The Landis Newsletter
Fall, 2020 Volume 38, Number 3
Inside this issue . . .
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Editors' Note - Nolan Marciniec and Louise Polli
We are fond of saying that Landis is rooted in the past, growing toward the future. This Fall 2020 issue of the Landis Arboretum newsletter reflects that statement and is once again a blend of articles from past issues, but also some that are current and look ahead. This newsletter is designed to be of “perennial” interest to the naturalist and gardener. Our readers will learn how to put their gardens to bed for the winter and about “witches’ broom,” our native American holly, and, yes, the often dismissed duckweed. In an archived portrait, they will encounter an old friend again, the Arboretum’s long-serving nature educator, George Steele, who has recently adapted his workshops to make them readily available in the virtual world we’ve been living in since the pandemic. [Read more] |
Thank You For a Successful Fall Plant Sale
We had two beautiful (if chilly) days for our Fall Plant Sale, held with COVID-19 precautions in place and the blessings of the Schoharie County Health Department. Part of our success came as a result of plant, baked goods, and raffle item donations from members and friends; and plant and bulb donations from local businesses and agencies, including Daffodils and More, Glen Cottage Farms, Harvesting History, Lavender Manor Farms, and the Schoharie County Soil and Water Conservation District. We truly appreciate your generosity! |
From the Garden: "Pass Along" Gardening
- Erin Breglia, Landis Gardener More often than not, gardening is a tradition, something passed along from generation to generation. In my earliest memories, I was either outside playing or inside reading and daydreaming about the enchanted forests of fairytales, which evolved to seeking out spaces in nature to write and create art. My first job was as a vegetable picker at an organic farm. I made $2 an hour and saved enough to buy a new bike. As a young adult I maintained a large vegetable garden for a local food pantry. All the while my imaginative mind was searching for ways to connect deeper with plants. This eventually led to a college degree in Plant Science with an internship at Landis Arboretum, where I met Carol Loucks. [Read more] November 6 "Landis Day" at Grapevine Farms
For the first time in 15 years, there will be no Landis Arboretum wine tasting this year - another victim of COVID-19. But good neighbor Grapevine Farms in Cobleskill has offered to make Friday, November 6, 2020 Landis Day at Grapevine Farms. The Arboretum will receive 20% of proceeds from sales on November 6, 10 AM - 6 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. As always, Grapevine Farms will have a unique selection of gifts and stocking stuffers. Grapevine’s wine cellar is one of the best places 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 |
There are many scientifically proven health benefits of outdoor places, and given the current health crisis, we felt it was important to offer a natural way to relieve stress. With miles of hiking trails, social distancing was pretty easy. [Read more]
David Roy, Bevins Family Receive Landis Awards
- Wilma Jozwiak At Landis, the fall usually means that the Arboretum community gets together to express our gratitude to all of our volunteers and to recognize two very special volunteers. At this event, we present the Volunteer of the Year Award and the Great Oak Award. But 2020 changed everything. With the safety of our volunteers first and foremost in mind, we have cancelled the annual Volunteer Recognition event. This year’s recipients will receive their certificates by mail and be publicly recognized, along with the 2021 recipients, next year. [Read more] |
In Memoriam: Agnes DeKay, 1925-2020
- Anne Donnelly The Arboretum community and I were saddened to learn of the passing of Agnes DeKay. I met Agnes when she was in an adult home dealing with mobility issues and failing eyesight. She and her husband Ken were friends of the Arboretum’s founder, Fred Lape. They collaborated on a biography of Lape that contains an insightful look at his personality and his circle of friends. It also included a first-hand account of what later became the George Landis Arboretum and remains an invaluable source of its history. [Read more] Spotlight on Sponsors: Stewart's Shops
- Gail Browning Erika Komoroske, Public Relations Specialist for Stewart’s corporate offices in Saratoga Springs, stated, “At Stewart’s Shops, we give back to the communities we serve because we believe in making communities stronger and better places to live. The Landis Arboretum does just that – promoting the preservation of our land and appreciation of trees and plants for a better environment. We are proud to support such an integral part of Schoharie and Montgomery Counties.” [Read more] |
A New Resource on our Website: Videos - Wilma Jozwiak
Landis has had a long tradition as a place for nature education and the arts. Even when the pandemic necessitated the cancellation of events, the Arboretum continued to provide information and entertainment to our community on Facebook Live. Executive Director Fred Breglia and gardener Erin Breglia posted short videos featuring “homemade” music and videos about garden-related topics. Nature educator George Steele was up for a challenge and has reformatted many of his workshops – and they became virtual Facebook Live events. Landis received grant funding from Stewart's Shops to help support George's classes. Fred’s popular pruning class went live. [Read more] Seedtime - Anita Sanchez
