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"The Wired Gardener" Online Newsletter
November – December 2008
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Web Reviews
PHS Announces its 2009 Gold Medal Plants
PHS has made its annual selection of plants notable for their pest resistance, ease of growing, and beauty. Read about our 2009 winners: Chaste Tree, Japanese Hornbeam, Fragrant Sumac, Privet Honeysuckle, Spicebush, and Weeping Katsura. To learn more about this program and past winners, visit the web site.
Hungry?
Try to Eat the View, a campaign sponsored by Kitchen Gardeners International. This campaign encourages the creation of edible landscapes wherever possible. At their website, you can sign a petition to persuade our next President to turn the White House lawn into a food garden. You can even “buy” a virtual plot of this notable lawn to donate back to the American people for use as a food garden when the next President moves in.
The Environment from All Angles
Published by the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale Environment 360 features analysis, reports, and opinions by multi-disciplinary experts on environmental issues. Be sure to sign up for feeds of the daily digest, E360 Digest.
A Virtual Star of an Herbarium
The New York Botanical Garden is well on its way to meeting its goal of digitizing its seven million plant and fungi specimens. At the C.V. Starr Virtual Herbarium, you can view images of more than one million of the Garden’s specimens, learn about the collectors, and see the exact location of each discovery on a Google map. The New York Botanical Garden digitizes these images and maintains the website to aid in biodiversity research, but it is also good for armchair plant exploration.
A High-Tech Tour
Prepare for your visit, real or otherwise, to the Scott Arboretum of Swarthmore College by loading your iPod with their podcasting tour. If a trip to Swarthmore, PA, is not on your agenda, the next best option is to view the images of each section of the arboretum while listening to the accompanying audio file.
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PHS McLean Library News
McLean Library Receives Conservation Bookshelf
Treasured documents held by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s McLean Library will be preserved for future generations with help from the Institute of Museum and Library Services Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books, DVDs, reports, and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the primary source of federal funding of the nation’s museums and libraries.
The McLean Library is being awarded this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for care of its collections. In addition to housing a circulating collection of books, the McLean Library also houses important historical collections, such as Delaware Valley seed and nursery catalogs from the nineteenth century and the archives of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which documents, among other projects, the history of the Philadelphia Flower Show.
The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in museum and in library special collections. Assembled by a blue-ribbon panel of conservation experts, these resources address such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and practical considerations for the care and housing of historic material. The McLean Library is one of 45 Pennsylvania libraries and museums selected to receive these resources in the last application period.
Water Exhibit in McLean Library
Water, Water, Everywhere: Let’s Keep It Safe To Drink!
Exhibition at the McLean Library
Through December 15, 2008
This informative exhibit addresses the efforts of Philadelphia, from the time of its founding to the present day, to ensure safe drinking water for its citizenry. The fresh water springs of the Revolutionary War period; the Watering Committee of 1799 that initiated the construction of the first water works; and the Philadelphia Fountain Society, founded by Dr. Swann; are all hallmarks of the city’s early history. Streetside stormwater planters that capture and filter runoff, designed through the collaborative efforts of PHS and the Philadelphia Water Department’s Office of Watersheds, represent the future. Come learn about these projects and more at the McLean Library (PHS, 100 N. 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA) open 9 - 5, Monday through Friday.
Monthly Book and Film Discussion Groups
Join “Stories from the Garden,” the McLean Library’s long-running book discussion group. Each month we’ll read and discuss works of fiction or non-fiction having to do with gardening, plants, nature, or the land. On Thursday, December 4, from 5:45 to 7:45 the group will discuss Rumer Godden’s An Episode of Sparrows. Participants must read books prior to each meeting.
Do you love to watch movies and talk about them? Join us in a newly formed film discussion series, where we’ll talk about movies in which nature, gardens, or the environment play a role. On Tuesday, November 18, 6 to 7:30 pm, the group will discuss Claude Berri’s Jean de Florette' (1986) a story about a greedy landowner who conspires to block his neighbor’s water source to force the owner to sell the property.
Both groups meet in the PHS McLean Library, 100 N. 20th Street, in Philadelphia. Participation is free and open to all, but pre-registration is requested. For complete schedules, reading list, and film selections, and to register for either group, please contact Priscilla Becroft at pbecroft@pennhort.org or 215-988-8772, or visit the PHS website, www.pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org, and click on “Calendar.”
