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2011-04-25T17:45:00.004-04:00

It used to be that if you lived in Alaska and lusted for mini orchids, or if your home was in Georgia but your heart was with rare desert cactus, you were out of luck. Not anymore, thanks to the fact that so many plant clearinghouses and specialist growers have gone online and will ship high-quality specimens nationwide.

The websites themselves are a pleasure to peruse, with gorgeous photographs and a wealth of information about the plants they provide; many also offer expert advice via e-mail and phone.
Here are some of the best websites to visit...

In late winter to early summer, Puya venusta (shown) sends up a 40-inch-long, deep purple bloom. It’s available with other California wildflowers and heirloom plants from Annie’s Annuals and Perennials.

If you live in an area with little water but lots of sun, try Simply Succulents for an extensive selection of drought-resistant hardy plants, including an array of sempervivum (hens and chicks), shown.

Rock or trough gardeners score dwarf conifers like the variegated Juniperus squamata ‘Floriant’ (left) through Tiny Treasures.

Rare Find Nursery focuses on unusual hardy plants, including woody shrubs and trees like the Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Pee Wee,’ shown. During fall foliage season, this charming dwarf form of the common oakleaf hydrangea packs loads of visual impact into its three-to four-foot form.

And if you’re hankering for something utterly new for your garden or containers, Plant Delights offers nursery introductions like this Agave schidigera ‘Shira ito no Ohi,’ a slow-growing plant that’s great in a pot.

Article by Lindsey Taylor from Garden Design Dec 2010.
Photos by Todd Coleman
For complete article visit: http://bit.ly/e4TpPR

Plant Picks

2011-04-15T10:35:00.003-04:00

'Autumn Brilliance' serviceberry
Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance'

The Morton Arboretum

Gardening with native plants has become a must in the urban landscape of New York City, not only because of zone hardiness, but they attract the most wildlife. When choosing native trees however, most reach a height that is overwhelming for a smaller city garden. One tree that fits the bill is the 'Autumn Brilliance' serviceberry. A hybrid of the native serviceberry, 'Autumn Brilliance' reaches a moderate height and spread and can tolerate partial shade. The showier blooms of this tree emerge in April along with the bronze-green foliage. The sweet red-purple berries ripen in June and are favorites of most birds, especially cedar waxwings. The real difference in this small tree, as the name 'Autumn Brilliance' denotes, is the bright crimson fall color.

The Missouri Botanical Garden

The Serviceberry has many common names; shadbush, shadblow (because the plant blooms in the early spring when the shad run), Juneberry, saskatoon, sugarplum. This particular hybrid, 'Autumn Brilliance', is also known as the apple serviceberry.

Zones: 4-9
Plant Type: Small tree, shrub
Size: 15 t0 25 feet high and wide
Light: Sun to partial shade
Growth rate: fast
Habit: round
Soil tolerances: clay; sand; loam; acidic; well-drained
Drought tolerance: moderate
Bloom: April; showy, fragrant white flowers
Key feature: fall color
Special attributes: attracts birds, easy care, improved pest and disease resistance
Landscape uses: container or planter, screen, highway median, deck or patio, specimen tree

Wet soil plants

2011-03-18T17:54:00.003-04:00

Bunchberry
Cornus canadensis

Zones: 2 to 7
Size: 6 inches tall and indefinite spread
Conditions: Partial sun to full shade; moist, acidic soil

You can tell this deciduous ground cover is a member of the dogwood family just by looking at it. The star-shaped white flowers appear in early summer and have a sweet scent. The blooms are followed by clusters of shiny red berries, which are an excellent food source for birds. In fall, the foliage turns a brilliant red. Bunchberry makes an excellent ground cover in wet spots as well as under evergreens; it just needs adequate water while its first getting established.

From Fine Gardening Dec 2010, by Petie Reed

Carrots for containers

2011-03-07T19:24:00.001-05:00

Carrot
Daucus carota 'Paris Market Baron'

A classic round-rooted carrot with an outstanding flavour and lovely crunchy texture. Their short, almost spherical roots make them perfect for growing in shallow or stony soils where carrots traditionally struggle, and they also perform well in troughs and containers. Give them the shelter of a greenhouse over winter and you can continue growing them almost all year round

Light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained light, fertile
Sow: March through May
Harvest: June onwards

Sustainable Peat Moss?

2011-02-22T16:00:00.001-05:00

Consider the environmental costs of using it.

Before the mid-1900s, peat moss was largely unavailable and unused by gardeners and farmers in the United States. In the decades since then, peat’s popularity has increased dramatically. And with it, an unanswered question: Is peat moss a responsible and sustainable choice for gardeners?

Peat is the partially decomposed remains of plants, most commonly sphagnum moss. It forms over many millennia in bogs, marshes, and swamps—known as peatlands or peat bogs—often gaining less than a millimeter in depth every year. The process is simple but very slow.

As sphagnum moss grows on the surface of a bog, the older parts of the plant are submerged in oxygen-poor water. The lack of oxygen slows decomposition dramatically, preserving the moss and anything else that falls into the bog. Given enough time, submerged sphagnum moss forms the dense, absorbent material known as peat moss. Left alone, the process won’t stop there. Although the transformation requires eons, undisturbed peat will eventually form coal. Peat is essentially young coal—a baby fossil fuel. And, like all fossil fuels, it is rich in carbon.

A 2009 article in the journal Science makes the claim that, “meter for meter, peatlands store more carbon than any other terrestrial ecosystem.” All told, the world’s peat bogs store approximately 562 billion tons of carbon—more than all the trees in the world, and roughly equivalent to half the carbon currently in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, or CO2. Healthy peat bogs accumulate an additional 110 million tons of carbon every year, more or less. All this despite the fact that peat bogs cover only 3 percent of Earth’s land and freshwater surface.

Sphagnum moss grows so slowly that management for sustainable use is a significant challenge. At the average rate of 0.6 to 0.7 millimeter per year, Canadian peat bogs add 6 to 7 centimeters in depth (less than 3 inches) over the course of a century. It will require 3,000 years to amass the 2-meter depth needed to justify the costs of extraction. Under these conditions, a fully mined peat bog will not be able to support a second “harvest” for at least 3,000 years.

Can a resource that renews itself this slowly ever be considered sustainable? If we balk at cutting down 500-year-old trees in old-growth forests, should we accept the extraction of 3,000-year-old sphagnum moss from peat bogs?

Article by Cristina Santiestevan from Organic Gardening, Feb/Mar 2011
For full article visit, http://bit.ly/e0WDmu

Plants for Privacy

2011-02-17T11:52:00.005-05:00

The 8 Best Plants for Privacy
Use these unexpected options that can create a unique hedge or screen.

Conifers or needled evergreens create large-scale, year-round boundaries. Their glowing hues of emerald green, blue, or gold brighten the landscape, especially in winter. Conifers, in addition, exhibit strong, vertical, and often pyramidal growth habit, which gives them a unique presence. Although they seem like an odd choice for hedges or screens, they are ideal for establishing a visual boundary in the landscape.

'Yoshino' Japanese cedar
Cryptomeria japonica 'Yoshino'

Type: Evergreen tree
Zone: 5 to 8
Growth Rate: fast
Height: 30-35 feet
Width: 5 feet Soil Preference: Will tolerate drought and will grow in dry soil but prefers well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay soils with a pH of acidic to slightly alkaline
Light Requirements: Full sun
Attributes: Tolerant of many soils

'Gowdy' Oriental spruce
Picea orientalis 'Gowdy'

Type: Evergreen tree
Zone: 4 to 7
Growth Rate: Slow
Height: 8-10 feet
Width: 4-5 feet
Soil Preference: Clay, moist, sandy
Light Requirements: Full sun
Attributes: Intense dark green foliage, recurved, sweeping branches

Western red cedar
Thuja plicata and cvs

Type: Evergreen tree
Zone: 5 to 7
Growth Rate: Slow
Height: 50-70 feet
Width: 20 feet
Soil Preference: moist, loamy
Light Requirements: Full sun
Attributes: tolerant of somewhat wet soils, can easily be sheared

Broad-leaved evergreens make a perfect four season fence. If the size of a conifer is too big for your space, consider one a broad-leaved evergreen that stays smaller and more more compact. These plants reach a mature size quickly and flower readily, some even have berries, which give them added appeal.

Inkberry
Ilex glabra and cvs

Type: Broad-leaved evergreen shrub
Zone: 5
Growth Rate: moderate
Height: 4-8 feet
Width: 6-8 feet
Soil Preference: adequate soil moisture, acidic pH
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Attributes: tolerates wet soil, lustrous dark green glossy, black berries

Photo by admin

Heavenly bamboo
Nandina domestica

Type: semi-evergreen woody shrub
Zone: 6-9
Growth Rate: fast
Size: 6-8 feet, clumping spreader
Soil Preference: prefers rich, moist to average soil
Light Requirements: Full sun to shade
Attributes: tolerates dry spells once established, panicles of bright red berries that hold on for months, Plant can become invasive in warmer climates

Deciduous shrubs create unobtrusive screens. A quality a plant needs to be an effective hedge or screen is a dense growth habit. Even in winter, when these shrubs have no foliage, their thick branching habit will create a visual barrier. If you're looking to create an informal screen or would like to use a plant that offers more than predictable green leaves, try these options, which have attractive foliage as well as interesting blooms.

photo by Northscaping.com

Chinese neillia
Neillia sinensis

Type: woody shrub
Zone: 5a
Growth Rate: fast
Size: 6 foot spread
Soil Preference: moist to average soil
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Attributes: tolerant of urban pollution, red fall color, showy peeling bark for winter interest

Cutleaf stephanandra
Stephanandra incisa

Type: low growing shrub
Zone: 4a
Growth Rate: fast
Size: 5 foot spread
Soil Preference: moist to average, acidic soils
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
Attributes: emerald green, fine textured foliage emerging burgundy in spring, orange fall color

Buttercup winter hazel
Corylopsis pauciflora

Type: multi-stemmed deciduous shrub
Zone: 6a
Growth Rate: fast
Size: 6 foot tall, 8 foot spread
Soil Preference: moist to average, prefers rich soil
Light Requirements: Full sun to shade
Attributes: fragrant lemon yellow in early spring, forest green foliage turning outstanding yellow in fall, relatively low maintenance

Article by Vincent A. Simeone from Fine Gardening, Feb 2011
www.finegardening.com

Plant Pick

2011-02-10T18:40:00.000-05:00

American cranberry
Vaccinium macrocarpon

Zones: 2 to 7
Size: 6 inches tall and indefinite spread
Conditions: Full sun; moist to wet, acidic soil

An evergreen shrub, American cranberry can be successful used as a ground cover in wet areas or as an elegant accent along the edge of a pond. The tiny leaves line 8 to 10 inch long vines that look like branches, The delicate pink flowers are barely noticeable in early summer, but you can't miss the bright scarlet fruit that follow. The cranberries will be larger than what you might see sold in the grocery store. they ripen as the plant's foliage turns purple in the fall, and they taste sweeter after the first frost.

