FROM PLANTS TO PLEASURE: THE ROLE OF GARDENS IN OUR LIVES

The Morris County Historical Society's latest exhibition, From Plants to Pleasure: The Role of Gardens in Our Lives, opens on Sunday, April 27, and will be on view through Sunday, August 24, 2003. This exhibit traces the history of gardening in Morris County and the influence of horticultural design in all areas of life. It will present a chronology of pleasure gardens in Morris County from the eighteenth century, to the lavish gardens of the Madison Avenue Mansions to current public gardens. Visitors will gain an appreciation for the continued European influence on garden design. The growth of the rose industry in Madison will also be highlighted. In addition, the exhibit will present the influence of horticultural designs on clothing, jewelry, furniture and items of everyday use. Costumes from the Society's extensive collection will be on display. Ultimately From Plants to Pleasure will explore the history of human interest in gardening and why it continues to be a past time that generates an entire industry.

A discussion of the exhibit by MCHS curator, Debra Westmoreland, will take place on Sunday, April 27 at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown. The exhibit is on view at the Morris County Historical Society at Acorn Hall, 68 Morris Avenue, Morristown, NJ. The Society is open on Mondays and Thursdays from 10AM to 4PM and on Sundays from 1 to 4PM. Call (973) 267-3465 or visit www.acornhall.org for directions.

MORRIS HABITAT FOR HUMANITY MARKS 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF POPULAR BIKE & HIKE EVENT

Riders and walkers encouraged to mark their calendars for Sunday, June 1

MORRISTOWN, NEW JERSEY, APRIL 7, 2003... This June 1, Morris Habitat for Humanity will celebrate the 5th anniversary of its popular fund-raiser, the Historic Morris Bike & Hike. The event has grown in attendance every year since its inception and over 300 people are expected to participate this June. The proceeds from the Bike and Hike will be used to support new home construction.

Interested cyclists and hikers can register by mail or in person at the Habitat office at 51 South Street in Morristown. Pre-registration by Monday, May 19 earns you a $5 discount off the registration fee, which will be $35 for an individual and $60 for a family. Everyone who pre-registers is guaranteed an event t-shirt (families receive two shirts).

Cyclists can choose to participate in a leisurely 10-mile or 20-mile ride, or a more challenging 35-mile ride. Courses wind their way on the (mostly) back roads of Morris and Somerset counties, presenting challenges to riders along the way. Hikers will be led on a five-mile trek through Loantaka Park.

At riders' requests, a new event has been added this year. For participants 12 years old and under (with an adult), a Junior Bike & Hike will be inaugurated, with an approximately two-mile course around the perimeter of Giralda Farms corporate park. (We will be use the paved walkway around the complex, providing our junior participants with a safe yet challenging course.) Junior cyclists and hikers will start at 9:15 a.m.

On-site registration for all participants begins at 7:30 a.m. at Giralda Farms in Madison. There will be staggered starts for the rides beginning at 8:30 a.m. Hikers will begin their walk at 9:00 a.m. Event brochures will soon be available at area bike shops and the Habitat office at 51 South Street, Morristown. A registration form can also be obtained online at www.morrishabitat.org, or by calling Habitat at (973) 605-5804.

Post ride or hike, participants can take advantage of a free massage and enjoy free refreshments. In addition, there will be kid-friendly activities including face painting and music from local performers.

Morris Habitat for Humanity is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, headquartered in Americus, Georgia. Habitat's goal is to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness worldwide. A self-help housing group, Habitat works with low-income families to build decent, affordable housing. Morris Habitat has completed twenty-three homes in Morris County and has plans to build four more this year.

Habitat's philosophy is to provide a "hand up" not a "hand out" as Habitat families work alongside volunteers from the community to construct their homes. Habitat provides a no-interest mortgage and makes no profit on the sale of the home. For more information, call (973) 605-5804.