Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Blog

Aug 20th, 2018

Mosquitoes vs. Man

A hungry mosquito lurks nearby, evidenced by a high-pitched whining sound. If a female, her target is protein from blood, after which she develops eggs numbering up to 250,000 per […]

Aug 13th, 2018

Feather-Filled Photos

Graceful. Aerodynamic. Lighter-than-air. These adjectives all come to mind when I look at the photos of the tree swallows captured by Charles Woodrich at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Across […]

Aug 10th, 2018

A Hands-on Learning Day in the Garden

The wonder and beauty of Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden never cease to amaze me each time I visit. But sometimes, I need to remind myself to slow down and take […]

Aug 9th, 2018

Battle of the Bugs

While most gardeners try to keep insects out of the garden, Horticulturist Chelsea Mahaffey invites them in – selectively, of course. “The trick is knowing which bugs are beneficial and […]

Aug 7th, 2018

Growing Food for Those in Need

People right here in Central Virginia struggle with hunger every day. The populations most likely to be affected by hunger, children and the elderly, may have trouble not only getting enough […]

Jul 31st, 2018

Tips for Wanna’ Be Nature Photographers

Capturing nature in the camera lens takes practice plus knowledge. 5 Photography Tips: Become well acquainted with your camera. Read the manual thoroughly with the camera in hand, and practice […]

Jul 18th, 2018

Life-Changing Experiences for Youth

At age 15, Kendra Norrell interned in the Children’s Garden. She recalls “dealing with dirt, plants, and bugs,” than advancing to cataloging plants. As the first high school participant in […]

Jul 15th, 2018

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s collection of 4,000 herbarium specimens is now registered in the Index Herbariorum, a major international registry of herbarium plant collections. This means that our collection is […]

Jul 11th, 2018

Breweries Grow Garden Partnerships

The explosion of craft beers is no surprise,” said Chris Ray, co-founder of the Center of the Universe (COTU) Brewing Company. Neither is the explosion of growing hops. As a […]

Jul 9th, 2018

Butterfly Weed

Profile of Asclepias tuberosa: a native plant beloved by butterflies and gardeners alike … Clusters of color. Crown-shaped flowers blaze with bold orange or yellow vibrancy in the summertime. Nectar […]

Jul 6th, 2018

More About Origami
in the Garden

Origami in the Garden continues to fascinate and inspire! Let’s unfold more about origami, the exhibit, the process, the inspiration, and impact. More About Origami Origami means “folding paper” in Japanese. […]

Jul 5th, 2018

Grassroots Urban Gardener

Cucumbers. Tomatoes. Strawberries and collards. Big plans are underway to infuse the community garden at Peter Paul Development Center (PPDC) in Church Hill. Lakeshia Allen, a former engagement coordinator at […]

Jul 3rd, 2018

Culinary Demo: Lightened Up Favorites

Recently I met with Executive Chef Anne Maury Haapala who shared her vision for the upcoming cooking demonstration Lightened Up Favorites with Chef Anne which will take place on July […]

Jun 26th, 2018

Making Space

The young man in duck trousers and a company shirt had just finished off-loading the last of four ball-and-burlap pin oaks. As he busied himself latching up the tailgate of […]

Jun 20th, 2018

Plants Behaving Badly: A Review

As you walk around our garden enjoying the beautiful plants, you might not realize that they have complicated personal lives. All those beautiful colors and structures have a purpose. Often […]