Botanica

Daily Dirt at Botanica

• FREE subscription with a membership purchase
  
  

  For a limited time, with the purchase or renewal of a Botanica membership, you receive a FREE, one-year subscription (or additional year if you are a current subscriber) to Better Homes & Gardens® magazine. Purchase your membership online, in-person or call 316-264-0448.

  Botanica is a great place to entertain, exercise or escape. Join today and receive free garden admission year-round, guest passes, discounts on events and programs, gift shop purchases and a whole lot more. Plus, your membership contribution will help to support Botanica’s educational programs and floral displays, helping to make your public garden a premier choice for education and entertainment in the Midwest. Membership levels start at just $45. For a complete list of levels and benefits, visit botanica.org. Join in-person at Botanica, online at botanica.org, or contact Kathy Scott, Director of Membership at membership@botanica.org or 316-264-0448.
  
  
  
  
  
• What a deal!
  Today you can purchase a family membership on groupon.com for $25. Take advantage of this great deal and then take advantage of all the benefits of membership year-round!
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Illuminations, Botanica's Festival of Lights!
  Come see the Gardens glow! Join us for Illuminations, a family-friendly event that showcases Botanica's 9 1/2 acres in a completely different light. More than 4,000 luminaries and tens of thousands of lights combine with nature to create a stunning atmosphere and a "HO, HO, HO" lot of holiday fun! Get into the holiday spirit with a visit from Santa Claus, live music, warm drinks and homemade goodies.
  
  The event runs December 3-4, 10-11 and 17-18 from 5:30-8:30pm each night. Tickets can be purchased in advance at any area QuikTrip. Tickets are $7 for adults ($6 for Botanica members) and $3 for children 2-12. Members must purchase their tickets at Botanica to receive their discount.
  
  Call 264-0448 or log on to www.botanica.org for more information. Happy Holidays to you and yours!
  
  
  
  
• Check out the progress on the Downing Children's Garden!
  

  Check out the newest posts on the blog, Peepholes In The Fence, from our friends at Simpson & Associates. It's completely dedicated to following the construction of our newest project, the Downing Children's Garden. See images from their perspective and words from their experiences here:

  http://botanicachildrensgarden.blogspot.com/

  
  
  
  
• Live Butterfly Release tomorrow
  
  Join us on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 10am for the opportunity to release a live butterfly into the Butterfly House! It's a great way to interact with nature and its included with garden admission or membership.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Look what has landed at Botanica
  Great Blue Heron by Dennis P. Anderson has landed at Botanica. This magnificent, stately bird will now permanently grace the northern bank of the Boeing Pond. Donated by the family and friends of Jim Bean, this sculpture radiates the beauty of flight and looks as if it is taking off to fly between the established trees surrounding the pond. Come take a look at our newest sculpture, as well as the waterlilies and other aquatic plants that are blooming on the pond now!
  
  
  
  
• Peepholes In The Fence
  

  Check out this blog from our friends at Simpson & Associates. It's completely dedicated to following the construction of our newest project, the Downing Children's Garden. See images from their perspective and words from their experiences here:

  http://botanicachildrensgarden.blogspot.com/

  
  
  
  
  
  
• Happy hour meets horticulture every Tuesday
  
  Tuesdays on the Terrace has started the season off with two great performances by Amanda Lind and The Flatland String Band. Don't miss live music from 5:30-7:30pm, a cash bar with a featured drink each week and, of course, the beautiful gardens of Botanica. Happy hour meets horticulture every Tuesday night from June-September. Your garden admission or membership is your cover.
  Upcoming performances include:
  • June 15: Begonias and Blue Moon, live music by RKO Blues
  • June 22: Moonflowers and Margaritas, live music by Bruce Huss
  • June 29: Daisies and Dreamin' Caribbeans, live music by Samba Groove
  • July 6: Cosmos and Cosmopolitans, live music by Mead Street Blues Reunion
  • July 13: Wildflowers and Whiskey Sours, live music by the Irish Jam Band

  Pack a picnic and join the crowd!
  
  
  
  
• Memorial Day Fun
  
  We had a great time on Memorial Day at Botanica. The Gardens were packed with guests, ready to see the Butterfly House, the irises, roses, peonies and more! The Wichita Community Concert Band played a great show, featuring American March music, and Hiland Dairy provided free ice cream! Thanks go to Downing & Lahey and to Harry Hynes Memorial Hospice, who sponsored the festive event for the community.
  
  
  
  
• Check out our new ride
  BIG THANKS go to Foley Equipment Company, who donated a Walker mower to Botanica. As we expand and take on additional acreage, a second mower will come in quite handy! Thanks to Foley for their in-kind contribution and their support of the Gardens.