Article by Petie Reed for Fine Gardening Dec 2010

Tree Bondage?

2011-01-20T16:09:00.000-05:00

Yukitsuri at Kenrokuen Garden, Japan

Photo credit Kanazawa City

Snow that falls in the winter in Kanazawa is heavy in weight because the snow contains a large quantity of moisture. In order to prevent the branches of the trees in Kenrokuen Garden from breaking, yukitsuri is performed. Yukitsuri, which literary means "snow hanging", is a method of protecting the branches with ropes attached in a conical array to the trees.

Photo credit Kanazawa City

Skillful gardeners use more than 800 ropes to give yukitsuri to the Karasaki pine in Kenrokuen Garden, which is famous for the great shape of its branches. Yukitsuri is a true symbol that tells the coming of winter to Kanazawa. The first snow of the season falls in Kanazawa between late in November and early in December. Kanazawa becomes a snow-covered town from January to February.

The oldest surviving record of yukitsuri dates from late in the Edo Period (1603-1867). It instructs Kenrokuen gardeners to "tie trees to prevent snow damage," but makes no mention of specific techniques. The type which is pictured in the photograph is called ringotsuri (apple suspension). It is believed to have been developed some time after apple saplings were first brought to Japan in the 1870s, as a way to support the weight of the fruit.

Photo Credit: Flickr account TANAKA Juuyoh

Erecting a ringotsuri is a delicate operation that requires a whole team of workers. At Kenrokuen, one man climbs the pole and tosses down coils of rope that have been fixed at one end to the top of the pole. Ten other workers stay below to catch the coils, then climb ladders and tie the ropes at strategic points to support the branches and create a visually balanced composition. An experienced team can put up one ringotsuri over an average tree in about two hours. But a very large tree, like the massive Karasaki pine trees in Kenrokuen, can require up to five ringotsuri structures and a full day of work for an entire team.

Taken from an article by Alice Gordenker for The Japan Times. For full article visit http://bit.ly/f2y2dh

For information on the Kenrokuen garden in Kanazawa visit http://bit.ly/eUqXR3

Storing Fruits and Vegetables

2011-01-17T21:02:00.000-05:00

To prevent rot and diseases from spreading, check fruit and veggies in storage regularly and discard any affected. Fungi and bacteria both cause rot in plant tissues. Most enter via a wound, but some spread by contact; handle produce carefully and keep fruits apart from each other.

Brown rot attacks apples and pears on trees and in storage, spreading easily by contact. Brown patches develop rings of pale spots, or fruit can turn entirely black.

Grey mould affects fruit, carrots and squashes, especially in overcrowded, badly ventilated stores. The fungus forms a fluffy grey mould, releasing clouds of spores.

Bacterial soft rot is common on root crops and onions. Soil-dwelling bacteria enter via wounds, initially causing foul-smelling lesions, and can rot the insides entirely, leaving only skin.

Onion neck rot is a fungus that develops after 10 weeks of storage. Outer scales soften and the neck browns. It does not spread in storage but may have infected many bulbs going into storage.

Potato dry rot causes dark brown lesions and discolored, mouldy flesh. Spores of this fungus are carried on adhering soil and enter wounded tubers in too-warm storage.

Article from The Garden Journal, RHS, Dec 2010

Ancient Asteraceae

2011-01-14T14:49:00.002-05:00

A rare fossil flower from the Asteraceae family, found in Argentina, proves that daises existed 47.5 million years ago during the mid-Eocene epoch, when modern mammals and birds were becoming widespread.

The fossil, reported in the journal Science, is unusual in showing large flowerheads several centimeters across - unlike fossils of pollen grains, those of flowers are rare.

To view abstract or full text visit http://bit.ly/eJ9Zln

Article from The Garden, RHS December 2010

Plant Picks

2011-01-10T11:00:00.002-05:00

'Glauca' Japanese white pine
Pinus parviflora 'Glauca'

Zone: 6 to 9
Size: 20 feet tall and wide

This tree is a living garden sculpture. It will thrive under just about any garden condition; full sun to full shade, moist to dry soil. It will tolerate some degree of salt exposure; and can be pruned to fit into tight, restricted spaces without losing its character. With its blue-green needles; attractive cones; and twisted, branching structure, 'Glauca' Japanese white pine is a perfect focal point. A trait that is often overlooked is its bark, which is purple-brown and deeply grooved.

Article by Ed Gregan for Fine Gardening, Nov/Dec 2010

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

2011-01-03T12:00:00.002-05:00

What to do with your Christmas tree...

Evergreen branch mulch at Wave Hill

Come January, the thrill of having a fresh-cut tree to decorate has faded. You are now faced with the issue of properly discarding the tree. One very earth-friendly way recycle your tree is to cut it up into evergreen boughs which can be used in the garden as a gorgeous mulch.

Most shrubs, as well as perennials and bulbs, welcome the warmth and protection the boughs bring. Simply trim the branches from your Christmas tree and place them upside down under your shrubs and on top of perennials and tender bulbs. The air pockets they create add a buffer against the winter cold and wind, and enough space for early spring shoots to emerge.

Photo from MarthaStewart.com

You can also have your Christmas tree recycled into mulch, which can then be used to protect and nourish your street trees.

Thank you very mulch!
For more information on how to recycle your Christmas trees, check out these websites:

http://www.nycgovparks.org/services/mulchfest/mulchfest.html

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dsny/html/collection/xtrcol05.shtml

Snow Damage To Landscape Plants

2010-12-27T16:00:00.004-05:00

Should you knock snow off trees and shrubs or leave it?

Birches can bend to the ground like this and still fully recover. This is a case when waiting until the snow melts is a better solution.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to cleaning heavy snow off shrubs, and both have their own merits. One school feels you should leave things alone until weather improves, since there is a high likelihood of breaking extra branches with your attempts. Worst of all, would be cutting off some bent branches that will eventually spring back when weather improves.

No need to be in a rush on this cherry, since it will probably have to be completely removed

The other school of thought is the sooner you get heavy snow off shrubs the better.

First, some trees and shrubs in the Arborvitae family don’t fair well in heavy snow storms anytime. As soon as snow starts to build-up on these fragile evergreens, branches begin bending. Once they are slightly bent, they become susceptible to even more snow build-up and breakage.

Second, would be if you have some neatly pruned pom-pom evergreens in your yard. It is far too easy for ‘sticky’ snow to build-up on these expensive specimens and either lay them open or bend them over. Neither situation has a good outcome.

Third would be the trees and shrubs with softwood. You know the ones; they break first in every storm. Ornamental Pears come to mind first, but are usually too tall to effectively knock the snow off.

Ornamental Pear ruined by heavy snow accumulation

With either method, being pro-active or re-active to removing snow from plants, they often have excessive build-up before you are able to act. If they are bent to the ground and frozen, it is probably best to leave them. However, if it is just a few big blobs of snow holding them down, strategically removing that snow will allow many branches and trees to begin straightening. Do not use a shovel to remove the snow or hit a branch hoping to knock the snow loose. Use a broom to gently brush accumulated snow away from the branches of evergreen or deciduous plants.

Once spring arrives it may be necessary to stake and/or wrap some of the plants that received the most damage. The best material for bundling multi-stemmed plants back together is that green stretchy tape sold at most garden centers. Otherwise a decent strength twine will do, just be sure to check your plants periodically to see if the twine may need loosened.

As for the plants that had to be removed, you may want to consider replacements that handle snow storms better. Most nurseries can help guide you through the varieties they have available. Weather can humble a gardener faster than anything and snow is just one of the many ways.

This evergreen would benefit from having the major snow knocked off the top, allowing branches to somewhat rebound.

I found this article while perusing garden blogs online. It's from Bob's Blog maintained by Robert Donnan Landscape. It seemed very appropriate for our first major snowstorm of the season. Check them out online at donnan.com

Article and photos from donnan.com

Wreath Interpretations

2010-12-10T14:00:00.007-05:00

Contemporary Wreaths On View in Central Park

Once again we participated in the New York City's Parks and Recreation department 28th annual Wreath Interpretations. Here are some of the wreaths from the exhibition.

For All Farmers by George Kroenert; apple cardboard, snap ties, mason's line

The City's Parks and Recreation department opened its 28th annual Wreath Interpretations exhibition at the Arsenal Gallery in Central Park on Thursday, December 9. The show runs through January 6, 2011.

In modern America, a wreath is a mark of the holiday season. Round boughs of evergreens adorned with acorns, berries and ribbon--essentially the little sis' to the Christmas tree. But Wreath Interpretations pushes the boundaries of tradition. There are 30 wreaths on display this year and there’s not a traditional one in the bunch. Each one is an artistic interpretation of what a wreath is. The only common theme is the circle pattern.

Celestial Celebration by Larry Hagberg; hammered steel

“The ones that are hanging up run the gamut from really lighthearted to religious to darker things that we don’t traditionally see in holiday decorations,” said Adam Kaufman, a Parks and Recreation employee at the exhibit. “There’s not one definition of the holidays and all these pieces express a range of emotions that are all just as valid and speak to the holiday season as much as any of the others.”

Giant Sea Serpent Wreath by Takeshi Yamada; taxidermy jaws, galvanized steel, acrylic paper, synthetic polymer, sands of Coney Island

Birkenwald im Winter by George Pisegna; natural birch bark, balsam wood and artificial greens

Man's Potential Over Time by Abigail Malate; luan plywood, ink

Year 360 by Barbara Wallace; paper, acrylic paint, cardboard, wire

Wishes by Vilde Kleppe Braanaas; wire, paper mache, squash seeds

Wreath of Corks by Leonora Retsas; wire, corks, foam, ribbon

Article and photos by Perry Santanachote: WNYC Culture Desk

To view complete article visit http://bit.ly/fHW9l

Planting Good Cheer

2010-12-06T12:00:00.009-05:00

Is it worth it to replant a live Christmas tree after the holidays?

Image from Martha Stewart

The urge to spare a tree is strong, but buying a live Christmas tree will likely turn you into a grinch — and it won’t do much to help the environment, either. According to Christmas tree farmers, only about half these trees survive the holidays. Sheltering a live tree indoors poses several challenges: A 6-foot tree should have about a 24-inch root ball and will weigh about 250 pounds; you must be vigilant about watering (indoors, trees dry out quickly); time is definitely not on your side — after 10 days, you should get it back outside and in the ground. That’s a short life for a Christmas tree and extra stress for you, just to plant an evergreen. Also, unless your property is quite large, you’ll run out of space in a few years; eventually, all the popular Christmas trees become huge.

