For the past 50 years, the Toledo Botanical Gardens brought life and color into the community and now it’s getting ready to celebrate its golden anniversary with a slew of exciting exhibits.
The gardens that Toledoans know today got its start in 1964, when 20 acres of lush land was donated to the city by George Crosby. Now, that lot tripled into 60 acres of beautiful gardens located off Elmer Drive. The TBG is also housed in its downtown campus, which is home to The Robert Anderson Urban Agriculture Center and acts as the hub for the Toledo GROWs program.
The garden’s 50th Anniversary brings about plenty of events, new and old. Although each holds a different theme, all are geared towards community involvement.
“Engaging all generations headed our priorities. We want to give the community reasons to visit the Garden,” Gretchen DeBacker, 2015 Board President and Chairman of the 50th Anniversary Committee, said.
“[We want the community] to experience its natural beauty, to enjoy entertainment such as Jazz in the Garden, and to discover the joys of gardening through our annual spring and fall plant sales.”
TBG’s anniversary season kicks off on February 8 with its 72 Degrees and Rising event. Held inside the gardens’ greenhouse located off its Bancroft entrance, this family-friendly, tropical exhibit allows community members to escape the bitter cold temps and enjoy a cozy greenhouse experience. There will be plenty of information on the plants, along with children’s activities and refreshments for Botanical Garden members.
“Delightful hands-on activities and exotic refreshments will accompany this behind the scenes peak at where banana plants and other tropical species spend their winter months here at the Garden,” Karen Ranney Wolkins, Executive Director of TBG, said.
Celebrations continue with an event specifically geared towards millennials on May 30. The Garden After Dark ties together art, music and performance while focusing on light-related art exhibits.
“We are working with University of Toledo students to develop content for projection installations that will be placed throughout the Garden,” Nathan Mattimoe, TBG board member and Chairman of the After Dark committee, said.
“The Work Collective is going to set up ‘The Cube’ a large, interactive projection project that responds to movement.”
In addition, DJ Rob Sample is slated to provide musical entertainment, while Birds Eye Circus performs. Also, there will be delicious grub provided by local food trucks.
On the Saturday before Mother’s Day, May 9, ladies can enjoy Tea in the Garden. This multi-generational event is geared towards daughters, mothers and grandmothers.
Finally, the garden will display “dramatic, large-scale sunflower plantings” around the city of Toledo providing an “explosion of color” and beautiful scenery for community members throughout the 50th anniversary season.
“It wouldn’t be a garden celebration without flowers,” Matt Killam, TBG Marketing Director, said.
Traditional events will still take place at the gardens and feature an anniversary celebration twist. Those events include:
72 Degrees and Rising to kick off garden’s 50th anniversary events
*Seed Swap (Feb. 28)
*Spring Plant Sale (May 7-10)
*Crosby Festival of the Arts (June 26-28)
*Jazz in the Garden (Every Thursday beginning July 9 through Sept. 10)
*Arts in the Garden (Aug. 9)
*Harvest Market Dinner (Sept. 17)
*Heralding the Holidays (Dec. 4-6).
