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News

Memorial Sculpture

May 09, 2022 by Christen Hoover
Categories: News

This story was originally posted on April 28, 2022 by Meg Whalen, director of communications for the College of Arts + Architecture at this link: https://coaa.charlotte.edu/news/2022-04-28/memorial-recognizes-strength-community-after-april-30.

MEMORIAL RECOGNIZES STRENGTH OF COMMUNITY AFTER APRIL 30

close up of sculpture - stones inside steel structure

THURSDAY, APRIL 28, 2022A sculpture designed by art professors Marek Ranis and Tom Schmidt stands in the Botanical Gardens.

It’s quiet in the garden where the new memorial stands tall among the trees. Sometimes sunlight filters through the leaves to illuminate a message of hope.

You are strong enough. Always believe. We have each other.

“It’s such an environment of peace, of seeking silence,” says senior art major Vannah Mobley. “It invites you into the space.”

Mobley is one of 42 students who have worked over the past semester to create a sculpture in the Botanical Gardens that commemorates the way Niner Nation came together in the aftermath of April 30, 2019. Designed by Associate Professors of Art Marek Ranis and Thomas Schmidt, the sculpture is itself a product of community, of many hands and hearts.

Here is the story of its creation. 


stones and flyer on table top

Almost immediately after the shooting on April 30, 2019 that ended the lives of Riley Howell and Reed Parlier, the Botanical Gardens staff “kicked into high gear,” says Assistant Director Amy Tipton. “We asked, what can we do to provide something?” After quick deliberation, they decided to invite people to write their thoughts and feelings onto small smooth river rocks and leave them in the garden. A table with stones and markers was set up in the Susie Harwood Gardens.

stones in the garden, with messages for Niner Nation

“It was really fascinating how right away we saw the stones popping up,” Tipton says. “They were just beautiful sentiments.”

drawings of sculpture

Hundreds of people came to the gardens to choose, inscribe, and place stones. Tipton, who has degrees in art as well as botany, and Botanical Gardens Director Jeff Gillman felt that the profound response deserved some kind of permanent artistic manifestation. They contacted Schmidt, who had frequently brought his art students to the garden, and Schmidt engaged his colleague Ranis. The two produced concept drawings.

students engraving stones

The 12-foot tall sculpture called for large river rocks to replace the smaller stones. To preserve the exact handwriting and drawings on the originals, Ranis and Schmidt and students in four different classes took photographs of the small stones, printed the images, and laid them on top of the large stones.

students engraving and painting stones

They then engraved the stones through the photographs, cutting the words and designs into the stones’ surfaces so that they cannot wash away. Finally they painted the engravings black so that they would appear just as they had originally. “I feel like the project did a great job of helping us remember,” says Mobley (above left), who was a freshman in April 2019. “It helped everyone remember that we were all in this thing together.”

faculty and students loading stones into the steel frame

The art professors (above left and center) donated their time, and engineering alumnus Garret Overcash, Project Engineer at SKA Consulting Engineers, prepared the structural drawings pro-bono. But materials and fabrication aren’t free. Funding for the project came from the Student Activity Fee Commission based on a request from the Student Government Association. Peachland Design and Fabrication and Heartland Construction did the physical fabrication and installation of the steel frame. Caroline Hill of Facilities Management served as project manager. “It’s built like a tank,” Ranis says. “It’s very sturdy.”

sculpture in the garden, complete

Ed Davis, horticultural supervisor and landscape architect for the Botanical Gardens, suggested the site for the sculpture: an elevated landing near the gazebo and Asian garden, encircled by benches and tulip poplars. “We call this place ‘Little Stonehenge,’” Tipton says.

“We are so thankful to the Botanical Gardens for donating this beautiful site for the memorial,” says Schmidt. “You couldn’t ask for a more serene location.”

students putting rocks in memorial sculpture

“Ultimately, every contribution to this memorial – those made back then and those made recently in our class – reflects the legacy of Niner Nation Remembers and forms connections with the school, with Riley and Reed, and with each other,” says art student and Levine Scholar Danielle Walden, who, like Mobley, was a freshman in 2019 and will graduate in May. “The sculpture becomes a beacon of hope, one that transcends the bounds of time and the circumstances of what happened, and instead applies itself to brightening negative situations.”

live selflessly, written on stone

“I hope future students can visit this site and take the time to move around the sculpture,” Walden continues. “I hope they reflect deeply on past events and it encourages them to take better care of each other and themselves in the here and now.”