A better solution is buying a Christmas tree from a local tree farm; it’s more convenient and ecologically sound. Cutting farm-grown Christmas trees is no worse for the environment than harvesting a field of broccoli. In fact it may be better, because these evergreens remain in the ground for 8 to 10 years, during which time there’s usually no cultivation and thus less soil erosion. Alternatively, you could grow your own trees to cut. Evergreen seedlings are inexpensive and take about 8 years to reach harvest size. They require little care beyond mulching, irrigation, and pruning in midsummer for a more compact shape. If you’re set on a live tree, there are a few tips to improve its post holiday prospects. Dig a hole now, before the ground freezes solid, making it a few inches wider than, but the same depth as, the root ball (the planted tree should rest at ground level). Fill the hole with dry leaves or other mulch, and cover the dirt for backfilling so it won’t freeze before you’re ready to plant

Article from Garden Design online gardendesign.com
To view this article visit http://bit.ly/fv2xsL

When Frost Threatens

2010-12-03T16:02:00.003-05:00

After reading all the indicators, you determine that frost may hit your garden tonight. What can you do?

Cover plants to retain warmth and moisture, and to protect them from drying winds. Use old sheets or blankets, newspapers, pine branches, straw, inverted flowerpots, or water-filled cloches. The more opaque the cover is, the better it protects the plants. Plastic, surprisingly, does not hold heat well. Because Earth starts cooling down before sunset, get the covers on early. And be sure to cover each plant entirely.

Protect lettuce, arugula, chard, beets, and mustard from the wind and they will survive near-freezing temperatures.

Mulch carrots and other root crops well before a frost to keep the ground from freezing hard; then harvest when ready.

Wave the white flag on truly tender plants. Tender annual flowers (such as impatiens, gomphrena, and zinnias) and edibles (such as basil, melons, and corn) will not endure frost.

Dig up tomato plants and hang the vines (with unripened fruit attached) inside a garage or shed. If you keep them warmer than about 60°F, they will ripen.

Transplant peppers into pots and bring them inside to a brightly lit room. Remove the unripe peppers and cut back the stems when you transplant them. Keep them moist through the winter and then replant them the following spring.

Article from Organic Gardening on line
http://tiny.cc/mgrpo

At the Feeder

2010-11-26T18:50:00.003-05:00

Preparing our feathered friends for the winter ahead...

Fall is the time to clean and stock feeders and to stock up on birdseed. Here's what they'll need.

Repair any feeders that need a makeover. You may need to pound in a loose nail or replace a cracked bottom piece.

Put out several suet feeders so all your resident birds get a turn. A single woodpecker can monopolize a suet feeder for most of the day.

Stock a very low tray feeder (1 foot or less above the ground) with cracked corn for mourning doves, who gather in flocks to feed in fall.

Keep the birdbath brimming. Fresh water is vital year-round.

There are plenty of ways to provide bird treats in your garden in the fall. Try some of these ideas.

Keep an eye on any berries or fruits in your yard. They're prime foods for birds that may alight during migration. The Virginia creeper that sprawls through the garden as a groundcover offers its midnight blue berries in early fall, right when vireos and orioles are passing through. The vines of fox grapes winding among the treetops attract later migrants like rose-breasted grosbeaks and tanagers.

Listen for the quiet twitters and sharp chip! notes that betray the presence of song sparrows, white-throats, and other hard-to-see native sparrows around your yard. In the fall, a bounty of ripening seeds on garden plants, grasses, and weeds brings flocks of these LBBs (that's "little brown bird" in birder talk) to backyards. They may stop at abundant seed patches for a morning or a whole week, but they're small, quick moving, and wary of people, so you'll hear them more often than you?ll see them.

Check garden centers and nurseries for viburnums, bayberries, and other shrubs that are already full of berries. Cart them home carefully so as not to dislodge the fruit, pop them into the garden, and the birds will reap the benefits immediately.

If you love a bargain, check the end-of-season sales at nurseries and garden centers. Trees and shrubs—usually the biggest investment you'll make when creating a bird-friendly yard—are often available at half price. Although the selection may not be as big as it is during the spring, the savings are hard to beat!

Article from Organic Gardening on line
For complete article visit: http://tiny.cc/ql0sc

Majestic Trees

2010-11-18T13:00:00.001-05:00

This British company prides itself on having produced a revolutionary new growing system called the Air-pot, which promotes trees to develop a vigorous, fibrous root system. Majestic Trees also incorporates the highest environmental standards in all its planning and investments. Check them out for yourselves, below is a comparison from their website on commercial tree production.

The secret to finding a tree that will flourish when planted is to look down as well as up! Trees can absorb water from the tips of their youngest, finest roots, so an undisturbed, fibrous, non-spiralling root system will serve you best.

It is very easy for an unscrupulous grower to sell trees at knock-down prices by skimping on root cultivation, the best advice is to ALWAYS check the root specification before buying a tree, see below for an explanation of the main options available.

The choice you make when buying a tree:

Air-Pot Grown The AirPot is a proven, revolutionary growing system which overcomes the root-spiralling problem of conventional container grown production. It is truly ingenious design solution, made of a sleeve of recycled and recyclable HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) that is textured like an egg carton, with small holes at the tip of each cone. As the outward growing root tips reach the boundaries of the Air-Pot, the cones funnel them towards the holes, where they eventually dehydrate upon exposure to the air. The effect is a constant, gentle root pruning, which stimulates the root system to send out lots of lateral roots, similar to pruning the branches of a shrub. The result is a highly robust, densely fibrous root system composed of thousands of water absorbing white tip roots. Essentially Air-Pot grown trees are bursting with vitality. They can be planted any time of year with a virtual 100% success rate, are the fastest and easiest trees to establish, and will become far superior specimens over time.
Bareroot Field grown trees are cut out of the ground and soil shaken off to economise on weight. Cheap and cheerful, that's fine for easy-to-root varieties and broad scale planting (woodland planting, young hedging), where a high failure rate is acceptable. Bareroot trees can only be planted in winter. Expect a significant failure rate – up to 50% or even higher at times. Bareroot stock is seldom guaranteed.
Rootball Field grown trees are cut out of the ground and wrapped in Hessian sacking with the soil left intact. Quality growers will have regularly transplanted and undercut the stock before the final lifting for sale – but skimping on undercutting is an easy way to cut costs. Rootballed trees have had their roots cut at lifting, so they have lost most of their fine fibrous roots, and can only be planted in winter, take longer to establish, and have a significant failure rate, varying by species. Using rootball stock can be an economic way of planting easy-rooting species, but requires careful aftercare provision to ensure success.
Conventional Container Grown Field grown trees are lifted and planted into plastic containers to allow roots to regenerate prior to planting. A more expensive but better value method, compared to bareroot and rootballed, with a good success rate that enables year-round planting. The main disadvantage of the container method is that it does not promote production of fibrous root system, but rather the familiar ‘pot-bound’ effect of thick, spiralling roots, which are not very efficient at water absorption.
Bagged Similar to the container method, bags are used for ease of handling (and manoeuvrability). Convenient, but as shown in the photograph, roots typically hit the sides of the bag and are deflected downwards. Better than bareroot, rootball or a conventional pot, but greatly inferior in root development to an Air-Pot grown tree.
Visit Majestic Trees online at http://bit.ly/hQmH8l

Plant Picks

2010-11-04T16:24:00.005-04:00

Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger'
Tiger Eyes cutleaf staghorn sumac

Lemon-lime foliage, fuzzy stems, and intense fall color make this sumac cultivar a standout. It grows into an upright, rounded form about 6 feet tall and as wide. New growth emerges chartreuse. Fall brings leaves of yellow, scarlet, and orange. Flowers are yellowish green and followed, on female plants, by hairy, dark red fruit. This plant spreads by suckers and can be invasive. The species is native to North America.

Noteworthy characteristics: Eye-catching foliage in spring, summer, and fall.
Care: Pick a site in full sun for best autumn color. Grow in moist but well-drained, moderately fertile soil. May be invasive.
Propagation: Sow seed in autumn in a seedbed. Take semi-ripe cuttings in summer, or root cuttings in winter. Separate suckers when plant is dormant.
Problems: Powdery mildew, Verticillium wilt, wood rot, leaf spot, blister, canker, dieback, caterpillars, scale insects.

Zone	5 to 9
Spread	6 feet tall and wide
Growth Pace	Invasive/Aggressive Grower; Moderate Grower
Conditions	Full Sun to Partial Shad,; tolerates average to poor soil
Moisture	Medium Moisture
Maintenance	Moderate
Characteristics	Attracts Birds; Native; Showy Fall Foliage; Showy Foliage; Showy Fruit
Bloom Time	Early Summer; Late Summer; Summer
Foliage Color	Colorful/Burgundy Foliage
Flower Color	Green Flower; Yellow Flower
Uses	Beds and Borders, Naturalizing
Style	Woodland Garden
Seasonal Interest	Summer Interest, Fall Interest
Type	Shrubs,Trees

Article from: Fine Gardening August 2010
For the complete article: finegardening.com

Hudson Valley Seed Library

2010-10-07T11:08:00.012-04:00

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times

Our friends, Ken Greene and Doug Muller, founders of the Hudson Valley Seed Library were just featured in a wonderful article in The New York Times on October 6. The Seed Library has been operating for the past 2 years to help maintain and distribute locally grown seed.

Ken was quoted in the NY Times article....'The mission of the library, Mr. Greene said, is “to collect New York heirlooms and the cultural stories that came with them.” As with other seed libraries, his also aims to encourage biodiversity, to offer an alternative to the genetically modified seeds produced by large corporations and to make money.'

The Hudson Valley Seed Library currently offers over fifty varieties of locally grown seeds, and 100 varieties of northeast adapted seeds. The uniquely shaped Art Packs are designed by different artists from the greater New York region. Each pack celebrates the diversity and beauty of heirloom gardening. The Library Packs contain seeds grown on the Hudson Valley farm, by member farmers, and dedicated home gardeners. The seeds are hand-crafted, using traditional techniques for collecting, winnowing, threshing, and cleaning. The Garden Packs contain seeds that were obtained from responsible seed houses.

Art Pack of cherry tomatoes

This December, The Horticultural Society will host an exhibition of original works from the Hudson Valley Seed Library Art Pack Collection, featuring the 16 new designs from this upcoming season. Look for more info on our website at http://www.hsny.org.

To view the article: http://nyti.ms/a46hFh

Visit the Hudson Valley Seed Library at http://www.seedlibrary.org

Pickles, pickles, pickles...

2010-10-05T15:24:00.002-04:00

I have a friend whose love of pickles rivals the joy of a child getting a new puppy. Will the pickle be crispy? spicy? sour? To the true pickle lover these are serious questions. There are some basic differences that can make a pickle something amazing, besides the perfect blend of herbs and spices.

Refrigerator pickles
Refrigerator pickles are easier and often tastier than other pickling methods. A few things to consider before you get going, starting with the star of the show: cucumbers. If homegrown cucumbers are not an option, buy organic ones at the farmer's market. Supermarket cucumbers often have edible waxy coatings to help them retain moisture, and this wax prevents the cucumbers from absorbing the pickling liquid. Select cukes tat are free of mold, insect damage, blemishes and soft spots. If you are harvesting them yourself, first thing in the morning is the best time. Plan to make the pickles within a couple of days of harvest or purchase.
Another nice things about refrigerator pickles is that they don't require a special technique or container. Within a few hours, you'll have beautiful jars of crunchy, delicious pickles to serve or give as gifts.

