Mounts Hosting Summer Classes, Programs

Cutting Corners (Photo by NPBL)

(PRESS RELEASE)_(West Palm Beach, FL – May 23, 2019) Friends of the Mounts Botanical Garden will be hosting several horticulturally informative programs, classes and events this summer, including the always popular Family Fun Day on June 22. Visitors to Mounts will also want to experience the amazing eco-exhibition, CUTTING CORNERS: A Stickwork Exhibit, which will be on display through summer and beyond.

 Farm Your Backyard
Saturday, June 15 – 8 am to 2 pm
Mounts Exhibit Hall
$10 for Mounts members; $15 for nonmembers.
Presenter: Art Kirstein, Coordinator of Agricultural Economic Development

Growing your own food is incredibly rewarding, but for all levels of growers the planning stages can often be overwhelming. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to successfully grow vegetables, with a focus on establishing and managing small vegetable projects. Tips on site preparation, seedling establishment, planting, maintenance and harvesting will be covered. Register early—this workshop has sold out quickly in the past.

Note: Participants should bring their own lunch, there will be a break. There will not be time to go off-site for food.

Propagation: Increasing Your Numbers
Wednesday, June 19 – 5:30 pm to 7 pm
Mounts Chickee Hut & Nursery Guild Propagation Building
$40 for Mounts members; $50 for nonmembers.
Presenter: Joel Crippen, Mounts Display Gardens Horticulturalist

Explore in depth the process of creating new plants from a variety of sources. The instructor will provide a comprehensive review on a range of techniques on the topic of propagation: how to make and root soft and hardwood tissues with or without a misting system; dividing clumping plants; and collecting, preparing, and sowing seeds. Participants will engage in hands-on activities with a few “tricks of the trade” and environmental conditions for success. This is an active participation course for both novices and cloning enthusiasts. Bring garden clippers or paper scissors. If desired, bring in cuttings of particular plants you would like to root.

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​Mounts Family Fun Day
Saturday, June 22 – 10 am to 2 pm
Throughout the Garden
FREE for Mounts members; $10 for nonmembers; $5 for children (5-12)

Mounts will present a fun day, filled with STEAM-based activities, where families can experience engaging, learning opportunities together. All ages are welcome. The STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) approach offers hands-on leaning that’s innovative and fun. There will be activity stations throughout the west end of Mounts, including the Great Lawn where the Stickwork installation is, to the Chickee Hut, to the Exhibit Halls.

Note: While this event is FREE for Mounts members, they still need to register by “purchasing” a free ticket.

Stories in the Garden:
An Outdoor Eco-Literacy Experience
Tuesday, June 25 – 10 am to 11 am
Mounts Pavilion
FREE for Mounts members; $10 for non-members 

This event engages young children and families in early literacy and the great outdoors. This nature-themed program is for young learners (ages 2 to 6), who will love the interactive stories, songs, and tours of various gardens. Programs are held, rain or shine, in the sheltered Pavilion.
Note: Limited to the first 30 registrants so online registration is required.

ORCHID TRILOGY
Mounts Auditorium
Cost for all three classes: $95 for Mounts members; $105 for non-members Cost for individual classes; $40 for Mounts members; $45 for non-members
Presenter: Sandi Jones, Broward Orchid Supply 
+ Orchid Basics
Saturday, July 13 – 10 am to 1 pm

Newcomers to orchids will learn how to choose the correct plants for their growing area and what orchids need (i.e., water, light, fertilizer, and temperature) to grow and flower beautifully. The perfect way to start a journey into the exciting hobby of orchid growing.

+ Orchid Repotting & Mounting Orchids
Saturday, July 20 – 10 am to 1 pm

Learn how often an orchid should be repotted, the different potting medias to use, the proper type of pot or basket to use, and how to mount orchids on items such as a tree fern or cork. Demonstrations will be given.

+ Training Your Eye—Now What?
Saturday, July 27 – 10 am to 1 pm

Learn about pests and diseases that harm orchids, from bacterial and fungal rots to insects such as thrips, scale, snails and spider mites. Students will learn how to identify the culprits, what products to use to get rid of them, and how to avoid them in the future. This is information needed to know how to grow the best possible orchids.

Note: Orchids or orchid leaves may be brought in for diagnosis but must be placed in plastic bags to prevent contaminating other plants.

Make Your Own Fairy Garden
Saturday, August 10 – 10 am to 11:30 am
Mounts Pavilion
$15 for Mounts members; $25 for adult non-members and $20 for children non-members (ages 5-12) – fees includes supplies
Presenter: Nancy Byrne, Master Gardner

The whimsical and sustainable way to use a “perfectly broken pot” to bring a miniature garden to life. The class begins with a guided, inspirational tour to discover a fairy garden at Mounts Botanical. Once participant have their creative juices flowing, they’ll continue by selecting a plant, learning how to take care of it, and exploring different design ideas to assist in choosing items from the Creation Table. Soil, two plants, repurposed pots, and fairy garden accessories are provided.

Orchids Around the World
Tuesday, August 20 – 10 am to 11:30 am
Mounts Exhibit Hall
$10 for Mounts members; $15 for non-members
Presenter: Bill Thoms, Renowned Orchid Grower, Orchid Hunter, and International Speaker 

Join this orchid expert extraordinaire for a visual tour documenting several travelogues of orchids growing in the wild in various places around the world. This presentation explores the culture or orchids and brings to light his adventures in Ecuador, Brazil, Borneo and the Philippines. It will be presented with a bit of humor, to help growers understand how the plants work. Beginning growers will get with lots of advice on fixing problems and more advanced growers will benefit from the wealth of information for them, too. Whether one has a thousand orchids or none at all, he/she will get tips on to make them, or any plant, grow and bloom better,

Exotic Plants & Orchids Sale
+ Saturday, September 21 – 9 am to 4 pm
+ Sunday, September 22 – 9 am to 3 pm
Throughout the Garden
FREE for Mounts members; $10 for non-members 

This annual event is made for the shade. Visitors will stroll through the Garden and enjoy an amazing selection of orchids and exotic plants from more than 25 vendors. The area’s premier plant vendors will be selling begonias, bromeliads, orchids, ferns, hoyas, aroids, and more. Magnificent tabletop arrangements will be offered in a silent auction to benefit the Mounts horticulture scholarship program with Palm Beach State College.

Fabulous Crotons of Florida
Saturday, September 28 – 10 am to 11 am
Mounts Auditorium
$45 for Mounts members; $55 for non-members
Presenter: Mark Peters, Peters Crotons & Cordylines

Learn about the fascinating global migration of Codiaeum (scientific name for the Croton) to the Western Hemisphere and South Florida gardens. This class will cover care and culture of the plants as well as suggestions for its use in the landscape. It will conclude with a demonstration of air layering which is a simple and useful propagation technique for any woody shrub.

Notes:
To register for any of the events and workshops at The Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County, go online at www.mounts.org/events/ call 561.233.1757. Program registration includes Garden admission. Events at Mounts are accessible to people with disabilities.  

All classes, workshops, and some special programs require pre-registration. Wall-ins are not accepted. Online registration closes at 4 pm on the day before the class date.

Mounts educational programs are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.