The gates to the grounds officially closed for the season at 4:00 PM on October 31. It's amazing how quickly time goes by. It seems like weeks instead of months ago that our crews and volunteers were planting the annual flowers that would soon become the beautiful displays of color that are one of the summertime hallmarks of the SA&G. As of October 30, all of those lovely plants had been removed and the beds made ready for a winter's nap.

2018 was a good year. Some 15,000 people were able to take advantage of the unique opportunities for experiencing nature that exist here. Our benefactors again helped meet the challenge of helping our beneficiaries to keep nature close and relevant in their lives. We hear so many comments from those folks stating how much they enjoy their visits to the gardens and that often they find themselves looking at and enjoying some of the wonders of nature that they hadn't taken the time to notice before. That's what it's all about! 

Genoa Bank helped kick off the season with Community Day 2018 held in May. That free event was again a big hit with nearly 60 vendors and displays set up throughout the grounds. That annual event is designed to encourage people who might not have visited the gardens before to visit for free and get a little preview of what's to come in the summer. The Schedel Summer Science Camp and the Workshop Series were two other highlights of the 2018 season. The science camp was sponsored by Savage & Associates and their generosity allowed us to double the number of sessions/campers and is designed to give middle-schoolers a leg up on their studies in science and to make a special connection with nature. The Workshop Series was sponsored by the Taylor Automotive Group and continues through the winter with select topics mostly of a nature theme.

Please check for a workshop, wine tasting or other events coming up HERE. 

We're working on bonsai blog and some other interesting topics. Check back soon! In the mean time, from our volunteers, benefactors, staff and board of directors - we hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving later this month!

Only 3 days left in the 2018 Season! Time passes so quickly and that adage is so true here at the SA&G. We are excited to announce that over the next few months we plan to begin a SA&G Blog. Be patient with us ... we're new to the "blogoshere!" Our plans are to create a few categories to begin with and add to the information that will be available as we go and become more comfortable with blogging.

A couple categories that we're considering to start with are a Bonsai How To blog, a Wedding Planning blog and a Kid's Center blog.

Let us know if there are categories you'd to see added and what kind of things you're interested in here at the gardens. We'll do our best to incorporate your ideas!

In the meantime, have a good winter. Don't forget to prepare your lawn with a good boost of fertilizer and maybe a layer of good compost for your plant beds. We look forward to seeing you back at the SA&G next spring!

​Rod Noble, Executive Director