Garden Gab
Join Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for gardening tips, behind-the-scene views and discussions on everything plant-related

Violas (also known as “Johnny Jump-Ups") at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Spring is on its way, but we have to be careful with planting for a few more weeks.

Late season hard freezes are possible in March and a cycle of freezing and thawing can damage plants. Anything not tolerant of 26 degree Fahrenheit night temperatures will require protection from freezing. The best advice for March is to take advantage of this time to do some general clean-up and pruning in anticipation of spring. 

Planting

Frost-tender Plants:
While you may be tempted by blooming plants at area greenhouses and nurseries, be aware that many of these cannot survive a hard freeze. Hold off on purchases of frost-tender plants until later in the season.
Cool Season Plants:
Cool season annuals, including pansies, petunias, snapdragons, and Iceland poppies, can be planted now if they are fully conditioned to cold growing conditions. To condition, set the plants outside but cover them for at least two weeks if temperatures go below freezing. To cover, use a frost-protecting ground cloth or an old sheet. Conditioning is necessary because plants grown in a greenhouse can suffer shock if they are planted directly into a harsh outside environment. If temperatures go too low, even conditioned cool season plants will suffer. Most pansy flowers can be damaged by temperatures below 26 degrees Fahrenheit. 
Trees and Shrubs:
New trees and shrubs are also susceptible to extreme cold during this time of year. Do not plant them in unprotected settings without mulches, staking or wind protection.

Pruning
One of the biggest questions about pruning is when to prune. Summer-blooming shrubs should be pruned now; spring-blooming shrubs should be pruned after they have bloomed. (It will not hurt a spring-blooming shrub if you prune it now, but it will mean you will not have any blooms.)

Some examples of common summer-blooming shrubs include butterfly bush, spirea, and bush clover. Examples of spring-time bloomers include forsythia, lilac, flowering dogwood and azaleas.  If in doubt, check gardening resources for details about blooming schedules.

March can also be a good time to prune most trees. The exceptions are maple, birch and elm, which already have sap running. For more information about tree pruning, check with the local extension service or an arborist.

Tom Brinda is assistant director of horticulture and education for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden volunteer Mike Hartenberg cuts back Sarracenia (pitcher plants) in the West Island Garden.

Are you itching to get out in your garden?

My daughter wants to plant a garden and, like most four-year-olds, she wants to do it NOW!

I share her eagerness to get outside and “play in the dirt.” That’s why I’m excited about attending Strange’s Blooming Days this weekend. The Garden will have a booth there – and there will be vendors and demonstrations, even activities for the kids. Even though I’ll be working the booth on Saturday morning, I am hoping I’ll have a chance to look around and maybe even purchase a few plants. (Strange’s is a sponsor of the Garden’s A Million Blooms and a supplier of many of our plants here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.)

I invite you to come on out and say “hi” to some of the Garden’s staff and volunteers at our booth. Learn more about Blooming Days at Strange’s.

Speaking of the Garden’s volunteers – they are always itching to get out in the Garden. I ran into Mike Hartenberg (pictured above) the other day when the temperatures were warm and there was a hint of spring in the air. Mike has been volunteering on a regular basis now for about two years. He’s a “mostly retired” radiologist who credits his wife (a longtime Garden volunteer) with getting him involved at the Garden. “I really like that at the end of the day, you can look back and see progress,” he says.

What’s your favorite thing about gardening?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Hellebore—a favorite of Garden volunteer Grace Lynch, author of the blog entry below.

Thank goodness it’s finally March!

Walk through the Garden and you’ll see many blooms starting to pop open—some that have been around for a while and are still holding their beauty are Hellebores.

Any plant that is brave enough to bloom during the dull, gray month of February is greeted with joy.  Hellebores have been my favorite for years and with the high cost of these plants in garden centers I can see there is a call for them.  In the early years of growing these plants the color of the flowers was a dusty rose-pink and greenish-white freckled with spots – not unattractive features but not pure gleaming white.

