Watercolor and Cooking Classes, Gardening Workshops, Mother's Day Concert on Tap for May at Garvan Gardens

Garvan Woodland Gardens

The landscape design being developed below the Perry Wildflower Overlook includes a perennial garden and a new water feature that flows into Lake Hamilton.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Mid-spring at Garvan Woodland Gardens brings workshops on gardening and tree planting, watercolor and cooking classes, and a Mother's Day concert of handbell music.

The May art exhibit "Monday Studio" will take place from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 1-31, in the Magnolia Room. This art exhibit features works by Shirley Anderson, Barbara Seibel and Caryl Joy Young, co-owners of Gallery 726 in downtown Hot Springs. Their collection, "The World As We See It," features interpretations of special places in Garvan Gardens in a variety of mediums - pastels, watercolors, oils and acrylic - as well as other scenes from their extensive travel and other experiences.

The "101 Workshop: Tree Planting and Care" will be held at 10 a.m. May 3 in the Magnolia Room. Alison Litchy, a certified arborist, will discuss tree maintenance from the planting stage through mature tree care. She currently serves the Arkansas Forestry Commission as Urban Forestry Partnership coordinator.

The "101 Workshop: No-Till Gardening" will be held at 1 p.m. May 10 in the Magnolia Room. Diane Daniel, a local Master Gardener, will present tips on gardening without the back-breaking toil of digging in the dirt. Daniel, who enjoys vegetable gardening, is a strong supporter and educator of organic gardening practices and limited use of environmentally harmful chemicals. She will share ways to extend the growing season by using high tunnels and hoop houses.

A "Cooking Class by T. Porter Montgomery and Bubba Brews" will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. May 11 in the Magnolia Room. This class will include the preparation demonstration for three courses, each paired with a special brew from Bubba Brews Brewing Company. Participants will enjoy samples from each course and receive hard copies of each recipe. The menu includes Tuna Tartare on wonton round; Samoa-encrusted Mahi-Mahi Tacos, with Mango and Jicama slaw; and Ginger-Lemongrass Coconut Cream, and Woven Melons, wrapped around vanilla bean ice cream. Montgomery, most recently with The Next Level Kitchen in Hot Springs, is a personal chef who has cooked for celebrities and now makes Hot Springs his home.

The "Mother's Day Concert with Ringers of Hope" will be held at 3 p.m. May 14 in Anthony Chapel. For this Garvan Gardens tradition, the Ringers of Hope from Ouachita Hills Academy will return to delight guests with their handbells.

Artist Cynthia Schanink will present a watercolor class from 2-5 p.m. May 18 in the Magnolia Room. Inspired by the irises that bloom this time of year, Schanink will show how watercolor can give the petals vibrant thin washes of color against a darker background. All supplies are provided for participants to create their own original paintings. Drawings will be provided to trace onto Arches watercolor paper, and students will paint along each petal to finish the design in a few hours. Schanink will provide demonstration for techniques used in this class.

"Herbs of the Bible by C The Difference" will take place from 1-3:30 p.m. May 28 in the Magnolia Room. Cindy Faulk, of C the Difference, will present a survey of herbs, spices and other plants referenced by the Bible. Her presentation will focus on the various uses of these plants, such as making essential oils, medicinal benefits, culinary uses and symbolisms found in literature. Participants will make an infused oil similar to what would have been used in biblical times.

The Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design will present Design Camp in the Garden the week of June 19-23 at Garvan Gardens. Registration for the camp ends May 26, at a cost of $250 for Garvan Gardens members or $350 for the general public. Need-based full and partial scholarships are available. The camp is open to students going into ninth through 12th grades this fall. Design camp offers students the opportunity to learn through hands-on projects, tours, presentations and discussions led by architecture, landscape architecture and interior design faculty of the Fay Jones School. For more information, contact Judy Stone at jkstone@uark.edu or 479-575-2399.

Garvan Woodland Gardens is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas and part of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. The garden is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for children ages 4-12 and free for children ages 3 and younger. Some events and activities are free. Some require a fee, advanced registration or prepayment.

For more information about these events or to check on upcoming events, call 501-262-9300 or 800-366-4664.