National Public Gardens Day - May 11 - gardening

"Celebrate National Public Gardens Day With Us! A free Garden admission day! National Public Gardens Day is May 11, 2012. National Public Gardens Day was developed by the APGA and corporate presenter Rain Bird in an effort to raise public awareness about the importance of public gardens. It is a wonderful opportunity to reach out to your community and get them excited about all of the services, educational opportunities, and resources you have to offer. Submit your photos of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden in the National Public Garden's Day Photo Contest. The American Public Gardens Association and Rain Bird are running a photo contest in conjunction with this year's National Public Gardens Day. You can enter the photo contest with photos taken May 1 - 15, 2012. But don't delay, you have until Tuesday, May 15 to post your entry on the National Public Gardens Day website. Behind-the-scenes tours will be offered at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tour stops include: RSA Herbarium - The combined Herbarium of Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and Pomona College is the tenth largest in the U.S. and the third largest in the western U.S., with current holdings totaling over 1,100,000 specimens. Research Laboratories - The laboratory at RSABG conducts research on the genetic composition of California plants and boasts excellent laboratory facilities, which include 3130xl genetic analyzer, electron and light microscopy, long-term ultracold storage. Library and Archives - What began with books from Susanna Bixby Bryant’s personal collection has grown to an impressive holding of 50,000 bound volumes, many of which are in the special collections. Seed Conservation Program - The primary function of RSABG’s Seed Conservation Program is the curation and management of the Garden’s extensive seed collection. The collection is comprised of over 4,200 accessions representing more than 1,500 California native plant species and cultivars. These collections serve a diverse community in the... more... - Spidra Webster from Bookmarklet