Sponsor A Metal Bench

Exclusive 4′ Black Metal Bench with a unique Oak Leaf Design
Sponsorship $3000
 
Visits to the gardens are enhanced by opportunities to rest on convenient benches.  
 
This sturdy metal Oak Leaf Bench is available only for sponsorship and only for placement within Montgomery Botanical Gardens.  
 
A sign will be placed with each bench acknowledging the sponsor. If the sponsorship is made in honor of or in memory of another person, that will be included on the sign.   
Sponsor a Bench:
OR to mail a check:
Montgomery Botanical Gardens
P.O. Box 344
Montgomery, Alabama 36101

CCMGA MBG Project Volunteers Focus on Enhancing the MBG Gardens

Led by Chair, Karin Carmichael, the MBG Project Committee members focused on enhancing the Entrance area and the three Pollinator Gardens as spring weather encourages growth of desirable plants and undesirable weeds during their May Volunteer Day. The circular Entrance beds on which the team led by Mamie McLure have worked so diligently are blooming and growing to welcome visitors into the gardens. Their replacing of deteriorated Camellias improved the appearance of the areas beside the entrance and will provide more blooms in fall and winter. The Pollinator Garden #1 team, led by Cheryl McKiearnan, has established beautiful blossoms that invite bees and butterflies to stop, rest and feed along their various journeys through the gardens. Pollinator Garden #2 team, led by Nell Copeland, has enlarged that garden and improved the mix of plants to support pollinators. Tom McLemore leads the team for Pollinator Garden #3 and that team has established clearer boundaries for that garden, refreshed the plants and added more plants to attract our fluttering and buzzing friends as they travel through our gardens. All three of these gardens are certified as Geen Bridges Pollinator Gardens by the National Herb Society. 

The CCMGA MBG Project committee will be installing a bulb and iris garden soon to add to the blooming plants at various times for visitors to enjoy as they stroll through the pathway at different times of the year. They have also pruned all of the numerous hydrangeas throughout the gardens to remove the dead wood and allow the plants to flourish and blossom. The Board of Directors of the Montgomery Botanical Gardens has expressed their sincere appreciation for this dedicated group of volunteers who are key to the beauty of the gardens. The monthly volunteer day at MBG is the third Tuesday of each month and all are welcome to join in to support this outstanding oasis in the midst of urban Montgomery that improves the quality of life for the River Region. 

MBG Holds Outstanding Nature Photography Class

Saturday, May 13, 2023, was a beautiful day in the Montgomery Botanical Gardens to present a class in Nature Photography with instructors Billy Birchfield and David Robertson in the Wisdom Wood Outdoor Classroom. The enthusiastic attendees received excellent guidance from these experienced photographers on how to take better photographs of the natural world. Examples of photographs were shared to illustrate certain issues for taking photographs of items in their natural surroundings. After the instructions were completed, the attendees were offered opportunities to take photos of the numerous flowers, trees, birds, and natural venues in MBG. Comments from attendees were positive and appreciative.

This was the final class in the activities hosted by the Montgomery Botanical Gardens Board of Directors to recognize National Public Gardens Week, May 6 – 13, 2023. NPG was established by the American Public Gardens Association to celebrate and emphasize the value of public gardens for communities across the nation. Public gardens contribute greatly to the quality of life in any community and Montgomery Botanical Gardens is happy to be a part of the vibrant River Region and to welcome everyone to visit the gardens. 

Classes are held in the gardens throughout the year. The 2023 MBG Calendar of Classes can be viewed on the MBG website here.

Plein Aire Paint Out Produces Beautiful Results

Ten artists from around the state participated in the Paint Out in the gardens on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, and produced some beautiful artwork. Visitors enjoyed observing the artists at work among the blooms and greenery of various venues they selected to depict on their canvases. Some of their artwork is shown here, although they insist that they are not “finished” yet. 

Barbara Davis