One of our most popular events will be here soon.

It’s our annual . . .

Apple & Cheese Tasting

Thursday, October 7 – 5:00-7:00 pm

Utah Botanical Center Farmers' Market

725 Sego Lily Drive, Kaysville                 

                            

Thursday, October 14 – 12:00-2:00 pm

Ogden Botanical Gardens

 1750 Monroe Blvd., Ogden

                        

Come treat your taste buds to a sampling of the many varieties of locally grown apples, complimented by locally produced artisan cheeses.  Join us to savor the end of the growing season.

Questions:                   Davis County - 801-451-3403

                                    Weber County – 801-399-8201

Our Master Gardeners Have Talent

Have I ever told you how great our Master Gardeners are?  Well, if I haven't lately, let me show you and I have the pictures to prove it.

Kay and her Masterpiece

Take for example one of our Master Gardeners, Kay Ballif.  Kay invited us to her home to see her beautiful flower beds this past month.  She flattered us by saying that she designed her flower beds with the method that Susie and I taught her in the Master Gardener course.  Well of course, we had to go and see her handiwork for ourselves. Ta da!

Kay's Front Flower Bed

Aren't they so colorful and fun to admire?  Kay has done a phenomonal job on her yard!  The flowers are gorgeous and she has a eye for color.

A Color Collage

 I think I need to take a class from her.  One of the my favorite parts of her yard is her potted plants.

Potted Plant Paradise

Kay has taken a full flower bed and miniaturized it (I know miniaturize is not a word, but I like it) and put it into a container.  And her containers look great!  They are still alive, which is nothing short of a miracle for living in a desert.  They are lush, full of color, and perfectly arranged. 

More "Miniaturized"  Masterpieces

See, we do have the best Master Gardeners and Kay is just one of the many amazing people that we get to rub shoulders with here at the Ogden Botanical Gardens.  Thanks Kay for the invitation and for sharing your talent with us!

Everything Apples: Utah Botanical Center Event

Everything Apples Thursday, September 23 Utah Botanical Center     800 South 50 West in Kaysville   Tasty Apple Dessert Contest We're looking for the tastiest apple treats and desserts you can make! Bring your favorite apple treat or dessert (and a copy of your recipe) to the contest booth at the UBC Farmers Market Entries due by 6 p.m. Judging starts at 6:30 p.m. Winners announced at 7:15 p.m. Prizes for winners in each category: Children (ages 5-12) Teens (ages 13-18) Adult (ages 19 and up)  Apple Pie Eating ContestStarts at 7 p.m. Come fill yourself with delicious apple pie and win a prize!      Sponsored by Utah State University Extension & the Utah Botanical Center Farmers Market Contact April Clark at (801) 544-3089 for further information

Free Seed Saving Class

When:  Thursday, September 16th Noon-1pm
Where: Ogden Botanical Gardens (1750 Monroe Blvd.)
Richard Anderson, world-renowned plant taxonomist, will be teaching us how to save veggie seeds from our home gardens.  He will take us through the steps of harvesting and saving vegetable seeds.  It will be a resourceful class and help us stretch our food dollar.

USU Extension New Publication

We are so happy that we were mentioned in the new publication put out by Utah State University and also they put in some great pictures of our gardens.  Click on this link to view this publication

Open publication - Free publishing - More utah

Free Designing with Bulbs Class

When: Thursday, September 16th 6-7:30pm
Where: Ogden Botanical Gardens (1750 Monroe Blvd. Ogden)
Cost: Free

Come and learn from Jerry Goodspeed how to use bulbs this fall to create a dazzling display of colorful blooms next spring.  He will be discussing all the different bulbs available and other companion plants. 

 Participants can purchase bulbs at a great price to take home and start their own bulb garden.

Name That Weed: September 12, 2010

Back by popular demand it's the segment we like to call "Name that Weed?"  I'm sorry that I haven't posted this segment since June--work does happen and I apologize for putting it on the back burner.

What is this weed?

On Friday at the Master Gardener Conference we were walking around the Wetlands Discovery Point on the UBC (Utah Botanical Center) campus when we noticed a great weed.  Yes, weeds can be great and even cool at times!  I decided to snap a few shots and bring back "Name That Weed?"