Most hellebores are native to mountainous regions of Europe in open oak and beech woodland, scrub and grassy meadows and rocky slopes.



Helleborus orientalis in the landscape

Hellebores grow from thickened, slow-creeping rhizomes with thick fleshy, sparsely branching roots which grow horizontally at or under the surface of the soil.  Most hellebores are deciduous in the wild, though in gardens with the abundance of moisture and nutrition they can be kept green and growing all year.  Honey bees and other small bees are the primary pollinators of the hellebores visiting frequently and spreading pollen throughout the garden.

Hellebores can be increased by one of three methods: seed, division, or micro propagation. The only one I have been successful with is letting nature help me with seeds. Taking seeds requires soaking, refrigeration and gathering them at the right time. I have been putting compost loosely around the plants and when the plants release their seed they seem to germinate in the compost. The plants are grown in compost so I do not compact the soil that is added.

Cut Hellebores require conditioning before putting them in a vase or other container, otherwise they will wilt. The process of putting the stems in near boiling water will cure them. They will last for two or three weeks in an arrangement.

Happy gardening!

Grace Lynch is a volunteer at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Crocus blooming at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Want a sure sign that spring is on the way?

Bright Spots is up and running again.

Bright Spots is a program that points out what’s in bloom or notes items of interest in the Garden. Garden volunteers manage Bright Spots.

So how does it work? The next time you visit the Garden, look for a table of flowers just as you walk from the Visitors Center out into the Garden. You’ll see vases with flowers and signage telling you the flowers’ botanical and common names. There’s also a large map with markers identifying where you can find these “bright spots.”

You can also look for big green and yellow “Bright Spots” flags in the Garden. These mark items of interest and include a little bit of information.

It’s a great way to guide your visit, learn a little bit and impress your friend – because you can simply read the information right there in front of you – example: “My goodness, I didn’t know the Galanthus were blooming in the Flagler Garden!”

Spring is on its way – no doubt. The number of blooms in the Garden is increasing daily – from the delicate jewel-like flowers of crocus, snowdrops (Galanthus) and cherries – to bright, bold daffodils nodding in the breeze.

Do you currently have any bright spots in your garden?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Gazebo at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

This summer I visited a friend’s garden and was struck by two charming small structures in the garden.

A lot of the charm factor came from the way she had sited these two ‘necessaries’—one’s a tool shed and the other a couple-sized overflow outdoor bedroom.  But, in the garden, they each frame an expansive view over open water, giving both the view and the garden near them definition and focus.

Vermont garden designer Gordon Hayward addresses precisely these design issues in his lecture at the Garden on “Small Buildings, Small Gardens.” (Learn more about Gordon Hayward and Hayward Gardens.) On Saturday, March 8, he will discuss how small buildings in the garden can define garden spaces, pull together and focus views, and also provide gathering places within the garden for family, friends, and guests.  He provides tips and numerous examples for using buildings as starting places for good garden design. 

For more information, go to:  http://www.lewisginter.org, click on ‘Calendar’ then ‘Education for Adults’ then click on March to register online, or call 804-262-9887 ext. 322 (M-F, 9 am – 2 pm).

Another example of a small structure—the gazebo in the Streb Conifer Garden at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Phyllis Laslett is adult education manager at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

I’ve been thinking about technology a lot lately. Probably you have been, too. My husband gave me an iPod for Christmas – now, nearly two months later I am finally getting around to really using it.

It’s not that I’m all that scared of technology—it’s just I don’t seem to have the time to figure it out.

But I am trying to use technology more in my life and at work. I have to.

My field – public relations – is all about communication – and I don’t have to tell you how quickly and dramatically the landscape is changing. It’s terribly exciting and often daunting at times.

So what does this have to do with gardening? I am curious how the readers of this blog are using technology to get and to share information.