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Coming Up: Free Lecture Series
PHS and the Wagner Free Institute of Science will co-sponsor two multi-session courses: Grasses, Rushes and Sedges and Park, Cemetery and Garden: The Landscapes of Philadelphia. These courses are free and open to the public and will be held in the PHS Auditorium. Space is limited; pre-registration is required. Participants will receive a syllabus and reading list as part of their registration acknowledgement. Pre-registration for both courses begins on November 17, 2008. To pre-register, please call 215-763-6529 ext. 23.
Grasses, Rushes and Sedges
Mondays, January 12 to February 23, 2009 (no class January 19), 6:30 pm
PHS Auditorium
The grasses are arguably the most important family of plants in terms of human impact. Nearly every world food culture has a member of the grass family as its major protein source. Grasses are also the dominant group of plants in many ecosystems. The productive farmlands in the central United States, as well as in other parts of the world, owe their existence to many years of grassland foliage decomposing to produce rich topsoil. Taught by Dr. Karen Snetselaar, this course will provide a general overview of grasses and their relatives.
Karen Snetselaar is associate professor of biology at St. Joseph’s University and professor of biology at the Wagner Free Institute of Science. She specializes in botany and plant diseases.
Park, Cemetery and Garden: The Landscapes of Philadelphia
Mondays, March 23 to April 27, 2009, 6:30 pm
PHS Auditorium
William Penn promised that Philadelphia would be “a green countrie towne” and indeed, with its five open squares, it is the first American city to be planned around landscapes.Taught by Dr. Michael J. Lewis, this course will examine the landscape tradition in Philadelphia, covering such topics as Quaker attitudes toward the useful and practical arts, the role of parks in promoting public health and safe drinking water, and the development of the modern public cemetery. Each lecture will focus on a case study of a particular landscape and its place in American history, including Fairmount Park, Laurel Hill Cemetery, and Bartram’s Garden. The course will include an optional field trip.
Michael J. Lewis is Faison-Pierson-Stoddard Professor of Art at Williams College, where he teaches the history of American art. He has written extensively about the history and culture of Philadelphia, including Frank Furness: Architecture and the Violent Mind (2001). Among his other books are American Art and Architecture (2006) and the prize-winning Politics of the German Gothic Revival (1993). In 2008 he received a Guggenheim Grant for his forthcoming book, City of Refuge: The Alternative Utopian Tradition.
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PHS Events
City Gardening Series: Indoor Culinary Herb Garden
Monday, November 3, 4 - 5 pm
Widener Branch, Free Library of Philadelphia
2808 W. Lehigh Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
Add zest and flavor to your holiday cooking. Environmental educator Lori Hayes discusses ways to grow your own fresh cooking herbs indoors year round. [more]
City Gardening Series: Drying and Preserving Fresh Flowers
Wednesday, November 5, 6 - 7 pm
Philadelphia City Institute, Free Library of Philadelphia
1905 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA
Horticulturist Eva Monheim provides tips and ideas on various methods for drying and preserving fresh flowers. [more]
Book Club: Stories from the Garden
Thursday, November 6, 5:45 - 7:45 pm
November selection: Gary Wills, Lincoln at Gettysburg: the Words that Remade America
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society McLean Library
100 North 20th Street, 1st Floor
Philadelphia, PA
In this book discussion group we read and discuss works of fiction or non-fiction having to do with gardens, plants, or the land. Participants need to obtain books and read each monthly selection prior to the discussion. [more]
Terrain at Styers Seasonal Open House
Saturday, November 8, and Sunday, November 9
9 am - 6 pm
Terrain at Styers
914 Baltimore Pike
Glen Mills, PA
Join us for Terrain at Styers *Sneak Peek* Seasonal Open House for the latest holiday ideas for creative gift giving, masterful decor, and inspirational tips! Entertainment and festive beverages, workshops, and handcrafted gifts combine with an amazing collection of amaryllis, poinsettias, and holiday plants. [more]
City Gardening Series: Attracting Birds to Your Garden
Saturday, November 8, 10 am - Noon
Bartram’s Garden
54th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard
Philadelphia, PA
Environmental educator Liz Dailey shares information for creating a bird-friendly garden. Leslie Gale, Bartram educator, will then lead a walk through Bartram’s Garden’s diverse bird habitats, discussing species commonly seen here. [more]
Special Shopping Event at Smith & Hawken
Sunday, November 9, 11 am - 5 pm
All Smith & Hawken locations
