Friends of the Garden’s Newsletter Source of Community Garden Information You Can Use

Welcome to the Friends of the Garden’s source of community information. In case you haven’t seen it yet, this is a link to our new informative Friends of the Garden  February/March 2012 FOG Newsletter. You can also read the printed version tucked inside an issue of the Greene Magazine, you can pick up a new issue at the Botanical Center gift shop.

Rather than sending regular emails we post daily garden and park news on our Garden News Blog that contains many informative postings to keep you current. We also have two other community services you should also look over. The Garden Calendar plus our Facebook page which I am sure you will like. All three can be accessed from our excellent website www.friendsofthegarden.org. Mark them as “favorites” and visit them often!

As you know Friends of the Garden is the support group that makes many of the 27 beautiful gardens in Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park & Gardens possible. Gail Wright and her crew are now working on the second phase of the Winter Garden. The Kay Cummins Finnie Memorial Dogwood Garden is now under construction and will continue throughout the year. Also the Ethnic Trail of Trees Memorial is almost complete. Plus we are planning to expand the Entrance Garden and would like to start the new  Sensory/Edible Garden. You might note that the Ornamental Grass Garden is still looking fantastic even though it’s January!

Both the Dr. Bill Roston Native Butterfly House and the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden are closed for the winter season. Friends of the Garden members are admitted free to the Japanese Stroll Garden (except for the Japanese Fall Festival each year). Come out and visit the rest of the gardens anytime, the park is open sunrise to sunset all year. The Botanical Center building and gift shop are open seven days a week, Monday – Saturday, 8 to 8 and Sunday, 11 to 6, you will receive 10% off merchandise purchases with a Friends of the Garden membership card. The Botanical Center will continue to have special displays and events during the winter months. For questions call 417.891.1515.

With ample room in the Botanical Center building we hope more community and area residents will attend our regular meetings. They are the second Thursday of each month starting at 5:00 p.m. at the Botanical Center. Of course, you are always welcome! Our next meeting is February 9th, where you will get a chance to visit with Nancy Hopkins our new president. They last about an hour.

Thank you for your continued support of the Botanical Center and Friends of the Garden.

George