For instance, I was looking at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s website reports the other day and noticed we are getting traffic from http://www.gottagarden.blogspot.com. A really great site – and we appreciate the mentions and the links. And there are many more wonderful blogs out there; I invite you to comment on any good gardening or related blogs that you know about.

Then there’s YouTube and Flickr. Wanna see a cool video of the Garden? How about photos that people have taken at the Garden?

Another thing about this technology is that sometimes it feels like it is playing instead of working. I even feel twinges of guilt when working on this blog – is it worth it? Would time be better spent somewhere else? That’s why I often only “give” myself about a half an hour to write and post an entry.

Yet, when I look at the results and the potential in communicating with people with new technology – the time seems well spent. And, unlike in the past when we weren’t really sure who was being reached, now we have more of an idea.

My job is to make sure as many people as possible are hearing about Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. How are you getting your information these days? Are you using “new” technology?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Prunus mume or Japanese Apricot

When I first came to work here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, I recall sitting in meetings and struggling to keep up with some of the botanical names. (My background is in communication; not horticulture.) One name particularly kept coming up: Prunus mume.

“What is this Prunus mume and what’s the big deal about it?” I wondered.

Nearly ten years later, I am so hooked on the beauty of the Prunus mume that I start keeping an eye out for its blooms starting in January.

Prunus mume (or Japanese apricot) is a breath of springtime in the darkest days of winter. It’s a small tree (grows to about 20 feet or so) and you can see the beauty of its blooms in the image above. It is hardy to Zone 6 (we’re in Zone 7 at LGBG) and can – and has! – bloomed as early as January here at the Garden during mild winters.

If you’re in the area, you can simply drive by the Garden and see Prunus mume in bloom. There are some new plantings on our corner of Lakeside and Hilliard (thanks to a generous grant from Henrico County) along with some companion plantings of winter jasmine (also in bloom) and redtwig dogwood.

Prunus mume has long been loved in Japan where there are more than 300 named cultivars. In fact, my good friend Akiko commented on this blog a month or so ago that it was one of her favorite plants and I’ve been planning to highlight it ever since. (Akiko lives in Japan; we were exchange students together in Austria.)

Now that I think of it, one reason the Garden has Prunus mume may be attributed to the fact that our executive director Frank Robinson has traveled and lived in Japan.

A quick Internet search shows that Prunus mume is surprisingly unappreciated here in the States. It’s a good choice for many gardens – wonderful for a small garden or as an accent in a larger garden, hardy and not fussy.

And yummy eye-candy on grey winter days! Let me know what you think of it.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Can you guess where this is?

It’s Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden – an aerial view taken in 1986.

I’ve been going back through some old photos as we prepare for the Garden’s 25th anniversary next year.

Images tell the story of the dramatic growth of this Garden (and aren’t they fun to look at?)

Reflecting on the past 25 years, we’re also reminded of the wonderful partnerships the Garden has in this community – with other organizations, businesses, and individuals.

The Garden’s community alliances include significant relationships with the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University, plant societies, garden clubs and green industry organizations, including the Central Virginia Landscape Association and the Virginia Society of Landscape Designers.

The Garden is providing technical guidance and counsel to a growing number of urban community gardens, neighborhood associations, and civic-minded institutions that are committed to improving the quality of life in our region through greening initiatives:
City Lights urban greening in Jackson Ward funded by Capital One
Lakeside Business District revitalization plan conducted by the VCU School of Urban and Regional Planning (including a Farmer’s Market—opening this May!)
City Gateways into Historic Jackson Ward, funded by Philip Morris
Massey Cancer Center Healing Garden
VCU School of Nursing garden
Hollywood Cemetery through service on its Board of Directors
Tricycle Community Gardens as fiscal agent and technical mentor (Learn more about Tricycle Gardens.)

Has Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden touched your life in some way over the past 25 years? We’d be interested to hear your story.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Border of spring blooms in the Conservatory at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

The display wing in the Conservatory at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has never looked better. I wanted to include some more photos on the blog for your enjoyment!

