Inspire!
The Sawtooth Botanical Garden's Monthly Newsletter | January-February 2019

Thanks to our Annual Business Sponsor:
"Work with people you enjoy and trust. Build beautiful spaces together."
Happy New Year from all of us at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden! The end of 2018 brought lots of energy to the Garden, including many Growing Great Minds activities presented by education staff both in students' classrooms and right here at our Visitor Center. The image above is a pre-K class creating outdoor bird feeders after a session of learning about winter birds in our area. We even saw a Pine Siskin up close!

This edition of Inspire! includes information about our Year End Appeal's success, a Board member spotlight, ways you can support the Garden, our Education Corner, and an update on exciting Garden improvements for 2019.
News from our Executive Director...
Dear Supporters,

After receiving matching commitments totaling $14,000 and a month-long campaign, SBG's Year End Appeal exceeded our goal by 20%! This success indicates the Sawtooth Botanical Garden's significance as a community resource for our supporters from all over.

We are indeed humbled by your generosity.

Thank you!
Jen Smith
Executive Director & Interim Education Program Coordinator
Director Spotlight: Susan Flynt

SBG's Board Chair is a force to be reckoned with. Susan Flynt (above at right along with 2018 gala co-chair, Chiyo Parten) began her involvement with SBG over 20 years ago when she lived in the Gimlet neighborhood and had two small children. Susan was as passionate about the Garden then as she is now (and her kids are now grown adults!), providing functional and financial support to this place - the Sawtooth Botanical Garden - that is so important to her. Susan would love to chat with you about how YOU can support the region's only public botanical garden. Thanks, Susan!

Thanks also to departing Board members from 2018: Susan Parslow, Jenni Simpson, Laurie Ahern, Julie Potter, and John Wolcott. Your service is greatly appreciated (and thanks to Susan, Laurie, Julie and John for remaining on Garden committees!)

The February-March issue of Inspire! will include information about our new Board members .
How can I help?
There are many ways that you can support the region's only public botanical garden! Of course, we always appreciate financial gifts, and we also benefit greatly from volunteer service and in-kind donations of things we need to maintain the Garden and its facilities. For information regarding estate or securities gifts, please contact Jen directly at [email protected] .

You can also sign up for recurring monthly donations to SBG through Give Gab .

And for those who like to party with us in person... place these dates on your calendar:
  • April 27-May 9 is Bug Zoo! (BZ Festival is April 27 and BZ Fest II is May 4
  • July 13 is SBG's 24th Annual Garden Tour!
  • August 28 is Gimlets in the Garden, SBG's premier fundraising event and we're "getting back to our roots!"

... and there's much more to come by way of calendar dates! Tune in for the next issue of Inspire! coming to you at the end of February!
Gardens & Facilities Happenings:
Many thanks to the Sun Valley Garden Club for their generous donation that will allow us to complete yet another Capital Maintenance Project... The Connector Garden! This lovely new perennial bed completes the connection between the Garden of Infinite Compassion to the NE of the Visitor Center and the Alpine Garden to the SE. Espalier apple trees planted in memory of Ambassador Council member Peggy Grove's late husband will be complimented by a palette of Penstemon x mexicali 'Red Rocks', Leontopodium alpinum Edelweiss, and Scrophularia maerantha 'Redbirds in a tree'... just to name a few!

While we are enjoying a blanket of snow at the moment, we will be gearing up to cut the ribbons on the SVGC Connector Garden, Carol's Wildflower Garden (replanted in 2018), and the Idaho Native Buckwheat Garden (brought to you by a generous gift from the Idaho Native Plant Society).

Congratulations to Aaron & Edith who were married at the Garden on January 26! Want to get married at the Garden? Contact us !
Education Corner
2019 is shaping up to be a great educational programming year at SBG. Right out of the gate, the Master Gardener course starting next week offered at SBG through Twin Falls County/UofI Extension is FULL and Andy West of Twin Falls Extension has a waiting list! Education staff here at the Garden are devising a "mini-MG" course offering for anyone interested. Contact Jen at [email protected] if you are interested.

Deanna Schrell has begun her popular Painting with Deanna Schrell art classes once again on Monday evenings here at the Garden. Contact Deanna directly to sign up at 208-720-3737.

In collaboration with Wood River Land Trust, SBG is offering its Water Wise courses geared toward folks in the landscape industry and well as interested homeowners. The first class is scheduled for February 19 10:00-3:00, lunch included. Contact Kathy at [email protected] for more information.

We also have exciting botanical art workshops scheduled for July and August. Shari Blaukopf and Kelly Radding will visit us to lead workshops on Location Sketching in Watercolor and Birds in Botanicals, respectively. Ms. Blaukopf's workshop is FULL and we have started a wait list, and there are only four remaining spots left in Ms. Radding's Birds in Botanicals workshop scheduled for July 24, 25,26. Call us at 208-726-9358 to register!
See you in the Garden!
Thanks again to our Annual Business Sponsor:
Sawtooth Botanical Garden | 208.726.9358 | [email protected] | sbgarden.org