingly important area of focus: Children. Mental illness among children is caused by a bewildering array of factors, but no matter the exact situation, parents and other caregivers can adopt one simple strategy to buttress the mental health of the children and adolescents they love. They can foster a connection to nature.
Get in the Spirit of Spring by Reading these Books with Your Family
You can teach your children about spring in many ways. You can watch trees and shrubs leaf and bloom, explore patch of bluebonnets and dance in a spring rainstorm. In quiet moments, you can also read some of the great children’s books about the season.
Connect with Nature to Find Healing and Wholeness
So much of modern life is conducted in artificial spaces–offices, cars, stores, parking lots. Individuals can spend days–perhaps even weeks–without their feet ever touching soil. We lose something when our connection to nature is severed, says to Sara Southerland, holistic coach and sound healing practitioner.
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Japanese Garden at the Japanese Spring Festival
In 1973, Richard Nixon began his second term, Pink Floyd released “Dark Side of the Moon” and “The Exorcist” beat out “The Sting” and “American Graffiti” as the highest-grossing films. Also, the Japanese Garden opened its gates. Come celebrate this milestone at the Spring Japanese Festival.