And here’s an image of the orchids in the Tropical Wing of the Conservatory—aren’t they magnificent?

Sorry I don’t have much time to write today. We are getting ready to re-design our website—a major (time-consuming) project! But hopefully a new Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden website will bloom this spring.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Spring blooms—Valentine’s Display in the Conservatory throughout the month of February

When you have a heated glass house, it’s easy to force spring (see the photo above of the Conservatory). But what if you just want a few blooms in your house?

If you’re ready for spring, consider forcing a few branches of spring-flowering shrubs to bloom indoors. Cut budded shrubs such as forsythia, flowering cherry, Soulange magnolia, crabapple and corylopsis. Place the branches in water that is at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature. The flower buds should develop into springtime flowers. 

I’ll try this in my office and post some images if it works out!

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Now Blooming at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden – Trumpet Daffodil ‘Rijnveld’s Early Sensation’

If you’re ready to see beautiful blooms – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden has ’em in the Conservatory and we’re starting to see a few more outside in the Garden. Pictured above is an early-bloomer (in warm years it can bloom as early as December!!!) – doesn’t it get you thinking about spring?

Here at the Garden, we are already thinking about SUMMER. Yesterday I had the great privilege of participating in a joint pot-luck lunch/meeting with our education and horticulture departments. (BTW – the food was fantastic. Lucy even harvested wild mushrooms for a wonderful turnover!)

The reason for the meeting was to plan for “A Feast for the Senses” – an exhibit of displays and containers at the Garden from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The goal of the exhibit is to engage and stimulate our visitors’ five senses as much as possible. It’s been said Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is one of the best places in town to enjoy all five senses

Education manager Randee Humphrey skillfully led the exercise – we broke down into groups of five people at each table. A representative from each table reached into a basket and chose an item representing a sense – at my table we drew a bottle with vanilla beans in it – smell. Then our table spent some time thinking about the different ways to highlight smell in the Garden – everything from the sweet smell of moonvine to the stinky smell of Dranuculus – and reported back to the group as a whole. Of course the other tables did sounds, touch, taste, etc.

Which got me to thinking about this blog. Smell is supposedly one of the strongest of the senses as far as evoking memories. That fragrance of honeysuckle from our childhoods came up as one example.

I’d love to hear if anyone out there has some memories related to smells or fragrance in the Garden that he or she would like to share.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden .

A Garden vistior and her “best friends” enjoying a special “dog night” at the Garden.

Isn’t it interesting how so many gardeners are pet lovers as well?

We have some events here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (restricted to special nights) when we allow leashed pets and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

Knowing so many of you out there love plants AND pets, I wanted to pass along a notice from Strange’s (Florists, Greenhouses and Garden Centers). They’re having their own “Dog Day” this Saturday, February 2 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at their Short Pump location (12111 West Broad).

There are many activities and contests including: a best dressed dog contest at 11 a.m.; a doggie massage demonstration at noon; the ugliest dog contest at 1 p.m.; and an obedience training demonstration at 2 p.m.

Want to learn more? Find information on their website Strange’s “Dog Days in the Garden”.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Are you interested in a plant that blooms in winter, has evergreen foliage, requires little care and is disease- and deer-resistant?

Then consider hellebores! They belong to the diverse buttercup family Ranunculaceae. There are many species and cultivated varieties of hellebores, but the most popular and the easiest to grow are Oriental hybrid hellebores (Helleborus x hybridus cvs.) These are also known as Lenten Rose because they bloom around the beginning of Lent.

Until recently, hellebores were relatively unknown outside of plant enthusiast circles. “They used to be hard to find and had a reputation for being finicky, which is a myth,” explains award-winning hellebore hybridizer David Culp.  Hellebores are hardy in Zones 5 – 9 and Culp says they are perfect for mid-Atlantic gardens. “The only things they don’t like are standing water and being planted too deep.”

