Experience spring in all its beauty at Cleveland Botanical Garden with new exhibits, art and events.
RON AND LYDIA HARRINGTON FAMILY PERENNIAL PLAYSPACE
The Ron and Lydia Harrington Perennial Playspace will open to the public on Saturday, March 19. The Cleveland Botanical Garden opens a new permanent exhibit for the kids (in all of us). Using the plants and trees native to Northeast Ohio and the Cleveland Botanical Garden glasshouses as a jumping-off point, the new gallery will celebrate the importance and variation of plants, both locally and around the world. The gallery is hands-on, open-ended, multisensory and multi-modal. While the target audience is families and groups with children, the whimsical yet organic aesthetics are inviting and sophisticated so that even adults can enjoy and appreciate the space.
MIDWEST CACTUS & SUCCULENT SOCIETY SHOW AND SALE
The sale is Saturday, March 26 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and on Sunday, March 27 from noon- 5 p.m. Please note, this event fills up fast and so does the parking garage; consider street parking, which is free on the weekends. This sale is cash and checks only.
RETURN OF THE BUTTERFLIES On Friday, April 1, a stunning array of nearly 10 species of butterfly returns to the Costa Rica Glasshouse. The butterflies in the Costa Rica biome will bring the Glasshouse to life—amazing, colorful, moving, exhilarating life. You’ll see them flying around, actively searching for nectar as a food source.
SPRING EGG HUNT
The garden hosts an egg hunt on Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. – noon, a classic springtime tradition with a sustainable twist. The egg hunt will feature sustainable seed bombs shaped like eggs. Children can hunt and collect 10 colored seed egg bombs and take them home to plant. Advance registration is required.
GLASSHOUSES
Visit the Visit the Madagascar Spiny Desert Biome or “the eighth continent of the world” without leaving greater Cleveland. It’s home to a world-class collection of exotic plants and animals, including iconic “upside-down” trees, yellow-throated plated lizards, and three adiated tortoises. Additionally, experience the year-round exuberance you can only find in a Central American cloud forest in the Costa Rica Biome.
OUR GARDENS
Whether you’re a budding plant-lover or deep-rooted botanist, this beautiful campus has something for everyone. In late March and early April, visit the gardens to spot the first sights of spring. Look for blooming snowdrops, witch hazels, Lenten rose, spicebush and more. Catch the first glimpse of blooming spring bulbs on the Geis Terrace. Let your love of nature draw you to the Japanese Garden where every detail matters. Take refuge among towering trees and enjoy a brief escape from our bustling city in our Woodland Garden. Head to the Western Reserve Herb Society Garden where there are over 3,500 plants, a collection used for dyes, historic roses, culinary needs, and medicinal remedies, to name just a few. Additionally, don’t forget to stroll through the Gateway Garden, Perennial Garden, Restorative Garden, Inspiration Gardens, Rose Garden, and Topiary Garden.
HERSHEY CHILDREN’S GARDEN
The Hershey Children’s Garden will be open to the public on Saturday, April 16. As kids explore plant and animal life, they’ll have a new appreciation for the environment. They can become immersed in hands-on activities like observing honeybees in their hive, searching for fish, frogs, and turtles in the pond, exploring and playing in nature’s playground, and so much more.
THE GARDEN STORE
The store has a carefully curated collection that features original, one-of-a-kind, and locally made gifts and garden goods that reflect the spring season. Every purchase supports Holden Forests & Gardens in our mission to connect people with the wonder, beauty, and value of trees and plants, to inspire action for healthy communities.
ARTWORK ON DISPLAY
LEA GRAY – See her work on display from Saturday, March 19 through Sunday, May 1 in the Eppig Gallery. Columbus artist Lea Gray explores the captivating aesthetics of botanicals through papercraft to better understand the beauty of the natural world. Through thoughtful selection of materials and experimentation with various techniques from gathering real branches to dying and baking papers, she captures the essence of the plants that inspire her. Lea creates this unique artwork to remind us to delight in nature’s offerings, both big and small.
EMILY KATZIN – From Saturday, March 19 through Sunday, June 26, artwork from Emily Katzin will be on display in the Perennial Playspace. Cleveland-based artist Emily Katzin brings attention to sustainability issues related to waste and local ecology through her plant-inspired collages. In this series, Emily used plant materials to construct insects and animals, oftentimes presenting invasive animals assembled from invasive plant materials.
CLASSES
BOTANICAL PAINTING & DRAWING
On Tuesdays, from March 22 through April 26, from 2 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. This six-week series will be held in person at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Learn composition skills and techniques of botanicals including line, form, shading techniques, and layering using inspiration from the natural world with instructor Susan Gray Be. This class welcomes all levels of experience and mediums. Registration Link Here
BEHIND THE SCENES WITH BUTTERFLY PROGRAM
Have you ever found yourself truly amazed by the wonder of the butterflies living in the Costa Rica Biome? In this virtual program on Thursday, April 14 from 1 p.m.to 2 p.m. take a sneak peek into the behind-the-scenes work that goes into caring for these magnificent creatures. Learn about where the butterflies come from and how they get to the Botanical Garden, the care that goes into receiving, raising, and releasing them, and the many missteps that can happen along the way, as well as the USDA regulations that come with live animal care in a public institution. Registration Link Here
MOTHER’S DAY TOPIARY WORKSHOP
On Saturday, May 7 from 11 a.m. – noon participants can create an ivy topiary for mom or grandma to enjoy on Mother’s Day. This potted topiary project is a perfect gift that will continue to grow over time. Each group will also receive a sweet treat dessert box. Beverages provided. Once you have finished creating your topiary project, participants are welcome to stroll our grounds and take in the beautiful spring blooms. Each family group will receive 1 topiary project and 1 treat box. You may request additional quantities of either item during the registration process. Registration is required and closes Friday, April 22. Registration Link Here
