Share the Newsletter with a friend - the newest issue can always be found at thelandisnewsletter.weebly.com
The Arboretum remains open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year, to visitors following COVID mitigation
strategies of masking and maintaining social distance. We hope to see you here soon!
The Arboretum remains open dawn to dusk, 365 days a year, to visitors following COVID mitigation
strategies of masking and maintaining social distance. We hope to see you here soon!
Inside this issue . . .
Click on the title below to read the entire article, or scroll down to sample the issue.
Changing Times, Changing Calendar
- Wilma Jozwiak Your safety during this pandemic continues to be our first priority. Although vaccines are starting to be more available to the general public, there is still no guarantee that in-person indoor classes will be safe. Because of the uncertainties of these times, Landis will offer its 2021 Calendar of Events in three seasonal installments that will be published on the Arboretum’s website (landisarboretum.org), its Facebook page, and in Constant Contact emails to our members and friends. [Read more] Roots and Shoots: Anticipating the Spring Plant Sale
- Amy Howansky These have been trying times, to say the least, and many of us have renewed our interest – and found solace – in our gardens. The Landis 2020 Fall Plant Sale, held under Department of Health guidelines, brought out many gardeners, both novice and experienced. We expect them both at the 2021 Spring Sale, held on May 15th and 16th. On May 14th, Friday evening’s “Pick of the Pots” returns. For Arboretum members only, the event will feature one-of-a-kind and rare plants, as well as the entire inventory, before the sale opens to the public. Unfortunately, due to COVID restrictions we will not be able to offer our usual complementary food and beverages, but bottled water will be available.Not a member? Sign up at the gate! At the last sale, one plant stood out as the most requested item: Cercis canadensis ‘The Rising Sun.’ [Read more] In Remembrance: Louis Suarato
The Arboretum mourns the passing of Louis Suarato, whose service was wholeheartedly appreciated by the Landis community. We will miss this gentle naturalist who gave so much of himself to the Arboretum -- by day and by night. We reprint this edited portrait from the Fall 2013 issue of the newsletter below. Landis Portraits: A Look at the People Behind the Plants at the Arboretum. - Nolan Marciniec Louis Suarato is a man who is taken by the wonders of nature, be they light-years away or right in his own backyard. [Read more] Fingers Coming Fingers Going - Fred Lape This poem, from Fred Lape’s collection, “Along the Schoharie,” celebrates the almost mystical connections between the human and the natural world and between the present, the past, and the future. In the dooryard elms the robins are singing among the dew wet leaves, the shining branches, and here I stand where my father stood, their brightness on me, as he once loved it. Down by the brook in the dewy meadow deer poise nose wrinkled at the water. So someone years from now will find them. New birds, new deer, new trees, new water, the cycle binds us in like music. We lean and rest, we stretch our hands over the passing generations. You past, you coming, here are my fingers touching. |
From the Director's Desk: Technology Reshaping Arboriculture
- Fred Breglia, Executive Director In late 2020, I attended a virtual conference of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). The technology it took to put it together made for a seamless interactive experience. Technology has affected our daily lives in many ways - the way we communicate, for example - and it is also revolutionizing arboriculture. Modern arborists are more informed about new tools. Innovations in battery products, sensors, and digital electronics are reshaping the future of tree care. As a simple example, battery powered chainsaws are becoming popular due to their increased efficiency and torque, combined with reduced operating costs and weight. Improved battery technology has facilitated quicker charging and extended run times. [Read more] Meeting Mr. Lape
- Anita Sanchez I wanted to share with Arboretum fans a memory of a long time back, almost forty years ago. It was the early eighties, and I had just started working at a nature center in Albany. My boss said that he’d gotten a request for one of our naturalists to do a nature walk at a local Arboretum. It was way out in Esperance, and since I had just moved into the Amsterdam area, I was elected. I had never heard of the George Landis Arboretum, but I took Route 20 heading west, and then followed a winding and very bumpy road up to a white farmhouse on a hilltop. Waiting for me in the driveway was an elderly lady who was head of the brand-new Education Committee, and she was the one who had requested the program. [Read more] From the Garden: Let's Make a Compost Pile!
- Erin Breglia, Garden Manager Even novice gardeners quickly move beyond the basics of planting, watering, fertilizing and harvesting, and begin to focus on ways to keep a garden healthy and productive. A common way to do this is by adding compost to the garden, which adds valuable nutrients to the soil. Here are a few tips to help get you started on creating your own compost pile for gardening use: Location is important. Creating your pile in an open area with partial sun/shade is ideal. [Read more] Container Gardening: Plants in Pots
- Donna Vincent Container gardening has been growing in popularity in recent years. Container gardening is the solution for urban and suburban dwellers with only a balcony or patio. It is also perfect for gardeners who have difficulty with mobility and traditional “hands and knees” gardening. [Read more] Landis Portraits: A Look at the People Behind the Plants at the Arboretum.
- Nolan Marciniec She remembered her first plant sale in the company of her husband and mutual friends. She met Anne Donnelly and other Arboretum volunteers, and, she said, “I fell in love with everybody . . . . . It was such a warm atmosphere. I wanted – I needed – more.” And “more” happened to Wendy Kass, as it has to so many in the Arboretum community. Later, when her husband, Jim Paley, became more involved in the Arboretum, she would tag along and spend the time he was at meetings talking to people. [Read more] Spotlight on Sponsors: Country Boy Realty
- Gail Browning Country Boy Realty has been a proud sponsor of the Landis 5K Forest Run for a number of years. The agency, located in Cobleskill, supports local organizations and non-profits such as the Arboretum through donations, in-kind services – and active participation. Matt Loder, Country Boy’s owner, says he may convince his daughter to run with him this August. [Read more] Volunteers and Landis: A Perfect Pairing
- Louise Polli Shawn and Terrence Bevins helped complete the new Meditation Center and directed traffic at the plant sales, while Anne Bevins staffed the cashier's table. Dave Roy organized the annual 5K Forest Run. Florence Grimm and Cindy King propagated Landis-grown seedlings. Gus Polli repaired wagons and equipment and served as an Arboretum ambassador at public events. [Read more] Join us... More than ever, 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!
Amazon Smile donates a percentage of your sale to Landis when you click on this icon to shop!
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.
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE
Fred Breglia; Erin Breglia; Gail Browning; Chandra Burkhart; Wilma Jozwiak; Lee Lattimer; Nolan Marciniec and Louise Polli, Co-Chairs; and Lora Tryon
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE
Erin Breglia, Fred Breglia, Gail Browning, Amy Howansky, Wilma Jozwiak, Lee Lattimer, Nolan Marciniec, Louise Polli, and Anita Sanchez
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; Ed Radle; George Steele; Sue Tricario; 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
Visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LandisArb/
Visit us on Twitter at twitter.com/LandisDirector
Visit us on Flikr at flic.kr/g/hKke4
Visit us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/explore/locations/32691226/landis-arboretum/