gardenchat@hort.net
- Subject: Re: Rather sad
- From: B* <b*@comcast.net>
- Date: Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:26:08 +0000 (UTC)
I guess I was thinking more of botanic gardens than the flower shows. Must admit that although I have visited many botanic gardens, I have never been to a flower show. B ETN Zone 7 ----- Original Message ----- From: "james singer" <inlandjim1@q.com> To: gardenchat@hort.net Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 8:44:34 PM Subject: Re: [CHAT] Rather sad I tend to think that if growing beets will get kids to the botanic gardens, then let's grow beets. Most of the BGs that I've been a member of or a volunteer at, have focused on attracting old farts, like myself, because, in theory, we have the power of endowments. But money isn't the problem; relevance is. On Jul 29, 2010, at 5:10 PM, Daryl wrote: > It may be sad to us, but the gardens are not sustainable as they > are, and they risk being closed if they don't get visitors. I think > that offering a different approach may bring new visitors who will > learn to appreciate the rest of the gardening experience. > > As a speaker, I've witnessed the decline in audience at flower shows > over the years. It's really, really bad (and not due to my > appearance , apparently, since nationally known speakers aren't > getting the audiences we once had. (I'm only regional, except for > the HGTV show I did that garnered bigger audiences for a while ) > > Our MG local library series used to get SRO crowds - 100+ for the > library room. In recent years, we've been lucky to get an average of > 20. My talks usually garner more than that, but it's mostly "fans" > and there are few new faces. > > d > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "BONNIE_HOLMES" <bonnie_holmes@comcast.net > > > To: "Garden Chat" <gardenchat@hort.net> > Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 7:52 PM > Subject: [CHAT] Rather sad > > >> uly 26, 2010,NYT >> Botanical Gardens Look for New Lures >> By JUDITH H. DOBRZYNSKI >> >> >> >> For the last quarter century, the Cleveland Botanical Garden went >> all out for >> its biennial Flower Show, the largest outdoor garden show in North >> America. >> With themed gardens harking back to the Roman empire, or an 18th- >> century >> English estate, the event would draw 25,000 to 30,000 visitors. >> >> But in 2009, the Flower Show was postponed and then abandoned when >> the >> botanical garden could not find sponsors. This year, the garden has >> different >> plans. From Sept. 24 to 26, it is inaugurating the b RIPE ! Food & >> Garden >> Festival,b which celebrates the trend of locally grown food b and >> is >> supported in part by the Cleveland Clinic and Heinenbs , a >> supermarket >> chain. >> >> bThe Flower Show may come back someday, but itbs not where people >> are >> these days,b says Natalie Ronayne, the gardenbs executive director. >> bFood is an easier sell.b >> >> So it is across the country. Botanical gardens are experiencing an >> identity >> crisis, with chrysanthemum contests, horticultural lectures and >> garden-club >> ladies, once their main constituency, going the way of manual lawn >> mowers. >> Among the long-term factors diminishing their traditional appeal >> are fewer >> women at home and less interest in flower-gardening among younger >> fickle, >> multitasking generations. >> >> Forced to rethink and rebrand, gardens are appealing to visitorsb >> interests >> in nature, sustainability, cooking, health, family and the arts. >> Some are >> emphasizing their social role, erecting model green buildings, >> promoting >> wellness and staying open at night so people can mingle over >> cocktails like >> the Pollinator (green tea liqueur, soda water and Sprite). A few >> are even >> inviting in dogs (and their walkers) free or, as in Cleveland, with >> a canine >> admission charge ($2). >> >> bWebre not just looking for gardeners anymore,b says Mary Pat >> Matheson, >> the executive director of the Atlanta Botanical Garden . bWebre >> looking >> for people who go to art museums and zoos.b >> >> In May, the Atlanta garden opened an attraction that would fit >> right in at a >> jungle park: a bcanopy walkb that twists and turns for 600 feet >> at a >> height of up to 45 feet, allowing visitors to trek through the >> treetops. Not >> far away, food enthusiasts can stop in at a new edible garden, with >> an outdoor >> kitchen frequently staffed by guest chefs creating dishes with >> fresh, healthy >> ingredients. Edible gardens are the fastest-growing trend at >> botanical >> gardens, consistently increasing attendance, experts say, along >> with cooking >> classes. >> >> Attendance in Atlanta since May is double what it was for the same >> period last >> year. >> >> Public gardens across the country receive about 70 million visits a >> year, >> according to the American Public Gardens Association . But experts >> say that >> because of social trends and changing demographics, attendance is >> at risk if >> gardens do not change. >> >> They can, however, take advantage of several