News Release

Plant sale, ‘discovering magic in garden’
are among N.C. Botanical Garden events

CHAPEL HILL -- The dogwoods have bloomed and the hum of lawnmowers is in the air. If you think you are busy in your yard, imagine the staff at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s N.C. Botanical Garden.

"It’s nonstop at this time of year," said garden curator Janie Bryan. "With the arrival of warm weather, people get excited again about gardening and come out to see what we have."

Bryan and colleagues keep a self-service, daily plant sale well stocked with plants they have propagated and grown at the garden. "We offer a variety of native perennials, shrubs and vines – plants that are well-adapted to our climate and soils. And the selection changes weekly, depending on what we have coming up in the nursery and greenhouse," she added.

All sales support the garden’s programming and conservation activities.

Visitors in late spring find the display gardens at the peak of their beauty. Perennial borders are alive with color, the herb garden is a feast of scent and form, and a stroll through the Coastal Plain Habitat display offers rolling Sandhills scenery punctuated by tall longleaf pines and rippling grasses.

Upcoming garden events are geared toward families, as well as native plant gardening enthusiasts:

· The third annual "Discovering Magic in the Garden" event, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. May 1: Fun educational activities, including magical hat making and storytelling, will be set up throughout the garden. The event is free but space is limited. Those interested should call (919) 962-0522 to make a reservation.

· Certificate in botanical illustration reception, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. May 1: The garden will celebrate its first group of students to receive this certification. A selection of the artists’ works will be on display at the reception and will remain on display in the Totten Center classroom through June. The event is free, but reservations are requested. Those interested in registering for a class in botanical illustration should visit www.ncbg.unc.edu or call (919) 962-0522.

· The Nature Explorers Day Camp, with two sessions beginning in June: Geared for children ages 5 to 10 years, the camp’s sessions are 8:30 a.m. to noon June 20 through 24 and June 27 through July 1. Garden educator Lynn Cole and an assistant will take "Explorers" into the field to investigate the plants and animals that make the garden their home. Activities will include nature journals and craft projects. Registration is available by calling (919) 962-0522 or by visiting www.ncbg.unc.edu.

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N.C. Botanical Garden contact: Lynn Cole, (919) 962-9460

News Services contact: Deb Saine, (919) 962-8415 or deborah_saine@unc.edu