Garden Party at the Chaffee Art Center

You're invited to a Garden Party
 
this Saturday, July 22nd from 1pm to 3pm
on the grounds of the Chaffee Art Center!
 
It's Free...
-Lots of fun activities
-Demos and speakers (see list/times below)
-Light refreshments
-Garden tours
-Castleton Ukulele Group
will play some old favorites and more
-Artisans will be set up selling their
affordable, handmade items

Explore the 100 x 9 foot Pollinator Garden with native plantings, growing Sculpture Garden, beautiful outdoor area with expanded grass section, and over a dozen gardens on our historic property. 
Be sure to come inside our 1890s Queen Anne Victorian Mansion full of art, gift ideas and
stunning architecture.
 
Speakers/Demos to date:
 
1:15pm...Rutland Garden Club flower arranging demo using perennial flowers.  Learn about perennial flower utilization beds.
 
1:45pm...Bee the Change will present and give out a FREE native plant to attendees (while supplies last)
 
2pm...Vermont Center for Ecostudies will present a talk on native bees in VT with a show & tell
The Vermont Wild Bee Survey has been a multi-year effort to document the incredible diversity of native bees in the state. We now know there are more than 350 species, ranging in size from a grain of rice to a thumb. Spencer Hardy will discuss some of these species and lead a walk through the garden to identify and discuss any bees we encounter.
 
2:30pm...Rutland County Audubon Society "Wildlife habitat protection and connection"
 
Ongoing...Pollinator Garden Tours by gardener, artist member and Board member, Michelle Hartline.
 
Plus, The VT Bee Lab will have a Drop off Bee Sample Station...The VT Bee Lab provides diagnostic services, free of charge, to any Vermont beekeeper looking to evaluate the health of their colonies. They have drop boxes located throughout the state. Instructions for sample collection and submission can be found at https://www.vermontbeelab.com/diagnostics/