What’s Happening at the Botanical Conservatory in July
Artists Open Call
Through July 12
The Conservatory will hold an open call for visual art to be displayed on our gallery walls during the 2015 exhibit year. Oil, acrylic, photography, pen-and-ink, and similar media will be considered. Submit digital images of a representative selection of work on a CD. Exhibits will run for two months. Pieces must arrive on installation date ready to hang. Selected artists will be announced on the Conservatory’s website on Friday, August 1. Please visit the Conservatory’s home page, www.botanicalconservatory.org for links with additional information and entry form.
“Rhythm and Flow” Summer-Fall Exhibit
July 12 – November 16
The Botanical Conservatory will introduce a lovely, color-drenched setting for brides and other visitors in their Showcase Garden. Using the landscape architect’s design tools of repetition and form, “Rhythm and Flow” features swaths of color formed of mixed-species floral beds, punctuated by geometric topiary sculptures, to provide an exciting eye-scape for the visitor. A “green wall” planting draws living texture right up the vertical entrance surfaces. Blue-grey grasses and succulent plants contrast with the bright hues and define the surfaces of sculptural spheres and cubes. The suspended canopy offers a frame for photography and weddings throughout the summer and into the fall. Sponsored by 95.1 Best FM.
Daylily Show
Saturday, July 12, 10 am – 3 pm
Enjoy the cheerful colors and surprising variety of one of summer’s favorite flowers with a flower show presented by the Fort Wayne Daylily Society. Daylilies are a rugged and dependable garden flower with colors from white and yellow to peach and raspberry. Let the experts help you select the best varieties for your garden. Plants may be available for purchase. Enjoy special discounted admission fee to the Conservatory gardens and daylily show on that Saturday: $3/adult, $2/child. Children age 2 and under free.
Family Fun Day
July 15, 10 am – 3 pm
It’s family fun time at the Conservatory during the Three Rivers Festival! Kids can play the day away on our giant inflatable slide, bounce around in a moonwalk, and go for a boat ride in the paddle pond (some height and/or age restrictions may apply). Explore a FWFD fire truck, do the twist or hula hoop at the bubble dance party, get a balloon animal, make some crafts and play games. Does all that fun make you hungry? Buy lunch or a snack from our food court: hot dogs and other items will be available for 50¢. No reservations required; regular admission applies. A responsible adult must accompany children. Wear your TRF button to receive an admission discount. Admission is $5/adult, $3/child age 3-17, free for children 2 and under. Sponsored by 95.1 Best FM.
Jazzworks!
Saturday, July 19, 7 – 10 pm
Bring your lawn chair and join us outside in the gardens for the annual Three Rivers Festival firework finale, as we bring you some of the best jazz the region has to offer. You’ll be able to find the perfect spot on the Terrace or in the Exploration Garden with food and beverage available for purchase from Mad Anthony Brewing. No outside food or beverage allowed. Our outdoor gardens are some of the best viewing areas for the fireworks in town! Doors open at 6 pm. No reservations needed. Regular Conservatory admission applies: $5/adult, $3/child age 3-17; discount with TRF button. Sponsored by 89.1 WBOI NPR News and WANE TV 15.
Prune Like a Pro
Thursday, July 24, 6 – 7:30 pm
Trimming is the game and pruning is the name. Let’s give your trees and shrubs the look they deserve by getting rid of the dead or overgrown stems to increase fruitfulness and growth. With over 15 years of pruning experience, Master Gardener Cheryl Guiff will show you how to properly prune shrubs, hedges, and small trees. She will also go over the tools you should use when trimming or pruning. So, give your landscape the beauty it can achieve by learning how to prune like a pro. Registration deadline: July 17. $8/public; $4/Conservatory member or volunteer. Ages: 15+. Min 10/max 32. To register, call (260) 427-6000 or visit www.fortwayneparks.org.
Botanical Roots Concert Series
Fridays, July 25, August 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29
Doors Open: 7:30 pm / Opening Act: 8:30 pm
The Botanical Roots Concert Series will begin on Friday, July 25 with rock band JD Wilkes & The Dirt Daubers. This eclectic downtown concert series featuring music from a wide diversity of regional heritages and cultural backgrounds is in its ninth year and promises to be more entertaining than ever before.
The schedule for the summer will be:
- July 25th JD Wilkes & The Dirt Daubers (Rock)
- August 1st Zion Lion (Reggae)
- August 8th John Német (Blues)
- August 15th Jessica Hernandez & The Delta’s (Indie Soul)
- August 22nd Orgone (Funk)
- August 29th Nikki Hill (Blues)
Local bands will warm up the scene. Food and beverage will be available for purchase from Mad Anthony Brewing; no outside food or beverage allowed. Admission is $6 at the gate. Youth ages 12 and under are admitted free with a parent or guardian.
Botanical Roots is sponsored by The Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department, 96.3 XKE Fort Wayne’s Classic Rock, Whatzup, PBS39, Fort Wayne Metals Research, the Downtown Improvement District and the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory. For more information, call (260) 427-6440 or visit our website at www.botanicalconservatory.org.
Family Garden Close-Up: Compost
Saturday, July 26, 11am - 1pm
Made up of organic matter, or things that used to be living, such as plants, animals and their waste, although it may be smelly, there’s nothing dirty about compost at all. Compost gives plants and soil the nutrients they need. Join us in looking at a compost pile to discuss what “all the stink” is about. FGC is especially great for young learners. Free with regular Conservatory admission: $5/adult, $3/child age 3-17; children age 2 and under free. For more info call (260) 427-6440.
Iris Sale
Sunday, July 27, noon – 3 pm
The local iris hobbyists and growers team up once a year to offer the public the chance to purchase starts of their favorite iris varieties. Irises are a workhorse in the garden, providing color throughout the spring and early summer when several types are included in your plantings. Sponsored by the Northeast Indiana Iris Society. Special discounted admission to the iris sale and Conservatory gardens: $3/adult, $2/child. Children age 2 and under free.
Botanical Brown Bag: Fossil Plants & Their Living Relatives
Thursday, July 31, 12 – 1 pm
As you hike in the woods or follow a meandering stream, you’ll likely discover clumps of ferns and clusters of horsetail along the water’s edge. Go back in your time machine to the Coal Age (Carboniferous Era) some 300 million years ago, and relatives of these diminutive plants would tower over you as giants of the forest. Coal Age species no longer exist, but their fossil remains are abundant in coal deposits around the world. Join Dr. Larry Yoder from Goshen College and examine examples of fossilized roots, stems and leaves of Coal Age plants and compare them with living relatives. Included will be photos from a fossil dig in eastern Kentucky that revealed nearly 20 feet of Lycopod root. Can't wait to see you there! Bring a sandwich or stop in at the Bagel Station Café. Free coffee and tea. A Conservatory program fee applies at the door: $5 for an adult, $3 for a child age 3-17, Conservatory member or volunteer.
Discovery Corner: Snouts and Sniffers (Noses)
During July in the Discovery Gallery
Our young visitors can enjoy stories and activities behind Woody the Talking Tree. In July, we’ll learn about the noses of animals and people and how they work. Read aloud and explore together. Free with admission; great for preschool and kindergarten as well as other young learners.
