The Landis Newsletter Summer, 2019 Volume 37, Number 2
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Inside this issue . . .
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______________________________________________ From the Garden: Don't Let Ticks Kick You Out of the Garden - Erin Breglia, Landis Gardener Every time I hear the word “tick,” I cringe in fear of the little arachnids – and their bite and the diseases they carry. The recent exponential increase in the tick population has had a big impact on me, my family, and our way of life because we are all lovers of the outdoors. Stubborn gardener that I am, I decided to learn how to avoid them rather than attract them, and to figure out ways to garden, to hike, to just be outside and still remain safe. [Read more] Fall Plant Sale Preview:
Small Shrubs and Fall Color - Amy Howansky After the success of the “Small Shrubs for Small Spaces” category at the Spring Plant Sale, we will continue the theme at the fall sale – and bringing your attention to plants notable for fall color:
Just for Kids: What's Bugging You?
- George Steele, Landis nature educator Summer is here and so are the bugs! Well, actually most of the ‘bugs” bugging you aren’t really bugs. All bugs are insects, but not all insects are bugs. Bugs belong to the group entomologists call Hemiptera. Most of the big-time problem insects are the flies, called Dipterans, and the bees, ants and wasps, the Hymenopterans. But before you all go “Bah, humbug” on these insects that are bugging you, don’t forget, they’re all pollinators helping out plants. [Read more] Landis Celebrates Volunteers September 29
- Louise Polli Twice a year, in the spring and fall, the Arboretum welcomes visitors to its storied plant sales, and many may not know that these events would not be possible without a small army of volunteers. We've been hosting these plant sales for so long that Volunteer Coordinator Anne Donnelly refers to them as a "well-oiled machine." But any machine is the sum of many parts working together, and Landis is no exception. It takes a team of dedicated workers to staff the sales, as well as carry out the planning, preparation, and takedown. Propagating seeds and cuttings, setting up the tables and the tents, unloading the consigned plants, taking inventory, sorting the books, baking the treats – all that goes into the sales happens only with the help of the volunteers. [Read more] SAND: A Poem by Fred Lape The malleable sand obeys any master. Even the smallest wave slides it. The heavy breakers roll brown froth, grinding it swiftly in their jaws. The wind sifts it over the dunes. The feet of bathers scuff and depress it. In it is written the passage of birds, triangles of hundreds of little feet. It retains nothing long, a backward child. If persons had this malleability governments would move more easily and die without the yeast of growth. But bury it deeply layer by layer, let it lie quiet a few thousand years, it coheres, gathers strength, becomes blue stone for houses, walls to separate cows or people. Out of this sand I press with my toe some future man may carve a god. This poem by Arboretum founder, Fred Lape, playfully meditates on both the permanence and impermanence of sand. Lapeintimates that sand, over the millennia, “retains nothing long,” yet in the very long run – on its own time, so to speak – sand becomes rock, something solid, something that will endure for ages, at least measured in human time. But perhaps Lape intimates that , over the millennia, rock becomes sand again . . . . and so people, governments, even gods endure for only a time in an endless cycle. |
From the Director's Desk:
Update on Oak Wilt and Landis - Fred Breglia, Executive Director Oaks are our legacy here at the Landis Arboretum, what with the land originally known as “Oak Nose Farm” after the 500-year-old “Great Oak” that once stood overlooking the Schoharie Valley. Oaks are a big part of our functioning ecosystem, which includes plants, fungi, and wildlife. When the approach of oak wilt was reported, we stood by hoping it would not reach the Arboretum, and so far, so good. That being said, oak wilt has been identified in neighboring Schenectady County. [Read more} The Care and Feeding of Hummingbirds
- Anita Sanchez Everyone loves hummingbirds. A highlight of any trip to the Arboretum is a chance to see a hummingbird zip past, levitate in front of a blossom, and then zoom away like a little feathered drone. Many of us delight in these fascinating birds and want to feed them. But if you’re thinking about doing so, think carefully about what food you’re offering these tiny, fragile bodies. [Read more] LANDIS PORTRAITS: A Series About the People Behind the Plants at the Arboretum - Nolan Marciniec
