FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Barb DeGroot, 952-443-1459

 Warm up to Spring Events at the Arboretum

From the Pancake Brunch to the BudBreak 5K, the Arboretum is gearing up for spring 

Chanhassen, Minn. (Feb. 25) - The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is gearing up for a fun-filled spring, from our popular Maple Syrup Tours & Pancake Brunch to the Bonsai Display and more.  Here's a sampling of events: 

'Take Back the Tap' Water Bottle Display
March 15-April 30, Galleria Shopping Mall, Edina
The Arboretum presents "Take Back the Tap," a jumbo plastic water bottle symbolizing the environmental effects of excessive plastic container usage. The display is one of 10 winning entries that will be part of the Arboretum's "Waterosity" summer exhibition, opening June 6. Presented in conjunction with the Galleria, Restoration Hardware and Big Bowl restaurant.

Maple Syrup Tours and Sugarbush Pancake Brunch 
Tours, Saturday & Sunday, March 28 & 29; Brunch:  9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Tours: 9:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.
Embark on self-guided tour to discover the syruping process from tapping to bottling. Then enjoy the ultimate pancake experience with Arboretum-made maple syrup, all-you-can-eat pancakes, pecans, sausage links, juice, coffee or milk. Tickets are $8.50 for Arboretum members ages 8 and older; $11 for non-members ages 8 and older; $5.50 for ages 4-7 and free for ages 3 and under. They can be purchased at the Arboretum the day of the brunch.

 Kevin Oshima Bonsai Display
April 10-May 3, Oswald Visitor Center, McQuinn Great Hall
Bonsai is the art of cultivating dwarf trees, derived from the Chinese practice of growing miniature plants and developed by the Japanese more than a thousand years ago. For this display, Minnesota bonsai master Kevin Oshima will exhibit specimens from his own collection and trees designed by his students. Free with Arboretum admission.  Oshima also will give demonstrations 1-3 p.m. Saturdays, April 25 & May 2.

Winter Afternoon Tea
Wednesday, March 18, 2:30-4 p.m., Snyder Building Tea Room
Cure your winter blues at this lovely three-course English-style tea in the Snyder Building's cozy Tea Room.  Enjoy freshly baked sweets and savories including homemade scones topped with tangy lemon curd and Devonshire-style cream and more.  $22-$25. Call 612-624-7173 for reservations.

 "Seeing Our Nature," Photography Exhibit  by Peter L. Johnson
April 6-June 28, Reedy Gallery
Culled from Johnson's photographic series "The Soul of Our Nature," these images depict the artist's evolving journey to integrate the truth and beauty about humanity's relationship with the environment.

Spring Trunk Show - "The Art of the Tree" Exhibit
April 10- May 3, Great Hall, Oswald Visitor Center
Woodworking artisan Virgil Leih displays his amazing, large-scale wood sculptures fashioned from the trunks of Minnesota trees. Some measuring 7-feet-high, these monumental works are created from "rescued" ash, elm, walnut, box elder, cottonwood and maple trees. Free with Arboretum admission.  

 Easter Brunch
Sunday, April 12, Seatings: 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., & 1:30 p.m.
Enjoy a delicious Arboretum brunch followed by a stroll through the gardens. The buffet will include cold and hot gourmet dishes reflecting a range of local, organic foods.  Call 612-624-7173 for reservations.  

 Plant Information Fair
Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m , Oswald Visitor Center
Educational trade fair, featuring 20 plant societies and garden clubs. Includes demos and sales.

Arboretum Gift Store's 'Celebrating our Roots' Bare-Root Sale
Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oswald Visitor Center
Purchase high-quality, winter-hardy hostas and ornamental grasses for your home garden at this popular sale.  Over 40 varieties of hostas and over 30 varieties of cold-hardy ornamental grasses will be featured. 

BudBreak 5K Run/Walk & Youth Daffodil Dash
Sunday, May 3, start time 9 a.m.
The run/walk follows an asphalt course through the spring landscapes of the Arboretum, including challenging hills and prairies. Ages 5-12 can join in the 1-mile Youth Daffodil Dash. Receive T-shirt and tote. Registration: $18-20 by April 27; $25 after.  For info: 952-443-1515 or www.arboretum.umn.edu. 

Arboretum Auxiliary Spring Plant Sale
Saturday, May 9, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 10, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
This popular sale features wide selection of plants, hard-to-find varieties, and University of Minnesota introductions. General Arboretum admission applies. Proceeds benefit Arboretum.

 Mother's Day Brunch at the Arboretum
Sunday, May 10, Seatings: 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., & 1:30 p.m., MacMillan Auditorium
Enjoy a delicious Arboretum brunch followed by a stroll through the spring gardens. Reservations and advanced payment required. Call 612-624-7173 for prices and reservations.

 Free Family Weekend Activities
Saturdays & Sundays, noon to 4 p.m., Marion Andrus Learning Center
Bring the kids and participate in a fun, drop-in learning activity for the whole family. Activities change monthly and are free with general Arboretum admission.

Admission to the Arboretum is $7 for adults; free for ages 15 and under free, and members free.     For more information, visit www.arboretum.umn.edu or call 952-443-1400. 

The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, the largest public garden in the Upper Midwest and a premier northern arboretum, is part of the University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences.  It is a community and national resource for horticultural and environmental information, research, and public education. It is located 9  miles west of I-494 on Highway 5 in Chaska. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity employer and educator.     The Arboretum is disability accessible; the buildings and terraces are smoke free.

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