Friday, October 7, 2011

New season, always reasons

Sawtooth Botanical Garden a destination year-round

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By JENNIFER LIEBRUM
Express Staff Writer

The Sawtooth Botanical Garden is open year-round; yes, that means winter, too. Visitors can always take time, even when the ground is under snow, to reflect in the Garden of Infinite Compassion with the Prayer Wheel honoring the Dalai Lama’s visit a few years ago. Courtesy photo

A fresh light rain was just enough to take the dust off the plants and create lovely mud puddles for Kim Howard's golden retriever to muck around in while she prepared for a painting class in the main building at the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.

In the next 20 minutes, the parking lot would be filled with students and the damp feeling of the day will be replaced by the energy of people seeking information.

Outside, the rain tamps down and helps secure the recently laid Alpine perennial garden that for years was just a dusty, kid magnet. Now, the once barren berm arcs like a loving arm around the rest of the garden, further cushioning the visitor from the outside world.

Carter Hedberg is doing what he often does when on duty there, walking the trails and answering questions about the flora and explaining all the ways the garden remains relevant year-round.

"People are always looking for inspiration and that's what we try to provide here," the executive director for two years said. "I still don't think we do enough to promote that to the outside, we almost take it for granted, that's why education is such a huge part of our mission."

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When Hedberg took over, the garden had a number of places needing development on the property, such as the berm. Today almost every inch of the place is thick with growth of some sort. Projects have been brought to fruition, thanks to various fundraising campaigns, including the donation of the rights to publish and sell a field companion book called "Along Mountain Trails."

It's been a healing resource for Hedberg in a way that he hadn't anticipated after the accident that took the life of dear friend and huge garden advocate Dale Fowler earlier this year.

The flowers remind him of his mother, who had both a vegetable and flower garden when he was growing up.

"She always said the food gardens sustained us in the winter, but that the flowers were food for your soul. It instilled in me a sense of responsibility about the earth and what we should do for it," he said.

As fall programs get under way, and the garden begins to reveal what the new plantings look like in a new season, Hedberg said he encourages the public to drop in and be inspired, as he has, and to learn about resources to create their own close escapes.

"Most people want to do what's right for the environment, they just need to know how, that's one of the many things we can show them here."

The garden is open from dawn to dusk and is free. For more information call 726-9358 or visit www.sbgarden.org.

Jennifer Liebrum: jliebrum@mtexpress.com

Upcoming:

Growing and Giving: Saturday, Oct. 15. Help elderly winterize their gardens. Volunteers and materials needed.

Scarecrow Workshop: Saturday, Oct. 15, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Pre-registration required. $5 members; $10, non-members. Scarecrow Showdown, deadline for entries: Monday, Oct. 24. Free entry, prizes awarded. Scarecrows displayed until Nov. 21.

Harvest Field Trips: Tuesday, Nov. 1 to Friday, Nov. 4. Hour-long sessions from 9 a.m to 1 p.m. $5 per child, scholarships available. Toddlers to 2nd grade. Registration required.

Info on all events: call 726-9358.

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