Amy Tipton at memorial sculpture

A simple dedication of the memorial sculpture took place Friday, April 29, at 12:15 pm at the site. Pictured above, Amy Tipton.

For information about other remembrance activities, visit ninernationremembers.charlotte.edu.

Photos are by Lynn Roberson, Amy Tipton, Marek Ranis, Tom Schmidt, Andrew Brooks, and Wade Bruton.

Hear more from the sculpture’s creators in this WBTV News special broadcast.

Dr. Larry Mellichamp honored with Flora Caroliniana Award

May 02, 2022 by Christen Hoover
Categories: News
Dr. Mellichamp is pictured here holding the award, with his wife Audrey and daughter Suzanne. (Photo credit: Lynn Roberson)

On Saturday, April 23, 2022, Dr. Larry Mellichamp, Director Emeritus of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens, was honored with the prestigious Flora Caroliniana Award by the North Carolina Botanical Garden.

Dr. Mellichamp is the seventh person to receive this honor, given for enthusiasm and service to the preservation, restoration, and appreciation of the natural world around us.

Previous Flora Caroliniana Award recipients include:

Lady Bird Johnson for advocating for native plants and helping the North Carolina Botanical Garden launch its first fundraising campaign, “Celebrating Wildflowers.” (1988)
John Terres, naturalist and author best known for his work, From Laurel Hill to Siler’s Bog: The Walking Adventures of a Naturalist. (1991)
William Lanier Hunt to honor him as the Founder of the Botanical Garden Foundation. (1996)
Ritchie Bell the North Carolina Botanical Garden’s first director from 1961 to 1986. (2000)
Thomas Wright Earnhardt in recognition of his lifelong contributions to conservation. (2016)
Charlotte Jones Roe in honor of 44 years of service, tirelessly advocating for the North Carolina Botanical Garden. (2018)

Dr. Mellichamp with Johnny Randall, North Carolina Botanical Garden, and Alan Weakley, UNC Herbarium. (Photo credit: Lynn Roberson)

The award was presented by Johnny Randall, NCBG director of conservation programs, and Alan Weakley, director of the UNC Herbarium, at a ceremony at the UNC Charlotte Botanical Garden’s Mellichamp Native Terrace.

Dr. Mellichamp was recognized by several colleagues and contemporaries in the botanical field from all over the country.

Attendees honored Dr. Mellichamp at the Native Terrace that bears his name. (Photo credit: Lynn Roberson)

Paula Gross, retired Associate Director of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens wrote an especially poignant speech, which can be read in its entirety below.

Paula Gross speaking at the ceremony. (Photo credit: Lynn Roberson)

“Many of you know me, but for those who do not, I had the honor and adventure of working with Larry for 18 years here at the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens, and co-authoring two books together. I’m so pleased to be standing here in a garden co-created with Larry, Ed Davis, Johnny Massengale, and the entire staff, donors, and volunteer community of the Botanical Gardens. A place nourishing to body, mind, and spirit, bearing a very special name – Mellichamp.

I know Larry well and yet in preparing to say a few words I did go back and read his CV. If you’re interested in reading it yourself, I suggest packing a lunch. The word prolific comes to mind, not invasive, but prolific! He has written about – whether in books, scientific papers, treatises, or newsletters – nearly 1000 different species. Seriously – , it took HOURS to count them all!

