Silk Paintings, Mystic Creatures Topiaries Add Color to Garvan Woodland Gardens in May

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Rains earlier this month prompted an eruption of blooms from azaleas and other flowering shrubs and trees at Garvan Woodland Gardens, the university's 210-acre botanical garden in Hot Springs.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Garvan Woodland Gardens is hosting several events in May, including children's workshops, an exhibit of silk paintings and the return of the Mystic Creatures topiary installation.

The "Iris and Orchids in the Garden" art exhibit will feature silk paintings of orchids and iris by Jamie Kirkell. The exhibit is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily from May 1 through June 30 in the Magnolia Room. The two-month exhibit will conclude with a two-day workshop taught by the artist on June 27 and 28.

The popular Mystic Creatures topiary installation returns this summer, with Mystic Creatures: Topiary Art Takes Flight on display from May 8 through August 31. This must-see attraction takes topiary art to new heights of the imagination. The sculptures will include a 40-foot-long Sea Serpent, 13-foot-tall Sasquatch, Fairy Gourdmother playhouse, a family of Marching Mushrooms, a village of fairies and a new, majestic, 20-foot-wide "flaming" Phoenix. Each sculpture will feature new color palettes and plant designs and will be located in several new areas in the garden. Each living display is made of tens of thousands of brightly colored annuals planted in intricate patterns on steel forms covered with netting and soil. This display is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily starting May 8; a Members-Only Preview of Mystic Creatures will be held at 4:30 p.m. May 7 in the Garvan Pavilion.

A pruning workshop called "The Kindest Cut!" will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 14 in the Magnolia Room. John Powell, a classically trained Japanese pruning artist, will share knowledge and ancient secrets of the Orient for finding beauty in ordinary trees and shrubs. His experience includes more than 25 years in the forestry and landscape maintenance businesses and studies with garden masters at the Adachi Museum of Art in Japan.

Megan Bradshaw, a state park interpreter, will lead "Hollerin' at Hoot Owls: Children's Night Hike" from 6-8 p.m. May 16 in the Garvan Pavilion. This evening adventure is an opportunity for children to learn about the many special adaptations that nocturnal animals have to live in the dark. Bradshaw is the former education coordinator for the garden.

For the "Pinch & Smell, Show & Tell!" workshop, held from 1:30-3:30 p.m. May 17 in the Magnolia Room, Debbie Tripp will take participants on a whirlwind tour through the world of herbs. They will get to experience dozens of selections that she grows at Rosemary Hill Herb Farms, and plants also will be available for sale.

A workshop titled "Camouflage!" will be held from 9:30-11 a.m. May 21 in the Millsap Bride's Hall. Children ages 5-12 can learn about the amazing tricks that allow bugs to survive in many environments by hiding in plain sight.

During the month of May, health walks at the garden will take place from 9-10 a.m. Mondays and Tuesdays. A one-mile walk will be led by a garden staff member each Tuesday. Sharon Turrentine will lead an exhilarating three-mile hike each Monday through parts of the garden that most people never see. Participants should wear comfortable, weather-appropriate clothing and sturdy walking shoes.

From May 6 to June 10, Kathy Packard of the Oaklawn Center on Aging will conduct "Living with Diabetes," in which participants can hear the latest research on diabetes, learn how healthy choices can also be enjoyable and get tips on tracking their progress. This six-week class will take place from 2-4 p.m. each Wednesday in the Millsap Bride's Hall.

Tai chi lessons continue on Thursdays in May, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. on the Great Lawn. Healthy living experts from the Oaklawn Center on Aging will lead classes in tai chi, the ancient Chinese practice that's both art and exercise. It can help with flexibility, balance and gently building bone and muscle strength, and can be practiced at any level of fitness.

Registration continues through May 22 for the summer Design Camp presented at the garden by the Fay Jones School of Architecture at the University of Arkansas. The camp sessions will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily June 15-19 in the Magnolia Room and around the garden. Design Camp offers the chance to learn about the design professions through hands-on projects, tours, presentations and discussions led by architecture, landscape architecture and interior design faculty of the Fay Jones School. The camp is open to students going into ninth through 12th grades in fall 2015. Supplies and lunch will be provided. Need-based scholarships are available. 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. The garden is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is $15 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-12 and free for children ages 5 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.