Friends of the Arboretum February Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Congratulations to our Chiefs on a year well-played!

This summer, Johnson County will play host to the International Master Gardeners Conference from June 18-22— this 5-day event is expected to bring together approximately 1000 guests from across the globe to our area! The Overland Park Convention Center will be the hub for this event, and the Arboretum will also be featured front and center at the conference which will provide a number of opportunities for guests to learn about our area and gather new ideas from international experts and hands-on classes.

FOTA is honored to be a sponsor of this multi-day event! While many of our local Extension Master Gardeners have secured their conference passes, FOTA is excited to offer 2 FREE passes through a register to win. Each pass includes 6 meals, access to 5 keynote presentations as well as 8 rounds of concurrent sessions on a variety of topics. Register today to win so that you don’t miss out on this exciting event. I will announce the winners in my March Chair’s Corner.

As an added benefit, several events are open to the general public without conference registration. These include a Tour of 6 Private Gardens and 3 evening featured speakers. More information can be found at www.johnson.ksu.edu. A trade show will also be open to the public free of charge.

Events and Programing

Beyond the conference, there are a number of other opportunities that are must for your late spring/early summertime calendar…

· Our annual Spring Plant Sale is scheduled to begin April 27th with the planning team making final plant selections and even growing some varieties in our greenhouses that you are sure to enjoy in your garden.

· Join us for our first Wine Tasting on the Terrace of the year on May 11th—and for the beer enthusiast among you, Biergarten Thursdays are on the calendar with our first event on May 25th—and mark your calendar for October 14 as Botanical Brewfest is making a return!

· A fast follow is our Enchanted Faire—new for 2023 we are offering this spectacular fairy and gnome event across 2 days, beginning Friday, June 2!

Check out the events page for many more fun activities!

 

News From the Gardens

Stay current on the latest Arboretum news by following us on our social spaces. And don’t forget to share our content so your friends, family and neighbors can hear about ways to enjoy the many aspects of the Arboretum. 

 

 

Volunteer

There are so numerous ways to share your time and talents at the Arboretum. If volunteering is on your New Year’s list of resolutions, please contact us by email.

 

FOTA could use your help…

We are looking for someone who would be willing to give some of their time as a FOTA Advisory Board archivist. The Advisory Board has a number of operational documents like budgets, meeting minutes, agendas, grant materials, etc. that live in a lot of different places that need to be pulled together into a digital library for historical purposes as well as a way for board members to access materials more easily. Please let us know if you would like to help, email me at fotachair@artsandrec-op.org!

 

Let Me Know What’s On Your Mind

Finally, I always enjoy reading your messages about the work we are doing. Please continue to share with me your thoughts and ideas about our events and programing at fotachair@artsandrec-op.org.

 

See you in the gardens,

Carlos E. Corredor

Chair of the FOTA Advisory Board