The Virtual Gardener

by Lesley Parness – lparness@morrisparks.net

In reflecting back on this summer in the garden, I can definitely say that something was missing: Bees! What is more pleasant than dozing off on a mid-summer afternoon to the quiet drone of someone else (human or otherwise) working hard to improve your garden? Statistics confirm what our senses already know – pollinator populations are diminishing. Animal and insect pollinators include bees, moths, flies, bats, birds, ants, butterflies, wasps and beetles. It has been estimated that pollinators are needed for the reproduction of 90% of flowering plants and one third of human food crops. Domestic honey bees pollinate approximately $10 billion worth of crops in the U.S. each year. What can we do? Plenty. This summer, we’ll be hosting several programs on pollinators so here’s some homework to get ready:

Begin at www.pollinator.org – a great site for an introduction to the topic. FYI – NJ is an “Eastern Broadleaf Forest Oceanic Province.”

At the Applewood seed company’s website, http://www.applewoodseed.com/ we learn that “Animal and insect pollinators are essential to pollination in over 75% of the world’s flowering plants, which includes roughly 35 percent of the world’s crops.” See their “Pollinator Conservation” section for good plant selections.

At www.xerces.org tackle the heavy science. The Xerces Society is a nonprofit organization that protects wildlife through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitat. For forty years, the Society has been at the forefront of invertebrate protection worldwide, harnessing the knowledge of scientists and the enthusiasm of citizens to implement conservation programs. Read the rest of the post »

The Virtual Gardener is pleased to announce a new Member Benefit! Members can now peruse our circulating library's collection online.

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin was the first American to start a circulating library in 1731? Members of his "Library Company" paid a fee which was used to purchase books and maintain the library and each of these contributors had borrowing privileges. (learn about Franklin's idea at www.ushistory.org, search "The Library Company." ) This is much like our library - each of you pays membership fees, a part of which maintains the library and each of you has borrowing rights. So, exercise your rights and borrow a book!

Here's how -- Go to www.arboretumfriends.org and select "Resources" from the bar across the top of the home page. Under "Resources" select "Library" and follow the link to the online card catalog. Here is the link to the On-Line Card Catalog.

We are going to be adding more sections to this list, but for now you can see the listing of books under the Garden Design and Juvenile sections.

Many of these titles are available for purchase at Amazon.com. So, to learn more about the book you are interested in, you may want to type the name of the book into Amazon.com's book section to see it online and perhaps read some it there.

To borrow a book, simply send the name of the book(s) you would like to borrow to lparness@morrisparks.net. Your book reservation must be sent to me by Wednesday at 9:00 am and you may borrow up to 3 books at a time.

Reserved books will be available for pick up at the Front Desk of the Haggerty Education Center on that coming Saturday or Sunday from 9:30 am - 4:00 pm. Read the rest of the post »

by Lesley Parness -- lparness@morrisparks.net

This Virtual Gardener entry is about John Bartram. This year's New Year's Party will allow you to meet John Bartram in person, no small feat as he was born in 1699 and died in 1777. Please read the program description for information about this fabulous presentation!

In preparation for this program, and in order to understand the importance of his work to the world of horticulture, please start at www.bartramtrail.org for a concise biography of the man. Note the many references to Peter Collinson. At the New Year's Party, you will see some of Mr. Collinson's books and letters to Mr. Bartram from our Rare Book Collection. Although John Bartram lacked a formal education, he corresponded with many of the great scientific minds of his age: including Mr. Collinson; Phillip Miller, author of the "Gardener's Dictionary" (also to be on display); Sir Hans Sloane (founder of the British Museum); various Earls; Dukes; and Linnaeus himself, who called John Bartram the "best natural botanist of his time."

Now on to www.pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/bios/Bartram_John.html for more insight into this fascinating figure. Next, www.bartramsgarden.org, the website of the non-profit organization that manages Bartram's home and garden and www.ushistory.org/tour/bartrams-garden.htm. Finally, enjoy the detailed house information at http://uchs.net/HistoricDistricts/bartramhouse.html. Read the rest of the post »

It's worth the olfactory desert of January to smell, on a sunny afternoon in February, the rush of citrus. There's a lovely Meyer's Lemon waiting for you at Willowwood's conservatory.
 
For some closer to home, grow your own. For the real deal on growing your own, check out recommendations at www.fourwindsgrowers.com, Use their citrus variety information chart.  Rangpur Lime sounds divine (I dimly hear the clink of ice cubes...)
 
Master Gardeners are in the know at www.emmitsburg.net/gardens/articles/adams/2006/lemon_tree.htm.
  Read the rest of the post »