- Anita Sanchez As you might know if you happened to have glanced at my last zillion or so Facebook posts, I’ve recently become a first-time grandma! And so even as I walk the Arboretum trails these days, my thoughts are all about babies. Tender newborns, delicate and frail, just starting to grow. So many possibilities lie ahead, so many challenges, so much potential. There are babies everywhere, scattered underfoot: the plump, round shapes of acorns. Acorns are all over the trails in fall, a thick carpet on the autumn leaves. And then by spring they’ve vanished. Where have they all disappeared to? Well, most are devoured by the astonishing diversity of wildlife that feeds on acorns. Like all nuts, acorns are remarkably high in fats and protein, vitamins and minerals--a nutritional powerhouse, perfect for helping you make it through cold winter nights. Gray squirrels eat acorns, of course. But that’s just the beginning. Wild turkeys are nuts for acorns. So are deer. So are blue jays, chipmunks, red foxes, opossums, raccoons, pileated woodpeckers, red squirrels, yellow-bellied sapsuckers, acorn moth caterpillars, meadow voles, white-footed mice, flying squirrels, gray foxes, mallard ducks, wood ducks, crow . . . . Whew! After that onslaught, it’s a wonder there are any acorns left to turn into trees. To cope with the hordes of eager mouths waiting to devour their babies, oak trees use a strategy called predator satiation. In some years, they produce so many acorns that there’s a fighting chance that a few out of all those thousands might actually germinate. “Great oaks from little acorns grow,” is a cliché, of course. (According to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, it’s been around since the Fourteenth Century.) But how does the process work, exactly? How does a wee baby acorn turn into a three-hundred-year-old giant stretching a hundred feet into the air, weighing many tons? The acorn, like any baby, may appear to be peacefully asleep, but inside, it’s churning with life and growth. The acorn bides its time until conditions of temperature and moisture are just right. Even though they look similar, acorns of different species do it differently. White oak acorns will germinate soon after they fall. Red oak acorns need a period of dormancy, a nap in the cold until spring rolls around. But when the right moment arrives, the embryonic root tip thrusts through the acorn’s husk like a chick pecking its way out of an eggshell. We tend to think of young plants as striving upwards to the sun. But at first, the opposite is true. The young root avoids light. It turns away from the sunshine and tunnels into the soil beneath it like a blind white snake, pushing deeper and deeper. It starts to absorb moisture, and this water powers the next step, the growth of the stem and leaves that seek the light. Only a few acorns sprout, but most don’t survive for long. They’re munched by caterpillars, browsed by deer, weakened by fungi, stepped on by humans. But a few, a very few, survive their perilous infancy. Slow growers, oaks--they don’t do anything in a hurry. It may take years for the youngster to grow ankle-high, then knee-high, then shoulder-high. And then? The sky’s the limit. So, the next time you see a humble acorn on the trail, give it some respect. If it survives the deer and the turkeys and the squirrels, the bugs and the lawnmowers and the fungus, it might be the one that turns into a mammoth tree, a magnificent being that will long outlive you. You never know which acorn will be the one to touch the sky. Anita Sanchez, a longtime friend of the Arboretum and contributor to the Newsletter, is an award-winning author of books on nature for both children and adults. “Hello, Puddle” is her most recent book for young people.