An up close and personal look

So, here you go!  Tell me the name of this weed, how to control it, what makes it unique, and maybe to some even cool.  Leave me a comment and the winner will get a niffy prize from our prize closet.  Ready, set, go!

Master Gardener State Conference at the UBC

Jay Dee taking us on a tour of the Varga Arboretum

 On Friday, September 10th we were invited to the Master Gardener Conference hosted by Jay Dee and his fellow master gardeners.  We had a ton of fun driving the attendees to their various classes around the Utah Botanical Center.  We were able to learn about raspberries and blackberries, heirloom vegetables, tree identification, peach pests, and wind tunnels for extending the veggie season. 

Dave Anderson introducing us to the Wetland Discovery Point building

For those of you who didn't attend--I'm sorry.  It was a great conference and we got to meet master gardeners from all over the state and hear from our favorite extension agents.    We hope that you can join us next year.

Ogden Standard Examiner: We Were Able to Grant a Wish

Having a day of their own: Crestwood Care Center grants wishes to residents

Last updated

Wednesday, September 8, 2010 - 6:24pm

OGDEN - Darwin Vandegraaf wanted to see Jon Schmidt in concert. Billie Lou Lund wanted to go out to dinner. Henrietta Hess wanted to enjoy a summer backyard luncheon with her daughter.
All three got their wishes, thanks to a new program at Crestwood Care Center.
The Big Dream is a new customer focused program specifically tailored for Crestwood residents, said Kay Peterson, director of hospitality at Crestwood. Each resident is given an opportunity to request a special wish about what they would do if they had a special dream day.
"Every request is taken to heart and explored," Peterson said. "I contact area businesses willing to donate to make the day happen. Some ideas are simple and others are more involved but nothing is too large or small."
Not only did Vandegraaf get to see Schmidt in concert, he got to travel to Wolfe Creek to see the pianist perform during the Music in the Mountains event.
"Dream Day was important to me because the past 18 months have been difficult," he said. "First there was the illness and passing of my wife followed by my own multiple health problems and surgeries. Dream Day was a much needed and much appreciated boost in my morale."
Hess loves eating tomatoes, so she was granted a summer backyard luncheon with her daughter, Linda Beus.
"It was very uplifting. It made me happy," Hess said. "I broke my hip and came to Crestwood for rehab. I enjoyed the care and made this my home. I'm 96 years-old."
Lund's request was to eat at the Olive Garden with her family.
"I was extremely active and enjoyed spending time with family and friends going out to eat and attending various events," she said. "I fell coming out of a movie I attended with friends. When I fell I fractured my left knee and tibial plateau. My right knee and right shoulder were also injured."
Lund spent three days in the hospital before being transferred to Crestwood Care Center. She said when employees asked her what her wish was she was thrilled they cared enough about her to ask the question.
"I thought of my daughters and how much their love and support meant to me through this depressing and life altering experience," she said. "My wish would be to take them to dinner at the Olive Garden to show my appreciation. This will allow me to show my appreciation to both of my daughters for taking turns each day visiting and spending time with me. It has meant more to me than I could ever express."
Crestwood Care Center is a locally owned rehab and skilled nursing center, Peterson said. She said the new dream program is much needed because it helps lift the spirits of the residents and brightens up their day.
"Some of the events we've done have included a fishing trip, a lunch at Applebee's, a day at the Living Planet Aquarium, making a cake, a day at the Ogden Botanical Gardens," Peterson said. "Being in a nursing center can be very difficult and many people shy away from visiting or volunteering. We want our community to know the amazing things we are doing here at Crestwood. We feel that by getting the word out we may enlighten perceptions and motivate others to get involved."

Studio 5: Dig in and Divide

Jerry was on KSL's Studio 5 today demonstrating how to divide perennials.  Watch and learn from the Master!

What's Blooming in the Gardens: September 8, 2010

It's been such a long time since I've posted new pictures of the gardens. They are beautiful!  These pictures do them no justice!


Thank you Master Gardeners for all your help yesterday with our clean up day on Tuesday. We were able to deadhead every flowerbed here. We had yummy french toast, fresh fruit, and wonderful company. We had a great turn out with 30 Master Gardeners! Thanks again to the best Master Gardeners in the world!