Brookside Gardens Program Registration Opening Soon

[Howard Hartman]

Another season at Brookside Gardens is about to begin - registration for Spring/Summer programs opens February 14 for Montgomery & Prince George's County residents; February 15 for all. If you haven't done so already, check out the latest Xperience Guide to Programs & Events to see the full listing of events and activities at your local public garden from March through August, 2012.   We're particularly excited this spring to welcome Rick Darke, renowned author, photographer and lecturer, to the gardens on May 3 for a program entitled, On the High Line: The New Nature of Urban Parks and Community Places. For more than 10 years, Rick has been chronicling the development of the High Line, an extraordinary new public park on Manhattan's West Side. Join us for his visually enticing lecture, followed by a reception, and learn more about this thrilling urban renewal project. Register online through ParkPASS. Of course, the next big event here at Brookside Gardens is our annual Green Matters Symposium, this year entitled, Urban Farming Pioneers. About two weeks ago, we were pleased to learn that Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, would join us to discuss the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food (KYF2) initiative. Ms. Merrigan works alongside Secretary Tom Vilsack to oversee the day-to-day operation of USDA’s many programs and spearheads the $149 billion USDA budget process. Deputy Secretary Merrigan has managed the KYF2 effort to highlight the critical connection between farmers and consumers and support local and regional food systems that increase economic opportunity in Rural America. There is still time to register for Green Matters; visit BrooksideGreen.org for full program details and register online through ParkPASS. We offer an exciting array of Children's Programs throughout the year. From Saturday Morning Storytime to week-long Summer Camps, take advantage of the variety of programs we offer for budding gardeners. Now in its second year, our Garden Nature Club for Families is full of fun gardening activities and walks throughout the gardens. Let us help you get your family outdoors to strengthen social and family bonds while enjoying the health benefits that abound in nature. For just $24 ($22 for Friends of Brookside Gardens members), your entire family (ages 3 & above) can visit Brookside Gardens on the first Friday of every month from March-August to participate in an engaging family program.   Stop by our "Nature's Fun in Your Backyard" themed Children's Garden for down-to-earth fun. Your children will love peeking inside a gnome's hut, climbing into a treehouse or simply observing the life around a water garden. For children aged 2-6, consider coming out to the gardens for our St. Patrick's Day Green and Growing Scavenger Hunt on Friday, March 16. Have some St. Patrick's Day fun following the giant green leprechaun footsteps through the garden. Guided garden walks leave on the half hour beginning at 10:00am and ending at 12:30pm. Register online through ParkPASS ($5 fee/child). Our ever-popular free Spring Lecture Series runs from March - June and features an eclectic range of horticultural topics. Liz Chabra kicks off the series on March 23, with Pure Vegetarian Cooking for Self-Healing!, a lecture and demonstration about preparing foods in the spirit of the ancient science of Ayurveda, or "knowledge for long-life."   We're also pleased to welcome back Scott Scarfone, ASLA, Principal and Founder of Oasis Design Group, for a lecture on April 20 entitled,  A Garden Odyssey-In Search of the World's Most Creative Gardens. As a Chanticleer Fellow in 2002, Scott had the good fortune to visit gardens across the globe to expand his knowledge of society and culture as expressed through gardens. Hear about his travels and marvel at some of the images he captured along the way in this intriguing lecture.   We'll end the lecture series with a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the research program that supports one of the world's most impressive gardens, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania. Matt Taylor, Ph.D., Research Horticulturist, will guide us through a pictorial history of Longwood's 60+ years of horticultural research with his lecture, Research and Camellia Breeding at Longwood Gardens. Learn about the plant exploration and breeding work that have enabled Longwood to introduce many great ornamental plants into the trade. Thanks to the generous support of the Friends of Brookside Gardens, we offer this lecture series free-of-charge (registration is required). Visit ParkPASS to register online. Brookside Gardens has been fortunate to partner with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection's  RainScapes Program for the last several years. Through this partnership, we're pleased to offer three programs - a  Rain Garden Workshop on March 9 & 10, Make & Take Rain Barrels on April 20 & 21 and  Conservation Landscaping Techniques on May 18 & 19. All three of these excellent programs, taught by D.E.P. staff, promote projects on residential properties to help reduce  storm water pollution. Through the RainScapes Program, Montgomery County offers technical and financial assistance (in the form of rebates) to encourage property owners to implement eligible RainScapes techniques on their property. Interested in learning more about improving water quality? Then, attend the second annual  Community Clean Water Summit on March 3.    Remember - registration for Spring/Summer programs opens February 14 for Montgomery & Prince George's County residents; February 15 for all others. Visit ParkPASS for full details of all Brookside Gardens and Montgomery Parks programs.   Until next time, Happy Gardening!   The Staff of Brookside Gardens Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Ave. | Wheaton MD 20902 mark.richardson@montgomeryparks.org | 301.962.1400