By Staff
Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve at 13988 Range Line Road, Niles has brought back the annual Fernwood Window Box Challenge.
Fernwood is once again inviting residents and businesses of Niles, Buchanan, and neighboring communities to beautify their homes, businesses, and city blocks by participating in our second annual window box competition.
Registration is free, so call Fernwood by June 7 to be assigned an entry number and get in on the challenge! Register as Business, Residential, or Youth, and consider one of the following categories: Most Creative Window Box, Best Use of Color, Most Original Container, Best Theme (culinary, butterfly garden, etc.), and Best Overall Design. Information is available to help with purchasing, building, designing, and maintaining your window box.
Other coming events and activities follow:
Summer Solstice Celebration
Friday, June 19
Please join Fernwood under the stars on Friday, June 19, for the annual Summer Solstice Celebration dinner/fundraiser. The doors open at 6 p.m. for a special evening in the garden, featuring cocktails with hors d'oeuvres, an elegant dinner prepared by Fernwood's chef, Tim Carrigan, dessert buffet, live and silent auctions, and musical entertainment by Friends Jazz Trio.
Featured items in the auction will include original works of art depicting outdoor scenes created that very day at Fernwood and surrounding locations by artists of the Plein Air Painters of Chicago (PAPC). http://www.papchicago.com/
The Summer Solstice Celebration will also mark the grand opening of the new Fernwood Garden Railway, a railroad garden designed specifically for Fernwood by Paul Busse, whose railroad gardens can be found at leading public gardens throughout the country, including the Chicago Botanic Garden.
Reservations for the Summer Solstice Celebration are $75 per person and required by June 12. Please join us for a fun evening in support of our operations and special programs.
Fernwood Railway Garden Opening
Father's Day Weekend
You won't want to miss the long-anticipated Grand Opening on Father's Day weekend of the Fernwood Railway Garden. The garden will include several G-scale (Garden-scale) trains running simultaneously over trestles and landscaped mountains, through tunnels, and past a lake, waterfall, and stream. Kids will love the walk-under bridges and walk-through tunnels, and people of all ages will be amazed at the scale model buildings, including the Niles Train Station and Buchanan's Pears Mill. The St. Joseph Lighthouse will be arriving soon. All buildings are made entirely of natural materials by botanical architect, Paul Busse.
If you love nature, art, and gardens, this new feature is not to be missed. Visit www.fernwoodbotanical.org for more details on the railway garden. And learn more about the work of Paul Busse at www.appliedimagination.biz.
Yoga Classes
Saturdays, 10:30 a.m. to noon
Instructors Brooke and Kevin Cannoot from Dhanwantari Center for Yoga and Well-Being in South Bend are leading new vinyasa yoga classes on Saturdays at Fernwood. Classes are 10:30 am to noon and will be held outside when weather conditions permit. Fee $10 (Members $8)
It is recommended to call Fernwood to confirm status of classes beforehand at (269) 695-6491. Take US 31 to Walton Road, exit 7, and go west 1.7 miles, then north on Range Line Road.
The Fernwood Cafe serves soups, sandwiches, salads, and fine desserts. Cafe hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. To see the Cafe and brunch menus, go to www.fernwoodbotanical.org/webdata/Cafe/cafe.htm.