It isn’t surprising that Nan Williams was introduced to the Arboretum by her “best friend” of more than thirty years, Ed Miller, one of Landis’ most dedicated members. As a fellow botanist, Nan shared Ed’s vision and his enthusiasm for creating a native plant collection at the Arboretum, from the original dream to the actual planting and curating. When Ed first proposed the idea, he was met with some hesitancy by some Board members, Nan recalled. “They didn’t know Ed,” Nan said. “He persisted. He proved himself.” A decade later, the Ed Miller Native Plant Trail has flourished and features examples of nearly every woody plant native to New York State. It is one of the most distinctive attractions at Landis. [Read more] This Native Plant: Faxinus americana
- Sonja Javarone We know it. One may have grown in the backyard of our childhood home. It is a “nice tree.” It doesn’t have one single outstanding feature to capture our attention and associate it with a name. We know the lilac and magnolia, but our backyard tree may still be nameless. Let us get acquainted with the white or American ash, Fraxinus americana, a really “nice tree.” [Read more] Spotlight on Sponsors: Van Nostrand & Company, Certified Public Accountants
- Gail Browning When the Landis Arboretum hosts its annual 5K Perennial Forest Run/Walk, sponsorship that underwrites the cost of the event ensures maximum benefit for the organization. Shelly VanNostrand, CPA PLLC, of Johnstown, a long time cross country runner and nature lover, generously contributed to this year's event in August. [Read more] Spotlight on Sponsors Scoop! - Gail Browning
We're excited to provide our readers with the broadcasting scoop of the year: Ed Sherlock's Schoharie Broadcasting LLC, WSDE Lite 1190 AM and 94.3 FM, has been granted another FM license for a tower in Duanesburg that will serve the greater Capital Region. The new station, 100.1 FM, will go on the air on June 15. All three stations will feature adult lite contemporary music programming, plus Yankees' games and NASCAR. [Read more] Schoharie Lily Festival, July 13
- Gail Browning Darlene Patterson of the Schoharie Promotional Association reminds us that the Association will be hosting its 3rd Annual Lily Festival on July 13 from 10 AM to 3 PM at the Schoharie Lily Park and Trail on Fort Road Rd in the Village of Schoharie. There will be food, entertainment, vendors & fun for kids all day! The festival is an opportunity to visit yet another hidden gem in the Schoharie Valley, especially when the day lilies are in bloom. Asiatic and oriental lilies, Easter lilies, lilies of the valley, plantain lilies and many colors and varieties of day lilies have been donated and planted in the park. The trail is less than a mile, but the historic covered bridge at Fox Creek is adjacent to the park. Add a festival, and it’s a party! Take a look at this lovely little park below, and click here to download the Park brochure. |
Your membership dollars are critical to our economic viability and the sustainability of our collections, grounds, and educational programs. You can help by joining or renewing your membership. Consider renewing at a higher level. Encourage your friends, neighbors, and co-workers to do so as well. Give the gift of membership to the beautiful Landis Arboretum! Click here to join online using PayPal, or here to download a membership form to complete and return by mail to Landis Arboretum, PO Box 186, Esperance, New York 12066.
Our Business Members, Sponsors, and Allies
We have good friends in the community that help the Arboretum in a number of ways.
Please consider patronizing our Business Members, Sponsors, and Allies!
We have good friends in the community that help the Arboretum in a number of ways.
Please consider patronizing our Business Members, Sponsors, and Allies!
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THE LANDIS ARBORETUM NEWSLETTER is published quarterly for its members.
The Arboretum’s mission is to foster the appreciation of trees and other plants and their importance in our environment.
EDITORIAL BOARD
Fred Breglia; Erin Breglia; Gail Browning; Wilma Jozwiak; Lee Lattimer; Nolan Marciniec, chair; and Louise Polli
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE
Erin Breglia, Fred Breglia, Gail Browning, Amy Howansky, Nolan Marciniec, Louise Polli, Anita Sanchez, and George Steele
NEWSLETTER WEBSITE MANAGER
Wilma Jozwiak
PRINTER
Miller Printing and Litho, Amsterdam, NY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Jim Paley, President; Wilma Jozwiak, Vice President; Nolan Marciniec, Secretary; Carolyn Edwards, Treasurer; Louise Polli, At Large; Chandra Burkhart; Karl Gustafson; Amy Howansky; Lee Lattimer; Jeanne Post-Sourmail; Ed Radle; George Steele; and Earl Van Wormer
ARBORETUM STAFF
Fred Breglia, Executive Director; Nancy Stuebner, Office Manager; Erin Breglia, Garden Manager; Russell Glass, Groundskeeper
We value your input. Please address correspondence to:
Newsletter Editor, Landis Arboretum, P.O. Box 186, Esperance, NY 12066.
Website: www.landisarboretum.org
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