Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Richmond, Virginia
Not only do corporate and nonprofit groups enjoy discounted rates for meetings at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, Virginia, but their guests also “are so happy to be able to go out into a garden when they’re in a meeting all day,” said Donna Reynolds, facility events coordinator.
“It’s just nice to bring nature to your event,” she said. “That’s not something you would normally get if you go to a hotel.”
An 11,000-square-foot, dome-topped, glass-enclosed conservatory houses both permanent and seasonal displays. Outside, guests love the Central Garden with its pluming fountain, and the Cochrane Rose Garden is a fragrant favorite with about 1,800 rose bushes that horticulturists selected specifically for their scent.
The 2,450-square-foot Massey Conference Center auditorium can accommodate 175 guests for a plated meal, and air walls can break the room into three smaller spaces. The adjacent 770-square-foot Azalea Room, which has a terrace overlooking the gardens, can be used on its own or paired with the auditorium.
The 1,780-square-foot Robins Room at the visitors center is available for daytime events. After hours, other spaces, including the Garden Café, the atrium and three terraces, can also be rented.
Ginter’s original 1894 Lakeside Wheel Club, now called the Bloemendaal House, is popular for corporate picnics and barbecues. Groups can opt for tents and bistro lights in front of the house, which includes use of the first floor, or rent the house separately.
Meriwether Godsey caters garden events and operates two on-site restaurants: the Garden Café and the Robins Tea House. Planners may also add a guided tour for groups of 15 or more.
Botanica
Wichita, Kansas
With fountains and sculptures and a variety of gardens covering 18 acres in the middle of Wichita, Kansas, Botanica is “an oasis in the middle of the city,” said Linda Keller, the garden’s private and corporate events director.
And with the gardens being seasonal, from wildflower meadows to woodland glades, “you’re not going to get the same show twice,” director of marketing Jon Pic said.
Botanica opened Lotus Hall in late 2013 with vaulted wood ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows, and its attached patio sits next to the Chinese Garden of Friendship, which opened last June. The space can hold about 220 for a banquet or about 300 for lectures.
The Terrace Room seats about 300 at round tables or up to 400 in a classroom setup, and rental includes the attached Martha Parriott Terrace, a tiered limestone patio with a stage, a reflection pool and wrought-iron seating for another 200-plus people. The Fireside Room has a fireplace and can host events for about 40 people.
Botanica recently revamped and reopened a new rental space for groups of about 70: A former open-air pavilion was enclosed and heated so it can be used during cold weather, although glass, garage-style doors still allow it to be an indoor-outdoor space overlooking the nearby pond.
Every rental includes admission to the gardens, and planners can arrange for group tours. Many organizers schedule their function to take advantage of other Botanica events, such as company Christmas parties that “tag onto our [holiday] Illumination events,” Keller said.
Olbrich Botanical Gardens
Madison, Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s capital may be an unexpected place to find a Thai pavilion, but the ornate, golden pergola “is always a big draw when people come here,” said Patti Jorenby, rental coordinator for Olbrich Botanical Gardens in Madison.
The University of Wisconsin’s Thai alumni association gave the pavilion to the school, which didn’t have a place for it on campus, so the university offered it to Olbrich. With an entire garden designed around the pavilion, it’s a jewel in Olbrich’s 16 acres of outdoor grounds. The Rose Garden is another crowd favorite, but “every garden is a little gem unto itself,” Jorenby said.
“You’re on a path, and you take a little left turn or go through an entryway, and suddenly, you’re in another beautiful garden,” she said. “Each has its own features that are unique to what it is, and you’re never in a crowd of people.”
The 10,000-square-foot, 50-foot-high Bolz Conservatory is a glass pyramid that houses more than 650 plants. Three rooms are available for rent inside the botanical center. The 1,600-square-foot atrium has glass walls and a soaring glass ceiling; the Evjue Commons is a 2,900-square-foot room that also features a vaulted ceiling, a full glass wall that overlooks the gardens and doors that lead to a terrace; another upstairs meeting room has 870 square feet for groups of up to 65. Planners can choose from several caterers who use Olbrich’s on-site kitchen.
On weekdays, Olbrich often hosts off-site events for government agency meetings, staff retreats and spousal events. Olbrich is city owned, so it’s a public park. That means planners can reserve only the designated indoor function space, not the gardens, but “guests are always welcome to walk around and enjoy the garden during morning break or lunch or when they’re done for the day,” Jorenby said.