The following recipe is from the Rodale Production Kitchen:

Audrey's Pickles
1 pound medium cucumbers
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole mustard seed
1 teaspoon fresh dill weed
1 whole dried bay leaf
2/3 cup brown sugar
6 1/2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar
6 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar

1. Cut cucumbers into spears or slices and place in a 2 quart container jar with a lid. Add the garlic, peppercorns, mustard seed, dill weed, and bay leaf.

2. Stir together the brown sugar, vinegars, and water. Pour the mixture over the cukes and shake the jar well to combine. Cover and chill. For the fullest flavor, wait at least 24 hours before serving. These pickles will keep up to 3 months in the refrigerator.

Article by Brenda McClain, Organic Gardening Aug/Sept 2010

Plant Picks

2010-09-28T18:00:00.021-04:00

Alliums All Season Long

Allium schubertii, Tumbleweed onion; Photo: Courtesy of Dutch Gardens

Deer resistant and dynamic, these bulbs provide color from the first showers of spring to the last leaves of fall.

Alliums are often overlooked as one of the best bulbs for constant color throughout the seasons. Part of the problem is their common name: ornamental onion, which conjures up images of supermarket onions in shades of lime green or red. Alliums actually come in oval, spherical, or globular flower shapes, blooming in magnificent colors atop tall stems.

Because good perennial-garden designs are often made up of contrasting shapes, alliums’ rounded blooms make them great components for interesting garden combinations (not to mention that deer generally avoid them—to escape onion breath). Pair them with spikes or other large-leaved perennials to hide any decaying foliage.

Allium spp. and cvs.

Hardiness: Alliums can be grown in Zones 3 to 9, depending upon the species and cultivar.

Alliums aren’t too picky: In most cases, alliums grow in average garden soil and need full sun and good drainage. The drainage is critical because so many of the bulbs are huge and will rot with too much moisture.

Aside from that, they are easy to grow and come back year after year with almost no maintenance. Occasionally, they need dividing after a few years, when you start to notice a decrease in flower production (usually this pertains to those with small bulbs). One of the best things about alliums is that most animals, especially deer, find the taste unappealing and won’t nibble on the leaves.

Plant them in fall: Alliums go in while leaves are falling. Average planting depth should be about three times the diameter of the bulb. I have planted alliums late in fall right up to Thanksgiving. Just be sure the ground hasn’t frozen yet so that the bulbs have time to take root.

Spring blooming...

Allium moly ‘Jeannine’, ‘Jeannine’ golden onion; Photo: David Cavagnaro

Allium karataviense, Turkestan onion; Photo: Bill Johnson

Summer blooming...

Allium cristophii, Stars of Persia; Photo: Michelle Gervais

Allium caeruleum, Blue globe onion; Photo: Steve Aitken

Fall blooming...

Drumstick allium, Allium sphaerocephalon, Drumstick allium; Photo: Michelle Gervais

Allium ‘Hair’, ‘Hair’ allium; Photo: Bill Johnson

Allium thunbergii ‘Ozawa’, ‘Ozawa’ Japanese onion; Photo: Jennifer Brown

Article by Stephanie Cohen
from Fine Gardening 127, pp. 40-45

To view this article visit: http://tiny.cc/xdq35

Opening Reception of The 13th Annual International Juried Botanical Art Exhibition

2010-09-20T17:17:00.015-04:00

On Tuesday, the week of September 12-18 was officially proclaimed Botanical Art Week in New York City by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. On Wednesday evening, the official proclamation was on view at the opening reception for The 13th Annual International Juried Botanical Art Exhibition. In addition to our show, botanical art exhibitions opened at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (on Tuesday) and the New York Botanical Garden (on Thursday).

At The Hort, we had a packed house for the reception with many of the 39 artists in attendance, some coming from as far as Japan and Australia. Each year this exhibition is presented in partnership with the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA). This year’s show was selected from a field of over 200 submissions, by jurors Francesca Anderson, Carol E. Hamilton, Dick Rauh and Jessica Tcherepnine. The forty-one works are by artists from the US, Australia, Canada, France, Japan and the United Kingdom. The paintings reflect the international nature of the exhibition, featuring a variety of exotic plants from around the world, including Floss Silk Tree, Red Angel's Trumpet, Orchid Tree and New Zealand's "Woolyhead".

Karen Kluglein, who has two paintings featured in the exhibition, won the Best in Show award for her white-on-white painting of a Franklinia flower. Martha Kemp won the ASBA Award for her drawing of walnuts on vellum. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Award for Drawings and Prints went to Andrea Wilson for her copperplate etching of Oconee Bells. Other award-winners include Carol Woodin’s Slipper Orchid (NY Central Award); Noriko Fujii’s Parrot Tulip (Ursus Award); and John Pastorizo-Pinol’s Sea Urchin Hakea Pods (Talas Award). Kathy Folino and Heeyoung Kim received Honorable Mentions for their Lichens and Cardinal Flower (respectively).

The exhibition will be on view at The Hort through November 24. In conjunction with the show, we will be offering three botanical art classes in the gallery. Come see the art and learn how to paint your own! For more information, please visit hsny.org

Tomato Horn Worm

2010-08-27T17:33:00.008-04:00

Manduca quinquemaculata, Five-spotted hawk moth/tomato horn worm

Recently, I was given a wonderful surprise at the office. Our Horticultural therapists from Rikers Island Greenhouse, Hilda Krus and Laurie Sexton brought me a tomato hormworm from one of the instructional vegetable gardens. The students at the garden were slightly horrified with the color and size of the caterpillar. After much coaxing they finally collected the little beast and marveled at its shape and the horn located on the last segment which gives the caterpillar its name. Here are some photos and culture on the tomato horn worm:

Description: The tomato hornworm is a large pale-green caterpillar with white and black markings. The caterpillar can reach 9 to 10 cm (3 ½ to 4 inches) when fully mature. A projection or spike on one of the last abdominal segments gives the caterpillar the name “hornworm.” The adult moth, called a sphinx or hawk moth, is a medium to large, heavy-bodied moth with narrow front wings. The moth has a spindle-shaped body which tapers at both ends and fairly thick antennae. The adult is a mottled gray-brown color with yellow spots on the sides of the abdomen and a wing spread of 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 inches).

Injury: The hornworm feeds on the leaves and new stems of the tomato plant, causing extensive damage. During July and August they also occasionally feed on the fruit.

Life Cycle: The adult moth lays eggs on the undersides of tomato leaves in late spring. The eggs hatch in six to eight days and the larvae pass through five or six stages, maturing fully in three to four weeks. The fully grown larvae then burrow into the soil to pupate. The pupa may remain in the soil all winter and emerge as a moth the following spring, or, if the weather conditions are suitable, the moth may emerge from the pupa in two to four weeks. The moths emerge from the soil, mate, and then begin to deposit the eggs of the next generation on tomato plants.

Management: There are a number of natural factors which help to control tomato hornworm populations. One of the most common parasites in home gardens is a small, parasitic braconid wasp. Many wasp larvae feed inside the hornworm, eventually killing the caterpillar. The cocoons containing pupae of these wasps are visible as small white projections on the hornworm’s body. Larvae with cocoons sometimes move sluggishly, but seldom cause additional feeding damage. They should be left on the plant so emerging adult parasites can attack other hornworms.

Hand-picking the hornworms from infested plants in the garden provides safe and effective control in small gardens. It is often surprisingly difficult to find these large larvae on the plants. Their large brown droppings are generally readily apparent, however. Once you find one larva, others are much more easily found.

Adapted from the Cornell Cooperative Extension, 1999

Plant Picks

2010-08-23T13:41:00.008-04:00

'Moonlight' Japanese Climbing Hydrangea

Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Moonlight'

A close relative of the true climbing hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaria), Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Moonlight' is a self-climbing, deciduous vine. Using adhesive rootlets borne along its stems, it can climb a masonry wall or a tree without harming or overwhelming its support.In fall, the leaves turn from lime green to yellow before dropping to reveal a scaffold of reddish brown woody stems.

The young foliage, however, is like a full moon on a clear night; the heart-shaped leaves , 3 to 5 inches across, have a silvery sheen accented with dark green veins. Creamy, scented, lacecap blooms appear in summer for 6 to 8 weeks. 'Moonlight' prefers well-drained soil with average moisture in dappled sun to full shade. Although slow to start, it will eventually reach 20 or 30 feet.

Article by Lorene Edwards Forkner
Organic Gardening, April/May2010 OrganicGardening.com

Mosquito-ease?

2010-08-18T19:28:00.005-04:00

Help relieve the swelling and itching of mosquito bites with basil. Take a few leaves and mash them in your hand to form a poultice and apply directly to bites.

Family Day at Noguchi Museum

2010-07-27T16:21:00.000-04:00

The Hort was delighted to co-sponsor this year’s annual Summer Family Day at the Noguchi Museum. The event highlighted the beautiful and serene sculpture garden designed by Isamu Noguchi. Families were invited to explore and discover the garden and Museum galleries. The Hort created three scale model gardens based on eastern and western design. The workshop encouraged families to make individual sculptures to scale, while they consider design and placement within a space. Their sculptures were then installed in the model garden of their choice and photographed. The event also featured live performances by Jukebox Radio.

Terrarium Workshop at the Hort

2010-07-15T16:43:00.003-04:00

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned gardener, terrariums are one of the simplest ways to garden. I shared secrets on how to create a wonderful garden under glass with a sold-out crowd! Terrariums come in many shapes and sizes, from simple wine glasses to elaborate Wardian cases. Since space is a luxury to most city-dwellers, a terrarium is a perfect way to bring your favorite plants into your home.

After a short lecture, I guided students through the process of creating their own magical terrariums. Students were encouraged to choose their materials, discuss designs, and finally plant a garden under glass. Here are some photos from the workshop...

Check out our website for all the exciting new classes and workshops coming this fall!

Urban Edibles

2010-07-07T15:44:00.011-04:00

What city dweller doesn't long for the taste of homegrown fruits and vegetables. By doing some simple research and making careful choices almost anyone can add edibles to a rooftop, terrace or patio. Many vegetables are now offered in dwarf or compact forms that make them perfect for container gardens in an urban environment.
Here are some picks to get you started...

Pepper 'Pinata Mix'
Pepper plants are the ideal size for gardens with limited space, and they love heat. One of Burbee owner George Ball Jr.'s top pick is the new hot pepper 'Pinata Mix' with its party-colored, 3-inch fruits.

Basil 'Aristotle'
There are so many varieties of basil, like this tiny-leaved 'Aristotle' that could substitute for boxwood. Basil also offers foliage color options from 'Purple Ruffles' to vibrant green 'Summerlong' which is resistant to bolting.

Strawberry 'Mignonette'
Another option for rooftop or patio gardens is planting edible sin hanging baskets or pots, and strawberries are ideally suited for this. Try the heirloom alpine strawberry 'Mignonette', which has smaller and fewer fruits, but with twice the flavor as standard varieties.

