South Eastern Connecticut Landscaping

I have this sneaking suspicion that the spaces under “Saturday” and “Sunday” are sitting blank in your planner right now. If you’re not dashing onto a plane to escape the return of chilly weather to New York, I’m going to make a solid suggestion: get your camera. You probably have one sitting on the shelf somewhere, pitifully neglected, waiting for the day you make the commitment to get out and start learning the craft.

If you haven’t etched your plans in stone, put a few bucks on your MetroCard and head to the Bronx with your Nikons, your Canons, your Fujis or whatever else you can come up with. We’re actually going to reward you for participating in our Caribbean Garden photography contest, not just with the chance to come back for a course or workshop of your choosing with our NYBG educators, but for tips and tricks provided by professional garden photographers this Sunday afternoon. You can’t keep making excuses! Because who knows? Wait too long and the steamroller of technological innovation just might make your camera format obsolete.

Okay, that last bit is a patent exaggeration, but we get such a kick out of judging submissions for our weekly Caribbean Garden photo contests that I’m willing to go to any length to get more submissions. The bigger the field of contestants, the better the experience when sorting through all that creativity (my selfish motivations are showing). Take a look at this past week’s winning photos to get an idea of what I’m talking about.

Whether or not the click and whirr of the camera is your niche, there’s something going on this weekend to get you out of the house:

Saturday, February 4

Bird Walk — 11 a.m.
Meets at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

I was out and about on Wednesday and happened to catch Rose and Vince–two of our veteran Red-tailed hawks–circling overhead near the Library Building. Join Debbie Becker this Saturday and you’ll probably have similar luck–they’re not exactly hermits. Bring your camera or your binoculars and along the way you might spot diurnal owls on the hunt, songbirds, and a number of other native avian guests.

Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.

Salsa: Listen and Learn — 2 p.m.
Meet at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s Green School

When it’s cold outside, you always feel better on the move than you do standing still. Not that this is an issue to consider for the weekend. Throughout the run of our Caribbean Garden exhibition we’re offering the chance to work out the winter in our salsa classes, learning the history, tradition, and steps of Cuba’s favorite dance style in the warmth of the Conservatory.

Sunday, February 5

Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.

Photography Tips and Tricks — 1 to 3 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Professional garden photographers Rich Pomerantz and Alan Detrick return for another series of photography mini-workshops. Boost your skill while you take part in our Caribbean Garden photo contest through tips, tricks, critiques and more–these guys aren’t shy about sharing their wisdom with burgeoning photo artists.

Ongoing Children’s Programs

Tropical Discoveries and Wintertime Wonders — Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Meet at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden

Don’t leave the Garden without a souvenir for your little ones. The kids can stop by the Adventure Garden and take part in the exploration of New York’s native plants, then get into gardening for themselves by potting up tropical plants of their own to take home.

Adventures in Adaptations Scavenger Hunt
Self-guided

For a kid, there’s always the imagination to fall back on, but sometimes a tangible challenge is what really does the trick. To that end, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory transforms into an adventurous jungle with questions and answers around every bend. Pick up a field notebook at the ticket booth on your way into the NYBG and set the kids on a scavenger hunt to not only figure out what plants Dr. Ed Apshon is talking about, but to find out where in the world he’s headed next.

Don’t forget your tickets! The Caribbean Garden is an event for everyone, but you’ll need a Conservatory pass to get in.

Tags: Adventures in Adaptation, Caribbean Garden, Photography Contest, weekend

This entry was posted
on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Around the Garden, Exhibitions, Photography.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Article source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/02/exhibit-news/clicks-and-whirrs-in-the-conservatory-this-weekend/

Related Posts:

• Clicks and Whirrs in the Conservatory this Weekend
• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4
• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4

I have this sneaking suspicion that the spaces under “Saturday” and “Sunday” are sitting blank in your planner right now. If you’re not dashing onto a plane to escape the return of chilly weather to New York, I’m going to make a solid suggestion: get your camera. You probably have one sitting on the shelf somewhere, pitifully neglected, waiting for the day you make the commitment to get out and start learning the craft.

