Stewarts Foundation Gives Grant to Support New Themed Garden Areas at Fort Ticonderoga

(prHWY.com) April 17, 2012 - Ticonderoga, NY -- Fort Ticonderoga recently received a grant from Stewart's Foundation supporting new King's Garden programs in 2012. The new program will encourage young visitors to learn about different vegetables, flowers and insects. The funds will specifically support the development of four new themed areas within the Children's Garden including Flying Friends, a garden bed devoted to attracting pollinators; Vegetable Maze, a non-traditional free-form vegetable area; Edible Petals Patch, a garden devoted to plants with edible flowers; and Onion Island, a garden bed devoted to the Allium or onion genus. The Children's Garden, located in the stunning King's Garden at Fort Ticonderoga, offers a wonderful opportunity for families to explore beauty and nature at one of America's oldest and most significant historic sites. The King's Garden is open June 1 through October 8 and offers a wide variety of horticulture programs throughout the season.

"The Discovery Gardens are a place where people can really connect with the plants, learn how they grow, and realize the joy of gardening," said Heidi Karkoski, Fort Ticonderoga's Curator of Landscape. "The new series of children's programs utilize the Garrison Garden, Children's Garden, and Three Sisters Garden to inspire youth to observe the natural world, participate in it, and hopefully create an awareness that can be nurtured throughout their lives."

Fort Ticonderoga's gardening programs are part of Let's Move Museums & Gardens organized by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Priorities of the program include getting children to eat healthy and get active in an effort to solve the problem of childhood obesity. Through active, hands-on programs, Fort Ticonderoga is able to engage families in learning how they can make healthy lifestyle choices.

To learn more about Fort Ticonderoga's King's Garden and its many family-fun programs in 2012 visit http://www.fortticonderoga.org/visit/gardens or call 518-585-2821.

About the King's Garden
The walled King's Garden was originally designed in 1921 by leading landscape architect Marian Coffin. The formal elements - a reflecting pool, manicured lawn and hedges, and brick walls and walkways - are softened by a profusion of annuals and perennials, carefully arranged by color and form. Heirloom flowers and modern cultivars are used to recreate the historic planting scheme. Visitor favorites include the lavender border, towering hollyhocks, bearded irises, dinner plate dahlias and many types of phlox.
Outside of the nine-foot brick walls of the colonial revival King's Garden, the Discovery Gardens include a children's garden, military vegetable garden, and Three Sisters Garden. The restored Lord and Burnham greenhouse, charming gazebo, sweeping lawns and shady picnic spots invite visitors to explore the landscape at one of America's oldest gardens dating to the French occupation of the Fort in the mid-18th century.
FORT TICONDEROGA
America's Fort
Located on Lake Champlain in the beautiful 6 million acre Adirondack Park, Fort Ticonderoga is a private not-for-profit historic site and museum that ensures that present and future generations learn from the struggles, sacrifices, and victories that shaped the nations of North America and changed world history. Accredited by the American Association of Museums, Fort Ticonderoga offers programs, historic interpretation, tours, demonstrations and exhibits throughout the year and is open for daily visitation May 18 through October 18, 2012. A full schedule and information on events can be found at www.Fort-Ticonderoga.org or phone (518) 585-2821. Fort Ticonderoga is located at 100 Fort Ti Road Ticonderoga, New York.

Photo: Children will learn about "Flying Friends" at the new garden bed devoted to attracting pollinators in Fort Ticonderoga's King's Garden. Credit Fort Ticonderoga.

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