Eggplant 'Gretel'
Two All-American Selection winners, white 'Gretel' and purple 'Hansel', combine high yield with compact size. The fruits are tender and tasty from the time they're 3-inch youngsters until they reached their mature 10 inches.

Article by Jenny Andrews
Garden Design March 2010 gardendesign.com

Workshops at the Hort...

2010-06-28T15:10:00.009-04:00

Not everyone has the room for a big edible garden, but even if you're limited to a lone container, you can still enjoy a summer's worth of homegrown produce. This past week, the Horticultural Society of New York hosted a Vegetable Container Garden Workshop. Starting with a lecture, we discussed what vegetables, herbs, flowers, and other plants grow well together, as companion plants. Included in the workshop were the basics of container gardening including soil mixes, plant and container choices, fertilizing and general plant care.

Container gardening is an easy and low-maintenance way to satisfy that garden urge. A dull patio area can be brightened by the addition of baskets with cascading tomatoes or a colorful herb mix. Planter boxes with trellises filled with beans and peas can be used to create a cool shady place on an apartment balcony. Container gardening presents opportunities for many innovative ideas.

Here are some photos from the workshop...

Please check out our website for all the exciting lectures and workshops the Horticultural Society of New York is offering this summer! http://www.hsny.org

Plant Picks

2010-06-15T16:48:00.008-04:00

Rosa 'Caldwell Pink'

This everblooming rose is becoming one of the most popular with landscape designers. Its double, lilac-pink flowers form clusters that can be seen at a distance, and the compact bush fills out nicely with a minimum of pruning and maintenance. It is not very particular about soil conditions, but prefers a sunny open space. Some rosarians have suggested that this is the old China rose, ‘Pink Pet’, but we feel that it shows traces of Wichuraiana or Multiflora heritage and fits more naturally in the Polyantha class. The study name comes from a neighboring town, Caldwell, Texas, where this rose was found. *

Common Name: Caldwell Pink

Classification: Polyantha

Rating: N/A

Year Introduced/ Discovered: Found, no date known

Color: Lilac Pink

Average Dimensions: 3' - 4' x 3' - 4'

Number of Petals: Double- 50

Exposure: Full sun

Spacing: 3'

Fertilizing: Fertilize in spring just before new growth begins.

Cold Hardiness: Hardy in zones 6 - 9

Water Use: Keep moist until completely established. Average water needed during growing season

Resistance to Disease: Very Resistant and Healthy

Fragrance No

Foliage: Medium green, foliage turns red in fall.

Growth: Compact, rounded

Bloom: Repeat, blooms in clusters from late spring - frost.

History: From a small nursery in Caldwell, Texas. Thought to be the rose, 'Pink Pet'

Fall color of Rosa 'Caldwell Pink'

*Information from the Antique Rose Emporium

Bryant Park Word for Word Series...

2010-06-08T14:07:00.000-04:00

Green Acres, Green Gardens
A Panel Discussion in Bryant Park

George Pisegna, Director of Horticulture, HSNY and Maureen Hackett, Director of Horticulture, Bryant Park

I had the privilege of being asked to speak at the Word for Word Series at Bryant Park on June 2. Peter Kukielski, Curator of the Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden at The New York Botanical Garden, and myself led a panel discussion on the ins and outs of gardening in an urban environment. The afternoon was hosted by Maureen Hackett, Director of Horticulture at Bryant Park. Topics discussed were soil conditions, shade gardening, plant choices, and alternates to chemical fertilization and weed/pest control. The discussion, of course, included roses. Peter has just authored his first book, Sustainable Rose Garden: Exploring 21st Century Environmental Rose Gardening, and was a wealth of knowledge on all that is roses.

Peter Kukielski, Curator Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden, NYBG and George Pisegna

The Bryant Park Reading Room offers custom-designed carts for an extensive and eclectic selection of books, periodicals and newspapers; readings and programs at lunchtime, after work and for kids; movable furniture to create a more intimate environment; and kid-sized carts and furniture for children to use. The programming, publications, and environment of the Reading Room are available to everyone for free, without any need of cards or identification.

Peter Kukielski, George Pisegna, Susie Sigel and Paul Romero of Bryant Park, and Katherine Powis, HSNY

For more information and the summer schedule check out their website at
http://bryantpark.org/things-to-do/reading_room.html

From the Reading Room...

2010-06-03T16:30:00.009-04:00

Summer Reading from The Barbara A. Margolis Library

For the novice...
Compost Stew: An A-Z Recipe for the Earth By Mary Siddals (juvenile book)

Paradise under Glass: An Amateur Creates a Conservatory Garden by Ruth Kassinger
This is a memoir by a non-gardener who creates a verdant, private sanctuary for herself. She includes a brief history of glass houses based non her research for the project that consumed and rewarded her. The author was recently interviewed in the New York Times.

Talking Dirt: The Dirt Diva's Down-to-Earth Guide to Organic Gardening by Annie Spiegelman

For the urban naturalist...
Wild Urban Plants of the Northeast: A Field Guide by Peter Del Tredici
(Save the date! Peter will be speaking at the Hort on Nov 1)

Need a crash course in urban weeds? This is it! The author, a senior research scientist at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, takes a hard look at the tough plants that thrive in our cities. His solid descriptions and color photos will help you identify these green survivors, and his inclusion of their cultural significance may get you thinking differently. The dandelion, for example, is listed in Joselyn's New England's Rarities from 1672. An early visitor to Central Park, completed in 1878, describes the lawn studded with dandelions as "green lakes reflecting a heaven sown with stars." Today's homeowners see stars too, but that's because they spend millions trying to eradicate the tenacious plant.

For foodies...
Edible Estates: Attack on the Front Lawn, 2nd ed. by Fritz Haeg

Public Produce by Darrin Nordahl

Both books address the private/public initiatives to bring food production to cities in the 21st century. Haeg champions the warriors in the trenches; Nordahl examines the broader issues.

For rose lovers...
The Sustainable Rose Garden
Though we all love them, roses have a reputation for being fussy and requiring toxic garden practices. This booklet published by The Manhattan Rose Society explores a more environmental approach. A revised and expanded edition will be available in September, but until then let the experts introduce you to 21st century rose growing.

For travelers, romantics and dreamers...
The Garden Visitors Companion by Louisa Jones
The author, ,who has lived in France for over 30 years, has written several books on gardens, each like this one beautifully illustrated. In this novel guide, she uses ten different types of gardens to help visitors develop an informed approach providing questions to consider and suggestions for things to look for and think about.

Ninfa: The Most Romantic Garden in the World by Charles Quest-Ritson

Paradise of Exiles: The Anglo-American Gardens of Florence by Katie Campbell
(The author will present an illustrated lecture at the Hort on June 10)

Sissinghurst, An Unfinished History: The Quest to Restore a Working Farm at Vita Sackville-West's Legendary Garden by Adam Nicolson

Article by Katherine Powis, HSNY Librarian

Staging Ground

2010-05-20T20:08:00.009-04:00

Staging Ground, a group show opened last Friday night, with a crowd of over 150 people. The exhibition will be on view through June 4th. The exhibition features five emerging local artists: Chris Gentile, Denise Kupferschmidt, Christina Leung, Christian Maychack and Jeffrey Tranchell. Each artist’s work documents an intervention or manipulation with plants and landscapes.

Installed on either side of the same wall, Gentile and Maychack represent two different ways of exhibiting plant-based sculptural works. In End Times/Amend Times #1, Gentile chooses to display a photograph of his sculptural creation, a scaffolding structure that has molded a plant into the shape of a reclining figure. Maychack prefers to directly present the product of his experiment in Double Host, a living sculpture that uses magic sculpt, a self-drying epoxy clay, to alter and influence the growth of a Euphorbia tirucalli ( pencil cactus).

Despite photography being their shared medium, neither Kupferschmidt or Leung consider themselves as photographers – it is the sculpture or action within their work that is important. In Windows, Kupferschmidt photographs her sculpture of interconnected wooden triangles at various different locales in Miami. In this way, the sculpture becomes a filter through which we see the landscape. Leung’s works are sculptural actions and interventions with plants and landscapes in suburban Ohio. For Honeysuckle, she cut square holes into the leaves of a Lonicera japonica ( honeysuckle bush), monitoring it over the course of four months (the hardy and invasive plant was mostly unaffected).

The one artist in the show whose work is removed from the natural environment is Tranchell, who has become known for his magazine collages with grocery labels and stickers. Here, he plays with how the landscape is represented and perceived through fashion advertisements, literally putting a price on these idyllic views.

Even though the environment is not the main concern in their works, each artist in Staging Ground challenges and experiments with the natural world, refusing to accept it at face value.

Staging Ground is on view through June 4, 2010.

The Gallery at The Horticultural Society is free and open to the public Monday through Friday, from 12 to 6pm, and by appointment.

Article by Chris Murtha, Curator

For more information http://www.hsny.org/programs_exhibitions.html

Plant Picks

2010-05-18T17:07:00.004-04:00

Actaea simplex 'Brunette'
'Brunette' bugbane

Zone: 4 - 8
Size: 3' to 4'tall, 2' to 3' wide
Habitat: Partial to full shade; rich, organic soil

With dark purple, fern-like foliage this plant should be the showpiece in every shade garden. It will create a striking silhouette in the back corner of your garden. Although it prefers shade, bugbane will tolerate some sun. Plants take about three years to establish into an impressive clump but are definitely worth the wait. Fragrant white bottle brush flowers appear in late summer.

Article from Fine Gardening, April 2008
www.finegardening.com

Posting in Sierra Club NYC's monthly newsletter

2010-05-10T12:46:00.011-04:00

City Sierran
Sierra Club NYC’s May Newsletter

Horticultural Society of NY in East Harlem, the Bronx, Bed Stuy, & Staten Island. HSNY, the City’s oldest horticultural organization, has volunteer opportunities at several urban farm projects. HSNY provides job training to some of New York’s most under-served communities, including families and at-risk youth, constituents of social service organizations, and men and women who are and were incarcerated.

- HSNY is collaborating with Manhattan Land Trust’s East Harlem Farm Project, which encompasses Papos Farm, Carver Garden and the East Harlem Community Garden. Gardening workshops as well as volunteer work days.

- HSNY is creating an urban rooftop farm at WHEDCO’s Intervale Green in the Bronx - the largest multi-family, EnergyStar affordable housing project in the nation.

This article was written by Stephanie Corrado and appeared in the ay issue of the City Sierran, The NYC Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Visit their website at www.nyc.sierraclub.org

Seeing the Light

2010-04-16T16:20:00.000-04:00

What kind of light do your plants get?
Not all kinds of shade are created equal. Understanding the difference in the kind of light your garden receives will make your plants very happy.

Degrees of Shade
Full shade, also known as deep shade, generally falls under the canopy of a tree or under the eaves of a building. The sky is largely blocked, and plants get only indirect light. Few garden plants tolerate full shade.

