Loveman’s Department Store Display at Southern Tales
On Sunday, the Birmingham History Museum loaned pieces from Loveman’s Department Stores to The Gardens for display during Southern Tales presents: In Her Own Fashion by Dolores Hydock. The one-woman play tells the story of Ninette Griffith, one-time Fashion Coordinator at the Birmingham store. If you missed it, here are some photos of the items that were displayed.
Junior Board presents: Salsa de Mayo
On Thursday, May 2, Junior Board of Birmingham Botanical Gardens welcomed Lori Sours, the Salsa Senorita. Sours shared recipes for creating unique salsa dishes as the Junior Board welcomed the Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Arlington School students assist gardeners in the Bruno Vegetable Garden
Students from the Arlington School of Birmingham assisted gardeners Amanda Clark and Jason Parrish with prepping and planting the Spring vegetable garden in the Bruno Demonstration garden on Thursday, May 2. Arlington School has been instrumental, volunteering with The Gardens on many large planting projects including potting plants for Spring Plant Sale and the Centennial Tree Planting Project that focuses on reforestation of the urban canopy. Part of their volunteer experience with The Gardens is to combine their work with hands-on science activities that support their curriculum at school.
Loveman’s Department Store artifcats on display at The Gardens
Southern Tales presents: “In Her Own Fashion,” a one-woman play performed by Dolores Hydock will be featured at The Gardens on Sunday, May 5. The play is the true story of Ninette Griffith, the one-time Fashion Coordinator for Loveman’s Department Stores. The original location, shown above, was at the corner of 19th Street and 3rd Avenue North in the space now filled by the McWane Science Center.
To honor the event, the Birmingham History Museum has loaned Archivist Jason Kirby a collection of hats, hat boxes, hat stands, credit cards, receipts and women’s apparel from the original store that will be on display this weekend at The Gardens. [photos courtesy of Birmingham History Museum, Executive Director Jerry Desmond]
To purchase tickets online, visit www.bbgardens.org/southerntales.
Earth Day at The Gardens
Over 400 visited The Gardens on Saturday, April 27 for Alabama’s longest-running Earth Day celebration. Visitors were able to take advantage of hands-on children’s activities and learn of ways to live environmentally sound. Community gardening was a focus of this year’s event, which invited local vendors like the East Lake Farmers Market, Painted Shovel, Coop and Caboodle and The Backyard Pantry to offer ideas on recycling, raising chickens in an urban environment and building raised planting beds. John Scalici’s Juka Tribe offered an eclectic mix of world music sounds in the Garden Center, while the Get Into The Gardens demonstration series complemented the celebration with “Easy Container Gardening: Planting Peppers.”
Sara Askew Jones Arbor completed in Hess Camellia Garden
Over the weekend, Robinson Iron Inc. and John Jones completed the installation of a new arbor at the entrance of the Hess Camellia Garden. The Sara Askew Jones Arbor is named for the Healthy Living Editor of Southern Living magazine, a beloved friend of many people within and outside Southern Progress cooperation. She was a person with a warm heart, caring smile, helping hand and friend to all. She was a multiple time cancer survivor. As one of her former coworkers wrote, “It is an amazing tribute to a beautiful person.” Her family and any one that knew Sara would agree.
The arbor was made possible through a generous donation from Ms. Jones’s family, friends and former coworkers at Southern Living, the Lucille S. Beeson charitable trust, Rebar Express and Ready Mix U.S.A. It was designed by former Southern Living Architecture Editor Robert Martin.
Junior Board hosts Spring Mixology
On Thursday, April 18, Junior Board of Birmingham Botanical Gardens hosted Spring Mixology in the Arrington Plant Adventure Zone. Sheena Whitaker led a large group which complemented hors d’oeuvres with their own cocktail creations.
W.J. Christian School visits the Bruno Vegetable Garden
Students from W.J. Christian School visited The Gardens recently, focusing on themes like family, determination and love. The students recently read Flutter by Erin Moulton, the story of three sisters and their effort to save their fourth after she is born.
Volunteer Coordinator Taylor Steele led these students on an educational walk through The Gardens.
Volunteers prepare for middle school Discovery Field Trips
On Tuesday, April 16, docents began training for new educational programming that will be offered to middle school students in Birmingham this Fall. Over the last decade, Discovery Field Trips has provided a free, curriculum based science education to nearly 100,000 Birmingham elementary students, and now, the program will begin expanding to include appropriate material for an older group.
If you are interested in becoming a docent and guiding these groups, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Taylor Steele at 205.414.3962 or tsteele@bbgardens.org. If you would like to know more about Discovery Field Trips and how your class can participate, contact Education Program Coordinator Ellen Hardy at 205.414.3953 or ehardy@bbgardens.org.
Get Into The Gardens: Tomato Container Gardening
Master Gardener Su Reid-St. John and her daughter, Zoe, led visitors to The Gardens in a demonstration of tomato container gardening in Blount Plaza on Saturday, April 13. Volunteer Katelyn Stansberry also assisted with the event. The next demonstration taking place in the Get Into The Gardens series will take place on April 27 at 1 p.m. as part of Earth Day at The Gardens. Get Into The Gardens is a FREE series of educational weekend programming which includes demonstrations, Hikes for Tykes and The Sunday Scene.
Earth Day at The Gardens is also FREE and is Alabama’s longest-running Earth Day celebration. This year’s event will focus on community gardening and will include live music in the Formal Garden. The event will be held 11 – 4 p.m.
