Cirque De Catur: Thank you!

We had made a promise to bring the circus to Decatur, and we did!

Our inaugural fundraiser ‘Cirque De Catur’ held on Saturday, October 24 was a grand success. Breathtaking acts by Imperial OPA Circus Troupe included fire eaters, aerialists and contortionists, along with tarot card readers came together as an enchanting backdrop for this magical event. Live music was provided by Tom Godfrey Jazz Band. Tickets were sold out before the week leading up to the event, and the garden saw over 250 guests register to be part of the festivities.

The food from local favorite Homegrown GA, chipwiches from Ashley Sue’s Baked Goods, awesome cotton candy (the flavors!) from Cult Cart Co, specialty beer from Creature Comforts and Three Taverns, and signature cocktails from Leon’s were all a hit.

We’d like to thank each and every one of our guests, sponsors, vendors, and volunteers who made this evening possible. We’d also like to give a huge shout-out to our committee members for all the hours of planning and preparation that helped make our fundraiser a success, and a whole lot of fun!

Sponsors:

ArthurRatliffPhotography.com — Arthur Ratliff Photography

Special Thanks:

Leon’s Full Service

Host Committee:

Sarah Gleim (Event Chair)

Laura Beeson

Aditi Bhardwaj

Genia Cayce

Tori Davis

Tammy Weiser

For the pictures and updates, check our Facebook page!

See you at the Book Festival!

Woodlands Garden will be at the Decatur Book Festival this weekend.

When: September 5-6, 2015
Where: Booth #104, Decatur Book Festival

You can find us on google maps or on the map below

Map — Woodlands Garden Booth #104, in the green patch

Our booth will be filled with a medley of things, including information about the Garden and beautiful works by local photographer Virginia Twinam Smith. She passed away earlier this year, but left behind a lovely collection of photographs and memories. For more, read an account of her life here that was published in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Photography by the late Virginia Twinham Smith — Photography by the late Virginia Twinam Smith

Let’s not forget the the books we’ve got for sale!

Woodlands Books — Books by Rolling Stones’ rocker Chuck Leavell, and author-illustrator Judith Clay will be on sale at our booth

Newsletter Update: Nice to Meet You!

Executive Director Profile
Our new Executive Director, Kate Baltzell, joined us this month. She is originally from Florence, SC and attended Clemson University. After graduating with a Biology degree and minor in Secondary Education I entered the horticulture field with an internship in plant science at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. She gained further horticultural experience at The Land at Epcot, the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden in Columbia, SC. She went on to graduate from the University of Delaware in Public Horticulture.

Kate headshot_Shannon_credit — Kate Baltzell Photo Credit: Shannon Davis

She has been in Atlanta for the past three years working as the Adult Education Manager at Trees Atlanta, where she worked alongside an amazing crew of tree-loving staff and volunteers.

Plants
Have you come by to see the Lycoris radiata? It’s a must see right now. If you can’t visit you can always join in on the conversation on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The Lycoris radiata, also commonly known as Red Magic Lily, is a late-blooming bulb

Programs
The Garden will be very busy this fall so if you’d like to get involved just let us know we always have a ton of volunteer opportunities available.

More details on the Woodlands Garden calendar here plus an extensive list of events in addition to these:

Sunday, August 30 at 1pm: Neighborhood Update with Q&A to discuss the plans for the corner property at 915 Clairemont Ave and the Garden
Sunday, August 30th at 2pm: Music in the Garden with the Garden Fresh Pickers, a five member bluegrass group. They collectively have over 100 years of musical experience and this is their second appearance at Woodlands Garden. Come check out the local musicians-a great gathering for all ages! All performances for this fall listed on our website here.
September 5 & 6: Come visit our booth at the Decatur Book Festival! Great giveaways and professional photography for sale.

Woodlands Garden: Public Q & A session

Woodlands Garden will be hosting a public question and answer session at the Garden on Tuesday, August 11, at 7:30 pm. Please join us to see the current plans for the site.

When: Tuesday, August 11 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, August 30 at 1 pm

Where: Woodlands Garden, 932 Scott Boulevard, Decatur, GA 30030

Who: All interested neighbors and community members. Please call or write to us if you have questions.

Parking is limited, so plan to walk, bike, or carpool.
We can direct you to off-site parking at Westchester Elementary School or BB&T Bank on Clairemont Road.

A fond good-bye from Claire

A bittersweet moment … I am retiring from Woodlands Garden effective June 30^th. The place and the people are extraordinary, and I am so grateful for my tenure here. The new Executive Director will join Woodlands August 1^st. During July my email will be checked occasionally, as well as voicemails to the office phone 404-373-2222.

If you need a quick reply regarding general Garden operations, please email Garden Manager Ruby Bock ruby@woodlandsgarden.org or call her cellphone 678-641-2966.

If you need a quick reply regarding administrative matters, please email Board President Alan McNabb alan.mcnabb@gmail.com.

If your message is to me personally, please ask either Ruby or Alan for my home email address.

Thank you so very much for the opportunity to know you and Woodlands Garden. Perhaps I will see you soon, at a concert or on the hunt for Fairies.

Claire