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- Erin McKenna Breglia, Landis Garden Manager The color green is one of the most welcome signs of spring, followed closely by the return of the red-breasted robin, bright yellow forsythia, and fragrant purple hyacinth in bloom. Colors spark feelings and trigger inspiration – especially for the gardener. It's no wonder our planet is so full of colorful life: color in nature always serves a purpose. Color can help a species to either “stand out from the crowd” and attract pollinators or to provide a protective camouflage from enemies. In human beings, color --and color combinations -- have a powerful effect on one's mood. Let’s go back to green, a color associated with renewal, tranquility, and grounding. Green is easy to find in our gardens. Most weeds are green! Now imagine a conifer woods full of pines, fir, and hemlock, or a lush shade garden of hosta, ferns, and vinca. It would be easy to sit and relax in this space, meditate, journal, or read. Green is inviting but subtle, not showy, and serves as an excellent background to the bright colors we love. For example, red. On the color wheel, red is the complementary color of green. The plant kingdom is full of many red flowers, including the popular red rose. When you are feeling tired or sad, red can be energizing and motivating. Planting spring blooming red tulips or summer blooming red dahlias can add a lot of flair to both your garden beds and your attitude! The color most associated with cheer and happiness is yellow. Who doesn’t smile when seeing spring daffodils in May or giant sunflowers in August? Yellow also represents courage and friendship and promotes feelings of trust, youthfulness, and ‘fun’. An old-fashioned combination of yellow marigolds, calendula, zinnia, or petunia flowers in white hanging baskets is simple and sweet. Bring on the lemonade! Colors reputed to be the most healing are green, blue, and violet. Though true blue flowers are not easy to find, there are a few, such as blue stars (Amsonia), great blue lobelia, and forget-me-not. Violet and purple shades include lilac shrubs, iris, flowering onion, pansy, salvia, clematis, and aromatic lavender. These blue and purple flowers nestled among green foliage promote a tranquil and calming feeling. Add some gray or silver plants such as artemisia for extra shimmer on a moonlit night. Other colors to mention include orange, which, like yellow, can brighten one's mood. It pairs well with dark purple, green, and black for a fun and sophisticated vibe. Pink is an easy color to find in the garden and most associated with gentleness and good health. Pink pairs well with light yellow, silver, and creamy peach, and this combo can enhance a relaxing and romantic mood. Combining bright pinks, fuschia, purple, indigo, orange and off-white can enhance a creative and modern vibe that shouts “Work hard! Play hard!” Be mindful of the colors and combinations of colors you chose! They can be both healing and appealing, whether in a bouquet or in a garden. - Fred Breglia, Executive Director Managing our landscapes, forests, gardens, and landscapes is a challenge that many people enjoy. It can be a wonderful way to enrich our lives and connect with nature. Unfortunately, pests and diseases, as well as natural environmental conditions and sometimes even planting practices, frustrate our best laid plans. Even folks blessed with ‘green thumbs’ encounter problems. I wanted to continue our discussion about some of the most frequently asked questions that have been addressed to me. Q) “I want to make a compost pile. What can I put in it? Is there anything I should avoid?” A) From your backyard leaves and grass clippings, to kitchen scraps and plant debris – the good news is that most organic material can be composted. However, note that meat, dairy, fats or oils, pet feces, diseased plants, or weeds that have set seeds, and charcoal or coal ash should be avoided (although a little wood ash is OK). The bulkier organic materials do best in the first ground layer. Next, add in some green materials, such as kitchen waste and grass clippings. Animal manures can serve as activators that accelerate the heating of the pile and provide a nitrogen source for beneficial microbes. Q) “I have discovered the Asian jumping worm in my yard. What can I do?” A) Most of the worms ordinarily encountered in our gardens are beneficial, helping with the soil biota, breaking down organic matter, and aerating our soils. The first step is to accurately identify a jumping worm. An excellent resource is the online downloadable “Asian Jumping Worms: A Homeowner’s Guide,” which can be found at www.ecommons.cornell.edu. If you do indeed have jumping worms, unfortunately there is no simple solution. This invasive species breaks down organic matter faster than it can rebuild, causing an ecological imbalance in our yards and in our forests. The best solution is prevention: be careful of the source of your plant material, top soil, and compost, and inspect any plants you buy or are given from friends. If you discover that you already have jumping worm on your site, do not give away any plants to friends, since the soil could contain worms and/or their egg cases, which are not as easy to see. The worms generally do not live deep in the soil and can often be found just below leaf litter in