PHS members, begin your holiday shopping by enjoying a 20 percent discount at all Smith & Hawken stores on November 9, 2008 from 11 am - 5 pm. Your current PHS membership card must be presented to receive this discount. Light food and refreshments will be available throughout the day at the Bryn Mawr and King of Prussia locations. [more]
City Gardening Series: Growing Herbs Indoors
Monday, November 10, 4 - 5 pm
Queen Memorial Branch, Free Library of Philadelphia
1201 S. 23rd Street
Philadelphia, PA
Liz Dailey gives tips on how to successfully grow and care for container herb plants through the winter. [more]
Evening Lecture: NIWAKI, the Art of Pruning, Training and Shaping Trees the Japanese Way
Monday, November 10, 6 - 8 pm
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
100 North 20th Street, 5th Floor
Philadelphia, PA
Niwaki means “garden tree,” something grown in the garden rather than the wild. The word’s implications, however, are much broader, as we will experience when Jake Hobson introduces us to a fascinating look at how the Japanese garden may be seen as landscape, intrinsically linked to Japan itself through the deliberate shaping of its trees. [more]
City Gardening Series: Windowsill Gardening - Herbs
Wednesday, November 12, 4 - 5 pm
Lillian Marrero Branch, Free Library of Philadelphia
601 W. Lehigh Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
Community gardener Janet Carter demonstrates that with even minimal care, many herb plants will grow easily in containers on your windowsill. [more]
City Gardening Series: Flower Arranging for the Holidays
Monday, November 17, 1 - 2 pm
Walnut Park Plaza Senior Residence
6250 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA
Janet Carter teaches how to arrange flowers and use them to decorate your home. [more]
Film Discussion Group
Tuesday, November 18, 6 – 7:30 pm
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society McLean Library
100 North 20th Street, 1st Floor
Philadelphia, PA
Do you love to watch movies and talk about them? Join us in this film discussion series where we’ll talk about movies in which nature, gardens, or the environment play starring or supporting roles. We’ll look at themes of redemption and restoration, what happens when nature goes awry, and our never-ending quest to live in harmony with the environment. [more]
Meadowbrook Farm Workshop: Holiday Decorations for Your Home
Thursday, November 20, 10 am - Noon
Meadowbrook Farm
1633 Washington Lane
Abington Township, PA
There are many places to add greens, cones, and berries inside and outside the home for the holidays. Sharon Kaszan will introduce you to many plant materials that can be used to create beautiful displays for your mantles, vases and tabletops. She will guide you as you create your own hanging greens arrangement for indoors or out. [more]
City Gardening Series: Houseplants - Your Winter Garden
Wednesday, December 3, 6 - 7 pm
South Philadelphia Branch, Free Library of Philadelphia
1700 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia, PA
At this workshop, Ginny Page will discuss some general guidelines to follow for keeping your houseplants growing vigorously throughout the winter months. [more]
Book Club: Stories from the Garden
Thursday, December 4, 5:45 - 7:45 pm
December selection: Rumer Godden, An Episode of Sparrows
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society McLean Library
100 North 20th Street, 1st Floor
Philadelphia, PA
In this book discussion group we read and discuss works of fiction or non-fiction having to do with gardens, plants, or the land. Participants need to obtain books and read each monthly selection prior to the discussion. [more]
City Gardening Series: Bus trip to Longwood Gardens
Friday, December 5, 8 am - 3 pm
Longwood Gardens
Kennett Square
Philadelphia, PA
A guided tour is a wonderful way to experience Longwood Gardens and its beauty. This tour will be in two parts, beginning with the East Conservatory. On the second part of our tour we will discover non-public areas of Longwood, including the Production Greenhouses, and learn about Longwood’s state-of-the-art growing facilities and techniques. [more]
Meadowbrook Farm Winter Open House
Saturday, December 6, 10 am - 5 pm
Meadowbrook Farm
1633 Washington Lane
Meadowbrook, PA
Tour the Home & Garden of the late Mr. & Mrs. J. Liddon Pennock, Jr. See each room of the home decorated in style for the holidays. Get insider tips on how you can decorate your own home. [more]
Meadowbrook Farm Tour: The Legacy of Liddon Pennock
Wednesday, December 10, 10 am - Noon
Meadowbrook Farm
1633 Washington Lane
Abington Township, PA
This in-depth tour of Meadowbrook Farm’s noted Robert McGoodwin-designed estate will include an expanded discussion on the style of J. Liddon Pennock, Jr., the well-traveled philanthropist, floral designer to the elite, and host to many famous dignitaries. Travel back to a time when elegance and whimsy reigned in both his home and garden. [more]
Garden Tenders Hands-On Workshop: Holiday Arrangement
Thursday, December 11, 6 - 8 pm
