(CLEVELAND) May, 2023 – The Cleveland Botanical Garden comes to beautiful life this summer with new sights and experiences all season long. A new exhibit Bloom! Botanicals & Birdhouses opens Saturday, May 27^th with hundreds of unique birdhouses, stunning glass art, and artwork from Cleveland artist Asia Armour. A full calendar of summer events awaits including Summer Nights at the Garden beginning Thursday, June 1^st. Purchase tickets at holdenfg.org.  
 

Summer 2023 Photographs – All photo credits are Cleveland Botanical Garden 

NEW EXHIBIT: BLOOM! Botanicals & Birdhouses opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 27^th 

Bloomin’ Glass Botanicals with The Glass Asylum on the Geis Terrace 

Enter a world of stunning glass botanicals created by The Glass Asylum in Chagrin Falls. Created with a combination of glass blown pieces and raw steel, the inspiration for the installation is ‘Alice in Wonderland’ meets Dr. Suess. More than 300 handmade pieces will make up botanicals including larger-than-life tiger lilies, trees with glass ornaments, lily pads, mushrooms, and more were created especially for the botanical garden (move over Dale Chihuly)!  

Art in Bloom with Asia Armour along the Geis Terrace Allee 

Cleveland artist Asia Armour debuts her art using 1,400 flowers including ‘Maverick Pink’ Geranium, ‘Victoria Blue’ Salvia, and ‘Campfire’ and ‘Wasabi’ Coleus in an explosion of color and design. With assistance from Horticulturist Rob Dzuric, Asia’s art celebrates the glamour of Black women, vibrant color and the wonder of flowers. In addition, Asia’s “In Bloom” canvas art adorns the walls of the interior garden just off the Terrace this summer. 

Petals and Perches – birdhouses made by local artists throughout the garden 

More than 400 colorful birdhouses welcome our Cleveland birds to find their home tweet homes this summer at the botanical garden. Discover which bird houses are most likely to attract birds, learn more about how birds interact with plants in our garden (and yours)!  Learn which plants will attract birds in all four seasons, how to keep birds safe with tips about feeders, houses, and baths. Birdhouses were created by the public, our staff, and volunteers using upcycled materials.  

Bloom! Summer Nights on Thursdays beginning June 1^st 

Each Thursday from June 1^st through August 31st, the garden will be open late until 8:30 p.m. Enjoy the café, Glasshouses, your favorite outdoor gardens, and special evening events. 

Gourmets in the Garden featuring Cleveland chefs returns on Thursday, June 15th, July 20th, August 17th, and August 31st from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. Guests are invited to enjoy delicious light bites from some of Cleveland’s best chefs from Marigold Catering, Zanzibar, and Black Box Fix. Advanced registration is required. 

Live Music and Performances in the Gardens with ListenCLE on Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. 

Cleveland is home to a great number of talented musicians and creative performers. With the help of the ListenCLE directory of hundreds of diverse performers, the Garden will host fun live events on Thursday evenings all summer long.  

• Thursday, June 8^th – Singer/ Songwriter Rachel Shortt will be joined by groovy and seasoned Drummer/Percussionist Vince Lucente and the funky bass guitar style of John Devin Roach. 
• Thursday, June 22^nd – Comedian, Actor, and Vocalist Sista Lu uses imagination to find the funny in everything and engage audiences of all ages. 
• Thursday, July 13^th – Fusion Belly Dancer Aminah Louise mixes traditional belly dance with hip hop and modern dance while performing to music including Middle Eastern, jazz and metal. 
• Thursday, July 27^th – Singer Janessa Cardillo is a classically-trained vocalist pursuing an education in vocology and an 18-year veteran private voice and piano lesson teacher.  
• Thursday, August 10^th– Performer Mark Burnett is a motivational speaker who performs in the vein of the old-time strongmen from the early 1900’s. 
• Thursday, August 24^th– The Bewilderness is a One-Man-Band and One-Woman-Circus that fuse pop and indie rock with flow dance and prop manipulation to create a fun-for-all-ages spectacle. 

Summer Nights in the Hershey Children’s Garden – On the first Thursday of June, July, and August during our evening hours, the Hershey Children’s Garden will be open and have some themed pop-up events complete with crafts, activities, and an engaging story time. The themes include Strawberry Moon, Fireflies, Night Bloomers and more! These fun events are included with admission.  

WHAT’S IN BLOOM?  

Spectacular flowering plants, shrubs and trees all throughout the 11-acre grounds including spirea, Japanese snowbell, flowering dogwood, lilacs, roses, and so much more! Visit holdenfg.org to see what’s blooming each month and read our weekly “It’s Poppin’” blog for real time bloom updates. 

SUMMER CLASSES & EXPERIENCES  

Fundamentals of Pruning Trees & Shrubs | Sunday, June 4^th, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Through indoor learning and outdoor hands-on activity, this class will cover basic pruning techniques for trees and shrubs, including tools and best practices. Participants will leave with new pruning skills and increased confidence in caring for their home landscapes. Cost: $20 per member, $35 per nonmember. Registration Link Here   

 
Wine, Roses & Painting Class | Thursday, June 22^nd, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Join us for an evening in the rose garden as we sample both wine & painting with watercolors. With the blossoms as our inspiration, we’ll learn step by step how to capture our own watercolor roses on paper. Create memories and a rt as a lasting souvenir of your experience. Cost: $50 per member, $65 per nonmember. Registration Link Here   
 

Around the World in Chocolate | Saturday, June 24^th, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.  
Take your tastebuds on a trip around the world! We’ll explore chocolate from cocoa bean to bar, sampling chocolate made from single-source beans from different regions. We’ll taste a variety of artisan gourmet chocolates, while learning about the chocolate industry and production process, including the hidden labor behind this wonderful treat. Cost: $40 per member, $55 per nonmember. Registration Link Here   

Topiary from Start to Finish with Mike Gibson | Saturday, July 29, 10 a.m.- 12 p.m. Ever wonder how a topiary was made? Don’t miss this chance to witness one being created before your eyes by renowned topiary artist Mike Gibson. Gibson has over 30 years of experience transforming public spaces through horticulture, and his unique work has been featured on television programs like HGTV’s Clipped and SCETV’s Making it Grow. During the program, Gibson will display creative pruning techniques as he expertly clips a shrub into a living piece of art. Attendees will come away with a greater appreciation and understanding of the art of topiary, as well as inspiration for their own yards.  Advanced registration is required.  
 

SUMMER HOURS  

The Cleveland Botanical Garden is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the exceptions of Thursdays when we are open from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission tickets can be purchased in person or online at holdenfg.org.  
 

About Cleveland Botanical Garden and Holden Forests & Gardens 

Cleveland Botanical Garden, located in Cleveland’s University Circle cultural district, is an ever-changing 10-acre urban oasis where visitors find enrichment and inspiration through fabulous gardens, an exotic Glasshouse, and seasonal events. The Cleveland Botanical Garden is part of Holden Forests & Gardens along with the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio. Holden Forests & Gardens is making an impact in Northeast Ohio through urban greening and forestry initiatives, environmental research, educational programs, and world-class visitor experiences at its two campuses. Admission is FREE for members, $20 for adults, and $14 for children ages 2-12. For more information, visit holdenfg.org. 

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