forests. Hand picking the worms when discovered and placing them in a 5-gallon pail to desiccate will quickly kill them. The dead worms can then be disposed of. Q) “When should I prune my oak tree?” A) Due to a fungal pathogen that causes a disease called oak wilt, the safest time to prune an oak tree in our region is from early December through early February. The reason is because the oak wilt pathogen is not active during the winter months. Q) “Why is my forsythia not blooming or only blooming on its lowest branches?” A) Many of the forsythia plants in our gardens have flower buds that may become damaged during the coldest months in our season. It is often unnoticed because the foliage buds are hardier than the flower buds, so the plant grows out healthy green leaves, but lacks flower power. The reason why plants bloom only at the bottom is snow cover, which insulates the flower buds along the lower parts of stems. Creating a burlap fence can make a protection zone around the plant, helping to prevent cold damage. The fence should be removed each spring and installed again in late fall. There are specific cultivars that are more cold hardy in our area. Q) My Kousa dogwood is becoming too large for the space it’s growing in. Will I have to remove it? A) The answer, which applies to most woody plants in addition to the Kousa dogwood, is that you can reduce it in size by making appropriate cuts. There are diagrams available at www.treesaregood.org to help guide you. A good general rule is to cut back the branches that are too long to laterals which are 1/3 or larger than the diameter of the branches you are cutting back. This will ensure the new branches can assume the terminal role. Another good rule of thumb is to be sure you don’t remove more than ¼ total foliage per year. Some plants which are overly large may need to be reduced over several growing seasons to achieve the desired size. As a member privilege, questions can be emailed to me at [email protected], anytime. Please include a photo or two, and I will be happy to help. To learn more about becoming a member of Landis Arboretum, please visit our website at www.landisarboretum.org. November 12 "Landis Day" at Grapevine Farms Good neighbor Grapevine Farms in Cobleskill has offered to make Friday, November 12, 2021, Landis Day for Landis! The Arboretum will receive 20% of proceeds from sales on November 12, 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Just tell them at check out that you are shopping for landis! You will have an opportunity to do some holiday shopping - and benefit Landis. While you're there, you can enjoy lunch in the Farmhouse Bistro. As always, Grapevine Farms will have a unique selection of gifts and stocking stuffers. Grapevine Farms' wine cellar is one of the best places around to find quality New York State wines. Grapevine Farms is located at 2373 State Route 7, Cobleskill, NY 12043. Visit their website at GrapevineFarms.com for more information. - Louise Polli On a clear July evening, Jeseppe (Zep) Trade Wildfeather, his wife Denise, and friends Cindy Jakubowski and Vijaya Luxmi sat in a field overlooking the Arboretum's new Shanti Vun Meditation Garden. They were soon joined by others, friends and strangers, gathering to form a large circle, a drum circle. And then the magic began. "We're going to build a little momentum...It is sort of a transformative experience, everything in our lives is so integrated . . . you have to let go and get into a zone," Zep and Denise explained. He noted that he had some recorded music. "It gets us off the runway a little bit . . . for self-discovery, freedom." With the help of a well-chosen instrumental playlist, everyone picked up and began playing, unchoreographed, a percussion instrument they brought or passed around the circle, congas, maracas, claves, even five-gallon buckets. Days of rain had subsided, the Arboretum's birds danced overhead, cedar waxwings and a scarlet tanager soared, and the drummers settled into the rhythm of the night.
Vijaya's homemade chai, rich with the spices of her Indian homeland, charmed Zep and persuaded him to work with her to establish a series of drum circles at the Arboretum the first and third Thursday nights of each month, from 7 to 9 PM, through the summer and into September, weather permitting. Participants new to drum circles were unsure what to expect, but any hesitation quickly dissipated with Zep's welcoming approach and encouragement. He immediately connected with the group, put everyone at ease, and solicited feedback between sets. By the end of the evening, the group was smiling knowingly, relaxed and confident enough to perform without accompaniment. Everyone instinctively continued to play, to find their own sound. "It might just be something the other person came to hear, " Zep told us. We made our own music, our own peace, that memorable July evening. Come and find yours in the serenity of the Meditation Garden and Pavilion. You might want to bring some chai. What will we add next to the Meditation Garden? If you would like to help us support and maintain the Shanti Vun Meditation Garden and Pavilion, consider a donation (tax deductible to the full extent of the law). You can donate safely online through Donor Box here or contact us at [email protected] for information on how to donate by cash or check. All donations are appreciated.
