Garvan Gardens Kicks Off Fall With Exhibits, Workshops in September

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Fall Arrays at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs Promise Spreads of Color.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – As Arkansas’ unusually mild summer finally gave way to some typical August heat, Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs is tailoring September events to fit cooler weather.

Japanese maples, chrysanthemums and other vibrant annuals and perennials are featured in this year’s “Fall in the Woodlands” seasonal array from Sept. 1 through mid-November. Easily the most colorful time of the year at the gardens, this display is open to the public at general admission prices.

The Ouachita Artists Gallery and Studio, a working gallery and studio in Mount Ida with 76 active and supporting members, will display work during the September Art Exhibit in the Magnolia Room. Work available for view and sale includes candles, cards, crystal works, fiber arts, gourd art, jams and jellies, jewelry, novaculite nail files, knives, whetstones, oil paintings, watercolors, drawings, pastels, pottery, photography, quilts, sculpture, soap and skincare items, wood bowls, cutting and pastry boards, gliders and swings, rolling pins, shelves, stools and tops.

The Verna Garvan Design Study Group is sponsoring a flower show called “Mosaics” from 1-6 p.m. Sept. 12 and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 13 and 14 in the Magnolia Room. Their flowers, bearing creative designs as well as fall themed tablescapes, will be judged the morning of Sept. 12 before the show opens to the public.

Children ages 4-12 may participate in “Seeds! First Wednesday Children’s Walk-In Program” from 10-11:30 a.m. Sept. 3 at the Weyerhaeuser Bonsai Center. They will walk through the gardens, then spend time with their families, learn about seeds and make an art project to take home.

Resident landscape architect Bob Byers will teach a workshop called “Fall is for Gardening” at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 4 in the Magnolia Room. From 10:30-11:30 a.m., Sabrina Childs of Ball Seed Company also will share garden staples and what’s new in the gardening world.

In a Gardening 101 class called “Containers Done Right!,” attendees can learn how to build a container garden for a deck, patio or balcony. Nursery owner Jim Shults will teach the class from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Sept. 25 in the Magnolia Room. Following the class, Byers will teach a Gardening 101 class on “Picture Perfect Containers” from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., showing how shape, size, and form can affect the choice of containers. He’ll also discuss planning color schemes and mixing textures for great planting effects.

Veteran walkers and nature lovers Sharon Turrentine and Paula Wallace will lead health and fitness walks through the gardens throughout September. They will meet Mondays at 9 a.m. for three-mile, intermediate level walks. On Tuesdays, they will meet for one-mile beginner level walks. Good walking shoes and weather-appropriate attire are recommended.

In an eight-week health series called “A Matter of Balance,” Kathy Packard and the staff at Oaklawn Center on Aging will teach the basics of balance and muscle tone change. Packard and staff will teach exercises and techniques to improve attendees’ sense of balance during sessions held from 9-11 a.m. Tuesdays and Fridays starting Sept. 16 through Oct. 10 at Millsap Bride’s Hall.

CompACT Family Services plans to help raise awareness and support for youth to have healthy families in a fun run 7-9 a.m. Sept. 27 through garden trails. Both walkers and runners may participate.

Beginning September 2, Golf Cart Tour Rides will be $15 per person in addition to regular admission. Golf Cart Tour Rides are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. There are no reservations for Golf Cart Rides. Cart Tours are offered every day during regular garden operation hours 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The last Golf Cart Tour is sold at 4:30 p.m. daily.

Garvan Woodland Gardens is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas.

The garden is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12, free for children ages 5 and younger, and $5 for dogs. Some events and activities are free, while 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.