One of the great pleasures of being a gardener is perusing the seed catalog for next year’s garden. We sit by the wood stove and flip through the brightly colored pages, planning which seeds to buy for the annual spring planting. All of last year’s failures will be rototilled under and forgotten, and the spring will start a whole new year of brilliant gardening success. But the funny thing is that this habit of spring planting is a human custom. Nature does her seed planting at the opposite pole of the year—in the fall. How many seeds will you walk past in a short stroll at the Arboretum? thousands? millions? Every single goldenrod floret produces a single seed. Every single tiny white Queen Anne’s lace flower produces a seed. Milkweed, thistle, jewelweed, all are gone to seed now. The center of every sunflower, daisy, and black-eyed Susan is a treasure trove of seeds. Dogwood berries line the trails. Wild grapes festoon the branches overhead. [Read more] |
LANDIS PORTRAITS: A Series About the People Behind the Plants at the Arboretum Nolan Marciniec
He quoted Rachel Carson: “A child's world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement.” Since 1992, George Steele has worked to tap that sense of wonder in the children and their families who visit the Arboretum. [Read more] A vintage article from the newsletter calls our attention to a botanical oddity – and natural marvel! Betty Corning was Arboretum president when this 1987 article was published. The Arboretum visitor can see dwarf conifers adjacent to the Library and Greenhouse. Witches' Broom - Betty Bloom
Witches’ brooms are dense congested growths appearing on the lateral branches of many woody plants. Since the abnormal growth tends to be upright, the result gives the impression of a small broom growing on a normal sized tree. It was once believed that witches flying low over certain trees produced these “brooms.” After talking to experts at two Canadian schools, I favor this medieval interpretation – but will leave it to your judgment.
Most of the dwarf conifers that are becoming so popular today are the progeny of witches’ brooms. Both asexual and sexual propagation of the brooms, when successful, tend to produce a dwarf plant having the basic characteristics of its normal sized parent but usually with a much denser growth pattern. [Read more]
Duckweed: Not Just for Ducks - Lee Lattimer
The Arboretum’s Woodland Trail takes the visitor to a pond that was, until the construction of a dike in 2008, a seasonal wetland. This now year-round pond is home to many frogs, dragonflies, turtles, and ducks. The green growth that covers the pond’s surface might be mistaken for algae. It’s actually duckweed (Lemna spp.), a high-protein food source for waterfowl. Duckweed may be the world’s smallest flowering plant. [Read more] |
Lee Lattimer, Landis Historian, is transcribing an unpublished manuscript by the Arboretum’s founder, Fred Lape, titled “The Year Everything Changed.” In this excerpt, Lape is writing about the late 1940s, when he was still working the farmland that became the George Landis Arboretum. Farming - Fred Lape
During lambing time, too, it was a delight to walk out to the barn on a quiet winter night and see the stars glittering in the frosty sky overhead, or later to see Venus as a morning star just over the eastern horizon. [Read more]
Erin (McKenna) Breglia is the Arboretum’s gardener. Her timely advice appeared in the Fall 2013 issue of the newsletter. Putting Your Garden to Bed: Making It Pay Dividends
- Erin McKenna, Landis Gardener Autumn is perhaps my favorite time in the garden, especially in the Arboretum’s VanLoveland Perennial Garden. The heat of the day is less aggressive, and there seems to be more time to appreciate the blooms of Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert,’ or the asters, or the colchicums. Monarch butterflies frequently pass through en route to winter in Mexico, pausing to feast on the nectar of late-blooming perennials, fluttering their wings. Sun and clouds seem balanced, as do wind and rain and, of course, the colors of the palette of changing leaves at our Arboretum are captivating. [Read more]
Winterberry Holly: Ilex verticillata - Fred Breglia
Winterberry holly is a wonderful native shrub that is a great landscape specimen that provides outstanding winter color and a wonderful source of food for wildlife. In fact, winterberry holly fruits are consumed by over 20 species of song and game birds. Typically, this shrub can grow to 5 to 10 feet tall and as wide. In full sun it may be shorter and wider spreading; in understory conditions, it will be taller and more upright. [Read more] |
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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; Chandra Burkhart; Wilma Jozwiak; Lee Lattimer; Lora Tryon; Nolan Marciniec and Louise Polli, Co-Chairpersons
CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE
Betty Bloom, Erin (McKenna) Breglia, Fred Breglia, Gail Browning, Anne Donnelly, Wilma Jozwiak, Fred Lape, Lee Lattimer, Nolan Marciniec, Louise Polli, and Anita Sanchez
NEWSLETTER WEBSITE MANAGER
Wilma Jozwiak
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, Landis Gardener; Russell Glass, Groundskeeper
We value your input. Please address correspondence to:
Newsletter Editor, Landis Arboretum, P.O. Box 186, Esperance, NY 12066.
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