“You don’t have to worry too much about hellebores,” says Culp. “They require little care and can live up to 15 years or more.” They rapidly self-sow and do not need to be divided. They also like shady areas which is an outstanding characteristic as shade gardens increase in popularity. Perhaps best of all, hellebores are pest-resistant. They contain alkaloid toxins, which act as a poison or purgative.

The hellebores’ blooms are the plant’s most interesting feature. Blooms can last up to three months and can be just about any color. “The only colors we haven’t achieved [through hybridizing] yet are true red or blue,” says Culp, although he thinks that day will come. “All of the hybridizers are trying to attain those colors.”

The color combinations and variations are already seemingly endless. Colors include white, green, pink, apricot and purple; hellebores can also have colored edges, veining, spotting and colored centers. Hellebore experts advise purchasing the plants when they are in bloom in order to know the true color of the bloom.

Culp enjoys playing with the color range of the popular and easy-to-grow Oriental hybrid hellebores. He pairs them with red-twig dogwood or yellow-berried hollies. Other good companion plants include mahonia, false cypress, winterberry, nandina, snowdrops and early narcissus.

According to Culp, the future of hellebores includes new leaf variations. “When you consider the leaf is visible year-round, that’s very important,” he says. “The leaves can be extremely variable in form and color, for instance some varieties have a deep purple-colored leaf.” The beauty of the hellebores’ foliage, combined with their love of shade, add yet another dimension to the garden. “Hellebores are a good reminder to people that there’s life after hostas,” says Culp.

A Winter Scene (photo by Garden horticulturist Seth Nichols)

Isn’t this just the time of year to snuggle up in front of a fireplace with a good book?

You can actually do that here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. We have a wonderful library—including a reading room with comfy chairs and a fireplace. Anyone who enters the Garden is welcome to the library and members have check-out privileges. The librarians and volunteers are always helpful and if you have young ones, there’s even an excellent collection of children’s books. In addition to books, there are also great periodicals (one of my favorite things to do is flip through gardening magazines!)

A while back, Garden librarian Maggie Southwick suggested the following books to help you appreciate the winter landscape. So if you’re not up for an extended walk through the Garden, you can “travel” through these:

The Garden in Winter by Rosemary Verey. (SB 439.5 .V47 1988)

Season of Promise by June Carter Roberts. (QK 117 .R63 1993)

The Undaunted Garden: Planting for Weather Resilient Beauty by Lauren Springer. (SB 473 .S68 1994)

The Unsung Season: Gardens and Gardeners in Winter by Sydney Eddison. (SB 439.5 .E33 1995)

The Winter Garden: Planning and Planting for the Southeast by Peter Loewer.  (SB 439.5 .L64 1997)

Maybe you know of some good books to suggest? Happy reading!

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Crape Myrtle Bark in the Snow


It didn’t last for long, but it sure was pretty this morning. Here are a few images from around the Garden:

Nandina berries




Asian Valley Pond

Conservatory


Berries

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Cedar Waxwing Visiting Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Okay, that’s my word for today—frugivorous.

It was used to describe Cedar Waxwings and means fruit-eating. I was doing a quick Internet search on Cedar Waxwings because we are seeing a lot of them in the Garden right now. In fact, Education Manager Phyllis Laslett emailed me Monday saying she had seen quite a flock of Cedar Waxwings stripping the hawthorn tree of berries that morning. Then yesterday Abe Baxter, our computer guru, showed me some photos he had taken—and there were some Cedar Waxwings caught in the act! (Thanks, Abe, for letting me use your image).

So what did a quick Internet search yield about Cedar Waxwings?

Well, the name “waxwing” comes from the red on the tips of the feathers on their wings—and that color can be influenced by the type of berries they are eating at the time they are growing those feathers (!) For instance, it’s been found if they eat the berries of a certain kind of honeysuckle, the color will be more orange.

