Page 6 THE VILLADOM TIMES Area IV • November 7, 2012 Botanical garden hosts Wreath-making Workshops Attendees at last year’s NJBG Wreath-making Workshop posed with their creations near the picture of former Skylands owner Francis Lynde Stetson. (Photo courtesy of NJBG.) The New Jersey Botanical Garden will sponsor two hands-on Wreath-making Workshops at the garden, on Saturday, Nov. 17. Sessions will be held at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The workshops are an annual tradition at NJBG. Those who participate in these two workshops will learn how to assemble and decorate holiday wreaths to grace their homes using a variety of fresh and dried plant materials. Each participant will make two wreaths: one to take home with you and one for use at NJBG’s Holiday Open House. All materials will be provided; however, participants should bring clippers, gloves, and any special ribbons or decorations they might wish to incorporate into their designs. The fee is $25 for NJBG members and $30 for non-members. For tickets and more information, visit the website at www.njbg.org or call (973) 962-9534. NJBG is located on Morris Road in Ringwood. Call (973) 962-9534 or visit www.njbg.org for more information about the NJBG, membership, volunteer opportunities, events, or directions. The New Jersey Botanical Garden is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Admission to the garden is always free; parking is also free in the autumn, winter, and spring. Originally assembled from pioneer farmsteads of the 1890s, the New Jersey Botanical Garden has a venerable history. In 1922, Clarence McKenzie Lewis, an investment banker and trustee of the New York Botanical Garden purchased the property and original Victorian mansion from Francis Lynde Stetson. Over the next three decades, Lewis built the current 45-room Tudor manor house and transformed Skylands into a botanical showplace, engaging prominent landscape architects to design the grounds and collecting plants from all over the world. In 1966, the State of New Jersey purchased the 1,117 acres of Skylands as the state’s first acquisition under the Green Acres preservation program. Governor Thomas Kean designated the central 96 acres surrounding the manor house as the state’s official botanical garden in 1984. The gardens contain many unique features, including an extensive collection of statuary, historic trees, a formal annual garden, perennial beds, and an heirloom collection of lilacs. Since 1976, NJBG/Skylands Association, an incorporated, member-supported non-profit organization, has worked with the state to preserve and protect Skylands and its historic structures. NJBG sponsors walks, hikes, programs, concerts, and special events throughout the year at the botanical garden. Guided tours of the gardens are offered on Sundays at 2 p.m. from May through the end of October, weather permitting, and guided tours of Skylands Manor are available one Sunday per month. Guided group tours are also available. Call the NJBG office for additional information.