Gardening Events In and Around Philadelphia June, 2011
Classes at the Arboretum
Morris Arboretum
Philadelphia, PA
Explore the arboretum’s wetlands, learn about gardening with hydrangeas, hardy ferns or old roses, or sign up for a series of yoga classes in this beautiful outdoor setting. details
Events and Classes
Scott Arboretum, Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
This month, visit private gardens in Chestnut Hill or join an excursion to Wave Hill, a beautiful public garden overlooking the Hudson River. details
Educational Programs for Adults
Tyler Arboretum
Media, PA
This month at Tyler you can learn how to make a moss-lined hanging basket, take a trip to the Pine Barrens, go on a trail ramble through the arboretum’s native woodland, and more. details
Pennypack Environmental Center
Saturday, June 4, 9 am – 3 pm
Philadelphia, PA
Hike the trails of Pennypack in search of wooden sculptures, including “Thoreau’s Hut”, an artist’s interpretation of the hut as a dwelling place. Bird watch at the bird feeding stations where you’ll see many of our resident birds including nuthatches and an occasional hawk. details
Tree Tenders Training
Saturday, June 4
Lafayette College
Easton, PA
The PHS Tree Tenders® training program, developed in collaboration with the Penn State Extension Urban Forester for lay people and experts alike, is now being offered in additional communities by TreeVitalize. The program provides eight hours of indoor and hands-on instruction to train and empower concerned citizens to help restore and care for their local trees. details
The Garden Conservancy’s Open Days Program: Erie County Private Gardens
Saturday – Sunday, June 4 – 5, 10 am – 4 pm
Erie, Fairview, North East, and Wattsburg, PA
Take a self-guided tour through eight of the most beautiful private gardens in the Erie County area. Highlights include a primrose path, child-friendly features, several bog gardens, views of Lake Erie, and more. details
Shofuso Spectacle
Saturday, June 4, 6 – 9 pm
Fairmount Park
Philadelphia, PA
Watch the lengthening shadows overtake the pond and garden with taiko drumming, dance and musical performances in the illuminated house. details
Philadelphia Botanical Club Field Trip
Sunday, June 5, meet at 10 am
New Jersey Pine Barrens: Atsion area, Burlington County, NJ
Visit braided streams south of Atsion where recent fires have occurred and peaty remnants of Forge Pond as well as other terrestrial and wetland habitats. We expect to see both common and rare plants of the Pine Barrens, including carnivorous plants and curlygrass fern (Schizaea pusilla). details
Philadelphia Botanical Club Field Trip
Sunday, June 5, meet at 10 am
Nottingham Serpentine Barrens, Chester County, PA
Serpentine grassland is a globally rare ecosystem found over rare outcrops of serpentinite and similar rock. The Nottingham Barrens, about 1 square mile, is one of the largest remaining tracts of this ecosystem and has exceptionally high diversity of herbaceous plants. details
Planting Tips for Trees and Shrubs
Sunday, June 5, 1:30 – 2:30 pm
Haverford College Arboretum
Haverford, PA
Come and enjoy the beauty of the college campus in early summer bloom while learning what to look for when buying a tree or shrub. Contact Martha Van Artsdalen, 610-896-1101.