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
100 N. 20th Street, 5th Floor
Philadelphia, PA
Make a holiday centerpiece. [more]
Film Discussion Group
Tuesday, December 16, 6 - 7:30 pm
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society McLean Library
100 North 20th Street, 1st Floor
Philadelphia, PA
Do you love to watch movies and talk about them? Join us in this film discussion series where we’ll talk about movies in which nature, gardens, or the environment play starring or supporting roles. We’ll look at themes of redemption and restoration, what happens when nature goes awry, and our never-ending quest to live in harmony with the environment. [more]
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Family-Friendly Gardening
Self-Guided Walks: “Discover the Secrets of Nature’s Garden”
Daily, year-round
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
1635 River Road
New Hope, PA
Visit often to experience nature’s changing palette in the preserve’s 134-acre site. For all ages.[more]
After-School Wonder Walk
Tuesday, December 9, 4 - 5 pm
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
1635 River Road
New Hope, PA
Join volunteer naturalist Pam Newitt for an afternoon exploring the preserve. For all ages. [more]
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2008 Plant Sales and Events
See the 2008 Plant Sales and Events on our website for major plant sales and garden tours in the greater Philadelphia region. [more]
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Other Gardening News & Events
Programs and Workshops
November/December 2008
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
1635 River Road
New Hope, PA
Learn about how plants prepare for winter. Make a holiday wreath from native plants. Come to Weed Patrol and get rid of invasive plants in a fun group environment. [more]
Programs and Events
November/December 2008
Delaware Center for Horticulture
1810 N. Dupont Street
Wilmington, DE
A lecture on growing Clivias, a training class on planting bare-root trees, an art exhibit, and holiday gift sales are among the offerings at the Delaware Center for Horticulture in November and December. [more]
Continuing Education Courses
November/December 2008
Longwood Gardens
Kennett Square, PA
Create a Thanksgiving centerpiece, learn the secrets of how to create your most dazzling holiday tree ever, delve into orchids, and more. [more]
Scott Arboretum Events
November/December 2008
Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College
500 College Avenue
Swarthmore, PA
Plant a winter container, take a workshop on “Lawn Alternatives for the Real World,” make a green holiday wreath, and more. [more]
American Begonia Society, Delaware Valley Branch
Saturday, November 1, 9:30 am - 12 Noon
Huntingdon Valley Library
625 Red Lion Road
Huntingdon Valley, PA
Howard Berg, past president of ABS, will discuss his many years of experience growing begonias. Contact Bernie Wiener at wiener1@verizon.net or 610-446-2160.
“Not Just for the Birds: Gardening Can Help Save the Planet”
Wednesday, November 5, 7 pm
Winsor Room, Radnor Library
114 West Wayne Avenue
Wayne, PA
The Community Garden Club at Wayne sponsors this presentation by Steven Saffier of the Audubon Society’s new program “Audubon at Home”. [more]
The African Violet Society of Philadelphia
Thursday, November 6,7:30 - 9:30 pm
Ridge Avenue United Methodist Church (Bodiee Hall)
7811 Ridge Avenue (Ridge & Shawmont)
Philadelphia, PA
Meeting topic: African Violet Propagation. [more]
Lecture: “The Artist’s Garden”
Sunday, November 9, 2 pm
Haverford College Arboretum
Sharpless Auditorium
370 Lancaster Avenue
Haverford, PA
Artist Michael Petrie, whose work is well known to Philadelphia Flower Show visitors in exhibits of the now-closed J. Franklin Styer’s Nursery, will share his design thought process. Contact Martha Van Artsdalen at mvanarts@haverford.edu or 610-896-1101.
Historic Preservation Program: Ernest Hemingway’s Cuban House Restored
Friday, November 14, 7:15 pm
Bucks County Community College
Gateway Auditorium
275 Swamp Road
Newtown, PA
Presenter Mary Werner DeNadai was part of a team assisting the Cuban Government in the preservation of Hemingway’s Havana home. Proceeds benefit preservation of Tyler Gardens. Contact Lyle Rosenberger at rosenbel@bucks.edu or 215-504-8500 x6007.
Recycle NOW Philadelphia: The Vision is Zero Waste
Saturday, November 15, 9 am - 3 pm
Center for Environmental Policy
The Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA
This all-day forum will be Philadelphia’s signature America Recycles Day event and will target neighborhood leaders as well as environmental and recycling advocates to explore future opportunities for recycling in Philadelphia. Contact Roland Wall at rwall@ansp.org or 215-299-1108. [more]
Liberty Bell Gesneriad Society Meeting
Tuesday, November 18, 7:30 pm
Cathedral Village
Philadelphia, PA
Michael Riley presents his living walls as featured in the October/November 2007 issue of Horticulture magazine. Contact Stephen Maciejewski at 215-985-1456.