Cedar Waxwings feed in flocks and if all the berries are at the end of a twig, the birds will line up on the branch and pass the berries down so all can eat.

I’d be interested if we have any birders out there who can verify if these facts are true. Whatever the case, this is an excellent time of year to be bird-watching!

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Yes, I know we’ve been blogging about how wonderful gardens are in winter (and they are!) but I couldn’t help but get excited at the green shoots above and their promise of springtime. Amazing, isn’t it?

So what are we doing at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in mid-January? Well, construction on the Rose Garden is really coming along. What a delight that will be later this year. Evidently the noise of bulldozers and jackhammers is not bothering our resident Great Blue Heron a bit. I walked by him today—within several feet of him actually. Now, I grew up on the water where Great Blue Herons are a common sight, but I don’t think I’ve ever been as close to one as I was today. I don’t know who was more startled! He probably wasn’t expecting a visitor on such a cold January day.

So here are a few tasks going on in the Garden these days:

MULCHING: Mulching for newly planted plants is essential. This is especially important if temperatures drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit – that’s when frozen soils and freeze and thaw cycles damage newly grown roots. Mulch to a depth of four inches and remove when spring temperatures moderate.

PRUNING: Light pruning and shaping benefits many plants at this time of year. Examine the natural or desired shape and snip with sharp pruning shears. EXCEPTION: Do not prune spring-blooming plants such as forsythia, quince and azalea now. Pruning these spring-blooming plants will remove their flower buds. Be sure to wait until after they bloom to prune.

What’s going on in your garden these days?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Hellebore blooming in the Garden

Today was another unusually warm day for January—we are getting spoiled!

So what’s to see in the Garden on a sunny January day? Well, the beauty is subtle, but it is there. I was reading something at lunch about how in Japanese culture there is great admiration for plants with just a few blooms on them—because they stand out more and you appreciate them more (I’m paraphrasing here, but you get the idea).

That is definitely the case at this time of year. Take a look at that hellebore above—isn’t it delicate and lovely? (I am planning to use an upcoming blog to talk more about hellebore.)

Here are a few more winter gems I caught today:

Winter Jasmine

And even a cherry tree with a few blooms—and a brave little bee!

Do you have any favorite plants at this time of year?

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Amaryllis in the Conservatory

Did you receive an Amaryllis as a holiday present this year?

They are a popular gift these days—but if you are like me, no matter how many times I read about how to care for Amaryllis, I can never exactly remember. So here’s a little refresher:

Blooming an amaryllis is easy if you follow a few simple steps. Reblooming it next year is just a little harder, but it can be done with some care.

First, check the amaryllis bulb for small roots at its base. Slice off any that are smashed or damaged.

For best bloom, amaryllis should be rooted in a soil mix. Put two to three inches of soil in a pot and place the bulb on top. Settle the bulb in the soil and fill the container with soil so the bottom half of the bulb is covered.
Water thoroughly to make sure the lightweight peat soils are moist. Water again when the soils are dry at the root zone.

Within two to three weeks, you will see a bit of growth at the top of the bulb. Sometimes strap-like leaves come first, but watch for fat, egg-shaped buds. After you see the bud, growth will happen fast! Place in full sun and turn daily if the stalk begins to bend toward the sunlight.

If you want to rebloom the bulb, begin feeding with a water-soluble fertilizer when leaves and bloom stalk appear. After bloom, continue fertilizing monthly, transferring the pot outdoors in nearly full sun during the growing season.

In early September, being withdrawing water in order to force the plant into dormancy. The leaves will begin to yellow and dry up. “Rest” it for a month and start the process again for enjoyable blooms year after year.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Photographing in the compost pile

This afternoon horticulturist Peggy Combs called me. “There’s a guy out in the compost pile taking pictures,” she said. “He might be good to talk to for the blog.”

Hmmm. That did sound interesting. The fact that it is sunny and 70 degrees outside in early January was also a compelling reason to get out of the office. (And I’ve always wanted to use that silly title above.)