If you haven’t etched your plans in stone, put a few bucks on your MetroCard and head to the Bronx with your Nikons, your Canons, your Fujis or whatever else you can come up with. We’re actually going to reward you for participating in our Caribbean Garden photography contest, not just with the chance to come back for a course or workshop of your choosing with our NYBG educators, but for tips and tricks provided by professional garden photographers this Sunday afternoon. You can’t keep making excuses! Because who knows? Wait too long and the steamroller of technological innovation just might make your camera format obsolete.

Okay, that last bit is a patent exaggeration, but we get such a kick out of judging submissions for our weekly Caribbean Garden photo contests that I’m willing to go to any length to get more submissions. The bigger the field of contestants, the better the experience when sorting through all that creativity (my selfish motivations are showing). Take a look at this past week’s winning photos to get an idea of what I’m talking about.

Whether or not the click and whirr of the camera is your niche, there’s something going on this weekend to get you out of the house:

Saturday, February 4

Bird Walk — 11 a.m.
Meets at the Reflecting Pool in the Leon Levy Visitor Center

I was out and about on Wednesday and happened to catch Rose and Vince–two of our veteran Red-tailed hawks–circling overhead near the Library Building. Join Debbie Becker this Saturday and you’ll probably have similar luck–they’re not exactly hermits. Bring your camera or your binoculars and along the way you might spot diurnal owls on the hunt, songbirds, and a number of other native avian guests.

Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.

Salsa: Listen and Learn — 2 p.m.
Meet at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory’s Green School

When it’s cold outside, you always feel better on the move than you do standing still. Not that this is an issue to consider for the weekend. Throughout the run of our Caribbean Garden exhibition we’re offering the chance to work out the winter in our salsa classes, learning the history, tradition, and steps of Cuba’s favorite dance style in the warmth of the Conservatory.

Sunday, February 5

Conservatory Tour — 12:30 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Explore the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, an acre of plants under glass, with one of the Garden’s docents. Take an eco-tour around the world through 11 distinct habitats, including two types of rain forest, deserts of the Americas and of Africa, and aquatic and carnivorous plant displays. Admission included with an All-Garden Pass.

Photography Tips and Tricks — 1 to 3 p.m.
Meets at the Conservatory entrance

Professional garden photographers Rich Pomerantz and Alan Detrick return for another series of photography mini-workshops. Boost your skill while you take part in our Caribbean Garden photo contest through tips, tricks, critiques and more–these guys aren’t shy about sharing their wisdom with burgeoning photo artists.

Ongoing Children’s Programs

Tropical Discoveries and Wintertime Wonders — Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Meet at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden

Don’t leave the Garden without a souvenir for your little ones. The kids can stop by the Adventure Garden and take part in the exploration of New York’s native plants, then get into gardening for themselves by potting up tropical plants of their own to take home.

Adventures in Adaptations Scavenger Hunt
Self-guided

For a kid, there’s always the imagination to fall back on, but sometimes a tangible challenge is what really does the trick. To that end, the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory transforms into an adventurous jungle with questions and answers around every bend. Pick up a field notebook at the ticket booth on your way into the NYBG and set the kids on a scavenger hunt to not only figure out what plants Dr. Ed Apshon is talking about, but to find out where in the world he’s headed next.

Don’t forget your tickets! The Caribbean Garden is an event for everyone, but you’ll need a Conservatory pass to get in.

Tags: Adventures in Adaptation, Caribbean Garden, Photography Contest, weekend

This entry was posted
on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Around the Garden, Exhibitions, Photography.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Article source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/02/exhibit-news/clicks-and-whirrs-in-the-conservatory-this-weekend/

Related Posts:

• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4
• From the Field: Bill Buck in Cape Horn, Day 4
• Morning Eye Candy: Adonis

Rumor has it we’ll be seeing some snow in New York tonight! Does that mean winter’s finally making its frigid entrance stage right? Or maybe it’s just nature’s subtle way of nudging you to get off the couch and pay us a visit for the balmy opening of the Caribbean Garden. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that–yes–the season is giving you a signal. What could it hurt?