Partial Shade means full sun for part of the day and shade for part of the day. Timing alters the effects of partial shade. If the sun comes in the middle of the day, when sunlight is most intense, plants that prefer shade may struggle.

Dappled Shade, also called filtered shade, is a mix of sun and shade that occurs when sunlight passes between leaves or through an arbor or overhead lattice. Many plants that like full sun or full shade will also grow in dappled shade.

The plants themselves are the best measure to tell you if they need more or less light. Look for burned foliage, underwhelming growth or flowering, or a plant leaning toward the light. Being aware of the particular kinds of shade in your garden will help you achieve more success for your efforts.

Steve Aitken, Fine Gardening (www.finegardening.com)

The Noguchi Museum - Second Sundays

2010-04-12T12:01:00.005-04:00

Noguchi Museum Sculpture Garden

On Sunday April 11th, I was invited to give a lecture and tour of the Noguchi Museum Sculpture Garden in Long Island City. It was a beautiful day, perfect for strolling in the garden. After a brief lecture on the basic principles and designs of Japanese gardens and how they may have affected Noguchi's design process, I led a guided tour of the sculpture garden. We had an enthusiastic crowd of over 40 people who came to enjoy spring in the garden and reflect upon the uniqueness of this space amongst other urban sculpture gardens.

Here are some photos from the tour...

For more information on our programs visit us at hsny.org

Arbor Day April 30, 2010

2010-04-02T11:33:00.001-04:00

In-tree-gued?

Hey green people, think trees! Go for a walk in the park and see what’s blooming – well, everything at once this year: redbud, cherry, magnolia, dogwood...

And duck inside The Hort Library too. We’ve got what it takes to get you ruminating and cultivating. Here are just a few selections on trees from our deeply rooted collections:

A Countryman’s Woods by Hal Borland

Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs by Michael A. Dirr

A Field Guide to Imaginary Trees by Joe Bulgatz

The Forest in Folklore and Mythology by Alexander Porteous

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Great Flowering Landscape Trees by Vincent A. Simeone

New York City Trees: A Field Guide to the Metropolitan Area by Edward Sibley Barnard

The Power of Trees by Michael Perlman

The Tree Book for Kids and Their Grown-Ups by Gina Ingoglia

The Tree Care Primer by Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Katherine Powis, Librarian

A Treasure Arrives in the Library

2010-03-27T15:36:00.000-04:00

Not long ago a small, carefully wrapped package was sent to the library. A hand-written note accompanied the special gift – a pocket-sized album of pressed flower collages from the Holy Land. The donor acknowledged his appreciation for the society’s library.

The album has a wooden cover with detailed, decorative color engraving surrounding Hebrew letters and the word Jerusalem. Captions on each page are printed in Hebrew, French, German and English. A little online research reveals that the album’s cover is olivewood and that the album was likely published circa 1904. In fact many such albums were produced to cater to visitors to the area.

This little treasure will be displayed in the fall at the annual show of The American Society of Botanical Artists.

Katherine Powis, HSNY Librarian

LaLee's Kin: The Legacy Of Cotton

2010-03-24T12:24:00.004-04:00

Green Screen Film Series presented
Lalee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton
The Academy Award-nominated Film by Susan Froemke, Deborah Dickson
and Albert Maysles, Director of Gimme Shelter & Grey Gardens

About the Film:

LaLee's Kin explores the legacy of generations of African-Americans who toiled in the cotton industry in the Mississippi Delta — a hardscrabble life of poverty and virtual illiteracy. LaLee Wallace, a former cotton picker retired on disability, is a great-grandmother struggling to support and encourage her family, while Reggie Barnes, a crusading superintendent, strives to save the failing West Tallahatchie school system from takeover by the state. LaLee's Kin adheres to the rigorous and sober-minded Maysles tradition of presenting things as they are without editorializing.

About the Filmmaker:
Albert Maysles is an award-winning documentarian and a Guggenheim fellow. Along with his brother David, he brought us the cult classics Gimme Shelter (1970) and Grey Gardens (1976). The Maysles have also worked extensively with celebrated artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, whose monumental environmental projects were documented in Academy Award-nominated Christo's Valley Curtain (1974), Running Fence (1978), Islands (1986), Christo in Paris (1990), and Umbrellas(1995).

In addition to being nominated for an Academy Award in 2001, LaLee's Kin received the Sundance Film Festival 2001 Cinematography Award for Documentaries and the DuPont Columbia Gold Baton Award in 2004.

Visit our website, hsny.org, and check out our monthly film screenings

In Celebration of World Water Day

2010-03-22T12:13:00.005-04:00

HSNY would like share an update of our East Harlem Water Conservation Project

As a follow-up to HSNY’s Election Day water training with 23 teachers, our Apple Seed program challenged each PS 57 classroom teacher to compete for the “water saver” award by creating a dynamic lesson on one of the following topics:
1. Understanding our complex New York City water system
2.Identifying everyday ways to conserve clean tap water
3. Discovering rainwater harvesting and its importance in water conservation. HSNY would like to announce the winners of the competition:

The First Place Water Saver Award was presented to Ms. Montanez and her Kindergarten Class 112. Ms. Montanez describes her project: In class we have been learning about the water cycle and water conservation. We discussed the importance of conserving water. The students wrote and drew pictures of the things they do at home and at school to conserve water. Each child wrote a book and read it to the class.

The books are written in both Spanish and English and each page is illustrated. To connect the project with the core curriculum, the students wrote stories in sequential order (first, then, last) and then created their books in the computer.

Another Water Saver Award went to Ms. Shealy and her Kindergarten Class 126. Ms. Shealy’s class connected the water cycle to their scientific study of the seasons. They stressed the importance of water all living things and created gorgeous colorful images of water as rain, for drinking, for swimming in and for life.

Another Water Saver Award went to Ms. Nelson and her Second Grade Class 232.
Class 232 discussed how useful and necessary water was while creating our PAST, how much we need and use it NOW and how we will need it in the FUTURE. Then they asked ”What if there were no water left on Earth? What would like be like? What couldn’t we do? The students created a scene with water and a scene without water, and compiled their work to create a class pop-up book.

HSNY’s Apple Seed program would like to thank the Catskill Watershed Corporation for its generous support of this project. For more information about our complex New York City drinking water system, please visit their website at http:/www.cwconline.org

To learn more about the PS 57 Water Conservation Project and the Garden of Dreams, please visit our Wed June 25, 2008 blog entry

Article by Pam Ito

Plant Picks

2010-03-03T14:48:00.007-05:00

Cornus mas, Cornelian cherry dogwood

One of the first signs that spring is near are the soft yellow blooms of the Cornus mas. This handsome woody brings color back into a rather bleak landscape with its flowers that appear before the plant develops leaves. If your garden does not have a Cornelian cherry dogwood, this is the year to think about introducing a tree that heralds the transition from winter to spring.

Doris Page Winter Garden at Glendale Gardens, JHG 2009

Hardiness Zone: 4-8
Habit: Deciduous
Height: 20-30'

Width: 15-20'
Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial shade
Bloom Time/Color: Late Winter/Early Spring; yellow
Foliage: Grown for Foliage; Burgundy/Dark
Fruit: Bright red 'cherries' in mid Summer
Comments: Flaking bark, tough adaptable shrub to small tree,
fruits attract birds, no serious insect or disease problems,
spreads by suckers

The Hort Library Book Club

2010-03-01T18:03:00.005-05:00

Join the Hort Society Library Book Club! We meet monthly to discuss exciting books and authors.
Here is a list of what we have read so far.

Farm City: The Education of an Urban Framer by Novella Carpenter
Carpenter, a former student of Michael Pollen, has written an appropriately gritty memoir about urban farming which includes raising chickens, rabbits and pigs on a small lot in an Oakland, California ghetto. She takes obvious pride in dispatching and eating her critters.

The Natural History of Selborne by Gilbert White
Still in print, this natural history classic from 1793 has gone through many editions over the years. White, who kept meticulous records of his observations of nature, was familiar with the works of his contemporary Linnaeus ans seems to have informed Darwin's findings on earthworms.

Bringing It to the Table: On Farming and Food by Wendell Berry
These insightful essays speak to the current interest in reconnecting with our food. Since the 1970's the poet/farmer Berry has championed the agrarian farm that is "well-integrated into the natural systems that support it" and railing against factory farms.

Next up on Tuesday, March 16th at 6pm is the humorous classic from 1929 by the Czech author/playwright:
The Gardener's Year by Karel Capek, illustrated by Josef Capek
It's short, sweet and charming, and will have you itching to get back in the garden.

Katherine Powis, Librarian

Horticultural Therapy Partnership Forum

2010-02-22T11:21:00.009-05:00

FOOD 4 THOUGHT
Friday, March 12, 2010 — 9:45am to 2:00pm

The Horticultural Society of New York and the Horticultural Therapy Partnership invite you to come explore the use of horticulture to promote emotional and physical well-being. Join us to discuss the application of horticultural therapy to food production at urban farms, community gardens, correction and alternative-to-correction programs, and care facilities. We look forward to your attendance at what promises to be an informative and inspiring conference.

The Horticultural Therapy Partnership was formed in 2007 to advance the use and practice of horticulture for human health, learning, and development. The Partnership consists of therapists, clinicians, teachers, gardeners, and community advocates who work primarily with constituents living in the urban environment. Each year we meet to discuss our experiences, and to hear those of others. The Horticultural Therapy Partnership's goal is to develop best practices, and to create a network that allows for the easy exchange of ideas and knowledge. The forum is open to everyone. Register online today!

Schedule

9:45 am – Meet and Greet

10:15 am – Introduction

George Pisegna, Director of Horticulture, HSNY

10:30 am – Speakers

Horticultural Therapy at the Rikers Island
Hilda Krus, HTR, Director of GreenHouse, HSNY
Horticultural Therapy for People Living with HIV/AIDS
Liza Watkins, Bailey Holt House
Sandra Power, Horticultural Therapy Institute

11:30 am – Lunch Buffet

12:00 pm – Panel Presentations

Moderator:

Ronnit Bendavid-Val, Director of Citywide Horticulture,
NYC Department of Parks & Recreation

Panelists:

Urban Farming, Farm Stands & Markets
Jane Hodge, City Farms Manager, Just Food
Rev. Robert Jackson, Co-founder, Brooklyn Rescue Mission
Horticulture Across Generations
Arthur Sheppard, Goddard Riverside
Partnering Medical & Social Research
Anne Wiesen, Co-founder and Executive Director of Meristem
Naomi Sachs, Founder & Director of Therapeutic Landscapes Network
Physical Therapy and Gardening
Karen Washington, Physical Therapist, President of NYC Community Gardens Coalition, Co-Founder of La Familia Verde Gardens Coalition

1:00 pm – Panel Q & A

1:30 pm – Summing-Up

The Horticultural Therapy Partnership is generously funded by:
• The Education Foundation of America
• Ittleson Foundation
• van Ameringen Foundation, Inc.

Botany Photo of the Day

2010-02-18T14:54:00.010-05:00

What a magnificent orchid to share with our viewers.....