If you’ve visited the Garden, you’ve probably never seen the compost pile – and there’s a reason for that! But beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I was curious to find out the appeal of heaping mounds of dead plants.

Turns out the photographer, Michael Peterson, didn’t initially start out to shoot in the compost pile. But that’s where I found him, his camera in hand.

Michael (of Greensboro, NC) had been to Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden for the first time last night for GardenFest of Lights, courtesy of his friends Mia and Rob. He decided to come back today and was trying to get a photo of the Conservatory. A different kind of shot.

“I like to get off the beaten path” he explained. “Thousands of people probably have an image of [the Conservatory] from a particular view, but I wanted something different.” That’s what led him around to the back of the property and the compost pile.

“When I saw it, I thought it was a treasure trove,” he said. “I was drawn to the shapes and the colors.” One hundred and forty seven images later, he was still there taking photos.

Michael shared that he has trained himself to stop and take a look around when he is photographing. “There may be another reason to look at the space.” It’s a philosophy he uses in his work as a teambuilding facilitator as well. “I’m asked to help a team find light and meaning within the team; likewise, I use photography to try to find light and meaning.” If you’re interested in his website, visit http://www.unlimitedoutcomes.com

An you may want to consider that idea of taking a second look around you. I did (in the compost pile!) below: 

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.

Winter is a great time to “dream” about your own garden oasis. (View: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Conservatory Orchid Wing.)

Gardeners are always looking ahead – they have to be. That’s why these cold winter days are actually a favorite time for many gardeners – they provide an opportunity to plan “dream” gardens.

Ahh, imagine stepping into an oasis of beauty and calm with warm breezes and fragrance…

What would your dream garden be?

Lynn Kirk, public relations writer for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, wrote the article below with some good tips to help guide in your planning (thanks, Lynn!):

Visualize your garden. Determine how you want your garden to look and feel, find a suitable location with potential for development and visit beautiful garden spots for inspiration. The results will be much more successful if you can imagine the end product before you actually begin.

Create an effective entrance — one that intrigues you to step into its sanctuary and discover its treasures. The entrance, whether it relies on gates, archways, fencing or shrub borders, should encourage one to leave worldly cares behind, surrendering to the garden’s tranquility and peace.

Use water to create mood and serve practical purposes. Water is one of the most important features of an oasis garden, for it masks ambient sounds, softens landscapes and attracts wildlife. It also serves as a spiritual symbol, representing purity, cleansing and refreshment. There is an array of water features for consideration, such as a reflecting pool, bog, shallow water bowl, bird bath or bubbling fountain. Select one or two that speak most to you, then incorporate them in the garden design.

Experiment with color and light to create different moods. Research the flowering time of plants and utilize those that ensure blossoms throughout the seasons. Consider their year-round colors and decide whether you want to surround yourself with energizing reds and oranges, or perhaps more peaceful, subdued hues. Be sure to consider the location’s natural light, since variances create different moods throughout the day. When possible, also plant trees or upright shrubs that provide refreshing shade.

Plan a sitting area that encourages the visitor to stop, rest and reflect. Arrange a comfortable bench or inviting chair in a location of soothing water sounds or visual interest. Be sure to include extra seating if you plan to share your garden with others.

Utilize natural features when planning your garden oasis. Wood and stone add drama and beauty as only nature can provide, and they are available without cost. They also make ideal perches and homes for butterflies, birds and wildlife that you hope to attract.

Make your personal statement with garden art. Here’s your chance to visually share who you are, by the art you display. Select garden art that symbolizes what is important to you, or create your own with natural materials and recycled items.

Create a habitat that welcomes and supports wildlife. Choose vegetation that produces food and nectar for each season, and avoid use of toxic chemicals. Your artistic water feature may double as a source of water for animals, and felled trees, brambles or bird houses may serve as shelter.

Beth Monroe is public relations director at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.