Floristic Quality in the Delaware Valley
Wednesday, June 8, 9 – 11 am
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
New Hope, PA
The Plant Stewardship Index (PSI) is the preserve’s free floristic quality assessment tool that enables stewards of public and private lands to survey and assess the status of native plant populations on the properties they protect and manage. This introductory class will focus on the many applications of PSI. details
Drilling for Natural Gas in the Marcellus Shale: What it Means for Pennsylvania
Thursday, June 8, 6 – 8:30 pm
The Academy of Natural Sciences
Philadelphia, PA
The Academy’s Center for Environmental Policy offers an educational forum featuring presentations from a panel of experts representing the fields of environmental stewardship, public policy, energy production, and government regulation. The forum will provide a broad and diverse overview of the environmental, health, and economic issues related to the natural gas boom that is currently taking place throughout Pennsylvania. details
Plant Stewardship Index Field training
Friday, June 10, 9:30 am – 4 pm
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
New Hope, PA
After a brief overview of the Plant Stewardship Index (PSI) methodology and a short survey of sampling techniques, the class will spend the bulk of the day doing a PSI area inventory and plot survey under the guidance of botanical expert Linda Kelly. details
Begonia Society Plant Sale
Saturday, June 11, 9 am – 2 pm
Feasterville, PA
The Delaware Valley Branch of the American Begonia Society sponsors this annual sale of a wide variety of begonias – heirloom, rare, shrub, rhizomatous,in hanging baskets, and more – plus organically grown herbs, annuals, and succulents. details
Philadelphia Master Gardeners’ Second Saturday Series: “Sustainable Garden & Landscape Techniques”
Saturday, June 11, 9:30 – 11 am
Fairmount Park Horticultural Center
Philadelphia, PA
Penn State Master Gardener Antonio Federici will offer ways to save money while helping to save the environment. Topics will include composting, capturing rain water for gardening, turning lawns to meadows and other “green” landscaping measures that rely less on chemicals and more on our relationship with nature. details
Growing Native Plants: Mini Bog Garden
Saturday, June 11, 10 am – 1 pm
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
New Hope, PA
Learn how to construct and care for a bog garden with preserve nursery manager Bob Mahler. details
Philadelphia Botanical Club Field Trip
Sunday, June 11, meet at 10 am
Columcille and Tannersville Bog, Northampton and Monroe Counties, PA
Columcille is a 17-acre Heritage Conservancy property with a diverse woodland flora with very few invasives, little deer damage, many wet areas, and a network of trails. We will use our group’s knowledge to add to the site’s plant list.Tannersville Bog is known for having plants typically found in more northern climates. details
Healing and Edible Plants in the Wissahickon
Wissahickon Environmental Center
Saturday, June 11, 10 am – 2 pm
Philadelphia, PA
Herbalist, Maia Toll will begin our morning with a walk to discover plants that can be used for eating and medicinal uses. Learn about the rules for harvesting in the park and guidelines for using plants found in the wild. We’ll harvest our own invasive-edible plants and prepare wonderful spring lunch dishes with plants such as garlic mustard and stinging nettle. details
Boat to Bartram’s Garden
Sundays, June 12 & 19, 1 pm
Depart from the Walnut Street Dock
Leave Center City by boat and travel down the Schuylkill River to America’s oldest botanic garden. Disembark and tour the National Historic Landmark Bartram House and botanic garden and stroll the lawns and meadow. details
Lehigh Valley Sustainable Landscapes Tour
Wednesday, June 15, 8 am – 4 pm
Starts at Emmaus Community Park Pavilion. Get on the bus to see sustainable landscape practices that have been implemented to help the environment, improve water quality, and reduce the cost of maintaining public landscapes. details
Great Swamp Bioblitz
Friday, June 17, 5 pm – Saturday, June 18, 5 pm
Morris County, NJ
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has consented to allow a second BioBlitz at the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge this year. In 2009, with only a limited area surveyed, over 612 species were found. This year the entire refuge will be surveyed, putting several marshes, wooded swamps, wet meadows and other distinct habitats into play for our BioBlitz. If you are able to come and help, contact Hazel England at the Great Swamp Watershed Association at hazele@greatswamp.org
Knowing native Plants: Focus on Ferns
Wednesday, June 18, 10 am – 1 pm
Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve
New Hope, PA
Some native plants, such as ferns, don’t flower at all. Preserve volunteer naturalist Ed Lignowski will teach you how to identify many native ferns. details
Wyck Food Festival and Symposium: Cultivating Our Food Roots
Friday – Saturday, June 24 – 25, 9 am – 5 pm
Wyck Historic House and Garden in Germantown
Philadelphia, PA
This two-day program will highlight both the evolution and preservation of American foodways culture. Free community festival Friday evening; all-day ticketed symposium on Saturday. Featured speakers include William Woys Weaver, Michael Twitty, Valerie Erwin, Rose Hayden-Smith, and Ben Watson. We will journey through historic paths of production and consumption and gain an understanding of the place of food in history. details