Take a video tour of the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Gardens and Complex

Episode: Produced and broadcast by OPT OzarksWatch Video Magazine

With host Dale Moore, original air date 10/10/11

Watch The Springfield-Greene County Botanical Gardens and Complex on PBS. See more from KOZK.

The Springfield-Greene County Botanical Gardens and Complex at Nathanael Greene and Close Memorial Parks, is an amazing collection of specialty gardens and historical and educational exhibits. Jodie Adams, Marthe and Major Close, George Deatz and Kenny Knauer introduce us to the history of the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Gardens and Complex and its overall beauty that anyone will enjoy. (The original broadcast date was 18 months ago. It was recently added to the OPT video archives and made available.)

Walking is good for the body and meditating is good for the soul. Throw into the mix a dynamite location, the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, and you’re sure to experience a sense of serenity and peace of mind, says Nancy Schmidt, chair of the Friends of the Garden volunteer group that helps maintain the Stroll Garden, located within Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park.

Janice Murrell will lead the Walking Meditation at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2013. The Meditation Stroll is free of charge, but admission to the Stroll Garden is $3.

“With our busy lives and our own ‘mind noise,’ we tend to lose touch with the peace and joy that is available in each moment, the sun and breeze upon our face, sound of birds singing and the gratefulness in being alive,” said Murrell. “The practice of Walking Meditation brings us back to be fully present and aware with every step, filling each new moment with peace, joy and gratefulness.”

Since 1986, the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden has attracted thousands of visitors to its more than seven acres of lush and mature landscaping, waterfalls, winding paths, meditation areas, ponds, bonsai shelter, tea house, pagoda and other features. The garden was named in honor of Yuriko Mizumoto Scott, the first Japanese war bride to come to the U.S. after World War II.

The volunteer members of the Friends of the Garden, together with Master Gardeners of Greene County, other nonprofit organizations and the staff and employees of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, create and maintain the gardens within the 114-acre public park at 2400 S. Scenic Ave.

Friends of the Garden tax-deductible $25 annual memberships can be purchased at the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center gift shop. For more information, visit FriendsoftheGarden.org or Facebook at FriendsoftheGarden/events.

 

“We are doing it for the gardens,” says Avis Holloway, a Friends of the Garden member who is chairing the organization’s first annual Garage Sale from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, 2013, at the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center located within Nathanael/Greene Close Memorial Park at the Springfield Botanical Gardens, 2400 S. Scenic Ave.

The fundraiser will help the volunteer members of Friends of the Garden, together with Master Gardeners of Greene County, other nonprofit organizations and the staff and employees of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board, continue to provide for the growth and maintenance of the 20 themed gardens, 15 special collections and five naturalized areas that make up the Springfield Botanical Gardens.

The indoor garage sale will feature garden gear, yard art, furniture, books, tools, household appliances, linens, hobby equipment, glass, dishes and many other items.

The sale will coincide with the highly anticipated and popular Master Gardeners of Greene County 15th annual Spring Plant Sale in the same location. The event will be held on the same day, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Organizers urge buyers to come early for the best selection of annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, bulbs, grasses, vines, ground covers, shrubs, hostas, trees and plants.

Questions? Call 417.891.1515 for the Friends of the Garden Garage Sale. Call 417.881.8909, ext. 320, for the Spring Plant Sale.

 

July 20, 2013 9:00am to 3:00pm

Summer is butterfly season! Join us July 20, 2013 for our 5th annual festival celebrating native butterflies. Discover live native butterfly species in the Dr. Bill Roston Butterfly House, learn how to attract them at home, and make new friends in the Caterpillar Petting Zoo and Butterfly Garden!

Enjoy local garden and art vendors, and shop the Silent Auction benefitting Friends of the Garden. Bring the kids for crafts, storytime, facepainting, snow cones, and a live Butterfly Release. Earn your butterfly antennae at the festival or come as a butterfly or caterpillar to enter the costume contest! Enjoy live music all day.

Festival activities are from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm, with the Butterfly House remaining open until dusk. Admission is free, including the Japanese Stroll Garden during festival hours. Friends of the Garden is a not-for-profit volunteer organization and donations are always greatly appreciated.

Calling all quilters! Show off your talent and creativity in our Butterfly Quilt Block Contest. You can download the contest and entry details here.

Quilt Block Contest - 2013 (492.14 kB)

Would your business or organization like to have a booth at the Butterfly Festival?
If you are interested in vendor space at this year's event, the application is below. Please contact Cindy Willis at 417-522-5300 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any questions.

Vendor Application - 2013 Butterfly Festival (580.55 kB)

Springfield Botanical Gardens Nathanael Greene/Close Park Garden Report 2012
By Bob Childress, Friends of the Garden

January 10, 2013

Garden Construction and Maintenance

Winter Garden: Our main project this year was phase 2 of the Winter Garden. This garden covers about an acre of ground and is the largest garden in Close Memorial Park. We added 5 new sections and planted hundreds of plants designed to have year-round interest. Our expenditure for topsoil, mulch, compost, the water feature with circulating pump, decorative boulders and stone edging was about $27,000, funded for the most part by Friends of the Garden membership dues. We still have about 1/3 of the garden left to construct before it's totally completed. The garden and water feature were designed by Gail Wright and Dr Bill Roston. Working along with many Friends of the Garden volunteers they are developing another "jewel" in the park, we hope you have seen it.

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Our official opening on May 11, was planned to coincide with National Public Gardens Day, a celebration of public gardens around the country. The house was open from 10am-6pm and we featured an afternoon butterfly release inside the house. Prior to that, the butterfly house was unlocked and open to the public during April to view the early spring butterflies who nectared on the lilac bushes and other small flowers that had emerged with the early warm temperatures. The official last day of operation was Sunday, October 7.

A total of 22,448 people visited the house in this time, nearly 5,500 more than last season. This was largely due to an expansion of days and hours made possible by a greater volunteer base. Posted hours remained Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 5pm-dusk and Saturdays and Sundays from 10a-6p. Thanks to a volunteer group that continued growing in number throughout the season, the house was able to be scheduled open most weekday evenings and many daytime hours during the week as well. A total of 60 volunteers have recorded close to 3800 service hours in collecting butterflies, growing plants, raising livestock, watering, weeding, pruning, hosting tours, and working scheduled shifts, greeting and educating visitors. We had and have a great group of docents who love their work and who can’t wait to share their enthusiasm of Lepidoptera with others.

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