News Release

Botanical garden has variety of programs planned,
including St. Patrick’s Day concert, to welcome spring

CHAPEL HILL – Spring is quickly approaching, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s North Carolina Botanical Garden is offering programs as diverse as botanical illustration and gardening with native perennials to welcome the warm weather.

Unless otherwise noted, the following programs will be held at the garden’s Totten Center off Old Mason Farm Road and the U.S. 15-501 Bypass. To register or for more information, call (919) 962-0522.

• "Spring Bloomers: A Closer Look," on display through April 30. This exhibition of North Carolina wildflower photographs by Betsy Green Moyer and Byrd Green Cornwell is free to the public.
• "Watercolor Master Class: Spring Flowers," Mondays, this Monday (March 13) through March 27, noon to 4 p.m. Professional artist Sue Aldworth will instruct students on composition, color-matching and creating the illusion of depth and volume to achieve a luminous, lifelike botanical painting. The fee is $125 for members and $140 for the public.
• St. Patrick’s Day concert, March 17, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Bagpiper Ruffin Hobbs will perform a concert on the lawn of the Paul Green Theater on the UNC campus. Following the concert, children will be invited to participate in a special "Lucky Charm" program. Light refreshments will be served. Pre-registration is required. The fee is $5 for the concert and $2 for the children’s program.
• "Take Your Coffee Break at the Garden," March 24, with coffee service beginning at 11 a.m. Attendees will learn about the journey coffee beans make from mountain slopes in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia to arrive in the morning cup. A special presentation begins at 1 p.m. in the Totten Center. The fee for the presentation is $3 for members and $5 for the public.
• "Sex and the Single Plant: Pollination of Flowers," Thursdays, March 30 through April 27, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and May 4, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Botanist Anne Lindsey will provide information about the dynamic relationship between flowering plants and their pollinators. The fee is $110 for members and $130 for the public.
• "Into the Wood: Lessons in Wood and Carving," March 31, noon to 3:30 p.m. Two local sculptors will demonstrate their woodcarving talents. Light refreshments will be served. The Orange County Division of Forest Resources will explain forest management practices in the Piedmont and teach attendees about the wood properties of local tree species. The event is free; no pre-registration is necessary.
• "Drawing Fundamentals: A Course for Beginners," Mondays, April 3 through 24, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Amateur photographer John Sehon will instruct students on how to control the camera to get the best images. Each session will focus on a different topic. Students will venture out into the garden to practice techniques learned in class. The fee is $100 for members and $120 for the public.
• "Gardening with Native Perennials: A Workshop," April 8, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Janie Bryan and Chris Liloia, staff members at the garden, will discuss Southeastern native perennials for sun and shade. Following the indoor portion of the session, the conversation will continue in the plant sale area, where many of the plants discussed will be available for purchase. The fee is $10 for members and $12 for the public.
• "Mushroom Foray: A Hunt for Morels," April 9, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bill Burk, UNC biology librarian, will guide participants on a search for one of the most delectable and coveted of the edible mushrooms: the morel. The fee is $13 for members and $15 for the public.

The garden is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.

For information on these or other Botanical Garden programs, visit www.ncbg.unc.edu.

- 30 -

N.C. Botanical Garden contact: Laura Cotterman, (919) 962-0522 or lmcotter@unc.edu