Garden Fair, Family Fun at USU's Utah Botanical Center

Utah State University’s Utah Botanical Center (UBC) hosts its annual Garden Fair, Saturday, Aug. 26, from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. A plant sale, tours, classes and other activities are planned at the Utah House and UBC pavilion at 920 S. 50 West in Kaysville. All proceeds from the day go directly toward development of the UBC.

As a precursor to Saturday’s events, Monday, Aug. 21, is Family Night at the UBC. People of all ages are invited to this free, fun, family activity from 6-8 p.m. at the Utah House. Participants can make corn husk dolls and cattail ducks, enter a coloring contest, tour the resource efficient Utah House and enjoy a beautiful, waterwise landscape.

 

A highlight of Saturday’s Garden Fair activities will be a plant sale, featuring beautiful and interesting shrubs, grasses and perennials specially selected for Utah landscapes. Twenty-five plants will be highlighted, many of them varieties currently growing in the Utah House landscape. The Utah’s Choice plant program will also be highlighted. UBC staff members will be available to answer questions and offer advice on plant selections.

 

The event also coincides with the second week of this year’s UBC Farmers Market, with local vendors selling fresh produce, baked goods and craft items.

 

Three classes will be offered in the Utah House classroom during the fair at a cost of $5 per person, per class. Register at the door. At 10 a.m., Nancy Clark, Weber State University adjunct faculty member, discusses “Utah pioneers and the plants they used.” The 11 a.m. class aims to dispel misconceptions about xeriscaping. The topic of the noon class is incorporating waterwise plants into existing, traditional landscapes.

 

Staff from the Wild Bird Center in Layton will guide bird watching opportunities near the UBC ponds, and landscape architect Dale Torgerson will offer advice on incorporating waterwise plants into the landscape. There will be a coloring contest for children, with prizes given in several age groups.

 

For more information, visit the center’s Web site, or call 801-544-8969.

 

Contact: The Utah Botanical Center, Utah State University, 801-544-8969