trends that could >> increase garden >> attendance, including concern for the environment, interest in >> locally grown >> food, efforts to reduce childhood obesity, demand for family >> activities and >> mania for interactive entertainment. Even economic pressures could >> help >> botanical gardens, as more people try to grow their own food. In >> 2009, 35 >> percent of American households had some kind of food garden, up >> from 31 >> percent in 2008, says Bruce Butterfield, research director of the >> National >> Gardening Association . Only 31 percent participated in flower >> gardening in >> 2009, about the same proportion as in the last few years. >> >> bTherebs a generation that will be less interested in gardens,b >> says >> Daniel J. Stark, executive director of the public gardens >> association, bbut >> that generation is incredibly interested in whatbs happening with >> the >> planet. Recently, my own two daughters, and a friend, were reading >> me the riot >> act about cutting down some trees.b >> >> Mr. Starkbs daughters are 4 and 8. >> >> Some tactics designed to entice nongardening Americans are not new, >> of course >> b sculpture and concerts have been around for years b but their >> popularity >> is growing. The New York Botanical Garden , for example, is drawing >> big crowds >> with its current tribute to the poet Emily Dickinson , who was also a >> gardener. >> >> The new exhibition at the United States Botanic Garden in >> Washington features >> bthe spectacular spud family,b with potato-related artifacts, >> music and >> bits of pop culture, especially the endurance of Mr. Potato Head. >> >> And childrenbs gardens are growing more whimsical and interactive, >> says >> Sharilyn Ingram, a former president of the Royal Botanical Gardens >> in Canada >> who is now a culture professor at Brock University in Ontario. >> bYou get to >> have a little more fun now,b she said. >> >> When the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden, in Boothbay, opened its >> $1.7 million, >> two-acre childrenbs garden this month, it came with a chicken >> coop, where >> children can harvest eggs, and a windmill weather station. >> >> In Wyoming, at the Cheyenne Botanic Gardens , the new childrenbs >> village has >> adopted sustainability as its theme. It includes a solar-powered >> discovery >> laboratory where children can make art from reused materials, a >> feature that >> helped it win the highest level of Leadership in Energy and >> Environmental >> Design (LEED) certification. >> >> Teenagers in Cleveland are learning how to grow corn and zucchini >> on urban >> plots. >> >> Because of environmental concerns, Descanso Gardens , near Los >> Angeles, is >> doing the once-unthinkable: it plans to uproot its historic b but >> nonnative >> b collection of camellias, some as tall as 30 feet, which were >> planted >> decades ago under the shade of natural woodlands. bItbs a fantasy >> forest,b says Brian Sullivan, the director of horticulture and >> garden >> operations. >> >> But the fantasy cannot be sustained. Camellias require so much >> water that it >> is killing the trees b not to mention being wasteful. Descanso >> will relocate >> the camellias, even though some will be lost, and allow the >> woodlands to >> return to their native state. bWe expect opposition and kudos >> both,b Mr. >> Sullivan said. >> >> But Descanso still must reach out beyond its aging membership >> group, he added, >> so it is remaining open in the evening; offering cocktails >> (including the >> Pollinator) at a new Camellia Lounge; breaking ground on a $2.1 >> million art >> gallery whose exterior walls will be hung with vertical plant trays >> that will >> blend into a turf roof; and maintaining an edible garden dense with >> fruits, >> vegetables and herbs that are donated to a local food bank. >> >> Food festivals are becoming a large part of the year-round >> programming that >> gardens view as important to winning repeat visitors. In January, the >> Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables, Fla., drew some >> 12,000 >> people to its fourth International Chocolate Festival with Coffee >> and Tea. It >> was followed in April with a local food festival, and this month >> with a mango >> festival. In November comes its annual Ramble, a garden party >> featuring >> antiques and music. >> >> Yes, Fairchild also has an orchid festival. >> >> But showcasing flowers is clearly shrinking in importance. bMost >> gardens,b >> Ms. Ingram, the Canadian professor, said, bwould feel that >> displaying >> flowers is necessary, but not sufficient.b >> >> >> B >> ETN Zone 7 >> >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- >> To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the >> message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the > message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT > > Inland Jim Willamette Valley --------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT --------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
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