This award, this honor, is well placed on his mantle. And yet, doubt may still surface – even in someone as accomplished as Larry Mellichamp. When you think about it, Perhaps he’s done too much! I mean, what might he have accomplished as a taxonomist had he not consulted on art projects, created garden brochures, gotten the giant image of a Venus Fly-trap plastered on U-haul trucks, and transformed historic home landscapes with his bare hands! Think of all he could have done had he not traveled to Sydney, Wuhan, Cape Town, and even Belmont to present at Botanical conferences? Writing 7 books, directing a Botanical Garden, and teaching thousands of students. Yeah, that can get in the way of field work. What if he hadn’t shared so much knowledge and passion with Fern, Orchid, and Rock Garden Societies- Homeowners, Nurserymen, and Beekeepers. Perennial Plant, Rhododendron, and Carnivorous Plant Societies. County and State parks, Foresters, Arborists, Botanical Gardens (of course!), Horticultural symposia, and let’s not forget Native Plant and Wildflower Societies!

Well, I, for one, am grateful that he followed his passions wherever they led. Because wherever they led, you can be sure that a depth of knowledge was mined, ored, and polished. And then, – and this is the important part – it was SHARED, widely and generously. You can’t spend an hour with Larry without learning something! And it’s not just that he holds a wealth of knowledge, It’s that a spirit of learning and of creating is in the air around him. And those of us who breathe it in
are eager to keep up – and to create exciting new things. Whether crouching down together to see the first sprouts of an “ungrowable” plant – or standing tall to shake the hands of native plant studies graduates – hearing Larry exclaim that something you have done is “Fabulous! Just Fabulous!” has boosted the minds and hearts of so many of us in this green tribe. And the world
needs this. It needs US, with our green hearts open, strong, growing, and more than ever – SHARING. For each and every one of us are deeply interconnected. And sharing is the very fiber of Dr. Mellichamp.

Larry, without a doubt, as a botanist you’ve been graced with a deeper knowing, endless curiosity, and an inner mandate to share. You were born an acorn, even if at times you may have longed to be an orchid seed. And the web of YOUR life – the community within and without you – helped to disperse, water, and only very occasionally prune you.

“Pick a flower from my garden, Larry, just for you.”
“Go outside and don’t come back until dinner – hmmm, think I’ll go see what’s in that pond across the street.” “I’ve got a board here in the garage, I’ll paint you a sign, and you may sell your plants to the neighbors”.
“Come along with me to the mountains, to the coast – you can carry the plant press” “I’ve got a few plants I’d like you to help me put in the ground, down here by the creek – I’d like to see if this rhododendron will grow.”
“Let’s hunt morels and pick the sweetest wild berries, she said with a smile” …. And the acorn sprouted. And grew. And never stopped growing.

And now we’re all gathered here for the mighty oak. As I look upon my friend the oak, I wonder, “Does it know its stature?”

Does it feel the tingle of thousands of fungal life-threads radiating from its roots? Does it hear the rustle of its own leaves as they fall and slowly, but surely feed the forest? Does it laugh as squirrels run rough-shod up its trunk? and does it blush when hawks create new life among its branches?

“Today, we are tapping on your trunk Larry, and draping the highest of awards across your branches. It is a beautiful and well-deserved honor. May you bask in it! Your community is vast and varied, diverse and evolving. I am proud to stand with all these others and celebrate you.”

And my wish for you, in the afterglow of this morning, is to find time to close your eyes and feel the tingle and exchange of life through the threads of your being – to hear the rustle of so many falling leaves in the forest around you. To feel the gentle weight of birds on your branches and the reflexive spring as they open their wings and fly off, acorns in beaks.”

– Paula Gross, speaking at the Flora Caroliniana Award Ceremony, April 23, 2022


More information about the award be found here:

Garden Honors Larry Mellichamp with Flora Caroliniana Award

Exam Week Gratitude Walks

February 23, 2022 by Christen Hoover
Categories: News

The Botanical Gardens offer free Gratitude in the Gardens meditative walks once a month. These walks are open to students, faculty, staff, and the general public.

For Exam Week 2022, we will have three drop in Gratitude Walks exclusively for the UNC Charlotte community. The schedule for this year is below. Drop in, no registration required!

Monday 5/2 12:30-1:15 p.m.
Gratitude Walk: Gratitude Scavenger Hunt

Expressing gratitude is proven to help individuals experience more positive emotions, improve their mental health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. Take time to complete this scavenger hunt; think about each object you find and the positive role it plays in your daily life.

