Check the website www.aldridgegardens.com and click on ‘Education’ for information about the Just for Kids summer camps during the month of June 2010. There are ten different topics to choose from and wonderful, experienced teachers teaching every class! You can save 10% on registration if you sign up before March 28. Class size is limited to 12, so don’t delay! Oh, and bring a friend!
Sixty-six 2nd graders from South Shades Crest School visited the Garden for the “Down To Earth: A Worm’s-Eye View of Soil Science” field trip. The weather started out cold but soon the sun came out and the weather warmed up! Girls and boys had lessons about different soils and vermiculture. They took a walk to find signs of spring. Finally they had a picnic on the nice warm path before going back to school. One important thing they learned was that compost or humus is the best fertilizer for growing a garden and it doesn’t have to cost a penny!
Family or Individual Class: “Square Foot Gardening”
Sunday, March 28
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Instructor: Dr. Vasha Rosenblum, Coordinator Children’s Education at
Aldridge Botanical Gardens
$14 Members/$18 Non-Members
1 child age 6+ free with each adult, $3 each additional child 6+
Class size is limited. Pre-registration suggested.
Gardening with children is one of the best ways for them to connect with nature and to become excited about eating what they grow! Square Foot Gardening is a simple system that adapts to all levels of experience including children or adults beginning a first garden. As an experienced Square Foot Gardener, Dr. Rosenblum with a Power Point presentation, will explain the ten basics of this gardening method from choosing the location, the special growing recipe, marking off the grid, tending from the aisles, watering and harvesting. As an added treat, we will be able to walk to the Square Foot Garden at Aldridge and see how it is being planted and tended by children. Wear walking shoes. What a valuable class for a family or an individual!
Friday and Saturday
May 8 & 9
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Select from more than 50 varieties of hydrangeas including the Snowflake Hydrangea patented by gardens founder Eddie Aldridge. Check out the Gardens “Top 10 List” of Hydrangeas and get advice from the Alabama Hydrangea Society members on hand. Other popular trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals will also be available.
9:00 - 10:00 a.m. “Growing Hydrangeas”
Attend a FREE seminar by Gardens Executive Director Larry Quick and gardens founder Eddie Aldridge before you shop.
Tuesdays, April 28 and May 5
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Instructor: Tom Warren, Landscape Designer
Learn the concepts and skills necessary to design your garden like a pro. With his horticulture degree from Auburn University and experience studying at the Royal Botanical Society of England, Mr. Warren brings a wealth of design knowledge to share. Covered in this two-session powerpoint series will be the elements and principles of landscape design, the benefits of good landscaping, solutions to common issues, plant selection and installation and much more. You will walk away with several handouts and the knowledge to design like a pro.
Reservations requested but not required.
$40/$30 for Garden Members
Thursday, April 30
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.
Instructor: Jason Powell, Petals From the Past
If you are tired of high-maintenance roses and are ready to replace your rose bed with a nice patch of grass, then come and learn about old garden roses as well as new cultivars. They require less maintenance, little to no chemical sprays and can add fragrance to most any setting. Jason will present a program illustrating the versatility and beauty of this group of historic and new plants. The discussion will also include practical information on how to incorporate these plants into your garden.
Reservations are requested but not required.
$15/$12 for Garden Members
Friday, April 24
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Labeled a “progressive” or “renegade” bluegrass band, Act of Congress is made up of four talented musicians with backgrounds in symphonic, jazz, rock and bluegrass. Because of their musical diversity, they have quickly become a favorite at Birmingham venues and high-profile events. Their performances are layered with precise instrumentals and four-part vocal harmonies.
$10/$8 for Garden Members - Pay at the gate
Sunday, April 19
1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Instructor: Dr. John Hall, Curator of the Black Belt Museum at the University of West Alabama
Dr. Hall will present an illustrated talk on the how and why of Alabama rivers. Alabama is among the most well-watered areas of North America and is unmatched in natural and geologic diversity. Hall will discuss this diversity and answer questions about the state’s remarkable collection of streams. He will be signing his new book Headwaters: A Journey Down Alabama Rivers which was published by the University of Alabama Press and includes the work of environmental photographer Beth Maynor Young.
Reservations requested by April 17.
The 2nd Saturday Junior Master Gardener class resumed on March 14 with seven students returning. The class is limited to 10 girls and boys in grades 3 to 6 so there are three slots available. Students must be able to read and follow a series of instrucitons independently. Those who are intrested must commit to the regular schedule of meetings listed below. The class is free for those with family memberships to Aldridge Botanical Gardens and for students who have achieved JMG certification. Otherwise, there is a fee of $2 per session. JMG certification takes about two years of regular meetings and independent work. A student may participate in the program without pursuing certification.
Class schedule may be adjusted due to holidays if necessary. For information or to register, contact Dr. Vasha Rosenblum at 910-3211 or vashan1@bellsouth.net.
April 22 or 25 May 9 and 23
June 13 and 27 July 11 and 25
August 8 or 22 September 12
October 10 November 14
Beginning the week of spring break, your children will love to come out to Aldridge Botanical Gardens and learn all about flower fairies–what they do, where they live and what attracts them. They will hear stories and build fairy houses and furniture. Check out the events section for a variety of classes appropriate for ages 3 and up.
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