Snowflakes or no-flakes, the NYBG will be buzzing with tours, bird walks, and all the swinging, high-heeled dance numbers of the islands. I’m talking salsa. Salsa and warmth. When’s the last time you got to enjoy that kind of two-in-one in the middle of January? And even if the winter was mild until now, it’s a breezy icebox outside today; I’m convinced the threat of frostbite is reason enough to hang out in the jungle habitats of the steamy Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

Here’s what’s going on this weekend at the Garden!

Saturday, January 21

Bird Walk — 11 a.m.
Meet at the Leon Levy Visitor Center Reflecting Pool.
It’s raptor season here at the NYBG. Our local Red-tailed hawks have been especially vain this month, posing for local photographers and generally hamming it up at every opportunity. Jr. in particular is making daily appearances–he’s part of 2010′s brood from local celebrity duo Rose and Vince. Join veteran birdwatcher Debbie Becker for a walk through acres of Garden beauty and you might just catch a glimpse of these hunters on the wing. (Debbie has a great track record with this kind of thing.)

Garden Highlights Tour with American Sign Language Interpreter — 12:30 p.m.
Meet at the Conservatory entrance.
Our popular tours are the quickest way to get acquainted with the Garden’s living collections. Join an expert docent for a detailed tour of the permanent exhibitions across our 250-acre grounds. This week’s offering also brings with it an interpreter for those visitors needing assistance.

Salsa: Listen and Learn — 2 p.m.
Meet at the Conservatory Green School.
Educator Jose Obando will be here to teach you a thing or two about the history, culture, and rhythm of salsa music. With classic memorabilia and traditional instruments to help tell the story, Jose will end the get-together by teaching you a few salsa moves of your own. You know the best way to stay warm is to get your feet moving.

Sunday, January 22

Conservatory Tour — 12:30 and 2:30 p.m.
Meet at the Conservatory entrance.
A more specific version of our Garden Highlights tour, a docent will guide you through our Conservatory to view the permanent collections that make our glasshouse the botanical destination of the northeast. Carnivorous plants, steamy rain forests, deserts and more will enlighten and inspire.

Photography Tips and Tricks
Meet in the Conservatory Palms of the Americas Gallery.
Shutterbugs rejoice! Rich Pomerantz returns along with Alan Detrick for a casual photography workshop open to all Caribbean Garden visitors. Bring your camera for tips, encouragement, and critique from these accomplished and undeniably talented garden photographers. Then use your new techniques to take part in our photography contest running into March.

Ongoing Children’s Activities

Tropical Discoveries and Wintertime Wonders — Daily, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Meet at the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden.
The kids will begin with a scavenger hunt under the glass of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, seeking out tropical plants before winding their way to the Everett Children’s Adventure Garden for more native plant exploration. When they’re done, they can pot up a plant of their very own to raise at home.

Don’t forget your tickets! The Caribbean Garden is an event for everyone, but you’ll need a Conservatory pass to get in.

Tags: bird walk, Caribbean Garden, NYBG, tours, weekend

This entry was posted
on Friday, January 20th, 2012 at 4:02 pm and is filed under Around the Garden.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Article source: http://www.nybg.org/plant-talk/2012/01/around-the-garden/snow-day-salsa/

Related Posts:

• Grab Your Camera! Caribbean Garden Photography Returns
• A Winter Oasis is On Its Way!
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The other day Zali, and Ya were quite surprised to see all four papaya plants in our little garden, female. I tell them a technique  “scoop seeds from a ripe papaya, there should be more females than males. Both sexes differ in colour and size, take the females and germinate them!”

It was Farah our daughter who told me this. She got it from one of her neighbours in Kepala Batas, Kedah. I am not in a position to really confirm the technique, but somehow it worked on me. So it is nice to see all female papaya. And they are showing off little fruits, telling everyone that they really are females and ready for more little fruits…. I thought at seven months, they are rather quick to produce flowers and fruits. The last attempt over in Putrajaya took much longer, almost a year which finally died after a bout of termite attack.

plant no 1, first fruit

plant no 2,  first fruit

plant no 3,  first fruit

Earlier posts/pictures on Papaya:

• ASSESSING THE LAWN: six months after Jun 2011
• Papaya: selecting the strongest plant Jan 2011 
• Introducing Papaya Dec 2010

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• FAQS

No rain last night, so  the air was dense and heavy. In the morning  I saw tears of joy, crystal clear , so beautiful. Tomato must be happy indeed to last this long. It’s like saying Thank You. Both plants are doing alright, no wilting, with pear shaped fruits……

When the skin of tomato is cool, the moisture in the air condenses on the surface, and as the air gets warmer, it will evaporate to where it comes from. Its  more of tears of joy than dew.