Tuesday 5/3 12:00-12:45 p.m.
Gratitude Walk: Art in the Gardens – Painting Rocks

Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of making art to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It can help individuals of all ages express oneself, explore emotions and instill hope and empowerment.

Rock painting – Rock painting is a rewarding wellness ritual that can help one heal and connect with others. The idea is to find a pebble or small rock within the space, leave an artistic mark or positive note on the surface and leave it in the same space for others to enjoy. The person who finds your surprise gift may experience a surge of mood-boosting emotions, since having a sense of community is foundational for feelings of safety and security.

Wednesday 5/4 12:30-1:15 p.m.
Gratitude Walk: Art in the Gardens – Mandalas

Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of making art to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It can help individuals of all ages express oneself, explore emotions and instill hope and empowerment.

Mandalas – Mandalas are a geometric design pattern that offer several mental and emotional benefits. Mandala, which means “circle” in Sanskrit, is a sacred symbol that is used for meditation, prayer, healing, relaxation, and art therapy for both adults and children. We will utilize elements available within the gardens to enjoy this activity.

This week only: Pop up BULB "sale" to benefit the Botanical Gardens

February 23, 2022 by Christen Hoover
Categories: News

UPDATE!: WOW what a great turn out. We are “sold” out with just a few yellow tulips bulbs left. We will be closing the event and Greenhouse at 2 p.m. Thank you to all who attended for your support of the Gardens!

Fall is the best time to plant, but what do you do when you get a HUGE donation of bulbs in February? You put them in the ground! Our gardeners have planted over 7,000 bulbs in the past 2 weeks, and now we are offering the excess to our community, with a suggested donation that is MUCH less than retail value.

Join us this Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. and spread the colorful Spring love!

Where: McMillan Greenhouse, 9090 Craver Road, Charlotte, NC 28262

When: Fri.-Sat., Feb. 25-26, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

How much: SUGGESTED donation is $12 per bag OR 3 bags for $30. Large bulbs (tulips, narcissus, and standard hyacinths) average 50 bulbs per bag, Small bulbs (grape hyacinths, crocus, etc.) average 100 per bag.

How: Cash or check accepted on site, or credit cards accepted through our online donation site.

Why: Plant these bulbs right away for gorgeous Spring color, and support a good cause all at once! All donations support the operations of the Greenhouse and Gardens, where admission is always FREE!

Thank you to our $55 for 55 donors!

December 01, 2021 by Christen Hoover
Categories: News

You did it!! Thanks to you, we raised $5,179 for our 55 for 55 campaign, shooting way past our $3,000 goal and receiving the full $3,000 matching gift for a grand total of $8,179! Thank you so much for your support. Although this campaign is now over, you can donate any time at go.charlotte.edu/GiveGreen 

Thank you for allowing us to continue to share the world of plants with our community!

For more information about how you can support the Botanical Gardens and our mission, visit gardens.charlotte.edu. 

See our upcoming events and programs here. 

$55 for 55 Donors:

Anonymous
Undisclosed Amount

Kevin McCorkle
In Honor of Dr. Cone, Dr. Hechenbleikner, Ralph VanLandingham Jr. & Dr. Mellichamp
$55.55

Katherine (Merry) Chambers
$55.55

Anonymous
Undisclosed Amount

George Koraly
In Honor of All your great garden volunteers
Undisclosed Amount

Cynthia Beane
$55.55

Anonymous
$55.55

Yvette Huet
$20.55

Polly Brockway
$100.55

Albert Benshoff
In Memory of Zella K. Benshoff
Undisclosed Amount

Gary & Elizabeth Broome
Undisclosed Amount

Anonymous
Undisclosed Amount

Lib and Tom Jones-Nunnenkamp
In Honor of Dr. Larry Mellichamp
Undisclosed Amount

Anonymous
$55.55

Julie Smith
In Memory of Rusty Page
$55.55

Anonymous
In Honor of North Carolina Native Plants
Undisclosed Amount

Richard Lejk
$200.55

Judy Walker
Undisclosed Amount

Patrick Ambrose
$55.55

Carla Vitez
In Honor of UNCC BG staff
Undisclosed Amount

Glenda Steel
$55.55

Roger Callaway
$55.55

Patrick Reinbold
In Memory of Ellie
$100.55

Theresa Morr
In Honor of The wonderful and dedicated staff and volunteers at the Botanical Garden
$55.55

