Many wonderful things are happening at The Arboretum in Arcadia this season.
The new, improved gift shop opens to the public on Saturday, October 5 at noon; members may attend an exclusive preview that morning beginning at 8:00 AM.
It’s the perfect venue for snapping up peacock-themed gifties and other nature-loving merch as the holidays barrel toward us..
“Wild Energy”, a multi-channel sound installation presented as part of The Getty’s” “PST ART: Art & Science Collide”, will take place Saturday and Sunday, October 5 and 6, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The Mount San Antonio College’s Horticulture Unit will host its second annual autumn plant sale at the Arboretum that same weekend and the preceding Friday, October 3 through 4, beginning at 9:00 AM.
Note that among the plants for sale will be Dracaena draco or Canary Island Dragon Tree. In the past, the sap, or “dragon’s blood,” was used as embalming fluid and more recently in formulating varnish for violins. The tree’s otherworldly vibe is offset by the deep perfume of its white flowers.
Be sure to check out the other mind-bending, “Blended Worlds” happenings, in the true 1960s sense, in the “Art & Science Collide” calendar, including events offered through the City of Glendale’s Library, Arts & Culture Department in collaboration with Getty and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the Brand Library, Alex Theatre, and far beyond.
And there’s so much more spooky and soulful stuff to catch in the season of the witch, including a hands-on “Cemeterrarium Workshop” (Saturday, October 19, 1:00 – 2:30 PM ) that’s all about the symbolism of traditional funerary plants and flowers and how to use them to create a terrarium, followed by an afternoon-to-evening “Autumn Potions Walk” later that day.
Ever wanted to dissect an owl pellet to see what’s been on the strigiform menu (and who hasn’t)? “Bones, Skulls and Marigolds” themed to Dia de Los Muertos will take place on Sunday, November 2 from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM and includes painting of sugar calaveras (skulls), examining the skeletal remains of beasts that have perished at the Arboretum, kept festive with pan dulce and adult beverages.
Events (“Creepy Plants” talk! “Ghoulish Garden” hikes, “Freaky Flora” self-tours! Goat yoga! Sound bath! Pumpkin slime, online! Full moon forest bathing! Readings and discussion of “Sugar,” Bernice L. McFadden’s debut novel!) generally (though not always) require registration and fees, so head over to www.arboretum.org for event details, and grok the full assortment of activities.