Earlier post:

•  June 23, 2011    Tomato in two pots

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Spirea ‘Gold Flame’

Barberry ‘Rosy Glow’

The first two shrubs I would like to mention are Spirea and Barberry.  These deciduous shrubs display a colorful array of foliage and blooms (spirea) and are deer resistant.  Each cultivar comes in a variety of sizes including Barberry ‘Royal Burgundy’ (smaller 2-3′), Barberry ‘Rosy Glow’ (larger 5-6′), Spirea ’Gold Flame’ (2-3′), Spirea ‘Limemound’(2-3′) , and Spirea ‘Little Princess’ (1-2′) among others.  These plants are also drought tolerant once established.

Buddleia ‘davidii’

Our next candidate for a “deer resistant” garden is Buddleia or Butterfly Bush.  A deciduous shrub, Buddleia davidii is hardy to zone 5 and produces prolific purple blooms throughout mid to late summer. There is also now a new dwarf variety ‘Lo and Behold’.

Coreopsis ‘Zagreb’

On the ‘deer resistant” perennials list is coreopsis.  Coreopsis or ‘Tick seed’ displays beautiful daisy-like flowers throughout the entire summer and is drought tolerant once established.  It is hardy in USDA zones 4-8.

Nepeta ‘Little Titch’

Nepeta ‘Walkers Low’ is another favorite long blooming perennial that deer do not forage on.  It comes in a variety of different heights ranging from ‘Mussinii’ which is taller to ‘Little Titch’ which is a dwarf form.

Astilbe ‘Sprite’

If you have a shaded area with deer try Astilbe.  Astilbe is a popular perennial that comes in a variety of sizes and colors and thrives in low light.  There are many varieties of Astilbe ranging from white to pink to red and salmon.  The one shown here is Astilbe ‘Sprite’ which is hardy in USDA zones 4-8.

Peony ‘Sarah Bernhardt’

Peony are another favorite of many a gardener, displaying magnificent large blooms in early spring.  Put them onto your list.  They are not desired by deer and our four legged friends usually pass this one by.  Peony are hardy in USDA zones 2-8.


Dwarf Fountain Grass ‘Little Bunny’

If you enjoy having ornamental grasses in your garden they are also “deer resistant”.  There are many varieties of grasses to choose from including the well-known Fountain Grasses Pennisetum Alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ or ‘Little Bunny’ as well as the Maiden Grasses Miscanthus Sinensis ‘Gracillimus’ or ‘Morning Light’ among others.

Crape Myrtle ‘Sioux’

Crape Myrtle, a favorite tree in the landscape also happens to be on the deer do not eat list.  Crape Myrtle once more popular in the Carolina’s is now also popular in the northeast and is hardy in USDA zones 7-9.  Crape Myrtle come in a variety of colors and sizes.  Shown here is Crape Myrtle ‘Sioux’.

Chamaecyparis ‘Gold Mop’

There are various evergreens that are that can also be grown in the “deer resistant” garden.  The one shown here is Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Gold Mop’.  Gold Mop Cypress is a lovely golden evergreen that retains its color all year long, grows 2-3 feet in height and is hardy in zones 4-8.

Deodara Cedar ‘Aurea’

Deodara Cedar is also unfavored by deer and is a beautiful focal point in the landscape.  Deodara Cedar is a large pyramidal evergreen with graceful cascading branches and golden needles hardy to USDA zone 6.

Cryptomeria japonica

A beautiful evergreen for a privacy screening that is “deer resistant” is Cryptomeria japonica. Shown here in the backdrop, Cryptomeria is known for its soft delicate foliage and golden-green color on new growth. Cryptomeria is hardy to USDA zone 5.