Plant Family: Orchidaceae
Scientific Name and Author: Angraecum sesquipedale, Thouars
Name Location: cultivated in Saint Peter, Minnesota, USA

Thank you to Brian aka aeranthes@Flickr for sharing the photograph today (original image via BPotD Flickr Pool). The following illustration is by John Nugent Fitch, and is now a public domain work after having been originally published in the 1882-1897 publication, The Orchid Album

Angraecum sesquipedale has a bevy of common names, including Star of Bethlehem orchid, comet orchid and Darwin's orchid.

The most amazing feature of this orchid is the over 11 inch long nectary and the insect that pollinates it. Commonly called the Darwin Hawk Moth, Xanthopan morganii praedicta, has an extremely long proboscis that reaqches the last inch of the nectary of this orchid where the sweet nectar is hidden. The moth is attracted to the orchid intense fragrance and the white color of its labellum that is well visible at night.

Xanthopan morganii praedicta, Darwin Hawk moth, pollinating the Angraecum sesquipedale

To view the full article visit the Botany Photo of the Day website
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2010/02/angraecum_sesquipedale.php

Hudson Valley Seed Library

2010-02-11T12:36:00.000-05:00

It's time to think about the garden!

The Horticulture Society of New York is very pleased to announce we now carry seeds from the Hudson Valley Seed Library. We are currently the only Manhattan resource for these open-air pollinated, heirlooms seeds. Ken Greene and Doug Muller have been working diligently to bring seeds that are proven successful for our area to the gardeners of the greater New York region. Learn more about their operation which is located in the picturesque Hudson Valley.

The Hudson Valley Seed Library strives to do two things:

to create an accessible and affordable source of regionally-adapted seeds that is maintained by a community of caring gardeners; and,
to create gift-quality seed packs featuring works designed by New York artists in order to celebrate the beauty of heirloom gardening.

In 2010, we will be offering over twenty-five varieties of locally grown seed. Most of our varieties are rooted in the history and soils of New York or are chosen because they do well here. Every year we plan on growing additional varieties on the Seed Library farm and contracting with organic and certified naturally grown farmers in the Hudson Valley and upstate New York to grow even more varieties. Our membership program provides a way for backyard gardeners to make a vital contribution to this effort. By 2014, we aim to be 100% New York grown.

Who are the people behind the Seed Library? The farm and business are run by partners Ken Greene (on right in photo) and Doug Muller (on left). Our friend Linda-Brook Guenther of Back to Basics helps us regulary with seed-packing, organizing, order processing, and farm work. We are often helped by other folks, including Nancy Campbell Muller, Aileah Kvashay, Jacinta Bunnell, Carrie Schapker, Michael Asbill, Peg Lotvin, and lots of other good people in the Hudson Valley.

Our Library Packs contain seed that was grown by member farmers and gardeners. For 2010, the majority of the seeds were grown here at our own farm in Accord, New York. In coming seasons we hope to offer seeds grown by a network of participating farmers in the Hudson Valley and upstate New York, each of whom contributes one or two varieties of heirloom seed to the library.

Our Garden Packs contain seed that was obtained from wholesale seed suppliers. Over the next several years we hope to dramatically decrease our reliance on these suppliers in favor of local growers.

Our Art Packs are each designed by a different artist from the greater New York region (this includes upstate New York, the Hudson Valley, the City, Northern New Jersey, and Connecticut). Each pack celebrates the beauty inherent in heirloom gardening. Click here to see all the art packs and to learn more.

How Sweet It Is!

2010-02-10T16:25:00.004-05:00

Maya-Mediterranean chocolate rice pudding

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, on Tuesday evening, February 9th about 35 people attended a marvelous presentation in the library by culinary historian Maricel E. Presilla on the history of chocolate and the many varieties of cacao beans produced around the world today. We were treated to chocolate samples from Bali, Vietnam, Ghana, Dominican Republic, Peru, Venezuela, and Trinidad. We learned to distinguish the subtle flavors inherent in each: citrus, banana, dried fruit, nuts, and even floral hints of lavender and rose.

Maricel owns a restaurant in Hoboken and just this week opened a chocolate shop there. She is president of a Latin American food research and marketing company that specializes in the sale of premium cacao beans from Latin America. She explained that she had to revise her book The New Taste of Chocolate: A Cultural and Natural History of Cacao with Recipes because there are so many rapid changes in the world of cacao production.

The extraordinary evening ended with spicy hot chocolate and servings of the most delicious shrimp polenta – yes, with a bit of chocolate in the sauce. The good news if you missed it, Maricel promises to return to The Hort soon!

Article by Katherine Powis

Jimmy Mirikitani at the Hort

2010-02-05T17:33:00.007-05:00

The Cats of Mirikitani

As part of our Green Screen Film Series, The Hort recently screened The Cats of Mirikitani. The film was presented in conjunction with our current exhibition, Hiroshi Sunairi’s Leur Existence – Tree Project. The subject of the documentary, Jimmy Mirikitani, was escorted by the film's director, Linda Hattendorf on a visit to the HSNY to see the exhibition.

Since 2005, Sunairi has been collecting seeds from hibaku trees (those that survived the atomic bomb) in Hiroshima and has distributed them to nearly 400 participants in 23 countries. The Tree Project exhibition features a selection of these plants, which have been donated by the participants, as well as photographic and written documentation of the process.

Hiroshi, a native of Hiroshima, introduced Jimmy to the Tree Project and guided him around the exhibition. Jimmy enjoyed the exhibition and spoke of his memories of being in Hiroshima during the war. We were given a very special treat when Jimmy sat down and began drawing his now famous cats and presented it to Hiroshi. It now hangs as part of the show.

Visit the film's website: thecatsofmirikitani.com

Ground Hog Day

2010-02-02T16:51:00.012-05:00

Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter. Okay so that’s not great news for gardeners, but readers won’t mind, will we? Here to sustain, encourage and inspire you are six new books in the library:

The American Meadow Garden: Creating a Natural Alternative to the Traditional Lawn by John Greenlee. Timber, 2009
Thinking of weaning yourself from the sod this year? Check out the possibilities…

The Complete Chile Pepper Book: A Gardener’s Guide to Choosing, Growing, Preserving, and Cooking by Dave DeWitt and Paul W. Bosland.
This will warm you up and get you cooking too!

Looking Closely Around The Pond by Frank Serafini. Kids Can, 2010
The absolute favorite among our botany students aged 5 to 8 years.

Power of Gardens by Nancy Goslee Power. Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009.
California dreaming anyone?

The Sibley Guide to Trees written and illustrated by David Allen Sibley.
Sibley, bird illustrator extraordinaire, tackles trees beautifully just in time to prepare you for a springtime stroll through the park.

Succulent Container Gardens by Debra Lee Baldwin. Timber, 2010
So many times we get asked about the beautiful and unusual succulents growing here at The Hort.

Booklist from Katherine Powis, Librarian

Interactive Education Classes at The Hort

2010-01-25T12:30:00.005-05:00

Making the decision to take control of your children’s education can seem overwhelming. More and more families are making the decision to home school. Today more than three million children are being taught at home. The Hort is offering a curriculum of exciting and thought provoking courses that will exercise your child's critical thinking skills.

By using a mix of colorful and thought provoking power point presentations, class discussion, hands on activities and reading time with our librarian Katherine Powis to capture interest, promote class participation, foster cooperative learning, and encourage exploration of the topics of the day.

Our current course schedule at The Hort...
Interactive Botany - Special Plants for Special Places

Spotlighting the unusual habitat adaptations, pollinators & human uses of desert, tropical, evergreen, deciduous and aquatic plants

Interactive Botany - Plant Propagation

Participants will discover four plant propagation techniques, raise six varieties of plants though both vegetative and reproductive propagation while exercising cooperative learning and critical thinking skills.

For more information on classes and how to register visit us online...

http://www.hsny.org/programs_outreach_appleseed_courses.html

Swamp Things

2010-01-21T15:17:00.009-05:00

Skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, is not really a cabbage at all but a swamp-dwelling member of the Arum family known more for its bad smell than its good looks. This late winter bloomer has a rare property that greatly interests scientists: It is one of the few plants that can generate heat by burning starch in special cells. How does it manage to stay a cozy 60 degrees to 77 degrees F, despite the chilly nights? The answer is not entirely clear, but Kikuatsu Ito and Takanori Ito, of Iwate University in Japan, recorded minute-by-minute temperatures and discovered an order to the variations. They named it the 'skunk cabbage algorithm'. Researchers are now testing a thermostat that makes use of the algorithm. If a plant's brain can be tapped to regulate our air conditioning and heating systems, just imagine what other secrets our swamps and gardens are keeping.

Article by Pam Rich
Facts about Symplocarpus foetidus, skunk cabbage:

one of the first plants to bloom in the spring
its flowers are often partly or whooly covered by last year's fallen leaves
it is fly pollinated, hence its 'skunky' odor
leaves emerge after the flowers
habitat is wet woods, swamps, streamsides
grows 1 to 2 feet high
the flower is a spathe, 3 to 5 inches high, purplish-brown and green
blooms in February to April
native to eastern North America to Nova Scotia

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

2010-01-11T15:38:00.001-05:00

There are kids in the Hort library! Yep, we’re reaching out to young audiences. Apple Seed Director Pam Ito offers botany classes for 6 – 8 year olds right here in the library. The current series focuses on biomes (you know, ecosystems). We’re learning about desert, rainforest, evergreen, deciduous and aquatic plants.

At the end of her class, I read a specially selected juvenile book from our collection. And guess what? It’s lots of fun all around. I get to indulge my inner drama queen and the kids are wide-eyed in wonder at the tales we tell. They even get to borrow books from the library to read at home, and by all accounts that’s a thrill for them too since this is their first experience of a specialized library.

I heartily recommend these books to parents, teachers and kids :

Desert Giant: The Story of the Saguaro Cactus by Barbara Bash is a terrific non-fiction story about this fifty foot tall cactus that looks a bit like a person. It shows how local people and wildlife make use of all the parts of the plant.

One girl asked if we have a very similar book called Cactus Hotel by Brenda Z. Guiberson. (Yes, Virginia, we do indeed!). Both books are beautifully illustrated and fact-filled.

The Great Kapok Tree: A Tale of the Amazon Rain Forest by Lynne Cherry is also beautifully illustrated and focused on how dependent living beings are on this plant. Importantly, it dramatically highlights the precarious existence of the world’s rain forests. Your little ones will be engrossed by this fictional story and the animals that whisper, growl, chatter and sing.

Toddlers Too! Stay tuned; we’re starting a story hour that will introduce the youngins to the wonderful world of plants.

Katherine Powis, Librarian

Air - Cleaning Plants

2009-12-18T11:04:00.016-05:00

Plants remove toxins from the air and absorb them, leaving your home safer for you, your family, and your pets.

Next time you go shopping for eco-friendly home cleaning supplies, consider adding large-leaved plants for every room in house. The reduce unhealthy pollutants as well as airborne bacteria and fungi while adding the humidity needed to combat respiratory and allergic conditions.