As we gradually brought this old farm back to life, we piled six feet of soil on roots and trunk on the uphill side, knowing then that was probably its death knell, but it was nearly gone anyway. It survived. In those early years when the storms would rage with nothing to stop the punishing winds, I’d sit by the window in my rocking chair listening for the loud C-R-A-C-K I knew was coming when that old tree broke and fell. It survived. In anticipation of its demise, we flanked it with two black walnut saplings. The birds, squirrels, and an occasional racoon made it home. Woodpeckers excavated the soft decaying wood. It survived. We hardly noticed when a spindly branch snaked out from the ruined trunk started to thrive, and then other branches also began to gain vigor. Our walnuts were gaining size and we just didn’t pay attention to the wreck of a maple they were to replace. The new maple canopy merged with the walnut. The trunk had built up tissue and callus on the downhill, weight bearing side. It had reversed the aging process! Recently Fred returned from a conference and wrote a brief note about “veteran trees” describing this very phenomenon. A very apt phrase indeed! Our veteran tree is unlovely but beloved. And it survives. ≈
- Anne Donnelly A sometimes overlooked benefit of your Landis Arboretum membership is the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admissions Program (RAP). The program entitles you to special admission privileges and discounts at nearly 350 public gardens and arboreta throughout North America. We found trolls with ours! We heard about them on NPR, and since we were planning a family gathering in Maine, I decided to treat the family to a day trip to the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden in Boothbay to see them. There would be 16 of us: basic admission is $22 (reservations required). With our Landis membership, my husband Pat and I got in free, and the rest of the group were admitted for $16 each. The trolls, by Danish artist Thomas Dambo, are at least 20 feet tall, made of recycled wood, and well-integrated with their woodland habitats. Each brings a message from the trees. Even the skeptics who just “came along for the ride” were impressed! Check them out at https://www.mainegardens.org. For more information about RAP and a complete list of cooperating gardens and arboreta, go to ahsgardening.org/gardening-programs/rap/. Landis Portraits: A Series About the People Behind the Plants at the Arboretum - Morgan McClary9/18/2021 - Nolan Marciniec Morgan McClary, Communications Specialist for Montgomery County, was impressed by the community involvement and spirit of volunteerism among her co-workers, including Karl Gustafson, a member of the Arboretum’s Board of Trustees. He noted her interest in plants and outdoor activities and suggested that she investigate the Arboretum. It was, as Morgan’s husband Sam said, “love at first sight.” It was in the fall of 2019 that she and Sam made their first visit. Morgan remembers lingering by the weeping willow at a pond and finding “a sense of peace there.” “I got lost for a while, caught up in the moment, noticing the surroundings,” she recalled. Especially during COVID, the Arboretum became “a place of refuge” for the two of them. The couple “played tag” with a pair of barred owls at dusk along the Bass Trail. They lingered at the pond near the Great Oak, watching turtles lined up and sunbathing on a log. They spotted an oriole and a scarlet tanager in the Conifer Collection. She and Sam volunteered at the Spring Plant Sale the following year. And she discovered a sense of purpose. Volunteering at Landis “is something I could care about, be passionate about . . . . . it helps keep the place alive; it sustains it for future generations.” Morgan also found a community: “It was exciting to realize that I have something in common with others . . . . it was a breath of fresh air. I thought, these are my people,” she said. Later in 2020, she joined the Communications Committee, which is the public face of the Arboretum, responsible for its printed and online presence, including the quarterly newsletter. Morgan earned a degree in journalism from SUNY Albany. Having worked as a reporter for both Gloversville’s Leader-Herald and Amsterdam’s Recorder, she was confident that