December 2005

• Members’ Preview Party:  Olbrich’s Holiday Express  December 2   Friday   4 – 7 p.m.
  Olbrich Botanical Society members are invited to bring their families to this festive preview to see Olbrich’s Holiday Express Flower and Model Train Show.  The show opens to the public on Saturday, December 4.  For membership information call 608-246-4724.

• Olbrich’s Holiday Express – Flower and Model Train Show 
  December 3  - 31    Monday – Saturday  10 a.m. – 4 p.m., and  Sundays   10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  Twinkling lights, festive poinsettias, tiny landscapes, and large-scale model trains:  all aboard for Olbrich’s Holiday Express!  Using large-scale model trains, Olbrich’s horticulture staff will showcase miniature landscapes amidst the colorful poinsettias. Also, stop into Olbrich’s lobby and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in the Take-a-Break Tea Room amidst the holiday bustle during the show. Admission for Olbrich Botanical Society members is free. Admission to Olbrich’s Holiday Express for the general public is $3 for adults and $2 for children ages 3 to 12.  Children 2 and under are free.  Admission to the tropical Bolz Conservatory is included.   During Olbrich’s Holiday Express, members of the Wisconsin Garden Railway Society come from all over the state to show off their large-scale model trains. Olbrich’s horticulture staff will showcase miniature landscapes amidst 800 poinsettias. Specialized garden landscapes are made with plants such as thyme, sedum, spruce, false cypress, and dwarf shrubs, used for their miniature stature and slow growth rate.  Many include intricate water features, working light fixtures, and tiny buildings that match the scale of the trains. For more information  call 608-246-4550.

• Holiday Concert  December 4   Sunday – 2 p.m.
  Enjoy festive holiday music with a concert in Olbrich’s Evjue Commons.  Holiday concerts are at 2 p.m. each Sunday from December 4 through 18.  Concerts are sponsored by Olbrich Botanical Society.  A donation of $1 is appreciated.  For more information call 608-246-4550.

• Art Exhibit: Artist Janet Moore will share her works of art in the exhibit The Art of Nature.  December 11 – March 2006  Sundays, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  Free. Gallery Sundays are made possible by a gift from William and Joyce Wartmann. 

• Holiday Concert  December 11   Sunday – 2 p.m.
  Enjoy festive holiday music with a concert in Olbrich’s Evjue Commons.  Holiday concerts are at 2 p.m. each Sunday from December 4 through 18.  Concerts are sponsored by Olbrich Botanical Society.  A donation of $1 is appreciated.  For more information call 608-246-4550.

• Holiday Concert  December 18   Sunday – 2 p.m.
  Enjoy festive holiday music with a concert in Olbrich’s Evjue Commons.  Holiday concerts are at 2 p.m. each Sunday from December 4 through 18.  Concerts are sponsored by Olbrich Botanical Society.  A donation of $1 is appreciated.  For more information call 608-246-4550.

• Olbrich Botanical Gardens closed at 2 p.m.  December 24
  

• Olbrich Botanical Gardens closed.  December 25
  

• Special Event:  U.S. Bank Eve at Olbrich Botanical Gardens  December 31  Friday  6 – 10 p.m.
  Enjoy New Year’s Eve family fun at Olbrich.  See the Bolz Conservatory and the Holiday Express Flower and Train Show.  Sponsored by U.S. Bank-Madison.  Call 608-252-4053 for more information.

• Olbrich Botanical Gardens closed.  January 1, 2005
  

• Ongoing: Bolz Conservatory – Fragrance: Fair or Foul  September 6 – January 3
  Why are some flowers sweetly fragrant and others unbearably foul?  Are flowers the only part of a plant with fragrance?  Just how is perfume made from plant parts?  These and other questions will be answered from September 6 through January 3 as part of the exhibit Fragrance: Fair or Foul in Olbrich’s Bolz Conservatory.  This walk-through exhibit will explain how and why fragrance is produced in plants while interactive activities designed for the whole family will entertain as well as inform.  Come immerse yourself in the warm embrace of the Conservatory’s rainforest environment and experience the fragrance of the tropics.

• Art Exhibit:  Natalie Sewell, Fiber Artist  Ongoing: September 11 – December 4    Sunday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  Natalie Sewell’s art quilts elevate quilting to a new level.  Her incredible landscape designs in the exhibit “A Walk in the Woods” fool the viewer into thinking the creations are paintings.  Closer inspection reveals intricate stitching and layering of fabrics, thread, and paint. Her landscape quilts reflect her life-long passion for trees and flowers. All of her leaves, tree trunks, foliage, and flowers are “cut-outs” from her large collection of printed and hand-dyed cottons, which she machine appliqués to a background fabric. Free. Gallery Sundays are made possible by a gift from William and Joyce Wartmann. 

• Yoga in the Gardens  On-going, Mondays, 5 – 6:15 p.m. OR Thursdays, 7:30 - 8:45 a.m.
  This is a participative experiential class for gardeners, nature enthusiasts, and yoga students. Held in the Conservatory or outdoor gardens when possible. Comfortable, loose fitting clothing and a portable mat are recommended; feel free to bring a water bottle. Rick Comello, Monday instructor, is a bodyworker and Reiki Master with over 20 years of experience. Jonathan A. Garber RMT, Thursday instructor, is a certified Kripalu Yoga and Yoga for the Special Child Teacher. The cost is $10 per class - pay at the door.  Check with instructors concerning holiday weeks.  For more information call 608-246-4550.