Bonsai Show at Shangri La Botanical Gardens, Mary 8th - May 15th ,

April 30, 2010

Contact:
Michael Hoke, Director
409.670.9113
mhoke@shangrilagardens.org

ORANGE, Texas, April 30 – Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center will sponsor a Bonsai Show from May 8th through May 15th, with dozens of bonsai trees on display during the week at the Ring of Trees.  On May 8th between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., members of local bonsai clubs will be on hand to show a variety of bonsai trees and answer questions about bonsai gardening.  At 1 p.m., Mark Lee, a local authority on bonsai trees, will be speaking at Shangri La’s Discovery Theater.  Then on May 15 beginning at 11 a.m., Wanda Woods will demonstrate how bonsai trees are developed.  No reservations are required for any of these presentations.

Shangri La is located at 2111 W. Park Avenue in Orange, Texas.  For additional information, visit shangrilagardens.org or call 409.670.9113.



 Nestled within 252 acres in the heart of Orange, Texas, Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is a program of the Nelda C. and H.J. Lutcher Stark Foundation, a private foundation whose mission is to improve and enrich the quality of life in Southeast Texas and encourage and assist education. The unique ecosystem of Shangri La presents an ideal opportunity to further that mission as well as carry on the vision of H.J. Lutcher Stark, the man who originally developed the gardens more than 60 years ago.
 
Amid nature's pristine ecosystems, the formal gardens at Shangri La reflect a use of more than 300 plant species to paint beautiful landscapes among a series of theme-based garden rooms.  Around every corner a new vista awaits the visitor with exquisite sculptures, a great lawn, serene waterscapes reflecting beautiful colors and a Cypress Gate framing blooming plants and soaring birds. The Nature Center includes Adams Bayou boat excursions to educational outposts, a 15-acre Beaver Pond, a state-of-the-art bird blind, a bat house, and more up-close encounters with nature.
 
Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center is the first project in Texas and the 50th project in the world to earn the U.S. Green Building Council's Platinum Certification for LEED®-NC, which verifies that the design and construction of Shangri La reached the highest green building and performance measures.  Shangri La was also named by the American Institute of Architects and its Committee on the Environment as one of the top 10 green projects throughout the world.
 
Shangri La offers a glimpse of how people can live in harmony with nature, as it strives in its mission to Mentor Children of All Ages to Be Kind to Their World.
 
Other programs of the Stark Foundation include the Stark Museum of Art, The W.H. Stark House and the Frances Ann Lutcher Theater for the Performing Arts.