she could share her skills with the committee, as well as those she honed in her current position for Montgomery County. She said that she hopes to bring new ideas to the committee and benefit from other members’ experience. Her research for an article on one of the Arboretum’s nature workshops (“Dragonflies and Damselflies“ in this issue), revealed yet another aspect of the Arboretum, she said. She witnessed people in ages ranging from six to 60 on equal ground, learning by having fun together.” Landis is replete with “learning opportunities, something to appeal to everyone, from beekeeping to birds” and beyond. Morgan grew up with her mother and grandmother nurturing gardens, and over the years her interest in gardening grew. Meeting Sam (a self-described “plant geek”), she said, taught her a lot about plants and gave her confidence in growing them. She and Sam recently purchased a new home with a 2-acre lot, and already their plans include a greenhouse, pruning the neglected apple trees, growing herbs for crafting and sharing, and planting a garden featuring “pass along plants.” They’ve already moved dozens of houseplants into their new home. Morgan grew up in rural Montgomery County. She and her husband now live close to her childhood home. Neither would have it any other way. If it’s been “love at first sight,” it’s also been, as most love affairs are, a voyage of discovery. And Landis and the Landis community have been part of that journey. During the past year, it’s sometimes been difficult to find hope. In this poem by the Arboretum’s founder, Fred Lape, the poem’s speaker finds hope in Venus, the brightest orb in the heavens. Faced with mankind’s transience, the speaker will not call it optimism, however, but acceptance, a cold comfort, a kind of peace nevertheless.
- Fred Lape The delicate amethyst of twilight lies over the sea. A red cloud fades. There in the green blue sky you shine, Venus, a lighthouse for the earth. The same light I remember as a boy camped at the edge of a damp wood, foxfire in the decaying logs behind me, your purer light on my forehead, or later on a snowy winter night at lambing time coming from the barn, or again after the death of a friend, light of a cold planet, without comfort. Now in the twilight of my own life at peace as the day is at peace I watch you sink in the west. So you pass through all our lives from birth to death, you once over the ape man in Africa, you over the space man of the future, over love over hate over blood over decay, illuminating the evenings of our days. The meeting is adjourned. - Gail Browning From Randy Herrington's perspective, gardening brings out one’s artistic and creative nature. Randy has been a plant expert at Faddegon’s Nursery in Latham, NY for over 25 years. He credits the personable, knowledgeable staff for the family-run business' longevity of over 100 years. A wall in the gift shop features a gallery of photos depicting the early days of the operation with trolley tracks in front of the modest building, antique trucks, and the original founding family. Today, Faddegon's plays host to local clubs' specialty fundraisers, including the Capital District Iris Society, the Upstate New York Hosta Society, and the Hudson-Adirondack Daylily Society.
Open year-round, Faddegon’s plant stock reflects the seasons. The fruit trees arrive in late February, annuals and perennials later, about mid-May, depending on the weather. Fall, an important planting season, features bulbs such as amaryllis, daffodils, and tulips to plant for spring blooms -- and don't forget the garlic! Also available are ornamental cabbage and kale, straw, and corn stalks to give your home a touch of seasonal flair. The winter season features an extensive selection of houseplants in the greenhouse along with unique items and ornaments in the gift shop. And, of course, over 1000 trees, plus wreaths and greens for swags, are on hand for the holidays.
Faddegon’s philosophy is to sustain and preserve nature. (Randy recommends reading "The Nature of Oaks" and "Nature's Best Hope" by Doug Tallamy.) In light of that philosophy, it’s easy to understand the link between the Arboretum and this Landis supporter, a wonderful family business. Be sure to explore all that Faddegon’s has to offer at their website: https://www.faddegons.com. |