A Celebration of 45 years of the Ventnor Botanic Garden.

Ventnor Botanic Garden Friends Society are planning to celebrate in style this summer after being awarded money from the Big Lottery Fund to stage a number of free events over a whole week to mark the popular Garden’s 45^th birthday on 21st June 2017.

‘Through the Garden Gate’ – Programme of Events

Monday 19th June – Illustrated talks about the Past, Present and Future of Ventnor Botanic Garden

From 7pm on Monday evening join us to learn the history of the Garden by Sally Peake, Chairman of VBG Friends Society; followed by a talk by John Curtis, Director Ventnor Botanic Garden CIC in which you’ll discover the role of the modern botanic garden and see how VBG has developed over the past few years, before finally John will share his vision for this Island gem.

Tuesday 20th June – The Life of Plants – a guided walk around the Garden with Curator Chris Kidd

Join Chris from 6.30pm on Tuesday to find out how plants use sex to their advantage! Have you ever wondered how plants reproduce themselves? Is it just the birds and the bees? Discover the hidden kingdom of plants and their reproductive lives! Join Curator Chris Kidd for a walk around the Garden and learn more about this fascinating subject.

To complete your evening, why not join us for supper in edulis Restaurant afterwards and try our very special 2 course set menu which aims to bring the Garden into life in delicious ways!

Wednesday 21st June – Join us for sun rise at 04:52am on Midsummer’s Day

A very special occasion for all you early birds out there… As the sun rises on this summer solstice, join us for a cliff-top meadow view as the sun emerges over the sea and bathes the Island in light on the longest day of the year. With gentle meditation and a dawn chorus by local choirs to accompany this magical moment, mark this auspicious occasion with us for a sunrise like no other. Please meet in the VBG Car Park at 4.15am with torches!

Why not stay for a light breakfast afterwards in edulis Restaurant before heading on your way.

And in the Afternoon: A Celebration Tea for invited Friends and Annual Pass-holders.  This is a ticket event – Tickets £5 from the Garden or Jonyth Hill.

Thursday 22nd June – The ultimate children’s Garden Party!

Join us for the perfect children’s Garden Party on Thursday from 4-6pm. Enjoy a Teddy bear’s Picnic on the lawn; follow the storytelling trail with Island authors reading a selection of Children’s books; and get creative with our art workshops where you can make a wish upon a ribbon and hang it in the Garden, help us to create a colourful and vibrant banner to mark the storytelling trail, and create your very own flag!

We are delighted to offer the first 50 picnics for free!

Friday 23rd June – Discover the Wellbeing Experience at Ventnor Botanic Garden

Try an exercise class or join our gardening volunteers to ‘buddy with the bindweed’.

With a rich heritage of health and wellbeing that continues today, Ventnor Botanic Garden is home to the Wellbeing Experience – a programme of classes all designed to improve your wellbeing. From yoga and reiki to guitar and painting lessons. We’re delighted to offer a number of free taster classes early evening on Friday so why not come and try something new. Places are limited so booking is advised.

If being outside is more your style we’d love your help for a couple of hours from 10am until 12pm, a day or even longer! Help us to battle the bindweed! Join our Garden volunteers to help us tackle this pernicious plant!

Any of the week’s events can be booked by calling 01983 855397 or emailing events@botanic.co.uk

Friday 23rd – Sunday 25th June – Join us for YogaVibe!

The week of celebratory activities culminates in Ventnor Botanic Garden’s wonderful YogaVibe weekend, and to help as many people to get involved as possible we’re delighted to offer free crèche places at a local nursery so that they can relax and join in too.

Tickets  can be purchased online for YogaVibe visit www.botanic.co.uk or by calling 01983 855397.

The Prize Winners.

The three judges, Julian Winslow, Steve Blamire and Dr Rachel Flynn have reached their decisions on the winning entries in the six categories.  As part of their prize the winning entries were the professional printed and mounted by David Whistance.  

Friends and Members attended the prize giving and enjoyed a glass of wine in the Gallery while they viewed an exhibition of the winning entries.  The prizes were presented to the winners by Julian Winslow, who also gave an insight into the judging process and tips for taking a winning photograph.

The prize winners in the various categories are: –

Best Overall: –    1st –  Ian Pratt, 2nd – Olivia Williams, 3rd – Ian Pratt

Plant Portrait: – 1st – Ian Pratt, 2nd – Ian Pratt, 3rd – Lynda Richardson

Landscape: –       1st – Jonyth Hill, 2nd – Lynda Richardson, 3rd – Bridget Sibbick

Abstract: –           1st – Bridget Sibbick, 2nd – Bridget Sibbick, 3rd – Ros Whistance

Wildlife: –            1st – Ian Pratt, 2nd – Ian Pratt, 3rd – Ian Pratt

Under 17: –          1st – Olivia Williams, 2nd – Olivia Williams, 3rd – Ariela Richardson

To see the Winning photographs please click here

This is an exhibition of art by various artists at which all of the paintings, which are A5 size, are for sale at a fixed price of £50.00, purchasers will only find out the provenance of their painting when they collect it at the end of the exhibition.  The exhibition will run from 15th to 24th July 2017 with a special preview for Members of the Fiends’ on 14th July.  Full details of this preview event will be announced nearer the date.

An appeal was made for artists, some famous, some local, some budding, to donate some of their work to help raise cash for the Garden’s horticultural apprenticeship scheme.  Anyone still wishing to donate their work can submit an original A5 piece in any medium and on any subject.  All pieces should be received at the Ventnor Botanic Garden by Wednesday 31st May.

Exciting times, the paintings are starting to arrive at the Ventnor Botanic Garden and you can get a preview of them as they arrive here.

On Sunday 4th June the garden of East Cliff, Bembridge will be open for viewing.  The Friends’ Society will have a plant stall in the garden to raise funds.

Some of the main planting of flowering cherry trees has now been completed on the upper level of the terraces.  You can read more about the selection selection of the trees in the Spring/Summer edition of ventnorensis.