Anonymous
Undisclosed Amount

Anonymous
$20.55

Dave Frantzreb
$55.55

Bronwyn Jarsocrak
Undisclosed Amount

Christina Wright
In Memory of Betty Wright
$100

Debra Smith
Undisclosed Amount

Anonymous
In Memory of Elizabeth Jacobs
Undisclosed Amount

Tim Rogers
Undisclosed Amount

Moira Klein
$55.55

Richard Hechenbleikner
In memory of my late father, Herbert, and in honor of Larry Mellichamp
$100.55

Trevor and Mary Duke
$100.55

Annette Dean
$55.55

Heike Biller
$55.55

Beth Boaz
$55.55

Debarati Dutta
In Honor of Our farmer and gardener friends who nurture our bodies and souls
$55.55

Anonymous
Undisclosed Amount

Benjamin Leder
$55

Christen Hoover
In Honor of Meredith Hebden
$20.55

Lee Ann Parker
$55.55

Anonymous
$55.55

Cathy Nechin
In Memory of John Applegit and Anne Close
$55.55

William Donaldson
$55.55

Curt Walton
$100.55

Shawn Villalpando
In Honor of TLM
$300

Nancy Gutierrez
Undisclosed Amount

Anonymous
$55.55

Larry and Audrey Mellichamp
$100.55

Anonymous
$100.55

Anonymous
Undisclosed Amount

Charles Pinkston
In Honor of Central Lake Norman Golden Boys
$30

Louis Eubanks
$100.55

Kathryn Jones
Undisclosed Amount

Anonymous
$250

John Denti
$100.55

Richard Lejk
$100.55

Tatia Prieto
$20.55

Trina Rumfelt
In Memory of Nikkie Seabolt, for always showing the beauty of a garden
$20.55

What's In Bloom in the Gardens - November 2021

November 23, 2021 by Christen Hoover
Categories: News
From left to right: Chinsoy azalea (Azalea x satzuki ‘Chinsoy’), Nandina (Nandina domestica), Camellia ‘Bert Jones’ (Camellia sasanqua ‘Bert Jones’), Camellia ‘Mine-No-Yuki’ (Camellia sasanqua ‘Mine-No-Yuki’), Sweetheart Tree (Euscaphis japonica), Camellia ‘Shishi Gashira’ (Camellia sasanqua ‘Shishi Gashira’), Camellia ‘Pink Icicle’ (Camellia japonica ‘Pink Icicle’), Fatsia (Fatsia japonica)

What's In Bloom in the Gardens: August 9, 2021

August 09, 2021 by Christen Hoover
Categories: News

From left to right: Rattlesnake master (Eryngium yuccifolium), Pentas (Pentas lanceolata), Blanket flower (Gaillardia), Monkey grass (Liriope), Chinese abelia (Linnaea chinensi), Anemone (Anemone), Cestrum (Cestrum), Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana).

Volunteer at the Barton Creek Native Meadow

August 09, 2021 by Christen Hoover
Categories: News

Join us this Saturday, August 14, at the Barton Creek Native Meadow, a partnership with the NC Native Plant Society and University City Partners. Adults and teens are welcome to volunteer to pull weeds and mulch!

Sign up required. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090d4ba9ab2babf49-barton1

What's Blooming in the Gardens: July 30, 2021

July 30, 2021 by Christen Hoover
Categories: News
From left to right: Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum), Zinnia (Zinnia elegans), Angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia), Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata), Sweetheart tree (Euscaphis japonica), Nodding onion (Allium cernuum), Mophead hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), Shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeeana)

What's In Bloom in the Gardens - July 19, 2021

July 19, 2021 by Christen Hoover
Categories: News
From left to right: Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), Plumleaf Azalea (Rhododendron prunifolium), Nodding Onion (Allium cernuum), Ruby Spice Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia ‘Ruby Spice’), Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Narrow-leaf Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum tenuifolium), Blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata), Phlox (Phlox)

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