The Garden Friends Annual Meeting will be Sunday March 2, 2008, 2:00 pm at City Campus Union Auditorium. The brief annual meeting will be followed by an exciting, information-filled lecture presented by Harlan Hamernik, well-know plants man and former co-founder of Bluebird Nursery in Clarkson Nebraska. Harlan and Shirley's sons now own and operate the family nursery business.

In his lecture Harlan will discuss "Fifty Years of Great Plains Plants", celebrating the very special trees, shrubs, grasses and perennials that have been garden stand-outs since the 1958 founding of Bluebird Nursery. Harlan will also introduce his newest business venture, "Wild Plums," a nursery devoted to the production of underused and overlooked smaller trees and woody shrubs that will enhance the limited spaces of today’s residential landscapes. Harlan is identifying plants for production that have multi-season interest because of such qualities as bloom, fruit, seeds and bark appearance.

We hope this early spring date will entice you to attend this important garden lecture and to bring your gardening friends. We are seeking new members to help support the growing list of projects in the UNL Botanical Gardens and Arboretum.

We are also seeking volunteers to help during the April 25, Spring Affair Preview Party. If you are a 2008 Garden Friend member, be sure to submit your name for one of the beautiful surprise door prizes.

There are a number of options for parking for those who plan to attend the annual meeting and lecture on UNL’s City Campus.
On Sundays, all parking meters are free.  Parking meters can be found at these locations:

• “R” St., between 12th and 16th St., in front of the Nebraska Union
• “S” St., between 15th and 16th St.
• UNL visitor/metered parking lot on the east side of the Nebraska Union, 15th & “S” St.
• UNL visitor/metered parking lot between 13th & 14th  on “R: St.
• UNL visitor’s parking lot east of the Alexander Building at 15th & “Q” St.

Meters fill up quickly, so if you can’t find a meter, the closest parking garages are:

• 17th & “R” parking garage (approximately $2.00 for 3 hours, maximum cost $5.00)
• City parking garage on “Q” St., opposite the Lied Center for Performing Arts (hourly rate as posted)
• Stadium Drive parking garage (free on Sundays) at “T” St. and Stadium Dr.