Ilex ‘Nellie Stevens’

Next on the list are Ilex or the hollies.  For the most part deer do not prefer most hollies. I have seen cases where the deer are hungry enough that they will nibble on the new spring growth of  the plant but will not touch the more mature inner growth.  The more jagged the leaf on the variety of holly you choose the better.

Vibernum ‘Carlcephalum’

Another lovely plant, the vibernum displays white flowers in early spring and is a nice addition to the woodland garden.  Vibernum are hardy to USDA zones 4-8 and come in a variety of types and sizes.

As mentioned in the beginning of this article, no plant is completely deer resistant.   If the deer are hungry enough they will tend to nibble on plants in the landscape but there are some plants that are much less attractive to deer due to either their taste, aroma or foliage.  The species of plants I have mentioned in this article are the plants I have found to be most successful in the garden over my past fifteen years as a designer.  I hope you find this list to be helpful and informative. As Always, Happy Gardening.

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Author: greenfairy

Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 5:35 am (GMT 0)

The monsoon has set in at the right time. rains everyday, keeps on raining. work outside is not easy. plants need a lot of trimming and pruning once the rain slows down. but the heat of the summer has gone, it is very cool this time of the year.



i had been waiting for this plant to flower for a very long time. and this year, it has bloomed. i just love the fragrance it gives, heavenly.





mexican tuberose – polianthus tuberosa ( photo / image / picture from greenfairy’s Garden )





beautiful ( photo / image / picture from greenfairy’s Garden )



this is one more of my plants, once it blooms, it stays for along time, each opening to give blue, yellow clours











flaming torch – billbergia pyramidalis ( photo / image / picture from greenfairy’s Garden )





















( photo / image / picture from greenfairy’s Garden )

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Author: Kay

Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:45 pm (GMT 0)

a big weed ( photo / image / picture from Kay’s Garden )







I found this growing in my flower bed earlier this spring. I had amended the soil with some compost from my work. Our shop is on an old dairy farm, and we pulverize the mounds of manure to use in planting etc.

It was a very nice healthy plant, no bugs, nothing wrong at all, with the exception of being illegal…

It was hard for me to destroy such a pretty plant. Oh well, had to be done.

It grows wild all over in Nebraska. We just don’t pick it, or grow it in our gardens, if we are smart that is…

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pic 1: crane used to take everything up.

pic 2: Bags of growing media being unloaded at rooftop.

pic 3: Irrigation system being assembled.

pic 4: Irrigation system being assembled, one in one out!

pic 5: Cocopeat and burnt paddy husk as growing media, mixed.

pic 6: mixing of growing media

pic:  at the back of their Tshirts “rooftop gardening”

pic 9: prayer – everything would be alright hopefully

pic 10: everybody get involved in transplanting.

pic 11: even the ladies joined in

pic 12: He fixed the drip system

pic12: The young entrepreneurs dressed up for the launching

pic13: Datuk M, firmed the growing media at the base.

pic14: another two dignitaries joining media blitz

The irrigation system is working well, pushing through the seedlings into healthy looking chili plants

pic:15 Age of plant  ~  7 days

Pic16 : Age of plant ~ 10 days

thanks Aziem for the photos.

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One may wonder why should a flowering plant, so ordinary that it never end up in anybody’s garden be considered exotic at all.  I am looking at the leaves, resembling fern or palm which we don’t normally see on a climbing plant. I am looking at the indomitable spirit that pushes the exotic climber to keep on growing with new shoots at every available nodes.

This exotic climbing plant is from the old world, the days when children played in a make believe world with whatever around them. There were days, when little girls would take leaves of certain plant that will cause water to become thick almost like cooking oil. Little girls would use coconut shells to cook imaginary food that demand imagination to be stretched far and wide. Biscuits from clay, colourings from so many flowers wild or tame…, were props of childhood drama on stage.

This particular plant was everywhere when we were young. Some mothers would keep them in their little garden for dramatic red blooming fiesta. This exotic plant find it difficult to get to the modern world. Nobody wants them, too ancient I guess. Now I am giving them a chance of life time, for a glimpse of the modern world.

the leaves of exotic plant.
(Cardinal Vine updated)
    

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