Hank's Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Our director of horticulture is sharing his pumpkin soup recipe with us this Halloween! Pumpkins are one of our favorite Halloween decorations and also makes some great pies...if you've never had pumpkin soup give this simple and delicious recipe a try brought to you by Hank Bruno, DSBG Director of Horticulture.

Hank's Pumpkin Soup Recipe
8 cups chopped fresh pumpkin (about 3 pounds)
4 cups chicken broth
3 small tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds:
1/2 cup fresh pumpkin seeds
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions
In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine the first eight ingredients. Cover and cook on low for for 8-10 hours or unitl pumpkin and apples are tender. Meanwhile, toss pumpkin seeds with oil and salt. Spread onto an ungreased 15-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside. Cool soup lightly; process in batches in a blender. Transfer to a large saucepan; heat through. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds.

Yield: 9 servings (about 2 quarts)

New Fall Family-Friendly Event, Bootanical

We are going to kick off a new family-fun event at the Garden, Bootanical on Oct. 30 and 31 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Many of the familiar sights of Halloween include pumpkins, scarecrows, and spiders which are based in nature, and form the basis for this fun new daytime event. Families will get a chance to work together to stuff and hang a scarecrow, pot up a spider plant, and mix up a batch of their own unique “bootanical” potion using dried herbs, and take a tour through the Garden in all its autumn brilliance. We have special autumn-themed photo vignettes that feature pumpkins and hay bales which make for a perfect fall family picture.

We encourage children to come dressed in their favorite costume and if they do they will receive a 50% discount with a paying adult.

Bootanical, part of a the Garden’s Fall with a Fourish celebration, is free with Garden admission. Carriage rides will be available for an additional fee through Southern Breezes, weather permitting. Snacks and drinks will be available for purchase from Karen Warren Catering. To see a menu for Bootanical just visit our event listing at www.DSBG.org.

Members are free, $12 adults, $11 seniors 60+, and $6 children 4-12. The Garden is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., seven days a week. For more information call (704) 825-4490 or log on to www.DSBG.org.

Something's A-Flutter returns to the Garden

Something's A-Flutter opened at the Garden yesterday and continues until Sept. 30. We kicked off the event with children from Presbyterian Hemby Children's Hospital to serve as grand opening opening ambassadors and release live butterflies the day before opening. This event is always a guest favorite and I have to say is for me as well! This was the first exhibit I worked on at the Garden and found myself everyday of the exhibit wanting to head down to The Orchid Conservatory to spend some time with my new fluttery friends!

This year's exhibit features a couple of new things. Every Friday and Saturday of the event there will be a butterfly activity station offered from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. We also have a Caterpillar Crib set up outside The Orchid Conservatory where guests can see the larval stage of butterflies, commonly called caterpillars. The Caterpillar Crib will also feature host plants for caterpillars, different from the food source for an adult butterfly. The Orchid Conservatory still serves as the main part of the exhibit, but the entire Garden has incorporated interpretative panels and butterfly plant labels that make up the Butterfly Trail.

In addition to the new features the Garden will also have a class every Friday and Saturday from 1-2:30 p.m. of the event titled, Butterflies "Behind the Scenes". Guests can learn about their general care and maintenance from the moment they arrive at the Garden till the time they are released. Guests can also participate in mounting chrysalis' and releasing butterflies in the Conservatory. The cost is $18 for members and $22 for non-members.

Don't forget to bring your camera for some great photographs and to wear bright colors to the exhibit so maybe a butterfly will land on you, just like this picture from one of our grand opening ambassadors!