Date(s): 11/03/2006
Time: 10:00 AM
Location: Rio Grande Botanic Garden, Education Bldg.
Address/Directions: 2601 Central Ave. NW


As a companion to the annual Bulbs in Bloom flower show, the Rio Grande Botanic Garden is hosting a day of classes by celebrated garden educator, Brent Heath, on Saturday, March 11, 2006, starting at 10:00am in the Education Building. The day’s events include talks illustrated with beautiful photography, a hands-on workshop, and a book signing.

Third generation bulb grower Brent Heath will be speaking about his passion and life’s work – bulbs! Brent and his wife, Becky, own Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, a catalog business that supplies plants to gardeners across the country and has been rated the #1 bulb company by the Wall Street Journal. The Heaths coauthored two award winning books: Daffodils for North American Gardens and Tulips for North American Gardens. Brent is a frequent consultant and writer for gardening books and magazines, including Complete Gardener: Bulbs, Ortho's All About Bulbs, Organic Garden's Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening,The American Horticultural Society's Flower Finder, Town and Country and Fine Gardening. Brent has also been the featured guest on the national television shows The Victory Garden and Karen’s Garden.

Participants will have the unique opportunity to learn more about bulbs, view stunning photographs, stroll through the botanic garden’s blooming bulbs, and enjoy spending time with this charismatic expert.

Session 1: From 10-11 AM, Heath will speak on “The Tropical Paradise Garden” and show with the aid of breath-taking slides how to use summer-blooming bulbs to create a tropical garden getaway. The fee for this talk is $10.

Session 2: In the afternoon from 1-3 PM, participants will enjoy a talk and hands-on workshop called “Living Flower Arrangements.” The class fee of $25 includes a selection of bulbs and a 12” pot in which to create a layered arrangement that will grow into beautiful blooms.

Session 3: For the day’s final talk from 4-5 PM, Heath will feature bulbs that bloom in the final months of the growing season. The bright photographs of “Autumn Finale with Fall Flowering Bulbs” will give participants many ideas for making the end of the season colorful. This talk is also $10.

The fee for all three events is $40. Admission to the Rio Grande Botanic Garden is included with registration. Classes will take place in the Botanic Garden Education Building. Space is limited and pre-registration is required by calling 848-7180 or visiting http://www.cabq.gov/biopark/garden/.

Rio Grande Botanic Garden hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm daily. Admission is $7.00 for adults, and $3.00 for seniors 65 and older and children 3-12. The BioPark is an accessible facility. For special assistance in visiting the Botanic Garden, please call (505) 764-6200 or visit http://www.cabq.gov/biopark. The Albuquerque Biological Park is a division of the City of Albuquerque’s Cultural Services Department.

The Albuquerque Biological Park is accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA). Look for the AZA logo whenever you visit a zoo or aquarium as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you and a better future for all living things. With its more than 200 accredited members, AZA is a leader in global wildlife conservation and your link to helping animals in their native habitats. For more information visit http://www.aza.org.



Contact: Amy E. Henderson, (505) 764-6288