According to B. C. Wolverton, Ph.D., a retired NASA research scientist, indoor air pollution can be a major threat to our health. To determine how the earth produces and sustains clean air through plants, Wolverton and his fellow NASA scientists studied plants in controlled environments. The researchers found that houseplants can purify and revitalize air in our homes and offices, protecting us from the negative effects of such common toxins as ammonia, formaldehyde, and benzene.

Asbestos, pesticides, fumes from detergents and solvents, fibers from carpets, draperies, insulation, even glass - not to mention mold and tobacco smoke - all add up to a cleanup best tackled by Mother Nature. Plant leaves are able to absorb pollutants and send them to the roots, where they become food for microbes.

To get the most out of your house plants, set them up, 2 to 3 per room, so there is plenty of space around each one for ideal air circulation. Keep the air moist by misting plants. Avoid locations in the rooms where there are drafts or sudden temperature changes. Pollutants are absorbed through the leaves, so keep the leaves clear of dust by gently wiping with a damp cloth.

Top 10 Air Cleaning Plants

Chrysalidocarpus lutescens, Areca palm

Chamaedorea siefritzii, Reed palm

Phoenix roebelenii, Dwarf date palm

Nephrolepis exaltata, Boston fern

Nephrolepis obliterata, Australian sword fern

Hedera helix, English ivy

Ficus benjamina, Weeping fig

Ficus elastica, Indian rubber plant

Epipremnum aureum, photos
Photo credit: mr_subjunctive, at the blog Plants are the Strangest People
http://plantsarethestrangestpeople.blogspot.com/2007/11/john-q-public-epipremnum-aureum.html

Spathiphyllum wallisii, Peace lily

Article from Organic Gardening, Dec 2005/Jan 2006

Mistletoe

2009-12-11T13:56:00.011-05:00

When you think of mistletoe, holiday decorations and stolen kisses come to mind. In the garden, however, mistletoe leads a life of crime, plundering nutrients from trees and serving up highly toxic berries. A native plant, American mistletoe, Phoradendron flavescens, isn't all that bad, providing shelter and food to a variety of birds, bugs, and butterflies. The great purple hairstreak, Atlides halesus, a beautiful southern butterfly, relies on the mistletoe as a primary food source for its larvae.

Partners in Crime
Birds thrive on mistletoe berries and use the growing clusters for nesting. Unharmed by the berries' toxins, birds end up with sticky mistletoe seeds stuck to their beaks and feet. They assist the spread of mistletoe when they land on new branches or preen to clean their beaks. The seeds get lodged in the bark, germinate, send 'holdfasts' to the branch , and produce foliage about a year later

Mistletoe facts...

There are 1,300 species of mistletoe
Cost of a sprig of mistletoe (minus the berries): $5
It was once thought that mistletoe grew spontaneously from bird droppings
Age at which a mistletoe plants flowers: 5 years
Best way to rid a landscape tree of mistletoe is to prune the infected limb
In 1893, mistletoe was chosen as the floral emblem of Oklahoma
Medical use of mistletoe extract in Europe: cancer treatment

Mistletoe 'balls' and trees can coexist for years. The berries ripen in November

Article by Abigail Poulette, Organic Gardening, Jan 2007

Recycled produce?

2009-12-01T11:15:00.000-05:00

Allium wakegi, Scallion

The next time you buy fresh green onions or scallions at the market, don't compost the heads you cut off, instead replant them! Follow these easy steps and you can have a continuous crop for months on your kitchen window sill.

Green Onions:
1. Use green onions with healthy, white roots attached to the bulb. Snip off green tops for cooking with a scissors. Leave a little green top on the onion bulb.

2. Plant the entire onion while leaving the short top above ground in a small pot filled with a loamy, organic potting soil. Make sure your container has drainage holes. Put in a sunny windowsill and water once a week or when soil feels dry to the touch.

3. Harvest new green shoots with scissors to use for cooking or as a tasty garnish. Continue to leave the onion in the soil. With each new growth the onion will taste more potent. After each harvest of onion tops, dress the topsoil with organic compost. Enjoy green onion tops in stir-fries, omelets, and in sandwiches all winter long *

*Organic Gardening Magazine

The First Thanksgiving

2009-11-23T17:02:00.011-05:00

Jennie Brownscombe, 1914

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast which is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. This harvest meal has become a symbol of cooperation and interaction between English colonists and Native Americans. Although this feast is considered by many to the very first Thanksgiving celebration, it was actually in keeping with a long tradition of celebrating the harvest and giving thanks for a successful bounty of crops. Native American groups throughout the Americas, including the Pueblo, Cherokee, Creek and many others organized harvest festivals, ceremonial dances, and other celebrations of thanks for centuries before the arrival of Europeans in North America.

The Pilgrims' Menu (Foods That May Have Been on the Menu)

Seafood: Cod, Eel, Clams, Lobster
Wild Fowl: Wild Turkey, Goose, Duck, Crane, Swan, Partridge, Eagles
Meat: Venison, Seal
Grain: Wheat Flour, Indian Corn
Vegetables: Pumpkin, Peas, Beans, Onions, Lettuce, Radishes, Carrots
Fruit: Plums, Grapes
Nuts: Walnuts, Chestnuts, Acorns
Herbs and Seasonings: Olive Oil, Liverwort, Leeks, Dried Currants, Parsnips

Thanksgiving Fun Facts Over the Years...

Though many competing claims exist, the most familiar story of the first Thanksgiving took place in Plymouth Colony, in present-day Massachusetts, in 1621. More than 200 years later, President Abraham Lincoln declared the final Thursday in November as a national day of thanksgiving. Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in 1941.

Sarah Josepha Hale, the enormously influential magazine editor and author who waged a tireless campaign to make Thanksgiving a national holiday in the mid-19th century, was also the author of the classic nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb."

In 2001, the U.S. Postal Service issued a commemorative Thanksgiving stamp. Designed by the artist Margaret Cusack in a style resembling traditional folk-art needlework, it depicted a cornucopia overflowing with fruits and vegetables, under the phrase "We Give Thanks."

Vitis labrusca, Concord grapes

The cranberry is one of only three fruits—the others are the blueberry and the Concord grape—that are entirely native to North American soil, according to the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association.

Originally known as Macy's Christmas Parade—to signify the launch of the Christmas shopping season—the first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in New York City in 1924. It was launched by Macy's employees and featured animals from the Central Park Zoo. Today, some 3 million people attend the annual parade and another 44 million watch it on television.

Snoopy has appeared as a giant balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade more times than any other character in history. As the Flying Ace, Snoopy made his sixth appearance in the 2006 parade.*

*Information from History.com

All of us at The Horticultural Society of New York would like to extend our wishes for a safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday, to all of you!

Autumn in New York...

2009-11-09T16:09:00.013-05:00

'Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.'
Albert Camus

While I was walking through St. Nicholas Park in west Harlem the other day, I snapped some wonderful photos of the colors and textures of autumn. I hope you enjoy them.

Rhus copallina var. latifolia 'Morton', Shining sumac

Ulmus parviflora, Chinese elm samaras

Platanus occidentalis, Sycamore bark

Ulmus americana, American elm

Rhus typhina laciniata, Cutleaf staghorn sumac

Parthenocissus tricuspidata, Boston ivy

Quercus rubra, Red oak

Crataegus phaenopyrum, Washington hawthorne

Phytolacca dioica, Pokeweed

Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Virginia creeper

Spring Awakening

2009-10-30T11:28:00.000-04:00

There is nothing that makes a gardener more excited than seeing a beautiful carpet of color beneath a budding tree's branches. Winter's cold and grey days are finally rewarded with early spring bloom of crocus or hyacinths. With some initial fall labor and care, there is little effort but to enjoy the spring show. Bulbs will also naturally set seed and produce offset bulbs that will continue to increase your display.

If trees and bulbs compete for food, light and water, trees will always win. Give your bulbs a fighting chance by planting them under trees that:

Are deciduous, this allows sunlight to reach the ground when the bulbs are sprouting before leaves are formed.
Have deep root systems or large surface roots like oak, redbud, hawthorne, magnolia
Have limbs that start high on the trunk, casting as light shade

To minimize potential damage to trees:

Choose small bulbs, they require smaller holes which means less disturbance
Plant between the tree's roots
Avoid tearing roots; never cut into a root
Don't pile soil on top of roots to plant bulbs, the extra layer will stop necessary oxygen from reaching the roots.

Avoid planting bulbs under trees that:

Are evergreen
have shallow or fibrous root systems, such as maples and rhododendrons
Are allelopathic (meaning they produce chemicals that hinder the growth of neighboring plants), like black walnut, black locust, southern waxmyrtle

After planting the bulbs water them in. There is no need to fertilize, just mulch them with ground-up leaves or compost.*

The best bulbs for planting under trees*
Crocus, crocus
Iris reticulata, dwarf iris
Narcissus, early daffodils
Chionodoxa, glory of the snow
Muscari, grape hyacinth
Cyclamen, hardy cyclamen
Puschkinia scilloides, Lebanon squill
Scilla sibirica, Siberian squill
Galanthus, snowdrop
Leucojum, snowflake
Anemone blanda, windflower
Eranthis, winter aconite

*Organic Gardening, Aug-Oct 2007

Water Daily

Special Delivery

Plant Picks

Wet soil plants

Carrots for containers

Sustainable Peat Moss?

Plants for Privacy

Plant Pick

Tree Bondage?

Storing Fruits and Vegetables

Ancient Asteraceae

Plant Picks

Recycle Your Christmas Tree

Snow Damage To Landscape Plants

Wreath Interpretations

Planting Good Cheer

When Frost Threatens

At the Feeder

Majestic Trees

The choice you make when buying a tree:

Air-Pot Grown

Bareroot

Rootball

Conventional Container Grown

Bagged

Plant Picks

Hudson Valley Seed Library

Pickles, pickles, pickles...

Plant Picks

Opening Reception of The 13th Annual International Juried Botanical Art Exhibition

Tomato Horn Worm

Plant Picks

Mosquito-ease?

Family Day at Noguchi Museum

Terrarium Workshop at the Hort

Urban Edibles

Workshops at the Hort...

Plant Picks

Bryant Park Word for Word Series...

From the Reading Room...

Staging Ground

Plant Picks

Posting in Sierra Club NYC's monthly newsletter

Seeing the Light

The Noguchi Museum - Second Sundays

Arbor Day April 30, 2010

A Treasure Arrives in the Library

LaLee's Kin: The Legacy Of Cotton

In Celebration of World Water Day

Plant Picks

The Hort Library Book Club

Horticultural Therapy Partnership Forum

Botany Photo of the Day

Hudson Valley Seed Library

How Sweet It Is!

Jimmy Mirikitani at the Hort

Ground Hog Day

Interactive Education Classes at The Hort

Swamp Things

Lions and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

Air - Cleaning Plants

Mistletoe

Recycled produce?

The First Thanksgiving

Autumn in New York...

Spring Awakening