Meeting: West Jersey Rose Society
Wednesday, November 19, 7:30 - 9 pm
Holly Room, Medford Leas Community Building
One Medford Leas Way
Medford, NJ
Program: How to Winterize Rose Bushes. Contact 856-234-6583.
Waste Not, Want Not - The Economic Argument for Recycling
Thursday, November 20, 6 - 8 pm
Center for Environmental Policy
The Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Philadelphia, PA
Christine Knapp of PennFuture and Neil Seldman of the Institute for Local Self Reliance will speak. Contact Roland Wall at rwall@ansp.org or 215-299-1108. [more]
Workshop: Floral Turkey Centerpiece
Sunday, November 23, 1 - 3 pm
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
100 Northwestern Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
Make a holiday table favorite with Cheryl Wilks. Contact 215-247-5777 x156 or 157.
Philadelphia Botanical Club
Thursday, November 20, 7:30 pm
Marvin Comisky Conference Center
Blank Rome LLP
One Logan Square (enter on north side of Cherry Street between 18th and19th Streets)
Philadelphia, PA
Steve Grund, Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, "To Boldly Botanize: Thomas Nuttall's Explorations in the Early Nineteenth-Century North America." [more]
Holiday Wreath Making
Saturday, December 6, 10 am -Noon OR 1 -3 pm
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
100 Northwestern Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
Join this holiday workshop with Cheryl Wilks of Flowers on Location. Contact 215-247-5777 x156 or 157.
Holiday Tabletop Tree Arrangement
Thursday, December 18, Noon -2 pm OR 6:30 -8:30 pm
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
100 Northwestern Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
Cheryl Wilks leads this holiday workshop. Contact 215-247-5777 x156 or 157.
Philadelphia Botanical Club
Thursday, December 18, 7:30 pm
Marvin Comisky Conference Center
Blank Rome LLP
One Logan Square (enter on north side of Cherry Street between 18th and19th Streets)
Philadelphia, PA
Elizabeth H. Zacharias of Harvard University Herbaria will speak on “The Latest on the Systematics of North American Atriplex”. [more]
Holiday Fresh & Fragrant Centerpiece
Saturday, December 20, 1 -3 pm
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
100 Northwestern Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
Holiday workshop with Cheryl Wilks. Contact 215-247-5777 x156 or 157.
Kids Holiday Centerpiece Workshop
Saturday, December 20, 10 am -Noon
Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania
100 Northwestern Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
Holiday workshop with Cheryl Wilks for kids ages 5 to 12. Contact 215-247-5777 x156 or 157.
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Garden Q & A
We give our wonderful volunteers a well-deserved break during the holiday season. In December, please hold those calls and emails until January 5, when this gardening information service reopens. Until closing, use the form on our web site.
Q. I just cut down a black walnut tree that has been causing trouble in my garden for the past ten years. We had the stump ground out and the wood chips carted away. How long do I need to wait until I plant a new shade tree in this area? (So that the allelopathic effects of old roots will no longer kill off new plants). Christine R., Horsham, PA
A. Black walnut trees (Juglans nigra) produces a chemical called hydrojuglone which, when exposed to air or soil compounds, becomes the oxidized compound called juglone, which can be toxic to neighboring plants. This “allelopathic” effect (i.e., toxicity to neighboring plants) can be ameliorated by good cultural practices. Also, there are many plants which tolerate juglone in the soil and can grow near Black walnut trees. See the Virginia Cooperative Extension’s article “Trees Trees for Problem Landscape Sites -- The Walnut Tree: Allelopathic Effects and Tolerant Plants” to learn more about allelopathy and for a list of plants that will grow well near black walnuts.
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How to Submit News & Events
The Wired Gardener is issued 10 times a year (no July or December issue) on the 1st of the month. We post notices of gardening events and give precedence to Philadelphia-area events. Deadline: the 15th of the month for listing in the next month's issue. Send brief details and contact information by email and reference "Wired Gardener" in the subject line. Press releases are not accepted. Please review and follow the format used in our Other Gardening News and Events section.
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About the Wired Gardener
Edited by Janet Evans, McLean Library manager, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, with contributions by Elena Sisti and Priscilla Becroft.
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