Shangri La Presents Lasagna Gardening by Sandra Hoke,
July 29, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Shangri La Presents Lasagna Gardening by Sandra Hoke
Have a lawn or weed patch in your backyard and would like to turn it into a vegetable garden without a lot of trouble? Then join Master Gardener Sandra Hoke for a free program entitled “Lasagna Gardening" on Thursday, August 5 at 7:00 p.m. in the Discovery Theater at Shangri La. Mrs. Hoke will provide a step by step method to produce a successful garden without digging. Lasagna Gardens can be successfully placed in any sunny area using readily available materials over the top of existing weeds and grass. This program is designed for adults and should provide all necessary instruction to start your winter garden using this method. There is limited seating and RSVP is required, call 409.670.9799 to reserve your seat.
Sandra Hoke is a retired pre-school teacher who has worked in developing children’s gardens at schools and at Shangri La. She is vice-president of the Orange County Master Gardeners and was co-chair of their annual plant sale last spring. She is an avid natural gardener and disciple of using native plants wherever practical. She practices the Lasagna Garden philosophy at her own garden and has been successful using this strategy for several years. Working with the Children’s Garden Team at Shangri La, she delivered more than 500 pounds of fresh produce from Shangri La’s Children’s Garden to local soup kitchens and food banks.
Shangri La is located at 2111 W. Park Avenue in Orange, Texas. For additional information, visit shangrilagardens.org or call 409.670.9113.
Sandra Hoke presents vegetables grown using the Lasagna Gardening techniques to Reverend Mike Umberhauer for the Presbyterian Church's Lighthouse Soup Kitchen.
About Shangri La Botanical Gardens and Nature Center
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.